It’s here! The last Q&A we’ll be posting in 2016. And I for one, am so glad it’s with the lovely Ariana DeBose. I first met Ari in 2014 when she so graciously agreed to sing in an annual concert that I produce, LOVE SONGS for V-Day. Since then, she’s been lighting up Broadway in Pippin, Hamilton and now, A Bronx Tale.
She is a brilliant performer, plain and simple. And an idol role model for so many young artists, and someone I’m honored to know. Basically, she’s an artistic superhero.
MM: When did you first realize you wanted to be an actress?
AD: I was 15 playing Aida in an all county production of AIDA. I had no idea what I was doing, but going on that journey was thrilling. I felt so alive!
MM: Of all the roles you’ve played in your career thus far, which ones are the closest to your heart?
AD: Nautica in Bring It On the Musical. She taught me how to stand still and talk. She also taught me more about being my most authentic self than I think I fully understood at the time. Nautica & I grew up together:)
MM: When one walks into your home, what books are permanently on your bookshelf?
AD: My copy of HAMILTOME, You are a Badass by Jen Sincero, The Four Agreements, Angels & Demons by Dan Brown, and The Artists Way.
MM: If you were stranded on a desert island, what television shows and/or movies would you want available to you, (assuming of course you have a television and Internet connection?)
AD: HA! All the seasons of West Wing, Transparent, Madame Secretary, The Devil Wears Prada (ugh- such a guilty pleasure!), the Harry Potter series, You’ve Got Mail, Sense & Sensibility, Love Actually…. I could totally keep going, but that’s a good start!
MM: What’s the best piece of advice you’d want to offer aspiring actors and performers?
AD: Be yourself! Don’t cheat the world of the opportunity to know you & what you do because you’re so busy trying to achieve a life someone else has already lived.
MM: What sound do you love? What sound do you hate?
AD: Love the sound of rain. Hate the sound of someone in pain.
MM: What literary or musical theatre character is most like your personality? Least like your personality?
AD: …I’m probably least like Maria Reynolds from Hamilton. And honestly I have no idea [whom I’m most like!] I’d like to think I’m a combination of several characters (Hermione Granger, Velma Kelly, Angelica Schuyler).
MM: In today’s economic state, arts education programs are being cut. What reasons would you give to a school board or politician for preserving arts education programming in schools?
AD: I actually just wrote a letter to the Craven County Board of Education in an effort to help preserve and protect the arts programs at my former elementary school. I have a lot of thoughts on the subject- so the letter gives you a beautiful taste of them. Read more here.
MM: Who is/was your greatest teacher? (It can absolutely be more than one)
AD: I have so many teachers, mentors, people I admire. I learn from all of them. Charlotte D’amboise is one of the greatest inspirations in my life. She is friend, mentor, and family to me. Constantly helping me find a balance of the 3 main disciplines; singing, dancing, and acting. She helps me mold them together and make sense of all the rest too! I also really admire Jan Maxwell, Judith Light, and Sharon Washington. I’ve either worked with or encountered them in the broadway community on several occasions. These women have a generosity of spirit that is astounding. I’ve learned so much from them by observing how they live their lives, the energy they put out in the universe and the way they continue to work their craft. I will say observation can be one of the best teachers!
Thank you, Ariana! And Write Teacher(s) Reader(s) to get yourself tickets to see A Bronx Tale, playing now on Broadway!
Live, Love, Learn,