The Ensemblist

Cristy Candler worked as a Broadway performer for over a decade in hit shows including Aida, Wicked, Chicago, and Rock of Ages. But when an injury brought her career to a pause, Cristy’s non-surgical approach to recovery inspired her to focus on another passion of hers: the healing arts. Cristy and I spoke about making this career transition and how the healing arts can be helpful as we live through the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about Cristy and Sound Body at ofsoundbody.com...

Over the years, The Ensemblist has had the privilege of sharing personal stories from hundreds of theatre actors on our blog. In this edition, we spoke with Myles McHale of Mean Girls, who recalled a seemingly innocuous wrist injury a year prior that would take him out of the production for six whole months...

There is not a theatre performer who leads with more grace than Caissie Levy. Yes, she’s played some of the most iconic roles in Broadway history - from Elphaba in Wicked to Fantine in Les Miserables - but she’s also a warm soul that pulses with kindness. .....

Jovan Dansberry made his Broadway debut last season in the ensemble of King Kong. Performing both as one of the show’s dancers and as the manipulator of Kong’s left paw proved to be a monumental challenge, one that took him out of the show for months and ultimately stopped him from closing the Broadway production. But for Jovan, the biggest challenge was not the physical recovery but dealing with the stigma of being an injured performer.

Taurean Everett made a splash last season in the ensemble of The Cher Show. He brought the house down as Bob Mackie’s Assistant by wearing only a loincloth and a beaming smile. Taurean was also the lead campaign image for this year’s edition of Broadway Bares. It goes without saying that this is a guy who takes care of his body. However, that fitness was called into question when he was injured in an audition toward the end of the summer. Here’s our conversation…

Alicia Charles is currently twirling, gliding and tapping her way through Agrabah as part of the ensemble of Aladdin on Broadway. Although she made her debut in the show in early 2017, she was sidelined early into her tenure there when she underwent surgery to remove uterine fibroids. How do you recover well enough to sing and dance eight shows a week when there’s a giant scar healing on your abdomen? Well, here’s our conversation...