Newcomer Rachael Ferrera is nothing short of radiant as the enslaved Yema in the new Broadway musical Amazing Grace. Below, BroadwayBox chats with Ferrera about her Broadway debut, the beauty of this character & the "incredibly powerful" way she spends her days outside the theatre.
1. Quality I admire most about Yema:
I admire Yema's desire and ability to help others even when she herself is hurting. In her story, there is a lesson that we can find healing for ourselves through helping others to heal. I love having that reminder in my life every night.
2. Moment from the show that still moves me:
Singing “Amazing Grace” with the full company and then seeing the audience on their feet joining in with us. It's a beautiful moment of connection that holds inside of it the very reason that I do what I do. That will never get old.
3. Cast recording that I cherished growing up:
Phantom of the Opera was the first cast recording that I ever listened to and I fell in love with it! Years later, it was the first Broadway show I ever saw. I still adore that music, and I still dream of playing Christine someday!
4. Most valuable thing I learned at NYU that I still use today:
First year of college we were consistently told to make sure we were relaxed, energized, and focused before beginning any scene. Every day before I go onstage, I find myself checking in with my body to make sure that's how I feel. Simple, but useful.
5. Actor or performance that really inspired me when I was coming up:
Audra McDonald. When I started at NYU, I honestly didn't know anything about the world of musical theater. The first day of vocal technique class, I sang, and the class was going nuts telling me I sounded like Audra. My response: "...Who's Audra?" I went home that day, listened to her, watched videos of her, and started following her career. I admire that woman so much! I got to meet her last year after seeing her perform in Lady Day and she was every bit as gracious, humble, and wonderful as I could have ever imagined!
6. Original Broadway cast I wish I could back and see:
I would love to have seen the original cast of Rent. And now that Amazing Grace is at the Nederlander Theater, that would be such a cool story!
7. My reality TV show guilty pleasure:
Mmmm...I don't really watch reality TV these days! Not gonna lie though, if you turned on Keeping up with Kardashians in front of me, I wouldn't be able to look away! Is that show going on still???
8. Before friends and family come see Amazing Grace, I tell them:
I'll usually give them a little heads up that it deals with slavery. I'll also sometimes say something like, "If you think I've disappeared, don't worry! I promise I'm coming back!" Yema shows up for a hot second in the beginning of the show and then is gone for a big chunk of time. Don't want them to think that's all they'll see of me!
9. My favorite thing about growing up in Oklahoma was:
The people. Visit Tulsa, OK and you'll find some of the kindest, most genuine, and loyal people you've ever met! I have a lifelong support system from my years growing up there. About 20 of them flew up from Tulsa to see me in the show this past weekend!
10. On my days off from Amazing Grace, I like to:
Right now on my days off I'm focusing on getting my Reiki practice up and running! In case you're not familiar, Reiki is an incredibly powerful method of healing that's great for treating physical pain, emotional distress, and energy blockages. I'm super passionate about Reiki. I'm a certified practitioner, and there's nothing I'd rather be doing when I'm not onstage!
Get yourself over to the Nederlander Theatre to see the debut performance of Rachael Ferrera in ‘Amazing Grace’.
