Heather Headley came to York on Jan. 24 to speak with the Drama Club and aspiring performers all about her life, her experiences, and advice she would give to those just starting out.

For those of you who don’t know famous names in theater, senior Carina Kanzler’s dad puts it into perspective: “Singing for Heather Headley is like doing punt, pass, and kick with Tom Brady!”

How did Heather Headley rise to fame? Headley, a Northwestern University alum, earned the role of Nala in the original Broadway cast of the Elton John and Tim Rice’s hit, Tony-winning musical, The Lion King. While still in The Lion King, Heather was asked to audition for the title role in the writing duo’s next Broadway venture together, Elton John and Tim Rice’s “Aida”. Her portrayal of the Nubian princess, Aida, won her the praise of critics and the prestigious Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.  Heather took her first foray into the gospel music world in 2009 with the release of her third studio album Audience of One, for which she was awarded the Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album.

“I still don’t understand how a little girl from Trinidad stands on a stage and gets a Tony and a Grammy… It’s beyond me,” Headley said.

Heather Headley and drama teacher Rebecca Marianetti first met when Headley lived in Elmhurst. At the time, York Drama was putting on a production of Aida, and as Headley puts it, “You can’t do Aida without me!” After seeing posters of the show all over downtown Elmhurst, Headley called York to see if she could come in and talk to the class. Headley and Marianetti have been email pals ever since. A few months ago, Marianetti emailed the Broadway actress ask asked her to come in and talk to the Drama kids, because she felt that she needed to see this amazing class.

Q&A

Q: Did you have a backup plan?

HH: I still do! I’ve always had the mindset that this may not work, like there’s only one “Aida” and a whole world of talented people. I went to Northwestern University to become a lawyer, but I got pulled out for theatre junior year. I am so grateful for my education though.

Q: What was your journey like?

HH: When I got pulled out of Northwestern, I understudied for Audra McDonald in Ragtime, afterwards I auditioned for Lion King: got the role of Nala. Then, while in Lion King, I got asked to audition for the role of Aida and the rest is history.

Q: How do you stay humble?

HH: Religion helps me stay humble. God gave me my voice as a loan, and in return I have to cherish it and help it grow and share that gift with other people. I also think that there could always be somebody who could outsing me.

The session with Headley also gave three seniors the opportunity to sing for her. These three students are auditing for colleges and majoring in vocal performance and musical theatre. Katharine Bartosz sang “Madhatter” from “Wonderland”, Carina Kanzler sang “I Had a Dream Last Night” by Jonathan Reid Gealt, and Sam Griffin sang “The Night That Goldman Spoke at Union Square” from “Ragtime”.

“She put me completely at ease when I was working with her and made me feel confident in what I was doing well and also what I could be doing better,” Kanzler said. “Her suggestions showed immediate improvement and it was cool to have that instant enhancement to my performance.”

The singer offered constructive criticism to each of the students to help them better their craft, along with tips that she uses herself before performing a song for a role. She gave the students advice about auditioning, taking on a role, and what it is like getting your big break.

“There’s going to be a lot of no’s, but those no’s will lead to a final yes, and that yes is going to be amazing,” Headley said.