Visit Saycon Sengbloh's 'Presidential Suite' at Broadway Hit Fela!

Fela! vixen Saycon Sengbloh has spent the last seven years learning to live out of Broadway dressing rooms in shows like Aida, Wicked, The Color Purple and Hair. Now that she’s a leading lady (the actress plays the title star's inspiring activist girlfriend, Sandra), Saycon’s finally got some space all to herself at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre—and a sweet new nickname to go with it. “I call it the Presidential Suite, because I keep Obama pictures all over,” Sengbloh tells Broadway.com. “I was a really big Obama supporter. Now that I’m on the top floor [of the theater], the name seems fitting. It isn’t all that fancy, but it’s mine.” We dropped in on the rising diva to see which celebrity sent her flowers, hear about the coolest bra on Broadway and snap a shot of this scene stealer’s personal space.

Photo by Jenny Anderson for Broadway.com


"These flowers are great because Michelle Williams from Destiny’s Child [and Chicago] sent them. She came to see the show a few weeks ago. I was a stand-by for her back in Aida, and did performances when she was recording her album. She was really sweet—I can’t believe she sent me flowers! I have to send her a thank-you note."


"This picture is very meaningful because I really admire Lena Horne. All the strides she took and trials she went through as a woman in entertainment—she’s made a lot of history. I would love to meet her one day. This picture’s actually from Stormy Weather, a film that really inspires me. It’s about showbiz and all the backstage drama."


"This is my costume, which is very important because I can’t go onstage naked—though people have accused us of such, since [our costumes] are very sexy! It [has] a great bra. It’s got cowrie shells all over it and decorative things that sway everywhere to emphasize the [choreography]."


"I have pictures of loved ones. These are my mom, brother, some others I don’t get to see a lot. I’m originally from Georgia and live far away, here in New York, so their pictures keep me close to them."


"This bracelet is a part of my costume. When it’s time to perform, my dresser, Mindy, has to make sure this one’s on. I wear like seven bracelets at the same time, but this one means it’s five minutes to 'places.' We lost it one time! Mindy was running around like a madwoman trying to find it because it's my favorite one."