DJ Q&A: Mackenzie Macdonald, star of San Francisco Playhouse's 'Hairspray'

MM: I’ve been performing for as long as I can remember, which started by putting on plays in the living room for my parents starting around age 5. Theater was a constant all through high school with school productions, community shows,and whatever else I could find. I kept performing throughout college and, when I moved back to the Bay Area after graduating, I found my way into the local theater community in S.F. I started auditioning for regional theater, and “Hairspray” at S.F. Playhouse will be my professional stage debut. The fact that my first professional role is an iconic character like Amber, at a company I’ve admired for years, in my hometown, is genuinely surreal.

DJ: Describe “Hairspray” and the character you play.

MM: “Hairspray” is set in Baltimore in 1962 and told through the eyes of a teenager named Tracy. Tracy lands a spot on the Corny Collins Dance Show and joins the fight to fully integrate the show. Change isn’t welcomed by everyone, including Amber Von Tussle, who I play. “Hairspray” has great dancing and great music, but it also reflects the reality of the world at that time. The finale “You Can’t Stop the Beat” is more than just a fun dance number. It’s a reminder that all of us need to push for change, to dance to the beat of what’s right, and bring others along with us.

DJ: Any audition stories?

MM: When I first started auditioning for local theater after moving to San Francisco postcollege, my resume was pretty bare, with just high school and college credits from theater clubs, and breaking into the scene here takes real effort. At one of my first big callbacks, the casting director looked at my resume after I sang and asked, “Who are you? Why haven’t you been in anything?” I know it was meant as a compliment, but at the time I just felt embarrassed that I didn’t have anything “impressive” to show. It felt like such a catch-22: People see a resume without big credits and count you out, but how are you ever supposed to get those credits in the first place? I share this story because everyone starts somewhere, and the people on the other side of the table know that better than anyone. I ended up booking that show, and it really is true that it just takes one company believing in you for everything else to start moving.

DJ: Are there teachers you would like to acknowledge?

MM: Yes! My first voice teacher when I was in elementary school: Becky Jones. She pushed me to audition for things outside my comfort zone and actually took me to my Annie callback at Palo Alto Players when I was 11 because my parents were out of town, which ended up being the first big show I ever booked! I now take voice from Jennifer Mitchell, who sings for the San Francisco Symphony, and she has been incredible in helping me safely strengthen my mix-belt and develop my head voice.

DJ: What role has your family played in your acting career?

MM: I have a very tight-knit family of my mom, dad, older sister and me. No one in my immediate family was super into theater but once I started showing interest, it was my dad who encouraged me to keep at it. When I booked my first local show in seventh grade (I was an Orphan and Annie’s understudy in “Annie” at Palo Alto Players), my dad would drive me to and from rehearsal every single day even though they went late until 10 p.m. He always made sure I got a nap after school and before rehearsal, which started at 7 p.m. Playing Annie was my dream role, but I never got to go on during the weekslong run, which was devastating for me at the time. My dad knew how much it meant to me, so he learned the Daddy Warbucks’s track in their dance number “Together At Last,” and we performed it in my living room for my mom. It was a really special moment. I’ll never forget that he learned a dance just so I could feel like I got to perform my dream role even if it was in my family home’s living room.

My dad was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s about seven years ago, and he is now in severe stages of the disease. He was diagnosed very young and it’s been devastating for him and my whole family. Even a couple of years ago, when he was very sick and not leaving the house much, he always made sure to come to my musicals, and they were one of the only things that seemed to make him light up at the time. It’s been very emotional for me making my professional stage debut while knowing my dad won’t be in the audience. I’ve of course told him that it’s happening, but he’s at a stage where he can’t really comprehend that information. I know he would be so proud of me. My mom and sister are very supportive as well. My mom has been telling everyone and anyone about “Hairspray,” so I’m sure we will be seeing lots of folks from the South Bay in the audience. She’s been so supportive of me through navigating software engineering alongside performing in local theater and making the transition to a part-time engineer so I could focus more on theater while being in “Hairspray.”

DJ: What do you do before going on stage to calm your nerves and get into character?

MM: I find the routine of doing stage makeup calming before a show. It’s something we have to do before going on stage, and it gives me purpose during those minutes before the show starts instead of just waiting around anxiously. To get into character I always walk to and wait in the wings (or wherever I’m entering from) as my character. I put myself in her world and think about — where did I just come from? What has my day looked like? Knowing the answers to these questions before setting foot on stage is crucial.

DJ: When the curtain comes down on opening night, what do you hope audience members are talking about as they leave the theater?

MM: I hope people feel reignited to go make change in the world. Tracy and the other characters are the perfect examples of how one person’s actions and intentions can change the world for thousands of people. We live in a scary time right now where a lot of people want to forget our country’s history and pretend like it didn’t happen, but it’s as important as ever to not dismiss it in order to continue creating change and moving forward.

Production particulars: Hairspray runs July 10-Sept. 12 at San Francisco Playhouse, 450 Post St.. For show schedule and ticket info visit https://sfplayhouse.org or call (415) 677-9596.