#FFB: Beth Nicely
A fitness instructor who loves desserts?…Beth is my kinda girl! Apart from having a soaring career on the stage, this Broadway bombshell writes a blog with her best friend about the best desserts in New York City. She is a prime example of the balance that creates a healthy, fun, and successful lifestyle! With a passion for performing, desserts, and fitness...
Beth is FIT FOR BROADWAY!
BIOGRAPHY: Hey guys, my name is Beth! I'm originally from Columbus, Ohio ("Go Bucks!") but I've been in NYC for 12 years now! Wow, time does fly when you're in the Big Apple hustling and chasing your dreams...or just chasing CABS lol. I've luckily been employed pretty steady in the musical theatre world whether it's on Broadway or at an amazing regional theatre. I met my best friend, Amanda, on both our first professional jobs, the National Tour of 42nd Street. We bonded over dessert eating and decided to start a "Where-to-go" blog for the dessert world, JustDessertsNYC.com. We have been on the Today Show, The Cooking Channel, and have made our own webisodes! After tour, I was a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall and kicked my way through Christmas. My first Broadway show was Spamalot, which I was in for 3.5 years! I met and married my husband during the run of that show. My husband, Adam, is Co-Producer of Saturday Night Live. We live on the UWS. After Spamalot I did my first Susan Stroman Broadway musical, Young Frankenstein. I love being a "Stro girl!" I then did White Christmas on Broadway where I played a fun part, Rhoda. I did Rockettes again, and then City Center Encores!, Cape Playhouse, PaperMill Playhouse, The Muny, Jimmy Fallon, 30 Rock, and many fun appearances on SNL. Right now, I'm in the amazing Bullets Over Broadway at the St. James Theatre! I’m loving this show, and it's my first original cast so that's exciting! I'm also a fitness trainer at Body By Simone in Chelsea. My mornings are fitness trainer, my evenings are BROADWAY! I'm one tired lady but a happy exhaustion. That's how I feel about NYC in general, a happy exhaustion. You have to hustle here and I love being on the move. Twitter handles and Instagrams I think you should follow??? @BulletsBabes @BethJNicely @JustDessertsNYC @BulletsOverBway and of course @JaneJourdan @fitforbroadway Nice chatting with you all!
INTERVIEW:
Q: What is the most physically challenging part of performing?
A: I would have to say singing and dancing hard together while wearing tight costumes ha! Usually in a musical there are only 6-8 ensemble ladies and you have to hold your own vocal part strongly while huffing and puffing, dancing with energy and physical levels. Sometimes the costumes are constricting which makes it harder to breathe. Your stamina goes up though!
Q: How would you describe your fitness routine?
A: I'm a mix of cardio, strength training, and yoga. I always take dance class but I'm also a fitness trainer at Body By Simone where we do a mix of dance cardio and strength training. I also love hot vinyasa yoga to stretch my muscles.
Q: How do you keep your voice healthy?
A: My voice teacher, Liz Caplan, is fantastic and always helps me put my voice in a healthy place whether I'm screaming in a show as a character or singing a specific way that's out of my comfort zone. Also, Throat Coat tea!Q: Do you follow a specific diet?
A: I'm not a specific diet kind of gal. I love all food and need my pizza and desserts every once in a while...ok often :- ). My friend and I have a dessert blog, JustDessertsNYC.com, and are constantly tasting desserts and reviewing them. I like a balance of healthy and bad.
Q: I am a dessert girl too!! Can you tell me a little bit more about your blog and highlight one favorite healthy and one favorite indulgent dessert?
A: JustDessertsNYC.com is a dessert reference site on "Where-To-Go" for the best desserts. My best friend, Amanda Larsen, and I started the blog after touring the country together in the Nat'l tour of 42nd Street and eating our way across America! Amanda is also a fitness instructor at Body By Simone and in Bullets Over Broadway (we have the same lives lol). People kept asking us where to get the best of certain desserts so we thought we'd just put it out there online! It's been a growing resource for dessert lovers, especially in NYC, ever since and we're the first to pop up on Google when you search Desserts NYC! We love finding new and interesting places ourselves but also different bakeries/restaurants/etc send us sweets to try or invite us to cool events. It's so fun!
When we want to indulge, we can never go wrong at Alice's Teacup, divulging in their chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting! It's like a giant oreo dipped in milk! My healthy indulgence is dark chocolate....yes it's heart healthy AND boosts your mood. Everything in moderation. I highly recommend a piece or two of Kee's passionfruit dark chocolate...delish! If you want to go uber healthy, I'm a fan of Caveman Cookies!
Q: What is your favorite energy-boosting snack/meal?
A: I'm a huge fan of dark chocolate covered almonds (specifically Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate covered almonds with turbinado sugar and sea salt), a little, sweet, salt, and protein! I definitely eat dark chocolate before every show I do. Bananas are also a go-to...great source of iron.
Q: What is your favorite late night snack after performances?
A: Pizza :- ) I'm a NYC gal and love a good slice of pizza. Quac and chips are up there as well.
Q: What is your best advice/strategies to fight fatigue?
A: I can get anemic so I make sure I have a lot of iron in my diet. I'm a big fan of coffee 45 min before I do something physical (got that tip from Jillian Michaels). Then just getting enough rest is key I think.
Q: What is your best advice for stage confidence?
A: I always remind myself that I'm doing what I love and have been doing since I was 3 years old. It's in me to perform and it's a nice positive reminder that nothing can go wrong if you're doing what you love.
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: Every singer, actor, and dancer I see at auditions putting themselves out there and taking the rejections and moving forward. It's everyone in this crazy business of performing that inspires me. Really, anyone I see pushing through rough times in a positive way. That's inspiring.
**See Beth in BULLETS OVER BROADWAY now!!**
#FFB
