Riley was born in Cleveland, Ohio in the sunny month of June. He grew up always smiling and saying hello to everyone he met. When he was seven his father taught him how to roller blade. Two years later, after the stock market crash, his family relocated to a small town in Vermont. There, he grew up and learned how to figure skate. After years of skating he took up ballet to improve his posture. From there his love of dance and theatre grew. Performing became his passion. He took dance and drama classes all throughout high school and spent his summers at Boston Conservatory's Musical Theatre Dance Intensive as well as Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet's training program.
In 2018, Riley graduated High School and moved to the big city of Chicago to pursue his BFA in Musical Theatre with a dance concentration at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. There he saw countless shows and trained with Jane Lanier, Kestutis Nakas, Tammy Mader, and Ray Frewen. He performed in numerous plays and musicals and was certified in Stage Combat by Chuck Coyl. His senior year he broke out into the professional world playing Angelique and understudying Jean-Michel in La Cage Aux Folles at Music Theatre Works. Since graduation, he has been traveling the country performing in numerous regional houses.
Outside of theatre you can find Riley at the pool/beach, rollerblading along Lake Michigan, or on a spontanous adventure in the city.
His hopeless optimism has him dreaming of being in the ensemble on Broadway singing and dancing to his heart's content and smiling for all of the young actors who dream of doing the same.
