Samford alumna Teale Dvornik ’12 has built her career just out of the spotlight—a perspective that continues to shape her work in a meaningful way. Since graduating with a degree in costume design, Dvornik has worked behind the scenes on major New York Broadway productions, including Wicked. She now serves as a dresser for the Metropolitan Opera, where she helps performers prepare for and move seamlessly through live shows.

Working backstage also sparked a deeper interest in Broadway beyond the performances themselves—particularly in the history embedded within its theaters. In 2017, Dvornik launched the Backstage Blonde, a blog dedicated to sharing what audiences don’t always see: the unique history and character of Broadway’s theaters. The platform has since expanded to include guided walking tours through Manhattan’s theater district.

That work led to her first book, History Hiding Around Broadway: Backstage Lore, Secrets & Surprises from New York’s Famed Theater District. The book was released in November 2025 and is already in its second printing. 

Dvornik encourages visitors to look beyond the stage. “Take a moment to look around the theater,” she said. “There’s a lot of history in the details that people don’t always notice.” Through her work backstage, online and now in print, Dvornik has turned her passion for in Broadway into a way of helping others better understand it—not just as entertainment, but as a place defined by fascinating history, creative artists and rich traditions.