Interview: Adrianna Hicks on OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! at The Green Room 42
'The process has been a learning process, for sure, but also an exhilarating one.' Catch the SOME LIKE IT HOT star on July 27
After years of performing on Broadway and beyond, leading lady Adrianna Hicks is finally making her anticipated cabaret debut in New York City at The Green Room 42 with Oh, The Places You’ll Go!. Recently, we had the chance to speak with Hicks about making her solo debut. We discussed what inspired her to create Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, what it’s been like to create the show and bring in some of the Ladies in Waiting from SIX, and how she hopes it will inspire others to write their own love letters to themselves.
How did you first get started in the world of theatre?
In my room, because I didn't really know what musical theatre was! I was very much that little girl, after school, she would come home and put on a Disney movie or Beyonce and pretend to be whatever was on. It wasn't until high school where I saw my first musical theatre production, Guys and Dolls, and I was like, “Oh, that's what this is! This is what I'm supposed to do.” And that's how I learned about musical theatre and came into the world of it. And from there, I just explored! I followed love at that point.
And what made you want to create Oh, the Places You'll Go!?
Because of my life! I didn't know what this profession had in store for me - I just knew that I always had that intuition to go to my room and pretend to be these amazing characters and sing. I grew up in church singing a lot, and that was my first love language with the whole craft. What inspired the show was just looking back and being like, “Wow, I did not expect this to happen for myself so far!” Over 16 years in this career, the places that it's led me - from Germany to Broadway to around the US - and the people I've met along the way. I wanted to share that. And when I graduated college, our professors gave us the Dr. Seuss book, Oh, the Places You'll Go!, so I thought, “Well, maybe I'll just tie that in with that,” and hopefully be able to present a gift to others, saying that your road is whatever it's supposed to be, and to trust whatever you know you're supposed to do, because it'll lead to places that you never thought you would go. That's the inspiration behind the show.
And can you tell us a bit about the creative process for putting together a cabaret show like this?
Yeah! This is my first cabaret in New York City, so I am really excited about that, and also very nervous. The process has been a learning process, for sure, but also an exhilarating one. Again, I'm so used to being by myself and being creative and thinking about, “What can I put here?” Basically, it consisted of me just gathering all the things together, the charcuterie board of roles that I played, if you will, and just gleaning from those things the story that I want to tell. When I look at that, I see the web of how everything has always been interconnected before I even knew what was going to happen. That's been a major part of piecing this show together - to show how, when you meet this person here, you never know how it's going to affect you there . . . All the places you'll go, right? So that's been the creative process. And also, just singing things out loud and being like, “Oh, that doesn't work - I want to do something different,” the trial and error of it all. And I've been working with my amazing musical director, Deah Love Harriot. She's incredible, and she's been such a helping hand, helping to guide me along this process, so it's been a fun one. I'm excited, and I'm also like, “It’s okay if I don't know what I'm doing - I will learn.”
Do you have any favourite songs you're looking forward to performing in the show?
I don't want to give anything away, because I love every piece that I'm singing in the show! But I’ll give a hint. Right out of college, I got called to potentially work in Germany. We had the audition materials set up for three specific shows that were happening at the time - one was Sister Act, one was Tarzan, and one was The Lion King. So I'm going to use one of those audition songs that I used, and I'm really looking forward to singing [it], but I don’t want to give anything away!
What has it been like looking back at your career in order to create the show?
It's been such a blessing to be able to look back and see how rich the journey has been. So full of ups and downs, full of trials, full of errors, and also successes and huge accomplishments. It's been the ultimate blessing to me, and it's almost like my love letter to myself as well. I’ve always loved sharing and giving, and I hope that from it being a love letter to myself, it can be a love letter to the audience as well. So I'm excited about that.
How does it feel to be making this debut at The Green Room 42?
It's so exciting! The venue is great. I've watched several of my friends perform there, even performed there myself, but I wasn't headlining the show. I just love this space. It's very intimate, it's exactly what I would love to use to tell this very intimate part of myself. So to be able to put it on here is just the perfect setting for people to see a little bit more personal side of me.
And you're also bringing a bit of a band [Michelle Marie Osborne (Bass), Elena Bonomo (Drums), Kimi Hayes (Guitar)] with you as well! What is that like?
Amazing! I'm really excited to reintroduce some of the ladies from SIX that I've performed with before - they're just really awesome. So we already have a rapport, a relationship - it's great. I'm really looking forward to doing that!
What do you hope audiences take away from the show?
I hope they take away a sense of courage, and inspiration to go out and create their own stories, to create the life that they want to live and leave behind for those after them. And I hope that we just have a good time! I hope that they just enjoy being serenaded with all these different pieces of music that no one has ever heard me sing before. I call it a charcuterie board of pieces from R&B, classical . . . It's just all over the place! Again, all the places you'll go. Just to be inspired. There are so many different colours to paint with in the world, and your light is very important during this time, so go shine. That's my hope.
And finally, how would you describe Oh, the Places You’ll Go! in one word?
This is so cliche, but it is love. That's the very first thing that I thought about! It's literally a love letter to myself and to give to other people as well, in hopes that they can write their own love letter to themselves. Love all around.
Follow Adrianna Hicks on Instagram here.
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! runs on July 27 at The Green Room 42. In-person and livestream tickets are available to purchase here.
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