Kissy Simmons
Currently: Making her Broadway debut in The Lion King as Nala--the strong, smart love interest of Simba, heir to Pride Rock--after performing the role in the first national tour.
Hometown: Floral City, Florida. Just an hour north of Tampa, Citrus County's Floral City boasts but a solitary traffic light and even fewer footlights. "You walk around barefoot and everybody pretty much knows everybody," Simmons says. She describes her hometown as a place where "Broadway really isn't a reality to the majority of people."
Pucker Up: "Kissy is short for Kissimmee, from Kissimmee south of Orlando," Simmons explains. Back when they were dating, her parents thought it would be a nice name, and they could call her Kissy for short. "My mom would always be around the house talking about 'Kissy's going to be a star,' and the boys will be saying, 'Kissy kissy kissy.'"
Star Scrapbook: Envisioning a future in the spotlight, a shy, young Simmons clipped photos of Madonna, Tina Turner, Phylicia Rashad, Cyndi Lauper and other famous women for a scrapbook she has kept to this day. Interested in singing but intimidated by the thought of singing for an audience, Simmons played the piano and the church organ, and at 12 became the musician for her congregation. Meanwhile, she says, "I was at home in my bedroom tearing it up. I think I was just too afraid to let myself go."
Out of Her Shell: In high school, Simmons couldn't escape the stage, and was dragged out of her bashfulness by a drama teacher named Ms. Israel. "She was really sly--how she did it." Simmons agreed to play for the show choir on the condition she would not sing, although Ms. Israel knew she had a voice. Resistance was futile against a force like Ms. Israel. "Every excuse I had for her, she had a rebuttal. I couldn't get away from any of it," Simmons recalls. "And I'm so thankful that I didn't, because it really changed my life."
Heptathlon to Pride Rock: Simmons' efforts on the Citrus High track team paid off with an athletic scholarship to University of South Florida. In turn, that experience paid off when it came time to sing and dance in a 10-pound Nala corset every night--although she admits she got off easy without any of director Julie Taymor's famous mechanical puppetry on her head. "If I didn't have the track and field experience, then I think I would be a totally different person--physically and mentally. I'm a huge competitor when it comes to performing," she admits. "It does get tedious, you do get tired, you do get sore, your voice gets tired, but that comes with the territory."
Broader Horizon: With 12 shows at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center under her belt, Simmons widened her sights to an open call audition for Aida. She had been compared to its star, Heather Headley, who also originated The Lion King's Nala, The open call at New York's Apollo Theatre turned out to be two in one, for both Aida and The Lion King. Simmons says, "I remembered The Lion King from seeing the cartoon at the movies, but I didn't know that it was a show. Quite honestly, I didn't know any shows." That wasn't a problem for the talented performer though--she was called back for a second audition for both hit musicals.
Being Nala: Simmons says she has aspirations to "dibble and dabble in every aspect of the entertainment business." She can see herself with a recording contract, or perhaps a television or movie deal somewhere down the line. But for now, she's enjoying The Lion King. "I love being Nala. I feel like I am Nala--someone who is strong willed, strong physically and somehow is just determined to really go after what they want. I feel just like that."