The stage lights dim as the finale number “Raise You Up” draws to a close. She and the rest of the cast rush to their places for curtain call, dripping with sweat after two hours of singing and dancing on stage. The velvet curtain slowly rises as the audience jumps to their feet and erupts with applause. She gazes down at her sparkly red boots as she takes a bow. It’s the end of another regular workday for Shelbi Voss.
Shelbi Voss is a Chicago-based actress, currently performing in Kinky Boots at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, Illinois. Kinky Boots may be her first professional production, but Voss is no stranger to the spotlight. She was introduced to theatre at a very young age and fell in love with “the art of storytelling” as she grew older.
“I started dancing when I was two because my sister is a dancer and my mom is a vocalist, so I got ingrained in theatre pretty quickly,” Voss said.
From there, Voss started dancing competitively at the age of seven. She also began piano lessons at four-years-old and voice lessons in early high school. When she first got involved with live entertainment, Voss only viewed her craft as a hobby. She performed in various theatrical productions in high school and through a number of community theatres but never expected herself to continue in her future.
Though she did not always plan to pursue theatre, others recognized that Voss was born to perform right from the start: “The theatre bug bit her when she was very young,” recalls Voss’ older sister, Phaelon Voss. “I knew she was talented then, but it was when she became active in her high school theatre program that I really knew she was meant to be on stage. I couldn’t be more proud of her for sticking to her dreams and accomplishing her goals.”
It was not until her college years that Voss truly considered pursuing theatre as a profession. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied journalism with a theatre minor. While she was fond of the journalism program, Voss knew that there would be an empty void in her heart if she did not continue performing in her future.
“It struck me at some point late in my sophomore year that I had the potential to go into theatre professionally. I had heard from different voice teachers, directors, choreographers, etc. that I should really consider it, so that’s the point I really started thinking about it as a career as opposed to just something that I knew I was really passionate about,” Voss explained.
Throughout college, she performed in a show almost every semester with an organization called Illini Student Musicals. The organization – which produces one musical per semester – is fully student-led, so Voss was able to truly immerse herself in the process of putting a show together, from backstage design elements to the staging of the production. In every performance she’s in, Voss strives to hone not only her stage presence but also her refined knack for immersing herself in character.
“I always knew Shelbi was going to be a star,” Voss’ college roommate Madysen Simanonis said. “I got to witness a lot of her work behind the scenes and her dedication to her craft. She put so much work in outside of auditions and rehearsals, so when it came down to her performances, she was always completely flawless. It was a complete joy to witness such passion for the arts.”
Voss cites the second semester of her senior year as a major turning point in her life. She got an agent through DDO Artists Agency, which she says “almost just fell into [her] lap.” Voss says she instantly felt comfortable knowing she would not have to navigate the cut-throat professional theatre world alone.
“My agents are so great with really understanding me as a performer, and what I want to do, and the stories I want to tell,” Voss said.
About two weeks after her college graduation, Illinois theatres started to announce their reopening dates following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. She attended a plethora of auditions and open casting calls for various projects, which ultimately led to her securing a spot as a replacement in the ensemble of Kinky Boots! Voss’ sister Phaelon has seen her grow as an actress over the years, and when she was cast in the show, she held in her excitement until the official company list was released.
“I heard Shelbi scream in her room so I jumped up from my work and ran to see what happened, hoping it was news about some audition. She came out of her room at the same time and told me she was cast in Kinky Boots. I think that was one of the hardest secrets I’ve ever kept because I was so overjoyed for her to book her first show. She has worked so hard to be where she is and I’m very proud of her.”
The show was originally scheduled to begin rehearsals in March of 2020, but the process was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions. In May of this year, the Paramount Theatre officially set the Kinky Boots reopening date to August 18, 2021. The show was previously cast, but Voss joined the company as a replacement for a female ensemble member and understudy for the principal role, Lauren.
“I always say jokingly that as much as COVID has changed things and whatnot, it really helped my life take a turn for the absolute greatest,” Voss explained, with a huge smile on her face.
The entire rehearsal process only lasted about three weeks — a much quicker experience from previous shows Voss was involved with. She recalls the “electric” energy amongst the cast and staff when they entered the theatre for the first time: “The initial day of rehearsals was a moment I will never forget. Everyone was just so excited to be back in the space and doing the thing.”
The company features a diverse cast of 34 individuals, most of whom had not performed since before the pandemic. With Kinky Boots being one of the first productions to re-open in the Chicagoland area, the audiences were just as thrilled as the company members to be back watching live theatre.
“I have never experienced an audience like that,” Voss said. “Coming back to the theatre with a show like this, where the message is so incredible and the music is such a party, the audience just goes absolutely wild. I will never forget that feeling of stepping onto the stage for the first time. There were just tears, like intermittently throughout the whole show.”
Voss performs the production eight times a week, with additional understudy rehearsals scheduled every Thursday and Friday. These rehearsals allow Voss and the rest of the understudies to practice performing the principal roles, in the case that a cast member was absent for a show. Despite the countless hours she dedicates to the show, Voss still manages to save time for personal interactions with audience members.
“Some of the stories that we have heard, especially from the children and teenagers we interact with after the shows, are so special to me,” Voss explained. “This show is really changing people’s lives. And people are really excited to not only see themselves represented on stage but to be represented in such a respectful way. It’s really special for me to be a part of.”
Kinky Boots tells the story of Lola — a drag queen from London seeking acceptance from her close-minded community. When asked why this particular production is so special to her, Voss discussed the importance of representation in her cast.
“The theatre world right now is really developing and trying to grow in terms of its representation, in terms of the stories it’s telling, in terms of the people it’s allowing to tell these stories.”
Over the last several years, the theatre community has grown to embrace all types of people and allows for an accurate representation of their past, present and futures. Many stories displayed in new works highlight real struggles that people overcome daily, especially individuals of different backgrounds. Broadway shows like Hamilton shattered the norms in terms of representation for more traditional roles. The cast featured a plethora of individuals from varying ethnicities, much like Kinky Boots.
“One of the biggest things about our show, in particular, is that I don’t think there is a single community that isn’t represented in terms of race, gender identity, sexuality, body type,” Voss said. “We just have so many different types of people on the stage.”
The message of acceptance in Kinky Boots is what initially drew Voss to audition for the production. As a performer, she says the stories she shares will resonate with people in unimaginable ways, and if she can play even a small role in changing someone’s mind for the better, her job is complete.
