Commercial voice graduate balances eight shows a week, new music releases
Kelsie Watts (‘15) has never done things the conventional way, and it's working out just fine. 
The Belmont commercial voice graduate is currently starring as Satine in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” on Broadway, a role she stepped into in March after making her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning “SIX: The Musical” last year. At the same time, she's releasing new music, racking up social media views in the hundreds of millions and somehow finding time for breath work between curtain calls.
“There’s no one way to do what I'm doing,” Watts said. “I’m on Broadway and I have never done theatre before. When the opportunities came, I was ready.”
A Nontraditional Path to Broadway
Before arriving on West 45th Street, Watts built her career far from the traditional musical theatre pipeline.
The Lubbock, Texas native first gained national attention as a contestant on NBC’s “The Voice,” where her powerhouse vocals quickly went viral. From there, she moved between genres and opportunities — collaborating with artists like AJ McLean, lending her vocals to a Diane Warren-penned track and touring with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Her music career continued to gain traction, with her single “Fit In” breaking into the Top 20 on digital radio and her performances drawing hundreds of millions of views across social media.
That momentum eventually carried her to Broadway, where her debut as Jane Seymour in “SIX” earned an iHeartRadio Music Award nomination.
Finding Her Voice at Belmont
Watts credits her time at Belmont in learning how to move beyond being a strong vocalist to a fully formed artist. As a transfer student in the commercial voice program, she arrived still figuring out her place. She found it, in part, through Phoenix, Belmont’s premier pop-rock ensemble.
In one early rehearsal, she was asked to lead the band, something she had never had the opportunity to do before.
“I remember being terrified,” she said. “But it was the first time I had to step up and take control. That was the start of understanding who I was as an artist.”
She continued to develop both her voice and the collaborative and creative instincts that now anchor her work, from co-writing songs to commanding a Broadway stage.
Balancing Broadway and Beyond
Now performing in eight shows a week, Watts is navigating the physical and mental demands of a Broadway schedule while continuing to build her music career.
“Eight shows a week is insane,” she said with a laugh. “Whoever came up with that schedule had never done it themselves.”
Even with that pace, her work offstage hasn't slowed. Her latest single, “Made for Your Love,” debuted last month, with a full album in progress.
The pace of her life requires discipline. Watts keeps her phone on Do Not Disturb until late morning, builds in time for breath work and is intentional about guarding her energy.
“You have to protect your peace,” she said. “Nobody’s superhuman.”
A Full-Circle Moment for Belmont Alumni
Earlier this spring, a group of recent Belmont musical theatre graduates now living in New York attended one of Watts’ performances of “Moulin Rouge!”
Organized by Senior Director of Alumni Engagement Chip Hayner, the group gathered at the stage door after the show to meet Watts and snap a quick selfie, giving her the opportunity to connect with students following a similar path. 
“It was awesome to see another Belmont alum on Broadway,” said musical theatre alumna Olivia Whitner. “It’s a true testament to the level of training and talent that comes out of the University. Watching Kelsie made me hopeful for my own career.”
Students like Whitner are exactly who Watts has in mind when she offers advice to aspiring performers.
“You want to sing on the internet? Just do it,” she said. “You’re never going to get better if you don’t start.”
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