Momoko Sugai: Interview With A Triple Threat Performer

Momoko Sugai is an actor, dancer and singer originally from Chiba, Japan. She relocated to United States in 2010 and has been working as a performer in various states after she graduated from Fullerton College (CA) where she trained in Musical Theatre.

She made her Broadway debut in the new musical Allegiance as Peggy Maruyama at the Longacre Theatre starring George Takei and Lea Salonga. She is also known for her work as Connie Wong in A Chorus Line at various theaters all over the country and Olney Theatre Center where the production won a Helen Hayes Award / Best Musical in 2013. She has also been a singer on Carnival Cruise Lines and a performer at Disney Land and California’s first theme park, Knott’s Berry Farm.

Hi Momoko, thanks for talking with us at TheatreArtLife! How are you doing, and how are you coping with the pandemic at the moment?

Thank you for inviting me! I am safe and healthy, I’ve been able to stay in touch with my friends and family over Zoom, AND in person now that more and more people are getting vaccinated including myself!

Your career has spanned across various disciplines – you are a ‘triple threat’, so how did you get your start in the industry, and what first inspired you and drew you to the Arts?

I was born and raised in Japan and that’s where I found my passion for performing. I started taking dance lessons when I was 3, and my dream was to become a professional tap dancer. But seeing my friends from dance school audition for musicals, it made me want to try diving into that world as well and of course, I fell in love with it.

When I was 11, I got into the touring production of Annie as one of the orphans and had a blast touring parts of Japan. But when I got into high school, I started thinking about future careers and focused more on school work. I decided to study abroad in the U.S. and went to high school in Washington for a year.

Sure enough, just when I stopped performing, one of my teachers suggested that I audition for the spring musical at the school which was Kiss Me Kate. I was not confident about my English then, so I was very hesitant about the whole thing, but she told me it would be such a waste if my English was why I wouldn’t audition.

So I did, and got cast as one of the supporting roles. The love I had for performing came right back!

I was surrounded by theatre kids who were so passionate about performing like I was, and it was the most exhilarating experience I had at that point in my life.

After my year as an exchange student ended, I told my mom that I wanted to become a performer. She was very worried at first because her and I both knew life of a performer was very unstable, and on top of that, she asked me if I knew any Asian performers who were successful. Stubborn me of course told her that it didn’t matter even if I could only name a few, I just knew I wanted to perform. I also knew then that I wanted to create my own path. I moved to California in 2010 and majored in Musical Theater at Fullerton College.

2 years later, I completed the Musical Theatre Certificate Program and had my first audition at a professional theatre company. They were doing one of my favorite shows, A Chorus Line. I wanted the job badly but I was new to the industry and my resume was not impressive at all.

I thought there was no chance of getting in, but I got the call that I was cast as Connie and that’s when I knew anything was possible!

I was so fortunate that my first professional show in the U.S. became the show I would do many times in my career. I played Connie in five different productions of A Chorus Line and it even brought me to the east coast. Getting cast in A Chorus Line was how I got my start in the industry and led me to meeting so many incredible people and getting so many wonderful opportunities.

How did your path progress from starting out in the industry to where you are now, and what did that journey look like?

I was on a work visa called “Optional Training Visa (OPT)”, which is a work permit you can apply for when you graduate with a degree or complete any certificate programs. But it is only valid for a year, and the work has to be related to your major. So with one-year time limit in mind, I was auditioning a lot after my first professional show, hoping to book something and gain more experiences.

That’s when I got a job at Knott’s Berry Farm as an improv actor for Halloween Haunt and joined their seasonal shows after that. I loved performing at theme parks! I had the privilege of performing at Disney Land as well and that was one of the most challenging but rewarding jobs I’ve ever had.

When I got cast in my second production of A Chorus Line, one of my cast mates told me that his friend was directing the same show in Maryland, and that he was looking for someone who could play Connie. Since I had already playedthe role twice, I sent him an email with my headshot, resume and a performance reel.

The next thing I knew, I found myself in Maryland doing my 3rd production. That was my first job outside of California and it was really exciting to live in a cast house with other performers. Some of them were from Broadway so it was such an amazing opportunity to be able to hang out and hear their stories and their experiences. They took me under their wings and they became my family.

During that time my visa was going to expire, so I decided to apply for the O1 Visa, also called an Artist Visa. It was very stressful navigating the process because it had a very low approval rate. But the people I had worked with in that year wrote me amazing recommendation letters.

To this day I am so grateful for everyone who gave me love and support during those stressful times. After a long process, I finally got my Artist Visa! I started working on both West Coast and East Coast and I found my niche; a short-feisty-triple-threat!

In 2015, the casting from the Broadway musical Allegiance came to LA. The show starred George Takei and Lea Salonga. The show was about the Japanese American Internment Camp and was inspired by George Takei’s story.

It was such an important story that needed to be told and I desperately wanted to be a part of it.

I went into the audition room terrified, but I was also so happy and proud to see so many incredible Asian performers in one room. The last round of auditions I recorded myself singing the audition songs and at the end of the video I snuck in a Japanese song that I used to sing with my mom.

My agent called me and told me that I was moving to New York because I booked my first Broadway musical! Honestly, that year seemed like a dream. Everything was surreal.

I had looked up to Lea Salonga ever since I was a little girl, and I was sharing the stage with her. When she added me on Facebook, I flipped! George was so kind and sweet, he spoke Japanese to me and the other Japanese girl in the cast sometimes. I joined the Actors’ Equity, got my green card, and experienced first-hand the insane amount of work that went into creating a new show on Broadway.

After the preview show, I got off the train and started crying by myself, because I had never felt so fulfilled in my life. Words cannot describe how incredible that experience was. The cast, the crew, the creative team, absolutely everyone involved in that show was special.

My path has also led me to the seas! In 2018, I auditioned for Carnival Cruise Line and started my cruise contract as a singer. The world of cruise ship was so different from anything I had done in my career. The last performing job I had before the pandemic started was actually with them. I had just got off my second contract and was supposed to start my third one last year. I’m hoping I can go back when the world opens up. I love how my career took me all over the place and it has been quite a ride!

You’ve had such an interesting career, is it possible to choose your favourite moments or highlights so far?

I talked a lot about Allegiance as it is definitely one of the highlights of my career. While it is so hard to pick my favorites, one of the moments that meant a lot to me was doing A Chorus Line at the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle. When I was an exchange student, I saw a show at the same theatre and I dreamt of performing there someday. So it was such a full circle for me.

I also loved my time on tour with The Little Mermaid which also started at the 5th Avenue Theatre. We rehearsed in Seattle, performed at the 5th Avenue Theatre for a month, then started the tour in the country.

The production was really important because our Ariel was played by an Asian American actress. We have been fighting for inclusivity in the industry for a long time now and things are changing little by little.

We showed the industry the direction we needed to be heading. And I was very proud to be a part of that.

I was also her body double to make the Disney magic happen on stage, so I got to wear the Ariel costume and her signature wig for parts of the show! What a dream come true!

I would have to talk about the musical HAIR too. I got cast as Crissy and went to New Hampshire for the first time. We were so close to the water and the town was so beautiful. That experience was special because most of the cast lived in a small motel and we were always together, you could tell that we were close from watching the show as well. That was also my first time being Dance Captain, and it made me more confident in my ability to lead.

And conversely, what has been the biggest obstacle or challenge you’ve overcome in your work?

There aren’t enough jobs for BIPOC performers. When I was in college, one of my teachers told us something that stuck with me forever.

“Change the casting’s mind”.

Most of the audition notices used to say this;

“Lead: Caucasian”
“Supporting: Caucasian” etc etc.

So do I only audition for Asian shows? How many Asian shows are there? The answer is, you can count with one hand. I went to so many auditions being my own cheerleader and believed that I did, in fact belong and deserve to be there. But I’ve definitely had experiences that I didn’t even get to audition because I was not white when the role actually could have gone to BIPOC performers.

But I am also ecstatic that there are movements toward more inclusive entertainment industries, and it is definitely moving in the right direction. I am so grateful for people who are doing the hard work and changing the industry for the better.

What advice would you give to your younger self if you could go back in time?

Everything will work out fine so don’t stress out too much! I actually had ulcers because I was so stressed out all the time. But I also think how hard I worked led me to where I am now, so I do want to pat myself on the back. But I want my younger self to meditate and call her family more! And don’t drink too much!!!

And looking to the future, what can we look forward to next from you? Are you working on anything at the moment?

Since the pandemic hit, I started my new journey in Media Translations. I’m taking classes for translating movies, TV shows, articles and anything media-related. I wanted to use my ability to speak two languages and apply to something that I love which is entertainment!

It’s been challenging, but I’m also excited to start something new and I am hoping to be able to pursue this career as well as performing. I’ve also been singing in a professional Acapella group and gigging here and there! It’s so nice to perform again after a year and a half!

Links:

Momoko Sugai Website

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