Aja Maria Johnson makes her Broadway debut Saturday in Hairspray. A month ago, the 12-year-old Baltimorean had never been to a Broadway show.
Aja – who is dropping her last name and using only her first and middle names as her stage name – will be taking over the role of Little Inez. Her character is the daughter of deejay Motormouth Mabel in the Tony Award-winning adaptation of John Waters’ 1988 movie about a ’60s Baltimore TV dance show whose stout star leads the charge for diversity and integration.
This isn’t Aja’s first appearance on a New York stage, however. When she was nine, she sang “Holy Spirit” at the legendary Apollo Theater, after competing in a talent show at Security Square Mall. In Baltimore, she has performed at Fells Point Corner Theatre, Arena Players’ Youtheatre and the Children’s Playhouse of Maryland, as well as in plays at her school, the Hamilton Christian Center. For the past three years, she’s studied theater in the Baltimore School for the Arts’ after-school TWIGS program.
Broadway, of course, is a different ballgame. But when we spoke to Aja (pronounced Asia) by telephone after her first week of rehearsal, she didn’t sound the least bit worried.
How did you get the part of Little Inez?
My first audition was around December [2001] at the Meyerhoff. We found out that same day and so we were unprepared. A man at my mom’s job told my mom [Shawann Henderson, a letter carrier at the Hamilton post office] about it, so we decided to check it out. My mom came to pick me up early and she said, “Do you want to audition for Hairspray?” And I said, “Okay.” When we got there I sang something from Cinderella – “A Lovely Night.” They enjoyed it but I didn’t get a callback.
Then I went to New York for another open-call audition around September. They remembered me from last year. I sang “Mr. Postman.” Then they asked me to sing [Little Inez’] solo. I didn’t know it so they taught me a few lines. Then they said I sounded great, but again I wasn’t chosen.
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This year, March 31, my mother got a call from Hairspray saying they wanted to update my height. My mother said I was 4 feet 8 inches. They said this is just for future auditions. Then they called on April 1.
We went and auditioned April 4 and then they said [to] come back April 7. They said, “Come in a vintage dress.” We went to the Vanessa Vintage shop on Charles St.
What did your dress look like? Was it a hit at the audition?
It was plaid. It was red and orange and it had a belt on the waist. I had my school shoes on – they look like the Sixties.
They said they really liked the dress and they said I was great but they wanted me to audition again for the director and one of the producers who weren’t there that day. They put us up at the Paramount Hotel. I auditioned April 8, a Tuesday, at 11 o’clock. Well, they really liked me, but I didn’t know anything yet.
When did you find out you’d gotten the part?
When we were on the turnpike going home, my mother got a call on her cell phone that rehearsals start June 24.
How did you react?
I was screaming, “Oh, my goodness!” I was crying in the car. “Oh, my gosh!” I was so happy.
What did you think of Hairspray when you finally got to see it on Broadway?
It was fabulous. It was wonderful. I liked the whole thing.
Do you have anything in common with Little Inez?
Maybe. We do like to dance. Other than that, not really, because I can’t relate to segregation, and I am the older sister, where Little Inez is the baby child and she has a brother.
What have rehearsals been like?
Rehearsals are fun. We have rehearsals between 10 and 6 some days, and some are a little shorter. I work with new cast members and some that are in the play now. They said I pick up my dances easily and that I’m a quick learner, so it’s really fun.
What do you enjoy most about rehearsals?
I like learning the dances, especially the finale because it’s really fast.
What’s the most difficult part of rehearsing?
It’s one step that I can’t do – it’s tap and I don’t tap and it’s really hard. That’s about it.
When did you decide you wanted to be an actress?
When I was a little girl, around 3, I used to always sing. My mom said when we were in the grocery stores I would sing and my mom said I didn’t care who was around. I would just sing. My mom took me to local plays and I decided I wanted to do that.
Are you nervous about your opening night in Hairspray?
I’m ready!
Has anything else exciting happened to you in New York?
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I did meet Whoopi Goldberg, and I got her autograph and we talked for about five minutes. It was so exciting. We have a Broadway production across the street from [the rehearsal hall] – Man of La Mancha. We saw her coming out of the building and everybody was around her and before everybody was around her, I got to talk to her.
What did you say?
I said that I really liked her in Cinderella and I like her in all the movies that she did, all the ones that I’ve seen. I said, “I’ll be in Hairspray starting July 19,” and she said, “Wow, that’s great!” She said she’ll try to make it to one of my shows, and she said: “Welcome. We’ve been waiting for you.”