Broadway actress Mikaela Secada chatted about the new “Unforgettable” duet with her father Jon Secada, her Broadway debut in “Back to the Future,” experience in “A Chorus Line” and being a part of the digital age.
How does it feel to release “Unforgettable” as a duet with your father, Jon Secada? (Nat King Cole classic)
I think it’s so important to honor the artists who came before us. I learned this from my dad growing up.
We always listened to the classics in jazz around the house. Being able to record this song in homage to Nat King Cole and his daughter Natalie Cole is in pure respect to them.
In a way it feels like we’re really basking in the beauty of being in the same industry together. Because “unforgettable” wasn’t a duet until much later in Natalie’s life and career.
I’m filled with gratitude that I get to share this experience with my dad at this exciting and budding time in my life and career.
How was your experience in “Back to the Future” on Broadway?
It’s crazy to think that I made my Broadway debut in “Back to the Future” two years ago.
I spent the last 10 years striving to make it in Broadway and when I took my bow on The Winter Garden stage, it was a very surreal moment for me.
As a cast, we had so much fun together in that building. From backstage dressing room bar crawls to weekend getaways with the women’s ensemble, we really enjoyed every second of the unique experiences we shared.
What was it like working with Casey Likes?
It was honestly amazing how quickly Casey and I clicked as friends and colleagues.
From day one, he was a true professional, always making me feel comfortable and at ease. I think our friendship off stage really speaks toward our chemistry on stage.
We had a lot of fun making each other giggle during our scenes, unbeknownst to the audiences. I’m endlessly proud of him and what he continues to accomplish in his career.
I would love nothing more than to share the stage with him again in the future.
How is your experience in “A Chorus Line”?
Diana Morales has always been a dream role for me. Despite having played her in High School, approaching the role ten years later feels like a different experience altogether.
I’m now the age of the character, and I’ve lived the very experience that is talked about in the show. Dreaming of being on Broadway as a dancer is totally different from living it day to day.
There are struggles and fears that no one can prepare you for until you’re there. There’s a monologue at the end of the show right before I sing “What I Did for Love” that’s touches on what it’s like to be a kid dreaming of making it one day, saying “I’ll never be that old!
I’ll never be old enough to come out of that stage door. But deep down inside I knew I would. And goddamn it, I’ve come this far and I’m not giving up now!” and I don’t even have to act when we get there.
It’s insane how 50 years later the words couldn’t be any more true.
What inspires your music and songwriting?
I’m truly inspired by the classics. My great aunt was a famous singer in Cuba. Her name was Moraima Secada, and while I never got to meet her because she died long before I was born, I feel especially close to her and her music. She was a true Diva Cubana.
Her music, along with that of others like Omara Portuondo and Elena Burke is full of drama, passion, and longing, which is something I’d like to reflect on my own music someday.
In a more modern aspect, I love RnB artists like SZA, Snoh Aalegra, and Summer Walker.
What do your plans for the future include?
I’d love to record my own music at some point down the line. But my true aspiration is to continue and strengthen my career in film and TV. Working on Broadway was my dream since I was 15 years old.
Now that I’ve accomplished that, I feel a new drive to really establish myself as actor for the camera. It’s so different than acting for the stage and that’s a challenge that is truly inspiring me at the moment.
How does it feel to be an artist in the digital age?
The era of social media we are entering as a society is scary, to be completely honest. If it were up to me, I’d wipe my digital footprint and never post on social media again.
However, I think as an emerging artist, there’s an unspoken obligation to have a social media presence, and especially one with notability, views, and plenty of followers.
As much as I’d like to think people aren’t watching, they are. It’s also become a strange platform for one to vocalize what they do or do not stand for politically. So many pertinent disasters happening in our country and around the world.
From gun violence and lack of gun control in the U.S., to the genocide being committed in Gaza— it feels like social media is the only place where people can stand for what is right. While that’s not exactly true, it’s like “if you’re not posting about it, then what do you stand for?”
As an artist, I feel so much empathy for the injustices happening, but I also understand that a social media post isn’t going to solve anything at all really.
What is your advice for young and emerging artists?
My number one piece of advice for young and emerging artists is to stay humble, be kind to everyone you encounter in this industry, and always say thank you!
In a business that relies so heavily on cooperation with others, the number one thing in my experience that has led me to keep on working is that I try to always lead with positivity and grace in every room I walk into so that my reputation precedes me for the next rooms I will walk into.
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
Success means to me that when I wake up every morning, I am happy to be exactly where it is I’m at.
Whether I’m working, or not. Because in the life of an artist, there will always inevitably be downtime and slow periods.
However, not letting those periods of not working signify that I am not successful. Success comes from within.
To learn more about Broadway performer Mikaela Secada, follow her on Instagram.
Read More: Review of “Unforgettable” duet featuring Jon Secada and Mikaela Secada.
