IN CONVERSATION WITH MARISHA WALLACE

interview by JANA LETONJA
photography YELLOWBELLY

West End and Broadway star Marisha Wallace has returned back to Broadway in production of ‘Cabaret’ at the Kit Kat club. In addition to ‘Cabaret’, Marisha recently released the album of her concert ‘Live in London’ on August 15. Marisha recently starred in the smash-hit revival of ‘Guys and Dolls’, earning an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. Her extensive stage credits include performing for His Majesty the King, starring in ‘Hairspray’ at the London Coliseum, originating in the West End production of ‘Waitress’ at the Adelphi Theatre, and making her West End debut in ‘Dreamgirls’ at the Savoy Theatre.

You’re stepping into the iconic role of Sally Bowles in ‘Cabaret’ opposite Billy Porter. What drew you to this character, and how are you making her your own? 

I saw ads for the show when I was walking through the tube in London, and I wondered why there had never been a Black Sally Bowles. There had been understudies, but no one above the title of West End or Broadway. It made me go on a journey to discovering black history in Nazi Germany. And the history was rich between Afro-Germans and expats who had come to Berlin to make a life for themselves far from the Jim Crow south. My Sally would be a woman trying to survive by any means necessary. Talent, accent, the blonde hair, deception, passing and avoiding the truth of a new form or racism brewing in Germany. 

I called my agent, sent the research to the show and got an audition. I got a dialect coach to brush up my British accent and then I auditioned. I remember everyone in the room cried, and I knew I did something right. I booked it and they said I need an emcee to match me. Then I called Billy Porter, and the rest is history.

The London production of ‘Cabaret’ was hailed as a career-defining moment for you. What was it like to receive that level of praise, and how does it feel to now bring the show to Broadway? 

It was really validating in a sense that I have been doing this for 20 years as sort of the underdog, the second choice, and somehow  boxed into the sassy black girl roles. I just knew there was more to me than that. So, in London I got to explore that with all my roles - Ado Annie, Adelaide, and now Sally Bowles. Bringing it back to Broadway and people recognizing that hard work and growth has been everything I could ask for as an artist. It was historic to be the first Black Sally on West End and Broadway.

How has the chemistry between you and Billy Porter shaped the energy of this production? 

He is more than a friend. He is my brother and my mentor. He did this show with me so that the world could discover me. It is beautiful to have people in your life who want to support and elevate you. We did the show in two countries for over 9 months, and we are intrinsically linked. He is a legend in the theatre community, so what a gift it was to share the stage with him. 

‘Maybe This Time’ is such a beloved number. What’s your emotional or personal connection to that song when you perform it live?  

I didn’t know it at the time, but this song is the theme song to my life. I have had so many maybe this time moments where I almost made it, where I thought this is the time when I will stay in love, or have success in my career, and then it wouldn’t happen. But I had to keep hope that if I try again, it would work out. So, it feels so real when I sing it, because I lived it. 

You have just released the ‘Live in London’ concert album this August. What was special about that performance that made you want to preserve it as an album? 

It was when I realized I needed something to commemorate my career up to that point. So many ups and downs, success and failures. I thought it could inspire some people to keep going and to at least have hope to try. All my fans gathered, from all the years of collecting them, and it was an epic night. The energy was palpable. 10 standing ovations later we had a memory to last a lifetime. 

How does performing a concert compare to acting in a musical? Do you feel more exposed or more empowered on stage as yourself?  

I love performing as myself. I am in control of everything which I love. The set list, the costumes, the mood, the audience. I love to produce shows, so doing my own concert feels like my own personal musical. 

You’ve been nominated for Olivier Awards for both ‘Guys and Dolls’ and ‘Oklahoma!’. What do those roles mean to you, and how do they compare to each other?

Those roles taught me that I could really be a part of the creative process of creating a character, that I can re-imagine roles without losing their DNA, but adding dimensions to their character. Ado Annie opened the door and Adelaide kicked it down. Getting those nominations just made me realize I was doing something right.

Looking back at your West End debut as Effie White in ‘Dreamgirls’, how have you evolved as an artist since then?

I didn’t know who I was as an artist when I started that job, but by the time it was done, I knew I had a strength in me and my voice could move an audience. I wanted to harness it and explore it. And I did.

You’ve performed for royalty and led major productions on both sides of the Atlantic. What moments stand out to you as the most surreal or meaningful in your career so far? 

Even with all those pinch me moments, the one moment that really took it for me was buying my Mom a house last year. We grew up poor on a farm in North Carolina, and to be able to give her her dream home really was better than any award. She thanks me every day. I am so happy she gets to finally live comfortably. I made her dream come true.

As a Black woman commanding leading roles in historically white productions, how do you think representation in theatre is evolving, and what more needs to change?

I think that it is time for Black women to have the chance to be the center of the narrative, to have a full arc and to show their emotional range and practice their art without resistance. I have gotten to experience playing these iconic roles and I want more women of color to have the same opportunity. We don’t want to take anything away from anyone, we just want more people to be added to the conversation. It is important for us to keep adding people. For generational wealth, access to awards, career growth and forward momentum. It shouldn’t be a risk, it should be a right.