I’m not
ILLUSTRATION: CHELSEY HILL ELIZABETH PORTRAIT: NACHO GUEVARA
SUPERSTITIOUS, BUT
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Eight Broadway stars confess their pre-show rituals and OCD tendencies to Elizabeth Durand Streisand
o you have a lucky outfit for big meetings? Or maybe for big dates? Same here. Humans are creatures of habit, and those habits can blur into superstitions over time. (Date didn’t go well? Probably because your lucky top was stuck at the dry cleaners.) For performers, the importance of consistency in routine becomes even more important. After all, getting on stage is kind of like having a date with 1,200 people at once. We chatted with the best and brightest performers around the city about the rituals they follow, and why 1980s video games might be the key to emotional well-being.
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The Spiritualist: Britton Smith, Jake
in Be More Chill Britton Smith begins to prepare long before he reaches the Lyceum Theatre. “The mornings are actually when I choose to prepare myself for the show. I make sure I have time to go to my altar to fully acknowledge and honor the newness of the day and all that I have to learn and gain from it. This can take anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour,” he explains. “I pray, chant, sing to myself, write, sometimes I cry; I just listen to my inner Britton and connect myself to what matters and identify what doesn’t matter. It’s my ME time. It allows me to enter the theater with joy, ease, and expectation of
DIGITAL EDITION
Above: Most performers have “habits” they run through – just don’t call them superstions, OK?
a wonderful, meaningful performance After I’ve warmed up, stretched, gotten dressed etc, I go to a specific corner backstage, anchor myself in the intention of the morning, and dedicate a piece of my Jake to this realization. And then I smile a big-ass smile and go on stage.” The Pragmatist: Krystina Alabado, Gretchen in Mean Girls Newly minted Plastic Krystina Alabado has a very practical approach to her preshow routine. “Playing Gretchen is very high energy, hyperactive, and go-go-go, so when I do my pincurls and make-up before the show, I like to chill out and breathe for a minute and just chat with Kate Rockwell, my dressing room-