Feeling surreal in the city

MANHATTAN – New York actor Vasthy Mompoint, a Hoover native, has appeared in six — soon to be seven — Broadway plays, including “Rocky,” “Mary Poppins” and “Soul Doctor.”

A 1998 Hoover High School graduate, Mompoint said it’s humbling for her to have the chance to do something many people only dream about.

“Sometimes it’s surreal,” she said. “I didn’t get where I am in an easy way. I’m not someone who forgets how fortunate they are.”

She’s referring to the hard work of her parents, Parnel and Dr. Marie Mompoint, who came to America from Haiti in 1976 for a better life.

“As the daughter of immigrants, any accomplishment I make is important,” Mompoint said. “Me being someone who’s educated, healthy, well-fed and happy is beyond anything my ancestors would have dreamed of. The fact that I can add a wonderful career in the entertainment industry is major icing on the cake. I thank God every day.”

Mompoint now has another reason to be grateful: her casting in “SpongeBob SquarePants,” a musical based on the TV cartoon that’s set to premiere at New York’s Palace Theatre in December.

The Hoover Sun spoke to Mompoint in Manhattan, catching up to the busy actor during breaks in her “SpongeBob” rehearsal schedule, both in the Theater District and at the New 42nd Street Studios rehearsal space in Midtown.

She talked about how her career began, what it takes to succeed in show business, her plans for the future and, most of all, why she loves New York — the tough but exciting city where this Alabama girl has made a life, career and home.

It was Mompoint’s love of athletics that led her to performance. At age 15, she dreamed of being an Olympic hurdler and, on her coach’s advice, took ballet classes to improve her technique.

“I started to take more dance classes and fell in love,” Mompoint said.

Then she “fell in love” with theater, thanks to her tap teacher, Cindy Larsen.

“She let me borrow the cast recording of ‘Jelly’s Last Jam,’” Mompoint said. “That’s when the love went to a whole new level.”

Her first acting role was in “Bye Bye Birdie” at Hoover High.

Mompoint’s love for New York blossomed early. “I always knew I wanted to move there,” she said. “I saw ‘Fame’ and ‘Chorus Line’ and I knew.”

The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York was the only college she applied to. “That was my ticket in,” she said.

She adjusted well to the city while attending AMDA. “It was exciting, but it never scared me,” Mompoint said. “I felt like I was home.”

She’s done off-Broadway and regional theater, film and TV and worked as a dancer. Her favorite roles have included Petruchio in “Taming of the Shrew” and Holy Beggar in “Soul Doctor.”

Mompoint said she’ll play several characters in the SpongeBob musical, which she describes as a “fun show” with great music that will entertain kids and adults.

Of course, sustaining an acting career is not all fun and games, according to Mompoint. In addition to talent, performers must have a work ethic and good attitude.

“It’s easy to get that first job, but to work continuously requires a good reputation,” she said. “Be on time, take class, take notes without complaint, show up ready to work and make sure they know you’re happy to be there.”

Living in the Big Apple, one of the world’s most expensive cities, also presents some problems, she said.

“The amount of space you get for the amount of rent you pay is laughable,” said Mompoint, who’s lived in Astoria, Queens, for 10 years. 

But she still adores New York. “It’s dirty, loud, smelly and over-stimulating, and I love it,” Mompoint said. “The city’s my soul mate. It holds a mirror up to you and forces you to be genuine, tough and ambitious.”

She also enjoys “all forms of art,” including dancing, singing and acting.

“You never get bored,” she said. “It’s always new, and you always go to places you never imagined you would go. There is nothing more beautiful than connecting with other humans and creating something out of thin air.”

Mompoint is engaged. Her fiancé, Mason Granger, tours internationally with a group called Mayhem Poets, which does poetry shows for children.

And while Mompoint loves New York, she may not be a New York lifer.

“[Granger] and I want to start an artists’ collective in Alabama one day — a place where local artists can connect and create,’ she said. “I’m also in love with France, Colorado and New Orleans. You’ll most likely find me in all four.”