Interview with Natalee Fera

Natalee Fera is another newcomer to Fighting Chance Productions, but certainly not new to the Vancouver theatre scene. She played most of the female roles in the long-running hit Tony & Tina’s Wedding and she also appeared a few years back as the Fairy Godmother in Footlight’s production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. We’re thrilled she’s bring her voice and comic skills to our production of Forbidden Broadway.

What was your first musical theatre experience?

The first musical theatre experience I can think of was when I was 3. My mother put on Annie for my younger sister and I, and we watched it almost every day. It got to the point where we were under 5 years old, and we could recite, sing, and dance the entire movie.

What is your Dream Role?

Since I have already played my dream role, “Lucy” in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, I would love to play one of the Hilton twins in Sideshow, or “Elphaba” in Wicked (like half the musical theatre world), or Lynette Fromme in Assassins. My other dream role will most likely not happen, as it is “Judas” in Jesus Christ Superstar.

What is the scariest thing you’ll have to do in Forbidden Broadway?

Sing the he Barbra Streisand song, AND make it entertaining…..

What is the best experience you’ve had in the theatre?

Doing shows at Capilano College (now Capilano University) in the Theatre Program. Also, the Musical Theatre class started while I was still at Cap, and learning from Lars Kaario and Gillian Barber was inspiring and was a huge wealth of knowledge.

Do you have any musical theatre role models?

Lea Salonga. Her voice is perfection. I am also very attached to Ethel Merman. When I was younger, I bought a cassette tape (I was pretty young) called “You Sing the Hits of Ethel Merman”. Just saying……don’t be jealous.

If you could go back in time and be a part of any Broadway show which show would it be, who would you play, and why?

It would have been amazing to have been a part of the 1957 live broadcast on CBS of Roger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. It was shot and aired LIVE on TV, just like real theatre, but with no audience. I beleive it was Julie Andrews’ first role, and I would have LOVED to have played either the Fairy Godmother, or be an ugly stepsister alongside Kaye Ballard.

List the four theatrical people you would have around your dinner table in an ideal world.

Cole Porter, Oscar Wilde, William Shakespeare, and Stephen Sondheim

If you couldn’t perform, what would you do?

I would be pretty cranky if I couldn’t perform. I would write shows that I couldn’t be in, and then be overly critical of the people in the shows…..muah ha ha ha!

What do you think is missing from the Vancouver theatre scene?

A larger audience of cultured people who appreciate all kinds of theatre, mainstream and off-beat.