Carl L. Williams Discusses Once on This Island, Performing at The Tonys & Not Comparing Careers!
Carl L. Williams
By. Kevin Ray Johnson (Staff Writer for OnStage Blog)
I would like you to meet the wonderful, dynamic and talented Carl L. Williams. Carl will be playing the role of Papa Ge in Once on this Island at The Constellation Theatre Company (Directed by Angelisa Gillyard). Some of his credits include - The National Tour of Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds (Ziggy), First Date (Waiter), The Color Purple (Harpo), Ordinary Days (Warren), Parade (Riley), In The Heights (Benny), Sister Act (Sweaty Eddie), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Mitch Mahoney).
Anyone who knows Carl can attest that he has a presence and electricity on stage that truly can't be unmatched. Everyone role he plays he truly makes his own and he is someone you fight for to have in your cast. I am so grateful to have the chance to feature him!
How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a performer?
I knew I wanted to perform since I was a kid. When I was younger, I was pretty shy and didn’t talk that much (A nigh unbelievable fact if you ask anyone who knows me now) but I always loved to read so my parents signed me up to be the narrator for my kindergarten class’s production of the story of Jesus and the three Wiseman. All I had to do was read words off a paper but I loved every single moment of being up on that stage. That’s when I knew.
Where did you study and do you have any mentors that truly helped you become the amazing performer you are today?
I went to both Delaware State University and Montgomery College. As far as mentors go, my biggest mentors were my parents, Luke and Barbara Williams. My father played Violin and sang Bass in the choir. While my mother played handbell for her church and practiced Piano. So, I grew up in a pretty artistically supportive household. My father would always walk around the house randomly singing and was the happiest person on the planet and I had my love of singing and performing from him.
Congratulations on booking Papa Ge in Once on this Island. What an amazing piece of Musical Theatre. How has the process been and what are you most excited about when it comes to performing in this musical?
Thank you so much! This show is such a dream to do and honestly, this team (both cast and production) is so incredible. Our director, Angelisa Gillyard, came in with such a clear vision for the show but is always making sure we give her our input as well regarding our character and choices. It feels like an actual collaborative project instead of just a theatrical dictatorship. That’s fairly rare to get that in a director and I feel truly honored to get this chance to work with her.
Are there any shows or moments in your career that stick out and are near and dear to your heart?
I'll always cherish a moment in my theatrical career when I got to perform with the cast of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at the 71st Annual Tony Awards. They had that online campaign for audience guest performers and I submitted thinking nothing of it and I couldn’t believe it when I got the e-mail. We had to rehearse with the cast for two days and then it was showtime but it was so cool to get to step on that Tony Award stage and see all these Broadway icons sitting around. That night was incredible.
What advice would you give any young performers wanting a career in the performing arts?
The best advice I could give to young performers who want a career in the arts is to try to branch out to more than one category. I primarily do musical theatre but I also do voice acting and perform at weddings. It’s fine to know what you want to do but there’s always more than just one way to get there. Try not to compare your journey to others and most importantly, know that at the end of the day, there’s nobody who can do you better than you can.
Once on this Island opens at Constellation Theatre Company on September 29th and will be running until November 6th. For more information please visit -https://www.constellationtheatre.org/once-on-this-island; Make sure you follow Carl on Facebook - Carl L. Williams and on Instagram - Carl2007