Interview: Broadway Cousins Andrea Burns and Adinah Alexander Talk Community, Jerry Mitchell and More
By: Sally Henry Dec. 03, 2015
Members of the Broadway community often refer to each other as 'family,' but Adinah Alexander (GOTTA DANCE, KINKY BOOTS) and Andrea Burns (ON YOUR FEET, IN THE HEIGHTS) recently discovered there could be no more accurate description of their relationship. They were each surprised to realize they had a cousin also in the industry and delighted to discover how quickly they became true friends. Two of the only professional artists in a family dominated by business people, the pair could not be more complimentary of each other's talents. I chatted with them about their friendship, how their family relationship enhances the Broadway experience, and going "full-out" in Jerry Mitchell-led shows. Check out our conversation below!
You're both in Jerry Mitchell shows now, right?
Adinah Alexander: Yes! I'm doing GOTTA DANCE, and I just finished with KINKY BOOTS. I was an original cast member of KINKY BOOTS.
Andrea Burns: And I just opened in ON YOUR FEET.
What extra layer does working on a Jerry Mitchell show at the same time as a family member add?
Andrea Burns: I'm thrilled to be working on Broadway with Jerry, and I think there's a great deal of pride knowing someone I love and am related to is doing the same. Our story is sort of interesting, because we did not grow up knowing each other. We actually found out we were related later in life. It was very cool. We were set up by my aunt and your mom, right Adinah?
Adinah: Yeah, my mom came home from a funeral and said, "You have a cousin who's in show business." We both independently of each other said, "Oh, don't give her my phone number." We thought, it was probably some kid out of school, and I don't want to have to show her the ropes... One day we were at rehearsal at a reading, and she walked up to me and said, "Hi, I'm your cousin Andrea," and it was just instant love.
Andrea: It was interesting, my aunt also came home from that funeral, and she said she and Adinah's mom were sharing stories about us, that we were both in musical theatre. I remember her telling my husband and me the story, and my husband said, "Oh my God, I know who Adinah Alexander is! She's fabulously talented! She's your cousin?" So that's how we started. We were lucky enough to then be cast in a reading together, and that's where we met. And then luckily after that, we got to do the national tour of PARADE together on the road. We were just getting to know each other as family members and got to be on tour together in the same show, which was amazing.
What a wonderful surprise!
Adina: This is the first time we've both been on Broadway at the same time.
Are there other performers in your family, or are you it?
Andrea: No, actually I have a cousin, Gavin DeGraw, who is a pop singer/songwriter. Yeah, he's related to us, and I grew up with Gavin and I'm close with that side for the family. So yes, in the middle of doctors and nurses and business people on my side of the family, there are these three prominent artists.
You mentioned being in PARADE together. Is there something else you'd like to work on together in the future?
Adinah: We sang a duet together once in a piano bar, and our voices really blend really well together. So sometimes I think it would be so much fun to be a guest star in her club act that she does. Maybe we could sing something outside of each other's comfort zones together.
Andrea: That would be amazing! Adinah has one of those versatile and incredible voices. She can sing rock and roll, like Janice Joplin, and it's absolutely killer. But yes, if Jerry Mitchell would like to put a show together about Broadway cousins, we'd be more than happy.
Have your families been to see you two perform?
Andrea: I was lucky enough to have Adinah's parents, who I'm very close to now, and certainly my parents. When they come, they'll definitely check out Adinah in GOTTA DANCE.
Andrea, I keep seeing the cast of ON YOUR FEET in the Saturday Intermission Picture roundup, and I was trying to figure out if you're in those. Have you been?
Andrea; That is so funny, usually I'm not, and you know what I'm going to call out my cast about it right now. I am not in them because I'm not in the Act I finale. They're doing conga through the audience, and they have to come through the house to come back up the dressing room. So they usually take a lot of those pictures in the stairwell on the way up. And I'm not a part of that, but now I'm going to tell them that BroadwayWorld noticed that I'm not in the picture! [laughs] I actually love those Saturday Intermission Pictures. I'm just crazy about my cast. They're such a joyful group of people, and we're just having a party over there.
Adinah: It's a testament to Jerry Mitchell, because he casts not just talented people, but joyful, wonderful people as well. He's such a joyful person himself, so you're in a company where you just love everybody and you have a very joyful time creating together.
Andrea: It's true. He really knows how to assemble a group of people and run a ship that's filled with fun.
It's so great to hear that his process is so enjoyable and creative!
Adinah: Oh definitely. He makes people laugh, he's generous, and he really makes you feel special and valued which is a rare quality.
Andrea: And he's really such a showman. His showmanship is unparalleled, really. There was always a celebration of what we do that's part of the process. I never take performing on Broadway for granted, but it always feels like an extraordinary privilege. That feeling just never goes away.
How does that specifically manifest itself?
Andrea: I would say, his showmanship, I mean, he gets up in front of the room, and if he sees a spectacular ending in his mind, from a song, he'll get up and do it. He'll say "Let me be you," and he'll get up and do it, and he'll be living his life while he's doing it. It just makes you giggle, and you're thrilled and you think, "Wow, he just wants us to be the best that we can be." He's delightful. He has an expression, that's the way he lives his life, it's "full-out," so he's always saying, "Full-out, people!" He always expects you to give 1000% every second that you're there, and you want to. You want to do it for him, because I don't know anyone who's busier than he is, and if he can get up every the morning and do what he's doing, I feel like I can do it too.
He sounds like an awesome person to work with and be inspired by!
Andrea: Completely. And he throws great parties when you're out of town. He's incredibly generous in every way. He did it with KINKY BOOTS and he did it with ON YOUR FEET too. He rented out a movie theatre this summer and took us all to JURASSIC PARK to say thank you for the end of a great week. He's constantly doing things like that to let us know the hard work is paying off, and it's not taken for granted. That's a beautiful thing that he does.
What else do you have coming up?
Andrea: I have one more night of my cabaret show at Feinstein's/54 Below coming up on December 14. I've been doing Mondays there for the past couple weeks, so that's soon, and Adinah, you're about to leave for Chicago, right?
Adinah: Yes, we're going to Chicago in two weeks and so that's all-consuming, you go into tech, Jerry rehearses every day, and you perform at night, so that by the time you get to New York, the show is in such great shape, that it's a very easy transfer process. So we expect to work a lot when we're in Chicago. I know I'll be working my tushie off.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Adinah: Andrea mentioned that my parents came to see her in a show. We all met at Sardi's for dinner, and it was one of those days where you knew everybody that was there, and people from other shows kept coming up to the table and saying hello to Andrea and to me. We're part of this community in such a strong way and have been for a long time, and I was really proud that my parents got to witness that. And growing up, we were also going to the theatre, going to Sardi's after shows, and now I'm that person that as a little girl I would look to and say, "Someday..." And my cousin Andrea is also that person, so we both feel very proud and honored to be living our dreams and to be family members in this community.
Andrea: I echo that. We have an incredible community, the Broadway community is an incredible one to belong to, and it's just more special to share that sense of belonging with a family member.
Follow Sally Henry on Twitter for more Broadway love: @BwayGinger.
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