Have you heard of transfotainment? With the world famous Broadway and all its theatrical delights right here in our city, we are all familiar with entertainment. Many Broadway hits have been adapted for the screen, like the long-running Broadway sensation, Wicked, that is currently delighting movie-goers across the country. Whether onstage or on the silver screen, we love watching, listening and having an experience, eagerly suspending disbelief as we become immersed in a story.
While being entertained is a passive activity that feels good, it doesn’t necessarily help us grow. Transformation on the other hand, is a journey to become a better version of us, one that requires action and effort. Lisa Nichols, the famed motivational speaker from California is bringing transfotainment to our city, in her upcoming Broadway show, When My Soul Speaks. We would expect nothing less from Nichols, CEO of Motivating the Masses, who is on a mission to bring us growth and experience, palatably packaged as entertainment. Her show is a highly anticipated theatrical experience with Nichols taking center stage one night only, on December 9th.
From The Secret to the Stage
Nichols rose to prominence through her groundbreaking work in self-empowerment and financial literacy. She is best known for her appearances in the globally influential self-help documentary The Secret, where she introduced audiences to the power of positive thinking and visualization. Her teachings on the law of attraction and personal accountability have inspired audiences to make transformative changes in their lives.
Nichols has been featured on many popular programs, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, and Steve Harvey, to name a few. With her warmth, humor, and no-nonsense approach, Nichols continues to be a source of inspiration, helping people achieve their goals and embrace their best selves. Motivating the Masses is one of the most well-regarded personal and business development companies in the world, and Nichols has spent over two decades empowering individuals to unlock their full potential and live more meaningful lives. In fact, with her global platform, she has helped around 80 million people.
With the millions of lives she has touched, Lisa Nichols has long been a household name, and it’s no wonder that this media personality seems to be everywhere lately. You may have seen her recently on the Nasdaq billboard in Times Square, advertising her upcoming show, or on any number of recent television appearances, like Nasdaq’s New to the Street, hosted by Jane King, talking about her coming Broadway debut.
Beyond her work as a speaker, Nichols is the author of several best-selling books, including No Matter What! and Abundance Now. These works share her own story of overcoming adversity, including a challenging childhood and financial struggles, to achieve extraordinary success. Her candid storytelling, combined with practical advice, resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
New Words
Fans of Nichols are drawn in by her warm and genuine personality as well as her way of breaking down barriers and building bridges. In a charming style all her own, she also employs her playful wit to create new words that fit her work. These are new words for new possibilities. We learn of the words “terricited”, “dramedy” and “dramability”. Nichols says this upcoming performance has her feeling “terricited”, which is her phrase for experiences that are both terrifying and exciting.
Her show, When My Soul Speaks will be a “dramedy”, a blend of drama and comedy, in which Nichols will bravely take the audience “behind the black curtain for super-achievers” to shed light on the shadows, sharing her climb to get where she is today. This “dramability” will combine drama with possibility. In a recent interview on ABC 15, Nichols shared her success came from living in her conviction, rather than waiting for it to be convenient. She says, “I didn’t wait for it to get easier; I made myself get stronger.”
We know that When My Soul Speaks will showcase scenes, themes and lessons from her life, as told by the renowned personal development expert herself. Rather than her usual (and phenomenal) keynote speaker role, Lisa shares that she will be in full character during this production. She will be portraying two characters: herself, and her alter-ego called “Shady Sadie” that Lisa describes as her inner mean girl. Lisa believes in doing what scares her, saying that her rise to fame came after a time when she “was broke, and broken.”
Nichols’ journey from a struggling single mom on public assistance to a millionaire entrepreneur, took courage and determination that has inspired fans worldwide and helped audiences to breakthrough, to discover their own untapped talents. Nichols wants to share more than the success she is today; her intention with her upcoming theatrical performance is to share “the messy… the moments that were not televised” along the way. In this way, Nichols hopes to reach people who may still be struggling and to bring a message of hope. Nichols says “Hope never runs out, hope never gets old” making it the perfect gift.
A Special Venue
It seems only Broadway would be a venue spectacular enough to hold up to the reputation Nichols has earned. This special one night performance will be at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, located at 261 West 47th Street. This distinguished Broadway venue boasts a rich history. Originally opened in 1925 as the Biltmore Theatre, it has hosted numerous significant productions over the decades. In 2008, the theatre was renamed in honor of the renowned Broadway publicist Samuel J. Friedman.
As the Broadway home of the Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC), the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre has been the site of many acclaimed performances. The theatre’s location in the heart of the Theater District makes it a central hub for both classic and contemporary works. Its enduring presence and commitment to high-quality productions continue to contribute significantly to New York City’s vibrant cultural landscape.
By continuing to push herself outside her own comfort zone, Lisa continues to inspire. We know the seats filled up fast as soon as tickets became available, with eager fans hoping to witness history in the making during this exclusive performance. If you are lucky enough to be in the audience to absorb the transfotainment, and all the other new vocabulary, it seems that you should consider it a gift to yourself.
Audrey Keller is a freelance writer who contributes articles to cover topics and stories that are relevant locally and or nationally.
