Hi! My name is Ray Garcia, and one of the questions I get asked most often is, "How did someone from a small town like Bay City end up performing on Broadway and traveling the world?" Well, here's my story.
It all started during my senior year of high school. My plan was to major in music at East Texas State University. I had earned scholarships for both piano and alto saxophone and was all set to go.
Then, one night in November, everything changed.
I went to see a performance at the Keye Ingram Auditorium called The Young Americans: A Salute to Gershwin. I had never seen anything like it. The singing, the dancing, the energy—it completely captivated me.
At the end of the show, they announced they would be holding auditions in the lobby for their summer theater program in Petoskey, Michigan. I decided to give it a try. I sang a song, learned a short dance combination they taught us, and crossed my fingers.
A few weeks later, I received a letter telling me I had been accepted.
I was over the moon!
There was just one problem—I didn't have the money to go. That's when something incredible happened. The people of Bay City came together and helped me raise the money I needed. Because of their generosity, I packed my bags and headed to Michigan for what would become one of the most life-changing experiences of my life.
By the end of that summer, I was performing on stage with the legendary Liberace. Soon afterward, The Young Americans invited me to move to California and join the company full-time. I begged my parents to let me go...and thankfully, they said yes.
The rest, as they say, is history.
My career has taken me to places I never could have imagined. I spent a summer performing with The Young Americans in Cannes, France, followed by a national tour across the United States. I earned a dance scholarship to the renowned Joe Tremaine Dance Center in Los Angeles and eventually became an instructor there. From there, I was blessed with opportunities to perform on Broadway, tour the world, choreograph for major productions, and work alongside some truly incredible artists.
But none of it would have happened without the kindness and support of the people of Bay City.
I'll be forever grateful to this community for believing in a kid with a dream before he even believed in himself.
That's why coming home means so much to me.
Today, I have the privilege of teaching and encouraging young people to work hard, believe in themselves, and never be afraid to dream big. I want every student who walks into BCAPA to know that where you come from does not determine where you can go.
If a small-town boy from Bay City could end up performing on Broadway, dancing around the world, and living a life beyond anything he ever imagined, then anything really is possible.
Take it from me.