What is your favorite song/scene/moment in Spring Awakening?
There are so many magical parts in the show that I love watching and performing. It is an absolute dream doing this show every night. If I had to choose one special moment, though, it would definitely be "Song of Purple Summer." This song really captures the heart of our story. We have the opportunity to reflect on the message we want the audience to walk away with, and we are given the chance to truly connect with the world beyond the show. Every night we perform this song, I feel an incredible connection with everyone in the theatre. I feel honored to be a member of this amazing ensemble, I feel inspired to be telling this timeless story, and I feel humbled to be a part of such a beautiful collaboration. "Song of Purple Summer" breathes life into the hope of Spring Awakening.
What inspires you to play the role?
I am inspired by the many different people who are affected and moved by Spring Awakening. Knowing that our show has the ability to change someone or make a difference in their life, truly motivates me to tell this story every night. I am so lucky to be a part of a collaboration that holds such an important and eternal message for people of all walks of life.
What is it like playing in a new venue almost every night?
Playing a new venue almost every night is truly a whirlwind experience. To make sure I don't blend all of the venues into one, I try to remember something specific about each venue so I can have a special memory for each of our performances. Whether that means relating to a specific audience member, exploring the backstage wall of fame, or encountering some of the theatres’ ghosts--I try to keep each venue separate in my memory. Although we often wish we can stay in a venue more than one night, it is very rewarding to look back and see just how many theatres we have visited.
Do you have a great Guilty Ones moment/story you can share?
I am not quite sure if any “Guilty Ones” were in the audience in Minneapolis, but we had the most enthusiastic fans at the stage door outside of the Orpheum. They cheered for everyone! I thought I had no luck after walking out behind Chris (Melchior), but they recognized me (and everyone who came out after me) with an amazing amount of excitement! It was the first time we had a line of screaming fans waiting to greet us! It reminded me of how excited I was the first time I saw Spring Awakening.
Do you have a great Chair of Rock/Stage Seating experience you can share?
As a Chair of Rock, it is a quite the experience trying to fool the people sitting next to you--it's a very exciting part of our job that we take very seriously. I always feel like it's a good night when I can fool at least one person onstage! At one of our shows, I talked to some very friendly women who were sitting next to me before the show started. As the show began, they thought of me as a local college student who came to see Spring Awakening for the second time. Everything changed after I stood up for the first time. I heard one of the women turn to the other one and say, "She's dead to us! She's a liar!" It took everything in to me to contain my composure for the rest of the song. They, of course, were joking, but I thought it was so funny they decided to talk to me in the middle of a song.
What is the weirdest/coolest thing that happened to you or another cast member on stage/at the stage door?
One of the weirdest things that ever happened onstage was when George's (Otto) glasses were suddenly knocked off in the middle of a scene. Chris somehow hit George's glasses right before he hugs Coby (Moritz) and freezes in the schoolyard scene. He hit George square in the glasses and they went flying into the band. We all saw it happen, and we were all in shock. The moment became much more comedic since the boys had to freeze for the rest of the scene. Once the scene ended, George retreated to the band to find his glasses. Try as we might, I don't think we will ever be able to recreate that moment. Needless to say, it was very weird, very memorable, and quite funny all at the same time.
Have you been able to watch the show when an understudy was on? What did you think? What was it like?
Some of the swings have gone on a few times thus far, and it has been so exciting every time someone has gotten to do the show! There is a completely different energy with someone new onstage, which is so wonderful for everyone to experience. As a fellow understudy, I have been so proud and excited when any of us have had the opportunity to step into a part. It gives all of us an amazing amount of courage for when we might have to go on!
What was it like when you performed in front of Steven Sater/Michael Mayer during the rehearsals?
There was an incredible energy in the room when Steven Sater and Michael Mayer sat in on two of our rehearsals. I had to keep pinching myself to make sure it was real; I couldn't believe the creators of this beautiful piece of theatre were watching us rehearse. Our director, Lucy, set a very nice tone to ensure we wouldn't be too nervous. She reminded all of us this was still a rehearsal, and if we needed to stop we could. I felt so proud of our cast and I felt extremely inspired to be among two incredibly talented artists. We got to speak with them briefly after our rehearsal, and they shared with us some of the backstory in writing and creating the show. I realized there was a much deeper meaning and heart that lived within Spring Awakening. I also realized just how relevant Spring Awakening is to today. There is such a genuine message that can apply to many different people of all ages. Having the original creators in the rehearsal studio, reminded us of the importance and significance of this story and it empowered us to find our own collective heart within the show.
What musical theater role/character outside of the one you are playing now would you most like to play? Why?
There are so many parts I would love to play at some point in my life. If I had to choose one that I have wanted to play since I was a little girl, it would be Belle in Beauty in the Beast. Belle was my hero when I was growing up, and I think it would be a wonderful experience to be in that show. I think it has a great message about accepting someone beyond their appearance. This show may seem like it is just a fairytale, but I think it has a genuine depth and life to it that I would love to find.
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