Shanice Wilson-Knox is filling some vast shoes through her latest role on the theater stage.

The R&B songstress known for the hit “I Love Your Smile” continues to keep her theater kid dreams alive through 44: The Unofficial, Unsanctioned Obama Musical, in which she portrays former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Shanice Wilson

Source: Shanice Wilson / W&W Public Relations, Inc.

 

“I’m so glad that I took this role and that I’m kind of stepping out of my comfort zone in a sense, because when they asked me, I’ve done theater, I started doing theater when I was 8 years old, so theater is kind of where I started. I’ve done Broadway,” she recalled in an interview with Madamenoire. “I was the first African American to play Eponine in Les Miserables, so I’ve done theater, but when I was asked to play former First Lady Michelle Obama, in the beginning, I was like, first of all, I was honored, but I got nervous, asking myself questions like, ‘Can I really pull this off?’”

She added, “This is a big role. In the beginning, I thought I needed to imitate her, you know, walk like her, talk like her, look like her, and then I took the pressure off myself by telling myself, you know what? Let me think about all the things I love about her. I love how she supports her husband. She’s a great mother. She’s a strong Black woman. And I can relate because I’m a mother. I’m a wife, and I feel like I’m pretty strong. I had to tap into those things, and after I took the pressure off myself, it’s been working out well.”

Shanice recalls the rave reviews she and the cast of 44 have received as they continue to travel and share the story of America’s 44th president, Barack Obama, through the play. 

Just ahead of the play closing out a successful leg in Philadelphia within days before the world finds out if it will have its first woman president in Kamala Harris, Shanice says being a part of this project has given her a glimpse at the impact that Michelle Obama had on the world and politics during her time as First Lady and beyond.

“I wish my grandmother were alive to see this,” said Shanice. “First, we have Barack, who is our first Black president. We have Kamala, who I believe will be the first female president, and it’s just an exciting time. It shows you that women can do the same things as men. I’m just excited. It’s about time. I mean, we’re just as smart, just as strong, and can do everything men can. Michelle is such an amazing role model for women. I think she kind of opened the doors in people’s minds for us to possibly have a female president because if Michelle wanted to run, she would win. After all, we love her so much.”

Shanice Wilson

Shanice Wilson stars as Michelle Obama in “44.” Source: Courtesy of W&W Public Relations, Inc.

 

“I have a daughter, and I have a son, but it’s so cool for my daughter to see that a woman could become president,” Shanice continued. “It’s encouraging for our youth to see a Black woman, or a woman in general, in the White House.”

While Shanice is empowering others by stepping into the shoes of Michelle Obama for 44, she’s also doing so in her personal life, getting candid about how a previous breast cancer diagnosis followed by a double mastectomy encouraged her to use her voice and platform like never before.

“I’m like an open book, and I feel like my voice isn’t just for singing,” she explained. “It’s also to help other women and encourage other women because you often go through challenges and feel alone. I wanted to tell my story because I feel like sometimes we go through things to help others. And it’s not just for you. You don’t go through things just for yourself. It’s really to help others.”

As art continues to imitate life and Shanice progresses in her journey, both personally and professionally, she hopes that it will encourage other women to stay on top of their health and ensure that they’re adhering to their regularly scheduled mammograms.

“I’ve always appreciated life, but when you go through something like this, it makes you wake up and appreciate life, and I just wanted to tell my story because I just want to encourage women to get out there and get their mammograms and ultrasounds.”

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