Welcome to our "Meet the Cast" blog series for our blockbuster fall musical, Les Miserables.
Amy
Wilkins Blanchette, our Fantine
Les
Misérables will mark Amy’s 14th production with ACT Theater Company. Amy is a
native and current resident of Andover. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre and
Minor in Dance from Elon University in North Carolina. When not performing, Amy
can usually be found working choreography for many of the ACT Jr. productions
or for ACT's summer theater intensive. She is also the Artistic Director for
The Andover Youth Services TheatreWorks program and a Mom of three daughters. Favorite
past roles (locally) include Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street, Angel in The
Best Whorehouse in Texas, and Dorothy in The Wiz.
What was
your first experience with Les Misérables?
My parents first took me to see Les Mis in Boston when I was a kid. I
fell in love with the music the moment I heard it. Like every other theatre
kid, I always wanted to be Young Cosette on Broadway.
What has
it been like to prepare for your role?
I try to put myself in Fantine’s shoes. What would it really be like
to have to give my child to someone because I could not care for her? How would
I feel if I was sick and had to leave her behind with life so uncertain? Being
a mother of three girls has made it easier to feel what that would really be
like. At one of the first rehearsals, I broke down crying because these were
very heartbreaking thoughts. I couldn’t even get the words out I was so upset. After
that rehearsal, I actually had to pull back from the reality of what this all
would feel like because it was too much. For this show, my challenge will be
working on the balance between making it look real, and not going so far that I
can’t keep it together on stage.
What
about this production excites you the most?
Just the fact that I get to be in Les Mis!! When I made the decision
to move back to Andover and start a family instead of doing theatre
professionally, I didn’t think I would be able to continue filling the part of
me that loves to be on stage. Then, I found ACT and I realized that I didn’t
have to give that up after all! When ACT found out they got the rights to Les
Mis, everyone in the company could hardly contain their excitement. There was a
HUGE turnout for the auditions! When I got the call that was going to play
Fantine, I almost fainted. From the very first rehearsal, the cast sounded
AMAZING. I knew at that moment this was going to be a show I would never
forget.
How has
local theatre and performing enriched your life?
I started in local theatre in Andover when I was in First Grade. I was
a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz with The
Merrimack Junior Theatre. I wasn’t as good of a student as some of my friends,
but I loved to sing and dance. It was really great to find something that I
excelled at. Theatre taught me self-confidence and poise. It taught me how to
work as a team to put on an amazing production. The theatre kids were like my
extended family. We would cry at the end of every production because we didn’t
want it to end. When I joined ACT as an adult, I knew I would still love performing,
but what I didn’t expect is that I would meet the most amazing people. I meet
new people in every show and they are all so different. We bond through our one
common interest—it’s very rewarding. Some of these people have become my very
best friends. I seriously cannot imagine my life without them or without having
a rehearsal to go to. It’s like the T-shirt that says “I can’t, I have
rehearsal”. That is my life.
Is there
anything else you would like to add?
I am very lucky to have an amazing husband, Michael, and a family that
support me. Life gets pretty crazy with three kids and all of our schedules! Without
my family to help me out, I could never balance everything. I am very thankful
for them.
