Name: Ray Hopkins
Age: 19
Location: West Pittston/Philadelphia
Favorite Weekender feature?: ” The “Stage” Section
Who do you admire? I would say I admire Lin-Manuel Miranda of Broadway’s “Hamilton” the most. Lin has done so much good in his rise to fame, and through it all remains humble. He’s written two shows and specifically in “Hamilton,” there’s something for every feeling under the sun. I admire his ability to be so in touch with the human condition, and I one day aspire to be as good a person as Lin.
What would your theme song be?: My theme song would “The Music of the Night” from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera,” because without that song, I wouldn’t be doing theater today, and my life would be on an entirely different path.
What is your greatest accomplishment to date?: My greatest accomplishment to date is that I played Sweeney Todd in Performing Arts Institute of Wyoming Seminary’s “Sweeney Todd.” I experienced my truest moment on stage in the opening night during one of the final sequence’s moments.
What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?: The craziest thing I’ve ever done happened while I was at Temple last semester. I normally am a shy and reserved person in public, but I was deeply troubled by something happening in my life, to the point where I went on the mezzanine level of the Social Sciences building’s roof and started belting show tunes to let my emotions out. Anyone who knows me would know that I wouldn’t do that kind of act normally.
What words of wisdom would you pass onto your childhood self?: If I could tell my childhood self anything, it would be to stop hesitating and to be outgoing.
If you could live in a book, movie or TV series, which would it be?: If I could live in any media, I would live in the world of “How I Met Your Mother.” I recently got into the series and now I can’t stop watching. The characters are true to life and I enjoy the realism in both the show and characters.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?: If I could have any superpower, I’d choose the powers of Spider Man. Spider Man is my favorite hero, so I may be a bit biased. However, because I’m living in Philly, I would greatly benefit from having the ability to scale walls and travel quickly. It wouldn’t hurt to also have the proportionate strength of a spider.
