I really have been so, so blessed with all my leading men.
Oh, I am such a nerd when it comes to music - I only listen to Broadway!
I don't think auditioning will ever faze me again after the 'Grease' TV experience. It was fierce. There were thousands of people auditioning in four cities. I flew from home in Minneapolis to audition in L.A. I waited in line all day. I arrived at 7 A.M. and wasn't seen until 6 P.M.
That's the ideal. Not to get stuck in a rut playing the same role.
That's the joy of getting to be an actor - getting to play all kinds of different roles and showing so many different sides of yourself.
'Grease' was my Broadway debut. That was eye-opening. At the same time, it was very familiar. It was a Broadway show, but it's kind of the same as doing a show in Minnesota. It's the same type of rehearsal process. You are doing 8 shows a week, but I worked at a theatre in Minnesota that did 11 shows a week.
'South Pacific' - I really learned a lot. I swear I like to say that during 'South Pacific,' I went from being a girl to being a woman.
'Bonnie and Clyde' was the first show and the first role that I got to originate. Being part of that from the ground up and investing three years of my life into seeing that show come to Broadway was really rigorous but also so exciting.
If I can impact people with my music, that's what I want.
'Carousel,' please! I would die to do that.
As wonderful as being on stage is, family comes first.
I don't have a gym membership. I usually do a bit of basic yoga or stretches at home or in my dressing room before the show. I've done plank for 60 seconds almost every day since 2009, when I had to wear a bikini onstage in 'South Pacific.'
Broadway has been my dream since I was 5 years old.
I did my first show in second grade. I was a munchkin in 'The Wizard of Oz.'
When I did 'Grease,' I took good care of myself. I treated it like a job. I approached it very professionally because I wanted to make a good reputation and hopefully continue on in the Broadway community and continue to do shows.
If you can be a good example to other people, why not try to be that person? I have a bit of a people pleaser in me, but not so much so that it's out of control.
