What is your role in the production? I’m in the ensemble, which I love because it means I get to portray all kinds of characters, from a Russian translator to a Hungarian refugee to a Thai dancer! The ensemble gets to sing some really intricate harmonies and fun vocal lines, which is a fun challenge.
What is your background in theatre? At Walterdale? I grew up wanting to go into musical theatre, acting in high school productions and taking voice and dance lessons. Due to issues with my vocal cords, I’ve been away from the theatre for over 10 years, and I’m so excited to be back! This is my first show at Walterdale.
What brought you out for this show? What drew you to it? I grew up listening to and singing along with the music of Chess (I’d often sing the love duets with myself as both the male and female characters). When I saw that Walterdale was presenting it, I knew I had to audition!
Why do you think audiences should come see this show? What do you think they will take away from it? One word: ABBA! The music was written by the male half of ABBA, and is completely amazing. Despite knowing a lot of the music ahead of time, I was surprised by how many of the lesser-known songs are unique and well-written – even people who are familiar with the show will come away pleasantly surprised! We also have a very talented cast, crew and musicians.
Chess is a Board Game… What’s your favorite Board Game? Why? Got any funny game-playing stories? When I was a kid, my favourite game was Pay Day; I’d always be the banker and would pretend to be in charge of everything. Having played it again recently, I realized it’s not a lot of fun to play as an adult – when you receive real bills in the mail, getting pretend ones isn’t nearly as thrilling.