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Not surprisingly, our annual round-ups of Broadway's hottest chorus boys and hottest chorus girls are always pretty popular. So this year, we decided to get to know some of them a little better. We invited five of the talented performers on our 2017 lists to bare all in original photos by Tawni Bannister, and to chat with us about how they stay in such good shape during the runs of their shows. Here is what we uncovered.
RECOMMENDED: See our past and present lists of the hottest chorus boys and girls on Broadway
Casey Lee Ross
Miss Saigon
Keeping in shape: “I usually go the gym about six times a week, and I try to take ballet every day to balance it out. I like how opposite they are: Most bodybuilders don’t do ballet and most ballet dancers don’t work out that hard.”
Fun fact: “I’ve been stalked a couple times by people on Instagram. But I secretly like it. It’s like, ‘Stop staring at me! Keep staring at me!’ [Laughs] At the end of the day, it’s just an app, but it’s fun when you’re bored. You have to be able to laugh at yourself.”
Shina Ann Morris
Anastasia
Keeping in shape: “My husband is Mark Fisher, of Mark Fisher Fitness, which is a magical land of unicorns and rainbows. I like to refer to myself as the first lady. I love to get up in the morning and get it done; at nighttime all I want to do is sit.”
Fun fact: “I love to organize theme parties. I am a theme girl through and through. I am the theme captain. I’m also a crazy nerd; I’m super nostalgic for anything ’90s. My friends and I want to open a ’90s-themed restaurant.”
Max Clayton
Bandstand
Keeping in shape: “I grew up playing basketball, and I think that having a sports background helped me with being in my body. The more active I am during the day, the better I am at night. The days when I sleep in and take a day off at the gym are the hardest shows for me."
Fun fact: “I am obsessed with Ben & Jerry’s, maybe from growing up in New England. I did a Ben & Jerry’s challenge once and ate a pint a day for 30 days. I’m trying to create a Broadway flavor, but I can’t figure out what it would be called. Let’s get on it!”
Tiffany Toh
Miss Saigon
Keeping in shape: “I’m not really one to work out but I have been working out since we started rehearsals, because I realized how tiny my costumes were going to be! [Laughs] One of the other girls and I do a seven-minute high-intensity workout before each show."
Fun fact: “I have a degree in political science. I came here by myself from Malaysia, speaking very little English. I took ballet in college, just for exercise at first. After I graduated, I pursued performing with no idea what to expect. I didn’t even have a headshot.”
Kyle Brown
Anastasia
Keeping in shape: “I work out six to seven times a week, and I get a little crazy if I’m not able to. It’s definitely part of my lifestyle. I stretch a lot because I don’t want to lose flexibility, or the lines that are required as a dancer.”
Fun fact: “My boyfriend [Broadway actor and fitness model Nick Adams] helps motivate me, because his body’s crazy. We’ve been together for seven years, and he inspires me as a performer, too, which is part of what attracted me to him. He’s so dedicated and driven. That’s sexy to me.”