Angela Grovey loves being an actor because she gets to step into someone else’s shoes.
“I love introducing people to new people that they may not come into contact with,” said Grovey who resides in New York City.
In the role of the voluptuous and sassy club owner Medda Larkin in Disney’s”Newsies,” she is able to do that.
“Medda is much sassier than I am. Preparing for the role was fun,” she said. “I viewed videos of women from an earlier time to see how sassy women were back then. My whole backstory with Medda was that she was in the right place at the right time. It was all about being resourceful and finding her own way. Medda knew how to sing and she could make money.
“She’s got a quickness about her and she takes a stand for what she believes in. In my mind she’s very complex,” continued Grovey. “Medda believes in the Newsie Jack Kelly and she loves him.”
The musical “Newsies” was inspired by the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899 that took place in New York City. It tells the story of Jack Kelly and a band of motley newsboys who fight back after newspaper tycoon Joseph Pulitzer raised the cost of the newspapers for the newsboys so he can out sell his competitor.
Inspired by the book “Children of the City” by David Nasaw, “Newsies” first premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2011 before making its way to Broadway in 2012 for what was supposed to be a limited engagement. “Newsies” ran on Broadway for two years.
“On Broadway this was like the little engine that could,” Grovey said with a smile. “It was only supposed to be on Broadway for a while but the reception was so good that they kept it going.”
A North American tour was launched in October of 2014. “Newsies” is set to play 25 cities over 43 weeks. The tour made a six-day sold-out stop at the Benedum Center from November 25-30.
Grovey was not surprised at Pittsburgh’s reception to the musical.
“It was a great crowd! They were really excited! Pittsburgh turned out to be a really great trip,” said Grovey who graduated from Roosevelt University’s Theatre Conservatory before going on to work professionally amidst the Chicago theater scene. “These boys are wronged by society and a big corporate company. That could happen at any time and in any profession. I think that, in addition to the show’s music, is where a lot of the appeal comes from.”
When Grovey belted out “That’s Rich” during the first act of the show and the audience thunderously applauded their approval, she accepted it with grace.
“You get instant gratification when you’re on stage. You know can tell if something works,” she said.
Prior to landing the coveted role of Medda in “Newsies,” Grovey has performed as Tracy in “Radio City Christmas Spectacular and as Angel in “Leap of Faith.” Her film work includes Earla in “Joyful Noise,” which starred Queen Latifah, Dolly Pardon and Keke Palmer. She has also portrayed Kolandra and Portia in the television sitcom, “30 Rock” opposite Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan.
The New York-based performer learned a lot of valuable lessons that she has taken into her career.
“On camera you have to trust your instincts and know what you did was right,” she said. “You have to be responsible for the footprints you put on this earth. I’m invested in something like “Newsies” that will do good for the world and I’m proud of it.”
She will perform in “Newsies” until August of 2015.
Grovey got bitten by the acting bug in ninth grade when she performed in a production of “Peter Pan” at the Theatre Under the Stars in Texas. One day when she ran out for a curtain call she tripped and fell and thought she’d ruined the show. But she got up and continued performing. Despite her mishap, the audience still clapped.
“I learned how to laugh at myself from that experience,” she said. “You make mistakes and you dust yourself off. Get up and start all over again. I hope I continue to spread my wings and do things I’ve never done before.”
