Neither Wayne Brady himself nor the megahit musical he鈥檚 currently starring in, Hamilton, need much in the way of introduction. The Emmy-winning performer has played Aaron Burr in the Chicago production of the show since January 17, and he knows he鈥檒l be 鈥渉eartsore鈥� when he says goodbye.
鈥淚 connected as a fan from the first time I saw it, I connected with the story, I connected with this bit of history that I didn't know played out like such an amazing drama,鈥� he says. As a lifelong theatre fan and performer, playing a part like Aaron Burr is a dream. He鈥檚 been imagining being on stage since age six, when he saw West Side Story for the first time. It鈥檚 one of Brady鈥檚 earliest memories and, though he鈥檚 played roles like Lola in the Cyndi Lauper-scored Kinky Boots and Tom Collins in Rent, Brady grew up on 鈥渙ldies, but goodies鈥� like South Pacific, Oklahoma, and Brigadoon.
鈥淚 remember jumping up and down in my bedroom, on my twin bed, trying to copy the opening dance number from On the Town, where they鈥檙e jumping off the ship and going to shore,鈥� he says, recalling how his mother would yell as he leapt around, knocking things over as he danced.
Brady has proven himself to be a versatile performer; he brings with him an arsenal of skills, which he continued to develop working in the world of improv comedy. Still, theatre has always been a part of his life. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been a theatrical performer, it鈥檚 where I got started. It鈥檚 what I do, I just haven鈥檛 gotten to do it as often as I鈥檇 like.
鈥淚t鈥檚 unique, each person has a special thing that makes them shine...my particular skill set is formidable because it鈥檚 natural for me, if that makes sense,鈥� Brady says, and different roles require different parts from his toolkit. 鈥淓veryone's process is different but for Lola, I believe it was more of an outside-in type of preparation, whereas Burr is a little more inside-out,鈥� he says. As a complex historical figure, playing Burr is a challenge Brady embraces. 鈥淚 looked at a guy who wanted nothing more in life than to succeed.... I think he was very misunderstood, and I can empathize with that as a performer,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 bring a charm and likability to Burr, combined with the skills needed to sing and rap and just live as the guy. If he鈥檚 a little more likable at the end to the audience, it really makes the end that much more tragic.鈥�
There鈥檚 no doubt Brady will remain a presence onstage. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a visitor,鈥� he affirms. 鈥淟ike any person who does this, you have to live and breathe it. I was just like the kids on Glee, with my own dreams and inspirations.鈥� He loves the art form, and expressed deep concern that institutions like PBS and the NEA may be in jeopardy. 鈥淚 really hope we don鈥檛 lose PBS,鈥� says Brady. 鈥淚 can honestly say without their work and the work of the NEA, I don鈥檛 know if I would鈥檝e grabbed on to performing the way I did as a child. It introduced me to a whole big world.鈥� Losing out on talents like Brady鈥檚 is one reason of many to hope for a future where theatre remains a visible presence in our country, and continues to inspire a new generation of performers hoping to be the next to step out onto the stage.
