condola rashad

www.uptownmagazine.com 21 M ost girls turn 25 on a dance floor with a glass of champagne. Actress Condola Rashad celebrated her milestone onstage, portraying a sassy maid in Stick Fly, her Broadway debut that has garnered Tony Award buzz. “I want to be a part of something that’s bigger than myself,” says Rashad, who also performed in Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer prize–winning Ruined in 2009. “It’s my responsibility as an artist.” Diva DNA: The limelight isn’t new for the Mount Vernon, N.Y., native. Her parents are Cosby Show alum and Tony winner Phylicia Rashad and football- player-turned-sportscaster Ahmad Rashad. Afro- American Idol: As a child, Condola (with African origins, it means “Mighty”) idolized actress Audra McDonald, and by the age of 17 she earned her stripes in Tambourines to Glory, a play helmed by Kenny Leon, who also happens to be her Stick Fly director. Parental Advisory: At 7 years old, Condola was inspired by her mother’s performance in Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. “I liked what I saw, but felt I could do it differently,” says Condola, who landed her first acting gig in 2004 in Pearl, an adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Her mother now instructs her to “watch her volume” while onstage, and to “make sure it’s always up.” Musical Musings: Her favorite musical is The Wiz, but she wants to perform in an atypical produc- tion. “I don’t think I’m a traditional musical-theater girl. What speaks to me is something edgy and weird. I’m quirky.” Into the Groove: Dancing is in her blood and her heart. “I’m a flamenco dancer, my aunt Debbie [Allen] has a dance academy. It’s in me. And my first boyfriend was a dancer.” Tunnel Vision: The California Institute of the Arts graduate has no time for boys right now, as she is focusing on crafting a compilation of songs for her soul-rock album (she learned to play the guitar in college) and playing Cyn, the girlfriend of a main character in Smash, the new NBC musical drama produced by Steven Spielberg. Motivating Force: “As artists, we have the power and opportunity to invite change,” she says about her mo- tivation. “If we can change the way one person looks at the world in a positive way, we have achieved our goal.” CONDOLA RASHAD BY DEENA CAMPBELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEY SKY WALKER STYLING BY SHANDI ALEXANDER ALL EYES ON INSIDER MAKEUP: ASHUNTA SHERIFF USING DIOR/THEWALLGROUP; HAIR: ANTHONY CAMPBELL Jumpsuit by Yigal Azrouël; belt by B-LowThe Belt; earrings by Erickson Beamon; heels by Christian Louboutin.

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www.uptownmagazine.com 21

Most girls turn 25 on a dance fl oor with a glass of champagne. Actress Condola Rashad celebrated her milestone on-stage, portraying a sassy maid in Stick Fly,

her Broadway debut that has garnered Tony Award buzz. “I want to be a part of something that’s bigger than myself,” says Rashad, who also performed in Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer prize–winning Ruined in 2009. “It’s my responsibility as an artist.”

Diva DNA: The limelight isn’t new for the Mount Vernon, N.Y., native. Her parents are Cosby Show alum and Tony winner Phylicia Rashad and football-player-turned-sportscaster Ahmad Rashad. Afro-American Idol: As a child, Condola (with African

origins, it means “Mighty”) idolized actress Audra McDonald, and by the age of 17 she earned her stripes in Tambourines to Glory, a play helmed by Kenny Leon, who also happens to be her Stick Fly director. Parental Advisory: At 7 years old, Condola was inspired by her mother’s performance in Blues for an Alabama Sky at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. “I liked what I saw, but felt I could do it diff erently,” says Condola, who landed her fi rst acting gig in 2004 in Pearl, an adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Her mother now instructs her to “watch her volume” while onstage, and to “make sure it’s always up.” Musical Musings: Her favorite musical is The Wiz, but she wants to perform in an atypical produc-tion. “I don’t think I’m a traditional musical-theater

girl. What speaks to me is something edgy and weird. I’m quirky.” Into the Groove: Dancing is in her blood and her heart. “I’m a fl amenco dancer, my aunt Debbie [Allen] has a dance academy. It’s in me. And my fi rst boyfriend was a dancer.” Tunnel Vision: The California Institute of the Arts graduate has no time for boys right now, as she is focusing on crafting a compilation of songs for her soul-rock album (she learned to play the guitar in college) and playing Cyn, the girlfriend of a main character in Smash, the new NBC musical drama produced by Steven Spielberg. Motivating Force: “As artists, we have the power and opportunity to invite change,” she says about her mo-tivation. “If we can change the way one person looks at the world in a positive way, we have achieved our goal.”

CONDOLA RASHADBY DEENA CAMPBELLPHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEY SKY WALKERSTYLING BY SHANDI ALEXANDER

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