Episode 3 of Boston Music Explorer featured Desi Oakley, who is currently starring as Jenna in the national Broadway tour of Waitress the Musical, hops on a call with Dan Barton to chat about Broadway, music education, life on the road, and being authentic.
Desi is a singer/songwriter from Wichita, Kansas. Studying dance, voice, piano, and theater, she began performing musical theater professionally at age fourteen. After earning her BFA from The University of Michigan, Desi Oakley moved to New York City and within two years, made her Broadway debut in WICKED. Then, she was cast in the original revival of ANNIE. Desi currently stars as Jenna Hunterson in the national tour of Waitress the Musical (Music by Sara Bareilles). Through her many successes in theater, Desi still remains rooted in her passion for music through piano and songwriting. She has been writing since she was a teenager and began collaborating withfriends and colleagues. This has lead to her 6-song EP, “Don’t Look Back”, which was released in 2014.
You can keep up with Desi Oakley at https://www.desioakley.com and on her Instagram @desioakely
Topics discussed: Desi’s Broadway career, songwriting, indie music promotion, nerves, authenticity, community outreach, making the most of living on the road, and words of wisdom for aspiring performers.
We end the episode with a cover of Desi’s song Excuse Me.
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