Celina Carvajal
Although Celina Carvajal — who, at age seven, sang for Pope John Paul II — has appeared on Broadway in Tarzan, Dracula, 42nd Street and Cats, she may best be known for a musical that she was not a part of, Legally Blonde. The young singing actress was one of the contestants on the MTV reality television program, "Legally Blonde, The Search for the Next Elle Woods." Although Carvajal did not win that casting competition, the exposure has helped the triple threat land several jobs, including her current role in the new musical The Toxic Avenger at New World Stages: Carvajal recently succeeded Sara Chase in the role of Sarah, "the sexy blind librarian," in the musical penned by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change) and Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan. Earlier this week I had the pleasure of chatting with the talented Carvajal, who spoke about the Blonde competition, her current role Off-Broadway and her work as a producer; that brief interview follows:

Question: I heard you had a bit of drama this past weekend at Toxic Avenger.
Celina Carvajal: We did! [Laughs.]

Question: What happened?
Carvajal: There's a point where Nick Cordero as Toxie goes out into the audience. One of the patrons put their bag on the barrel that [Nick] jumps off of. He tripped on the barrel and smashed his shin and just cracked open his shin basically. There were pools of blood on the stage for the rest of the show. He toughed it out and got through the rest of the show, but his shoe was full of blood. It was gross. [Laughs.] But he's fine, he just had to get four stitches.

Question: But he was able to finish the show?
Carvajal: He finished the show and then we cancelled the night show and the Monday show so his stitches could heal, but he's back on Wednesday.

Question: What's it like stepping into a production that's already running?
Carvajal: You know what, it's nice because you don't have to deal with going through tech and all the crazy hell of that. But it can also be hard because everyone is already friends and already kind of close-knit. It's almost like you're breaking into the cool crowd. It can feel really daunting and a little scary. It was very scary for me at first. This is my first time in a big, big role. I've been an understudy before doing big roles, but it's different. This is mine to have, so I was really nervous.

Question: A lot of times you don't get that much rehearsal when you're going in.
Carvajal: I rehearsed for about a week. I was so freaked out that I was pretty much ready. By the time we got to my fourth rehearsal, I was just like, "Yeah, I'm ready. Let's do this!" [Laughs.]

Question: How would you describe the character you're playing?
Carvajal: She's extremely kind-hearted and a very, very good person. She's strong in her morals. Outwardly she's very sweet, but on the inside she's just a sex kitten and knows what she wants and will do anything to get it. And, she's also blind. [Laughs.]

Question: What it like playing someone who can't see?
Carvajal: It's actually really fun. It's a really good acting exercise because you basically have to be hyper aware of what you're hearing instead of what you see. So if you just forget about what you see and just go on what you hear, there is so much to play with as far as the actors changing the inflections of the way they say a line. It really informs you a lot if you listen. It's really cool.

Question: Do you have a favorite moment in the show for her?
Carvajal: Of course I do! My favorite moment is when we sing "Hot Toxic Love," and I get to play with whipped cream. There's nothing better than playing with whipped cream onstage. It's so fun! [Laughs.]

Question: How have audiences been responding to the show?
Carvajal: They love it. They eat it up — they think it's hilarious. If they know what they're seeing, if they know they're coming in to see a farce, a ridiculous comedy, something that's just over the top. The minute you introduce a nun and the nun is saying "bitch" and all that kind of stuff, you understand that it's this over-the-top comedy from the very get go. As long as the audience understands that, they love it. They eat it up. They're so responsive — they yell and scream! It's the ones who really rock out that are our favorite.

Question: Since we haven't spoken before, I wanted to go back a bit. Where were you born and raised.
Carvajal: San Francisco, California, in the Haight-Ashbury.

Question: When did you start performing?
Carvajal: I started performing when I was two years old. I was in ballet. My father's a choreographer, my mother was a prima ballerina, and we had a ballet company. So I started dancing ballet when I was really, really little. I started performing at a young age, and I even toured in Japan when I was nine.

Question: In what show?
Carvajal: It was a review of all these dances. It was called The Ballet Celeste.

Question: Did you like performing at that age?
Carvajal: Oh, of course. I loved it. My God, I was such a ham. My parents would turn on the radio in the living room, and their friends would all sit down on the couches, and I would just dance around and make things up for hours on end. You couldn't stop me.

	Celina Carvajal as Anytime Annie in Broadway's 42nd Street

Question: At what point do you think you knew it would be your career?
Carvajal: It was never something that crossed my mind. It just was something that ended up developing. I found musical theatre when I was 13 because of my sister. I really liked it a lot. I think because my family is so creative and is already in the creative world and that's just a way of life, it was never a question of a hobby. It was always just what you loved to do.

Question: Were there any artists that you particularly admired as a young performer?
Carvajal: I loved Madeline Kahn. And, really recently, Nancy Opel is quite inspiring to me. She is so incredible, and I love working with her. She's such a great person, too. Now I have a new inspiration in my life. [Laughs.]

Question: When did you get to New York?
Carvajal: I got here in May of 1999. I was doing the tour of Cats, and they transferred me over to the Broadway production.

Question: Do you remember your first night on a Broadway stage?
Carvajal: I must have cried intensely. I don't remember. It's one of those things. Sometimes the biggest moments in your life are just such a blur because you're running on high adrenaline. I do remember when I got the call I was screaming and crying and jumping up and down and hyperventilating. [Laughs.]  Continued...