From Seal Beach Girl to Broadway Ingenue

Susan Egan, who has toured the country in “Bye Bye Birdie,” had big dreams when she was graduated from the Orange County High School for the Arts in 1988. But she says she never expected to be working with Broadway song-and-dance man Tommy Tune.

“They say the star is always the one to set the tone for the rest of the cast and crew, and sometimes it can be just awful and full of tension, but Tommy is extremely generous,” says the 22-year-old actress, who plays ingenue Kim MacAfee in the production that continues through Sunday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center (see accompanying review).

Egan, who grew up in Seal Beach, originated the role of Beverly in the musical “Babes” in Los Angeles, played the title role in a national touring production of “No! No! Nanette” and most recently portrayed Kathy Selden in a national touring company of “Singin’ in the Rain.”

She is on leave from UCLA, where she is majoring in anthropology.