“I was so obsessed with it when I was younger, so to be a part of it now is such a dream come true,” Sam Seferian, who plays the role of Boq, said.

Seferian started attending musicals when he was young and "Wicked" was the first Broadway show saw when he was 12 years old.

His love for performing became most apparent when he was the only boy in dance class when he was three years old.

His first memory onstage was during one of their recitals, when he performed his own little bit in the beginning of the show and made the audience laugh. From that moment on, he was hooked.

After participating in local theater productions throughout his childhood, he went on to graduate from Penn State University with a degree in musical theater. He owes much of his success to the constant support from his family, he said.

“It’s a crazy thing to want to want to do, and when you’re young you’re so naïve that you kind of just are so brave, which is amazing, but for (my family) to be so supportive and knowing it might not have worked out was just the coolest thing," Seferian said.

He said he recalls feeling more comfortable onstage than off when he was growing up. He said he is constantly becoming a better performer through his craft.

“Just the constant having to put yourself in someone else’s shoes all the time," Seferian said. "That’s our job, just to create so much empathy for other people, which is just the most important thing, so I feel like it’s opened my mind up and my heart so much to other people’s stories and kind of being able to understand other people’s perspectives and experiences in a way I can’t imagine you fully being able to if you weren’t immersed in that as your job.”

After a couple different auditions for "Wicked," he was casted as the role of Boq. Thinking back to his opening night, he described the experience as overwhelming and exciting.

The cast had three weeks to rehearse, followed by a dress rehearsal, a week off and then performances.

“I feel like I kind of blacked out that first performance, but I remember specifically that bow," he said. "I got really emotional and it kind of just all hit me in that moment. So that was really really special.”

Because "Wicked" has been open and touring for so long, the cast is very much like a family, he said. There are some who have been touring the entire time and some who just joined, but regardless, everyone is close and supportive.

One thing he said he enjoys most about being a part of this production is its ability to touch any audience member. The story centers on a female friendship and promotes individuality and fighting for what you believe in, he said.

“Acceptance, and that’s such an important theme, especially right now in the world," he said. "To kind of be able to spread that across the country is the best gift.”

He said his future plans include finishing his tour with "Wicked" for a couple more months, then returning to his home in New York City to begin auditioning again.

Tickets for "Wicked" at the Wharton Center can be purchased here.

"The music is incredible, the story is easily identifiable and the experience of seeing 'Wicked' is a rare (thing) to capture on stage and every time you see it, it's like you're seeing it for the first time," media and information junior and Wharton Center public relations intern Alex Woody said.