DeQuina Moore brings Broadway home to Houston

She warmed up her voice for an hour before sitting down to talk. 

That single detail says everything about DeQuina Moore, the Houston-born actress, singer, dancer, and author, who stars as Sweet Sue in the Broadway national tour of Some Like It Hot that just left Houston.

When the show brought her back home in March, the greeting she received felt like the payoff to a career built on discipline, faith, and a love for this city that never faded.

“It feels like a Broadway debut every time,” Moore said of performing in Houston. “My family, my friends, my biggest fans show up and support.”

Getting here, though, was anything but a straight line.

Moore’s story begins with two Houston institutions that shaped her foundation. At The Ensemble Theatre’s Young Performers Program, she discovered that acting, singing, and dancing could be woven together into something greater, musical theatre. She then earned a coveted spot at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, where she says she became a professional before ever graduating.

“HSPVA was everything,” she said. “I learned everything I needed to know, not just on stage, but everything you needed to know off stage.”

That foundation earned her a scholarship to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, one of the most competitive performing arts programs in the country. Only 64 students are accepted each year nationally. Moore was among just four Black students in her class, something she calls “a literal gift from God.”

Her Broadway debut came shortly after, as the original Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors. She calls that phone call – those tears, that screaming, that disbelief – her real “Mama, I made it” moment.

But the road to that call was paved with homesickness and uncertainty. Moore lived in New York because the business demanded it, not because she wanted to. 

“I’m a Houstonian,” she said plainly. The city’s warmth, the way strangers say hello, she missed all of it. Every day in New York carried the quiet pressure of not knowing whether it would ever pay off.

“The competition there is so strong,” she said. “You feel the pulse of that pressure. Will I? Will I? Am I wasting my time?”

Moore has also learned that a performer must treat their body like an athlete. While simultaneously doing a Broadway run and recording an album, her voice gave out entirely; two torn vocal cords and undiagnosed severe acid reflux had quietly taken their toll. Now, she spends up to an hour warming her voice before every performance and another hour cooling it down afterward. Eight shows a week leave no room for shortcuts.

“You’re not just an artist, you’re an athlete,” she said. “If you don’t get the right amount of rest, if you don’t drink a lot of water, you’ll lose it.”

As a Black woman in an industry that she says still doesn’t create enough opportunities for women who look like her, Moore cherishes every booking. The growing role of AI in entertainment adds a fresh layer of concern, especially for artists who haven’t yet had the chance to establish themselves.

“There are so many talented, gorgeous, smart Black women in this business that don’t get a shot,” she said. “That’s always been disheartening.”

Her mother, Darrizett Moore, has watched every step of the journey. She recalls DeQuina sneaking off to the school restroom to sing as early as second grade, often enough that her teacher had to go retrieve her. 

The path to college was not without family debate. Her father, a law school graduate, had a different vision. It wasn’t until DeQuina performed a Shakespearean play in her senior year of high school that he finally conceded. “Okay,” he told Darrizett. “I guess she’ll be able to make a living doing this.”

Darrizett had her own hopes, too. She wanted DeQuina to attend Spelman College to begin a family legacy. But when they visited for an interview, DeQuina disclosed she had already been accepted to NYU’s competitive CAP 21 program. Even Spelman, with its acting, singing, and dancing conservatory, told them honestly, “We can’t top that.”

For parents of children with big artistic dreams, Darrizett encourages them to learn their children’s strengths and guide them in exploring their gifts. 

“Find out what their passion is,” she said. “You can’t force anyone to do something they don’t want to do. You want happiness and an overall well-lived life.”

As for what’s next, Moore is quietly working on her first book and promises the details will be worth the wait.

“I’ll put it out when I don’t care anymore about the names and the tea that I will spill,” she laughed. “Houston will be the first to know.”