Jordin Sparks Lights Up Broadway

You know her as the season 6 winner of American Idol and from "No Air," her duet with Chris Brown. Now, Jordin Sparks, 20, is adding Broadway star to her resume with a lead role in the Tony award-winning musical, In the Heights (beginning August 19). The sweet and funny singer spoke to Kidult about her Broadway debut, her summer Battlefield tour, and why it's important to stop and catch your breath every now and then.

How does it feel to be making your Broadway debut?

I was 4-years-old when I saw my first Broadway play and that was my introduction to music and acting. I’ve always wanted to do Broadway. I'm so excited.

What attracted you to the role of Nina in, In the Heights?

I see a little bit of Nina in me. She's the first person in her family to get a scholarship and go off to college, and she feels like she's representing her parents and her neighborhood. From the competitions I've done, I know that feeling of not wanting to let people down. You want to do the best you can for your family and for the people who know you. When you don’t, you feel guilty.

How have you learned to deal with that kind of pressure?

I’ve realized that you can’t be perfect. The best thing about Nina's story is that she realizes that it’s OK to feel that way—because everybody feels that way. There are struggles you need to overcome, but your family will always be there for you. So you shouldn’t be scared to tell them anything.

What’s song are you most excited to perform in, In the Heights?

I love the song, "Breathe," which is the introduction to Nina in the play. When Nina sings "Breathe," she’s telling herself to breathe, and she’s like, "OK, I can tell my parents that I’ve been having problems." I can relate to that too. There have been many times when I’ve had to say, "you can’t come with me on this trip even though you really wanted to," or "my record didn’t sell well," and I’ve had to tell myself, "just breathe." I’m still getting used to being in this industry.

Do you have other acting ambitions outside of In the Heights?

I filmed an episode of Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush, which will be airing in a couple of weeks. I played myself, but I had a lot of lines and interactions with the characters on the show. I’m definitely interested in honing that aspect of performing.

Are you excited about going on your first tour as a Headliner this summer?

I am! I’ve been an opener, a special guest and a co-headliner. This time around, instead of having 20 minutes on stage, I have an hour and 15 minutes. Instead of 5 songs, I have 15. It’s quite the adjustment. I also found out that I’ll be singing a song from In the Heights—probably "Breathe"—on my tour!

You’re turning 21 later this year. Is that exciting?

I love to dance, so the cool thing is now I’ll be able to dance without somebody looking at me and going ‘excuse me?’ It’s crazy to be turning 21 because I still feel like a quirky 16-year-old.

As the youngest winner of American Idol ever, what advice do you have for kids who want to pursue their dreams the same way you did?

Don’t be scared of rejection. If you want to be a singer: practice, learn about music, and do the competitions like American Idol. Get used to criticism and judges, and work hard. That applies to anything—whether you want to be a singer or a firefighter.

American Idol will announce it’s 9th Idol tomorrow. Who are you rooting for: Lee DeWyze or Crystal Bowersox?

There hasn’t been a boy-girl finale since me and Blake [Lewis]. A lot of girls are going to relate to Crystal wanting to do whatever she can for her son to be happy and a lot of girls are going to vote for Lee because he’s cute and has a good voice. I don’t know who’s going to win. I will be voting!