When musical theatre alumna Jerusha Cavazos 麻豆精品 S�14 stopped by the UCF Performing Arts Center ahead of her Broadway debut last October, she felt a wide array of emotions: Gratitude. Excitement. Nervousness. Joy. Shock. She knew she was about to embark on something special as part of the original Broadway cast of The Prom, a new musical comedy about acceptance and love.
It 麻豆精品 S檚 been a little over seven months since she began performing in The Prom, and she still feels those emotions 麻豆精品 S� plus, exhaustion.
麻豆精品 S淏ut exhaustion in the best of ways, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淚n some ways, it 麻豆精品 S檚 everything I expected it to be: thrilling, exciting, emotional; but in another way, it 麻豆精品 S檚 nothing I expected it to be. We all love the show so much and are deeply connected to it. 麻豆精品 S�
With The Prom being a brand-new musical, there 麻豆精品 S檚 endless pressure for the show to be a success, something each company member feels personally.
Fortunately for them, it has been.
The Prom was the first musical of the 2018 麻豆精品 S�2019 Broadway season to be named a New York Times Critics Pick, and has been nominated for 28 awards so far in 2019 麻豆精品 S� seven of them being Tony 麻豆精品 S檚, including Best Musical. The awards ceremony airs June 9 at 8 p.m. CBS.
Ahead of the biggest night in theatre, The Prom won the prestigious Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical.
麻豆精品 S淭he competition is stiff. We call ourselves 麻豆精品 S榯he little show that could. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� Jerusha Cavazos on The Prom’s Tony Award nominations
麻豆精品 S淲e 麻豆精品 S檙e thrilled beyond belief, 麻豆精品 S� Cavazos says of all the nominations. 麻豆精品 S淭he competition is stiff. We call ourselves 麻豆精品 S榯he little show that could. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
And it could. The Prom has become one of the most impactful productions on a Broadway stage, resonating with audiences and being lauded by critics and professionals alike. The Prom follows the story of a lesbian student who just wants to take her girlfriend to prom in a small, close-minded town that won 麻豆精品 S檛 allow it 麻豆精品 S� and the band of Broadway stars who try to make it happen.
麻豆精品 S淭he audience reaction is surprising 麻豆精品 S� the message of unconditional love and respect, no matter your political, religious or cultural background, seems to have reached beyond just the expected audience. It 麻豆精品 S檚 transcended it. And to me, that 麻豆精品 S檚 one of the things theatre does so well 麻豆精品 S� touch people. 麻豆精品 S�
It 麻豆精品 S檚 been especially important for Cavazos to be part of this cultural narrative.
麻豆精品 S淭he impact and resonation are deeply personal for me. I lost a dear friend and coworker, Shane, in the Pulse shooting in Orlando, and another friend barely escaped with his life, 麻豆精品 S� says Cavazos, who dedicates her performances each night to Shane. 麻豆精品 S淭he show has helped me heal. Every day, I am reminded that love wins. 麻豆精品 S�
Before her debut, Cavazos first had a role on the show Atlanta on FX in April and performed in Jesus Christ Superstar in Chicago through May of last year. Even with such a successful whirlwind year, during her visit to campus in October, she gave new musical theatre students a masterclass and reflected on her roles, her journey and her own prom.
Congratulations on your Broadway debut! Do you recall how it felt getting ready to take the stage?
I had so many mixed emotions then. So grateful and excited … literally bursting with joy. At the same time, I was nervous and still in shock that I get to go on a journey that I 麻豆精品 S檝e been dreaming about since I was 10. There are days I walk to the theatre and ring the stage door buzzer with tears in my eyes. I 麻豆精品 S檝e walked past many Broadway stage doors dreaming of what it would be like to enter it as an artist performing on that stage. I get to do that now. It feels surreal and I 麻豆精品 S檝e been trying to be present in every moment, taking it all in, with so much gratitude.
“I am still in shock that I get to go on a journey that I 麻豆精品 S檝e been dreaming about since I was 10.” 麻豆精品 S� Jerusha Cavazos
What have you learned since your debut?
I think the best thing I learned is how to take care of myself. I learned from my parents how to eat right, exercise, do preventative things like take vitamins and supplements, but this is a whole other level of 麻豆精品 S渢aking care 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� like saying 麻豆精品 S渘o 麻豆精品 S� to going out and just going home to sleep, taking time to meditate and be silent to rest my voice and my mind, endless hours of physical therapy to keep my body healthy, etc.
Tell us about the show and the role you 麻豆精品 S檙e playing?
In a nutshell, the show is about acceptance and love. This story will have you laughing so hard you can 麻豆精品 S檛 breathe 麻豆精品 S� and then, it will have you crying. It is moving, honest and relevant. I play one of the high school kids in the show, in the ensemble.
Are there any memories from your own prom that inspired you in this production?
In high school, prom was SUCH a big deal. Finding the perfect dress, the date, how you were going to arrive, the after-party, etc. I remember going to so many different dress stores with my mother. My best friend and I planned out a party bus to pick up all our friends, and we went all out. These memories really help me with my character 麻豆精品 S� when I remember just how important prom was to me then, it 麻豆精品 S檚 easy to really tap into the brain of a high school teen who just wants to have the best senior year and make memories.
What 麻豆精品 S檚 the most exciting thing about being in a new, original Broadway production?
There are so many exciting things about being in a new Broadway show, it 麻豆精品 S檚 hard for me to choose just one! So, I 麻豆精品 S檒l make a quick list:
- Meeting and working with the writing team 麻豆精品 S� this is so rare, and it 麻豆精品 S檚 so special to be part of.
- Working with Casey Nicholaw (director and choreographer) and his team. I can 麻豆精品 S檛 express how amazing it is to watch this team work together. It 麻豆精品 S檚 pure magic.
- Recording the original cast album 麻豆精品 S� a bucket list item for sure.
- Working with designers. Getting to look at costume sketches that were designed with me in mind is just out of this world. Trying on wigs that were made for me is amazing. The design team are incredibly talented people.
- And, there are also about 13 people making their Broadway debuts on this show. This is so special. The energy backstage and on-stage is electric. The Broadway vets are so excited for us, and I am thrilled that I am experiencing this life-changing moment with this group of people.
You recently had a part on FX 麻豆精品 S檚 Atlanta. How is being on the screen different than being on the stage?
I loved working on Atlanta. Donald Glover is a genius and so generous, kind and very collaborative.
When I was shooting Atlanta, we would be on set for about 12 hours a day. The biggest difference is that in TV, you have to nail your action perfectly once, but you 麻豆精品 S檙e exhausted once the day is done because you 麻豆精品 S檝e worked on scenes for 12-14 hours. Once you get the shot you can move on to the next. In theatre, you have to recreate those moments every night, eight times a week. This requires a discipline that is individual to each actor. How you maintain and balance energy, keep moments fresh and honest, preserve your voice and body, etc. is unique to each actor.
How did your time at UCF prepare you for your career as an actor?
I 麻豆精品 S檓 so grateful for my experience at UCF. I think that any program you enter as an actor becomes what you make of it. And I made the most out of my time at UCF. I took advantage of the many recourses that UCF has. I did independent studies with professors and worked on perfecting skill sets I knew I needed to make it. Here 麻豆精品 S檚 the great thing about UCF: if you really want it, the professors are there to help guide you to do so. You just have to show up.
Do you have any advice for someone pursuing an acting career?
Just do it! Don 麻豆精品 S檛 let anyone or anything deter you. My dad always told me, 麻豆精品 S淚f you feel you have something to say, say it; if not, get off the stage! 麻豆精品 S� I 麻豆精品 S檝e tried to live by that. It 麻豆精品 S檚 challenging because our business is so overwhelming at times and it can look impossible. But if you have any amount of talent and technique mixed with some good old-fashioned courage, you can make it. And it doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 matter where that happens. That 麻豆精品 S檚 the beauty of our business 麻豆精品 S� there are many places where we can make that happen: New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville and Orlando. Just go out there and do it! Also, don 麻豆精品 S檛 compare your journey to anyone else 麻豆精品 S檚. What 麻豆精品 S檚 meant for you is yours and cannot be taken away.
