Nicole Travolta's show, Nicole Travolta is Doing Alright is not only filled with tons of laughs and charisma but life lessons about relationships, finding oneself and finances! I had a chance to ask her a few questions about the show and future projects.
A person's finances are usually a private matter, what made you want to write a show about your own financial journey?
When I really hit rock bottom, it was a very lonely place full of so much shame. Getting out of that much debt from overspending was something that at the moment, I wasn't sure I would ever be able to do! For me, looking back at my life and seeing the patterns of how I got myself into this, realizing the addiction I had to "things", and masking what was really going on underneath, I felt it was an important story to tell. It's a topic that isn't talked about because, as you said, it is a private matter! The connection I have to the audience is something I will never forget from this process. The amount of people that have come up to me after sharing similar stories has blown my mind. Getting up on that stage and being vulnerable...my hope was that it allows others to feel less shame about whatever they may be going through. And the tanning aspect of it all, and how that job really landed me on my own two feet...that was the cherry on top!
What would be your best financial advice at this point?
Credit cards are not your best friends!! lol! My best financial advice would be to really address your finances. I didn't have guidance in this department, but it's something we should ALL learn. I lived in fear of really looking at where I was at and I was just spending which got me into a lot of trouble. Create a budget. Be honest with yourself about what you need and don't need!
What projects are you working on next?
Right now this is my full focus! My dream is to keep the show in NYC for a full run, tour it, and turn it into a series! HBO if you're reading this, call me!
Nicole Travolta is Doing Alright is playing until February 24, make sure to catch her!
"Nicole Travolta is Doing Alright"
Written by Nicole Travolta and Lauren Burns
Performed by Nicole Travolta
Directed by Lauren Burns
February 14- February 24, 2024
SoHo Playhouse (15 Vandam St. NYC)
Yani Perez, M.F.A, is a poet, playwright, translator, and educator. Her plays have been presented in various theaters in the United States such as La Mama and Yale University as well as internationally in Bogotá, Colombia. She works at IATI Theater, one of the oldest Latinx theaters in NYC. She is currently working on translations of Latinx artists in hopes of introducing them to English-speaking audiences.