Michelle Blakely is an incomparable actress who has worked on Broadway alongside Bernadette Peters and Rosie O'Donnell. An alum of many of our corporate events, we caught up with her to reflect on her life on Broadway.

HOB: You were fantastic in Annie Get Your Gun. What was it like performing in such a beloved musical opposite Bernadette Peters?
MB: Bernadette has always been one of my idols. In one of our scenes, she got the giggles after flubbing a line. Some of the cast started to "break scene" and laugh with her. I was stone-faced and the last hold out until I couldn't stand it anymore and joined in. At this point, the audience applauded wildly and cackled with joy. It was truly an authentic Broadway moment.

HOB: How funny! Do you like getting such a big response from the audience, or is it distracting sometimes when people are singing or clapping along with your song?
MB: Those personal interactions with the audience are the most gratifying part of performing. Whether attendees are a group of scientists, bankers, real estate agents, or doctors, those audience interaction moments are pure energy. You feed off the audience and, in turn, they feed off of you. When you have that synergy, it's very powerful. It's definitely an experience that you won't get at a movie theatre or watching TV!

HOB: Speaking of movies and TV, how do you feel audiences respond to live entertainment, when filmed performances seem to be more prevalent?
MB: At the reception after our recent event for Citi, I met a man who had never seen a Broadway show. He said that he was aware that there would be entertainment throughout the evening, but he was surprised at how engaged he became during the performance. He was thoroughly amazed by the talented singers and dancers, and ended up singing along and bopping to the beat!

HOB: Have you ever had an experience like that with an entire audience?
MB: One of the groups that really stands out in my mind was a Bayer corporate audience in Colorado Springs, many of whom were from Germany. Before going to Colorado, I was concerned that our show may not translate. But the audience was one of the most appreciative and vocal audiences I have ever experienced with a corporate event. After the finale, the CEO made an impromptu speech about our wonderful performance and how the magic of Broadway had influenced his life. It was a very moving night for us all.

HOB: Sounds like a fantastic evening. What are some of your favorite Broadway shows?
MB: There are so many memories I have of brilliant performances that I've seen on Broadway. Jennifer Holliday bringing down the house during a matinee of Dreamgirls, Lilly Tomlin single-handedly mesmerizing the audience with her one-woman show, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life... Even recently watching Fantasia's star turn in The Color Purple. I'm constantly inspired and reminded why I was drawn to the live theatre.

HOB: One last question, what song from Broadway do you feel a personal connection to?
MB: The song "Something's Coming" from West Side Story is very special to me. It's about how you never know what the future can hold, and what wonderful thing is waiting for you around the corner. I feel it encapsulates the entertainment business, as well as the human experience. The power of the unknown future gives you hope for a better tomorrow.

Michelle Blakely's Broadway credits include Annie Get Your Gun as the standby for Bernadette Peters, later playing opposite Ms. Peters as "Dolly Tate," Grease with Rosie O'Donnell as "Patty Simcox" and understudy for "Sandy," Tom O'Horgan's Senator Joe as "Dorothy Kenyon," and The International Tour of Grand Hotel as "Trude." Her films include You've Got Mail, Mr. Jealousy, and The Twilight of the Golds.