Amazing Asians in the Arts: Belinda Allyn

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Belinda Allyn is a performer based in the suburbs of New Jersey. It took one theatre camp in high school for her to catch the acting bug, and went on to land her first acting gig in the resident company at Forestburgh Playhouse. Upon her graduation from Oklahoma City University, Allyn booked a job with the Disney Cruise Line, and has expanded her resume since! Her favorite roles include Belle in Beauty and the Beast at Paper Mill Playhouse, Imelda Marcos (understudy) in Here Lies Love at Seattle Rep, Maria in West Side Story at Paper Mill Playhouse, and of course, Allegiance and Once Upon a One More Time on Broadway! Allyn advises young artists to “ground [themselves] in genuine relationships and hobbies/jobs/activities that [they] enjoy that aren’t related to pursuing a career in the arts” (Allyn herself was a band kid before theatre!), and to understand that when things don’t work out, it’s because something else is on the horizon. Read on to learn more about Belinda Allyn and what makes her an Amazing Asian in the Arts! 

Name:  Belinda Allyn

Heritage:  Filipino/French/German

Hometown:  Batesville, Arkansas

Current City:  NJ suburbs 

Current project:  Once Upon a One More Time

What are some of your favorite credits/projects: 

Belle in Beauty and the Beast at Paper Mill Playhouse, understudy Imelda Marcos in Here Lies Love at Seattle Rep, Maria in West Side Story at Paper Mill Playhouse, Allegiance on Broadway 

Any advice for young people getting into the arts? 

Ground yourself in genuine relationships and hobbies/jobs/activities that you enjoy that aren’t related to pursuing a career in the arts

How did you get your start? 

My first acting job was in the resident company at Forestburgh Playhouse, and my first job out of college was with Disney Cruise Line! 

Do you have any favorite moments in your career that you'd like to share? 

I’ve had the fortune of getting to work on amazing projects with wonderful people. There’s never been a project I’ve worked on in my career that I regretted taking. I’ve honestly loved every project for what it is and have met incredible people along the way. 

What have you found is the biggest challenge in your career? 

COVID has definitely been the biggest challenge. I was two weeks into rehearsals for a new show that I was head over heels for and knew what my entire year was going to be financially, so when COVID hit it was jolting in many ways and it’s taken me a long time to move past the heartbreak and back into hope and excitement for the future. 

What are some interesting facts about yourself? 

I was born with a cleft palate. I also didn’t have theater in high school so instead I was a huge band nerd where I played the oboe. I was offered more talent scholarship money to play oboe in college than I was to sing. 

When did you know you wanted to have a career in the arts? 

After I experienced my first theater camp in high school, there was no question that theater was what I was meant to do. 

Do you have any side projects you’d like to highlight? 

Yes! In February I will be making my NYC cabaret debut at Green Room 42! I’ll keep everyone up-to-date on details on Instagram.  

What skills did you find to be the most helpful in your career? 

Being a musician - reading and deeply understanding music as well as playing the piano

Where did you study at? 

Oklahoma City University. 

What helped you most to rebound from what you considered your biggest failure or mistake in your career? 

Honestly I’ve chosen the mindset that everything - including the bad - leads me to the right place. Early on in my career I made it to final callbacks for a First National Tour. When it didn’t go my way I was heartbroken. But then I booked my firstWest Side which got me my Equity card, and then my first Broadway show, Allegiance. If I had been on that tour I wouldn’t have been around for either of those auditions. It was after that experience that I realized there was no time for regrets because everything led me to where I was meant to be. 

As a storyteller, how do you pick the stories you want to work on and what goes into putting a story together, whether on stage, page, or film? 

Mostly, I’ve just followed the opportunities. I’m getting to the point now that if multiple opportunities come up at once I go off of my instinct of where I want to be and the people I want to be around. In terms of putting a story together, from an acting perspective I dive into the text and really make sure I understand each word. Otherwise I’ll be dishonest in my storytelling. I have to find the truth of my character, and the part of myself that I see in them. Creating my solo show has been a similar experience but in many ways more scary because it’s 100% me. There’s no hiding behind the face of another character. But even in that process, I’ve had to search for my truth and what story is on my heart to tell. Sometimes that’s easy because something has been on my mind, other times I have to dig into places I might not want to. It’s like therapy! 😂

To find out more about Belinda, please visit her at: 

Website:  www.belindaallyn.com

Instagram/Other Socials:  @belinda_allyn