Interview: Actress/Singer Emily Yancey

Emily Yancey is a young, talented, beautiful and busy actress with a classically trained singing voice and a great outlook on life in the arts.

She took the time to share a little with BWW.

MCL: When and how did acting come into your life?

EY: When I was 4 years old, I fell deeply in love with The Wizard of Oz movie, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale. The VHS tape came with a small, folding pamphlet complete with pictures, which I took to carrying around everywhere I went. It was borderline obsession.

I have always been a singer, so many years later, when my high school announced The Wizard of Oz as the fall musical, I HAD to audition, even though I had never really acted before. I sang my best "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" and was cast as Dorothy! Fittingly, the role mirrored my own life growing up on my family's sheep farm in rural Northern NY. I found so much of me in Dorothy's character, the me that would spend hours singing to the sheep, chickens, dogs and cats, dreaming of things that lay beyond our long driveway. With that show, I feel like the seed of an actor was planted and given its first water.

I would take a break from acting after high school as I moved to Buffalo to pursue and complete a Bachelor of Science in Biology & Psychology, concentrating in Animal Behavior and Zoo Biology, at Canisius College. Despite excelling in all of the classes, research and internships associated with my degree program, after graduating, I decided that the paths moving forward from it were not for me. It had always been a struggle for me to choose whether to pursue the sciences or the dramatic/musical arts. I soon returned to Canisius to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal/Music Performance in 2013 and I have been performing professionally ever since.

MCL: The first time on stage... What was it like?

EY: For that first show, The Wizard of Oz, the director wanted me to perform "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" without accompaniment, and each night in the silence I found myself easily slipping into something else, someone else, casually pitching a tune into the sky while taking a break from chores on the farm. I felt a freedom to express all those parts of myself that synced up with Dorothy, parts of myself that I realized might never be seen otherwise. I was happy to give that life to Dorothy, and to tell her and my story simultaneously. For me, that was enough, but I soon discovered that I was in fact telling other people's stories as well, reflecting aspects of the human experience that would resonate with the audience in heartfelt and therapeutic ways. I still feel the peculiar silence that associates itself with my creative process, the hush as a curtain rises somewhere in my mind, allowing organic energy to flow freely through the mould I have built for it.

MCL: Your most embarrassing moment on stage would be?

EY: Coincidentally, it occurred right around April Fool's Day of this past year, working as part of a stellar cast in Lend Me A Tenor, produced by the Lancaster Opera House team. I was playing the role of Diana, a sleep-your-way-to-the-top, soprano opera diva, sporting some killer black lingerie and high heels in Act II as she tries to "further her career." The lingerie wasn't embarrassing, but when the inevitable farcical runaround took place, my high heel got caught in a small crack in the floor of the set. After a few good tugs, in character of course, I abandoned the shoe and continued the chase with one heel, hobbling along in a (thankfully) comic fashion. If you think walking in two 4-inch heels is hard, try running with only one!

MCL: What would be your favorite role so far?

EY: My favorite role to date is also my most recent work: Emma Carew in Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical. I feel that Emma's story is the story of loving someone with mental illness. It's no secret that having a mental illness can be a living nightmare. I am fortunate enough to have found effective ways to manage mine, but others are not so lucky at finding sufficient ways to cope. Whether managed or unmanaged, mental illness can also take a heavy toll on the people who are closest by, wanting to help, loving unconditionally. This is Emma and this is also me. It is truly heartbreaking when your partner's mental illness is strong enough to spill over into your relationship in unhealthy ways such as withdrawal, neglect and even abuse. Emma's decision to stay mirrors my own past decisions and although they may not have worked out in the end for us, they show just how hard it is to MAKE a decision like that with someone that you love. This is the story that I aimed to tell in my role as Emma, and I think I accomplished that by bringing my own struggle to the stage each night.

Due to the potent and personal nature of this story, it has become my favorite role to date, helped by the fact that the Wildhorn score provides plenty of opportunity for my favorite types of vocal mixing and soprano colors.

MCL: What roles do you want to perform and why?

EY: The role I'm truly dying to perform is that of Rose Fenney in the musical Dogfight. I feel a special resonance with this character, a young folk musician who becomes tricked into a Dogfight contest between some U.S. Marines, taking bets on who can procure the ugliest date. Her journey through this experience encompasses an emotional rollercoaster that eventually leads to the realization that one should not permit themselves to be defined by the opinions of others, a message particularly important for young women. The folk-influenced score also features beautiful, haunting melodies that my voice craves to sing. I owe my discovery of this fabulous musical to the late Michael Hake, who gave me the music and encouraged me to work on it with him so that someday I may perform it. Regrettably, our budding friendship was cut short merely a week after. Now, every time I sing from Dogfight, I think of Michael and all the things he did have a chance to tell me, and I cherish every one.

The other role I would love to perform is Emily Webb from Our Town. I have a personal hobby of studying philosophy and religion, and I take particular interest in the concept of finding heaven on earth - that is, finding beauty in the simple and the routine. Emily's transition from life to death presents a unique opportunity to express her realization of this concept, and I would love the chance to take it on.

MCL: What's the passion, for you, to perform on stage?

EY: The passion of performing on stage for me stems from its therapeutic value. When I think of something therapeutic, I think of something opening up and moving through: an unpacking. Regardless of their awareness of it, an audience that chooses to view a piece of theatre is opting to potentially feel something. They're choosing to plug in, to hear a story that may or may not have personal significance to them. This is a rare opportunity in which we as artists have the power to produce lasting experiences and realizations gleaned from that shared human experience unfolding on the stage. My passion is entertainment that nourishes and heals, be it through tears, laughter, solidarity, or something more inexplicable. I also manage to heal myself when I perform, as I consider the acting and singing processes especially good for opening and maintaining a healthy emotional channel.

MCL: Each actress has their process to prepare for a role? What's yours?

EY: I like to spend a lot of quality time with the script, keeping a watchful eye on how my emotions naturally respond to the material as it moves by. I guess I could say I'm mapping an empathic resonance. I try to identify where my resonance with the material changes, climaxes, etc. I then attempt to overlay my resonance inside the role's lines and circumstances, adjusting according to the director's interpretation. The hybridized result becomes the start of my character, which I aim to set free once its legs are strong enough, to find its own quirks and idiosyncrasies, usually in response to my scene partners' energy.

MCL: You're a singer as well... How would you describe your musical taste?

EY: I'm classically trained in voice, and I believe that a solid classical technique can be the springboard to being able to perform nearly any genre of vocal music. As such, I identify as a crossover vocalist, meaning that I routinely appeal to different audiences, including classical (opera, operetta, oratorio), musical theatre, and popular/commercial. It is my passion to try to master multiple genres and styles of singing while improving nuanced expression across the board. My major vocal influences are Renee Fleming, Audra McDonald, Bernadette Peters, and Ellie Goulding.

Personally, my taste in music is pretty vast. The only band I've ever been able to call my favorite is Metallica. I have also greatly enjoyed the surge in electronic music in the last decade, including trip hop, dub step, and drum & bass. I also enjoy classical, reggae, R&B, and Hip Hop. Recently I've been listening to a lot of Banks, Lana Del Rey, Made In Heights, and Jhene Aiko.

MCL: What would some of your music projects be that are not theatre related?

EY: I recently had the opportunity to collaborate with local chiptune artist Danimal Cannon on his new album Lunaria. Chiptune is a type of 8-bit electronic music, often composed on and produced by a GameBoy or similar machine. Danimal Cannon likes to layer heavy metal influence into his chiptune compositions, and recently added the vocal stylings of yours truly into two tracks on his new album, including the title-track: https://danimalcannon.bandcamp.com/track/lunaria-feat-emily-yancey

I even had the opportunity to perform Lunaria live on stage at The Waiting Room in concert with Danimal Cannon. You can find the full album on Spotify (also check out the Postlude for some bright, happy vocals).

I've also performed the National Anthem for large groups/organizations in need as well as performing for various cabarets and religious masses.

MCL: Time to promote... What's going on for you in 2017?

EY: In the spring of 2017, April 20th-May 13th, I will be returning to Alleyway Theatre in I'm Fine, a new play written and directed by Neal Radice about the life of a middle-aged widower. I will be performing the role of Allison, the widower's adult daughter.

As for the rest of 2017, my season is open and I'm ready to take on projects! Hire me ;)

Until then, I'll be chilling with my cats, Naranja and Fox, and being my crazy, weird self. Follow the fun on my social media!

For more information on Emily Yancey:

https://www.facebook.com/yanceye

https://www.youtube.com/user/EmilyYancey

https://www.instagram.com/emilybalto/

http://alleyway.com/