Some actors are so special that the moment you see them onstage you just know they’re destined for great things. They possess charisma, authority and that je ne sais quoi that translates into potential stardom.

Vanessa Sears is one such artist. I vividly recall seeing her a decade ago in the immersive walkabout musical “Brantwood” when she was part of the inaugural graduating class of Sheridan College’s bachelor of music theatre program.

Playing two students — one an ostracized Black girl in the 1940s, the other a fierce contemporary rapper — Sears easily stood out. Great presence and singing voice. Focused acting. Undeniable talent. I’ll never forget one scene, in which the two of us were alone in a room, and her cocky, uniformed high school student challenged me to a sit-up competiti

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