Joining The Tribe
ATWT’s Vanessa Ray is currently pulling double duty — and living out a lifelong dream. Not only is the actress shaking things up in Oakdale as Janet’s younger sister, Teri, but she was also recently tapped to play Crissy in the hippie fabulous, Tony-winning revival of Hair on Broadway, which she’ll be appearing in through January. Digest chatted with Ray about her new gig.
Soap Opera Digest: First of all, congratulations! How in the world did you land a role in Hair?
Vanessa Ray: My agent let me know that one of the girls [in the cast] was going to be gone on medical leave and asked me if I was interested in playing Crissy. I didn’t even know if I was, to be honest. It’s a dream come true to be in a Broadway show and it’s what I moved to New York City to do, but it’s big shoes to fill! It was a big challenge for me and I was very nervous that I wouldn’t be able to live up to how brilliant the show is. And also, scheduling-wise, how it would work with filming AS THE WORLD TURNS.
Digest: So what changed your mind?
Ray: I’m definitely the kind of person who just always gravitates toward challenge. I get freaked out, but I have to have it!
Digest: What was your reaction when you found out you got the part?
Ray: Everyone on the [ATWT] cast was like, “Have you heard? Do you know what’s going to happen?” And I was like, “I don’t know!” I was just sitting in my dressing room being nervous. I said, “I don’t know if I can handle hearing the news” so I needed like a Vanessa minute. I went and got my toes done — purple! I figured if I didn’t get it, at least I had purple toes! You have to find something that’s going to make you happy no matter what. I was at the Apple Store [when she found out]. I started crying and the guy at the store was like, “Are you okay?” and he shouts through the store, “She’s going to be on Broadway!” It was really, really cool.
Digest: How’d you prepare? Were you familiar with the show before?
Ray: I watched the show a lot. I only had about three full days of real working rehearsal [before starting] because I was also shooting [ATWT]. I opened on October 8. It’s a limited engagement but you never know. I’d never really even heard the music. I was on tour last year doing [The 25th Annual Putnam County] Spelling Bee and I got the soundtrack to a benefit concert to [Hair] and I was just obsessed with the music. I saw it in the park and was blown away. I’ve definitely become a huge fan of the show and the cast. I knew many of them going into it, which is nice.
Digest: I bet wearing that hippie costume is a blast.
Ray: Oh, my God! Absolutely! The first day I got the braids, the cornrows, I was like, “This is so awesome!”
Digest: Anyone from ATWT come to support you yet?
Ray: My opening night was amazing. Meredith Hagner [Liberty] came and Marnie [Schulenburg, Alison]. They’re kind of my girls. I love them. I think Julie [Pinson, Janet] and her husband Billy [Warlock, ex-Ben, Y&R; ex-A.J., GH et al] will come at some point in the future. There’s a part in the show that includes nudity and I haven’t done that yet so everyone’s waiting to see if I decide to do it!
Digest: Yikes! So, will you do it?
Ray: It’s an expression of what’s happening at that time on the show. It’s one of those things I’ve gone back and forth with. It’s a big decision! Hopefully, it’s like for a split second and back lit. Probably, in reality, nobody would even see me. Crissy would absolutely be in the front line for that but I don’t know if Vanessa’s ready to be that vulnerable in front of an audience! I talked to Maura West [Carly, ATWT] about it, actually. She’s like, “It’s still your body you’re putting out there!”
Digest: Is the daytime/nighttime schedule killing you yet?
Ray: I had my first day yesterday of shooting [ATWT] in the morning and doing two [Broadway] shows in the afternoon so I’m pretty tired! But I’m so lucky. Doing AS THE WORLD TURNS like learning your script so quickly and making choices and committing to them as an actor has helped me immensely doing Hair. Your chops have to be ready to go! I’m excited and blessed to have both of these casts that are just so supportive and loving. I’m surrounded by it right now!
Digest: You also recently traveled to perform in Washington, right?
Ray: We get to do all these cool things. We did the March For Equality in Washington. The producers of the show let us take the day off and paid for us to do the march and we performed, “Let The Sun Shine In” in front of the Capitol, overlooking the [National] Mall. It was definitely that surreal moment where I was like, “Oh, my gosh. This is what I do for a living! It’s amazing!”
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Soap Opera Digest does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.