Today we're going on the road with the beautiful actor, Phoenix Best! Phoenix is currently starring as Eponine on the national tour of Les Miserables. While she was in Nashville I was able to set up a photo shoot for her with my world traveling friend Colby Buchanan. I have loved following her tour adventures and hope you enjoy this interview!

How long have you been a performer?

I have been performing since middle school but I have been performing professionally since College.

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

My favorite show I’ve ever worked on would have the be the Broadway Revival of The Color Purple. I was fortunate enough to make my Broadway debut in this show in 2015 as a swing. I had just graduated college and had only been in New York for a month and I spent the best year and a half of my life there.

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

The coolest celebrity I’ve ever met would probably have to be Oprah Winfrey. She was one of our producers for The Color Purple and her team had been filming our rehearsal that day for a special that was going to appear of her network about the show. We were all huddled around the piano singing the finale of the show and out of nowhere the doors to our rehearsal room opened and more cameras entered along with Oprah herself. She came to surprise us and sing with us.

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

The most interesting day I’ve ever had at work was the day that I went on for a role I had never rehearsed. As a swing you never know when or who you might be going on for that day, and one day I came to work and at the 15 minutes to places call I found out I had to go on for a role I had never learned. It was one of the scariest performances I have ever done. Whenever I wasn’t onstage I was in the stage management office watching the next sequence of blocking from one of our previously taped shows.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

My favorite thing about my job is getting to play Eponine every night. It's something that I have always wanted to do and now that I get that opportunity I am so grateful.

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

The most challenging part is being away from my loved ones. Missing holidays and birthdays and important moments have definitely been the hardest for me. Also living out of a suitcase has also been hard. The moment I feel settled and like I have a schedule it's time to go to a new city and it all changes.

What has been your most memorable moment on this tour so far?

My most memorable moment on tour was the first time I got to sing On My Own for an audience. It felt like I had finally accomplished a dream.

What is the most surprising part of your job?

The things that surprises me the most about my job is how much time I actually spend onstage. I am only onstage for about an hour and a half out of the almost three hour show. That includes both playing Eponine and the ensemble scenes I am in at the top of the show!

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

There are a few things that I cannot live without backstage in my dressing room. I cannot live without pictures of my loved ones, ricola, my steamer and sprite. Yes I said sprite! I have put it to the test and I have noticed that if I drink a sprite during the show my voice is clearer and I sing better. It may totally be in my head but I am going to stick with it until it proves false!

How long do cast members usually stay on a tour?

This is my first tour so I am actually not sure. I feel like it depends from person to person. It seems like people stay anywhere between 6 months to years.

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

Seeing how even after 30+ years of this show being around it still touches people and moves them to feel. It’s crazy that this story still has so much power behind it which I find so amazing and so happy to be apart of.

What piece of advice would you give your 18 year old self?

The advice I would give to 18 year old me is to keep working hard and to be more confident.

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

Advice that I would give is to continually be yourself and work hard. There are so many people out there in this business that can tell you no but you have to be confident in yourself enough to continually say yes to you. Hard work goes hand in hand with that. You can be as prepared and ready for an audition as possible and still may not get the job, that does not mean you are not great it just means that it wasn’t your time. That doesn’t mean you should stop doing the work. I promise you that one day someone will see that work and know that you are the right one for the job.

Fellow cast members Matt Shingledecker and Jillian Butler.

FUN FACTS:

Where did you go to college?

I went to DeSales University and received a BA in Musical Theatre

What was the first Broadway show you ever saw?

The First Broadway show I ever saw was “Once”. It’s actually a funny story because Once was in the Bernard B Jacobs Theatre which is the same theatre I made my Broadway Debut in 3 years later!

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

If/Then is the best Broadway show I’ve ever seen. I saw it for my 21st Birthday and I had no idea what the show was about and I was so surprised and shocked the entire show and loved the way the story was told.

What is your favorite costume you've ever worn?

One of my favorite costumes I have ever worn was when I did a regional production of Dreamgirls at Theatre Under The Stars and my costume at the top act 2 was this red sequined number that was so awesome!

What is your favorite restaurant or bar you've found on tour?

Pinewood Social in Nashville. It’s a Bar and Restaurant and they have their own bowling alley in the back of the restaurant.

What is your favorite US city you've visited on tour so far?

Nashville because my mom was able to visit me there and we took full advantage of exploring the city.

Images by Colby Buchanan in Nashville, Tennessee

On The Road: Phoenix Best