BWW Interviews: Rachel Wallace Chats Life, Inspiration & MARY POPPINS

I’m happy to have the opportunity to spend a little time with Rachel Wallace who is currently touring with the national tour of MARY POPPINS. Rachel is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She loved performing such shows as West Side Story and Sunday in the Park with George. Rachel was previously part of the ensemble of the company before taking over the lead in MARY POPPINS.

What inspired you to perform onstage?

I’ve just been doing it since I can remember. I remember my earliest memories as a child were dancing to records I would have at my house or my grandparents would have at their house. I remember pushing all of the furniture in the living room to the corners so that I would have my own little dance floor wherever I was. That was when I was my happiest. It’s just always been this way.

Tell me about the first time you performed onstage.

 I did a couple of little things but the first time I ever had a lead was in the 8th grade. I was cast in a role that usually a boy is in and I just remember that it was the hardest thing I ever had to do but also the most exhilarating. That was when I was hooked. This is when I thought, I have to do this.

Were you in theatre at your high school?

I did. I went to a phenomenal public high school. We didn’t have a specific program for theatre but we had an incredible drama teacher. We had one drama and one musical a year that I would participate in when I wasn’t doing the regional theatre in my area. I think apart from Mary Poppins high school musicals were my greatest times onstage surrounded by your friends and having fun. You only got to do it four times and every single show was so full of excitement.

What were some of the shows that you did when you were in high school?

I did West Side Story. I did the play version of Little Women which I loved doing. We did Carousel, Anything Goes was my favorite. We did Damn Yankees, The Miracle Worker and Up the Down Staircase. Those are the shows we did in high school. I haven’t thought of those in a while. In Up the Down Staircase I was a freshman and got cast as the teacher as the lead in that. Daunting, but thrilled.

Tell me about your time at UNCSA.

Yeah, it’s the North Carolina State College system but it’s specifically a conservatory. I was in the acting program not musical theatre.

Did you do a lot of shows while you were there? 

You usually don’t start performing until your junior year but I was cast in a couple of shows before that. We’d perform three shows every year when we were there so we did quite a bit. They kept us very busy there.

Then you decided you wanted to do music more than anything or was drama more what you were interested in?

I’ve always sung and I danced a little bit and then when I got to New York I realized that musical theatre was where I felt most immediately at home. I did a lot of musical theatre at school. That is what I was getting cast in. I made sure that I kept working on those skills and for now musical theatre is where everyone started. I hope to also do straight plays and get back to drama. For now, this is a beautiful way to start my career.

Is Mary Poppins the first big role you had since going to New York?

It is. I had done some regional shows and then had done some workshops in New York City but a show of this magnitude; I’ve certainly never been involved in anything like that. This was my “big break.”

What’s the most memorable role you ever played?

I think the reason I love acting is because each character; I walk away from it having learned something new or discovered something new about either myself or humanity. I honestly have come away from each with something that has been indelible. I would have to say that Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes in high school and now doing Mary Poppins are the two.

Did you watch Mary Poppins when you were growing up?

I did. I was raised on Julie Andrews so I had the records from the Sound of Music, Mary Poppins and My Fair Lady. I saw all the films many times. So Mary Poppins was very much a part of my upbringing.

Did you ever think you would be playing the role made famous by Julie Andrews?

I’m sure when I was very little I said, “Yeah, of course I will do that.” When you get a little older, you realize, “This is going to be really hard.” It’s not as simple as deciding at four, yes, I’ll be Mary Poppins. It’s been something that I wanted to fight for every step of the way. New York is a hard place to be auditioning. It’s a tough field. There are some roles I have found that you find yourself going to bat for more even than others. Every audition you hope you show yourself well but when this show came around there was a fire in me for it.

What is the best thing about touring with Mary Poppins?

I think the most interesting part has been learning about the different communities. Yes, in terms of tourism but as a performer. The audiences in each city vary so wildly. It’s a really fascinating thing every night you are in a new city, you get to learn, ok this is what the audience is like in the city and they are so vastly different in different parts of the country. That’s been an interesting thing to keep track of and be aware of.

Do you still get nervous when you go onstage or is it second nature now?

It is absolutely second nature but the moment before I start , right before I go onstage, I have a little moment with myself where I’m convinced I don’t know any of my lines and I’ll forget it all, but it’s always been that way. But, as soon as I’m onstage, I’m home.

What do you and the rest of the cast and crew do for fun while out on the road?

Everyone has their own tourist style. A lot of people make tourism their priority. They want to make sure they see all the sites. I am in awe of people who are able to do that. I spend a lot of time taking care of myself like making sure I can find a Laundromat. I also have to figure out if I can find a masseuse. In each city I need to find out wherethe grocery store is; when I can take a nap. I do a lot of press so it is wonderfully exhausting. I spend a lot of time making sure that my body is taken care of and exploring a little bit. But, I don’t get out as much as a lot of people do.

In Mary Poppins you get to fly.

I get to do it three times. In some theatres we can’t do that but it’s at the discretion of the producers and the creative team of each city. Some theatres we can and some theatres where we don’t. I’m not a part of that choice in any way. I show up and I’m told whether or not we’ll be doing it.

Do you get scared?

No, I don’t, honestly. With a show this big there have been times when glitches have happened in any number of places because it’s a massive set. I adore and trust the people around me and know that I’m not in conflict. Any glitches get to be a part of live theatre and I love it. It’s never a fear thing. The flying is the easiest part of the show for me. All I have to do is let the mechanism fly me. I don’t have to dance or sing. I can smile and enjoy the ride.

Do you have anything you want to do while you are Austin?

People have been looking at the maps and seeing there are a lot of great things to do. Everyone keeps telling me that I’m going to love Austin. I’ve heard that Austin is about one of the coolest places you can be in Texas and that the community is great and that there is a live arts community. I’m excited to get there, get a sense for it and figure out where I want to get my toes into first.

If you didn’t become an actress, what profession would you have chosen? 

I think I would be a social worker or therapist. The same things that intrigue me about character study would be just as relevant in that arena. The human spirit and the human mind fascinate me. That is the one thing that I would be endlessly fascinated with.

Do you have any advice for someone who is an aspiring performer?

I think you need to know your own standards. You need to know where your own bar is set and even if you can’t reach that bar know that you are a little bit closer for tomorrow. I am just as guilty as anyone for trying to compare myself to other people and you can’t. Know what you do well and work harder every day to be a better version of that. I think that is the most important thing you can do.

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MARY POPPINS opens at Bass Concert Hall on April 10, 2012 and runs through April 15, 2012. Tickets are available by going to www.texasperformingarts.org. Texas Performing Arts is the largest in Austin, Texas. The Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Concert Hall has a large stage and advanced sound system that makes it an ideal location for Broadway shows.