Kate Loprest Interview

Today i interviewed Kate Loprest, some of her roles include Glinda and Nessarose in the Chicago Production of Wicked. Amber in Hairspray on Broadway

She also coaches young performers on auditions if you are interested reach her at WWW.Kateloprest.Com  under Coaching

What made you realize you wanted to be a performer? 

Quite honestly, I've always been a performer. From as young as I can remember, I was always dressing up and day-dreaming or pretending I was someone else. Fully committed, too. I wouldn't respond to any name other than the guise I was under at the time. As I grew older, I started taking classes and then, one day, I got a JOB performing! It was the Midwest premier of VIOLET in 1999. I played Young Vi. The experience change my life in a lot of ways but it was the first time my passion became a career. I was 15. Whats the biggest blooper you've made on stage? 

I just had it in my last show! I was doing a production of a new play at Barrington Stages called Engagements. It was our first week of performances (after 3 weeks of rehearsal AND tech). Its a small house (about 120 ppl when full) and every little thing can distract you. I had been given a note to watch the slip on my dress when I sat on this couch onstage and I sat down and was not only distracted by the note, but there were suddenly a number of people being filed in late and I just went blank. My scene partner is supposed to be ignoring me in the scene so he could be no help, and the other person is in a quick change so I just had to eat it which felt like an eternity. Pretty scary. How long does it take to put Glinda makeup on? 

I love make up. I'm a girly girl. And putting on shoe make-up is really the start of my process of getting into character so I take my time with it. I'd say 25 minutes. It was about 9 years ago though smile emoticon What are your dream roles? 

So many. I want to play all the roles hahaha! Specifically, I'd love to play Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Louise in Gypsy, Lucy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Catherine in Pippin, Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and because Violet was my professional debut, I'd like to play older Violet. However, there are also a lot of dramatic theatre roles I'd love to play, not just musical roles. I'm dying to play Maggie in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof and Vanda in Venus in Fur. What's your favorite musical? 

No such thing. I love them all. But to be specific: A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Funny Girl. Each of those has a very special place in my heart. If you could play any role as male who would it be? 

Honestly, I'd love to play Mercutio in an all female version of Romeo and Juliet. How cool would that be? What was your favorite costume in all of the shows you've done? 

Favorite Costume: I did a production of a beautiful show called Sarah, Plain and Tall in Dallas a few years ago. Those costumes were AMAZING. All built for me but with beautiful fabrics and details. Tell me about your first audition and how it felt when you got cast for the first time? 

My first audition ever was for a community children theatre in my hometown and they were doing The Sound of Music. I remember getting called back and knew that it was either going to get me cast or not. In the moment of the audition, I remember having FUN. And I got cast in the show! I was a kid in the ensemble and there were a BILLION of us but it was so much fun! I was very proud. What was your Glinda and other roles you understudied debut like? 

My Glinda debut was a whirlwind because I had gone on for my OTHER understudy role (Nessa) for the first time THE DAY BEFORE! Yes. Both understudy roles. For the first time. In 48 hours. I was very nervous but luckily I was in the Chicago production and I'm originally from Chicago so my whole family was there. They saw that show quite a few times smile emoticon What advice to you have for people who want to be musical theatre performers? My advice for people who want to become performers is to never stop learning. Get yourself to class. Do things that are new and scary. Push your limits. When we stop learning, we stop playing, daydreaming, imagining and we need those things to do our job with pleasure.

If you weren't a performer what would you be?

If I weren't a performer, I'd save animals. Any animal. All the animals. All day long. How long did it take you to get an agent,equity card, and to get cast?

I actually got my agent and my equity card kind of on the same day. The day after Michigans (my alma mater) showcase, I got a call from an agent wanting to have a meeting with me AND I got a call about doing a show that would give me my equity card. Crazy! After I moved to NYC, I got cast in Wicked 3 months later but I had started going in for the show months before graduating during my senior year in college.