Heather Dubrow's Confessions of a Theatre Kid: 'RHOC' Star on Musical Theatre, ANNIE & More
Bravo's Real Housewives of Orange County star opens up about her musical theatre past and future.
Heather Dubrow was comfortable in the spotlight long before The Real Housewives of Orange County. On the hit Bravo series, Dubrow frequently discusses her extensive work in the sitcom world – but how did musical theatre prepare her for it all?
The New York-native received a BFA in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University after starting performing at an early age. In the first edition of our new series, Confessions of a Theatre Kid, Dubrow opens up about her early days of performing, hardest audition, and how theatre helped prepare her for the Real Housewives.
THE EARLY DAYS
What was your first introduction to theatre? When did you start performing?
I was always performing. I mean I think like all of us, you know, musical theater kids and theater kids, I was always on the stage, always singing, always dancing, always performing, always loved it.
I remember when my parents took me to see Annie – I really believed this, I swear – I thought that they were gonna come out and say, 'She can't go on, who knows the role?' I was so ready. I have to say, I was very disappointed when the lights went down.
I grew up in New York, performed in school, then did regional theater and all of that. Had summer theater, which is a big deal in New York. Then I went to Syracuse for musical theater. I thought my path was going to be Broadway. So I was looking for apartments in New York for after graduation with a girlfriend of mine and I got cast onto divorce court. Crazy. Spoiler alert, not real. But it's based on cases, right? It's like a recreation kind of show. So I went to Florida and I taped a couple of episodes of that and the producers flew me out to LA to work on something else which didn't end up going. But I was looking around and I said, 'You know, I could always go back to New York. Let me try out LA for a little bit.'
HARDEST AUDITION
What was it like moving from theatre to sitcoms?
So when I land in LA, I got a job singing at Disneyland. I'm gonna tell you that was the hardest audition process, that whole thing. Disney is serious. It was crazy. I sang at the Golden Horseshoe Jamboree, met this guy, and we had put together a 14-piece big band. I performed with them for four years. We toured and we opened up for the Dana Carvey, Paula Poundstone, all these comedians and ended up being the house band for The Nanny.
While I was doing that, I was getting agents and better agents and getting little parts here and there and auditioning. Then one thing led to another, got bigger, better parts and then started working as a series regular.
FAVORITE ROLE
Is there a certain role you've played that you look back on as one of your favorites?
I loved all of our shows in high school. There was one show we did called Is There Life After High School? – while we were in high school. Which was very interesting. It was a little like meta and weird, but it was interesting. I had this duet with this guy and I loved it. It was the most fun song to sing and he was so talented. It was just like one of those fun things. I love theater. I miss it.
NEXT ROLE
Is there a role you'd have in mind to return to the stage with?
I want to do something different. I want to do something fun and funny and unexpected. I know so many wonderful performers that have been in Chicago and all kinds of shows and I love that. But I would love to do something, I don't know, just a little off beat, a little different. I don't know, something crazy, new, fun.
THEATRE'S ROLE IN 'HOUSEWIVES'
Did your background in theatre help prepare you at all for Bravo's The Real Housewives of Orange County?
I think it all helps, to be honest with you. I think everything I've done throughout the years, whether I realized it at the time or not, it all helps. I mean, live theater ... there is nothing like live theater. You are naked on a stage. I mean, I've done live television, I've done stand-up, I've been a singer, all the things that I've done. I think being live is just the best background you could ever have. So with reality TV, I guess you just learn to go with it.
CAST A REAL HOUSEWIFE
Is there a fellow Real Housewives of Orange County cast member that isn't a theatre kid, but could be?
Shannon Beador. Because she's very funny and very theatrical and I think she'd be great on stage.
New episodes of The Real Housewives of Orange County air Thursday nights on Bravo, streaming the next day on Peacock.
