Julie Danao-Salkin

Currently: Giving a touching performance as Yoko Ono, among others, in Broadway's rockin' new musical, Lennon, based on the life and music of the man himself.

Hometown: "My hometown is Miami, Florida but I was born in the Philippines." Danao-Salkin was on a full scholarship to Florida International University on track to become a music teacher when Hurricane Andrew blew through in 1992, destroying her family's home. "We actually had to vacate the property because it was declared lawfully unlivable," she recalls. Faced with a likely year-long break from school as Miami was rebuilt, Danao-Salkin decided to head to California, where she went out on a limb, winning her dream job in the touring cast of Miss Saigon.

We Meet Again: Danao-Salkin moved on to her second professional gig in 1997, playing Alexi Darling in the first National Tour of Rent, an experience she refers to as "life changing." She eventually made the move to New York, making her official Broadway debut in the rock musical as a swing in a cast that included two of her fellow Lennon cast mates—Marcy Harriell and Will Chase. "I understudied Marcy and she was fantastic," she recalls, "and Will Chase did both Rent and Saigon with me. I've always thought, 'Gosh Will is going to do really well.' And now he's got this great opportunity and he's brilliant. This part is just made for him."

5, 6, 7, 8?: Not long after leaving Rent, the actress was sidelined by a knee injury sustained in a dance class, an accident that forced her to decline a role offered to her in the original cast of Aida. "I was de-e-e-vastated," she says. "I was like, 'I'm never going to be on Broadway again!' But I ended up doing an audition and becoming a booth singer in Saturday Night Fever How perfect for someone with a knee injury?! It was almost like a sign from the universe, from God himself saying, 'You know, stick it out. You'll be alright.'"

All I Wanna Do: Not one to sit around and mope, the down-to-earth actress spent her recovery time learning to play guitar. "I've written even since I was five years old—I wrote a song about a roach!" she says, laughing. She cites her current singer-songwriter influences as Norah Jones, Ani Difranco and Eva Cassidy, to name a few. "If I could mix India.Arie and Sheryl Crow…yeah, I could do that," she trails off dreamily, pointing out the two guitars in her dressing room. "For now it's basically me trying to find my artistry—without sounding like one of the corny artists out there! I think it's really important that people be creative and write and dive in and read and be proactive."

Excuse Me Miss: Danao-Salkin got the call to come audition for Lennon just six months after choosing a John Lennon poster to fill an empty space on the wall of her apartment, by chance. She sang Lennon's famous song "Jealous Guy" for her initial audition and then found herself at a callback and face-to-face with the "notorious" woman she would eventually portray onstage—Yoko Ono. But, the first words she spoke directly to Ono came later in an unlikely place. "I was in the bathroom," she begins with sheepish grin. "I forgot to lock the door and who comes walking in but Yoko Ono. I go, 'Oh! I love you!' She was so embarrassed and my bare ass is out, and she's like, 'Yeah…don't worry about it…' I mean talk about breaking the ice with the person you're playing!"

You Know It Ain't Easy: Since their meeting in the ladies' room, Danao-Salkin has formed a great amount of respect and admiration for Lennon's widow. "She's a brilliant woman," she says sincerely. "The weight of Yoko Ono and her persona carries a lot of misconception and misunderstood ideas of who she is and what she represents. And I realized the other day as I was on stage—that woman has gone through so much. She has to bear the death of her husband in front of everybody and still be criticized for it. And it hurts. I can't imagine that kind of strength to keep going."

Think For Yourself: The cast of Lennon has also had to deal with their share of criticism, though they are buoyed every night by the "true love and respect" that exists between them and regular standing ovations from adoring crowds. "It's an amazing thing to see people go, 'Wow, this man really gave a lot to art,'" she says. "We don't have many artists out there like that these days that try to make a difference in our society." But she admits that bringing to life such an influential icon is probably much of the reason that their work is scrutinized. "You already have an opinion before you walk in. But whether you like it or not, just find your own opinion," she says of the show. "I think that's what Lennon wanted to do. He wanted people to not like him. At the same time you love him and you hate him."

See Julie Danao-Salkin in Lennon at the Broadhurst Theatre, 235 West 44th Street. Click for tickets and more information.