Woman Crush Wednesday: Hannah Elless

Ladies and gentlemen, meet your newest Broadway obsession.

Bright Star‘s Hannah Elless has it all: looks, talent, brains, warmth… and even a fabulously fashionable Pomeranian whose larger-than-life personality fills your Twitter and Instagram feeds with joy. Elless first arrived on the Broadway scene as part of the Godspell revival that rocked the Circle in the Square Theatre from 2011 to 2012. Though Elless has found success in New York City, she has also performed in her native Michigan, Chicago, San Diego, Washington, D.C., and many, many other places. In other words, Hannah Elless’s tenacity, passion, and hard work have paved her road to Broadway, and she deserves every ounce of success she has found.

But Hannah Elless isn’t our Woman Crush Wednesday just because of what she can do on stage. Like all of our #WCW crushes, we’re more interested in who she is off stage. So, we’re crushing on Elless because she is a vision of kindness, graciousness, and positivity. When I spoke with her recently about her turn in Bright Star, I was impressed with how articulate and thoughtful she is: this is someone who praises internal rhymes, reads classic literature, geeks out about geology, and swoons over classical music. I was also impressed with how positive she is. Indeed, in another interview, she claimed, “[The phrase,] ‘Everything you want is on the other side of fear,’ is really true. You can’t let fear of failure or fear of the unknown stop you from accomplishing the things that you have been called to fulfill in your life.”

That can-do attitude can be seen most clearly in her musical gifts. Indeed, we can’t lady-crush on Elless without gushing about her talent– folks, she is the real deal. Not only is her voice a warm, earthy instrument, but she’s also mastered over six other instruments. Basically, she is a one-woman band. Growing up with 10 siblings– you read that correctly: 10 siblings— in a musical household, Elless was encouraged to follow her curiosity and to experiment with music from an early age. That kind of talent is rare, refreshing, and highlights the undeniable authenticity that makes Elless so special– she’s a natural talent whose curiosity for the world around her means she isn’t afraid to try new things and explore new sounds.

That curiosity, experimentation, and self-belief has led to astonishing results. For one, check out this adorable video she made for Playbill.com, where she performs the Bright Star standout “Asheville,” with accompaniments from, well, herself:

This isn’t just a clever rendition of a stirring and richly melodic song; it’s also an empowering statement of self-reliance. Elless arranged this version of the song herself and doesn’t employ anyone to accompany her. It should come as no surprise that, with musical gifts like this, Elless is also a song-writer and plans to release an EP of her music in the near future. As a multi-instrument performer and writer, her self-reliance is inspiring: like her, we can do anything, and we don’t have to enlist anyone else to make music for us– we can do it for ourselves.

Indeed, her positivity is outward-looking and contagious. (Dear Broadway.com: pretty please make Elless a vlogger!) She is kind to her fans and routinely responds to their enthusiasm and support via Twitter. (Do yourself a favor and read her tweets: she’s witty and her tweets are guaranteed to make you smile!) She supports ladies in their quest to smash glass ceilings everywhere. In short, she is the best kind of performer: she moves her audience because her passion, optimism, and talent inspire us to become better, more positive versions of ourselves.

Hannah Elless isn’t just a Broadway performer you should keep your eyes on; she’s also a Broadway performer you should root for.

Photo Credit: Dirty Sugar Photography