INSIDER

ALL EYES ON

CONDOLA RASHAD
BY DEENA CAMPBELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY ASHLEY SKY WALKER STYLING BY SHANDI ALEXANDER

Jumpsuit by Yigal Azroul; belt by B-LowThe Belt; earrings by Erickson Beamon; heels by Christian Louboutin.

ost girls turn 25 on a dance oor 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 thats bigger than myself, says Rashad, who also performed in Lynn Nottages Pulitzer prizewinning Ruined in 2009. Its my responsibility as an artist. Diva DNA: The limelight isnt new for the Mount Vernon, N.Y., native. Her parents are Cosby Show alum and Tony winner Phylicia Rashad and footballplayer-turned-sportscaster Ahmad Rashad. AfroAmerican 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 mothers 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 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 its always up. Musical Musings: Her favorite musical is The Wiz, but she wants to perform in an atypical production. I dont think Im a traditional musical-theater

girl. What speaks to me is something edgy and weird. Im quirky. Into the Groove: Dancing is in her blood and her heart. Im a amenco dancer, my aunt Debbie [Allen] has a dance academy. Its in me. And my 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 motivation. If we can change the way one person looks at the world in a positive way, we have achieved our goal.

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MAKEUP: ASHUNTA SHERIFF USING DIOR/THEWALLGROUP; HAIR: ANTHONY CAMPBELL