Alex Finke is a small-town girl making her big-city Broadway debut as Cosette, the leading lady of the epic and iconic musical Les Miserables
. Get to know the luminous new Les Miz star as she chats with BroadwayBox about farm life, Cosette & Marius' wedding song and the best advice a young performer could hear.1. Les Miz lyric I think is the most beautiful:
“To love another person is to see the face of God.” You just can’t get better than that.
2. My favorite thing about growing up in Ohio:
My backyard. It’s huge. We have a farm directly behind us and get the most glorious sunset views from our dinner table. When my siblings and I were younger, we used to have epic family baseball games with wiffle balls and a giant, red, plastic bat. Home run if you hit it over the fence!
3. High school or college credit I cherish most:
Probably Mille in Thoroughly Modern Millie with the Muse Machine in Dayton, OH, my junior year of high school. It was my first leading role and that show brought me out of my shell, taught me who I was as a young actor, and re-affirmed my passion and desire to pursue theatre as a career.
4. Piece of advice I’d give to young performers wishing to attend University of Michigan:
I would give the same piece of advice to any young performer. On the first day of our freshman year, Brent Wagner (Chair of the Musical Theatre Dept. of U of M) said something to us that I remind myself all the time. He said “You can’t move forward if you’re always looking side to side.” It's so easy in this business to look at everyone else’s talent and want to do what they do, or to focus on being the next so-and-so/whoever. But if you are spending your time comparing yourself to everyone else, you lose valuable time becoming the best version of yourself. Develop your own unique skill set/talents. Also work hard, work hard, and work hard.
5. Coolest thing I bought myself while on tour with Anything Goes:
It’s not exactly an on tour purchase, but before I left for tour, I did some damage in Bed, Bath, and Beyond and you have never seen a more organized trunk! I was so proud of it!
I did buy a hat that is way too cool for me in Denver last year during The Unsinkable Molly Brown.
6. Song I’d pick for Marius and Cosette’s first dance at their wedding:
I am very tempted to choose “All My Life” by K-Ci and Jojo...But after consulting with Chris we are gonna go with “One Evening” by Feist. Final answer.
7. One special skill not listed on my resume is:
Woody the Woodpecker impersonation.
8. TV character I consider my spirit animal:
This is a tough one….My friends are always pointing out my Charlotte (Sex and the City) or Monica (Friends) tendencies….but I hope I’m not that uptight! Maybe Lily from How I Met Your Mother?
9. Last movie that made me cry:
Oh gosh…I am so sentimental and sappy, so it doesn’t take much. The last movie that made me cry was Tig on Netflix. It is so good!
10. Outside of performing, I’m passionate about:
The Covenant House. It's an international organization that helps homeless youth by not only providing food, shelter, and counseling, but by helping young people get back on their feet with permanent housing, jobs, and a way to pursue their dreams. I started volunteering with The Covenant House in NYC this past spring and have loved every second. I’m currently a member of the associate board. Being there really puts things in perspective, and the resilience of the kids is inspiring.
See Alex Finke in Broadway's 'Les Miserables' at the Imperial Theatre.
