Interview: Theatre Life with Ana Villafañe

Today’s subject Ana Villafañe is currently living her theatre life at Arena Stage preparing to begin performances of the newly revised version of Damn Yankees. She will be playing the iconic role of Lola made famous by Gwen Verdon. The show will run from September 9th to November 9th in Arena Stage’s Fichandler Stage space.

Ana made her Broadway debut in the biggest way possible originating the role of Gloria Estefan in On Your Feet The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan. Her performance garnered her a Theatre World Award, a Drama League Award, and an Outer Critics Circle nomination. She earned her second Drama League Award in 2019 for MCC’s Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties.

Other Broadway credits include being the first actress to play Roxie in Chicago post COVID and N/A at Lincoln Center opposite the legendary Holland Taylor.

You might also remember her performance of Nina from the Kennedy Center production of In The Heights.

Ana’s TV credits include New Amsterdam, Younger, and Sunnyside plus the title role in the film Castro’s Daughter.

She was named by the New York Times as a “30 Under 30” and honored by the NHMC for trailblazing Latin representation in entertainment.

On Your Feet catapulted Ana Villafañe to stardom.She has never looked back since Director/Choreographer Jerry Mitchell made her a star in that show. She is one of the most talented performers working in the theatre today.

Grab your tickets to Damn Yankees at Arena Stage and witness the truly amazing talent that is Ana Villafañe. The production is sure to hit a home run and I’m sure will have lots of “Heart”.

Ana Villafañe is truly living her theatre life to the fullest.

At what age was it apparent that performing was going to be your chosen profession?

I started singing when I was seven and did my first professional musical in fourth grade. I was nine. My entire school took a field trip to see me rock khakis and a teal t-shirt in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Naturally I became obsessed with Andrew Lloyd Webber, and it spiraled from there. I started performing anywhere I could. I knew something bigger than me was happening because my grades were better whenever I was in a show. But I did start prioritizing my voice over a social life and was even a part-time student my freshman year of high school because I was working. I’d also write shows and put myself and my friends in them. Christmas in Candyland (yes, based on the board game) was a sleeper hit in our cafetorium.

Where did you receive your training?

I have a degree in classical music with an applied emphasis on vocal pedagogy from Loyola Marymount University. But before that, I owe a lot to Jeanette Hopkins who was my vocal coach and single- handedly changed my life growing up in Miami.

What was your first professional job as a performer?

When I first moved to LA at 18, I booked a commercial for a brand called “Liv Dolls.” They were looking for girls who looked like the dolls and could ride horses. At the audition, I made up an entire story about my childhood as a skilled equestrian. The night before the shoot, I watched YouTube videos on how to ride a horse. All day on set I’d whisper to my horse in Spanish as if it were a secret language because I was terrified. But I got my SAG card.

Can you please tell us a little something about how Arena Stage's version of Damn Yankees differs from previous stagings?

This version is really speaking to the universal truths presented in the original but presenting them in a new lens. I think it’s important to dig for those truths. The team has been extremely collaborative and nuanced in approaching the material with the reverence it deserves while also navigating how to make it relevant and timely. Having the brilliance of Doug, Will and Lynn really made me jump at the chance to be part of this re-imagining.

Your character of Lola was made famous by the great Gwen Verdon. Before starting work on Damn Yankees, did you watch her film performance at all, or did you want to approach the character without any past influence?

I grew up watching all the great movie-musicals, Damn Yankees included. It had never crossed my mind to play this role, and I find it profoundly significant to enter spaces not originally carved out for me. Gwen Verdon was a master, and I've been fortunate in my career to never shy away from stepping into the shoes of iconic women. A legacy of Lola’s stands on Gwen’s (perfectly sculpted) shoulders. I take each of them with me and honor the work that led to this moment, while rising to the challenge.

In recent years, there’s been a big push, rightfully so, for authentic representation in casting on Broadway and elsewhere. Why do you think this is so important to the entertainment industry and in general?

To be super actor-y (and in the name of Holland Taylor), I’ll quote Stella Adler: “The theatre is a spiritual and social X-ray of its time.” 

You made your Broadway debut starring as Gloria Estefan in On Your Feet The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan on Broadway. Can you please talk about that experience and what would you say was the greatest or most unforgettable piece of advice you received from Gloria Estefan?

On Your Feet taught me what I was capable of, but Gloria taught me that I actually deserved it. It’s almost like in The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy discovers she had the power to go back home all along. Gloria and Emilio got me to unlock and not question my own power. They still do. The best advice I’ve ever gotten from Gloria was never in words— it’s been in her example. Her humanity. And Emilio’s advice is always consistent. As a chronic overthinker who can be really hard on myself, he reminds me to “Enjoy it, baby.”

You performed in Chicago on Broadway as Roxie Hart. Can you please talk about how much preparation you had before going into the show? Was the process quicker than preparing a new musical from scratch?

I got to re-open the show after the Broadway shutdown, so I had the luxury of building the show for four weeks in a proper rehearsal studio with Walter Bobbie, Greg Butler and the cast. It was emotional when we got into the theatre because everyone was coming home again post-pandemic and we were all so hungry to get on stage. They had to tech again and everything. But I lucked out, because I think ‘creating the thing’ is my favorite part. It’s how I came into all this. I'd never seen Chicago on stage, so I got to create my Roxie from the text. Plus, it's some of the most famous and complex dance vocabulary in the entire world. Having a true rehearsal period was delicious.

Some people think Damn Yankees is a period piece about a specific time. What would you say to someone with this thinking to get them to attend a performance of this version at Arena Stage?

I’d say it is still a period piece. Our version is set in 2000, which holds a specific weight. The story itself is a fable – a Faustian legend that transcends time and is objectively universal. I think being set in a modern, more recent period really serves the audience to feel themselves represented on stage. It’s getting the best of both worlds – it will feel familiar and nostalgic, while elevating the original material to have a modern perspective. That’s a delicate balance. This story is designed to make people think. That’s my favorite kind of theatre.

Special thanks to Arena Stage's Public Relations Specialist Anastasia St. Hilaire for her assistance in coordinating this interview.