'& Juliet''s Kandi Burruss is a Renaissance woman on stage and off

Amid a hot streak as a Broadway producer, Burruss — who's also a singer, songwriter, actress, and reality TV star — is excited to retake, and share, the spotlight.

Summary

• Kandi Burruss stars as Angélique in & Juliet on Broadway through March 8
• Burruss discusses returning to onstage performing after building a diverse showbiz career as a singer; songwriter; actress; and producer

Kandi Burruss does it all. Since rising to fame in the '90s as part of the girl group Xscape, she became more widely known as one of the longest-serving cast members of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. She co-wrote songs like TLC's "No Scrubs" (winning a Grammy) and Destiny's Child's "Bills, Bills, Bills." She forayed into Broadway, making her debut as Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago before pivoting to a successful behind-the-scenes career, producing four Broadway shows in the past four years and lining up a fifth for spring 2026.

In other words, Burruss is a true Renaissance woman, which is also a fitting descriptor of her latest project. Through March 8, she stars in the Shakespeare-inspired pop musical & Juliet as the title character's nurse, Angélique, who joins Juliet on a journey to find life after Romeo. It's her first and only other Broadway acting gig since Chicago in 2018, and she's been itching for a return to the stage.

"I needed to do another show as an artist because I don't want to get stuck in a box," Burruss said. I don't want [...] nobody [thinking] of me when it's time to cast, that they only think to call me when it's time to produce."

But she's not trying to make the show about her, either: "Yeah, now I get to be on the stage, but [...] it's still about making everybody look good. I'm not here to be like, 'This is a Kandi moment.'"

That mindset, she said, is something she developed as a producer. Burruss acknowledged that & Juliet is still a step out of her comfort zone and a reminder of what she still wants to accomplish. For example, it puts her one step closer to working with Max Martin, another award-winning songwriter/music producer whose catalog powers the Broadway musical. Burruss spoke more with New York Theatre Guide about bringing her own breadth of showbiz experience to & Juliet and juggling her music, acting, and producing eras all at once.

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For fans who've only seen you on Real Housewives, what can they expect from you as Angélique?

Kandi on The Real Housewives of Atlanta is not the same Kandi you're going to see on stage in & Juliet. You're going to see the costumes. You're going to see a full character. It's going to be Angélique.

Vocally, I'm doing a lot of things I don't normally do. It's giving a lot of power and taking it up in a range that's not my normal comfort zone. [...] My group Xscape, we do a lot of shows, but I always sing the low alto, low tenor parts. That's where my safe space is. But in this show, I'm really having to dig down and give you real vocals up in that strong soprano range. I was like, "We can't change the key?"

I've been doing it with my vocal coach, and it has definitely become easier. You know what? This range is actually really cool for me. I just don't normally do it.

& Juliet is built on the work of a celebrated songwriter. As a songwriter yourself, do you have a unique appreciation for the show in that way?

The early 2000s, late '90s [...] was when I was focused on writing songs. As a songwriter, I was like, "I want to write with Max Martin." I do have a song with Max Martin — "break up with your [girlfriend, i'm bored]" from Ariana Grande — but I didn't get to be in the studio with him for that. They sampled another song I wrote before, so that's why I'm also a writer on this song.

But I want my own opportunity to be in the studio with Max Martin, and we'd write something new. I would love that. I always wanted to work with him, so now I feel like we're working together, but in a different way.

Are there any songs in & Juliet that bring up memories from your music career?

I've worked with P!nk. I did her first hit, "There You Go." It's cool that I have to sing [...] a song she's known for, which is "F---ing Perfect," in the show now.

Also, Joey Fatone played Lance before I got here in & Juliet, and I worked with him when he was in *NSYNC. He's hit me up: "Hey, I'm excited, I heard you're going to be in the show!" We have a connection from back then [and] we're still cool.

Has your producing experience informed your approach to acting?

As artists on stage, you just think about [...] "my character." But as a producer, you're always thinking about the business side. How could I help promote this show? What do I need to do, to set up?

At the end of the day, anything I'm a part of, I want it to be successful. That's how producers think. [...] I want whoever invested in this show to feel like, "It was a pleasure working with them. They really did what they needed to do to help this show be as big as it needed to be."

Has your relationship with the spotlight changed as your behind-the-scenes career has grown?

There's a sense of humbleness that comes with being a producer because it's not about you. You're behind the scenes, and you only care about everybody else shining, the show shining. You want everybody to win, because the win for everybody else is a win for you as well. I'm still taking that thought process and approach.

I hope I bring something to the table that helps us all win even more, right? That's the goal. Being a producer is like learning, and I've done that in every area of the business. I started out as an artist in the group Xscape, then I got behind the scenes, started writing and producing for other artists. I was on TV, and then I produced reality TV. I was in a movie; I produced a movie. I'm on stage on Broadway, started out in Chicago, and then I went back and started producing Broadway. I like to learn and bring opportunity to other people in every area of the entertainment business.

You've also worked to cultivate new Broadway audiences as a producer. What impact do you hope to have on audiences as an actor?

From the beginning to end, I want them to be ready to be on their feet, and I want them to be pulled in. I want them to want to come back to see this show before I leave. I want them to see it multiple times. That's when [you've succeeded], when people go back and tell their friends, "Oh, you've got to see the show" or "I want to go back to see it again."

This show brings joy to people, so I want as many people [...] to experience that while I'm here!

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This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

Photo credit: Kandi Burruss. (Photo by Mark Seliger)