Destined to perform

Ever since she was young, Cydney Taylor Krone knew she was destined to perform. Whether that was singing, dancing, or acting, the stage felt familiar. However, her path to achievement was not without its fair share of challenges.
“I’ve always, ever since I was very, very little, been kind of fascinated with characters,” Cydeny Said.
She experienced bullying throughout her school days, which made her doubt herself, as well as voices telling her she wasn’t good enough. But Cydney refused to allow others to define her, she was determined to prove them wrong.
“People thought I was weird. Just, like, really treated me pretty badly. And I had, like, one friend,” Cydney said.
Before landing the lead role as Elle Woods in California, she glided across the Castleton University stage. It was here that she began to genuinely discover her voice.
Her first production at Castleton was Guys and Dolls, which was intimidating for anyone let alone a freshman. She wasn’t just playing one of the leads; she also had to share the stage with 40 alumni who had never rehearsed with the cast before. It was a high-pressure situation, but Cydney rose to the challenge.
“She handled it just beautifully,” recalled Harry McEnerny, the previous director of Castleton’s theatre program. “This showed me the kind of professionalism that Cydney has—even as a freshman.”
That professionalism stretched beyond rehearsals. Unlike some students who practiced during sessions, Cydney spent devoted time in the dance studio developing her skills.
“She would go down into the dance studio in the middle of her afternoons and work on her characters, her songs, her lines—alone, for hours and hours at a time,” McEnerny said. “She wanted to give her best performance, so when it came time for the show, she was consistent. Never missed a note, never missed a beat.”
Her time at Castleton should have been filled with more performances, more songs, and more dances, but when the COVID-19 pandemic struck during her junior year, Big Fish was canceled, which she was the lead. Cydney refused to let her college career finish without one more performance.

In her senior year, she performed an hour-long performance that included songs, dances, and even a short film. She sang, danced, and acted in front of a socially distanced audience of about 15 people.
“No one else did that,” McEnerny said. “She didn’t want her career to just stop. She was the only one who went, ‘I’m going to perform.’”
Her hard work paid off. Cydney made her professional debut in March 2022 at Desert TheatreWorks in California, playing Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors. After this performance, it landed her a season contract, with roles in Gentlemans Guide to Love & Murder, White Christmas, and Escape to Margaritaville.
Then, in January 2024, she earned her dream role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The Musical. It was a full-circle moment. Cydney, like Elle, had been underestimated. She, like Elle, had been informed that she wasn’t enough. But she proved everyone wrong with her determination, self-belief, and persistent work ethic.
“I always identified with Elle Woods,” Cydney said. “With persistence, hard work, believing in yourself, and never giving up, a lot can happen.”
McEnerny wasn’t surprised by her success.
“There are thousands of people who can sing, dance, and act that role,” he said. “But why do you cast Cydney? Because she’s the kind of person you want to work with—kind, generous, hardworking. That’s why she’s going to have a career.”
Cydney Krone’s journey exemplifies resilience. She refused to let the people who doubted her the most, define her. She made her success and didn’t wait for someone to hand it to her.
Through the issues she faced with bullying, no one taking her seriously, and turning to bigger and better things, Elle was a character that healed something in Cydney.
“Elle Woods is something that I needed to do for me spiritually, to be able to walk into this kind of new era of my life,” Cydeny said. “It was a role that I needed to prove to myself that I could get to the other side of well, and I’m glad I did it for that”
Now, as she steps onto the stage as Elle Woods, she stands not just as a performer, but as proof that with passion and perseverance, dreams do come true.
Now, as Elle Woods takes the stage, she is more than performing; she is proof that with dedication and drive, dreams can be realized.