In Conversation x Marisha Wallace
Words by: Anya Duncan
Images by: Yellowbelly Photo
PR: Dawbell
‘When I was working on Broadway, it was a very different time (2012-16). There were very much stereotypical types; the ingénue, the sassy sidekick/best friend, the random black girl singing the soul. As a black curvy woman with a big voice, you knew your place. I did those roles, and I did those roles well, but I always felt like there was something more for me to do.
Musical theatre has long been shaped by rigid typecasting, where performers of colour are often confined to predictable roles: the ingénue, the sassy best friend, the token Black woman with a powerhouse voice. For Marisha Wallace, breaking these boundaries has been both a personal mission and a career-defining journey.
“As a Black, curvy woman with a big voice, you knew your place,” she tells Original Magazine. “I did those roles, and I did them well, but I always felt like there was more for me. What if I went against type? What if I did what I wanted, instead of what people expected?”
The UK became her creative playground, allowing her to challenge convention and redefine what a leading woman in musical theatre could be. Now, with two Olivier nominations and a catalogue of career-defining performances, Wallace has shattered yet another barrier. She is taking on the iconic role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret, alongside Billy Porter.
“With Cabaret, I feel like we’ve smashed the glass ceiling,” she says. “We’re taking roles that are part of musical theatre’s fabric and inserting ourselves into spaces that were never meant for us. And the show may be better for it.” - Marisha Wallace
Wallace’s Sally Bowles isn’t just another reinterpretation—she’s a complete reinvention, grounded in historical truth. Despite her critical acclaim, Wallace had to fight for the chance to audition. She convinced the Cabaret team of the importance of casting a Black Sally Bowles through her research in Destined to Witness by Hans J. Massaquoi, which details the experience of growing up Black in Nazi Germany. This book not only confirms the presence of over 24,000 Africans in pre-Nazi Germany but also inspired Wallace to reshape Sally’s story, challenging the whitewashing of history. Unlike previous portrayals of Sally as a flighty, mediocre performer, Wallace’s version is a woman whose talent is both her weapon and her downfall.
“In those times (and even now) as a Black woman, you have to be ten times as good to get the job,” she explains. “If a Black Sally wasn’t talented, she wouldn’t be working there at all. Sally used her talent to get what she needed to get. This talent is her source of income, how she sways people to do things for her, where she lives”
Wallace’s performance evokes echoes of Ella Fitzgerald, who sang at segregated venues like the Kit Kat Club. Her Sally is a woman using her talent to carve out a fragile place in a world that refuses to fully accept her. “Wouldn’t it be even more heartbreaking to know she could have made it, but circumstances held her back? I think that’s more truthful to the plight of a Billy Holiday or a Josephine Baker. Even though she’s incredibly talented, poverty, racism, addiction—they stop her from becoming the star she could be.”
Wallace isn’t just challenging norms on stage; she’s building a future where Black talent thrives in every corner of the theatre industry. “People have told me to my face that Black people don’t sell tickets,” she reveals. “Bias and systemic racism stop artists like me and Billy [Porter] from getting the opportunities we should have. But I don’t mind asking to be in these spaces, because once I ask, I won’t have to ask again.”
That impact is already visible. When Marisha Wallace left Guys and Dolls, she saw something she had never witnessed before: another curvy Black woman stepping into the role of Adelaide. “That, for me, was bigger than any award,” she says. “I didn’t have that. I had some people to look up to, but as far as leading roles went, there was no one who looked or sounded like me. Now, these girls have a path to follow.”
But Wallace isn’t stopping at performance. Determined to leave a lasting legacy, her next move is to step into the role of creator. “I’m writing a musical with a Black female-led creative team. I want to be like Lin-Manuel Miranda — Lin-Manuel Marisha!” she laughs. “We need an Elphaba that’s always running. A role you can do for a year, make your money, then go on to do amazing things.”
While much of the project remains under wraps, Wallace reveals that it will give underrepresented performers a chance to shine. Through this musical will gain the star power they need to advocate for roles just as she did with Sally Bowles.
In addition to her Cabaret run and creative pursuits, Wallace will take the stage at the Adelphi Theatre on 11 March for a one-night-only event, showcasing the many facets of her artistry. “I think all these characters are a bit of me—the sexy Adelaide, the wounded Sally Bowles, the country-loving Ado Annie, the nurturing Beckie. Every role I take reveals a different side of who I am. And I don’t think you’ve seen this part of me yet.”
Wallace’s journey has been 20 years in the making, but she’s only just getting started. Whether belting out showstoppers on the West End, rewriting history on stage, or crafting a new musical for the next generation, one thing is clear. Marisha Wallace isn’t just breaking barriers. She’s building an entirely new stage for those who follow.
Massive thanks to Marisha Wallace for sitting down with Original Magazine for this insightful interview.
Words by: Anya Duncan
Images by: Yellowbelly Photo
PR: Dawbell