BWW Interviews: Texas Performing Arts Austin 2015-2016 Season Announced with Special Guests from MOTOWN THE MUSICAL

With the new season being announced last week in Austin, there were some very special surprise guests to help kick-off the new season as well. Members of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL stopped by to sing and dance and entertain audience members. Curtis Wiley and Syndee Winters sat down with BWW to talk about the opportunities in their lives and the joys of being part of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL.

How did you first get interested in theater?

Curtis: Interestingly enough, it was the result of experiences I had in other friendships. I knew people who worked in the business and did this professionally. It's something that I was drawn to because I was drawn to those people. I was drawn to the idea of artistry and creativity. So, for me it was really a function of recognizing that there were people out there that I identified with and that I liked whose spirit and energy I connected with and wanting to move towards that. As a result of that, it unfolded the way it unfolded. I realized that I loved specifically theater and that my interest was in live theatrical performance rather than television. That's how it started for me. People would say, "Oh, you should be on television if you want to be an actor." But I (said), "I really specifically interested in that stage performance where the audience is right there with you and it's a shared experience." That's how it happened for me.

Syndee: It just seemed to be something that I've always been attracted to. I remember when I was a kid and how your parents try to be influential in your learning processes and say, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Do I want to be a nurse or I want to be a doctor. My mother said, "You want to be a pediatrician?" I was like, "Yeah." But, when I realized that had nothing to do with magic, no, let's do something else. I couldn't pronounce pediatrician and somehow I thought, "Magician." I thought it had something to do with magic. So, when I realized that every time the TV was on and every time I saw Michael Jackson do what Michael Jackson did, whenever I saw Whitney Houston do what Whitney Houston did, Prince, Paula Abdul, I was like, "I wanna do that." From an early age, anyone who asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I said, "I want to be a singer. I want to be an entertainer." I stayed on that path until it got me here sitting with you.

What was the first time you ever performed in front of an audience?

Curtis: It was here in Texas. I was born in a little town called Bay City, Texas. It was in my elementary school Thanksgiving Day production. It ended up in the paper and my mother still has that paper. I was a little Indian.

Syndee: The first time I ever performed in front of an audience, it was in the 6th grade. I sang a song by this young singer named Tamia. My mother was a seamstress. She used to make all of our dresses. She made all of our window treatments and bedding and all that stuff. I remember she bought a pattern and made the pattern for three dresses. She made three dresses in a 48 hour period. I wore this Chinese cut dress and I sang this song. I didn't have a karaoke. All I had was the tape so I just sang over her tape.

You sang louder than it.

Syndee: I sure did. I was like, "Can you please turn up my mic?"

Tell us how you got involved with MOTOWN.

Syndee: Oh, with Motown. I remember when the workshops and the production was beginning for its run on Broadway. I was away in the LION KING on tour. Actually, I think I was in Austin when I first heard that they were coming to Broadway and they were opening in about a month. I was like, "I cannot believe I'm not in New York during this time, during a time when something like this, this historical moment on Broadway is happening and I'm not a part of it." A friend of mine that I went to college with was in the cast. I was in Austin, in my apartment and she was like, "Hey, I have an extra ticket to opening night. Do you want to go?" I took the day off. I flew to New York and I attended the opening night of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL. I saw all the great stars that my parents grew up with and I grew up listening to in the flesh and I was able to see myself with all the other actors onstage because a lot of them were my friends. And I said, "I want to be a part of this. This is something really major that I would like to be a part of." When I returned back to New York, I got a call and January of 2014, I left LION KING in 2013, a year later from being here in Austin, I was on Broadway with MOTOWN.

Curtis: I learned about MOTWON because it developed in New York City much like THE BOOK OF MORMON. There was no out of town tryout until the workshop development all happened in New York City and as Syndee said, we know it's a very, very small community so I knew at least half the cast. A year and a half before it actually opened on Broadway, they were in a rehearsal studio for weeks and weeks at a time and working it out. I have a very dear friend that's in the company and she called me up and said, "Will you do these presentations of MOTOWN THE MUSICAL? Do you want to come see it?" And I said, "Absolutely." And I went and I sat in a rehearsal studio near the Julliard Center and watched this happen and was blown away and mesmerized. Since that moment I understood how I fit and where I fit in it. And ended up in this incarnation with you today out of an audition. They were putting together a team of people to do what you are going to see us do tonight. Because I was very singular in my interest in the show, my interest is in the character Barry Gordy, this was a perfect fit for me because it allows me to go out in the country and different parts of the world; we've also been to Brazil to promote this show, and be in that capacity as that character. It's been really incredible. But, I saw it in a rehearsal studio if you can imagine that with fully orchestrated music and a cast that was nearly 50 people. It was absolutely incredible.

Syndee: When I became a part of the cast on Broadway, I was the character Mary Wells in the show and we call her Mary WEEEEEELLLLLS. That's the only note and the only word she says the entire show. That's the first time you see Mary Wells and ever hear her. I portrayed that character and then when this incarnation of the MOTOWN brand happened, they asked me to portray Diana Ross which was really great and an honor. So, I took it upon myself specifically representing MOTOWN in this way. So, it's really great to be with Curtis doing this together.

Curtis: We met at the studios because what was happening is that they were trying to fit the right pieces together for this team of people and they had me and they had me come in and audition with a few actresses and this woman; you know how you just know? This was a year ago. This is the second season we've been doing this so it's been an extraordinary journey.

Check out Texas Performing Arts' website to see all the great shows happening in the 2015-2016 season. Don't miss MOTOWN THE MUSICAL when it comes through.

PHOTO CREDIT: Irene Davidson

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