Broadway performer Phillipa Soo, known for her portrayal in the original the role of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, in
Hamilton: The Musical and the role of Guinevere in the revival of
Camelot, visited Watchung to talk to students about her new book which she co-authored with her sister-in-law Maris Pasquale Doran, a social worker and psychotherapist.
Piper Chen Sings, is a semi-autobiographical story about a young Chinese American girl who loves to sing but experiences a bout of stage fright and how she overcomes it.
Soo and Doran began discussing working on a book together in 2018. For the next few years, they tossed around ideas, but nothing took shape. Then the pandemic hit, and when the world paused, so did the book. It wasn’t until 2022 that the book became a reality.
What happens when she feels nervous about performing is a question Soo gets asked about frequently and
Piper Chen Sings seemed like the perfect opportunity to share the story as a “tool for young people to navigate those feelings,” she explained. “Piper is like my little avatar,” she added, a mini version of herself. In the book, it is Piper’s “Nai Nai,” her grandmother, whose shared love of music and wisdom helps her conquer her fear of performing in front of people. Soo told students the story is a reminder that they can all help “lift each other up,” in moments that feel overwhelming.