Interview: A New Act: Valisia LeKae on Broadway, Cancer Survival, and Finding Her Voice

Valisia LeKae has been seen on Broadway and on tour in MAMMA MIA!, THE THREEPENNY OPERA, ALL SHOOK UP, 110 IN THE SHADE, RAGTIME, and THE BOOK OF MORMON. In 2013, she originated the role of Diana Ross in MOTOWN. For her performance, she earned a Tony nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical as well as a Grammy nod as a principal soloist on the original cast album. Not only that, but she also happens to be a licensed marriage and family therapist and ovarian cancer survivor. I had the great pleasure of speaking to her about all of this and more.

You recently participated in a panel at the Flow Space Women’s Health Summit in Los Angeles. How did that come about for you?

It was a really wonderful event that I got to attend. I am one of the AbbVie faces of ovarian cancer survivor storytellers. I was able to join experts along with other patient advocates, storytellers, and to be with women from all walks of life, different diversities, cultures, and age. It really was an extraordinary experience to be able to share my story and to educate and empower women about ovarian cancer. 

What did it mean to you getting to share your story of how you went through ovarian cancer?

I’ve been finding that this work has been really purposeful for me. When I was diagnosed, I was 34. There were no Black women in the resources that I saw, no women under 40, and it really propelled me to want to educate women. Not only that, but also to educate myself about this disease. Black women are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, and the survival rates are really low. So to be able to share my story, advocating for other women, let them know that their lived history, their sort of experience matters. Every time that I’m able to do it feels like a joy and a purpose for me.

Since your diagnosis, you’ve become a passionate advocate for mental wellness. How do you think education and tools like biomarker testing can help women understand their disease better and have informed conversations with their care teams?

Well, specifically with biomarker testing, if you think about biomarkers as sort of like the personality of your cancer or biological clues, it really does help you determine your personalized treatment plan. It also helps you understand the type of cancer or ovarian cancer that you have, but also gives you empowerment and the education and the sort of ability to communicate with your doctor about this journey that you’re going on. Education and knowledge is power. It also eases those anxieties about stepping into this space because you have a little bit of information to keep you informed, but also keep you enduring this journey that you’re going to be on.

Ovarian cancer has no doubt proven to be such a deadly disease. Marin Mazzie died from it in 2018. Ariana DeBose, who was your understudy in MOTOWN, lost her mom to it just last year. How does it feel having survived it yourself?

I honor the women who have come before me, who particularly lost their lives to this deadly disease. To be able to be a survivor or patient advocate is really meaningful to me. I get to continue to carry the torch. I get to continue to not only share my story, but the story of the women who have come before me. I know someday someone will get to do it for me. So it’s a really special opportunity and privilege that I get to still be here. To inform women about advocating for their health, to teach women about ovarian cancer, and to empower them to feel comfortable knowing that they can endure and handle this disease.

Since becoming cancer free, you’ve continued to act on both stage and screen. What did it mean to you getting back into that profession?

You know, being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I really had to focus on my health. Really trying to ensure that I was physically well, mentally well, emotionally well, to prepare myself to be back on stage was important for me. To be able to go on the screen, to be at the theater again, to be amongst my colleagues was a wonderful experience for me when I got to do that again. But it’s also important to know that the work never really stopped for me. I see it as less about the profession and more about the purpose that I get to do using my artistry in different spaces. So for me, it was just a transitional period to really find that I can use my voice in whatever space that I’m in.

Going back to the beginning, how did you first get started in the theatre?

Well, this is a sort of an interesting story. I grew up wanting to be a recording artist. So I really wanted to be Aretha Franklin or Whitney Houston. I moved to New York over 20 some odd years ago, and I was performing with the USO. There were a couple of women in the troop with me who were theater buffs. They graduated from conservatories. They were really into the theater. I didn’t really know much about the theater. So one of the women wasn’t able to go on their audition, so she sent me. At the time, they were looking for a woman of color and she was sort of Jewish but looked Latina, so she said, “Oh, you go in for the audition.” When I went in for the audition, it was for Nona Gay, Skin Diver. But the director was Charles Randolph Wright, who was my director for Motown. This was 10 plus years previously. So when I went in for him, he said, “You know, you’re not really right for this project, but I wanna send your information to someone.” He ended up sending my information to Richard Maltby. I didn’t know who Richard Maltby was. I remember having conversations with him and sort of trying to figure out what type of artist I was and everything. That particular conversation led to me doing the ’60s project, and from there, it’s been one opportunity after another. So it was really by fluke that I got into the theater. 

You made your Broadway debut in Roundabout Theatre Company’s revival of THE THREEPENNY OPERA starring Alan Cumming, Cyndi Lauper, Jim Dale, and Ana Gasteyer. What was that like to be a part of?

A dream come true. I grew up listening to Cyndi Lauper. I grew up watching Anna Gasteyer on SNL. Jim Dale is the most extraordinary actor. Just watching him work in his senior age, but also with so much wisdom and knowledge and physicality and humor and leadership. But that opportunity came to me overnight, literally. I didn’t have an agent. I was coming off of an off-Broadway show. One of the women in the show said, “Go see my agent.” I met with the agent. We had a really great conversation. They said to me, “Oh, you have an audition. We have an audition for you already.” The next day I went into that audition. It was for that Broadway show, Threepenny Opera. By the end of that day, I booked that job. So it was that simple of me coming to this sort of Broadway space. Then to get in the show with Alan, Cyndi, Nellie MacKay, Flotilla DeBarge ,and Terry Burrell, who introduced me to that agent. It was a masterclass. It was my freshman year on Broadway, and I utilized that opportunity to soak up all the knowledge and information that I needed to.

The following season, you were back with Roundabout in 110 in the Shade with Audra McDonald, Steve Kazee, John Collum, Bobby Steggert, Will Swenson, and Betsy Wolfe. 

Yes! For the first couple of years of my life, Roundabout was my home. To be in a show with Audra McDonald that early on in my career, particularly like this was my sophomore Broadway show, I knew that this was going to be the moment that I was going to learn how to be a leader. Learn how to be a leading actress, learn how to be empowering on and off the stage. There are moments in that show that still play in my mind of how she was able to articulate that character and bring it to life. I left a tour being paid less just to go work with her and learn from her in that show. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.

Speaking of Audra, in 2009, you got to understudy Sarah in the first revival of RAGTIME. Most recently, the musical itself received a major resurgence through Lincoln Center Theater’s award-winning production. What’s it like for you seeing the show get some newfound appreciation?

Ragtime is one of the best musicals. It is actually my favorite musical. To have been able to do the revival, to understudy Sarah, to go on for Sarah in the Broadway production, then turn around and play Sarah in Chicago, and win a Jeff Award for it, it was a really beautiful transformation. Then having it come back again and seeing Josh (Henry) win that Tony for playing Coalhouse. It’s a timeless piece, right? It works in every decade, every season. So I’m glad that younger audiences are getting to see it live. But I’m also glad that people really appreciate it because it really is a beautiful musical. 

You also joined the Broadway company at THE BOOK OF MORMON shortly after it opened as a Swing.

That was one of those lucky experiences earlier in my life. I think when they were doing the workshop, I auditioned for it and didn’t get it, but felt really good about it. Then four or so months later, right after the show opened, I think I was at the nail salon when I got a call saying, “Can you come in on Saturday to watch the show? They want you to do it”. First of all, you didn’t really see a lot of publications about the show. They were trying to keep it under wraps. It was right after they opened. I had the best time. I got to rekindle my relationship with Michael James Scott, who I did the national tour of Mamma Mia! with. I got some great friends, Asmeret (Ghebremichael), out of that show. I learned a lot from that show. I got to understudy Nikki (James). I did All Shook Up in a role that she originated. It was wonderful. I was also workshopping Motown while I was doing that show as well. So it was a really impactful, busy, and fun time in my life.

Your most recent Broadway appearance was originating the role of Diana Ross in MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL, which earned you both Tony and Grammy nominations. How do you look back at your time with that show?

I learned so much from so many people in that show. It was my fifth Broadway show. It was my first principal role. My co-star, Brandon Victor Dixon, is a really close friend of mine. He’s like a brother to me. We have a family from that show and we still keep in touch with each other. What was most extraordinary about that show is to actually get to work with Mr. Berry Gordy. To have him in the room nearly every day to learn from him. He was not only the storyteller, but he created Motown. We got to be in the midst of a legacy holder. Someone who has created the stardom for so many actors and actresses and singers. To be able to meet Diana Ross and perform for her was a little bit nerve-wracking, but she was so gracious and so kind to me. To meet Stevie Wonder, so many people that I can still say that I’ve kept in touch with them has been really beautiful for me. We’ve also lost a couple of people in that show over time to different types of cancer. So to know that the group of people that I was in that ensemble with, we are still family members. We continue to celebrate each other, and can celebrate each other’s artistry. We continue to show up for people who are having babies and going through different life challenges. So it’s a family that continues to be a deep nurturing part of my heart. I’m so glad that I got that opportunity to be in that show with them.

Looking back at the original cast, some of your co-stars went on to go above and beyond with getting Tony nominations or even beyond that. Obviously, Brandon Victor Dixon blew up with JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR on NBC,. There’s also Ariana DeBose, Nicholas Christopher, Ephraim Sykes, Saycon Sengbloh, and Daniel J. Watts.

Yes! Everyone in that show was a star in their own right, even back when we were doing it. So everyone had their own identity. Morgan James is a prolific singer. Ryan Shaw, another amazing singer. We had the creme de la creme in that show. Everyone could have done an individual show of their own, but yes, we’ve had some successful journeys that come out of it.

For those who’d like to pursue a career in the theatre, where do you think would be a good place to start?

Coming to the theater space was sort of a non-traditional track for me. It wasn’t the normal trajectory of going to conservatory and going to college for musical theater and things like that. I think that’s very important. I also think it’s very important to understand what you love and what is a passion for you. What is your artistry about? What do you wanna be? How do you wanna define yourself in this business? I think it’s smart to educate yourself around different directors, creators, writers, and different things like that. I think for anyone who wants to get into this business, the most important thing I will tell you is that this business will change and evolve. It’s always really important to have things that you love in front of you so that in those down times, you’re always using your artistry to create. If you’re a singer, write songs. If you’re a writer and an actor, write a script. Always continue to develop your artistry and always remember that this is a place of evolution, but you also have to evolve over time as well.

Before we go, do you have any other upcoming projects you’d like to share with us?

This is sort of the second season of my life, and I’m really excited about the individual projects that I’m developing to create opportunities for other people. I’ve been working on a script for the last six months to a year. I’m hoping to put that in the vertical space. I’m also thinking about developing a one-woman show for myself. I’ve never done a solo show in New York City. So even though it makes me a little nervous, I’m really wanting to push outside of my comfort zone and do that. But more than anything, I’m continuing to be a fierce advocate for mental health and wellness as well as ovarian cancer survivors. So if anyone wants to keep up with what I’m doing, please search me out on Instagram @valisialekae or on my website at www.valisialekae.com.

Valisia, I thank you very much for devoting your time to this conversation. It was great getting to talk to you.

Thank you, Jeffrey, for having me.