NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - The Drink With Kate Snow: Jessica Vosk

Episode Date: December 14, 2024

Before captivating audiences as “Elphaba” in the hit Broadway musical Wicked, Jessica Vosk was crunching numbers on Wall Street. But after being plagued by panic attacks, the actress and singer decided to take a leap of faith, and pursue her life-long dream of performing. In a candid conversation with NBC News’ Kate Snow, Vosk reflects on the risks she took, her latest Broadway production, the American Idol audition that nearly ended her dream before it began.

Hi, this is Kate Snow. So Broadway star and singer Jessica Vosk and I recently met up at Juniors, a fitting location in the heart of Manhattan on Broadway. But she was not always a Broadway star. In fact, she told me a story about American Idol that stunned me. After singing her whole childhood, she was about 20 when she got a crushing review in that audition. She takes a job in finance on Wall Street after that, but the job gave her panic attacks. And one day she decided to risk it all to pursue her lifelong dream of performing.

We talk about that moment, her role as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway, her new Christmas album, and a new role in Hell's Kitchen. It's a great conversation. I hope you enjoy it. As always, you can catch all of my conversations with top artists, entrepreneurs, visionaries, all of them at NBCNews.com slash The Drink.

Around 20, you try out for American Idol. Eventually, you end up in front of the judges. The celebrity judges. I walked in. I sang Hearts Alone. Everybody knows that song. I got it. And I sang Hearts Alone. Everybody knows that song. Now now, we've got it! And I sang it, and Simon looked at me and said,

that was pathetic. No! Yeah. Oh my god! Yes. Here we go! Hi. Oh my gosh! Jessica Voss. Yeah! What have you done?

I mean, apparently I've done many things. But it's virgin! I guess I just, I want my vitamins. Yes. This morning. We're in Juniors? We are in Juniors. It's a landmark in New York City. We're on Broadway.

We are in the heart of Manhattan, baby. Appropriate since you, Jessica Vosk, are a Broadway star, a musician, a singer, an actress, all of it. You have a new album out which I want to talk about. Yes. Can I ask first though about how this all happened? I know, it's a crazy life, right? As a kid, you were in musicals. I was. I grew up loving musicals, loving Broadway. And what'd I see, it's a crazy life, right? As a kid, you were in musicals. I was. I grew up loving musicals, loving Broadway. And what did I see, Annie?

You saw Annie. I played Annie. I dyed my hair red, cut it short, really went there, method. Okay, and you were how old? Eight, nine. And your dad, did he teach you about music? Yeah, my dad, he taught me what harmony was and he sang throughout his life. That's kind of how I think I was bitten by the bug of wanting to do this thing. Okay, but here's the plot twist.

Give it to me. Is that you go to college thinking maybe you wanna do this but then you switch completely. You go back to New Jersey, right? I do, I do. And you end up in like a business major? Yeah, I end up in an investor relations communications major. Finance. Finance, yep. That around 20 you try out for American Idol. Oh my gosh, you really have, you have done your research. Eventually you end up in front of the celebrity judges, yes. Which was Simon Oh my gosh, you really have, you have done your research. Eventually you end up in front of the judges.

The celebrity judges, yes. Which was Simon Cowell. Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and I walked in, I sang Hearts Alone, everybody knows that song. Now, now, we've got it! And I sang it, and Simon looked at me and said that was pathetic. No! Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Can you believe? I mean... My heart is breaking for you. I know. And you're like 20 at that time? Yes, I was in college. Pathetic. In college.

That was pathetic. It was desperate. It sounded so desperate. I remember saying to myself, don't cry on camera. Don't cry on camera. Because after you leave that room, they follow you all the way out to your car. And I remember being like, don't cry. Reality TV was my first foray into reality TV. I know.

Did that honestly make a change in you? I wasn't fully formed yet. I didn't have an opinion of myself necessarily to feel so strong in who I was and what I wanted to do. You feel like you're disappointing people by not making it. turning point for me and not wanting to put myself out there and just sink a little bit deeper into the background which which was sad it was sad is that part of why you end up going into finance probably yeah I did really well when it came to working in the corporate world and graduating college and going immediately into a job I got a job on Wall Street. Yeah. So it was kind of crazy, but I did. I put everything musical right down. Musical and pushed aside.

Yep. You're there three years at that job? How did that help? I didn't love the job, but I was good at the job. I started to get panic attacks, and I started to become really stressed. And then one day I just sort of sat in my office, and a sign from the universe, which I'm a huge believer in signs, a little piece of paper fell from a cabinet and it was from my grandma who had just passed away. And it was a note about, you know, wishing me luck and success in what I do. And that was the moment when I

decided, okay, I have to leave this job and do the thing that I am the most passionate about. Which is? Which is singing. Cheers to that. Cheers to that. That is such a pivot point. Yeah. How long does it take you to get a job?

It took me a couple years of babysitting. That's how I made money, that's how I paid the rent. I would show up to every open call. I would come at 6 a.m., stand in line, nine times out of 10 not get seen. I used to go to open mic nights down the street from here on 44th. Is that how a musical director hears about you?

Somebody heard I could sing. He happened to be one of the premier musical directors. I happened to be babysitting a colleague's kids at the time, got the email, and it changed my life. It was, are you available? Can you sing? I hear you're a good singer. Can you read music? Are you classically trained? And I was. I always tell people now when I look back, when that door opens, you got to be ready and you get these moments to to show what you can do and who you are. Just allow yourself to shine without apology.

You were on Broadway first in Bridges of Madison County? I was. That was my Broadway debut. And then Wicked. I did Wicked, yes. You're like, I did Wicked? I did the Wicked. People might know that Jessica. So I'll be back for good someday. Yes. You're like, I did Wicked? I did the Wicked. People might know that Jessica. Yeah.

Yeah. So I'll be back for good someday. She's probably one of the most difficult vocal roles on Broadway. You're getting painted green and you're on stage almost the entire show. And it's a lot of responsibility too. How are you feeling about the movie? I'm very, very close with Ariana Grande. She and I have been.

She's playing Glinda. Yeah, the good witch. She's worked so hard and to have somebody who you've known for so long who's such a... she's a sensation and a pop star, but to watch her take something on and take it so seriously because she's such a Broadway fan, it's very special. You have a new album out called Slay, like Santa Slay. Yeah, on a one horse open, if you will. But, you know, also a double entendre. Yes, Slay, girl. Slay, girl.

I got it. I got it. We slay all day. I listen to the album. It's fantastic. One of the people I called first was Ariana Grande to say, can I cover your song Santa Tell Me? And she not only said yes, but she wrote a beautiful little liner note in the album about it. Not only do you have a new album out, you're going on a bit of a tour.

I start at the Kennedy Center in DC for a couple days and I end at Carnegie Hall and in the middle I was supposed to be going elsewhere until I got a phone call to meet with Alicia Keys about her new musical Hell's Kitchen. I said are you sure you've got the right Jessica? Come again. And I wound up having the most incredible meeting with her. The two of us at a table together. She said, throw some harmony on this. I said, you're Alicia Keys and I'm Jessica Vosk. And I'm about to sing Alicia Keys with Alicia Keys. SOS. I mean mind-blowing. You start as the mom of the character that's basically Alicia. Yeah, yeah, based on Alicia's mom, yeah. It's incredible. This is very good. It's really good. Do you feel like you're getting your vegetables?

I do, I do. The taste, like the flavor's perfect. We got like space. We got a little horseradish. You have a huge fan base, I think, who are like loyal. Yeah, and I try to always tell people, you're not gonna always see rainbows and butterflies because it's just not what this job is. It's not what life is.

So I try and come from a really honest and authentic standpoint so that people feel seen. At the same time, there must be that moment when you're standing on stage and it's just, you can tell you're moving people. There is nothing like knowing for maybe 90 minutes or two hours you've taken someone's life and made it better. That's the whole job for me. Everything else is icing.

Can I do some rapid fire questions? You must. Favorite role ever? In Cici Bloom Beaches. Do you have a pre-stage ritual? Yes I do. I drink lukewarm water, I take a little drop of thieves oil, if you know, you know. And I eat a Lay's potato chip because it's good for the cords. Advice you would give to a younger person wanting to do what you do? Keep learning. Please never stop learning. Please be kind because it's a small world and it's a small business.

Jessica Vosk, Jessica Vosk, this has been amazing. Thank you. Time of my life. I'm not...time of my...thanks. Thank you and thanks of my life. I'm not, time of my, thanks. Thank you and thanks Juniors. Just get one last plug in for Juniors. I love it. Thank you.