I am so excited to kick off my new blog series “Broadway Sessions” by introducing you to my dear friend, Amber Owens! I met Amber back in July of 2015 on my very first night swing-dressing at Aladdin. She was literally the first actor I dressed at that show, and I could have never imagined that day (as I nervously scribbled down costume notes) what a gigantic impact she would have on my life. Amber is extremely intelligent, insanely talented, always down for an adventure and loves me like her own sister. She is one of my role models and I pray one day God will bless me with a marriage like hers.

Anyways, Amber is currently dancing on Broadway six days a week in the hit Disney musical Aladdin. I love taking you all backstage with me and hope you enjoy the first edition of Broadway Sessions!

How long have you been a performer?

Oh my...I have been performing professionally in musical theater for (gulp) 20 YEARS! Yikes. It sounds crazy to say that out loud/write that down. According to my math that means I started performing around age 7. Ha! In all honesty, I did start working young...but not THAT young.

Have you ever been on tour?

I have toured, once for real and then some other shorter term gigs or long-term out of town gigs. My true tour experience was with the first national of the 42nd Street revival. I was on the road with that for almost two years and I had a blast. It was right out of college and I got to see a good portion of the country. So much of my NYC "framily" came out of that tour. Also, so much of my actual family because I met my husband on that tour.

I performed with The Radio City Christmas Spectacular on the road three times which were shorter contracts and I did Spamalot in Las Vegas for a year.

What was your "big break"?

I would consider my first "big break" to be Sacramento Music Circus. I auditioned in high school as an exercise in pushing myself outside of my comfort zone and for the experience of performing in a high pressure environment and ended up booking the entire summer season. It had never occurred to me that I could, or would want, to perform as a way to make a living. Getting that job and working with those people in that setting opened my eyes to a whole world I never considered for myself. It changed everything.

After booking that first summer of work, I continued to be hired there through the rest of high school and college. The experience, knowledge and relationships I gained at Sacramento Music Circus are what set me on this path and what eventually led to touring with 42nd Street and then moving to New York.

What was the first broadway show you ever worked on?

The first Broadway show I ever worked on was Mary Poppins. I made my New York stage debut as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall but my first Broadway show was Mary Poppins. I did not grow up wanting to be a professional performer or to work on Broadway but, once I started down this path, Broadway became a bit of a brass ring for me. It was a very clear goal and marker, in my mind, that I had achieved a certain level of success in my career. Booking that show was a real moment of feeling like I could check something off of my "life goals" list.

What is your favorite show you've ever worked on?

My favorite show I have ever worked on is difficult to answer. Different shows have meant different things to me for different reasons. I will say that 42nd Street was great fun to perform every night. The ensemble is the star of that show and it felt really good to get onstage every night and feel so integral and essential to the storytelling. I loved being a part of the legacy of the Rockettes, though I can't say I enjoyed doing that job day to day...it is SO hard. Spamalot was an absolute blast to perform every night and I had an exceptional time taking advantage of all that Las Vegas had to offer me at that time in my life. Mary Poppins came at a time that allowed me to settle into a more adult-feeling life and lifestyle and I so appreciated that. Aladdin was a dream of mine that didn't come true in the way I initially hoped but has been an incredible ride. I have never worked with a cast quite like the cast of Aladdin...I am not sure there has ever existed a cast quite like this before. The fire I felt every night of my first year in that show was unlike anything I had felt onstage before.

Who is the coolest celebrity you've ever met at work?

I think meeting Julia Roberts backstage at the New Amsterdam Theatre after she saw Aladdin would have to be my coolest backstage encounter. She has been my favorite for as long as I can remember and meeting her in person did not disappoint. Suffice it to say, I did NOT keep my cool.

What are some items you absolutely can't live without backstage?

Hmmm...I find water, snacks and laughter very necessary backstage.

What is the most interesting day at work you've ever had?

I am not sure I have a good answer to this question. I will say that theater people are a unique breed so I find most days interesting in one way or another.

What was your best day ever on broadway? OR What has been your most memorable moment on broadway?

I believe my "best day ever" on Broadway might be the day after my husband and I got engaged. I was working in a show that felt like a dream come true (Aladdin), in the best dressing room I have ever worked in and I got to come in and tell them that I was getting married. I will always, always remember the love that was showered on me that day from every corner of that building.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite thing about my job is getting paid to make people smile. I know the feeling of sitting in the audience and feeling that excitement at the downbeat of the overture. I feel honored to, hopefully, be a highlight of people's day.

What is the most challenging part of being an actor on Broadway?

The most challenging part of being a working actor on Broadway is having to come in and smile and give 100% regardless of how I might be feeling on a personal level. It is very taxing to come in and sing and dance and make merry if I have had a day where it feels like life outside of work is collapsing. The show marches on regardless of personal tragedy or disappointment or illness or injury. That is hard to deal with sometimes.

What is the most surprising part of your job?

The most surprising part of my job is how it is equal parts mundane and fresh every night. It is exactly the same night after night and also never the same twice. That always gets me.

What is your favorite part about telling this story every night?

My favorite part about telling the story of Aladdin every night is that it is so very colorful. Agrabah is a fictional place made up of so many colorful fabrics and buildings and objects and, above all else, PEOPLE! This is the most diverse cast I have ever worked in and I love that the stage is populated with so many different tones and shades and shapes and sizes and there is no comment about any of it. This is a story about love and friendship and bravery and taking chances and the way we can surprise ourselves and our loved ones. Aladdin celebrates beauty in so many different forms and I love being a part of that.

What is it about this job that makes you come back each day?

My contract. Just kidding...I truly feel very blessed to get paid to play make-believe. To get to step out onstage and entertain people and make them smile and laugh; to help them forget their worries for a couple of hours feels like important work and I am honored that I get to do it. It is also not lost on me how many people dream of having this job that I find myself in. I try never to take it for granted.

What is the best advice you've ever been given?

I have a very wise mother and a very inspiring father so I have been given a lot of wonderful advice over the years. The thing that is sticking out the most in my mind right now is that "All will be well...in fact, it already is. Trust that fact and enjoy the journey."

What piece of advice would you give your 25 year old self?

I would tell my 25 year old self "All will be well...in fact, it already is, Trust that fact and enjoy the journey." Also, "Save a little more...that purse isn't going anywhere."

What advice would you give to a young person who wants to move to NYC and pursue a career in the arts?

To any young person wanting to move to NYC and be an artist I say: Make sure you really want it, prepare the best way you know how and just do it. There will be amazing days and there will be amazingly hard days but if you are doing everything you know to do and continuing to work on your craft and on yourself as a person, you will be great. Trust that the way your dreams come true may not look exactly as you hoped and planned but if you are really listening to what your soul is asking of you and where it is guiding you, you will be thrilled with where you end up. I would say make sure you develop and nurture and send attention and love to your life outside of your craft because that part of your life is not likely to feel as fickle as the professional artist side of your life and because attention to that side of your life will actually help make you a better artist.

What is your favorite Backstage Blonde memory?

Too many to choose from. I will say that the evolution and explosion of the Backstage Blonde is wildly inspiring!

FUN FACTS:

Where did you go to college?

I attended Northwestern University where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in film (business of film not performing) and a political science minor.

What was the first Broadway show you ever saw?

The first Broadway show I ever saw was Chicago. I was a sophomore in college.

What is your favorite Broadway show you've ever seen?

I loved Hamilton because, well, Hamilton. I found Fosse so beautiful and inspiring and Jersey Boys might, in my opinion, be the perfect piece of musical theater.

What are a few of your favorite NYC restaurants and bars?

My husband and I love a dinner date-night so this would be a long list. A couple of places that spring to mind immediately are Casellula in Midtown, Waverly Inn in the West Village and Raoul's in Soho. I also really enjoy Trailer Park on 23rd st. for tator tots and a mango margarita.

What is your favorite costume in Aladdin?

My favorite costume in Aladdin is probably my finale costume. In truth all of our costumes are unbelievable but this wedding costume is unique to the Broadway company and each of us have a different color and different design. It's stunning.

What is your favorite costume you've ever worn?

As a Rockette there was a number in the show called "Shine". The costume was basically made up of strips of Swarovski crystals over a skin-tone leotard. It sparkled in such an incredible way, was easy to dance in and I felt like a diamond each and every time I had it on.