LaChanze

“Who doesn't love Donna Summer's music? It was part of my childhood, always heard around the house.”

“I try to take time to find joy out of life, and I don't take a day for granted like I used to.”

“As an actor, you go in your own personal life and pull from your personal life, so that's what I do.”

“Dianne Reeves, a famous jazz singer, would be my biggest influence.”

“I think a lot of audience members don't realize the part that they play in live theatre. The audience actually has a mood. Sometimes they're tired and bored, and we have to wake them up and engage them.”

“I always had a strong faith, and I always relied on God for a lot.”

“The best thing about theatre is that every time we get onstage, the show is new.”

“I want to share the things I've done, the things I've survived, the things I've struggled through.”

“Theater is structured. You're plugged into a system. It's relentless. You're expected to do certain things every day. You have your tasks.”

“Coming up through the theater in America, while I have had success, I have had success in certain types of roles.”

“I basically came from nothing and turned my life into something.”

“Naturally you want to be the best mom you can, but then also you want to be the best performer you can.”

“I'm not religious, but I'm spiritual.”

“I have a very strong connection with God, very strong sense of my faith.”

“It's still hard for me to think about Sept. 11 sometimes. I'm still angry. It's hard to watch my daughters, Celia and Zaya, grow up and know they'll never see their father. They'll always be 9/11 girls, and I wish I could shield them from that. Everyone has an immediate pity for them. It is a sad thing, but the girls are also so happy.”

“I have a very interesting story to tell, and people always want to hear about it. They know I'm a 9/11 widow, and I always get comments on that and being an actor and raising my daughters by myself.”

“I'm a theatre doll, and I've always - since I'm out of school - have always been on stage.”

“I'm not a Method actress. I work in the present, the day-to-day.”

“I went to see 'Kinky Boots' to see my friend Billy Porter in his groundbreaking performance. But while backstage, I was hoping for a chance to meet this young, dynamic performer Annaleigh Ashford. Her comic timing was brilliant. And she is obviously a triple threat.”

“The theater community will always remain a big part of my life, and I hope to re-join the cast of 'The Color Purple' at some point down the road.”