Linedy Genao vividly remembers the first time she saw herself represented on Broadway: “In the first couple of lyrics, Usnavi says, ‘Dominican Republic! I love it! Jesus, I’m jealous of it’ — and I almost jumped out of my seat in tears,” Genao said of seeing “In the Heights” as a high school student in 2009. “I was like, ‘They said Dominican Republic on Broadway! I didn’t know that was allowed!’”
Fast forward 14 years, and Genao, 31, a Dominican American born in Brooklyn and raised in Hamden, Conn., is now in her first lead role on Broadway, starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Bad Cinderella,” a contemporary musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale.
“I just hope to pave the way for so many other little Cinderellas who hopefully can see themselves represented onstage now,” Genao, whose first name is pronounced Lih-NAY-dee, said before a tech rehearsal at the Imperial Theater in Manhattan, where the show is set to open on March 23.
In “Bad Cinderella,” a collaboration between the famed composer, the book writer Emerald Fennell (who won an Oscar for the screenplay of “Promising Young Woman”) and the lyricist David Zippel (“City of Angels”), the heroine is an empowered rebel unwilling to dress up or become a trophy wife. It’s one of a string of recent Broadway musicals with strong female leads, including “Six,” “& Juliet” and “Once Upon a One More Time,” which is slated to begin previews on May 13.
When “Bad Cinderella” opened in August 2021 in London, where it was simply called “Cinderella,” the musical received a five-star review from the Guardian critic Chris Wiegand, who wrote that it was “silly but warm and inclusive, with relatable, down-to-earth heroes and pertinent points about our quest for perfection and our expectations of each other and ourselves.”
But Lloyd Webber abruptly closed the show in June after a run of less than a year, drawing criticism after a now-infamous note from him — read aloud at the final performance — suggested that opening the production during the coronavirus pandemic “might have been a costly mistake.” (He later apologized for what he called a misunderstanding, saying he had intended to refer to the challenges his “beloved” production had faced, not the show itself.)
In the months since, he has been reworking the show for Broadway. There are now two new songs, redesigned sets and costumes and a new Cinderella. And, though she does not actually say ‘Dominican Republic’ onstage, Genao said she has been delighted at how much she has been able to infuse the role with her own culture, including recording a Spanish-language version of the title track.
The actress, who made her Broadway debut in 2015 as an ensemble member in “On Your Feet!” and recently returned to that show to star as Gloria Estefan in a production at Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, N.J., admitted to struggling a bit during the rehearsal process, grappling with impostor syndrome and wondering, “Do I deserve to be here?”
Fortunately, she said, she could lean on Carolee Carmello, a veteran of now 16 Broadway shows who plays her evil stepmother.
“She’s taught me to not be afraid to surrender,” Genao said, referring to her fear of making mistakes. “As I’ve watched her try all these different ways of doing something, I keep asking myself, ‘What am I afraid of? Why am I so scared to mess up?’”
During a conversation while sitting in the Imperial’s mezzanine section, Genao and Carmello, 60, discussed what drew them to the musical, what they have learned from each other and what it means to be part of this feminist retelling of a classic fairy tale. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
What was your first impression of the show when you listened to the London cast recording?
CAROLEE CARMELLO That it was really over-the-top funny. It wasn’t taking itself too seriously, which I loved.
LINEDY GENAO I loved the camp and how badass Cinderella is rather than the sweet, polite, quiet Cinderella we all know.
How did you put your own stamp on your roles?
CARMELLO I loved what Victoria [Hamilton-Barritt, who played the evil stepmother in the London production] was doing and thought she was really funny. I wasn’t trying to imitate her at the audition, but I definitely used that performance as a flavor because I figured they cast her, and it seemed like the audiences loved her. And then I just layered my own comedy on top.
GENAO Singing it over and over through the long audition process, I was able to start finding my own voice, and the way I would interpret it, give it this edge, give it this Linedy-ism.
What’s an example of a Linedy-ism?
GENAO Just my Brooklyn-Dominican accent, which everyone seems to love here! I’m like, “Oh, I need to tone it down —”
CARMELLO No, it’s great! When I heard you read the script the first time back in October, I just loved your take on it because it is so New York.
Linedy, this is your first lead role in a Broadway production, and Carolee, this is your 16th show. Tell me about the mentoring relationship that’s developed between the two of you.
CARMELLO I have so much respect for you because I know the pressure that sits on your shoulders. I was about your age when I created my first original role in a new Broadway show, which was “Parade.” You want to put your stamp on it, and you also don’t want to mess up.
GENAO And you are a master class in acting. I deal a lot with impostor syndrome, so watching you give Laurence [Connor, the director] 50 different options and make his job hard — because it’s like, “Wow, all of those are great” — has been incredible.
Linedy, have you gone to Carolee for advice about anything specific?
GENAO I did ask, “What do you do to wind down after a show?”
CARMELLO Yeah, and I don’t think I had a good answer!
GENAO Yeah, she was like, “I’m still figuring it out,” and I was like, “Me too.” That was helpful to me to know it’s OK to still not know.
CARMELLO There are a lot of things I still don’t know at age 60. I remember how hard that was to be able to relax your mind and body enough that you can go to sleep when you’re a mom, because you get home at, like, midnight and then you have to wake up at 7 and —
GENAO Lunch! The bus!
CARMELLO Yeah, so it’s important to not stay up until 3 in the morning going, “OK, well, I didn’t do that line right, and I have to think about that tomorrow.” You have to find ways to just let it go and get to sleep.
Linedy, how many kids do you have?
GENAO I have two stepkids. They’re 12 and 10. I met my husband right down the street in my Broadway debut in “On Your Feet!” at the Marriott Marquis. He’s a stagehand and worked on the show.
You both earned business degrees. Was the corporate world a backup career?
CARMELLO I just wanted to be a corporate lawyer. But after college, I took this job doing a production of “They’re Playing Our Song” at this resort town near my house in Lake George, N.Y., and I met all these actors from New York who were like, “You should move to New York and try it.” But Linedy, you actually worked in the business world for a while.
GENAO After college, I worked here in the city at a private Lebanese bank. Then I heard from a friend about an open call for the developmental lab for “On Your Feet,” the Gloria Estefan musical. I went, and with my theater experience from high school, I made my Broadway debut in the ensemble. I was the youngest cast member, and I cried in rehearsals every single day because I could not believe that I was onstage with “In the Heights” actors I had idolized.
Linedy, you worked closely with Andrew Lloyd Webber, including on a new song, “Easy to Be Me,” he wrote for your character. What was that like?
GENAO When we were recording some of the songs in the studio, he would ask, “Do you like this, Linedy?” or “Are you happy with this?” I’m like, “ Do you like this? Are you happy? What does it matter what I think?” But that’s also important, and I’m grateful that he even asks and cares to ask.
CARMELLO I like the nickname you have for him.
GENAO Oh! I call Andrew Lloyd Webber “Mista A.” Not Mister A, it’s with the Brooklyn accent — Mista A. I’ve been too scared to say it to his face yet, but everyone knows I refer to him with it.
CARMELLO Something tells me he’s going to love it.
He’s a hip guy! He has such a TikTok presence.
CARMELLO I had no idea! When my son, who’s 21, found out that I was going to be doing this show, he was like, “Oh, man, he’s the star of TikTok.”
GENAO When I was in Brooklyn recording one of the songs, he was like, “This would be a good picture right over here for social media.” Umm, OK, this would also be great framed at my house!
What is it like to be part of this diverse, feminist retelling of a classic fairy tale?
GENAO It’s inspiring to me that [Cinderella] has a voice, and she isn’t afraid to use it. She stands up for herself — to her stepmother, to her sisters, to the town, to Prince Sebastian, to anyone — even though she’s struggling with her own self because of the way society makes her feel like an outcast.
CARMELLO My daughter was about two and a half when the television version that starred Brandy came out, and she was mesmerized. At the time, that was sort of groundbreaking because it was very diverse casting. And that’s what I love about our cast, too — it’s very diverse, and I think people will see themselves up there and feel represented.
What do you hope people take away from the musical?
CARMELLO That the Cinderella story is not just about waiting around for someone to rescue you. It’s about being your own person and trusting your own instincts.
GENAO I hope audiences walk out knowing that they don’t have to change who they are to conform to anybody else.