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[0:00] Martín Acuña: Hi everyone, I am Martín Acuña, and you are listening to Backstage Talk.

[0:16] Martín Acuña: Jonathan Larson asked how can you make someone take off and fly in one of his songs from Tick Tick Boom? And I, for the past two years, have learned one way to do it, through the power of community. Welcome to the Latinx in Musical Theatre special for Season 3 of Backstage Talk, where we will be featuring artists from across all positions in musical theatre, from several Latin American countries and different Latin heritages. I am proud to showcase my Latinx family. I hope you enjoy.

[0:51] Martín Acuña: Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of Backstage Talk. Today's guest is Tanairi Vazquez. She is an actor, dancer, singer, teaching artist, and social justice warrior. Born in Virginia, but raised through and through with a Puerto Rican heritage that has, without a doubt, influenced her work on the Broadway stage and the screen. She has been part of several Broadway productions, including Hamilton, Gigi, On Your Feet, Come Fly Away, and Wonderland. And she has worked with renowned choreographers like Joey McKinley, Justin Peck, Twyla Tharp, Sergio Trujillo, Margaret Derricks, and Andy Blatkin-Buehler. Tanairi also has a featured role as a shark girl, Charita, on the new remake of West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg. Tanairi, thank you so much for joining me on Backstage Talk. I am super happy and honored to have you.

[1:55] Tanairi Vazquez: Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I'm so honored to be having this conversation with you. I'm so excited.

[2:01] Martín Acuña: I am too. So let's start in the beginning. What was your aha moment that made you choose the thespian path in life?

[2:11] Tanairi Vazquez: Wow. I would say my, so I had, it's a funny story actually. I had a babysitter when I was a little girl who was Puerto Rican, and she always had music playing, you know, you know how it is. Always had music playing in the house and like taking care of me. And I was always just like moving around, you know, just shaking my little hips and dancing around. And she would tell my mom like, you need to take this girl, you need to take this girl to a dance class or something because she just will not stop moving. And so my mom finally took me to my first dance class at the age of six. And ever since that day, I have never looked back. I have never looked back. I've never questioned, you know, I never questioned myself that this is what I wanted to do.

It was just like an instant, like, this is it. This is what I'm going to continue to do. And I enjoyed it. You know, I didn't feel pressured from my family or my parents. They just always encouraged me. So I started at the age of six. I took, you know, ballet, jazz, hip hop, all the forms of dance. And dance kind of led me through to my musical theater journey. But I went to Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. in high school. And then from there, I went to SUNY Purchase to continue studying my dance. Dance was like my first passion. That was my main focus at the time. And then once I started college, I went to an open call of West Side Story. It was a European international tour.

And I went. I was non-equity. It was my first musical theater anything. You know, like, I was like, what is this world? I had to get a vocal coach last minute to learn a song I had never sung. This was like, yeah, my freshman year of college. And I had never sung a note or nothing. But I did it. You know, I had support from my best friend, Tori, who I call. She's like my agent. She was my first agent. She was my first roommate in college. But she was the one that was always like on backstage.com, Playbill.com. And she saw West Side Story. She's like, Tanairi, you have to go. And let me go back a little bit. West Side Story, when I was a little girl, was introduced to me by my parents. And that was also a huge inspiration to me.

You know, seeing that movie, seeing Rita Moreno. Hello. She's like my number one inspiration. Seeing her and being like, wow, like, she looks like me. She sounds like my aunts in Puerto Rico, my mom. Like, for some reason, Anita is like, I just see my mother in Anita. So that was a huge inspiration. And then that's what also made me just like go for it and go to this open call of West Side Story. And that's when, you know, my career began in musical theater. West Side Story was my first musical theater experience. You know, Sondheim were the first lyrics that I ever sang, you know. So West Side Story has a huge part of my, you know, we'll go into that a little further. But that's where it started.

And then West Side Story was coming to Broadway, you know, the revival in 2009. So Joey McNeely was also, he was the choreographer and director of the tour of West Side that I did. And he was also working on the Broadway revival. So he had asked me to come in, audition. I auditioned for Arthur Lawrence, you know, no big deal. The entire team. And that was my Broadway debut. You know, like that musical theater came way earlier than I thought it would in my career because I was so passionate about dance. You know, I just saw dance and I wanted to be in a dance company. I wanted to go to, you know, be an Alvin Ailey dance company. But then, you know, it just kind of sneaked around and I continued my journey.

And it's just so fulfilling for me. You know, it's so exciting. It never gets boring or, you know, it gets tiring. Let's be, let's be real. But it's totally worth it. And I'm just so grateful for all the experiences I've had, you know, especially being a Latina as well and like jumping into the musical theater world.

[7:15] Martín Acuña: And I love that you had this full circle moment with West Side that we're going deeper on that later in the episode. But I want to like double click on that journey in musical theater because you were so concentrated in dance and then suddenly you end up in Hamilton and Gigi, On Your Feet, Come Fly Away, Wonderland. How did that happen?

[7:36] Tanairi Vazquez: Yes. So during West Side Story, when I joined the Broadway company, I, that's when I got an agent, you know, I got an agent, I signed with an agent and they were really pushing me, you know, to continue this journey. And a lot of those shows were more dance heavy, I'd say. So I had a higher, like, you know, it was a chance to get a gig. Yes. To book this gig. But in West Side Story, I also, they eventually asked me to understudy Consuela. And that was my first like, oh my gosh, I have lines, I have to sing and I feel pretty, you know, it's a smaller group of girls singing. But that was my like step into, oh, I can also understudy and have featured, you know, moments like I want that. I want to explore that more.

So, you know, that happened. And then I auditioned for Wonderland. And at the time, we knew that West Side Story was closing. And I booked Wonderland. And I decided to leave West Side Story to join the company of Wonderland. But Wonderland was a very short-lived show, which is OK. It happens. It's part of Broadway. Yeah, it happened. And that was a completely, totally different type of show. It was so, you know, it's Alice in Wonderland, and it was more fun and like funky, and I was able to really explore my like goofy side, you know, and also do different types of dance. It was more commercial dance. It was choreographed by Marguerite Derricks. And, you know, as an ensemble dancer, you also have the freedom to create your character.

You know, I was part of a lot of these shows that I've done. I've been a part of like the beginning process, like of like the pre pro and putting the show together and everything. So that's always fun to me because I love to just like dig into these characters and like make choices. You know, when you're a dance ensemble, you're still acting, you're still storytelling within your movement or you're acting on stage in a scene, you know, so. I guess I just felt I started falling in love with just creating these characters for myself, even though I was just in the ensemble.

[10:22] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: You know, Gigi was another one. It was a Parisian show, you know, set back into time. And so I was living my best, like, you know, wearing these corsets and these gowns. You know, it was choreographed by Josh Vergas. So I just love that freedom of like, just creating my own character and just going for it. You know, why not? Why not? But yeah, it just kind of happened. That happened. Gigi happened. And then I did On Your Feet. Hello, you know, Gloria Estefan music. I was part of the beginning process as well. I did the pre-pro of On Your Feet. And that's when I really, I think, dug deep within myself of my, like, Latinan-ness. I was very much like, oh, okay. First off, the entire cast was full of Latinos.

We were family, literally family, and we still are till this day. Many of my best- That's beautiful. It's, oh my gosh, we had the best time on stage. When I tell you, I miss those times. But that's when I really was like, oh, this feels so good to be representing my people with my people on stage. You know what I mean? And telling this incredible story and sharing it to the world. And people loved it. People loved On Your Feet. So then from there, I auditioned for Hamilton. And I had worked with Andy Blankenbuehler before on smaller projects, and Alex Lacamoire, who's a genius. And I went in for Hamilton. I think it was for the Chicago Company. They were looking for people for the Chicago Company.

And I sang. I sang. And then I had, oh, I had a vacation scheduled from On Your Feet for the following week, but that was a dance callback. And they were like, oh, well, the dance callback is next week. And I was like, I have a vacation scheduled already. And they're like, don't worry about it. We have you in the loop. And I was like, I felt like, oh, I missed an opportunity. But then a couple months later, a spot opened up in Hamilton. And they called me. I didn't even have to dance, which that never happens. That does not happen. And I was like, wait, are you sure you're offering me this job? I didn't even dance. And they're like, no, we love you, Tenari. We've worked with you before. And so that was so amazing.

The fact that they believed in me like that and gave me that opportunity in that way, that doesn't happen. And that was a whole nother different type of show. I mean, Hamilton, the ensemble were on stage the entire time. It's very dance heavy. And it's all about the focus within the scenes. I mean, Andy Blankenbuehler is a genius. He's all about storytelling, all about storytelling. And the focus, just alone, the focus for him is so important. And so I learned so much. And we also had to sing all those songs on top of dancing. So it was a challenge. At that time, I was still in On Your Feet and doing double duty, learning Hamilton for a month. So it was a lot, but it was so worth it and just so fulfilling to be on that stage at the Richard Rogers. I remember seeing In the Heights there and wanting to be in that show. And then, boom, it's just, I was there for three years. So.

[14:34] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Amazing. Yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot, but it's amazing. And I love that you mentioned that as an ensemble member, as a company member, you internally created all this backstory, all these characters for the show. I want to know, what is your approach to characters and performing in musical theater, since you are so storytelling driven?

[15:01] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Yes. So it's very important when creating a character to, obviously there's a breakdown, you know, there's a breakdown of the character or what's happening in the scene. Like you have to see that and acknowledge that because you don't want to be a character that's like way off and it's like, okay, what's happening here? So I try to respect that and acknowledge that because I know that's very important to directors and writers, you know, of a play or a musical. But I also like to add a little bit of something of myself, you know, because that makes it just extra special and just, it's your, it's your flavor, you know, at the end of the day, you always have to add that, I think. And you also open, you know, the eyes of the director or the choreographer when making choices, you know, they're like, oh, I like that.

Let's keep that or try, you know, it's just, you got to learn how to adapt and create within the moment while keeping that story, you know, the, the, the idea of what's happening clear. It has to be clear. So.

[16:27] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Absolutely. Yeah. So after all this huge journey on Broadway, working with the biggest in the industry, what advice would you tell a young Tanari?

[16:39] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: I would tell a young Tanari to never underestimate the power of your dreams, one, and to not limit myself. You know, I was so dance heavy in the beginning of my journey and I only saw myself. I was like, no, I can't sing. What? I can't ask, but I would tell myself like, just dip your toes in as much as you can, you know? And I was always, I was a very shy person in the beginning. And I was just very like, okay, dance, dance, dance. But once I got to college, I was like, oh, I don't need to limit myself. I can do as much as I want, you know? So I say that to myself, like, don't be afraid to try new things. Why not? You know?

[17:36] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: That's fantastic. Thank you. That's fantastic. So you've worked in several shows that their company are heavy in terms of Latin visibility and representation, right? And you've recently worked in West Side Story, which has a wonderful cast of all shades and colors of Latins.

[17:54] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Yes. What is for you visibility and representation?

[18:04] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: That to me is recognizing, elevating, celebrating the beauty and the history of the Latin community. It's seeing ourselves on these screens. It's seeing ourselves in these musical theater shows, you know, as ourselves, but also as other characters, you know, we can do it all. It's about seeing our, literally seeing ourselves and inspiring the next generation. You know, that's what keeps people inspired is seeing like, oh wow, she looks like me. Like, I received such a beautiful message from this girl who is studying musical theater. And she was like, thank you so much. She was like, I saw West Side Story and I'm so moved and inspired to continue, you know, studying musical theater. She was like, I've had moments where I'm like, I don't know if I'm right for this.

Cause I don't see people like me on screen. And she was just like, thank you so much. And that moved me. And she literally looked like my twin, you know, like Latina, curly hair, beautiful young girl. And she was just so like, I just don't see, like, she literally said that. She was like, I don't see people who look like me doing what I love, you know? And she was like, and seeing you just really moved me and inspired me to continue, to continue, you know? And I was like, yes, I wrote her back. And I was like, that means so much to me, you know, and continue to do what you love, you know, don't let anything stop you. And so it's just visually seeing ourselves and our stories, you know, also telling our stories, our community, you know, it's, it's like that, that's so important as well.

We need to be in these rooms. We need to be directing, producing, writing, you know, we need, it's like, we need to really build our community and really support one another, you know, and just share and educate the viewers because a lot of people, you know, just because we all speak Spanish, it doesn't mean that we're put in just this one box. We have so many colors and diversity within our community that we need to tell all, as many stories as possible, you know, because I think that's what's so beautiful.

[20:45] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Is that all the, just the colors and the culture, the culture differences in our, the way we speak, you know, if you're Colombian, I'm Puerto Rican, we speak different. It's different. You know, we need to respect that and authentically represent each other as well. You know?

[21:08] Martín Acuña: I love it. You just mentioned two things that we can do to increase Latin visibility and representation on Broadway and in Hollywood. And it was, we need to be in those rooms. I totally agree. And two, we need to keep telling those stories. But what else do you think we can do to increase our visibility and representation on those stages?

[21:34] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: I think we also, for instance, Steven Spielberg took a huge chance with a lot of us. You know, I believe there were 50 debuts in the film. And it's like, I think we need to give opportunities to not just people who have, you know, big names in Hollywood. Like we need to bring fresh faces to, you know, movies and everything. Like it's time to change that mentality of like, Oh, you know, she's done all these things. You know what I mean? It's like, we need to see fresh faces, faces that like people who aren't, you know, in the industry can relate to, you know, it's like, we just need to give a chance to other up-and-coming talented artists, you know? And it's like, also maybe we need more casting offices that are specifically for Spanish shows.

You know, like we really need, like, it's like, I keep saying we need to build our community more. Like we just really need to stick together. And I don't know, maybe create programs for, you know, aspiring Latinos who want to write, who want to create, you know, and mentoring programs and doing what you and I are doing. You know, we're sharing stories and telling our stories and hopefully someone else will listen to it and be inspired. It's just like word of mouth and just supporting. I mean, it's not easy. I don't have all the answers, but I feel like if we really just come together and really push forward everything that we've got, you know, as a community. And I think that's another thing too.

It's funny because our community can be a little judgmental within our, like with each other. And I feel like we really need to drop that and just come together as a community, you know, because for instance, West Side Story, I know some Latinos feel a certain way about the film, but it's like, I understand this is not the only story for all of Latinos. This is a story, but also you need to recognize the actors that are in the film that are up-and-coming new Latinos, you know, who are representing and giving their all to this project. And so it's like, we just got to dig deep and just come together and really push. We got to educate. We got to educate and get our stories out there.

[24:31] Martín Acuña: Yeah. And you know, for me, this show, it wasn't much about the story because we know the story like the back of our hand, right? We know this love story. We know the gang fights. We already know that for me, this remake was, as you said, about all these fresh faces that are entering the industry that are breaking the industry and are saying, we are here and we have a lot to give. And I absolutely agree to, and that is the purpose of this season, to bring our community together. And I know that a lot of my guests know each other and I just love that.

[25:24] I want to double click on West Side now and ask you during this process of the film with all these new amazing cast, with this new perspective from Steven Spielberg, what is the most important part of creating Latin characters in a musical?

[25:42] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: I would say it's so important, not only to represent, you know, Latin characters, but the authenticity of that character. For instance, my agents have sent me auditions, you know, for Latino characters. But the breakdown will say, this character is Mexican and we need her to have, you know, the right accent. And it's like, I appreciate that my agents sent me this audition, but as a Latina, as a Puerto Rican, I don't feel comfortable playing a Mexican, you know, and trying to make up that accent when I know there's so many amazing Mexican actors that are perfect for the role. It's like us Latinos are put in a box because we speak Spanish, but no, it's like we have so many colors and so many differences that that is also so important to me, I think, as an artist.

So I've had times where I'm like, listen, I don't feel comfortable. I don't have a Mexican accent. I have a Puerto Rican accent. Is that possible to do it how I would do it? You know, it's just for me, it's just like respecting the authenticity of representing, you know, it's not just, oh, she's Latina, so she can play any role. No, no, I don't. I always like struggle with that because it's been a thing where, and I love my agents, but it's also like, that's the thing we need to educate.

[27:33] Martín Acuña: Absolutely.

[27:35] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: And let them know that, no, we have so many different things to give within our community. So I think that's a big one, you know, like for instance, Stephen, he hired all Latinos to play sharks. I mean, they weren't all Puerto Rican, but it was very important for him. You know, I remember the breakdown, they were like, do you speak Spanish? Where's your family from? You know, they wanted to know all of our backgrounds and to make sure that we were authentic, at least Spanish, you know, so we had Cubans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, you know, we had all of it. And I thought that was so, that was a huge part, you know, that's so important to acknowledge, you know, and I'm so grateful that he really took his time to find us, you know, he really, that was so important to him. And I loved that about him.

[28:39] Martín Acuña: Yeah. Yeah. And that shows throughout the movie. And it was spectacular.

[28:46] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Thank you. Oh, I know. I can't believe I'm still, I'm in, like, I just, I'm like, what?

[28:55] Martín Acuña: Tanairi, if someone wants to contact you, find you, follow you on social media, where can they go and get a hold of you?

[29:01] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Yes. So I have my Instagram is literally Tanairi Chavez Vazquez. It's super long. You won't miss it. I also have a website. It's TanairiVasquez.com. And you can find me on Facebook as well. And Twitter. I believe it's just Tanairi Vazquez.

[29:27] Martín Acuña: Yeah. Okay. And before we wrap up, my last question is, which are your top five favorite musical theater shows?

[29:34] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Well, obviously, West Side Story.

[29:42] Martín Acuña: Where everything started and where it is today.

[29:48] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Yes. So West Side Story, In the Heights, Hamilton, Come Fly Away. And, oh gosh. I really enjoyed Memphis.

[30:00] Martín Acuña: Nice. Yeah.

[30:03] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Yeah. I think you're the first one to mention that show.

[30:06] Martín Acuña: Yeah. I loved that show. It was original. It won, I think, best musical that year. I saw it like three times. I loved it.

[30:14] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Awesome. Tanairi, thank you so much for coming over. I admire you. I cannot wait to see what else comes down your path. You're the best. Thank you so much for coming over. It means a lot.

[30:31] Tanairi Sade Vazquez: Of course. Anytime. And continue doing this, please. I love this and I support this so much. Thank you.

[30:45] Martín Acuña: Thanks, everyone, for listening to this new episode of Backstage Talk. Remember to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Backstage Talk Podcast.