Broadway and West End star Marisha Wallace has just finished touring in both the UK and US, and has just been announced to be joining the cast of Oklahoma! at the Young Vic as Ado Annie. This week, Marisha will headline the Grand Final of Alpha Unsigned at the Indigo O2.
Marisha has topped the music charts with her cover of Annie’s Tomorrow, which raised funds for performers out of work and been playlisted on Radio 2 with her singles and subsequent album, released on Decca Records. She is perhaps best known for her epic stage performances having starred in Dreamgirls, Waitress, Hairspray and Something Rotten!
Twenty artists and musicians competed in three heats during 2021 and 2022, with eight finalists winning their heats who, along with two wildcards, go to the final at Indigo O2 for the chance to win an incredible £100,000 record deal with Alpha Music & Records. All the artists have been supported and mentored through their performances by British singer and The X Factor winner Ben Haenow, who will host the final at the Indigo O2.
“It’s going to be an amazing night,” says Marisha, “the finalists will have the chance to perform an original song and also a cover song, and then the audience will decide who will win a recording deal. It’s a really great way to give new and unsigned artists exposure.”
Marisha has worked with Alpha previously, performing in several of their concerts before the pandemic, “Alpha approached me to be a part of the Grand Final,” explains Marisha, “because during the pandemic I ran singing competitions called Sing With Marisha, helping get new talent discovered is part of my mission statement, it’s something that I love to do.”
Marisha says that she came from a small town and always thought she’d never find success in the music industry, “I’ve been so lucky to have the opportunity, so it means a lot to me now to help others to have an opportunity too. No matter who you are or where you come from you can still make it in this industry, and that’s why Alpha Unsigned is so important.”
Marisha is looking forward to seeing what the finalists have to offer on the night, as well as performing herself, “I’ll be singing a couple of songs from my new album, Tomorrow, which I’m super excited about, and some old favourites that people will know me for, so I’m going to try my best to bring the house down.”
The climax of the night will see the winner announced and awarded a £100,000 record deal, “it’s such a great opportunity,” says Marisha, “I only just got a record deal myself, I was an independent artists for a long time, so having that financial backing to create your art is a game-changer.”
Marisha has spent the last few months touring, and reflects on the fact that at many of the venues, hers was the first show to perform since the pandemic, “it meant such a lot to me, knowing that for so many people this would be their first gig in a long time. My music is all about hope and inspiration and I’m pleased I was able to bring them so much enjoyment.”
Marisha will be bringing some of that hope and inspiration to the Alpha Unsigned finalists this week, and this is her last opportunity to perform some of her own work before heading into rehearsals for Oklahoma!, “this is going to be such an exciting night, it could be like hearing Adele for the first time, you just never know where these talented people will go.”
The Alpha Unsigned Grand Final, featuring Marisha Wallace, is at the Indigo O2 on 30th March 2022. Tickets to the event are on sale here.
