NEW YORK — A Kentucky native is making her Broadway dreams come true. Kayla Pecchioni started her theater journey while growing up in Louisville. Now, she recently performed at the Tony Awards alongside her cast mates from the new Broadway musical Paradise Square.
“I’ve been a fan of the Tony Awards since I was 12 or 13. I’ve been watching every year with my printed ballot, and I’ve never seen a response to a performance the way people responded to ours,” said Pecchioni. “It was just a once-in-a-lifetime experience and reception.”
She is an ensemble member for Paradise Square on Broadway, which received 10 Tony nominations. She is also the understudy for Tony award winner Joaquina Kalukango, who plays Nelly O’Brien. Pecchioni recently got to step into character as Nelly O’Brien for her Broadway principal debut. She received a standing ovation after that performance.
“Our show is incredible because it touches the hearts of people who feel unseen. The lead of our show, Nelly, her part is so special and new for Broadway. It connects in a way that other shows have not been able to,” said Pecchioni.
Pecchioni recently got to step into that lead role for her Broadway principal debut. She received a standing ovation after that performance.
“I keep talking about this wide-eyed feeling. It just felt like everything fell into place for me as I was coming up,” said Pecchioni.
She credits much of her current success to her time in Louisville at duPont Manual High’s Youth Performing Arts Program, better known as YPAS.
“I had such a normal high school experience, along with my performing arts experience. It was indescribable, and I still have teachers there who are still inspiring kids the same way they inspired me. I feel like I have to go back.” said Pecchioni. “It’s hard to talk about how special Manual is to me.”
After Manual, she attended Northern Kentucky University, where she continued to grow her craft.
“I always attribute them to being so good at making their artists well-rounded. We had to work backstage. We had to work crew. We had to build lights. We had to build sets. That is something I value highly,” said Pecchioni.
Pecchioni’s mother, Dee Dee Cummings, is so proud of her daughter she created a children’s book series loosely based on her. The series is called Kayla: A Modern Day Princess. When Spectrum News 1 caught up with Cummings, she expressed how important it was for her to bring representation to the children’s book sphere.
Asking Pecchioni about that, it’s clear that’s near and dear to her heart too. She said diversity on Broadway is important, adding that when she was growing up, there were only a handful of role models in the field who looked like her.
“There are little girls at the stage door saying ‘I’ve never seen someone like you before.’ Even down to the simple things of being the ingenue, leading lady type and being Black and having tattoos and braided hair. I mean, I had never seen anything like that. I always thought I would be the person who would make that space. Now, I have fans and young girls at the stage door telling me I am making that space. You have to see yourself to know what you are capable of doing,” said Pecchioni.
She hopes young Kentuckians see themselves in her and know that they are not alone. She shares this message to kids in the Commonwealth.
“I just have to say you are seen. You are special. It is so beautiful to grow up in a small hometown and experience what we get to ask Kentucky kids,” said Pecchioni. “I want to say there is so much more in the world and you deserve to see what that is. Really step outside of the hometown and state. Explore other countries and explore the world and then come back because it makes the hometown even sweeter.”
For those who have Broadway aspirations, she says it’s okay to start small like she did. Take the opportunities in front of you, while continuing to dream and strive big. She did that, and is amazed how well it turned out for her.
“It blows me away how my career has just scaled up and up and up because I had no idea how far I could go,” said Pecchioni. “At this point, I have to set new goals for myself because I’ve achieved everything I could have ever imagined.”