#FFB: Ted Keener
I've so been looking forward to this feature! :) I have never performed on tour, and I wanted a glimpse into what the day-to-day would be like for a performer in a touring production. Ted and I got in touch through a friend who loved the class he taught at Flywheel. A week later he was cast in the Tour of Phantom! I was so excited to learn about his changes in fitness and health on the road. I love to travel but find that it tests my discipline, healthy habits, and fitness regime. Ted's day-to-day is full of excellent tips and outlines what it takes to stay healthy on tour (or traveling in general). A huge Thank You to Ted who's expertise as a fitness instructor and a performer makes him FIT FOR BROADWAY.... ON TOUR!
Check HERE to see if Ted and the Phantom Cast is coming to a city near you! : )
BIOGRAPHY: Hello from Atlanta, GA! My name is Ted Keener and I’m currently performing as the Slave Master in Cameron Mackintosh's spectacular new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, now on tour across North America!
Originally from Philadelphia, PA, I come from a big family of theater lovers, and growing up I got to see a lot of shows in Philly and NYC. One time, my mom and I went to see Tommy Tune in his one-man show Tommy Tune Tonight! and when I met him after the show he exclaimed, “You’re a dancer!” Until that point, I had mainly considered myself a singer, but he was a huge inspiration to me and I started taking dance classes not long after!
While musical theater continued to always be foremost in my heart, I actually began my performing career as a ballet dancer. After training at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Rock School, and Indiana University, I went on to dance with Richmond Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Smuin Ballet of San Francisco, and the National Choreographers Initiative in Irvine, CA.
Four years ago, I decided to stop doing ballet full-time and move to NYC to switch focus to theater. This was the perfect time to dive back into my love of singing, and have so enjoyed discovering my voice again - now as a baritone as opposed to boy soprano! Before Phantom, I toured the US and Canada with Fiddler on the Roof, and performed regionally in Young Frankenstein.
It was also at this time that I developed another love – teaching. While living in NYC, I worked for Flywheel Sports, teaching both FlyBarre (a total body sculpting class) and Flywheel indoor cycling classes. It is tremendously rewarding to motivate others and help push them to their limits. I loved getting to share my passion for health and fitness with our members, while staying in great shape myself!
Now on the road again, I feel so grateful to be a part of this iconic piece of musical theater, doing what I love to do every night. Such a dream come true!
A day in the life…
8am – Wake up! Some friends and I are going to take ballet class at 9:45, so this gives me enough time to mobilize, eat, and get to the studio.
8:20am – Make breakfast. First step is coffee, however coffee makers in hotels can be very inconsistent. A popular model is this type of single cup coffee maker, but it doesn’t make a very strong brew by itself. So, I purchased a small French press that fits right underneath where the hot water comes out, and just add my own grounds. Presto!
Here in Atlanta, we have full kitchens in our hotel rooms (a first for me on the road), so I can make favorite breakfast that I make at home in NYC. It’s simply eggs scrambled in coconut oil, with extra whites, goat cheese, a little pepper, and some fresh berries on the side. The eggs and cheese are a great source of protein, and the berries pack in some good carbs and vitamin C.
9:45 am – Open adult class at Atlanta Ballet. Getting to take ballet classes on a semi-regular basis has been awesome on this tour. Ballet companies and schools, in the cities we have traveled to, have been tremendously generous with letting us join them for classes, and we are so grateful. It makes a huge difference in how we dancers of the Opéra Populaire are able to maintain our bodies.
11:30 am – En route back from ballet class I need something with protein and sugar to keep me going, and chocolate milk is always a convenient solution. At Starbucks I ask for a venti cup of 2% milk with two pumps of the mocha syrup and mix it myself.
12 pm – CrossFit WOD at Crossfit Midtown. For my role in Phantom as the Slave Master, I perform shirtless every night, so keeping my body looking good (and continually working to improve upper-body strength) is very important. CrossFit packs a serious punch using all functional, full-body movements, and there has been a CrossFit gym (aka “box”) and almost every city we’ve been to. Crossfit Midtown has some of the best instructors of any box I’ve been to, and it’s been a lot of fun to work out with them. Today’s WOD (workout of the day) starts with heavy power cleans and push presses (pictured), and then moves on to a series of running, box jumps, and more push presses at a lighter weight. I finish before the time limit and feel totally spent afterwards. Mission accomplished!
Another great thing about Atlanta? The Flywheel studio! On days that I’m not at CrossFit or ballet class, I have loved taking FlyBarre and Flywheel. This is the first city (while I’ve been on the road) that has a Flywheel studio location and getting back into these classes has been awesome. Cycling is such a
phenomenal cardiovascular workout with very low impact, and experiencing FlyBarre in Atlanta has helped bring back some attention to my core and seat areas, after focusing heavily on my upper body these last few weeks. Needless to say, I was very sore after…in a really great way!
1:15pm – Recovery shake. On the road, I don’t have as easy access to the brands and products I generally like to get in NYC, but I can usually find a good whey protein powder with branch chain amino acids (BCAAs), that I combine with creatine and water in a shaker bottle.
2:30pm – Lunch. I can never eat a full meal right after working out, but on the way back from CrossFit, I stop at a Panera and get lunch to go. Today’s lunch included Fuji Apple Chicken Salad with extra chicken, baked chips, the vegetarian Creamy Tomato Soup, an apple, and an unsweetened iced tea with lemon.
On the road, eating well can really be a challenge, but places like Panera, Jimmy Johns, 5 Guys Burgers, and Chipotle are great for getting good quality ingredients, on the go, for fairly cheap. Because I am so active I try to eat a lot every day. I don’t count calories or necessarily monitor nutrition facts, but use how my body feels as a guide. The only things I try to limit whenever possible are bread and sugar. I LOVE bread, but when I eat too much I feel tired and I can see a visible difference in how my body stores fat. If I’m going to Jimmy John’s, they can make all sandwiches as lettuce wraps, and 5 Guys will give me all the ingredients of a burger in a dish without the bun. I also keep soda only for very rare occasions.
3pm – Nap. I love sleeping, and after a full morning of exercise, I need to recharge before the show. Generally 20 minutes is just the ticket, but I generally don’t set an alarm until I absolutely have to be up.
Late afternoon – Catching up with friends and family. This downtime before the show is perfect for making phone calls or visiting people who are in the area. Today, I had a long chat on the phone with a dear friend I hadn’t talked to in a while, and also got to go out to dinner with another good friend I used to work with at my very first job in NYC.
At dinner, I got the grilled salmon with spinach and roasted potatoes, and just water to drink. Again, too much bread (or pasta) can make me feel tired, but this combination of fish and vegetables is perfect for giving me just the energy I need for the show.
7pm – Our show isn’t until 8, but nights I do Slave Master I like to have extra time to warm up, do my makeup, and get my wig, beard, and costume on. Phantom is awesome for travelling ballet barres for us to warm up with, so I normally do a series of tendus with grand plies, degages, fondus, sautés, and then stretching. Right before I go on (generally during the “Auction”), I jog with pointed feet and do a few high tuck jumps to get my heart rate up and really get the blood flowing through my legs. I also do some arm circles and torso twists so my back and shoulders are ready for partnering.
8pm – Showtime! Throughout the show, I make sure to keep drinking a lot of water, which I add Emergen-C to. I also like to snack on honeycrisp apples and either peanut butter (or almond butter if I can find it!). Hydration, natural sugars, and protein… all good for helping me keep my energy up during the show!
11pm – Tonight was the Press Opening in Atlanta, and we are invited to an opening night party at a restaurant right by the theater. We are generously offered two drinks, but with two shows tomorrow, I just stick to one glass of red wine to help me wind down. There are some nice appetizers offered, and I pick up some meatballs, chicken, and red peppers (which are my favorite vegetable).
On nights when I don’t go out, I like to make food back at my hotel if I can. Here’s a nutritious dinner I can whip up with little preparation: arugula salad with chicken, avocado, tomato, olive oil, salt and pepper, and of course red wine. I suppose white wine pairs better, but I just really like red.
12:30am - Bed time. Two shows tomorrow… gotta rest up. Goodnight!
Instructor >> Performer:
A lot of people have asked me what it's like to go from being an instructor to being a performer, but I think they are very much the same! In Phantom, we perform 8 shows a week and we give everything we have for each one of those 8 shows. Same as with teaching - when I left Flywheel, I was teaching 11 FlyBarre and 2 indoor cycling classes every week, and giving everything I had in each one of those classes to ensure our members received the best possible workout. To me, the only difference is that with teaching we strive to make each class different and unique, while with performing we are doing the same show every night, but working continually improve with every performance!
Teaching for Flywheel was an amazing experience. As a dancer, barre classes are very helpful for building strength, flexibility, and muscular endurance in a very functional way. This is especially true through the seat and core regions of the body. Through teaching FlyBarre, my abdominals became stronger than ever, and I found I was able to stay in really good dancing shape even if I didn't take ballet class every day. I could still turn, balance and jump just as well (if not better!) because FlyBarre was such good cross-training!
Just over a year ago, after I had been teaching FlyBarre for several months, I was approached by one of the Flywheel Master Instructors about adding indoor cycling classes to my teaching regimen, and I jumped at the chance! I had always been a big fan and was excited to experience the other side of the company. What I discovered with Flywheel is how FUN a workout can be! 45 minutes would fly by and before I knew it I would be drenched in sweat and smiling from ear to ear! Also, I'm honestly not a big fan of running or swimming, but with cycling I found a cardio workout that really worked for me.
So, strong from barre, and heart-healthy from cycling, I always felt physically ready for dance auditions as they would come up. In my free time, I would practice singing, take dance classes in many different styles, and just relax and have fun with my many wonderful friends!
Special Thanks to: Jenny Bates, Broadway Booking Office NYC | Alicja Wojczyk, Flywheel Sports | Michael T. Aaron, CrossFit Midtown
Photo Credits: Roberto Aroujo, Kaitlyn Barrett, Deborah Boardman, Grace Berryman, Liz Borom, Dan Debenport, Matthew Murphy, Keith Sutter, Justin Sweeney, Stephanie Taylor, and courtesy of Flywheel Sports.
