A CHAT WITH... AKINA EDMONDS

Akina Edmonds (Ngāti Kahungunu) left Aotearoa for Australia aged 21 when she was cast in Buddy Holly straight out of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA). Since January last year, the 35-year-old has been playing “the oldest and the wittiest” Schuyler sister, Angelica, in the theatrical sensation Hamilton at Melbourne’s Her Majesty’s Theatre. The show blends hip-hop, jazz, R’n’B and Broadway to tell the story of one of America’s founding fathers Alexander Hamilton. In it, Edmonds performs the tongue-twister, heartbreak rap Satisfied. While she says she’s “obsessed” with Eminem, she doesn’t consider herself a rapper. She tells Frances Morton it was the big voiced divas of the 90s she idolised growing up on the East Coast.

Has singing always been part of your life? I’d listen to cassettes, I’d listen to Whitney [Houston], Alicia Keys, Mariah [Carey]. I’d just sing around the house then I auditioned for a school band at Ngata College. Once I got to Paraparaumu College I did the school shows. Singing, for most kids, especially young Māori kids, is essentially an escape and expression. We’re pretty lucky to have that instrument to pull out and it’s portable and takes no space. I auditioned for New Zealand Idol when I was 16. That was hilarious. I got to the top 36.

And you did The Voice Australia too? Yes, I think it was the top 24. I got to meet incredible people and we’d jam while we were waiting for our segments and shooting times. You’re often in hair and makeup for hours. You have a great time.

Did reality TV do anything for your career? Honestly, I don’t know. For me it was more personal and artistic learning. Working out what I am outside musical theatre in terms of being an artist.

For musical theatre you need to be a triple threat, singing, acting and dancing – is that the appeal? Yes, and I enjoy it being live. The fact that literally anything can go wrong at any given time. For example the revolve [revolving stage] can stop mid number. It will stop at random times. What’s really cool about that is you get to use your instincts. When you’re in the show and understanding the story and understanding its intention you just let that carry how you make the next decision. It’s really amazing.

Are there similarities between you and Angelica? Yes but I’ll say she’s a lot more graceful than I am. I have to really lean into her softness and vulnerability. As a Kiwi, and Māori-Japanese woman, we’re very good at keeping it staunch. I’m the eldest of seven, and she’s the eldest. There are similarities however I’m learning a lot from her strength and vulnerability and her grace. Vulnerability is such a buzz word but what I mean by that is when you feel you don’t have it all together, it’s OK not to have it all together and still carry on. When you feel like you’re not really impressed with yourself on that day and you still have to show yourself to 2000 people. The beauty of leaning into that and letting people surround you while you fall apart, and keep going.

Hamilton also persevered when things were falling apart. Did you know about the history before doing the show? No way. No Kiwis are looking at American founding fathers! What I’ve mostly learned is that the politics of the show is just the vehicle to deliver flawed humans that can still succeed quite intensely. There’s motivation and inspiration in the fact that there is no point being perfect. You can be an incredibly flawed human and achieve global success. We’re still using Hamilton’s [financial] systems.

Who in Aotearoa history would make a great subject for a musical like Hamilton? Sir Āpirana Ngata. This is the 13-year-old me speaking, given the college I went to was named after him. I’d be interested in Dame Kiri Te Kanawa’s story.

What do you do for self care when you’re doing eight shows a week? We have physiotherapy here in the theatre. I have other things outside of the building such as spiritual healers, kinesiologists, and chiros. Then it’s eating well, sleeping, hydration and classes such as yoga, pilates. Getting out to nature.

I always set goals for shows. In Lion King I tried to get through one phrase without breathing. That took me about eight months. There was one musical director who said, “an artist doesn’t stay the same, they either get better or they get worse.” That has always freaked me out so there’s got to be something I’m working on every single show.

Is there a change in audiences coming back after Covid? Coming back was incredible. Any opening night is beyond just opening a show now. It symbolises the fact that we’re back in live theatre and that people are allowed out of their houses. That we’ve made it, that producers in theatres have done everything they can to keep this industry alive. Doing the show is the cherry on the top.

“Singing, for most kids, especially young Māori kids, it’s essentially an escape and expression. We’re pretty lucky to have that instrument to pull out and it’s portable and takes no space.”