10 Questions
Take Ten: Justine "Icy" Moral
This week’s Take Ten finds actor JUSTINE "ICY" MORAL flying high (literally) in A Christmas Carol, at Ford’s Theatre through December 31. Get the inside scoop on an early run-in with the Beast, her debut as loose change, and her Broadway obsessions, Disney aspirations, and Wonder Woman inspiration!
1) What was the first show you ever saw, and what impact did it have?
The first show I ever saw was the National Tour of Beauty and the Beast at the Kennedy Center; I remember it being so magical and beautiful. As a child, I was already introduced to musicals because my family watched them on the tv so often that seeing Beauty and the Beast just enchanted and inspired me even more.
2) What was your first involvement in a theatrical production?
My first involvement in a theatrical production was when I was little, in a musical called Jukebox Jamboree! Haha! It was about an old Jukebox and what happens inside of it. It had everything from singing records to dancing wires; I was a nickel.
3) What’s your favorite play or musical, and why do you like it so much?
Oooo! Such a difficult question. It is a tie between Beauty and the Beast and The Phantom of the Opera. As I said earlier, Beauty was the first show I ever saw, and Phantom was the first show I saw on Broadway. Because of that, they both have had such a big impact on me. Both shows have such lush scores and gorgeous costumes how could you not be enchanted as a little girl?!
4) What’s the worst day job you ever took?
I wouldn’t say this was the worst day job, but it was definitely the hardest, and I still enjoyed it most times. Working front desk at a hotel, especially a busy one like a conference center, can be so tricky. You are on your feet with long shifts that start super early in the morning, or late night shifts. You have to work fast to accommodate long lines of guests with different temperaments for speedy check-ins and check-outs.
5) What is your most embarrassing moment in the theatre?
I think my most favorite-embarrassing moment in theatre might have to be two years ago in a production of Avenue Q. I was playing Christmas Eve, and it was the moment where I am yelling at Nicky and Brian in Japanese. I grabbed the door to go into the apartment and accidentally stepped off the platform behind it, grabbed on to the door, and took a ride for dear life as it swung out, all while I was yelling Japanese curse words! Once it swung back to the platform, I was able to get my footing and slam the door in time.
6) What are you enjoying most about working on A Christmas Carol at Ford’s Theatre?
I am in love with flying on stage! It is such a thrill to come out in that sparkly costume with the snow falling, and then see the audience looking up especially the kids. I also love working with Craig Wallace (Scrooge) every night. He has such great energy and we have so much fun playing off of each other!
7) Other than your significant other, who’s your dream date (living or dead) and why?
Easy, Gal Gadot. What a fierce, stunning, inspiring, and strong woman. I absolutely loved her in "Wonder Woman."
8) What is your dream role/job?
I would love to play Jasmine in Aladdin or Esmeralda in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
9) If you could travel back in time, what famous production or performance would you choose to see?
I would love to have seen Lea Salonga in the original production of Miss Saigon. She was one of idols growing up, and I was too young to see her back then when that production first debuted.
10) What advice would you give to an 8-year-old smitten by theatre / for a graduating MFA student?
My advice to an 8-year-old smitten by theatre, or to a graduating MFA student would be to always be passionate about what you do. This is a crazy business that will test your determination. I think the key is to remember what makes you love and be happy in it, and to focus on those things when challenges come your way, keep working hard at it, and remember that there are different paths to make a career in the arts, make it your own.
JUSTINE "ICY" MORAL: Tours include South Pacific; Elephant and Piggie; Les Miserables. Off-Broadway she appeared in Elephant and Piggie. Regional credits include Ford’s Theatre (Ragtime, A Christmas Carol); Dallas Summer Musicals (The King and I); Flatrock Playhouse (Miss Saigon); Olney Theatre Center (The King and I); Constellation Theatre Company (Avenue Q, Journey To The West (Helen Hayes Award nomination.); Imagination Stage (The Little Mermaid, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, Peter Pan and Wendy); Adventure Theatre MTC (What’s a Wolf to Do?); Creative Cauldron (The Mistress Cycle). Training: BM, Peabody Conservatory Johns Hopkins University. Upcoming: Belle in Beauty and the Beast at Wheelock Family Theatre (Boston).
1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 100
Washington, DC 20009
+1 202-337-4572