EAST LONGMEADOW – East Longmeadow native Brittney Bertier graduated from ELHS in 2005, and since then, she’s been working hard on her acting and singing career in New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

While Bertier was most recently in Las Vegas for a contract as her role as Norma Jeane in “Marilyn The Musical,” she’s based in Los Angeles, and will be spending much of her summer in New York City.

Reminder Publications caught up with Bertier and discussed her background in acting, the roles she’s played over the years, her off-Broadway debut, and her hopes for the future.

Reminder Publications: How did you get into acting and singing? Where did it all begin?

Bertier: “I received my BFA in Music Theatre from The Hartt School in Hartford, CT. I started singing as a kid in school musicals, and took voice lessons as a teenager but I had horrible stage fright! I would sing at events around Western Mass. and it was really difficult for me to conquer. When I was graduating from high school, I started doing theatre locally and decided it was the only thing I truly wanted to do.”

Reminder Publications: Could you tell me about some of the roles you’ve played over the years, and where you’ve performed? Do you have a particular role that’s been your favorite thus far?

Bertier: “I originated a role in the world premiere of “King of the Road: The Roger Miller Story” at Laguna Playhouse, traveled the country in the national tour of “Seussical” as a Bird Girl and Mrs. Mayor/Gertrude understudy, and have done episodes of “Atypical” and “Jane The Virgin.” My favorite role to date has been Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady” at Sierra Repertory Theatre in Northern California. That experience was magical for me; I identify with the different sides of Eliza and had a blast being in her shoes. She is perfectly complex, strong willed, and dynamic. She also makes us laugh along the way – what’s not to love!”

Reminder Publications: Tell me about your Off-Broadway debut in 2010. What was that experience like? What were you in, and who did you play? What did you learn from the experience?

Bertier: “In 2010 I made my Off Broadway debut in ‘O Night Divine!,’ a holiday musical depicting the story of Jesus’ birth in which I played Mother Mary. I was overjoyed to be employed in New York City soon after college graduation. It was complete with tap-dancing wise men, and every single member of my family came by party bus. That was the last non-union show I ever did, I have since joined Actors’ Equity.

“Non-union shows operate independently and are not subject to rules or guidelines, so we were performing without personal microphones and my vocal chords became inflamed from overuse in the middle of the run. That experience taught me to respect my instrument enough not to push it beyond it’s limits, and also how to care for my voice when it is feeling fatigued. It was a hard lesson to learn, but now I take extra precaution to maintain vocal health and have since realized that it is the sound designer’s job to make sure that I am heard in the back row, and not mine.”

Reminder Publications: You just starred as Norma Jeane in “Marilyn The Musical” in Las Vegas. How did you get this role? What was the audition process like? Would you say this has been your biggest role to-date? What did it feel like to be on stage in Vegas?

Bertier: “Norma Jeane was such a fun and iconic role! I met Tegan Summer, the writer/director/producer, while performing in a popular cabaret series in Los Angeles, and he asked me a few months later to audition for the first ‘Marilyn’ showcase. I came in, sang a couple of songs, and that was that!

“We went on to do a couple showcases of the show in Las Vegas, and Caesars Entertainment picked it up for their theatre at The Paris Hotel and Casino. It was exciting ­– traveling for a job, cramming rehearsals into a couple of weeks, and hoping that it would go somewhere. So often in this business, shows are written and never see a stage. To be with this show from almost the very beginning was exhilarating. I loved that cast and the material so very much.

“I would say that this has been my biggest opportunity to date – playing nightly to a 1,200-seat theatre and performing opposite Ruby Lewis, who has starred on Broadway and is celebrated in the Las Vegas community. It felt nerve wracking at first. With every new job there’s a little bit of, “Can I really do this?” Each time we rise to the occasion, quiet the inner critic, gain confidence and see our true potential. It is a flurry of emotion, but totally worth it in the end!”

Reminder Publications: What is your ultimate goal regarding your future career-wise?

Bertier: “My ultimate goal is to work consistently as an actress, grow continuously, and to play roles that I believe in or that inspire me. I would love to eventually have a family, so balancing being a mom with work is a challenge I hope I am lucky enough to be faced with.

“I have a web series, ‘Transplants,’ that I co-produce with friends Sara Baum and Trip Langley. We are currently in post-production of season two and are pitching it to production companies. I would love for it to be picked up so we could work together every day and just make people laugh! I’ve always wanted to do sitcom.         

“Some day if I am lucky, I would love to see what it feels like to stand on that Broadway stage. Until then, every story that I get to tell is a gift, and that responsibility is enough for me.”