5 Questions with COMPANY's Nikki Renee Daniels!
Kevin Ray Johnson
I would like you to meet the very talented Nikki Renee Daniels. Fresh off of playing Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton in Chicago, Nikki will be returning to Broadway in the upcoming revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company in the role of Jenny. Previews begin on March 2nd, 2020 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. Her Broadway credits include The Book of Mormon (Nabulungi); The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (Clara); Les Miserables (Fantine); Anything Goes; Promises, Promises; Aida; Nine; Little Shop of Horrors; and Lestat. Ms. Daniels made her New York City Opera debut as Clara in Porgy and Bess. Other New York credits include Martha Jefferson in 1776 at City Center Encores! and Rose Lennox in The Secret Garden at David Geffen Hall. You may also remember Nikki on Television in shows such as Chappelle's Show, Madam Secretary, and The Sound of Music Live! I have been a fan of Nikki for many years. It is truly an honor and privilege to interview such a well-seasoned artist in Nikki Renee Daniels where she discusses her career, the upcoming revival of Company, sharing the stage with the one and only Audra McDonald and running your own race!
1.) How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a performer?
I knew I wanted to be a performer when I was about 14. I had always been a musician but I didn’t start singing until I was 13. Once I got to high school I realized that theater and singing were something I wanted to do as a career.
2.) Where did you study? Are there any mentors that helped make you the performer you are today?
I went to a performing arts high school in Atlanta, and then I went to the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music and got my BFA in Musical Theatre. I’ve learned so much from performers I went to school with and worked with over the years. I learned a lot about singing from listening to and singing with Shoshana Bean, who was a few years ahead of me at school. I learned a ton about acting and immersing yourself in a role by watching Audra McDonald in Porgy and Bess.
3.) Congratulations on Company! Truly one of my favorite Sondheim musicals! What are you most excited about this revival?
Thank you, I’m really excited about Company. It’s the dream to get to originate a role in a Broadway show, even if it is a revival. It will be my 11th Broadway show, but my first Sondheim show on Broadway. To even get to breathe the same air as the Master, while working on this show will be a dream! I’m also excited to explore this show with a female Bobbie and to play Jenny with the genders swapped in our scene. Chris Fitzgerald is beyond hilarious, and I’m excited to work with him as well! There is a lot to be excited about!
4.) Are there any other shows that you have done in your career that will always be near and dear to your heart?
The show that will always hold a special place in my heart is The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess. It was the perfect cast, full of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever sung with. Sharing the stage with Audra was a dream. I feel like we created something so special, and I will always treasure that whole experience.
5.) What advice would you give young performers who want a career in this business?
I always give young performers this advice: Run your own race. It can be so easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to your friends or other performers, and wishing your career was in a better place. There are so many factors that go into getting a Broadway show. It’s not about who’s the most talented or whose the most “deserving” so just let that idea go from the beginning. You’re only in competition with yourself, so always try to go into your auditions well prepared, so that you’re able to give the best of yourself in the room. A great audition is never wasted, and most of the time that in itself is the win!
To learn more about Nikki please make sure you visit her official website at - https://nikkireneedaniels.com and to learn more about the upcoming revival of Company please visit - https://companymusical.com