BWW Interviews: Actress/singer Katherine Sandoval Taylor Takes On THE FRIDAY FIVE

Inspired by BroadwayWorld.com's Friday Six, welcome to Nashville.BroadwayWorld.com's latest installment of The Friday Five: five questions designed to help you learn more about the talented people you'll find onstage throughout the Volunteer state.

The spotlight today falls upon Katherine Sandoval Taylor, one of Middle Tennessee's favorite performers, who tonight opens as Guenevere in The Arts Center of Cannon County's production of Lerner and Loewe's Camelot (which, interestingly enough, is produced by Darryl Deason, the focus of today's other Friday Five).  She's known throughout the country as a concert soloist and is quickly gaining a reputation among the theaterati for her burgeoning resume of stage credits.

Taylor, who co-hosted this year's Midwinter's First Night (along with Jamie Free, Britt Byrd and Lar'Juanette Williams-and yours truly), most recently was seen in Blackbird Theater's critically acclaimed production (which means I liked it) of Pacific Overtures and in Street Theatre Company's Ragtime in Concert (playing "the girl in the red velvet swing," Evelyn Nesbit). And she's married to John C. Taylor (who recently made his Nashville stage debut in STC's Tommy in Concert as Tommy's creepy Uncle Ernie) and together they make up one of Tennessee theater's hottest couples.

So find out what makes Katherine Sandoval Taylor tick, kinda, in this week's edition of The Friday Five (and head to Woodbury to see her live and in-person in Camelot)…

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theater? When I was in third grade I played one of the kids auditioning in the opening scene of Gypsy. I didn't even have enough experience to play the balloon girl-just third child actor from the left. I remember being starstruck by the actress playing Dainty June, who was studying at The Julliard School. It was the first time I realized that people actually go on to study this craft for a living and it might be something I could do one day.

What is your favorite pre-show ritual? I don't know if I'd call them rituals, but since I'm a classically trained vocalist I have quite a few "exercises" I do that annoy/confuse my husband pre-show. Vocal sirens are one of my favorites because they are an easy way to check in with your voice and stay warmed up.

What's your most memorable "the show must go on" moment? Definitely when as I was leap frogging over the Von Trapp family children and split the entire back seam of my dress completely open. I had to reroute my blocking so the audience wouldn't see-well everything-and the actor who was playing the Captain just thought I was trying to upstage him by making him turn to deliver his lines. Little did he know the cast was congregating in the wings trying to figure out how I was going to exit out the upstage stairs without flashing the audience.

What's your dream role? Maria in West Side Story, Clara in Light in the Piazza, Christine in Phantom of the Opera, Louise in Gypsy… are some of the few that really resonate vocally and dramatically with me. There are tons of roles that I'd love to do, but to classify something as a "dream role" the music and story have to move me.

Who's your theatrical crush? Audra McDonald is probably my all-time favorite musical theatre actress/singer. She is such a captivating performer and her voice and presence transport the audience to another universe. I love that she was operatically trained and stays true to her real voice. So many classically trained singers are told they don't have a place in contemporary musical theatre these days and she is proof that that isn't so… That all being said I grew up falling in love with Gordon MacRae in Oklahoma, Russ Tamblyn in WSS and John Travolta in Grease. I mean come on, Travolta with those baby blue eyes and greaser hair? Melt. My. Heart.

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