In ELLE.com’s month-to-month collection Workplace Hours, we ask folks in highly effective positions to take us by way of their first jobs, worst jobs, and the whole lot in between. This month, we spoke to Kandi Burruss, a producer of the Broadway revival of The Wiz, opening April 17. A actuality tv star who received season three of The Masked Singer, Burruss lately introduced she was leaving The Actual Housewives of Atlanta after 14 seasons to give attention to different artistic pursuits. Burruss acquired her begin as a recording artist within the lady group Xscape and has writing credit on songs akin to “Payments, Payments, Payments” by Future’s Baby, “Inform Me No” by Whitney Houston, and “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” by Ariana Grande. She additionally obtained a Grammy award for Finest R&B Tune for co-writing “No Scrubs” by TLC. Born and raised in Georgia, Burruss attended a performing arts highschool the place her love for the humanities blossomed. Ever since, she’s been obsessed with uplifting Black voices in theater and music, and final Broadway season, Burruss produced August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, which was named the highest-grossing August Wilson play in Broadway historical past. Beneath, she opens up about when she first began performing, her timeless love for The Wiz, and the way Broadway nonetheless wants to alter.
My first job
I’ve by no means had a job. Truthfully, I needed to work, however my stepdad instructed me he didn’t need me to, as a result of he simply needed me to give attention to faculty. Then, I acquired my document deal after I was 16 years previous. Our group Xscape put out our first single earlier than my senior 12 months, so I went into my senior 12 months with a No. 1 document on the R&B chart. From there, I haven’t stopped.
On my unconventional profession path
I at all times say to cease telling your children they’ve to attend till they graduate from highschool or school to go after their desires. Once I was in highschool, my drama trainer took our class to audition for a group theater play. That opened my eyes. I used to be like, “Wait, what? So, I don’t have to simply do the college play?” No person ever actually tells you you could truly go and apply for these issues, begin performing somewhere else, recording your music, placing your stuff up on-line, or auditioning for TV, movie, music, the whole lot, as a child. When my English trainer within the 11th grade requested everyone at school, “What do you wish to be whenever you guys develop up?” I stated, “Nicely, I wish to be a singer and an actress.” She stated, “What actual job do you wish to do?” Thoughts you, we have been at a performing arts highschool. [Xscape] acquired our document deal that very same 12 months, and the next 12 months, our data have been on the radio. I used to be nonetheless coming to high school on the times I wasn’t on tour and had that very same trainer. My mother had the best time rubbing it in her face.
Why I needed to provide The Wiz
The Wiz is my favourite musical of all time. As a child, I solely noticed the film model, and I actually would watch it time and again and knew all of the phrases, all of the songs. Once I was a young person, Stephanie Mills launched “House” as a single for her challenge on the time; I used to pay attention on the bus day by day. So it’s a childhood dream to be part of this. We toured The Wiz first after which got here again to do our run on Broadway. I really like our model of The Wiz, as a result of I really feel the brand new up to date script [featuring additional material by Amber Ruffin] is so humorous.
The tales I’m obsessed with
I actually love tales which are relatable. I really like tales that may contact folks. I really like tales that make you chortle, make you cry, and make you assume. I believe the perfect a part of being a producer on Ideas of a Coloured Man in 2021 was that it actually made folks assume and touched hearts. It was the primary present on Broadway that starred seven Black males [and had an all-Black team], and it confirmed them in a special gentle than the best way Black males are depicted within the media. I like to elevate the voices of individuals of colour on Broadway, as a result of for a very long time, reveals that starred folks of colour didn’t get the identical help financially. It’s unhappy to say that, in 2024, we nonetheless must push for that.
How Broadway must progress
Individuals prefer to throw cash at an issue, however actually it’s management. When you don’t see range in your board or in your govt room, you don’t have any folks to let you know when one thing’s unsuitable or to introduce you to new concepts. I really like being the expertise on the present. I really like being the singer on the stage. I really like being the actor on the TV present, the truth star. However to me, if I wish to carry extra alternative, I actually need to get behind the scenes. Broadway is a spot the place we now have began seeing extra alternatives for folks of colour so far as it pertains to expertise onstage, however so far as the people who find themselves working issues within the background, there are usually not many people. It’s always evolving, however we have to proceed to push for illustration.
And that’s simply in enterprise, interval. I don’t know what makes folks scared to spend money on a Black-owned enterprise or a Black-run manufacturing or no matter it might be. It’s necessary to me to get behind these initiatives and in addition show that reveals that star folks of colour may be profitable. On the finish of the day, that’s what makes folks wish to make investments. 70 p.c of our ticket consumers [for The Piano Lesson] have been individuals who have been shopping for a ticket to a Broadway present for the primary time. I believe that, realistically, numerous Black folks didn’t go to Broadway reveals up to now as a result of it by no means was marketed to them to make them really feel like, “That is additionally for you.” That has been a part of my job, to construct a crew that claims, “Hey guys, we acquired this nice present, we wish you to return see it.”
The Wiz stars Kyle Ramar Freeman as Lion, Nichelle Lewis as Dorothy, Phillip Johnson Richardson as Tinman, and Avery Wilson as Scarecrow.
Why I left The Actual Housewives of Atlanta
I simply felt prefer it was time. I’ve performed 14 seasons straight. It’s numerous stress and numerous drama. My final season I used to be on there, I simply felt like folks have been coming at me for no cause. I used to be actually simply straight burdened and on edge and lashing out. I didn’t like that feeling. After the season was over, they have been like, “Oh, we’re going to strive to determine how we’re going to modify up the solid a little bit bit.” As they have been taking their time, I began doing numerous different issues, and I began considering to myself, possibly I ought to take this second to essentially determine another stuff out, as a result of I wasn’t actually completely happy. Then they have been complaining, as a result of I used to be working a lot outdoors of the present. They have been like, “Oh, she’s at all times doing one thing else. She’s probably not dedicated to the present.” I’m like, “Nicely, it’s not like I’m going to cease doing all these different issues, so possibly it’s my time to throw up the deuces.” And I did.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability.
