Interview: Alisa Melendez of MAMMA MIA at Orpheum Theater

Set on a Greek island paradise where the sun always shines, a tale of love, friendship, and identity is beautifully told through the timeless hits of ABBA. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the father she’s never known brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited decades ago.  

For nearly 25 years, people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story, and the music that make MAMMA MIA! the ultimate feel-good show.

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with BroadwayWorld in Omaha.

Absolutely!

I always like to start at the beginning. Can you tell us a little bit about how you found your love for the arts and your journey to a career on stage?

I grew up singing in church. My first role ever was in the nativity scene in the Christmas pageant as Mary. I think I was maybe six at the time and I took it really seriously. But I really found theater when I did my first show ever, which was in Sleepy Hollow at a community theatre. I played a little boy. I didn’t even know what was happening. I was just so excited to put on pants and a tweed vest and run out on stage. I loved it! That’s when I was really young and I just fell in love with making people smile and singing on stage. I did Into the Woods and Godspell as a young eighth grader, and I got to play the Witch in Into The Woods. I just started doing little things with school and at the community theatre. I also did the little plays they did at Tri-City, and that’s when I realized I really wanted to keep doing this. I fell in love with it. I did every show I could. I really wanted to pursue it after those shows in eighth grade, so I decided to continue to pursue it in high school. I ended up going to two different performing arts high schools that were about an hour away from my house. I took a train to school every day at Orange County School of the Arts. I did the regular academics there, and then I also had a musical theater major that once again just connected me to wanting to go to New York City. I ended up going to Pace University and majoring a musical theatre. So it’s just cool how the love for it started and transitioned into training, but the passion and love for it have always been there. I wanted to make those sacrifices to do all those things to get here, which is really cool because the passion is still very much alive.

Can you tell us about your most memorable audition experience?

I’m laughing because I have one immediately. I was in Almost Famous on Broadway fortunately, which was my first big audition. I was running straight from musical theatre class, and it was pouring rain. I was late, and I was freaking out. I got a call from the casting people asking where I was and I told them I was on my way. I finally got to the building, and I was at least 15 to 20 minutes late, and I got in the elevator, and it’s one of those elevators where once the elevator doors open, you’re right in the room. There was no hallway or anything. I was there. I was drenched. And I was freaking out. The elevator doors opened and there was immediately this grand beautiful room full of people. I was expecting maybe two or four people behind the table, but there were like 20 people. It was the whole producing team, Cameron Crowe, and Tom Kitt, among other incredible people that I got to work with. No one said a thing because everybody’s been waiting. And Jeremy, who was our Director from the UK said I could sing if I was ready. I knew everyone just wanted to go to lunch. Everyone had been waiting. It just felt a little tense. I was drenched, as was my sheet music, and I went to the piano and just tried to have a good time, but I left that audition thinking that was the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to me. But I got it!

I think it’s important to share stories like that though because it’s kind of a lesson in perseverance and still showing up and putting yourself out there.

Oh, absolutely! At the end of the day, they want to hear you sing. They waited. They want to see you. And they understand that we’re all human and we’re all here for the same thing.

Well, speaking of Almost Famous, I know that you did the production at The Globe as well as the Broadway production, and you’ve done various other workshops and new works as well. Can you talk a little bit about what that creative approach or process is like a performer?

Totally love that question! I love new work, and this has been my first year I’ve ever worked on something that’s already really well-known. I did Rent earlier this year and now I’m traveling with Mamma Mia. But before that I was doing Almost Famous, and workshops of other new material. What I love about constructing new material is the true collaboration with the writers. I might have an idea of what Alisa would bring to this, but there’s so much more room to speak on things because you’re kind of just shooting in the dark. There’s so much trial and error. I love how that actually carries into Mamma Mia and the team we have now. Our director, Martha, did such a good job at staying true to what’s already been done, but was also interested in who I am and what I see and think.

What I also love about Almost Famous is everybody kind of had an idea of the movie so even though it was a new work people knew who Penny Lane was. It just wasn’t fully fleshed out, so you got to add so much detail. And you’re constantly writing new things. I think that’s another thing. Truly, I remember during my four years with that show, every day we would come into the room and there would be new pages/rewrites. Every rehearsal you had to remember what you’re doing as far as blocking and everything, and then you’re also getting completely new lines. Lines are cut. Lyrics are cut. I love the energy that brings because it makes you rethink your character and the story that you’re telling. Something like Mamma Mia seems pretty straightforward and there’s not a whole lot that’s gonna really change there, but I do love the spontaneity of creativity and creating a new show in the collaboration that comes with it.

Mamma Mia is a very well-known work that has been around for quite a while now and had various films and staged productions find success. What is it about Mamma Mia that you think really resonates with the audiences still after all these years?

One of the producers came from the UK to visit us our last week of rehearsal. He said that Mamma Mia was doing better than it has ever done before. It is doing better today than when it first started. And that is so telling to me that joy is timeless. That is what Mamma Mia is. Throughout the whole show, you’re crying tears of joy because of the womanhood, the sisterhood, the friendship, the love, the selflessness and the letting go and remembering what’s important. Even at the end of the show, we have this big concert where the Dynamos and the dads come out, and we do this whole mega-mix dance. Every night the audience is on their feet screaming these lyrics to ABBA. Everyone loves and knows the music. Everyone has a smile on their face. And it is such a privilege to look out at the audience and see people waving their arms side to side with us. I think that’s because, with everything going on in the world right now, joy really is timeless and we have to surrender to it. Mamma Mia does a great job of reminding us what we’re doing here. Despite everything we can still sing songs that we know with strangers and we can cry and laugh together. It’s a reminder of the love and the relationships we have in our lives.

What was the biggest surprise that you’ve experienced so far on the Mamma Mia tour or whether it be something something you’ve learned through your journey journey with Sophie on stage or about just touring so far with the production?

I didn’t know what I would think because I’ve never toured before. I wasn’t sure if each city would feel the same, but every city is so different. However, everyone brings the same kindness and joy. What’s cool and the most surprising thing for me right now is the applause at the end of the overture. As soon as that overture ends people are clapping and cheering and so excited for Mamma Mia to start. I love Mamma Mia, but I don’t think I truly understood how much everyone loves ABBA. People dress up. People are so into it. The consistency of love from Mamma Mia is the biggest surprise so far.

What is your favorite part of Mamma Mia? Whether it be something that you experience on stage or from the wings?

Chiquita into Dancing Queen is my favorite part of the show. I watch it every night and it reminds me of my roommates back in New York. I have a change during that time but I will purposefully speed it up so I can get in the wings to look at my beautiful friends, the Dynamos. And it’s so wild, because our cast just met. We all just met in the rehearsal room a couple months ago, and even in the rehearsal room you would never even think that they hadn’t known each other. The way they take care of each other on and off stage is inspiring to me and it makes me think of sisterhood and the relationships that I have and my loved ones. It’s really beautiful.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

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