Kyla Stone discusses Legally Blonde!, Anastasia & Protecting your heart & mind!
Kyla Stone.
By. Kevin Ray Johnson (Staff Writer for OnStage Blog)
It is my highest honor to introduce you to Kyla Stone! Kyla will be making her Muny debut as Elle Woods in their upcoming production of Legally Blonde! You may recognize her as the first African-American Anya in the National Tour of Anastasia! Kyla has also performed regionally at The Hangar Theatre as Johanna in Sweeney Todd as well as Judy Bernly in9 to 5, Gary Coleman in Avenue Q, and Acid Queen in The Who’s Tommy. Kyla graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in Theatre Performance and an emphasis in Women’s Studies! Kyla is truly an inspiration to me and a strong reminder that our industry is slowly but surely heading in the right direction when it comes to casting and artists being able to look at all roles that they are truly drawn to. I am so happy to feature this amazing performer!
How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a Performer?
I grew up watching all the classic movies I could get my hands on when I was little. I was genuinely obsessed with Deborah Kerr, Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Julie Andrews… anyone that conveyed meaning through a song, or had that shimmer in their eyes, had my heart. My family was also very big on the arts and music; there was always something on for me to dance to in the living room, and my dad’s drum set was one of my favorite pastimes. I saw The Phantom of the Opera when I was five years old and after that, I was hooked. I vividly remember getting to the theatre and this very kind older woman was next to me and let me use her solid gold binoculars (not kidding, they were heavy and they were stunning). My mom told me that everyone was just as enamored with me as the show itself. I vividly remember walking through the Ahmanson parking lot and telling my mom that I wanted to have a tea party with Christine and the Phantom. I think it was one of those defining life moments where (as cliche as it sounds) the stars aligned and tiny me somehow knew that acting was it. Even when I got further along into grade school and eventually high school, I knew that theatre was what I wanted to do. It didn’t matter if I had to struggle in a teeny-tiny apartment or work 15 other jobs to support myself, I was gonna find a way to do it.
Where did you study? Are there any mentors that genuinely helped make you the Amazing Artist you are today?
I went to school at Chapman University where I graduated with a BFA in Theatre Performance, but more on that a little later. I MUST mention the training I received doing Six Days of Broadway, which is an amazing theatre camp at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, that I was fortunate to attend for six consecutive summers. Erin Dilly, Hank Stratton, Stephen Buntrock, and Danny Gurwin became my mentors/ pseudo theatre parents. I grew so much as an artist, as a human being, and as a person watching them, learning from them ((and honestly, just being in sheer awe of them the first two years)). It's still crazy to me that my paths crossed with these amazing Broadway actors who saw that spark in me at such a young age and nurtured that fire and passion. My college mentors were also instrumental in what I'll call sharpening my edges. Michael Nehring, Jay Scully, Tamiko Washington, and Tom Bradac were like the infinity stones to my actor gauntlet. Each of them pushed me differently, allowed me to explore the full breadth and scope of their styles (Text Analysis, Screen Acting, Movement, and Shakespeare respectively), and taught me to be truly fearless ((and a little ruthless)) in pursuit of my goals.
Congratulations on Legally Blonde at The Muny. I cannot express how excited I am for you. What does playing the Iconic role of Elle Woods mean to you?
Growing up, I would tell everyone and anyone who would listen that I wanted to be the first African American Christine Daae. I had complete tunnel vision in regards to that one goal and even leading up to when I auditioned for the show way back when, before the incredible, and beautiful, Lucy St. Louis took up that mantle. To then have the opportunity to lead Anastasia, a film I loved growing up, as the first African American Anya, and to now have the opportunity AGAIN to play one of my dream roles in unreal. I legitimately had the MTV pro-shot of the show on my DVR for a good seven or eight years, was obsessed with The Search for Elle Woods (I cried when Autumn didn't win), and have a souvenir program that's signed by Laura Bell somewhere in my room (I gotta find that bad boy when I go home). When I was in my final callback for the Muny and our director Maggie Burrows asked me why I resonated so much with the show and Elle I just gushed about Reese Witherspoon, the color pink, and how much it resonated with me to see a young woman go on this journey of self-discovery and self-worth and realize that she truly has agency and a voice outside of the bubble she grew up in.
Are there any other shows, performances, or moments in your career that will always stick out and be near and dear to your heart?
There are so many already!! This doesn't even seem real, because I'm not even that far into, what I hope, will be a long career in the arts, but one of my favorites has to be performing Anastasia for Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. They were in rehearsals for Knoxville and came to one of our shows in Sarasota and it was an utterly surreal performance. Sam McClellan, who plays Dmitry, and I were both ready to throw up before the show because we were so flippin' excited (if I could cuss, I would). I remember about 2% of that show because I was so IN IT and also genuinely terrified, in the best way possible, and was so unbelievably honored to be sharing our interpretation of their work. I also bawled my way through "Once Upon A December", which happens most nights, but that one, in particular, was an actor 'aha' moment where it felt like I cracked the code on that song.
Kyla as Anya in Anastasia Tour (Photo Credit - Jeremy Daniel)
What advice would you give any young artist who would like a career in the performing arts?
I always lead with this and it's that other people's success is not your failure. I have been fortunate to connect with so many amazing women who are all leading shows right now: Lindsay Heather Pearce, Niki Metcalf, Olivia Valli, Emilie Kouatchou, and Tayler Harris to name a few, and we're all rooting for each other, always. In school, and even directly out of college, it is so easy to start comparing your journey to others, someone gets a role on a TV show and you start to panic (cue Patti LuPone singing "someone tells me when is it my turn?!") but you have to remember that you are your own amazing/ rockstar/bad** self and when it is your time, you'll know. Also, your worth is never defined by a callback, what people say about you, or a ‘yes/no’. Protect your heart and your mind because your well-being and your spirit are what will open doors for you.
Legally Blonde opens at The Muny on July 25th and will be running until the 31st! For more information please visit -https://muny.org/show/legally-blonde/; and to learn more about Kyla please visit her official website at - www.kylastone.net