Haviland Stillwell Creates a "Spark"

Actor, singer and celesbian Haviland Stillwell drops her new dance album today, and she wants to share the heat with you! Stilwell is best known for her work on Broadway in the revival of "Fiddler on the Roof" and as Fantine in "Les Miserables." She spent three years with Sam Waterson in "I'll Fly Away," and also starred in the TV movie, "The Client List."

Other TV and film work includes recurring roles on "Single Ladies," "CSI:NY" and "Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse." She also starred in and helped create the web series "Unicorn Plan-It." Among her many accolades, Stillwell took home a POWER Up Award for women in media and entertainment.

Stillwell is also a talented singer, with a pop/cabaret album, "How I Role" under her belt, and a new dance CD, "Spark" dropping on April 29. EDGE spoke with her about her music, acting and life.

EDGE: How did you get your start in acting and singing?

STILLWELL: I always knew I wanted to be an actor; I was always interested in the way that people behave and react to situations from a young age. That, coupled with the fact that I tend to be a natural performer, made me want to act. When I was eight years old, I discovered Bette Midler, and my life turned around. I wanted to do what she was doing. My mother was in the entertainment industry, and I pushed her to get me into it, to take me to auditions. Luckily I had very supportive parents that encouraged me to follow my dreams.

EDGE: How did you avoid the pitfalls other child actors fall into?

STILLWELL: Well, I never was on the level of coming to LA and doing pilot seasons. I was going to school, doing normal kid things and also working. And because my mom was a casting director, I saw the business from the other side, which really helped me to understand so many things.

EDGE: You're a Southern girl, from Atlanta. How are Southern girls different from LA or New York girls?

STILLWELL: There is nothing like a Southern girl. All of my girlfriends have been Southern. We are brought up to be polite, accommodating and conscious of other people's feelings. Not that I haven't found that in other places, but it's in me -- and Southern women in general -- to be hospitable and polite.

EDGE: Tell readers about your work in revivals of "Fiddler" and "Les Mis."

STILLWELL: The best thing about doing theatre is the collaborative aspect of it. Musical theater takes so many people to put on a show, and there's a real family element to working on it that's different than anything else I've experienced in life. There is consistency and trust among cast members, like a sports team. You know what has to happen and the number of things that could change the game. There is necessary stress, and from that you fall in love with each other.

EDGE: You are also involved with a successful web series, Unicorn Plan-It?

STILLWELL: It had its series finale couple of months ago. It was really fun, an awesome experience and a lot of work, and we were just doing it for ourselves. It was a really awesome experience to be able to work with a lot of people within LGBT community, but the broader implications are that it was very much a chance to be able to laugh at ourselves and empower our community.

EDGE: I heard you believe in the power of positive thinking. What does that mean for you and how do you manifest it?

STILLWELL: I tend to think that we all have a choice to make situations as good or bad as we want them to be. I practice meditation and awareness, and try to think of the big picture rather than looking at every little thing and allowing these details to annoy you. You have to be grateful for the wonderful things, because energy begets energy, and the more you focus on something, the more you are drawing attention to it. If you're focused on negative things, you're going to attract more of it.

EDGE: You put out a CD "How I Role" a few years ago, with pop and cabaret. Which do you prefer?

STILLWELL: I love performing and creating, so I feel like it's always challenging to choose which one I like better. But it's all connected and everything jumps onto the other. I loved working on "How I Role," performing live with musicians and recreating songs that for the most part were covers of musical theater and rock songs. I'm a big fan of taking various genres and putting them into new shows, so to jump from an opera aria to '80s rock song is very fun for me. But since I started writing music, it is a totally different thing to be singing your story, inspired by experiences in your life. I want to do it all!

EDGE: Now your new CD "Spark" is about to drop on Apr 29 -- tell readers about that.

STILLWELL: They should pickup "Spark," via download or signed copies on my website, because it is going to make you feel really good. I want people to put on these songs and be like, "Hell yeah, I'm gonna rock this, and be the best I can possibly be." It's all dance tracks, and electropop -- super fun and upbeat. Even the serious songs are uplifting. It's meant to inspire you and make you feel good.

EDGE: I just ran into you at The Dinah in Palm Springs; what were the highlights of the festival for you. Was it a good way to promote your CD?

STILLWELL: Just being there and feeling the energy of all these women from all walks of life coming and celebrating and having fun was great. It was very low drama this year, everyone just having fun and being positive. I also loved the musical performance. Tegan and Sara were amazing; the Eve set was insane. It is awesome what Mariah Hanson and her team does, and what people are capable of if we are all supportive of each other.

EDGE: You are also going to sing at the Flamingo for Dinah Vegas.

STILLWELL: It was awesome timing when they booked me for it, because the album is releasing right after that. They have been fantastic at Girl Bar and Truck Stop. I'm playing the Infinity Pool Party, and one of my songs is "Infinity." I just feel like the more of these festivals there are, the better. It's just more of a chance for people to come together.

EDGE: What's next for you?

STILLWELL: After the album, videos and that sort of thing, I have a lot of acting projects coming up, to be announced in the next few months. They can check up-to-the-minute updates on my social media and website.