Taking the stage in Stratford

In 2018, Kimberly-Ann Truong (Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance ’15) returns home to Canada to perform in The Music Man and The Rocky Horror Show at the Stratford Festival.

Her time in Stratford comes after a year-long smash run on Broadway in New York, where she brought her Vietnamese heritage to the newest revival of the musical Miss Saigon. Truong took the stage as an understudy for both the character of Gigi, and also as Ellen, becoming the first woman to play the latter role on Broadway.

Q: Your return to Stratford marks the second time you’ve taken the southwestern Ontario stage. You also performed in A Little Night Music and A Chorus Line in 2016. What does it mean to you to have this opportunity to return to the stage there?
A: It means the world to me to be coming back to the Stratford Festival. I am excited to be coming back to this wonderful community and I’m ready to tackle these great roles. I still pinch myself when I think about where, and who, I was in 2016, compared to my upcoming season this year. It’s an honour for me and is a true testament to my progress and growth as an artist in this industry.

Q: How did Sheridan prepare you for Broadway?
A: It was awesome that at Sheridan, I could get my degree while also doing practical work in my field. It was the best thing that could have happened. I wouldn’t be (on Broadway) without Sheridan, especially mentors Gillian Saunders-Herron, Marc Richard, Marie Baron and Reid Spencer.

“I wish I had always given myself the benefit of the doubt and realized earlier that anything is possible. No goal is too big; no role is unrealistic. There are no limits.”

Q:  What advice would you share with new theatre graduates?
A: Be absolutely fearless as artists and students. Failure is the key to success. Don’t be afraid to fail, learn and completely delve into everything you do 100%.

Q: What do you wish you had known when you graduated in 2015?
A: I think I wish I had known my own potential earlier on in my career and in school. I wish I had always given myself the benefit of the doubt and realized earlier that anything is possible. No goal is too big; no role is unrealistic. There are no limits.