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| Amara Okereke as Maria in West Side Story The National Youth Music Theatre |
Paul: When and where were you born?
Amara: I was born in November 1996 in North Tyneside (near Newcastle) [This is in England.]
Paul: Did you grow up there?
Amara: We moved to Leeds when I was quite young so I grew up in Leeds.
Paul: Did you do any theatre while you were younger?
Amara: I did a couple of shows at my school, and have always done acting, singing and dance classes from a young age, but most of my theatre experience came from doing shows with the National Youth Music Theatre.
Paul: Who were the artists that you looked up to as a kid?
Amara: Like most young girls, I was always obsessed with Beyonce, her presence, confidence and work ethic was always something I admired and would be inspiring to any performer.
Paul: When/what was the moment you realized that you had to do theatre for a living?
Amara: After opening night of my first show with NYMT was the moment I caught the bug. Without sounding cheesy I knew that there was nothing that could replicate the feeling I felt that night.
Paul: Who are your favorite actors/actresses?
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| Amara as Cosette in Les Miserables West End |
Amara: I worship Audra McDonald! I’ve always looked up to her as an actress. I’m also a huge fan of Jenna Russell [Now I have to see Amara as Betty opposite Jenna as Norma in Sunset Boulevard and featuring Alistair Brammer as Joe Gillis] and Maxine Peak.
Paul: You’re attending/have attended Arts Educational Schools and you’ve done a wide variety of roles you’ve played a Diva in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Dance Captain/Ensemble in Bullets Over Broadway and Nellie Lovett in Sweeney Todd. Do you think that these roles have prepared you for Les Miserables?
Amara: A lot of the roles I played at school were very different from Cosette however I do feel like they gave me the opportunity to explore and play in different ways that were far away from my comfort zone, allowing me to expand my ability as an actor and increase my confidence in what I can do, which then gave me the skills to approach Les Miserables with confidence and playfulness.
Paul: What I find most interesting though is that you were in a show called Winehouse and you played the role of Amy Winehouse was that a musical or a play? What was that experience like? Did that role come with any physical/mental strains on your body?
Amara: This was actually a dance project I performed in my second year. It was a thirty minute dance piece choreographed by Alistair David which told a story that was lightly based on Amy Winehouse’s life, the world she lived in and the relationships she had. The piece was also performed entirely to a medley of Amy Winehouse’s music. It was a wonderful and incredibly interesting project, and it was so exciting to research and understand her and then to try and embody that world she lived in. I shared the role with another girl who played Amy in the beginning of her relationship with Blake and then I took over halfway through the piece when the relationship starts to crumble and she begins to fall into a cycle of self harm, alcoholism and drug addiction. Of course it was physically and mentally quite exhausting trying perform difficult and beautiful choreography using all my physical technique as well as trying to tell the story and truthfully and respectfully as possible, however it was massively rewarding by the end of the process.
Paul: You are making history as the first black principle Cosette [There have been only 2 other black women, but both were understudies: Idara Victor in the 2006 Broadway revival and Morenike Fadayomi in Austria] Was this a dream show/role for you?
Amara: Absolutely! It has always been rare to see black women in legit roles, which is partly what attracted me so much to Audra McDonald. The idea of someone who looks like me singing the way I love to sing is something I always crave and the idea of there eventually being a principle black Cosette was very exciting so for that person to be me and for it to happen so early on in my career is really quite a special feeling. I’m absolutely over the moon.
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| Okereke as Emily in The Hired Man The National Youth Music Theatre |
Paul: Now, if I understand your Spotlight profile correctly you’re still in school? How does that work? Is it the same as over here in the U.S. you go to school during the days and then do the shows at night?
Amara: I was in my third and final year of drama school when I was offered the job and since we don’t graduate until September that technically still makes me a student. Fortunately, my school allows us to finish the course early if we have a job that starts after our final showcase (which was in late March) meaning I was able to leave slightly early to start rehearsals for the show. But now that I have left I don’t have to still go to classes in the day.
Paul: What was the audition process like for this role [Cosette]? What was the song you sang for the audition?
Amara: It started with a few of the creatives coming into my school and auditioning every one in my year. I think they gave each person a 5-minute slot so it was a very quick “in and out” kind of audition. I sang "My Lord and Master" from The King and I. A few days later I received an email from the principle of the school telling me I had been recalled [Callback] and was asked to learn some material for the recall which included some Cosette material and some Éponine material. About a week later I had my recall which was a much longer audition as it involved working with the resident director Sam Hiller on some of the acting and understanding of the characters which was incredibly helpful and good fun. I was then asked a few days later to come back and sing the same material again but the main focus this time would be on the Cosette material. This was quite similar to the last round, but with even more detail on acting choices and vocal choices and more time was spent on the Cosette material than the Éponine. Then that same day I got a call from my principal telling me I had been invited to finals at The Queen’s theatre for the role of Cosette which was the following morning! It was extremely exciting but also a bit of a blur as it happened so quickly. At the finals, we worked on the actual stage and sang the material but with blocking and with other actors auditioning for Marius and Éponine. The next day I received a call saying I’d been offered the role of Cosette.
Paul: When was the exact moment you got the call that you were cast as Cosette? Who was the first person you told after you got the part?
Amara: Saturday 2nd of March around 5pm. I rang my mum immediately after I found out. I couldn’t wait to tell her.
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| Okereke as Cassie in 13 Apollo Shaftesbury Avenue |
Paul: How does it feel [Taking on this role] or has it not hit you yet?
Amara: I think it really hit me after opening night. I had a lot of friends and family in the audience and I think it wasn’t until everyone had witnessed it happen that my brain could fully comprehend it was real. It’s kind of an overwhelming feeling of butterflies in my stomach but quite an emotional feeling as well. As soon as I got home after my opening night I sat in my bed and cried (tears of joy) for about ten minutes.
Paul: You’ve only been in Les Miserables for about a month or so, but do you have any funny onstage mishaps so far?
Amara: Not yet! I think that might start to happen once I get more used to the show and start to get slightly more confident (but hopefully not!!)
Paul: What is your favorite part about being in Les Miserables? What is the moment in the show you look forward to doing each performance?
Amara: I love being around so many talented actors, creatives and crew. It’s wonderful to be constantly inspired by so many amazing people every day. Either "A Heart Full Of Love" or "The Wedding". Both of those scenes are such high energy moments for the character and I think the energy rubs off on me a little bit as I always tend to feel a little adrenaline rush coming off stage after those scenes.
Paul: Since Cosette doesn’t enter until mid-Act 1 you are a part of the ensemble for the first half of the show. Are there any moments after that change that you still wish you were a part of the ensemble? [Meaning would you want to be a part of the ABC Café scene or being on the barricade or some other scene that ensemble members are in, but since you are Cosette you can’t be a part of them.]
Amara: I would love to be a part of "Master of The House"! It looks like everyone is having so much fun on stage, and there are some wonderful ensemble characters in that number!
Paul: What are your favorite plays and musicals?
Amara: I read Much Ado About Nothing when I was about 12 or 13 and it was a brilliant introduction to Shakespeare and is still my favorite Shakespeare play. Edward Albee’s The Goat or Who is Sylvia is also a favorite. Favorite musical is either Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along or Ragtime by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty.
Paul: Any other roles you want to tackle (Meaning dream roles)? Maybe the first black Christine in The Phantom of the Opera? First black principle Glinda in Wicked?
Amara: I would love to play both of those roles! Other dream roles would be Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel or Sarah in Ragtime.
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| Okereke in Bullet's Over Broadway The Arts Educational Schools London |
Paul: Any roles you’d want to gender bend?
Amara: Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, Prince Charming in Into The Woods and King George III in Hamilton.
Paul: If you couldn’t do theatre, then what would you be doing right now? (Job wise)
Amara: My initial plan before I knew I wanted to be an actor, back when it was just a hobby, was to go to medical school or dentistry school, so I’d probably be studying to be either a doctor or a dentist right now. (But I definitely wouldn’t be enjoying it).
Paul: Any words of advice for up and coming actors/actresses and wannabe Cosette’s?
Amara: I genuinely believe that if you put enough positive energy into something you want then you will get it because that drives you to keep working harder, keep getting better and continue to be persistent. So I would advise any upcoming actors, to work hard, keep pushing, stay positive and eventually, opportunity will come and when it does, you’ll be ready for it.
So takeaway: Amara is an incredibly talented woman and incredibly nice. She also needs to be cast in pretty much every soprano role on the planet.
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