Taye Diggs Prepares for Solo Debut in Miami

Taye Diggs, who began his rise to fame after starring in the original cast of RENT, is preparing for a solo show at Prelude by Barton G at Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. According to an article from the Miami Herald, Diggs is both excited and terrified about the show. "I was 175 percent petrified out of my gourd. But then I thought, ‘If I can do this, then f**k the world!' Part of it was that this is Idina's thing. But she was 100 percent supportive," said Diggs.

Diggs grew up in Rochester, N.Y. and graduated from the city's School of the Arts and graduated with a B.F.A. in musical theater from Syracuse University. According to the article, his nickname "Taye" came from friends who pronounced his real first name "Scott- taye."

In an interview with the Miami Heralrd, Diggs says that the reason he's never done a solo show before is that "it was Idina's thing." He continued, "Also, I hate cabarets where someone is showing off and going, ‘Oh, look at me.' But there are songs that mean something to me. Jazz standards, musical-theater stuff." According to Diggs, he'll sing songs from WEST SIDE STORY, CAROUSEL and David Ryan Harris' "Don't Look Down," which he sings to his son at night. "I'm hoping I don't lose it and cry, but I usually do. Even when we weren't thinking about having kids, I knew that song was one I'd sing to a son."

The fact that Diggs will be singing alone, without an ensemble behind him, is what scares him. "But I have to realize that even if I mess up, it's cool. I learned that from my wife, who's so amazing at handling that."

As for the future, Diggs says that "the sky's the limit. I want to show the world what I can do. I want to dance. I co-wrote a children's book, Chocolate Me [with Shane Evans], which will be out in the fall. I've got a production company, and we're looking for projects that empower people. I've had so many blessings. I want to build on them and pay it forward."

To read the full interview, click here.

Currently starring as Dr. Sam Bennett in the fifth season of the ABC TV series, "Private Practice" for which he was honored as ‘Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series' at the 40th Annual NAACP Image Awards, Diggs scored solidly when he made his feature film debut starring opposite Angela Bassett in the box office smash, " How Stella Got Her Groove Back."

An Benny in the original cast of "Rent," Diggs went on to do the feature film with colleagues Rosario Dawson, Jesse Martin, Adam Pascal and Idina Menzel ("Wicked" ) to whom he is married. That same year, Diggs scored rave reviews for his portrayal of Captain Davenport in "A Soldier's Play" for which he earned a nomination for ‘Distinguished Performance' from the Drama League.

"Wicked," "Chicago" in which he played Billy Flynn, and "The Wild Party" were all huge personal successes as were his films which included "Chicago," "Brown Sugar," "Equilibrium," and "Basic," opposite Samuel J. Jackson and John Travolta. Earlier films, equally applauded, included "The Way of the Gun," starring Benicio Del Toro, "The Wood," "The Best Man," and "Just a Kiss," co-starring with Marisa Tomei and Kyra Sedgwick.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM Photos