Picture-Illustration: Ryan Inzana
It was a busier than normal week for Helen J. Shen, the 24-year-old actress who made her Broadway debut final November alongside Darren Criss within the musical comedy Possibly Comfortable Ending. She’s in the course of a grueling post-holiday efficiency schedule and on Monday she recorded the present’s authentic Broadway forged album. “Solid recordings have been my gateway drug into musical theater,” she says. All through all of it, she’s saved her vitality up with Buldak ramen and leftover Christmas wontons — her “excellent singing meals.”
Thursday, January 2
I begin the time off with a Pilates class. Exercise courses are the one factor conserving me energetic; the social nervousness of not making it to class is a good motivator.
Afterward, I head to the brand new H Mart on the Higher West Aspect to get a couple of treats. It’s a little bit bit small, however in comparison with the hour-long journeys I used to make to my nearest H Mart rising up in Jersey, having this mini-store across the nook is a present. I snag milk bread, Spam onigiri for lunch later, and a pack of carbonara Buldak ramen — I’m working dangerously low. I additionally seize some black sesame ice cream.
Again at my condominium, I replenish my physique with some scrambled eggs and a splash of Cholula. I dig into the milk bread and put a slice within the toaster. It’s a little bit too burnt on one facet, however I simply put extra peanut butter on that facet and transfer on with my day. The final merchandise on my morning docket is espresso. I really like any hazelnut-flavored espresso — syrup, unsweetened, sweetened. This morning, I’m tragically out of hazelnut pods, so I go for vanilla with a splash of oat milk. I’m working my approach as much as black espresso — then I’ll be an actual grownup. I drink it and prepare for my odd Thursday matinee.
Usually, our efficiency schedule is 2 on Wednesdays, two on Saturdays; Mondays are off days. We have been capable of take Christmas off, so we had a few random Monday performances to make up for it — however that additionally meant we had stretches of 9 reveals or ten reveals in a row. That is undoubtedly the toughest factor I’ve ever achieved. I’ve solely ever been part of limited-run reveals earlier than: I knew precisely how far I needed to push my physique. My mentality was, “On the finish of this six-week run, I’ll sleep till I die.” That is extra like an endurance problem.
Eight reveals every week — or extra — requires a type of self-discipline. I prefer to gas my physique with protein, however I’m additionally only a lady and need to eat yummy meals. In between at present’s reveals, I order some beef pho from Obao. There’s nothing higher than some good, hearty broth when it will get chilly. Spam onigiri from H Mart is my little further lunch deal with. The second present comes and goes swimmingly.
After our second present, my associates and I’ve a date with a vampire named Nosferatu (Imax version). We share a bathtub of popcorn, however, truthfully, I abandon it to cowl my eyes for 75 % of the film. I needed a Dr. Pepper, however we went to AMC, and so they promote Coke merchandise, so that they have Mr. Pibb, which is certainly not Dr. Pepper.
Friday, January 3
I begin my time off with one other do-it-yourself vanilla latte and extra eggs, once more with Cholula. I’m feeling particularly loopy, so I hard-boil them. The six-minute egg is ideal; I like the middle to be jammy.
I head to the theater early to rehearse with Darren. Usually, after opening, there aren’t any extra rehearsals for the onstage forged, however this can be a big day since we’re recording our forged album on Monday.
Earlier than the present, I run out to get a salmon and avocado roll. Our music director provides me shit for consuming grocery-store sushi. He tells me I’m “courageous,” and what? Yeah. I’m courageous.
I’d like to be having a sesame bagel with cream cheese, however I don’t need to tempt the phlegm gods by having one thing with dairy in it. There are many previous wives’ tales about what to keep away from consuming earlier than singing, however I principally simply keep away from dairy and spicy meals. I feel sustaining your voice has extra to do with way of life habits like consuming water and getting sufficient sleep. It’s not as glamorous as some secret trick. Principally, I’ve simply been making an attempt to determine a great routine for my physique. I’ve discovered I must eat my lunch/dinner — I don’t know what to name it — two and a half hours earlier than they name locations. That provides me sufficient time to digest however nonetheless provides me vitality for the precise present. But it surely additionally means I’m ravenous after the present.
Lastly dwelling, I rip right into a pack of Buldak carbonara ramen. My superb standby Hannah Kevitt put me on to it. She says that she’ll generally add mushrooms or an egg to spice issues up; tonight, I get a little bit fancy and add rice truffles. The spice degree is ideal. It hurts so good. I pair it with the brand new season of Squid Recreation, which additionally hurts so good.
Saturday, January 4
I’m capable of see a morning rehearsal of Parade’s nationwide tour. However that additionally means I don’t actually have time to prepare dinner something. I flip to my tried and true — a Dunkin’ Donuts egg-and-cheese on an English muffin, with hash browns, in fact, and a sizzling espresso with unsweetened hazelnut syrup and cream.
Our director, Michael Arden, additionally directed Parade. I feel Michael is a genius. I really like that he all the time has a take, and the take is all the time daring. It’s truly onerous for him to look at one thing that’s frozen — which means one thing that has already opened, so he can’t proceed tinkering with it. I go away the rehearsal area bawling my eyes out, feeling rejuvenated going into the primary of two reveals. It’s actually tough to search out time to see different reveals as a result of we’re all on the identical schedule, so I pounce on any likelihood I get to see theater.
After the primary present, I order pad Thai to the theater. Kare Thai is an previous dependable in Hell’s Kitchen. She by no means does me unsuitable. Different individuals will sometimes go in on an order with me, however it is dependent upon whether or not or not all of us go to our respective between-show holes and simply zombie.
I’ve to tempo myself on two-show days. Possibly Comfortable Ending is a one-act musical, and when my physique and thoughts are drained, not having to cease for an intermission truly helps with the momentum. One actually robust factor is that I genuinely can not pee throughout this present. Between being buckled into my costume and our backstage setup, I’d need to be very, very strategic.
I used to be lucky sufficient to go dwelling for Christmas this yr. Some Broadway performers solely get a single time off, so it’s not value it for them to fly all the best way again dwelling, however I may simply take the practice dwelling to Jersey. My mother despatched me again with do-it-yourself shrimp-and-pork wontons, which I’ve realized are the right preshow meal. My dad cooks them, however my mother is the one encouraging him to “prepare dinner sufficient for Helen.” After the second present, I dig right into a steaming bowl of wontons; I gown them with a splash of soy sauce, sesame oil, black vinegar, and two shakes of white pepper. These wontons really feel like dwelling: really easy, so heat.
Sunday, January 5
I begin my morning off with a Pilates class and head again dwelling to make, you guessed it, scrambled eggs and a vanilla latte. I’m nonetheless lacking my hazelnut pods.
I’m off to the Belasco. I’ve solely actually been in very female-heavy reveals, so I used to be nervous going into Possibly Comfortable Ending with plenty of males. I’ve all the time been intimidated by males as a result of … nicely, everyone knows why. However the individuals I work with are beneficiant, fantastic individuals. It seems like I’ve a brand-new set of huge brothers.
My boyfriend and I make plans to go to Sugarfish after the present. I really like that it’s a pseudo-omakase idea — not fairly omakase, however the “Belief Me” menu permits your future to be determined by the chef: one little plate after the opposite, with a little bit description of the accompanying fish. It jogs my memory of High Chef. Watching it taught me how you can admire meals differently. It made me need to perceive why one factor will get paired with one other — why a recipe makes use of yuzu as a substitute of lemon, for instance.
Clearly, the fish is all the time contemporary, however for me, it’s about their sushi rice. It’s all the time completely seasoned with a type of rice vinegar that would make something style good. We end with a crab hand roll — an ideal mic drop for our sushi journey.
Monday, January 6
I get up and attempt to romanticize my day as a lot as potential. Recording an authentic Broadway forged recording has been a dream of mine without end: After I was rising up, my mother and father all the time had a unique Broadway album taking part in at dwelling. That is our alternative to provide a style of our present to individuals who don’t dwell close to New York.
After eggs and the vanilla latte, I heat up my voice a little bit bit and go over the music notes that we labored on in our onstage rehearsal. I’ve been obsessively checking my voice for weeks main as much as the recording, nervous that I’d get up with out one. I warmth up a few of my excellent singing meals — wontons — earlier than the session.
We file in Energy Station. Among the most iconic forged albums have come out of there. (Darren stated that he recorded “Teenage Dream” there, too.) I attempt to take all of it in as a lot as I can whereas additionally singing nonstop for 4 and a half hours. It feels so totally different from what I do on daily basis. One thing about singing a tune can be in simply one particular person’s ears at a time makes you carry out the songs a little bit bit in another way.
After the session, a few of the forged and I resolve to go down the road to Ippudo Westside to reward ourselves with a bowl of ramen. I order the Akamaru Shinaji — I really like the roasted garlic in it. Completely hearty. I consider 12-year-old Helen; if she may see herself slurping ramen broth subsequent to her Broadway co-star Darren Criss, I’m fairly certain she’d move out.
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