Words From The Wings: Natalie Wachen of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Shares Favorite Moments and More!

BroadwayWorld is bringing you Words From the Wings, a new series of interviews that take fans behind the scenes of some of their favorite Broadway stars' backstage routines!

Today we're chatting with Natalie Wachen, who is currently making her Broadway debut in Merrily We Roll Along. Natalie told us all about her backstage routines, favorite moments, and more!

Check out her answers, along with photos taken by BroadwayWorld's Jennifer Broski, below!

What’s the first thing you do when you arrive to the theatre?

It's different every day. Today, I have family staying next door to the theater at the Millenium Times Square. I love it there! They just put the Christmas decorations up and the staff is the best. Anyway, the hotel and our theater sort of share a lobby. So, I came in through the front of house, said hey to some FOH folks, went to my dressing room, and unpacked my new chair. It's teal & unfolds to lie flat so I will be able to nap between shows! It's my new favorite thing. It's also definitely too low to the ground for me to see my face in the mirror if I sit in it. But it makes me feel like I'm at the beach AND on Broadway, so it's staying! I also arrived to a gift from my castmate, Amanda Rose. She's so good at everything, including dressing room organization. It's kind of ridiculous. She got me some storage bins she knew I wanted and refused to let me pay for them. So now I'm telling Broadway World how nice she is.

What’s the last thing you do before you go on stage?

Put on my shoes. They're cute, but I'm a barefoot or sneaker person whenever possible. When I say it's the last thing I do, I mean I carry my show shoes from my dressing room, down the hall, through the pit, up the stairs, and put them on when I get to the stage. If it made sense for my character to do the whole show barefoot, I'd be in heaven.

What’s your must-have backstage snack?

I recently overcame my addiction to our wig supervisor, Alex’ endless supply of Hi-Chews. For now. There has always been an overabundance of snacks backstage at Merrily- on Broadway and downtown. And I love them all. I eat them all in rep because, as my 4 weirdo siblings and I like to say for a reason I forgot decades ago, "variety is the spice of life."

Pre-show ritual that others may think is weird?

I have no pre-show rituals. Is that weird? I just enjoy the backstage company until Fati or Jhanäe calls places, and then we play!

What are five must-haves in your dressing room?

I have 7 dressing room must-haves! Amanda Rose, Morgan Kirner, Sherz Aletaha, Talia Robinson, Leana Rae Concepcion, Maya Boyd, and Jamila Saberes-Klemm. When someone has to leave our dressing room to cover one of our amazing principals, that's exciting. But I still do miss sharing the dressing room with them.

What’s your favorite moment from the show to watch from the wings?

I really only get to see a couple moments from the wings. Krystal Joy Brown wowing the crowd at the top of Act II is always a thrill. Katie Rose Clarke's Act I "Not a Day Goes By" gets me every time. And I can also see "Not a Day Goes By (Reprise)" in Act II. It's the wedding scene, and from my spot in the stage left wing, I can see everyone's face except “Mary’s” & “Beth’s.” The night Leana was making her Broadway Principal debut as "Beth," I thought I'd be bummed not to see her face in that scene. But I got to see Dan, Jonathan, Christian, Corey, Morgan, Jacob, and Sherz looking at Leana with so much love, pride, and joy. I knew some of that love was from their characters for "Beth," but I think most of it was from them for Leana. It was beautiful. I'll never forget it.

What has been your favorite backstage moment in your time with this show so far?

Oh, it's actually impossible to pick. Various shenanigans abound, and most of them feel like they're built into the rhythm of the show now. A new fave tradition is powering up like video game superheroes with Talia, Maya, and Christian before we play the Black cast & crew of Today in New York's "Celebrity Spot." Every night, I love my quickchange with Ryan (wigs) & Hayley (dresser). It always feels like we're racing against no one and winning. So. Hard. One memorable backstage moment was after I twisted my ankle in the quick change room. Ann (another one of our awesome dressers) procured an ice pack and Vishal (who plays Jerome in the show) saw me icing my ankle, so he offered to handle my set move in the next number. It wasn't necessary, but it was so kind and indicative of the way our cast looks out for each other. I could go on and on and gushing about every person in this cast and crew, but I already named the only ones I like (Just kidding). I love them all SO much. The people who show up to the Hudson every day are the best thing about this experience. By far. Working with this group of people makes me feel lucky every day.

About Natalie Wachen

Broadway debut! Off-Broadway: Rent (Mimi), Murder Ballad (Sara s/b, Narrator s/b). Regional: Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Charlaine - L.A. Ovation Award), Show Boat (Julie), Nina Simone: Four Women (Sephronia), Dreamgirls (Deena, Lorrell). TV: “Boardwalk Empire” (Lenore White), “NCIS,” “90210.” Solo Album 2023.