Heather Ferguson's Page

Interview by Alina Gutierrez

After four years of being with Jersey Boys, Jersey Girl, Heather Ferguson, fills us in on her life, experiences and how she got to the Great White Way….

Name: Heather Ferguson

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Current town: New York, NY

Current gig: Lorraine and others in Jersey Boys

Special skills: Art, particularly drawing and swing dancing

Last good movie you saw: 500 Days of Summer

Pre-stage ritual: We pump up the jams in the girls’ dressing room. Sara Schmidt (Francine and others) asks us a question from “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” trivia, and usually, I am not.

Pop culture guilty pleasure: Jon and Kate plus 8. I am obsessed. I’ve been following them since the documentary. I watch all the reruns, buy all the magazines with their picture on it…

Current show you’ve been recommending: Next to Normal

Broadway Idol: Bernadette Peters and Ruthie Henshall

Favorite Broadway Show: Les Misérables, and then a tie between Ragtime and Secret Garden…

TS: You’ve had a very different beginning from most Broadway performers. Tell us how you got your start.

HF: I had been studying at Brigham Young University and I heard about an open call in Salt Lake City for the Broadway company of Les Mis. I really never thought I would be an actress. I thought I was going to be a teacher, but I am a huge Les Mis fan. I could not NOT audition. I went to the open call and ended up getting the job. I was in the ensemble an understudied Cosette.

TS: So it was pretty quick then?

HF: It was terrifying. I was only 20 years old and I had no idea what I was doing. They basically told me “Pack your bags.” When I got here everyone was very welcoming. Some members of the company sat me down for lunch one day and gave me the ins and outs of being on Broadway.

TS: And then, you went on tour with Les Misérables, right?

HF: Yes, after the show closed on Broadway, I went on tour, but decided to leave the show and go back to school.

TS: How exactly did you get to Jersey Boys?

HF: I was doing Zhivago at the La Jolla Playhouse in California and I met Des MacNuff while I was there. He was directing Jersey Boys and he told me to come audition for it. I left school a second time and now I am here. I am still finishing my degree. I only have three classes left, but I will get there eventually.

TS: So you are part of the Original Cast of Jersey Boys. Tell us about being with the show since the beginning…

HF: I had never done a brand new show before, so being a part of a show that was fresh, and seeing the process of putting it on its feet, hearing what the directors, collaborators, writers and the original Four Seasons had to say was an amazing thing to watch. There was a lot of excitement during that first year. I mean, just being a part of it was so priceless.

TS: Which part did you play then?

HF: I started as a swing, which was nice because I got to watch the show so many times before I took over the roles. It allowed me to really appreciate just how good the show is. I never got tired of watching the show and I knew I was a part of something really great. It helps me to appreciate it now, since I perform eight times a week.

TS: And you guys won the TONY for best new musical that year (2006). What was that like?

HF: The first excitement of the night was finding out that the show had won already in other categories. That year, we were neck in neck with The Drowsy Chaperone and we thought they might win. We all crowded around Julie Andrews as she was about to announce it. We always joke because the way she read the winner made us think they had won. If you watch the video, she says “DrrrrrJersey Boys.” My breath just stopped and when we heard it, we all went crazy. There was a lot of crying and hugging.

TS: That must have been amazing. I am sure performing at the TONYs was too.

HF: It was a dream come true. It was a dream that I never dreamed because it seemed so far out of reach. And now, I’ve gotten to perform twice. It’s just more icing on the cake.

TS: You play a lot of parts in the show. Does that get pretty crazy?

HF: During the first act, there is hardly any down time. I have 18 costume changes in the show and most of those happen in the first half hour. Because we are such a small cast we all play many parts, one moment someone is a waitress and the next they are Frankie Valli’s wife. It is pretty chaotic.

TS: What was your worst stage mishap?

HF: I fell for the first time on stage just the other day in the opening number when we’re supposed to be sexy… We wear a lot of plastic jewelry and a big piece fell off another girl’s costume and I didn’t see it. So here I was strutting’ my stuff and I stepped on it just about she was about to pick it up and I just went down. I was on my bum and then I had to rap in French and be sexy. It was so embarrassing.

TS: You’ve been doing this for a while now. What has been the most rewarding experience as a Jersey Girl?

HF: Just coming here everyday is such a joy because of the cast. After four years of doing this show, I shouldn’t be this happy, but I am because of this show and this cast. The show also brings a lot of joy to the audience and I get to see that every night.

TS: Do you have any advice for people who are out there auditioning?

HF: Keep at it. There are so many stories of people who auditioned for 20 years before they got their first gig. Know what makes you unique and know yourself. Do what your gut tells you and people will recognize that and they will see something special in you.