Interview: Salisha Thomas of BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at The Bushnell

When BEAUTIFUL - THE Carole King MUSICAL opens on January 17 at Hartford's Bushnell Theatre, audiences will discover that though they may think they know the songs of Carole King, there is such a rich story behind those familiar lyrics and catchy melodies. BEAUTIFUL tells the true story of King's rise to stardom and illustrates how she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation. Taking the stage in BEAUTIFUL playing Shirley, the lead singer of the Shirelles is Salisha Thomas who I had the pleasure of speaking with and learning about her experience with this remarkable show about a remarkable woman.

BWW: Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today. We are really looking forward to BEAUTIFUL in Hartford!

Salisha Thomas: Sweet!

Can you start by telling us a little bit about how you got started in the theatre?

I did everything in high school. I was in the band, cheered, did theatre and mock trial. At that time I thought I really wanted to be a lawyer but one day my theatre teacher asked me "Do you really want to be a lawyer or do you just want to act like a lawyer?" And that was when I really started to focus on theatre. So I went to Cal State Fullerton and studied Musical Theatre. When I was in school I was working at Disneyland as Princess Tiana in one of their new shows "Mickey and the Magical Map" and I worked there for a year and a half, and it was so awesome, but my heart was in New York. I had always wanted to go there, ever since my eighth grade field trip when I saw WICKED. So, I didn't tell anyone, but I bought a one-way ticket to New York City and once I got there fell in love with the city. I realized I didn't want to leave. When I was there, I ran into this homeless guy and he looked at me and said "I don't know who you are, but you need to move here and do it now." So I listened to him! I went home and called Disneyland and told them I was staying. So, I put in my notice, went back to California, got rid of everything and came back to New Yotk. Six days later I booked BEAUTIFUL!

For those unfamiliar with BEAUTIFUL, how would you describe the show?

The show follows Carole King's early life and her relationship with her partner Gerry Goffin, the music that they wrote together and their relationship with their two friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann who were their best friends and biggest competition at the time. The musical goes through a lot of their music and tell the stories that go with the songs. As an audience member you realize as the show goes on how many songs you know, even if you didn't think you knew them!

What's it like putting a new spin on these amazing songs? How do you make them your own, while preserving the sound people expect?

Jason Howland, our musical director told us he wants the audience to feel what people did the first time the music came out. So to have that magic, the music is a little updated, a little more contemporary, but not too much where it loses its old magic. So we play with the songs and give it a little bit of a boost and it is like hearing it for the first time. I play Shirley from the Shirelles and we are just four black girls from Queens, just a girl group singing on the street, just natural and real.

And what is it like playing a character that is a real person vs. a fictional character?

It is very interesting. You have to make sure you don't do anything that might be offensive to that real person. I also play Lucille who is the secretary for Don Kirshner, the producer who discovers Carole. I forgot which city we were in, but Don Kirshner's wife and family came to the show and came back stage after the show. Curt Bouril who plays Don was so excited to meet her and talk to her about the real Don and I got to talk to her about my character as well. It was very cool.

So do you approach playing a real person differently than you would if you were playing an entirely fictional character?

I think I approach it the same, but the only thing I might do differently is take the fictional character one step further. I think I might take more character risks and not feel so cautious if it were not a real person. You don't want to be disrespectful.

And what do you think you would do if Shirley showed up for the show one night?

I get so nervous, I would rather not know! When Carole comes it is the coolest thing. She has come twice. The first time she came, when we were in Boston, she didn't tell anyone she was coming. She sat in the back in a dark wig and sunglasses and nobody noticed her. After the show, the stage managers were being all serious and told us to get dressed and come back to the stage. We all gathered on stage thinking the worst. She came out and we all freaked out. We were all crying and I was hysterical.

I believe this is your first tour, right? What would you say are the best and most difficult parts about touring with a show like this?

Everything changing all the time is challenging. By the time you get used to something it's time to go. Always trying to find things to eat, places to work out, things that make life feel normal. Sometimes I just crave a chain restaurant, or something familiar. Also, we wear these same costumes every day. I got fitted for my costume in 2014 and now it's 2017. So when I show up to work, I can tell if I lost a pound or gained a pound. Also, going through so many different climates. We are in East Lansing now with tons of snow and in a couple weeks we will be in Florida. So, it is so easy to get sick. That's hard too.

What do you look forward to the most before you step out on stage each night?

I have two moments. The first is "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" because that is my feature. So I wait in the wings anticipating my time in the spotlight. That is always so exciting! The second one that everyone loves is "The Locomotion. It is our biggest dance number and we go out there and give it our all. There are days where I am not having a good day, but I don't have a choice but to put out every ounce of energy into the song. And by the end of the song, my day is back to being awesome.

So thinking toward the future, do you have a dream role that you would one day like to play?

Absolutely. I would love to play Angelica Schuyler in HAMILTON or Dorothy in THE WIZ. That would be awesome. And, this doesn't exist yet, but if they ever turn SCANDAL into a musical, I want to be Olivia Pope.

Do you have any advice for young performers looking to make it into professional theatre?

Number one, you have got to follow your heart. I remember everyone giving me advice that was different than what my heart was telling me. And I didn't start to thrive until I followed my heart. Also, put in the work. Whether you are doing theatre in school, community theatre or voice lessons or dance classes, when you are there, be there and put in the work and work hard. Also, be nice. Talent will get you so far, which is great, but people want to work with people they like working with.

BEAUTIFUL - THE Carole King MUSICAL runs at the Bushnell Theatre in Hartford, CT January 17 - 22. Performances are Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.bushnell.org, by phone at 860-987-5900 , or at The Bushnell box office, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford.

Top Photo: Salisha Thomas

Mid Photo #1: Four Friends. Julia Knitel ("Carole King"), Erika Olson ("Cynthia Weil"), Ben Fankhauser ("Barry Mann") and Liam Tobin ("Gerry Goffin"). Photo by Joan Marcus

Mid Photo #2: The Shirelles. (l to r) Traci Elaine Lee, Rebecca E. Covington, Rosharra Francis and Salisha Thomas. Photo by Joan Marcus

Bottom Photo - Four Friends. (l to r) Curt Bouril ("Don Kirshner"), Liam Tobin ("Gerry Goffin"), Julia Knitel ("Carole King"), Ben Fankhauser ("Barry Mann") and Erika Olson ("Cynthia Weil"). Photo by Joan Marcus