Photo: @meecah on Instagram
Growing up in West Palm Beach, FL, Meecah remembers her grandmother’s sister taking her to shows at the Kravis Center to expand her palette.
“She introduced me to theater because I was more so in the music scene. I remember we would see West Side Story and I would be like ‘I want to do that.”
Now, Meecah is the principal standby in Hamilton’s National Tour for the Phillip Company. She covers Eliza Schuyler, Angelica Schuyler, Peggy Schuyler, and Maria Reynolds. She debuted as Angelica at DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Her audition process started during her sophomore year of college in 2015. She would sing the songs, learn the material, have a callback, another dance callback, then four or five months would go by and she would start that process over again. Meecah did that process about 8 or 9 times, with about 15 auditions in between all that.
Her commitment and persistence paid off as she booked Hamilton for her first job after graduating college in 2019. Although she was focusing on her own music at the time and was nervous to go on tour at first, she recognized it was a blessing and took the opportunity.
“My favorite part about being in Hamilton is having the opportunity to be the leading lady in so many different ways. I’m Angelica, Peggy, and Eliza and those are three leading women of the show. I can tell that story three different times. The versatility of it is what is exciting,” she said.
There are qualities Meecah admires in each of the character she plays. For Eliza, it is her resilience. In Maria Reynold’s case, she respects a girl who has a mission. When it comes to Angelica, she is more of a protector and Meecah really admires women who are able to put their feelings aside for the sake of somebody else in a strong and protective way.
She has only debuted as Angelica, but Meecah has learned all three of the roles. The hardest track to learn for her was Angelica because it was the very first role she learned.
"It’s not like any other show out there. Period. It’s the most difficult show I’ve ever been a part of. Learning the world of Hamilton on top of learning the lead sister was very overwhelming for me. Once I got over that hump, Eliza, which is also an equally hard role, felt very easy. She actually has more to do than Angelica. I felt ok, because I knew the vernacular of the show vs. not knowing that at all when I first joined,” she said.
Meecah realized she relates to Angelica the most because she is closest to who Meecah is as a person. A leader and head of the girl group like Angelica is how Meecah identifies herself as well.
Alongside touring the country with the Phillip Company, Meecah writes and performs her own music. She recently had her song “Melanated” in an FSU film project called Imani's Skin, with an uplifting message about a little girl who learns to love herself for who she is. Having gone to middle school and high school with Jess, the creator of the project, she loved the film and they both agreed “Melanated” was the perfect soundtrack for Imani’s journey.
She also has had the opportunity to perform her own music and do shows while on tour. Her EP "New Moon Rising" and singles "Soul Needs" and "Pilot" are available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube. Between her solo shows and covering three leading ladies of Hamilton, it’s clear Meecah is dedicated to her craft.
Her pre-show ritual on tour includes arriving at the theater an hour early. She also mentions that doing Hamilton has grown her relationship with Christ. At the beginning of the tour, she recalls praying before every show to not fall or mess up, but now she approaches each performance with a calmer mindset.
“I’m trusting that what He has given me is enough that I can walk a little bit on my own and He’s always there if I need it. Being able to have that independence in my religion was substantial to my growth. And I feel like that is something that I will always take with me,” she said.
Nashville was the most memorable tour stop for her since her family was able to visit. Being Caribbean and from Florida, she notes that she is very close knit with her family. Having her family with her in Nashville was just the motivation she needed to deal with the cold temperatures and wet climate.
She also makes time to go to the gym and workout regularly. The set with the turntable and thousands of stairs presents a daily challenge to the cast. For Meecah who always has to be ready to cover a role, she mentions it can catch one by surprise if they don’t stay fit.
“Then, you’ll be sounding crazy because you'll be trying to catch your breath while trying to hit a high note. I go to the gym, for two reasons: to make sure that I don’t look like a fool on stage and two so that I am ok with my physical body,” she said.
Coming from a Caribbean and Southern household where deep frying everything and smothering it in gravy is tradition, she admits that while she still loves cooking that style she has opted for healthier choices.
“I don’t like the way it makes me feel or makes me look and instead of complaining about it, I go to the gym. It’s very important for my mental success and my physical success on stage,” Meecah said.
The numbers she loves performing the most as each character are the Schuyler Sisters as Angelica, Say No To This as Maria Reynolds, and Helpless as Eliza. Her biggest takeaway out of this whole experience was that the limits she thought she had weren’t accurate. Although she hadn’t previously considered herself a dancer or an actress, she is clearly a triple threat as she takes on the world of Hamilton for the national tour.
“The limits that I put on myself were just that-limiting. They weren’t accurate and they weren’t true to my narrative. I’ve learned not to put myself in a box. You say that but until you experience yourself breaking out of the box you put yourself in, I don’t think you really understand,” Meecah said.
As for her biggest piece of advice to aspiring performers, it is to find what fuels you to do the show every day. To keep finding new discoveries, keep searching and to resist the urge to go on autopilot. Having played Angelica for two months, she has grown really familiar with the character. However, she says that is no excuse to give a 50% performance to an audience member who is expecting a 500% performance.
“I want to take every moment to be as present as possible because it’s only fair to the people who want to see the show, who can only really afford to see it only one time for a 350 dollar ticket who knows? My advice is really just find your fuel and keep that fire lit,” she said.