From the hottest ticket in town to the top of the jukebox charts, Maya Boyd has had quite the debut year.
After making her Broadway debut in Merrily We Roll Along as an understudy Gussie Carnegie, Maya Boyd is sticking with Sondheim, transferring over to his namesake theatre to star as Juliet in the long-running Max Martin jukebox musical hit & Juliet. To top it off, she juggled both monumental career moments while completing her senior year of college at the University of Michigan (she took classes remotely).
“Honestly? I have been overwhelmed in a lot of ways,” Boyd confesses, her megawatt smile cracking through her artfully composed demeanor. “But I've been held by such great people, and have been so well supported as I've entered this community.” Initially pursuing a career in dance as a classical ballerina and dancer within the Alvin Ailey program, Boyd’s journey from corps member to the musical theatre spotlight was circuitous.
"It really was, I think, divine intervention," Boyd explains. "Growing up, I thought I was going to be a professional dancer. That's all I did. Professional Russian classical ballet. And I was with Alvin Ailey, the San Francisco Ballet, Complexions...I had such a narrow idea of what I could do. I was either going to be a ballerina, or I was going to pursue something 'pragmatic and academic.' And then, all of a sudden, I was introduced to musical theatre, and it was like a light bulb turned on."
One of five sisters, Boyd and her twin (an interdisciplinary artist) are the babies of the family. The power of sisterhood, both on and offstage, has vividly colored her theatre career thus far. "Sisterhood is everything. There is a kind of understanding when you've grown up together, and a trust that can't be replicated."
One of the key changes given to Juliet Capulet's life within & Juliet is the incorporation of a sisterhood; while in the original Shakespeare play, she has no meaningful friendships with anyone but her nurse, & Juliet incorporates May and April, with whom Juliet can share joy, sorrow, and confidence.
"You develop your sense of self, and your sense of beauty through your sisters," explains Boy. "A great example is my natural hair. I relaxed my hair until my sophomore year of high school, I didn't even remember what my natural hair looked like, until I saw my big sister chop her hair when she was in college. It really showed me what it meant to be Black and beautiful. My sisters were my representation, because I was one of maybe three or four Black girls in my grade. They taught me what it means to accept who you are, and to love who you are. I would not have had that security without my sisters; they're all very intelligent, confident, thoughtful women, and their impact manifests in so many ways, but especially in my sisterhood onstage."
As both Gussie and Juliet, Boyd has been wrestling with the ways in which women can wield power within their own lives. “With Gussie, you have a woman who has come of age, who has lived life and fought her way to be where she is. But Juliet is at the start of that journey; she’s still so open, it’s so vulnerable. She has to learn the hard way. Getting to explore both of those sides of myself, as I am coming of age, has been a really cool thing. There’s space for both kinds of power inside of me.”
Speaking of power: as she moves from the chorus line to center stage, Boyd is learning what it takes to truly lead a company.
“It’s hard to express with words!” Boyd laughs. “I think having been a dancer has really aided me in being a considerate, mindful actor and performer. Nothing can happen without the company, and the ensemble. And I think when you are principal, you can easily become isolated. There's a lot of pressure and new responsibilities that I’ve been introduced to, but I cannot help but think about everyone in the ensemble, because they make the experience. Because I grew up as a part of the corps, they’re always at the front of my mind.”
As Boyd learns the intricacies of her own power, the music of Max Martin is proving to be the perfect playlist. “I'm still processing everything. I want to be better at being able to celebrate myself, because I tend to just keep moving without really feeling achievement. But every night, getting to come out and do ‘Roar’... It's such a special feeling that I get to feel every night. That song really encapsulates everything I’m going through so well, in a way that I never could have predicted. And I feel stronger every time I sing it.”
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
Maya Boyd
