Tyler Mankinen
Tyler Mankinen entered McCallum with no major but major talent. Because he wanted to spread himself evenly between his three passions of band, dance, and musical theater, Mankinen did not audition to be part of the Fine Arts Academy before his freshman year. However, after taking Mac’s Dance 1 class and being in the Dance Ensemble of Grand Hotel in the Spring, Mankinen realized it was the program for him. So did his teacher, Natalie “Ms. Nat” Uehara.
“From there, he just wanted to learn more,” Uehara said. “He was definitely an overachiever from the start.”
After being accepted into the program as a sophomore, Mankinen appeared in dance-heavy roles the following years such as Billy Boy Bill in Urinetown and Dance Captain/Male Swing in SpongeBob. In addition to his constant contribution to the Mac theatrical stage, Mankinen found the time to perfect both the velvety tunes of his French Horn in Symphony Band as well as the commanding, precise notes of his Mellophone in Marching Band.
“French Horn has been a constant in my life…I’ve just had such a journey with that instrument, so it’s super valuable to me,” Mankinen said. “Mellophone is so special because it helped reignite my love for music when I was feeling burnt out.”
This wouldn’t be the last time Mankinen would add a new artistic endeavor to his schedule upon tiring of another. As a junior, he took on his first show as stage manager, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, and was instantly hooked on the backstage scene.
“Opening night was definitely amazing,” Mankinen said. “Calling the show was a first for me, and getting to do it with such a memorable crew was really rewarding!”
Luckily for Mankinen, his newfound hobby looked good on him. His experience in dance, choreography and management all came to fruition in April, when he and Ellie Collard co-directed the McCallum Dance Company’s Spring Concert, Connection.
“He’s so organized, but he’s also passionate about dance and theater, so I think it’s such a perfect fit,” Uehara said. “I see him really shine when he’s behind the scenes, because he has such maturity and so much control.”
After an enlightening experience managing Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, a Heller Award-Winning Technical Execution as Assistant Stage Manager of Pippin, and his debut in choreography with Connection, it’s fitting that Mankinen will major in entertainment business with a minor in theater production design at Oklahoma City University.
“Theater inspired me to go onto my career path,” he said. “I want to thank everyone…Ms. Nat and Ms. Murray helped me continue my progression in dance and gave me the position of student director.”
Mankinen’s boundless impact on McCallum Performance Arts could not be measured, even by his talents
“I’m gonna miss his infectious smile, of course,” Uehara said. “He’s got an amazing smile.”
Band (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th), Assistant Choreographer (2022), Visual Captain (2022), Brass Captain (2021), Soloist (2021), Section Leader (10th, 11th, 12th), McCallum High School Band Principal Horn player (10th, 11th, 12th), TMEA Area-Band Participant & All-State Band First Alternate (10th) -TMEA Region Band Wind Ensemble (2019-2020) -UIL Solo and Ensemble rating of 1 (10th, 11th, 12th)
Mac Youth Dance Company (1oth, 11th, 12th), Choreographer (11th, 12th), Business Director (12th)
Theater (9th, 10th, 11th, 12th), Dance Captain (11th), Stage Manager (11th), Assistant Stage Manager (12th)
NHS (11th, 12th)