A Kansas Citian and Broadway alum shines on her own terms

Former Broadway performer Talya Groves is a Kansas City music scene star.

Nearly every Friday night, Groves and her band, Talya & Her Boyfriends, command the stage. Singing anything and everything from showtunes to jazz standards to pop songs, Groves’ magnetic presence seems to always captivate the room. Although originally from KC, the singer called New York home for nearly a decade.

During her senior year at Pace University, the actress began taking professional auditions and soon booked a role in the first national tour of Motown: The Musical. She hit the road right out of college. From there, she went on to join the original Broadway cast of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and months before the pandemic, she was cast in the musical Mean Girls, sharing the stage with leading lady-turned-pop star Renée Rapp. And that doesn’t begin to include an impressive roster of Off-Broadway and regional theater credits.

But when the pandemic hit and Broadway shut down for the foreseeable future, Groves had to make a tough decision. 

“None of us on Broadway knew what was going to happen,” Groves says. “I decided to move back to Kansas City, but I didn’t really have a long-term plan.”

In KC, Groves quickly found work as venues began to open back up. Although the Broadway alum has left a couple times for other opportunities—like a six-month-long cruise ship gig and regional theater roles—KC remains home base. 

“I kind of never looked back,” Groves says.

Groves’ musical theater career began as a 16-year-old Park Hill High School student, when she landed a summer job at Worlds of Fun. Ultimately, she performed at the Northland amusement park for a total of six years, spending summers back home throughout college—right up until she booked her first Broadway role. Groves credits Worlds of Fun with equipping her for the big stage.

“That was my first real taste of performing professionally,” Groves says. “It absolutely honed so many aspects of who I am as a performer. On Broadway, they were impressed with the things I didn’t seem to have any trouble with.” 

Sometimes Groves craves what she calls the “race” of New York: the fast-paced, cut-throat, competitive environment that had her auditioning nearly every day. But returning to KC as an adult has brought its own lessons. The move taught the vocalist how to design and lead her own productions.

“I love that I get to have creative control here,” Groves says. “I miss the structure of New York, but it’s important to be my own machine. When it starts to feel a little stagnant for me here, it’s on me to figure out how to keep things fresh. I like that.”

What’s next for Groves? A leading role in Musical Theater Heritage’s upcoming production of Rent. The rock musical will run October 2–26.

“It’ll be my first time doing theater as an adult in Kansas City, and Mimi is a dream role of mine,” Groves says.  

GO:
Talya & Her Boyfriends. Fridays from 4:30 to 8:30 pm. The Phoenix, 302 W. Eighth St., KCMO.

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