Wilbraham native Greg Boilard finds his voice, thanks teacher for Broadway success

WILBRAHAM — To call Gregory “Greg” Boilard a 413 success story is somehow an understatement.

With his low grumbling voice, Boilard is more than just an accomplished “voiceover artist based out of New York City with advanced comedy improv training,” though that description can be found on his website.

Boilard, now in his 30s, is a Wilbraham-raised wunderkind who has been interested in musical theater for as far back as he can remember. Today, he works as the manager of publicity and communications at Disney Theatrical Group.

“What I’ve been fortunate enough to do is be able to mix my career with what I have been passionate about,” said Boilard. “My passion for theater and the arts, creativity, really stems from growing up in Western Mass. I’d say there are even a few pillars as to where that creation and love of the arts came from.”

From former student to current pen pal

Boilard credits his enthusiasm for theater to his elementary school music teacher, Karen Sheffield, at Memorial Elementary School in West Springfield.

“Her music classes and really just her — Mrs. Sheffield was the first person who allowed me to create, who allowed me to be myself, and showed me what the arts are as well as creating a community within an arts space,” said Boilard. “We actually got to reconnect recently. She’s aways been someone that is at the back of my mind, and a reason I get so excited to come to work every day, why I get so excited to be a part of these projects — it really goes back to those core values that she instilled in me in kindergarten of what music is.”

Boilard states that the way he views music, even to this day, is due to Sheffield’s classes, where her untenable ability to encourage her students helped him thrive.

When reached for comment about Boilard, anyone with (or without) perfect pitch could hear the smile as Sheffield spoke about her former elementary student.

“I was lucky enough to have him from kindergarten through sixth grade at Memorial School,” said Sheffield. “Along with a few of my peers at other local schools, we started chorus and began rehearsals for it, with two concerts a year. Greg’s fifth grade year, it was in June, we had this special concert, and he was always one of those very kind and cheerful and friendly well-liked by his peers kind of kid.”

According to her, those special attributes Boilard possessed at an early age shined even brighter the night of his fifth-grade concert.

“There was another student, a sixth grader, that was supposed to do this part. It required a partner, and the student was upset because his partner was sick. But Greg just jumped up and said, ‘Mrs. Sheffield, I’ll do it!’ and he had just learned the other student’s part by watching, you know? And so he jumped in the concert like it was no big deal,” she said.

A wonderful past, an even brighter future

After graduating from Minnechaug Regional High School, Boilard attended Syracuse University in New York and, soon after his graduation, he secured his current gig at Disney Theatrical Group.

One of his greatest achievements in his new role? Having an entire class of Sheffield’s students to Broadway for the chance to see a production of “Aladdin.”

“It was for students and parents if they could come,” said Sheffield. “So I went down there, as a chaperone for The Drama Studio, because I’m on the board there, and it was just like a complete ‘oh my Gosh’ moment. I didn’t know if he would recognize me or anything, but he immediately was like ‘Mrs. Sheffield! I can’t believe you are here!’ It was wonderful and from that point on, he’ll send me a little message or a postcard from Japan, stuff like that. We don’t write all the time, Christmas cards and things… but it really is incredible to hear how your students are doing because after elementary age, you can only plant these little seeds, and you never know where they are going to go. It truly is so wonderful to hear about kids like Greg that are doing so well.”

This relationship still means the world to Boilard today.

“We have kind of been pen pals for about the past two years,” said Boilard. “Just talking about different memories and keeping each other updated, which has been a very special relationship for me to rekindle because, you know, she has meant so much to me over the years.”

After his Memorial School days, Boilard later joined Wilbraham Summer Youth Theatre in middle school, where leaders Kyle Rankins and Deb Trimble further encouraged him to follow his dreams. Boilard then because a member of Springfield staple, The Drama Studio, where beloved mentor Steve Hays shined a light on his authenticity.

“These institutions are where I really got immersed in what musical theater is… even though I could not sing or dance,” said Boilard. “Learning how much arts are important to a community and also how much the arts are important to someone young growing up, as well fostering good values in a person, understanding empathy — that is why the arts are so important.”

A fine-toothed comb of professional happiness

When asked about the current state of Broadway, as well as theater in general, Boilard was both candid and optimistic.

“Being a part of Disney Theatrical Group is truly an honor,” said Boilard. “I pinch myself every day. Even when I am backstage at the New Amsterdam Theatre, where ‘Aladdin’ plays, I literally pinch myself because in a way it still feels like I’m behind the stage at The Drama Studio in Springfield, even though Rafiki is standing next to me about to sing ‘The Circle of Life.’ It is a very, very surreal moment but it truly is just a bunch of theater kids in this office putting on these massive productions.”

Boilard said that Broadway is “a really exciting place right now.”

“I feel like we are on this cusp of new types of shows coming in and maybe because of the pandemic a lot of these shows that were put on pause… they have gotten the momentum to get back on the stage. I believe it really is an exciting time to be involved in this industry,” he said. “The world is a scary place already and everything is looked at with a fine-toothed comb, and risks are scary to make, but the thing about Broadway is that people want to take risks because they want to entertain audiences and make people happy and distract people from what is going on in their day to day lives.”

To stay up to date on Boilard’s career and creative endeavors, visit his website, gregoryboilard.com, or email him at gregory@gregoryboilard.com. He can also be found on Instagram @i_am_boil.

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