Cover Story • Heather Headley
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-------------------------- Cover Story • Heather Headley ------------------------- The City Claims a Star By Michele DeVinney counselors at Northrop for helping me at the time because I really didn’t On the evening of Sunday, June know about colleges. I just knew that 4, 2000, many theater fans in the Fort I wanted to go, but they helped me see Wayne area were glued to their tele- what I should be looking for.” visions for the annual bestowing of Her time at Northwestern proved Tony Awards given to the elite per- pivotal. Although she left early to formers on Broadway. While that go to Toronto for a role in the musi- may be true of every Tony broadcast, cal Ragtime, it was there she met her interest was particularly keen on that future husband, Brian Musso, who evening as Heather Headley, a gradu- played football for the Northwestern ate of Northrop High School, was Wildcats. Additionally, the role she ac- nominated for Best Performance by a cepted in Ragtime proved to be what Leading Actress in a Musical for her propelled her into the role that would star-making turn in the Elton John change her life in The Lion King. She musical Aida. Having already made realizes now that she didn’t fully ap- a name for herself in the blockbuster preciate how meteoric her rise really musical The Lion King, based on the was. Disney film (also with music by Elton “I was 20-something, and I just John), Headley had become one of our didn’t realize how amazing The Lion city’s favorite daughters, and her win King was going to be. I had been in on that evening was cause for celebra- Ragtime and auditioned for [The] tion for those who had seen her early Lion King, but I thought it probably days in high school as well as those wouldn’t work out. But they found who followed her along the way. a loophole in my contract, and I just While that level of success is hard went to do the show. I was really just to capture, it is but one of the dreams keeping my head down, not aware of of those who take classes at Fort the magnitude of what was happening. Wayne Youtheatre, a program which is I was living in this little prism of me.” celebrating 80 years of sharing a love The night The Lion King was de- of theater and performance with kids buted for the press was when she had whose aspirations may vary from star- her first inkling of what was happen- dom to making friends and having a ing. good time. Although Headley did not “On that night Disney had arrive in Fort Wayne in time to partake brought in the press to see the show, in the Youtheatre classes, she supports and the cheetah came in and then the any avenue to sharing her passion AN EVENING WITH elephant came down the aisle, and the with a new generation and is demon- audience went crazy. [Director] Julie strating that by returning to her adopted HEATHER HEADLEY [Taymor] and I just grabbed each oth- hometown for a fundraiser on Saturday, FORT WAYNE YOUTHEATRE BENEFIT ers’ hands. Tears were coming down November 8 at a unique Evening with 7 p.m. Saturday, November 8 her face, and it was then that I thought, Heather Headley which includes music, ‘We’re part of something big here.’ It all conversation and even photo ops with Grand Wayne Center kind of went from there.” the star. (Tickets remain on sale through 120 W. Jefferson Blvd., Fort Wayne Her Tony win for Aida just a cou- November 5.) ple years later was a surprise for her, All of the acclaim and the support of Tix: $100 thru tickets.artstix.com or and she says that she didn’t realize then Fort Wayne was far from her mind when 422-4226 (on sale thru Nov. 5) that maybe Fort Wayne was a little bit her family arrived in Indiana from her invested that night, too. home in Trinidad when Headley was only dance, all those doors were flying open.” “Now that I’m older, I get that the city 15. She admits now that the transition was a Headley concedes that the changes that was watching. It didn’t cross my mind at difficult one because, while she had a great came with the move – weather, culture, ac- that point that anyone would care. And I had deal of musical experience, she was unfa- cents – were all part of the difficult transi- so many other thoughts going through my miliar with many of the opportunities that tion, but she says now in hindsight that mind that night. My award was one of the awaited her at Northrop. coming to Fort Wayne was a good move for last of the evening, and if I could have just “I had been singing in church and school, her family. And she credits her performance fallen asleep for the couple of hours before, but what I came to here was on a whole dif- experiences as well as the Northrop faculty that would have been great because I was so ferent level. I had never heard of show choir and staff for helping her with her next move nervous. It didn’t seem possible that I could in Trinidad, and there were musicals that – from high school to Northwestern Univer- win against so many other great actresses. I was able to perform in for the first time. sity. My mother was my date that night, and I Coming to the States opened another door, “I chose Northwestern because it was had already given her a long speech about though I admit that if I could have walked a Big Ten university, because it was closer how she was to behave. No praise dancing back to Trinidad that first year, I would to home than someplace like California and or anything like that.” have! The first year was hard, and I was in because of its reputation. I saw that it was a The years since that Tony have been the freshman girls choir which, with all due great university, and I thought if I couldn’t busy, including a stay in London and record- respect, I hated. But eventually I became part make it as a performer I could become a law- ing albums. Now juggling a family (she and of the theater and show choir performances, yer. I mean, if it didn’t work out in music, I Musso are raising two boys, one almost five and I became part of that clique and was able figured even with a degree in basket-weav- years old and one born in August of this year, to feel more part of things. And for someone ing, if it was a degree from Northwestern, like me that enjoyed singing and acting and I’d be okay. I really credit my teachers and Continued on page 4 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com ------------------------------------------------------------ October 30, 2014 BROUGHT TO YOU BY: ----------------------------- Feature • Roger Hodgson ---------------------------- 3 Rivers Co-op Natural Grocery & Deli .....................16 20 Past 4 and More .....................................................16 The Alley Sports Bar/Pro Bowl West ...........................7 all for One productions ................................................17 Beamer’s Sports Grill .....................................................8 C2G Live/The TV Show .................................................18 Accepting the Limelight C2G Music Hall.................................................................7 By Mark Hunter came known as Elton John. Hodgson later a decision. 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