Photo: Jenny AndersonBroadway actressJessica Voskhas mastered the art of pivoting.Long before the 38-year-old rose to fame in the theater world as Elphaba in the long-running musicalWicked, Vosk worked at a boutique investor relations firm in New York City. But at 27, the former associate director was suffering from panic attacks and knew that she was destined for a life beyond her desk job.“I get a lot of advice questions about, ‘Well, how did you take a leap?’ I still get scared. I getsoscared, I’m like pee-my-pants scared about Carnegie Hall,” Vosk, who will play the famed concert venue’s 2,804-seat Stern Auditorium on Nov. 8, tells PEOPLE.“I get that way about everything, and I still think if I have to go into real estate for the rest of my life, okay, then I have to go into real estate for the rest of my life,” she adds. “How do I make that fun?“Jenny AndersonNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Vosk aims to find the joy in each of her many careers. When something doesn’t serve her any longer, she redirects.Her most recent shift, however, was due to circumstances outside of her control — but like many times before, Vosk found a new and exciting way to move forward.At the beginning of 2020, fresh off her yearlong run in Broadway’sWicked, the actress was in the midst of developing a new show that would see her back on the Great White Way. But thecoronavirus pandemichad other plans for live theatrical productions and New York City theaters weresoon shut down for over a year.“It was like a wave of anxiety and [questions of]: Who am I?” she says. “Then a little bit of depression, and ‘What am I supposed to do? Am I now supposed to make f—ing bread? Am I supposed to do some TikTok challenge? What is Zoom?’ “Though Vosk had given up a life of stability over a decade ago to pursue her Broadway dreams, she knew she needed another back-up plan — and so she enlisted in virtual real estate school, where she was noticed over Zoom as Jessica Vosk fromWicked.Joan Marcus"I’m sitting there with everybody and their mother of all ages, from all different backgrounds, I’m the only show business person in this class, and lo and behold, somebody is like, ‘Excuse me!’ " she explains.She says being recognized outside of her industry only validated her decision to pursue a life in theater despite getting her real estate license.“I was like, ‘Okay, so don’t leave the entertainment business yet, Jess. Just don’t leave yet.’ It was wild. When does that happen?“She insists that her road to Broadway and upcoming Carnegie Hall concert — at which she will sing alongside guest starsKristin ChenowethandScott Hoying of Pentatonix— was not without its fair share of challenges.“My parents hated when I left my finance job [at first]. They thought it was the biggest mistake of my life. I still did it and I don’t regret it. It was tough at the time,” Vosk says.“I’ve done things for other people. I wind up so battered in the end because it’s not what I wanted. When it comes to actually following your heart and what it is that you love, do it. You will regret it at the end of the day if you don’t. It might piss a couple of people off, it might, but so be it! It’s your life, it’s who you are, and you should be able to go after what it is that you love. So what, it might not work out! You might actually fall flat on your face, but don’t you prefer doing that rather than never knowing if you can make it in the first place?“When Vosk was first asked to play Carnegie Hall, she couldn’t believe another dream was coming true. “Don’t you mean likeJessica Chastain? You actually want me to do this?” she jokes. “I can’t even believe it.”
Photo: Jenny Anderson
Broadway actressJessica Voskhas mastered the art of pivoting.Long before the 38-year-old rose to fame in the theater world as Elphaba in the long-running musicalWicked, Vosk worked at a boutique investor relations firm in New York City. But at 27, the former associate director was suffering from panic attacks and knew that she was destined for a life beyond her desk job.“I get a lot of advice questions about, ‘Well, how did you take a leap?’ I still get scared. I getsoscared, I’m like pee-my-pants scared about Carnegie Hall,” Vosk, who will play the famed concert venue’s 2,804-seat Stern Auditorium on Nov. 8, tells PEOPLE.“I get that way about everything, and I still think if I have to go into real estate for the rest of my life, okay, then I have to go into real estate for the rest of my life,” she adds. “How do I make that fun?“Jenny AndersonNever miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Vosk aims to find the joy in each of her many careers. When something doesn’t serve her any longer, she redirects.Her most recent shift, however, was due to circumstances outside of her control — but like many times before, Vosk found a new and exciting way to move forward.At the beginning of 2020, fresh off her yearlong run in Broadway’sWicked, the actress was in the midst of developing a new show that would see her back on the Great White Way. But thecoronavirus pandemichad other plans for live theatrical productions and New York City theaters weresoon shut down for over a year.“It was like a wave of anxiety and [questions of]: Who am I?” she says. “Then a little bit of depression, and ‘What am I supposed to do? Am I now supposed to make f—ing bread? Am I supposed to do some TikTok challenge? What is Zoom?’ “Though Vosk had given up a life of stability over a decade ago to pursue her Broadway dreams, she knew she needed another back-up plan — and so she enlisted in virtual real estate school, where she was noticed over Zoom as Jessica Vosk fromWicked.Joan Marcus"I’m sitting there with everybody and their mother of all ages, from all different backgrounds, I’m the only show business person in this class, and lo and behold, somebody is like, ‘Excuse me!’ " she explains.She says being recognized outside of her industry only validated her decision to pursue a life in theater despite getting her real estate license.“I was like, ‘Okay, so don’t leave the entertainment business yet, Jess. Just don’t leave yet.’ It was wild. When does that happen?“She insists that her road to Broadway and upcoming Carnegie Hall concert — at which she will sing alongside guest starsKristin ChenowethandScott Hoying of Pentatonix— was not without its fair share of challenges.“My parents hated when I left my finance job [at first]. They thought it was the biggest mistake of my life. I still did it and I don’t regret it. It was tough at the time,” Vosk says.“I’ve done things for other people. I wind up so battered in the end because it’s not what I wanted. When it comes to actually following your heart and what it is that you love, do it. You will regret it at the end of the day if you don’t. It might piss a couple of people off, it might, but so be it! It’s your life, it’s who you are, and you should be able to go after what it is that you love. So what, it might not work out! You might actually fall flat on your face, but don’t you prefer doing that rather than never knowing if you can make it in the first place?“When Vosk was first asked to play Carnegie Hall, she couldn’t believe another dream was coming true. “Don’t you mean likeJessica Chastain? You actually want me to do this?” she jokes. “I can’t even believe it.”
Broadway actressJessica Voskhas mastered the art of pivoting.
Long before the 38-year-old rose to fame in the theater world as Elphaba in the long-running musicalWicked, Vosk worked at a boutique investor relations firm in New York City. But at 27, the former associate director was suffering from panic attacks and knew that she was destined for a life beyond her desk job.
“I get a lot of advice questions about, ‘Well, how did you take a leap?’ I still get scared. I getsoscared, I’m like pee-my-pants scared about Carnegie Hall,” Vosk, who will play the famed concert venue’s 2,804-seat Stern Auditorium on Nov. 8, tells PEOPLE.
“I get that way about everything, and I still think if I have to go into real estate for the rest of my life, okay, then I have to go into real estate for the rest of my life,” she adds. “How do I make that fun?”
Jenny Anderson
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Vosk aims to find the joy in each of her many careers. When something doesn’t serve her any longer, she redirects.
Her most recent shift, however, was due to circumstances outside of her control — but like many times before, Vosk found a new and exciting way to move forward.
At the beginning of 2020, fresh off her yearlong run in Broadway’sWicked, the actress was in the midst of developing a new show that would see her back on the Great White Way. But thecoronavirus pandemichad other plans for live theatrical productions and New York City theaters weresoon shut down for over a year.
“It was like a wave of anxiety and [questions of]: Who am I?” she says. “Then a little bit of depression, and ‘What am I supposed to do? Am I now supposed to make f—ing bread? Am I supposed to do some TikTok challenge? What is Zoom?’ "
Though Vosk had given up a life of stability over a decade ago to pursue her Broadway dreams, she knew she needed another back-up plan — and so she enlisted in virtual real estate school, where she was noticed over Zoom as Jessica Vosk fromWicked.
Joan Marcus
“I’m sitting there with everybody and their mother of all ages, from all different backgrounds, I’m the only show business person in this class, and lo and behold, somebody is like, ‘Excuse me!’ " she explains.
She says being recognized outside of her industry only validated her decision to pursue a life in theater despite getting her real estate license.
“I was like, ‘Okay, so don’t leave the entertainment business yet, Jess. Just don’t leave yet.’ It was wild. When does that happen?”
She insists that her road to Broadway and upcoming Carnegie Hall concert — at which she will sing alongside guest starsKristin ChenowethandScott Hoying of Pentatonix— was not without its fair share of challenges.
“My parents hated when I left my finance job [at first]. They thought it was the biggest mistake of my life. I still did it and I don’t regret it. It was tough at the time,” Vosk says.
“I’ve done things for other people. I wind up so battered in the end because it’s not what I wanted. When it comes to actually following your heart and what it is that you love, do it. You will regret it at the end of the day if you don’t. It might piss a couple of people off, it might, but so be it! It’s your life, it’s who you are, and you should be able to go after what it is that you love. So what, it might not work out! You might actually fall flat on your face, but don’t you prefer doing that rather than never knowing if you can make it in the first place?”
When Vosk was first asked to play Carnegie Hall, she couldn’t believe another dream was coming true. “Don’t you mean likeJessica Chastain? You actually want me to do this?” she jokes. “I can’t even believe it.”
source: people.com
