[NYOTA Magazine ]
star power
Darcy Rose Byrnes Volume 29
from the editor
HELLO THERE, READER! In this Star Power issue, we got to chat with actress Darcy Rose Byrnes who can be seen in the Disney+ show, Big Shot. Byrnes talked to NYOTA about relating to her character Harper and writing original songs for the show. As usual, I hope you enjoy reading the issue and that it inspires you to go after your dreams.
YOURS TRULY, Carol Wright EDITOR IN CHIEF @_CAROL_WRIGHT
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contents 1. Editor's Letter 3. Get to Know Darcy Rose
4. Darcy Rose's Playlist
5. Star Power: Darcy Rose Byrnes
10. Darcy Rose's Top Picks
Follow us @nyotamagazine
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Get to Know Darcy Rose
Though my name is Darcy Rose, my comedy and RADA friends call me D’Rose.
My first audition was in the womb. Seriously. It was for a sonogram. I was too old.
I am a huge nerd. When I work from home, I go into my Tardis (Voiceover Booth), Spool up the FTL (my computer) and set my phaser to stun (turn my phone off).
I can put my leg behind my head.
Recorded the song “Who I am” for Sofia the First from NYC during a Blizzard.
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Darcy Rose's Playlist Natalia Jiménez // Creo en Mi Lara Fabian // Je Suis Malade Sarah Connor // Vincent βικυ λεανδροσ // οταν φτασεισ στην αθηνα Todrick Hall// Queen Fantasticks // I Can See it Kansas // Carry On Wayward Son Shrek the Musical // Who I’d Be Jethro Tull // Locomotive Breath Wicked // For Good
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Darcy Rose Byrnes Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: Nick Dee
Once Darcy Rose Byrnes became passionate about the arts she did not limit herself to one area. As an actress, singer, and ballroom dancer it’s no surprise she has been taking the industry by storm through roles in Sofia the First, Spirit: Riding Free, and most recently Big Shot on Disney+. Byrnes talked to NYOTA about not having a particular songwriting process and her advice for aspiring actors. What initially sparked your interest in performing? It was just always a part of me. I would watch the Wizard of Oz repeatedly and copy Judy Garland’s choreography. I also saw Wicked so many times that Elphaba recognized me in the audience during "No Good Deed." I truly was born in a trunk.
Once you found your passion for the arts you did not limit yourself to one medium. What motivated you to try Ballroom and Latin dance? Like many good things in my life, it was my Mother’s idea. But once the patterns started to click, I fell in love with it. There’s a joy in the spontaneity of being able to do a complicated lead-and-follow with a stranger at a social dance. At this point, “Partner Dancer” is a part of my identity. It doesn’t hurt that John Reynolds, the person who taught me and competed with me, is one of my favorite people in the world.
You have done voice-over acting for Sofia the First, Elena of Avalor, The Legend of Korra, and Spirit: Riding Free. Do you use different acting muscles when you do voiceover work? Yes and no. In Voiceover, you have to push your entire character into just your voice. But the acting is the same. Acting is Acting. Most of my Voiceover characters have been musical, so I’ve quite enjoyed deciding how each character sings. I do find, since doing so much voiceover, I use those skills for my on-camera work as well. Harper has a few different voices that she herself puts on. The way you speak (Or if you don’t speak, the way you sign) is part of how you present yourself- and interact with- the world around you. It’s an exciting tool in my acting arsenal.
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Tell our readers a bit about your character Harper in Big Shot. What did you do to step into her shoes? We first meet Harper as a school journalist with questionable journalistic integrity. We see her throughout as a theatre kid, and a love interest to Carolyn, aka Mouse (Tisha Custodio). As far as prep, I didn’t have to do too much. I knew pretty much right away who she was. I think part of my prep was writing the song "Everything to Me." Deciding who Harper was as seen through Carolyn’s eyes, when Harper thought no one was watching, was the key. Harper is ambitious and someone who gives her all in her extracurriculars. Could you relate to her in that way? Absolutely. I give 100% to whatever it is I’m doing. Be it work, a hobby, or a conversation. And as for the ambition part, I’d like to hope that I’m not as Machiavellian as Harper is, but there’s no denying I wouldn’t be where I am in my career, or life, if I wasn’t ambitious. Throughout the show you and Sophia Mitri Schloss (a.k.a Emma) butt heads multiple times. What was it like working alongside Schloss in those scenes? Any scene with Sophia is effortless. Sophia is a wonderfully talented performer and an even more wonderful person. Do you have a particular songwriting process? Not only do I not have a particular process, I actively try to shake it up. Change instruments mid-writing, write only on sheet music with no instrument at all, music first, lyrics first… Whenever I change my approach, I discover a new color to my voice as a writer. I’m always trying to be a better writer. Finding ways to challenge and surprise myself is one of the ways I do that. 7
You made your songwriting debut with Big Shot. How rewarding was it to see your songs come to life when the show came out? It’s a feeling I couldn’t possibly expect and can’t quite explain. "Beth Macbeth" was so theatrical, I think my note from Dean Lorey was “End of Act One of Wicked” and the lighting and cinematography on the day gave me chills. "Everything to Me" was a duet, but "Beth Macbeth" was the first time that I wrote music for someone else. Watching other people perform my songs gave me a feeling of pride I can only guess is akin to watching your child succeed, and surpass your every expectation. You’re also passionate about languages. Have you had the opportunity to tie acting and your passion for languages together? I have! I’ve had the pleasure of dubbing films and tv shows into English (as Augustina in “Go! Vive a Tu Manera'' and Isi in “Isi & Ossi”). Having to translate the character of a language and occasionally help in the actual translation was a fulfilling challenge. Additionally, I spoke Gaeilge (Irish) in Sofia the First. Being able to bring a minority language to a Disney kid’s show was an honor. I hope to use storytelling to help preserve endangered languages. What if a character in a sci-fi show spoke an endangered language instead of a fictional one? Maybe by bringing minority languages into sci-fi and fantasy shows, Fandoms would want to learn them with the same zeal they learn Klingon and help pull them off the endangered list and preserve the culture and history they contain. This concludes my Ted Talk. Qapla’
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"Study. And remember that being a storyteller is the one profession where ‘watching TV’ is actually research. You’re welcome." 8
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Darcy Rose's Top Picks
Book: A tie between The Hobbit and Cricket on the Hearth and Wicked
Movie: What’s Up Doc
TV Show: Star Trek: Discovery
Fashion Trend: 40s/Old Hollywood style when I’m dressed up, Rocker Flower-Child in my everyday life
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NYOTA Magazine STAR POWER TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF GRAPHIC DESIGNER
CAROL WRIGHT
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CAROL WRIGHT
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COVER ACTRESS
Darcy Rose Byrnes
CONTRIBUTORS PHOTOGRAPHER
PUBLISHING
Nick Dee
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