#FFB: Izzy McCalla
Connect with Izzy! @izzymccalla
"Hi! I’m Izzy! Currently, I’m playing Alyssa Greene in THE PROM on Broadway. I’m a former Jasmine (Broadway/Nat’l Tour), and current all round nerd! I love puzzles, books, and basically any nerdy pop culture fandom you can think of! (I.e. Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Star Wars, etc.) I’ve always wanted to be a part of the Broadway community and can’t believe that I’m finally here!"
Q: When was the moment you knew you wanted to be on Broadway?
A: I saw CATS on Broadway when I was 5 years old, and I pet one of the actors who crawled in the aisle and stopped next to my seat. After the show, my Mom got me the VHS (gasp) and I watched it every day for a year. I was OBSESSED. Each day I’d pretend to be a different cat and dance along with the show. I was already prepping for life as a swing!
Q: What unexpected twists and turns have happened on your journey to Broadway?
A: Absolutely nothing happened the way I expected it to. Anytime I’ve gotten some major break or incredible opportunity, it’s always come out of left field and never been part of my “plan.” For example, I auditioned for THE PROM’s lab back in 2015 and sprained my ankle before the final callback, so I couldn’t dance. I didn’t get the job. I then auditioned for Casey Nicholaw two more times over the course of the summer for different shows, both of which I didn’t get, but he was starting to remember me. Then one day in November, my agents called me and told me that I was offered the out of town try-out of PROM as an ensemble member, SIX MONTHS AFTER my initial audition. Life is crazy. I suppose it’s taught me to let go, and understand that I have so much less control than I think.
Q: How have health and fitness been a part of your experience as a performer?
A: I feel like my relationship with health and fitness is really evolving. Learning what to eat before shows has become an important experiment for me. On show days I try to keep to clean paleo related diet, so I feel energized and light. It keeps my mind more focused! And in terms of exercise, I like to do yoga a lot, and I recently started training at this circuit training gym called F45 and it’s been kicking my butt, but I’m obsessed! The more I commit to putting my body first, the better I feel going about my life.
Q: Top 3 tips for maintaining energy for your show.
Drink lots of water
Get enough sleep the night before
Don’t eat anything too heavy before curtain, and if you do, eat at least an hour and a half before the show starts!
Q: What helps you show up most fully each night?
A: Honestly, walking into the Longacre Theatre and connecting with the cast and crew gets me really excited to tell our story every night.
Q: What helps you feel most connected each show with yourself, your cast, and the audience?
A: To connect myself to the show, I often journal, and before I go onstage, I take a moment to remember what it is my character wants in any particular scene. To connect with my cast, I go down to the stage at places and make sure I say hi to everyone, and take part in some pre-show rituals that we’ve established. My favorite way of connecting to the audience is talking to them at the stage door and hearing their own stories that are similar to the one we tell onstage.
Q: Any other holistic practices to stay #BalancedOnBroadway?
A: Therapy is great!!! It’s important to do things for myself that establish who I am separate from the character I play. I surround myself with amazing friends, and read a lot and stay active politically. It keeps things in perspective for me.
Q: Top 5 products, companies or brands that are shaping your wellness lifestyle right now.
F45 fitness
Juice Generation
Harmless Harvest
Sun Basket
RxBars
Q: Fill in the blanks…
A: The best part of working on Broadway is… Getting to tell these amazing stories with amazing people.
The most challenging part of working on Broadway is… the schedule.
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: People who unyieldingly stand up for something, especially in the face of adversity.
Q: What’s your advice for aspiring performers who have their sights set on Broadway?
A: Don’t compare yourself to other people. Everyone’s careers will be different and if you spend too much time thinking of what other people have over you or vice versa, it doesn’t become about the work anymore.
Photos by Jocelyn Bold Photography
Interview by Jane Jourdan