SEATTLE — Brooke Simpson turned four chairs and took third place in "The Voice" in 2017. And took 4th in "America's Got Talent" in 2021. She was the first Indigenous singer to make the finals in both shows.
Now she's in Seattle, bringing her powerful voice to the revival of the Tony Award winning musical "1776" at The Fifth Avenue Theatre.
She's been singing all her life.
"Growing up I'd sing in the church with my family," said Simpson, who's from North Carolina. "My mom and dad are evangelists and they would travel and sing all over the country."
"1776" is a revolutionary take on the American Revolution - with a racially diverse cast of female, transgender and nonbinary actors playing roles from our history books.
"You'll look at the stage and you'll hear the words of our founding fathers but you're seeing it and seeing the story being told from voices and bodies who, like our ancestors, weren't even considered or invited to that conversation," said Simpson, who is a member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe, and proud to add her voice to the conversation.
"Specifically when Indigenous people come to me and they tell me that they felt like they could see themselves on that stage," Simpson said. Many of the costumes in "1776" contain 'easter eggs' - nods to both the characters, and the heritage of the actor playing that character. For all four years Brooke has been with "1776," she's worn a hand beaded medallion made by her cousin on-stage. She'll proudly wear this piece of Haliwa-Saponi art for "1776's" final national performances at The 5th Avenue Theatre Aug. 2 through the 6th.
"It's powerful, and it's a reminder for me that art really has the power to shift things, to change things," said Simpson. "And I think that's what we've been doing all across the country, and I'm excited to do it one more time here in Seattle."
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