5 Questions with SIX on Broadway’s Samantha Pauly!
Kevin Ray Johnson
I would like you to meet the wonderful Samantha Pauly. Ms. Pauly will be making her Broadway debut in SIX as Katherine Howard (a role she has played at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Citadel Theatre and at the Ordway Theatre). Samantha has also performed on the West End in Evita (Eva Peron) and in the National Tour of Bat Out of Hell (Valkyrie). She has also performed regionally with respected theatre companies such as Marriott Theatre, Paramount Theatre, and Drury Lane Theatre. SIX is one of the most clever concepts that has come to Broadway in years and I can strongly say that it is a privilege to have the chance to interview Samantha.
1. How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a performer?
I've always loved singing, but I didn't really get involved in theater until the end of my junior year of high school. Around that time I figured I'd go to college for music theatre and the rest is history.
2. Where did you study? Are there any mentors that truly helped make you the performer you are today?
I went to Viterbo University and got a BFA in music theatre and dance. I didn't really have any mentors. My biggest supporters have always been my parents and my sister. They always believed in me, sent me to any auditions I wanted to go to, paid for school and lessons and travel. Had my back if I turned down a job, supported me if I decided to move or try something new. I'm also married and my husband, Matt, is always game for whatever I decide to do. He will always be cheering me on, near or far, and has talked me through some hard times. I owe all of my success to him and my family.
3. Congratulations on SIX! What an awesome concept for a show! How has your time and journey been in this amazing show?
It's been incredible! The show is already such a phenomenon, and it's been really awesome to be a part of it while it continues to grow and gain success in the US. We're all very busy right now, prepping for Broadway, so it's a lot of things I'm not used to (fans, interviews, press, moving to NYC). But I couldn't imagine a better way to be making my Broadway debut, alongside all of these incredible women and originating a role in a brand new musical.
4. Are there any shows that you have done in your career that will always be near and dear to your heart?
Every show I've done has been a really special experience and has brought me new lessons and some of the best friends I've ever had. However, a true favorite will always be Evita. I've done the show four times, and played Eva in three of those productions. The most notable was a recent revival I did this summer in London on the West End at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. It was directed by Jamie Lloyd, and I firmly believe that that particular production helped me grow more than I ever have as a performer. The production was very raw, dirty, stripped down, honest, and dark. Jamie helped me access things within myself that I've now been able to bring into SIX. It recently won Best Musical at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in London, which are like the Drama Desk Awards here. Evita has always held a special place in my heart and I hope to return to it soon.
5. What advice would you give young performers who want a career in this business?
Keep going. No matter what challenges you face, and how many times you hear 'no', keep going. I had a rough ending to my 2018. I went out on the national tour of Bat Out Of Hell, which was a full production contract set to travel for a full year. After three weeks of performing in Toronto, we were abruptly given a closing notice with no explanation and no financial closure, and it put me in a bad place. I went into a deep depression, I had anxiety, and I had pretty much decided I was going to quit theater and do something else that made me happy. Theatre didn't make me happy anymore. But I now firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. Something about SIX made me feel differently, and I had a strange feeling about it that I hadn't had about any other shows in a long time. Keep auditioning. Keep going to lessons and classes.
Don't do anything you don't want to do, and don't take a job just for the sake of saying you're working. Only take jobs that you know would make you happy, at a place where you know you will be valued, respected, and treated fairly. I think it's also very important to find something outside of theater that makes you happy. I have a greyhound, so for me, it's volunteering at a greyhound adoption group in Chicago, and fostering dogs. You can volunteer at shelters, start gardening, baking, painting, try a new athletic activity. It's so important to have something outside of work that allows you to decompress and brings you happiness.
Previews for Six begin on February 13th, 2020 at The Brooks Atkinson Theatre. To learn more make sure you visit – www.sixonbroadway.com. And to learn more about Samantha make sure you visit her official website at www.samanthapauly.com