THE BRIDGE BETWEEN HOLLYWOOD AND BROADWAY
March 14, 2023 - Alumni, Magazine
Vasthy Mompoint is carving out a path to tell the best stories.
We recently caught up with AMDA graduate Vasthy Mompoint, the multi-hyphenate artist whose remarkable talent has been a mainstay on Broadway for over 20 years. After making her producing debut as a coproducer for Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu’s Pass Over — the first Broadway play to open following the COVID lockdown — Vasthy passionately advocated to bring performers and producers closer together. Here’s what she had to say about her long-spanning career — both as a performer and producer — and why diversity leads to better stories.
Tell us about your journey to become a multi-hyphenate artist and what your experience as a performer and producer has taught you.
My first connection to art was dance. Dance led to singing, acting, playing guitar, and eventually to writing and producing. I used to be told I had too many hobbies and should focus on one thing. I’m glad I didn’t listen. Today, you almost always need several skills to succeed in this business.
I wrote my show Bits, Gummies, Folk, and Love and was later invited to sing it at 54 Below. That confidence led me to submit to the CBS sketch comedy showcase. After getting into the showcase, I moved to LA and, through the help of my amazingly talented castmates beside me, I learned to create my own story and translate that to film. Later, I created a web series for kids called “Vasthy and Friends.” Eric Cornell, a Broadway producer, saw my efforts and got me into a program called A Seat at the Table where aspiring producers can sit in the room and learn how it all works. On top of that, we all received a Broadway producer credit.
My experience taught me we need to create more of a bridge between the two worlds of performer and producer. We have the same goal to keep the show open, and more unity can make that process easier.
Why is it so important to provide opportunities to early-career producers and producers of diverse backgrounds
Diversity needs to be everywhere, not just the stage. It’s the only way to really make a difference in terms of color, race, age, everything. Diversity also allows you to tell better stories. In the future, I want to see more representation of the trans community, immigrants and people with disabilities.
What’s next for you?
I would love to produce and write musicals for the screen — not revivals, but brand-new musicals. I’d like to be the bridge between Hollywood and Broadway. I would also love to create content for kids, as they need all the joy and hope in the world they have been born into. And of course, I want to win 75 Oscars for my acting!
What wisdom can you share with aspiring artists?
If you don’t see it, create it. If you don’t create it, that’s OK — find the people who are. They need you and you need them.
Vasthy Mompoint resides in Los Angeles and remains active on Broadway, with credits including Good Vibrations, Hot Feet, Mary Poppins, Ghost, Soul Doctor, Rocky the Musical, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical and The Prom. Vasthy appeared in the 2020 film adaptation of The Prom, as both an actor and choreographer for the song “Dance With Me.” She recently lent her talents as a choreographer and actress to the 2022 biographical comedy film Weird: The Al Yankovic Story and has joined the cast of the hit Disney+ series “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.”