A tweet from the career development department at his university led to an amazing opportunity for Matt Butler, a 2010 Windham High School graduate. Butler is on tour in the Asia-Pacific region as the lighting director for a brand new musical tour called Barbie LIVE!
When Butler, who earned a Bachelor’s degree in show production from Full Sail University in Orlando, Fla., saw the tweet about the job opportunity, he submitted his resume, and after a series of interviews, landed the position.
The tour has taken Butler to Singapore, Thailand and Shenzhen, China so far. Though many tour locations have not yet been released, the show will travel to many cities in the Asia-Pacific region as well as Australia and New Zealand before its end in fall of 2014.
“It is absolutely amazing to be doing what I am doing. I love my job, and couldn't imagine myself doing anything else,” said Butler. He says the tour is even more incredible than anticipated, because of both the excellent lighting design team that he has been able to learn from, and the strong friendships he is developing with cast and crew that he believes will last for many years to come. “It has awarded me so many more opportunities than I thought would be possible this early in my career,” he said.
Butler said he is still getting used to waking up in a different country each week and experiencing different cultures first hand. He has ridden elephants in Thailand, gone swimming on the roof of a 57-story hotel overlooking the Singapore skyline, and been able to attend concerts of top 40 artists due to connections he has made on the road. “It is all pretty special, and a once in a lifetime opportunity that I am extremely grateful for,” he said.
That doesn’t mean there are no challenges. Tour life takes some getting used to, he said, as does living out of a suitcase. Getting used to new cultures has been the most difficult adaptation he says. “In many of the countries that I am traveling to, English is not the primary language, and so it takes some effort to communicate,” he said. While some of the cities have become somewhat Westernized in regard to public transportation, malls and big buildings, he said that travelling outside of the cities has given him a look at how poverty is still prevalent throughout the world. “Having the opportunity to gain this world perspective is really neat,” he said.
So what’s next for Butler? His position with Barbie LIVE! is contracted through the fall of 2014. After this tour ends, he said he hopes to do lighting for a larger music tour. “We will just have to see where life leads me,” he said.
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