WOMEN WHO INSPIRE
#Fearless
‘HAMILTON’ STAR MANDY GONZALEZ TALKS CAREER, ADVERSITY AND COMRADERY
By Vi c k i Fr e n c h B e n n i n g t o n
E
verybody needs a squad who stands behind them. Singer
and actress Mandy Gonzalez, who currently plays Angelica
Schuyler Church in the Broadway production of the hit
musical “Hamilton,” calls it a “fearless squad,” and says for
those who don’t have one, they can be part of hers.
“We learn to flinch – we aren’t born that way,” she said. “How do we
overcome that? By having people who support us and give us confidence.
“A lot of women helped open the door for me, so I want to keep it
kicked open for others, and I think the fearless squad can help do that,”
Gonzalez said.
Whether the difficulties are job-related or involve other concerns
like moving, a new baby, rejection – whatever – Gonzalez said the squad
is there to support all women of all ages and ethnicities.
“Everyone has to follow the squad rules - embrace differences, help
each other when we fall, look for the good and dream big,” she said.
Gonzalez previously played Elphaba in the Broadway production
of “Wicked,” has appeared on hit TV shows like “The Good Wife”
and “Madam Secretary,” and recently released her first solo album,
“Fearless.” Whew! She’s got a lot going on.
But success didn’t always come easy, though she said she’s had her
own fearless squad behind her all of her life, and has been fortunate
enough to get some breaks that made a difference.
Gonzalez knew from an early age that her path would be in musical
theater, and though she lived in Southern California, a place where many
people move to (not from) to pursue their dreams, she built hers around
New York City. Singing since age 5, she performed at family functions and
holiday parties, where she received a present for her performances. With
idols like Judy Garland, Elvis Presley, Eydie Gorme and torch singers, in
general, her goal to perform as a vocalist continued to grow.
She stayed close to home to attend The California Institute of the
Arts in Valencia, California, and then landed a job as a backup singer
on tour for none other than Bette Midler. Gonzalez methodically saved
her money from the tour in order to move to the Big Apple.
“The job with Bette was the best gift I could have received at age 19,”
Gonzalez said. “She is a killer performer, and it was empowering to see
such a powerful woman – who definitely calls the shots – be vulnerable
behind the scenes, which made her human. She told me I had a voice,
and that my opinion counts.”
Gonzalez said some of her most difficult challenges in life have
revolved around fitting in because she comes from two different
cultural backgrounds – Mexican and Jewish. And when it came time to
go on auditions, the challenge remained.
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GAZELLE
“I had to really show what I had to offer because there were many
times when I would go for a part and be told my skin was too dark or in
other cases, too light, or too this or too that,” she said. “I had a hard time
fitting in, so I had to make my own category.”
Her agents wanted her to change her name from the Hispanic
Gonzalez to a more nondescript, Carr. But she said, “No.”
“My family worked hard to be a part of this country, and I didn’t want
to take that away,” she said. “I think of my paternal grandma, who was a
migrant worker and cooked for six kids. She had a hard life, and I want
to do right by my family.”
In addition to her