#FFB: Eloise Kropp
I'm convinced Eloise has honey pumping through her veins making her literally the sweetest being ever!! Probably not actually honey ;) but silliness aside, this gal has a deep and luminous glow that can only come from being completely self-assured. That inner glow + her seriously impressive talent make for some serious fireworks on stage (RUN to see her in Dames at Sea!) Eloise is a true example that our internal light manifests our external success, revealing that happiness might just be the secret ingredient to being Fit for Broadway!
Note from Eloise: Hi! Eloise here, I’m currently tapping my toes over at the Helen Hayes in Dames at Sea! I am a coffee loving, cookie making, dog crazed 23 year old. I am constantly pinching myself because I am so blessed to be doing what I love 8 times a week surrounded by so many wonderful people! I’m typically running around NYC with a giant bun on my head but so happy to have slowed down and connect with Jane to share some of my story!
"You Are Enough" from Fit for Broadway Apparel | click HERE or click the picture!
INTERVIEW:
Q: Eloise, I got to see you tap your toes off in Dames at Sea before we even met! The show is so fun and looks like a serious workout!! :) When did you first start performing? What was the beginning of this journey to Broadway like for you?
A: Haha it is a workout for sure! I'm always surprised at how much harder the show can be once you add costume changes, running up and down stairs from the dressing room and on set pieces! I first started dancing and doing plays when I was 8, but musicals started to get more serious when I was a sophomore in high school. I've been performing for about 15 years and I never knew you could do it professionally until I was 16!
The journey for Dames at Sea has been a whirlwind. I had about 3 weeks of auditions for the show, which were very stressful. I had to dance multiple times, sing, and the producers even came to see me perform in the other show I was doing at the time, On The Town. Then I had about a week where I didn't hear anything and then my agents told me that I had gotten the part! I was basically in shock, and of course to make things even harder I wasn't allowed to tell anyone!! I wanted to go sing the news from the top of the statue of liberty, but I had to keep quiet!! Talk about a test?
Once I left On The Town we had 3 weeks of rehearsal for Dames, a week of tech, and then 4 weeks of previews! It has been a wild ride, testing me at every turn, but forcing me to grow as a performer and more importantly, a person.
“Finally one day I woke up and I had everything I had thought I ever wanted but I was the unhappiest I had ever been. I felt like a stranger in my own body, hating on all of my imperfections instead of embracing them. I had lost who I was, and had to take a step back to find what makes me happy and confident in myself. Searching within myself to find the love for me again…It was then I started accepting my “imperfections” as my gifts, how lucky I was to have these differences to set me apart from anyone else. I am now more confident and comfortable in my own skin, and that is something no one can take away from me!”
Q: You mentioned that you had a bit of a rocky journey through school...can you elaborate?
A: Well school was wonderful for me while I was there! I went to the University of Oklahoma as a musical theatre major, and ended up leaving my junior year to do a show that was supposed to go to Broadway. I had worked at Goodspeed opera house, and it was a summer that changed my life. The show pushed me to perform in ways I didn't know I was capable of, and the friends I made that summer are some of the greatest friendships I have still to this day. When I went back to school it was very difficult, because I had so much freedom as an artist that summer and when I went back to school I craved more. Then a opportunity came out of the blue to do a Broadway show it seemed like all the arrows were pointing to New York. So I took a leap of faith and moved to NYC. After I moved the show was postponed: it was hard, scary, and there were many moments I was doubtful of my decision. But I decided to stick to my guns and do what my heart was telling me, which was stay in NYC. I can say it was not easy, but worth it. I would not be half the person I am today if I had not made the decision to move to when I did(and thanks to my parents for being my rocks the entire journey).
Q: How did you stay positive through your ups and downs leading into your first Broadway show?
A: Lots of cookies. Haha kidding....sort of. But it is hard. And it is ok to accept that it is hard. I learned that I had to grow above my failures and learn from them. I had to not let the auditions and jobs define me. By being a happy person in my life, regardless of what I was doing, that is how I stayed strong. I used the journey of the auditions, the missed opportunities, and failures to learn about myself. To know that if I went in the room and gave 100% of me, and I felt good about what I presented to the world that is all that mattered. Not allowing other people's opinions to tell me how I should feel, or dictate what I thought of my performance. The funny thing is the more I became confident in myself and what I wanted from life, the opportunities started to present themselves. It is all about being confident on the inside. People want to work with happy people, it is a fact. So if you are not happy, chances are people are not going to be running to work with you, harsh but true.
Q: Dames at Sea requires a lot physically...how have you changed your fitness or health habits to compliment your role?
A: This show has made me change my fitness routine for sure. I am usually the class person. Ask any of my friends, and they will laugh and then be like Eloise has probably taken 4 classes, painted her bathroom, and baked a cake. lol But really, I love running around like a chicken with my head cut off doing the most I can fit into a day! I love learning and classes give me the energy and inspiration to keep moving forward in life! But this show is a marathon for me, especially in previews. We are rehearsing during the day and then doing the show at night, I have had to take a step back and listen to my body. I have been focusing now on doing activities that work my brain, and help me rest and recharge. I love reading, writing, catching up on TV shows, and very important to keeping myself sane is meditating! Slowing down is really hard for me, so I'm learning to be kind to myself and embrace the stillness. But hopefully once the show opens I can get back to a lighter schedule with some crosstraining, like ballet class, yoga and Pilates!
Q: Fueling for all that tapping is essential, I'm sure!! Can we play, "What I Ate Yesterday”?
A: Yesterday was Sunday! So we only had one show! Whoop whoop! I also have a cold, boo. So I'm trying to fight it off! Cue lots of Tea and WATER!
Breakfast- yogi tea (cold defender), 1 gluten free flax Waffle and one piece of flax Ezikel toast, 2 eggs (scrambled? Haha I'm not a good chef so they were not pretty looking) I put some cayenne pepper and salt on them!, half of a green juice, Fire cider shot (this stuff is potent, it has apple cider vinegar mixed with all these heeling foods like turmeric and garlic to help clear your sinus and boost your body! It can work miracles!)
I slept in pretty late causing me to eat breakfast pretty close to the show so I wasn't really hungry for anything before the show. So I had some more tea and water, and another fire cider shot!!
I had a banana at intermission and we have a tradition of a shot post show, so I did a whisky shot post show.
Dinner: veggie stir fry!! I made a steamed veggie(broccoli and carrot) with beans and black rice stir fry post show!!! I may have been a little hungry while cooking it and had some chips with guacamole!
Dessert: Oreos with peanut butter, almond milk and berries!
I have to be honest after writing down my day of eating on paper, this was a weird day of eating!! I am fighting off a cold so, I just listened to my hunger cues and really ate when I was hungry, and what I was hungry for. I always find if I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full my body is balanced and I don't have crazy cravings! Eating good foods makes you feel good, and your body craves those good foods! Your body knows what you need so listening to it is very important!!
I used to get upset when I would get sick(I still do sometimes, it is silly but I only human and sometimes I forget that trying to be “superhuman"!) but it is a good time to slow down and listen to your body’s cues. Sickness is usually a way to tell you that you are doing too much and take a step back to take care of you. Previews are the most stressful time. I’m not surprised with all the stress and adrenaline I’ve been experiencing I picked up the fall cold that is going around NYC. As frustrating as it is, it happens, so you have to roll with the punches and take each day one day at a time. Sometimes you have to take the day each mini goal at a time. For example, on Saturday and Sunday the shows were very difficult for me. I had to set mini goals for myself, going from number to number in the show, because telling myself to get through the show was too overwhelming. As silly as it may sound it helps, and I managed to get through the weekend ending it with a yummy treat of Oreo’s and peanut butter.
Q: I loved talking about how much you value authenticity and how important it is in this business. #YouAreEnough Can you explain the big lessons you've learned along the way in relation to confidence and being yourself?
A: It is hard to find who you are and what you stand for, but it is as simple as checking in with yourself and seeing if you are happy. But really, are you at the core of your heart doing what makes you happy? This took me a long time to learn and I’m still having to check myself. I was gaining my happiness through the praise of others or the opportunities I was given. My moods were uncontrollable. Finally one day I woke up and I had everything I had thought I ever wanted but I was the unhappiest I had ever been. I felt like a stranger in my own body, hating on all my imperfections instead of embracing them. I had lost who I was, and had to take a step back to find what makes me happy and confident in myself. Searching within myself to find the love for me again, and that made me realize that what makes me special was everything I was hating. I had to learn to love my short stature, big personality, strong legs, round booty, and dimpled face because if I didn’t love them how could anyone else? It was then I started accepting my “imperfections" as my gifts, how lucky I was to have these differences to set me apart from anyone else. I am now more confident and comfortable in my own skin, and that is something no one can take away from me!
Q: If you could tell pre-Broadway Eloise one thing, what would it be?
A: RELAX!! It is not brain surgery, it is musical theatre. Have fun, enjoy it, and remember how lucky you are to be able to be creative and do what you love for a living! Also remember that you can do anything but not everything!
Q: Who or what inspires you?
A: My biggest dance inspiration was Eleanor Powell. She was the greatest dancer, in all areas. She was effortless in ballroom, sharp in jazz, and the greatest tap dancer. She turned like no one I have ever seen, and created a character in each dance she did. Her tap sounds are beyond, and she does it in heels. I will forever be inspired by her, and am constantly studying her dances to embody her style.
My inspirations in life would be my parents. My parents have never blinked an eye when I said I wanted to follow my dreams, instead they were behind me sometimes more than I was behind myself. They constantly have gone above and beyond anything I could of ever asked for, and I am always pinching myself that I was so lucky to be born into the world with them as my parents. Teaching me how to be a strong independent woman, who can set goals that will keep me growing in life to achieve the best life possible. I am always inspired by how amazing my parents are and continue to strive to be like them daily.
Q: What's your advice for aspiring performers who want a career on Broadway?
A: Take class, never stop learning, and remember to enjoy the journey not the destination. That is what makes you an amazing performer, learning and growing from the experiences life brings you. All the twists and turns allow you to grow as a person, there is no end point, just pit stops along the way. Also cherish the friendships you have in your life, the friends you meet in theatre are some of the greatest people you will ever know. Keep the ones you love close. Friendship and family is more important than a job because at the end of the day a job can’t give you a hug when you need it.
