Interview: Sarah Meahl on Dancing, Choreographing & 'Living in the Camp' on Broadway

Broadway dancer and choreographer Sarah Meahl is currently doing double duty - lighting up the stage Death Becomes Her every night, while choreographing Trisha Paytas’ Big Broadway Dream (a one-night-only musical theatre event benefiting Entertainment Community Fund) during the day.

BroadwayWorld spoke with Meahl about her journey with Death Becomes Her, how the opportunity to choreograph for Trisha Paytas came about, why fans can expect a mix of "big body laughter" and heartstring-tugging moments from these projects, and much more! Read the full interview here. 

Let’s start with Death Becomes Her. You’ve been with this show since it’s workshop phase. How has it felt to grow with this show from its inception to its run on Broadway?

Really cool because I have never had that experience before. I have done probably upwards of 30 developmental labs, and then usually what happens is at some point they take it out of town and I'm already in a show, or they don't ask me to come with it, weird things that just happen where you don't end up doing the show on Broadway. Or sometimes I do the lab, I go out of town with it, and then it takes so long to get a theater, or the project never comes. This is the first time in my entire career where I've actually seen through something from the inception all the way to Broadway and been a part of it.

As a dancer and performer, what aspects of Death Becomes Her have excited you the most?

That’s a really profound, good question. I was really inspired by the way Chris Gattelli was like, “Everyone in the ensemble, I want it to feel like you.” So he didn't try to put a costume on us that didn't fit well, if you will. He was like, “What makes you you, I want you to dance that.” So, he gave us a lot of creative freedom when it came to, especially in the lab, perceiving some of the choreography and helping us do stuff that felt good in our bodies.

The thing that excited me the most about this was in ‘Siempre Viva’, which is right before intermission for me, there's this really cool couch duet that I do with one of my longtime dance partners and friends, Ryan Worsing, and it was like Chris was guiding us, but we were doing what felt good in our bodies. And it's probably one of the coolest moments in the show.

It was the one thing I kept coming back to of the reason why I wanted to do the show.  Because so often there are so many big dance numbers, and you're sweaty, sweaty. And this one is stealthy. I feel like most shows, you're running around a mile a minute. This is a very different experience. It just exudes this appeal that I haven't really been a part of yet, this very sensual world. And you don't see a ton of it on Broadway. It feels very old school in a way, although it's a new contemporary musical. There's something about the way we're all holding ourselves. It's delicious, and it's something that I've never experienced on a Broadway stage or on any stage.

And in addition to being a dancer, you’re a choreographer. How did the opportunity to choreograph Trisha Paytas’ Big Broadway Dream come about?

It's so crazy how things work out, and how genuine friendships in this industry can get you where you want to be. I am not someone who networks, because that doesn't feel real to me, that feels phony. I have friends that I love. So I was doing a lab for Disney this time last year, and I met Skylar Fox, who was working on the illusions on this project. And we had time every day where we were working on putting magic into this sweet little Disney show. And I became friends with Skylar. And you know when you just see someone and you're like, ‘This person is like me.’ I think I just saw myself in him and vice versa.

I was in awe of the way Skylar led a room, and the way Skylar used his words, and his demeanor, and his comedy. And I was like, ‘I want to be this person's friend.’ I was choreographing a lot for Steps [on Broadway], little spotlight videos or whatnot. And Skylar was like, “I love this.” And we would talk about storytelling and all the things. He just felt like my creative genius friend.

And so, fast forward, Skylar was like, “I need to call you about a choreographic opportunity.” And he called me and he's like, “You're not going to believe this, but I've been asked to direct this and I want you to choreograph.” And I was like, “Oh my God, it's so sweet of you to think of me. Listen, if the team were to go with me, here's what I would deliver.” He's like, “No, no, we already vetted you. If you want it, it's yours.” So that's how it went about. And it was because of my working friendship with Skylar, as someone who we've done a few things now, and we've stayed in each other's lives because of our mutual respect for each other and each other's creativity.

The fact that it came about organically, that makes it so special.

I was just so honored to be thought of at all, but also felt very much that this was my gig, because for the things that I have choreographed, everything I do has a high level of camp and amusement to it, which is always based in truth and storytelling. And those are two things I love, to tell the truth and to tell stories, the true story.

What has the process been like in putting this show together?

So far it's been really fun, because Skylar has assembled a team of incredible humans and artists. It’s also really funny because our lighting designer, Cory Pattak has been on my radar as someone who I think does incredible lighting design. I'm starting to notice those things as I put more of a foot into this choreographic world.

I went to go see The Great Gatsby at Papermill, and I was sitting in my chair, and I saw how this lighting designer made daylight happen and it was so profound. It moved me. It was so beautiful. So, intermission comes and I go up to the artistic director, and I said, “The lighting in this show is unbelievable. I almost cried.” And he goes, “Let me introduce you to the lighting designer.” And the lighting designer happened to be standing five feet away from me and his name was Cory, and I was like, “Oh my God, so nice to meet you. I was just raving about your lighting!”

What are the odds that then this person would end up being the lighting designer on Trisha Paytas' Big Broadway Dream? I think people have a spark for some reason to each other because maybe down the road we’re meant to work together, or share a story together. And that was an example of how much I love everyone on the team. Just really cool people who I've already been admiring.

What is it like balancing being in a Broadway show, and working on another show at the same time?

It's something that has always been on my bucket list, to sign in for two Broadway shows in one day. Although this looks different because I'm not signing in as a performer for both. I do keep a little Broadway bucket list of all these things that I have dreams of doing while I'm here. And this type of check I didn't even know to write down. This is beyond my dream.

It is really fun for me because I like to be where I am. So, when I am in a rehearsal studio with the dancers and Skylar, and we're working on the show, I am fully there. But when my alarm goes off, I'm like, “I have to go.” I walk to Death Becomes Her and I try to let that go so then I can do Death Becomes Her and be fully present. I really try to put the one to bed while I'm working on the other one. So really compartmentalizing and switching gears and letting that be okay until I finish the show.

For fans of both Death Becomes Her and Trisha Paytas, what can they look forward to with both of these projects?

Well, first of all, you're going to laugh. So, you can look forward to big body laughter in both cases. Both shows are funny as hell. Camp, high camp levels. And I do believe that's why I was hired for both of these projects. I live in the camp! I live there. I stoke the fire! So, that’s the number one thing that they can expect from both. And they can also expect to have a heart-string pulled. Because even though both of these shows have this funny, big personality, they also have big heart and people who do camp right get that right.

I think there's honesty. I like to think that anywhere there is a big laugh, there's a big breath. If you're gonna laugh your ass off, you have to gulp for air, and where there's that breath, there's a heart string there, there's some connection to spirit, and there's inspiration there. So even though it's funny and camp, you're gonna feel lighter and you're gonna have an uplifted experience too. You can also expect me in both [laughs]. I am all over Death Becomes Her, I am in almost every single scene, and if you don't see me in the scene, look harder if you know what I'm saying [laughs].

In Trisha, it definitely has my stamp on it, when you see a twirl, or when you see a moment that is fully storytelling. And it's not even my hope, I just think that might happen. What else could they expect? Flashy, big lighting design, and just dopamine. I know that people say this all the time, and this isn't why I'm in this business, it's not to lift others up with my presence on stage, or whatever. I just genuinely love to freaking dance and sing. And there's so many reasons I fell into this world. But it is a perk, I think, knowing that right now in the city, in the dead of winter, we all need a giggle.

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