Engaged! College of the Arts Alumni Video Goes Viral

When Musical Theatre alumna Amanda Phillips ’11 agreed to film a professional demo reel with fellow alumnus Joshua Dela Cruz ’11 in Central Park, she got more than a stunning film of the couple’s dazzling footwork: she got engaged. And their engagement video is viral and streaming on MTV.com.

Set to “You Make Me Feel So Young” sung by Frank Sinatra, the two pirouetted, twirled and beamed at each other under a sunlit, cobalt sky in Central Park.  

Dela Cruz, who is currently a member of the ensemble cast in Broadway’s Aladdin, stopped midway through the routine and got down on one knee. Phillips, who recently toured with the production White Christmas, accepted and wept after the surprise proposal.

Writer Joseph Lamour, who wrote a piece on the two College of the Arts alumni for MTV, called it the “cutest dance sequence ever” and MTV News’ Facebook page gushed over the video, remarking “You will not stop crying after this.” On MTV’s Facebook page, the video garnered over 2,600 likes.   Today.com also featured the video calling it a "proposal that rivals the movies."

The two alumni have spent five years together, while also studying and training as students in the Department of Theatre and Dance before graduating in 2011. 

Congratulations to our engaged alumni who clearly are a match made in Musical Theatre heaven!