Actress and singer Isabelle McCalla (“Aladdin” and “Water for Elephants”) chatted about starring in “Schmigadoon!” on Broadway.
‘Schmigadoon!’ on Broadway
“Schmigadoon!” just earned 12 Tony nominations, including “Best Musical.” “I love being a part of this show,” she admitted.
For her dancing in “Schmigadoon!,” she has been nominated for a 2026 Chita Rivera Award for “Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show.”
“Oh my God, it’s the best honor ever,” she exclaimed. “I grew up dancing, and that’s something that most people don’t know. Dancing is actually how I started out, and it’s what I had the most training in, and it got me into college.”
“It got me into the ensemble for ‘The Prom’ and then everything kind of snowballed from there,” she said “Then, I took a 10-year break from dancing.”
“So, to be back doing this show, playing this part, and dancing Christopher Gattelli’s choreography is so much fun to do every night,” she acknowledged.
“Then, to be honored on top of that by the dance community feels like I’m where I’m meant to be. I feels like a return and it feels that I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing,” she added.
Greatest lesson that the entertainment industry and theater has taught her
On the greatest lessons that the entertainment industry and theater has taught her, she reflected, “The greatest lesson the entertainment industry has taught me is don’t listen to the noise because if you believe everything that people say about you, you will never get sleep.”
“So, the only thing that truly matters is how you feel about yourself, and if you are attaining your own level of excellence, that’s all that matters,” she added.
‘Water for Elephants’
Prior to this, McCalla starred in the Broadway musical “Water for Elephants,” where she played Marlena Rackinger opposite Grant Gustin as Jacob Jankowski.
On working with Grant Gustin, she shared, “I love Grant, he is the best! He is like my big brother. We had such a good time.”
Message for her fans
For her fans and supporters, she expressed, “Thank you so much for sticking with me, especially after my nine-month social media hiatus. I appreciate the support always, and I hope I keep making them proud.”
To learn more about actress and singer Isabelle McCalla, follow her on Instagram.
