Video: ALADDIN's Sonya Balsara is On the Rise!
May 17, 2024
In this video, watch as BroadwayWorld's Candace Cordelia checks in with the newest star of Aladdin on Broadway, Sonya Balsara.
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0:00
Welcome to On The Rise with Candace Cordelia, a Broadway World production
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I'm your host, Candace Cordelia, and I must say, after seeing this performer on Broadway
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in Aladdin, I was just so blown away by her performance, everyone else's performances
0:20
and the show itself. It's truly a spectacle, and as someone who grew up seeing Aladdin on Disney, you don't
0:26
want to miss this, and you don't want to miss seeing Sonia Balsara on stage, and I'm
0:31
with her today. How are you, Sonia? I'm excellent. Thank you so much for having me
0:37
Absolutely, and thank you so much for being here. I know this is quite a busy time for you
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You are all over the place, especially on Broadway stage in Aladdin as Jasmine, and
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I have to say, and I'll say it once more, it was so amazing seeing you in this performance
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and it's truly a treat, so congratulations to you on your current success
0:59
Thank you so much. It means so much to me that you came to see the show. Absolutely
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I enjoyed it highly, and I can't wait to talk to you more about the show and your role as
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Jasmine, but I want to start at the beginning, obviously, with how you came to be a Broadway
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star and actress, a performer, singer-dancer, everything and all of the above
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I did some research on you, and your background is very fascinating, Sonia
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One of the things that I read up on is your parentage
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You have a very interesting background in terms of your parents and their profession
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and where you grew up. I understand that you were born in Brooklyn and raised in Berkeley, California, and I
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know Berkeley is known for its academics, UC Berkeley. A lot of really cool and interesting things happened there, but you were brought up by
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one parent, a professor, chemical engineering, another parent, a professional classical singer
1:53
Sonia, what was your childhood like growing up in a household with two parents, one in
1:59
academia and one in the arts? I really feel like it was a perfect balance of arts and science growing up
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I went home during the pandemic, and downstairs you hear Brahms' Requiem coming through the
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vents, and then you hear my dad talking about polymer science on a Zoom call
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It's this beautiful cacophony of both worlds. My dad actually does a lot of work in sustainability and lowering CO2 emissions
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I'm really passionate about making the planet a better place, and then obviously really
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passionate about music and community and coming together to tell stories that I got from my mom
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Right now, too, I really want to learn how to bridge that gap
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Having both of that yin and yang together, arts and science together, is 100% why I am
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the way I am today. I feel so lucky to have grown up in that sort of yin-yang. Yeah
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I can't personally relate to that because as a kid myself, there was always the academics
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and then also my passion and love for the arts. Trying to bridge those together sometimes can be a bit of butting heads
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Was there ever a point in your childhood where one pretty much grabbed you more so than the
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other, or did you feel a conflict in terms of what you wanted to be when you grew up
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I definitely always wanted to go into the arts. I knew that
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I wanted to be a creative and be a storyteller, but I think, honestly, they both inform each other
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I actually don't think one can go without the other. I feel really lucky I got a super well-rounded education and it was really important
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My dad was like, you have to go to a university where you're going to get a very, very good education
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I took computer science in school, and I took classes in the physics department, and I took
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English literature. I don't know. I took a lot of things that I honestly feel like inform my artistry
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I actually think that they go hand in hand. I don't know if that answered your question
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I'm sorry. No, it did. It was very true. I love that you mentioned it because I think for some people, it seems as though you can't
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do one without the other. I love the fact that you're stating it's actually the complete opposite
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It's arts and sciences. That's a whole department. In most colleges, they go together
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I love that you mentioned that. What was the first moment as a child where you thought, that's it
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I'm going to be an actor. I'm going to sing. I'm going to dance. I'm going to be on Broadway
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I grew up watching so many movie musicals. I also grew up with a lot of Bollywood
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I was always creating things on my own based on what I was receiving from the media and
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with my friends and my family. My first Broadway show was Beauty and the Beast
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My aunt took me to see it. That totally opened up my vision of creative storytelling
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I remember the magic in that, the transformations and the lights and it just being such a visceral
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theatrical experience. When I saw Drowsy Chaperone, I found out that the guy playing Man in Chair had written the
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show and I thought that was super cool. I was like, there's so many ways you can do this
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Ultimately, I think what really helped me feel like I want to do this and my parents
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were like, oh no, we're in trouble, was I went to go see a high school production of
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Oklahoma and I became obsessed because it's a classic and whatnot. I rented the movie and I got out a little notebook and paused and played the movie over
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and over and over again and wrote a script. Then at recess, held auditions and cast my friends
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I played Lori. I wanted to rent a space, but my parents were like, no, you can't do that right now
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We did it in my house and I put on a show and they were like, yeah, we're in trouble
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That was probably the moment. That's really cool. You hear stories like that a bit where the moment where you put on a show for your family
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or your friends and that just seems to click. That's when you get that spark and you're thinking, yeah, this is the life for me
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After that, what happened? Did you start to do more, say high school plays, middle school plays
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Was that a part of your life at that point? Totally. I think my parents realized, let's invest less time in soccer and let's invest more
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time in doing community theater. I did shows at local theaters. I did a couple shows in high school and I took class
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I think that the thing that really, really rooted me. I love performing, but I think I love learning even more
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I love being in a group setting where you're diving into a script and talking about it
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and understanding it. I took classes at ACT in San Francisco in high school and that was my favorite thing
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I took a clowning class. I took super, I don't know. We read really amazing plays
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I just remember that's when I really started to fall in love with it. I was like, I would love to go to school for this. Yes
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Then you did. You eventually did. What was that experience like, the audition, the process, and then deciding where you wanted
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to go if you wanted to stay in California or go to New York City? Yeah
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You mentioned I was born in New York. I think when you're born in New York, you have a very, I don't know
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I've always been so tethered to the city. When we moved to California, because my dad works at UC Berkeley
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That's why we moved. I forget exact. My dad has told me this story, but we moved and he was like, where do you want to go
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I was crying because we had moved. He was like, where do you want to go right now
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I was like, turn left and don't stop until we get to New York
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I always knew I was going to go back to New York
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When I applied for college, it was a really intense process. It's actually the most vulnerable audition process
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I think one can go through because you're not auditioning for a part in a play
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You're auditioning for the role of yourself, sort of. Getting rejected for schools is more heartbreaking than any kind of rejection
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I feel like if you can go through that, you can for sure do this industry
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After I'd gotten accepted to a couple of places, I was touring schools
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When I got to NYU, I was like, oh, okay. I have to be here
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My heart and gut and soul just knew. I feel like that's how it is, especially when it comes to NYU
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It just seems like the place that you have to go to, especially as an artist
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From the environment itself to its world-renowned drama department, it's just a win-win
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You made it there. How was that for four years of your life
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Going through the trenches of being an actor, a young actor in New York City
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It was intense. It was hard, actually. I always heard that college would be where I meet all my friends forever
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It was going to be like a bed of roses. It was hard. It's hard to go to school in the city
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You don't get this little bubble that protects you. You don't get a campus in the same way
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New York City is your campus. I will say it was the most amazing growing experience I've ever had, for sure
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I completely learned who I was in those four years. Like I said earlier, I got such a well-rounded education
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I thought I was going to be best friends with all of my friends in theater
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I ended up finding that my best friends were in marketing and in computer science
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I ended up living with those people and I'm still very close with them today
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I need to feel like I have branches growing in all directions
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I'm really glad I got that out of going to school at NYU
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It really prepared me to transition out into the real world, for sure
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I love that you mentioned you had friends from all different walks of life
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and different backgrounds and not just in theater. Do you feel that that helped inform your characters
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Having that experience of talking to someone who's going to a marketing class
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or studying neuropsychology instead of just being in that bubble of theater? Totally
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First of all, I think being an actor, you have to be curious
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We're telling stories about real people. We need to be curious about all different kinds of people
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and learn from them and really, really listen to them. If you don't have real relationships with people that do other things
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you're not really doing your work as an actor, I think. The second part, honestly, was that I'd have to go and learn a song the next day
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for school or a really long monologue, a three-page Shakespeare monologue. I'd be like, oh my God, my life is so hard
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Then my friend would be doing quantum physics and I'd be like
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oh, I'll go memorize this Shakespeare monologue, no problem. Just having a perspective on the gift that I got to do what I loved
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and take class for it, that was also an element of it for me too
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You go to NYU, you study theater for four years, you graduate
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How do you go from NYU to becoming Jasmine in Aladdin on Broadway
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It took time. It wasn't immediate at all for me. I was lucky enough to get agents before my senior year of college
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That really helped with my transition. I started auditioning while I was in school
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I actually shot a feature film during my senior year of college
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It was a horror movie. It was really fun. It was a really cool experience
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I got to work with some really awesome people. Boaz Yaquin was the director who did Remember the Titans
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I was like, I don't know, I just remember being so starstruck
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I did a lot of commercials and I did some TV out of college
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That was the first big thing I did. I had a side hustle. I auditioned for theater constantly and didn't get jobs
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I really learned how to audition and how to maintain a healthy mentality through auditioning
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I booked a few jobs. I booked one international job. Then the pandemic happened, which set us back a little bit
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I came back and did the pre-Broadway workshop for The Karate Kid
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I did a production of Sense and Sensibility out in California. Then I got this job
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They're all building blocks, too. You learn from every single thing and they all lead to each other
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Lots of patience, hard work, and figuring out how to play the game mentally, for sure
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I have to give a shout out to the horror genre. That's my favorite genre
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That is my number one in terms of movies. I love horror, but I can't imagine what it's like acting in a horror film
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I've heard it can be quite strenuous, especially if you have to scream a lot and run a lot
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It's more intense than people realize. Kudos to you on that because that's not easy, acting in horror
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I took a shot where the camera lens was facing upward. I had fructose corn syrup that looked like blood dripping out
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I had to aim for that and look like I was vicious above the camera
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It is the most ridiculous genre to act in. You feel crazy
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Oh my gosh, don't knock first. I know. I can just imagine, hopefully one day I'll get there where I'm in a horror movie
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and I can see for myself what that feels like. But I love watching it
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As a fan, I enjoy it. I give you props for being a part of that genre because it's a lot
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I definitely want to go back to Aladdin and the role of Jasmine
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It's so iconic for a lot of people. Kids, teenagers, adults, whichever
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It spans generations. It's a part of the Disneyverse. It's huge in pop culture
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Now you're a part of it on Broadway. First and foremost, how did you get the role
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How was that process before earning the role of Jasmine? I had three auditions for it
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I went in and sang the solo song she had written. I sang the solo song she gets to sing, Palace Walls
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I was called back for a work session that lasted about 45 minutes
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I remember it was the most intense work session. I came out of that audition for 20 minutes
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I wrote down everything I could possibly remember. Then I had a final callback
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That was it. I'm going to add it in. There's tons of details in there
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I'm not sharing. Of course. It's all good. I have to follow up
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What did you do when you found out you got the part? I called my mom
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She didn't answer. Then I called my dad. He cried. They both cried
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That's so beautiful. That's lovely. Now you're a part of history. I want to add, because this is very intriguing to me
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You are mixed race. Aladdin itself is a story based in the Middle East
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There have been different people to play the role. The significance of being Jasmine, in my opinion, is very important
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As someone who personally, I'm very big into representation on Broadway. It's a topic that more people are talking about on a daily basis
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They want to see more representation on Broadway. You're a part of this history, given your heritage
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That's huge. What are your thoughts about, one, being this role, being Jasmine
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being mixed race, and what that means for you? Yeah. Oh, my God
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First of all, I completely feel the same way as you. I'm very passionate about there being more representation on Broadway
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It's a true honor to get to play Princess Jasmine. She's the only brown, or when I grew up, she was the only brown
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princess that there was. It's interesting. I think the world of Agrabah is, yes, it pulls from Middle Eastern
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culture, but the original Aladdin was actually, originally, I think when it was written in the 1700s, took place in China
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Then it was adapted for, oh, my gosh, 1001 Arabian Nights. Then Disney reinterpreted it, and it pulls from Middle Eastern
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South Asian, and North African cultures. Being South Asian, and also within my South Asian identity, my
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ancestors are Persian. I have some of that. When I did my 23andMe, I have, I don't know, Mesopotamian and
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North African in me, too. I'm culturally only in touch with my Indian side, but I think that
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the fact that there's this universe, this world, that exists for so many different colors, for all these different people, that
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does not exist. So many stories, which are amazing, tell a story about a very
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specific kind of person, a very specific diaspora. To say we're telling the story on behalf of so many different
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types of people, that it's so inclusive, and you can actually be
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what you are on stage. I don't have to only tap into a side of myself
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I can be mixed and fully tell the story, and then have someone
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like my father be half black. That can be the reality of our story
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I think it's amazing, too, to have kids come to the show, and
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every single person can see someone on stage that looks like them, and can say, oh, I could do that, or I can go off and do
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this other thing, because I see this happening here. Yes. That's one of the biggest things that I got from, because I
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didn't know what to expect. I was just fully prepared for whichever might come, and just
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to have a great time, but seeing the absolute diversity that I witnessed on stage for this show, really, it was fantastic
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And I wish to see more of that on Broadway in general
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So I, you know, it's great stuff. It's really good stuff. And speaking of the cast, I love the chemistry between you and
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Michael Maliakel, who plays Aladdin. It's so natural. You both just exude so much charm, and you're so personable
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and you really elevate the script, and really elevate the characters, in my opinion
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What was it like working with Michael when you both were first
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thrust into this world, and getting to really understand each other as actors, but also Aladdin and Jasmine, and the
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relationship that they have? Yeah. Michael Maliakel is so kind, first of all
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He's like, he just makes you feel comfortable immediately. And, you know, for me it was tricky, because here's this
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working, running machine of Aladdin on Broadway, and I have to somehow slip right in as if, you know, as if I was a part of
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it the whole time. And I'd never experienced that. I'm only used to creating shows from the ground up, and being
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in a rehearsal process, and like, being on the floor in your socks kind of a vibe
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And that first show, I mean, I had my put in, but the first show, feeling the energy of like, you know, 1,700 people
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and being in the costumes, the lights, and it's so overwhelming. But I feel, you know, he literally goes, do you trust me
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in the show? And I have to take his hand, and I'm like, I'm not sure why
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but yes. And we jump, and that's, it really felt like, I mean, I did
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all my homework, I was prepared, but like, I felt like I could just trust him
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In the same way she trusts, in the same way the character trusts him
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Yeah, totally. Yes, and it definitely showed, and that was one of the more
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magical parts of the whole show. And you're right, when that moment of trust came, I think I
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it really leaves you. It definitely, when you leave the show, you think about that
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a lot, and it's awesome. So. It doesn't hurt that he's like, his voice is like butter and
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gold combined. Like, that doesn't hurt either. And I get to listen to that every day
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Absolutely, absolutely. So when you're preparing for a role such as this, Jasmine, I
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mean, what goes into the prep for you, and how do you keep
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things consistent and make sure that you're in tip-top shape, you know, on a daily basis? Yeah
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Well, for me, first of all, it always just, it goes back to the script
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I want to devour the script when I first get it. I want to not just memorize lines, but understand why I'm
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saying every single thing that I'm saying. And as I, like, work with people, too, I get a deeper, more
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rich understanding of all of that. So I'm a big note-taker, annotator
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I'm always, like, checking in and seeing what new moments I discovered that day
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You know, so I'm big on just the discovery and making things new every day
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That's really important for me. But in terms of, like, preparing in and out for the show, I feel
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like I wake up and start preparing for the show. Even right now, I'm, like, I'm aware of how I'm speaking so that
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I have enough energy for later, and that I'm speaking healthily. I hydrate all day
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I try to exercise every day. I do yoga every day before I do the show
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Light vocal warm-ups, like, blowing through a straw. After the show, it's really important to, like, have a good
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physical wind-down. I try to, like, massage my muscles. My ankles get really tired being in the heels
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It's just constant mindfulness, I'll say. Yes. I really like that. And you beat me to it because I was thinking, I wonder how she
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decompresses after a show. And that sounds really lovely. But besides, you know, making sure that you're massaged and you
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get a good night's rest, what do you do outside of performing? What fun things do you like to get into, Sonia? Yeah
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Oh, my gosh. I wish I had more time. I wish I had more time
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I wish I had more time. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. I wish I had more time to do all the things I love to do
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My favorite thing, honestly, in the world is to volunteer. I try to, whenever I have a free morning or afternoon, I'll
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volunteer with New York City Parks and do park cleanups. I really, really, right now I'm trying to also just cultivate a
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more sustainable lifestyle for myself. And I would also love to bring that into the lifestyle of
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people at the theater. Really, really passionate about that. I love to do that
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I love to do that. I love to do that. Really, really passionate about that
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And just cultivating a deeper connection with our earth. It's really hard in New York City to do that
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But we can. And I love painting. Painting is like my side art project
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I always have like a painting I'm kind of working on on the side that activates a different creative muscle
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And I'd also just say like I'm always reading something. And I want to write more
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You know, I also want to bring up TV and film. I want to bring up TV and film
24:57
And I want to bring up TV and film. And I want to bring up TV and film
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I also want to bring up TV and film. We talked a little bit about horror a few moments ago
25:05
But you did mention even before that that you have been in TV shows
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I know you were in FBI and Mozart in the Jungle. More television
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Is that in your future? Is that something that you would love to dive more into
25:17
Oh, totally. It's a huge dream of mine. Yes. So which shows that are out now could you see yourself being a
25:25
part of? Have you seen the show Normal People on Hulu? I haven't yet
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It's in my queue. I've heard about it so much. I'm like I need to watch
25:37
I think it's the way it's shot. The pacing. The direction. The script
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For me it always really does come back to the script. I just want to play
25:49
I mean I love the show. I bring that show up. It's done
25:55
That show is not going to be renewed. I don't think. It's based on a book
26:01
But I love that director and I love the way that that tone is set
26:05
I love that tone for I mean I'm trying to think of other TV shows that are actually like recurring that I would love to
26:09
be on. But honestly I want to do new work. I want to do stuff that has yet to be written
26:15
I would love to be on a show that just has a lot of characters
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I would love to be on a show that just has a lot of characters
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I would love to be on a show that just displays complex vulnerable intelligent women
26:28
And yeah. Honestly I would love to tell a story about sustainability in
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that capacity too. To not just do the work in my life but to also display it in
26:36
a bigger way and to inspire people that way. That would be a huge dream of mine
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A little discovery in this conversation. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
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I would love to do that. I would love to do that
28:45
On that note, what's next for you? Once Aladdin, your tenure with Aladdin is over, what else might you have on your plate
28:53
What are you thinking about getting into next? I am so happy to be where I am right now
28:59
It's hard for me to see beyond just because I just started with Aladdin
29:03
I feel like I have so much deepening to do in my work there
29:08
I can't wait to really get comfortable in the role and use the platform that I hope to have
29:14
As playing Princess Jasmine, to do good in the community and inspire other people
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Far off dreams for me, definitely to originate a part in a Broadway show. 100%
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That's a huge dream of mine. And to do film and TV
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Love it. We can't wait to see what's next and what comes down the pike for you
29:38
For now, and you make a great point, we are just going to sit back and enjoy your work in Aladdin
29:44
As Jasmine. Once again, congratulations, Sonia. It's been really lovely talking with you
29:50
I am so excited for you. Yes, I hope you take this experience in and enjoy it
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Enjoy it while you can. Thank you. So nice to meet you and chat with you
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You as well. Thank you so much, Sonia. It was a lovely conversation with you
30:06
Thank you all for watching this episode of On the Rise with Candice Cordelia
30:10
Here at Broadway World, we will be back to bring you another fantastic and new interview with another of your favorite stars on Broadway
30:19
Thank you for tuning in. Until next time, we'll see you later. Bye
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#Acting & Theater
#Bollywood & South Asian Film
#Musical Films
#Vocals & Show Tunes
#Broadway & Musical Theater


