Soara-Joye Ross

Native New Yorker born and raised in Queens; Soara-Joye has been performing since the ripe old age of 5 where she had her 1st solo singing “One penny is just a penny…” at her kindergarten graduation. She’s been studying privately since the 6th grade. Soara studied Music at Bayside High School where she performed in numerous concerts as a soloist and performer and fell in love with musical theater. Check out a clip of her doing the poem “Being the Mother of a Black Child” at age 16 in the media section.

She continued her vocal studies at Nassau Community College where she starred in her first musical “School House Rock Live” and “She Loves Me” where she played Amalia Balash. She was hooked and decided to head to NYC after she completed her first year at Nassau to continue her studies on scholarship at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. Because of her love and dedication to her God given gift she would get up at 4am almost every morning from her home in Queens, head to AMDA and wait for the custodian to open the doors of the school at 7:30am so she could rehearse songs, dance and scenes in the black box theater and studios before class started. She wanted to be her best! By the time she graduated from AMDA she had already done her first Equity Showcase with Broadway performers, was auditioning and being called back for leads in Broadway Musicals, etc…! She was on her way!
Soara-Joye went on tours in and out of the country, at highly acclaimed regional theaters, Off-Broadway and even Broadway but was frustrated because she was tired of being called-back for leading roles on Broadway and not booking them! She took a good look within and after a long talk with her long-time agent Renee Glicker at About Artists Agency she decided to take off a year (considering she was slated to be in the upcoming new musical “Dessa Rose” at Lincoln Center that next year) and study at The J. Beckson Studio where she learned The Meisner Technique under the tutelage of JoAnna Beckson. She feels like it was the best decision! After that she was unstoppable, booking leads all over!
Her Broadway credits include Les Misérables the Revival and Dance of the Vampires and the National Tour of The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Off-Broadway credits include The Tin Pan Alley Rag with The Roundabout Theatre Company, Jerry Springer: The Opera at Carnegie Hall, Dessa Rose at Lincoln Center (Annabel and performed Dessa Rose ~ Original Cast Recording), the highly acclaimed 2 woman comedy Single Black Female (SBF #2) at The Duke on 42nd, Playwrights Horizons and at Black Spectrum Theater where she also was Assistant Director and Bare at The Laurie Beechman Theatre in NYC (Tonya).
In 2009 Ms. Ross starred in the popular European show Palazzo Colombino in Basel Switzerland. Other International credits include Smokey Joe’s Café and Ain’t Misbehavin’. Ms. Ross also toured nationally in Smokey Joe’s Café w/ Gladys Knight. Soara-Joye’s NY Workshop credits include: Dessa Rose directed by Graciela Daniele and Ball directed by Charles Randolph Wright. In July 2008 Ross was asked to play the female lead role of Nicole Springer, in the musical adaptation of the late E. Lynn Harris’ award-winning novel Invisible Life, scored by world-renowned composers Ashford and Simpson. Her Regional credits include: Aida at The Arvada Center (Aida/Colorado Theatre Guild: Outstanding Leading Actress Nominee), From the Mississippi Delta & Ain't Misbehavin' at Triad Stage, Tick, Tick…BOOM! at the Tony Award Winning Alliance Theater (Susan), Ragtime at Gateway & Weston Playhouse (Sarah), Once On This Island at Sacramento Music Circus, Bay Street & Mill Mountain Theater (Asaka & Andrea) and Ain’t Misbehavin’ at The Huntington Theatre Co. (Armelia). Ms. Ross was also featured in the Feature Film Garden State as the Handi-World Cashier with Natalie Portman & Zach Braff.