Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club Morning.
Everybody is DJ en Vy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne, the gud We are the breakfast Club.
We got a special guest in the building.
Yes, indeed, Lyncia Cabetti. Did I say it right?
Pretty close?
Well, what is it?
Cobetta Cobeta?
But got it?
Welcome, thank you, Welcome, welcome, welcome.
Now, if you don't know who she is, she's an actress and the first black actress.
Oh wait, wait, wait, look let me say something cause she because she off here before we just started. She said, how did y'all find me? I said, You're the first black actress to play alpha Be full time? How can we find she said? How dare I exact, sir, black actress to play alpha Be full time on the Broadway Wicked?
How's congratulations first and foremost?
Thank you so much. I mean, it's a dream come true. It's like surreal sometimes and sometimes I'm like, oh, yeah, this is exactly where I always thought I would be doing something like impactful for our community and our industry. But most days are just like I'm just dumbfounded. I can't believe I'm singing these songs what.
Did it mean for you personally and what did it mean for Brown personally?
It was an opportunity to tell the story of my community, our struggles, our strengths, our power, for our for our industry, for the entertainment industry. I think it just opened the eyes of who can do what and who was capable of what, and just like brought a more creative outlook to art.
Now you ain't Hamilton before, but I want to start from the beginning my birth. Okay, how did you get into the arts?
Like?
What was it so special to you? Said this is what I want to do.
You know, It's funny. I started at church and I hated singing. My parents saw something special in me and kind of like thrust me into music and correct. Both my parents are from Ethiopia immigrants, so I'm first generation and I loved playing outside. I loved playing sports. I was super into my academics too. I was just like a really hype kid. I feel like I was just I couldn't be stopped. Lots of energy, especially for this role.
But like being inside rahearsing and like I just was like I want to be outside and I want to be playing. But I started to see like how music affected people specifically in church and how that moved people spiritually. And I was like, wait, I think I'm good at this something. I don't know what it is. I don't know how to hone in on it, but I know that it just feels special. So I wanted to keep trying.
And then I started doing like community theater and middle school and high school, and in college, I decided I wasn't going to study it. I had other interests. I studied diplomacy and world affairs and undergrad and politics, all different angles to make like positive change to the world around me.
I mean how many times?
And then you got to Broadway, So explain how you got to Broadway and those feelings.
Midway through my five year run in Hamilton, the audition for Alphabat came up and I already actually had another job offer that I was very excited to embark on, and my team was like, I mean, it depends on what you want to do, and I was like, WHOA, no black woman has ever played this role. I'm not going to pass up this opportunity. So auditions it was like six rounds across maybe like four months of me flying to New York from La on Zoom, just lots
of different It's a long process. If that's such a technical skill, would that that is required for this character. So after all those rounds and the up and downs of the emotions, I got it. I don't, I gotta, I don't, am I good? I don't know. It's just like so much inner turmoil. I finally got the call from my agent and I started cracking up. I'd like I couldn't even like emote. I was just like, this cannot be happening right now.
I think thought it was a joke or you or you didn't know what you felt.
I think I didn't know what I felt. I was like in shock. Yeah, at that point, I think I had convinced myself that it was highly possible. I was. I was in the final like four people maybe, but I was like Universe, God, Mother, Earth, I receive whatever is mine, however, I want this set, and I feel like I would be great for this moment, but like,
I accept the outcome. So I think I was. I was playing both outcomes internally so well that no matter what that call would have whatever the outcome of that call would have been, I would have been ready so I think my body was like, oh, okay, this is happening. I had to like go on a walk and like ground myself to remember what was real. I couldn't believe this.
Mean, how many times do people try to gas like you like, is America ready for a black alpable?
Right?
Like the damn green face isn't fantasy enough.
It's so silly, and it's people say things like she's green, like it doesn't matter what her race is, and I'm like, she's green exactly. She looks different than everybody else. That is the point. So I do think the world was ready. I do think the world was ready, and I feel so grateful that it was me.
You know, it's only interesting.
Like I took my nine year old and my six year old to see Working on Broadway and they saw the movie, so it's the Dim Alpha.
But is black?
Isn't that?
Like if I say, if I say that to them, you're like, you know, she's black, right, Like of course.
That's all they know.
Is as crazy that this generation gets to live in this in this climate and see it as normal, Like that's what they get to grow up experiencing. And that's my favorite part of this is this whole generation that is just this is their norm.
Why do you think it took decades for a black woman to get this role full time?
Like?
What does that say about Broadway? If anything, I.
Think art is a reflection of the society it represents. So I don't think Broadway was particularly doing anything outside of what our country represented. And as times have changed, so has art. Art has shifted. So I feel like it's exactly the timing is exactly right. And again, like I can't speak to why I took this long, but all I know is I'm happy I'm here.
Do you get a lot of love or do you get a lot of hate?
I get a lot of love. I mean, haters are haters. There's always haters, there's always critics.
The reason I asked is like I took my kids too, And of course the majority of people in there are others.
Well, I should say all white.
I was gonna say, but I was wondering lovers.
You're the other.
Actually I'm green, okay?
And what type of hate do you get? Is it letters?
Is it? You know?
Because I thought that the play was phenomenal, Like I said, when I seen you in Hall, I took my three year old, and then I took my twenty three.
Year old, Wow, and they both enjoyed it.
They both joyed great.
Across the generations people relate. I mean, it's the hate. I don't know. I wouldn't even call it hate more than just like strong opinions, because less so about race, more just because this is a long running show twenty two years. Everyone who has seen who comes to see Wicked has seen Wicked more or less. The amount of people who are new to this piece of work is very little, so everybody knows every word, every intonation, like every way every single line goes or every vocal part goes.
So it's less like why they're a black Alphaba. I don't really get that. There's more celebratory energy about the racial thing. But people just like what they like, and you know what, that's fine. I cannot be for everyone, and I think that's what this show is teaching me, especially this character who has to fight with the world around her not trusting her and misunderstanding her. But she always says true to who she is, and that I think is my biggest takeaway from playing this role.
What was the most challenging part about playing Alphaba?
If there are any I would say a mental and emotional fatigue. The show is very emotionally taxing. I am constantly faced with like the biggest, most complicated inner feelings that specifically a black woman can experience, feeling othered, feeling misunderstood, not being trusted, disillusionment, believing in someone, trusting in someone,
and then realizing that it's not what it seems. So I think there's a lot of times when I leave the show and I have to just like I don't even turn on the lights in my apartment for hours. I have to be like dead in my head because it's just like the emotional rollercoaster of what the character requires also requires me to plug in and charge when I'm not there.
Let's stay there for a minute. Yeah, because alphabet is one of the most demanding roles in.
If not the most, you have the most.
So what's your apprecial ritual to get into that headspace and voice space every night?
I think I definitely take stock in how I'm feeling. If I'm feeling like more tired, maybe I listen to like hype music, or like take a walk, or like take a hot yoga class, something to get me my energy going. But if I'm feeling particularly stimulated that day, sometimes listening to like jazz and something calmer, I usually do like a thirty minute warm up, half of it physical, half of it vocal. And then while I'm getting the greening, which takes thirty minutes to do my makeup every day.
When they're doing that for me, that's when I play music, and music I feel like is what drops me into whatever emotional space I need to get into the character.
Make up only take thirteen thirty minute thirty minutes, Yeah, yeah, I expect it more right.
People usually think it takes like hours. It was gonna probably just do your face, neck and hands right right and like a little bit down my back, but like it's only a little bit down my arm.
So do you have a life on Broadway? Can you have a life on Broadway with the amount of shows.
That you see? Let me tell you.
Eight a week. We have one day off yesterday, I would say there, you can have a life on Broadway When you're Alphaba, though, which is a different.
Beast life that's very difficult.
I think. I try. I'm a communal being. I need the energy of other so I try to balance it. But most states. I do spend chilling on my own because, like I said, the mental toll is really I really have to like relax in order to bring my whole heart and soul emotionally to the characters. So everybody has a life, but I have less of a life right now. But you know what the sacrifice is worth it? Let me tell you it is worth it.
What's harder hitting that defying gravity? Note eight times a week are carrying the weight of representation every time.
The curry cool? Ain't that the question? Definitely the representation. It's just it means so much to so many people. And like I think another back to what you were saying about the hardest parts of the role, Like I put a lot of pressure on myself to make every interaction I have through this period of my life has something meaningful to audiences black, brown, white, It don't matter. Like I just I think that that opportunity can sometimes feel like pressure to me, just because I care so
much and I've really want especially the kids. I want kids to go away feeling empowered. So defying gravity is like it's like a science is like this is how you're sing. It is vocal technique, but with the cultural, racial, emotional aspects of it. Like those those things take real care and I really put a lot of effort into how I present myself and what I share with my community.
So you feel actual pressure to represent.
I do feel pressure in that. I feel like it's more self induced, just because, like I said, I care so much about positively impacting the world around me, and that's I feel like that's been one of my dreams since I was a kid, Like I never knew what I would do growing up, but like that's kind of why I went into politics for a little while too and still have a passion for it, is that I
care so much about just like positively inspiring people. So yeah, I do feel pressure, only because that's what I choose to care about. I don't think anybody puts it on me besides myself, which is why this role teaches me to stay you know, connected and true to who I am, regardless of what's happening around me.
Because I feel like, if you just bring your full self to the role, that's enough.
I completely agree, and that's exactly what the character does. She brings herself to all these crazy life situations, and that's how she survives and thrives.
Do you did you reach out to actresses before you to just to ask them how the role was and the role and are they open to it, especially you being black? Well, were they open to it or wasn't one of those states?
Like yeah, No, they were incredibly open. They call it kind of like a sisterhood. Like the people who have played Alphaba, they all sort of say, like, nobody can know what it's like until you've done it, So like any vocal teacher, any like voice doctor, therapists, like I can't explain to anybody in words what it feels like
unless you you know, you've experienced it. So hearing their experiences was like incredibly inspiring and just like really positive guidance for me dealing with the strenuous nature of it. Like the one main thing I took away from all those conversations was like the girls, a lot of the girls were saying, like, anything you experience, every other alphabet has experienced, so like you're not alone in those intense feelings when it gets difficult. So that just made me feel less crazy.
And what's the craziest thing that's happened on stage? Did you see like a favorite celebrity in the stage directive one to the bathroom, What was the craziest thing that happened to you as.
You good question.
I can't really see the audience sometimes sometimes when I know something like Serena Williams when the audience recently and I was like, oh, Queen. Sometimes I stumble words and like say crazy things and I just have to like find a way to get around it.
But during the performance, yes it happens.
I don't think so unless there's like a long silence. I think people are so dropped into the show that they're like, they're not worried.
Have you met Cynthia Arriva.
I haven't met her yet. She did send me flowers on my debut, my first show, which was sweet. But I think we should probably be doing some stuff soon.
How do you navigate being celebrated but still feeling like you're breaking through systems that weren't designed for you.
I celebrate myself because what I'm doing is a literal revolution, and I believe art is a part of social change and political growth. I believe art shapes culture and culture shapes art. It's sort of symbiotic in that way. So I feel like the fact that I have the opportunity to break through these barriers also like strengthens my relationship with myself. I'm like, yeah, you did that.
Who was your elphab growing up? Like, who made you believe you can defy gravity?
That's a great question, I would say, seeing Cynthia for sure. I mean Cynthia has done so many amazing projects, yeah, which like haven't just inspired me endlessly. Audre McDonald also how she has crossed over to different industries, to within the entertainment industry. So seeing black women be sort of like multi hyphenated artists, it's inspired me so much and made me feel like like if they can do it, you know I can't do.
Do you remember your first audition for a Wicked Yes?
Oh yeah, it was terrified, shaking. I remember the first time I sang define gravity in front of the creative team. I feel like my hands were like literally like I was like, yeah, I was so nervous. It was probably one of the hardest things I overcame in my career so far, like that day, because it meant so much to me. I knew what it would mean if I would continue on in the process being the first black woman in the possible first black woman in the role,
and just the difficulty of the material. I was stressed. But then when I did it, I was like, no, I can do anything. Like once I did it the first time, I was like, I'm good, I got it.
Are you a sick thing or do anything together at the Tony Awards because you said.
I pray, honey, that's what I'm I am asking the universe and doing all the networking I can try to get. She is hosting, I pray. I pray. So if anyone can hear me, bring me to the Tonys. I would like to be in attendance. I think it would be really great for our community.
You haven't been nominated yet.
I can't be nominated for Wicked because it's not a new show in this season. I know that, Yeah, that's a thing.
That's crazy. But if you're an actress, are actor that takes the role to another level, yeah you've done well.
Thank you one to I agree. I do think that long running show should have the opportunity to award you know, particular performances in that way. But for my knowledge of how it works, it's about the new works of that season. There's like a maybe you know, September of the last year until March of the current year or something some timeline that the show has to open. From what I understand.
Back to what and he was asking you like, do you have a life outside?
Ye?
So look right, So you don't you have friends? Of course?
Okaye?
Please? I need a community.
Okay, right, okay?
So you you're a liber you got a birthday coming up? Yes, what are you going to?
Like?
What do you do for your birthday? Are you working?
I don't know. I guess if my birthday falls on a Monday, it would be rare and that I would be off, but most likely I'm working.
You're off on Mondays, off on Mondays and that's the only d that's the only day.
And so you work tonight? Correct?
Yeah, we got shows tonight?
What days?
You have two shows today?
One? No? Today is one Wednesday and Saturday or two usually two shows.
In a day.
You can't even have a shot if you I can't even pop up on you with a bottle, like girl.
I wish I could even have a shot. This entire year gives a glass of wine a month.
Okay, So how do you celebrate being alphabet? How do you celebrate that, like really, because it always doesn't have to involve.
In a party.
Yeah, how do you celebrate?
I mean it really is sometimes very simple things like taking a walk by the water, like it seems I know it's peace and just like I've never lived in New York City. I'm from California.
I will take the.
Water, I'll take the natural whatever or the trees. But like it always, it always hits me hard when I think about, like why I'm in New York. It's for this job. It's for this special groundbreaking role that I'm in. So like when I when I finished the eighth show week and I literally just walk out the theater, like I just this piece comes over me because I'm like, look what I have accomplished, and look where I am in this city that I've always wanted to live in.
So I feel like celebration comes in very simple, I guess, non conventional ways, but not really just personal ways. But like, look, I take my days off next week, I'm going to Vegas and visit my friends, and I will be having a grand time.
Sometimes gratitude to celebrate, I.
Agree, That's what I mean, Like just walking out the out of the theater, and being like just taking a moment to feel what I'm doing. I feel like I've won the lottery.
Is it true that you know it's hard to get take us to wicked at times?
Right? Yeah?
Is it true that for one of your shows you had sixty family members in presence for one of your shows?
That is correct? And you know what, most of them were family members and they all wore like are traditional Ethiopian clothes. And I was like the groserwand has never seen so many Africans And it made me so happy just to see like my culture represented in that in that space and.
Talk about your culture. I've seen a picture on your Instagram family together and you were saying, this is my tribe, and yeah, how a close knit family?
How was that? Growing up?
Is everything? I mean, I think that's probably one of the reasons I even had the confidence to pursue this career path. Like my parents are immigrants, you know, most of my aunts and uncles and parents are you know, corporate politics. You know, did they understand? They did not understand, but they did trust me, which is I think a strong distinction because they knew my work ethic, they knew that I had a very logical approach to it, but
having their support was invaluable. I mean I could not be who I am today without every single one of them.
Yeah, I did have a few more questions. I know you should do.
I love being here.
I got time.
I got time for you, Trum, I got time for you.
I remember seeing you cry after performing defying Gravity one time, Like.
That's probably true, Yes happens often.
What were you feel so you cry all the time?
Not all the time, but I would say every now and then.
What were you feeling in that particular moment.
That moment in the show is Alphaba realizing her power, not knowing it, but just realizing it, if that makes sense. So when I get up there and I'm you know, flying and singing that song, it's like it's the ultimate. It's it's like arriving at self actualization. It's like I'm at the starting line of like anything I could possibly be. So sometimes when I hit the last note and lights go off, I'm like I like this because I'm like,
like I'm doing it. I'm doing the thing that like my ancestors could not even imagine, Like even me as a kid, I couldn't. I couldn't even dream. I didn't even dream of being elb Like that wasn't even an option. It wasn't even like I understood the racial divide as a kid. It was just not even something I even had the purview to imagine. So now in that moment, stepping into my power and let and having that being the beginning of my my journey, it's like it's it's overwhelming in the best way.
Wow, your birthday is on Wednesdays.
And it's two shows. I'll be in the theater. It's fine, right, it'll be green reinfressing.
So what is the role taught you about yourself? Not not as a performer, well, not just as a performer, but.
As That's such a good question because I always like to I give a lot to my characters, but like I like to examine what my characters are giving me too. I think we sort of touched upon it. But she's she's teaching me to be unapologetic in who I am, and like you were saying, like trust that showing up being in this role is what is impactful. I don't have to do anything else besides just literally be the
representation on the stage. So she's really she's really challenging me to get my values in order in that you know, my relationship with myself is the priority and is my superpower.
Now you did it. You did backup singing for Beyonce one time.
I did talk about that and who crazy? It was only a couple of weeks. It was for her Coachella rehearsals and what shoot twenty eighteen? Yeah, I think, And just to see the master, I mean, that's it. Like she is everything you can imagine, and she's so grounded. And to watch how she interacts with every department of every aspect of her of her art is beautiful, down to every every step, every costume, every lighting, music choice, like it's it was so inspiring to be to be in her presence.
And don't ever say it was only for I ain't saying for a four hour if you were twenty five years old, you were so young, I am able to experience that.
That's dope.
It's so crazy. Yeah, bless her for that experience. Really life changing.
What's more intense doing that a Broadway?
I heard this eight shows a week, Like it's the frequency, you know what I mean, If it was a couple of week, it'd be different. You know what I'm saying, Like one show a day, a couple times a week, manageable every day, it's a lot.
How do you want your time as Alpha?
But to be remembered, You wanted to be remembered as a turning point, a movement, are beginning?
Oof?
I love that turning point, movement or beginning? Can I think it could be all of them? I really do. I think it's it's a turning point because it's a you know, historic, it's the first time a movement, a movement that has been moving already. So it's sort of like I'm jumping on the train. Maybe I'm sitting in the passenger seat, but I feel like that train is already moving. And Yeah, I wanted to be a moment where well, people look at me and wonder what their
own capabilities are, because that's what this experience was. I didn't although I wanted to be the role, I didn't. I wasn't sure that I was even equipped to manage the intensity of how technical it is. But I took a chance on myself. I took a chance on my power and my my abilities, and that's what I want this moment to be remembered as.
Yeah, man, it's like everyone deserves a chance to fly, me have a whole different meaning with you.
Oh my god, that's my favorite line. I mean, what couldn't kept encapsulate the theme of the show more than everyone deserves a chance to fly? So my leg Yeah, of course.
So the first week, your first week on broblem, after you realize okay, this is really eight shows, what was that feeling on that Sunday?
You know this is probably gonna be surprising to you maybe, but I was like, no, I got this. I was like, I was so concerned with my ability to sustain this, and I was wrong for doubting that I really was. I finished the week and I was like, look, it's a lot of work. I'm tired. My body's tired, my voice is tired, my mind is tired. But like I'm equipped.
I feel like I feel like I've had a lot of work experiences that I've built me to be able to sustain this, and like my body is strong so long as I take care of her, she serves me. So I finished that weekend, I was like so impressed with my own ability to be honest, I was shocked.
I was a shocked person got the job.
Thank you are amazing.
You keep killing it. Like I said, my family loved it. We had a great time. So Kendy was expensive. I ain't go from my kids wanted every piece of can.
They know that the kids will eat the snacks.
But they had a great time.
Loved this so much.
Thank you so much.
Man, my pleasure.
You gotta go check it out.
I am I'm the only one who has not seen it.
Come on out.
I'm coming girl. I know about you, so I'm like, I gotta come and support you.
Appreciate it and you all amazing. Thank you all.
Right, Lyncia, Lyncia, Lyncia.
You got it.
Last name Cobetta co Betta.
He's still going to mess it.
Upright, ladies and gentlemen, It's the Breakfast Club.
Come morning.
Thank you so much, Thank you so much.
Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club.