Marya FAQs

How do you pronounce your name?

MUH-RYE-YAH, as in “They Call the Wind…”, or Mariah Carey.

So, why isn’t it spelled like that?

My parents say it’s because when my mom was pregnant with me and they were tossing potential names around, they could picture the way “Marya Grandy” would look on a marquee.

Also, it was the seventies.

Where do you live?

I grew up in Santa Monica, California, and I currently divide my time between Chicago and New York. My husband Matt and I like to say we are bi-coastal, with Lake Michigan being one of the coasts (Seriously. That lake is enormous.).

Why Chicago?

Lots of reasons. The theatre scene in Chicago is really varied, and it is everywhere. It’s the home of Steppenwolf and Second City, which are the jumping off points for some of the most talented folx on Planet Earth. The cost of living is a bit more affordable, and we live very close to Lake Michigan, which is amazing. The food scene is insane, too. Truly. We have lived here for over 13 years, and we have barely scratched the surface of the restaurants we want to go to.

(husband Matt!)

Did you study musical theatre in college, or go to a conservatory?

Full disclosure: I am a nerd. I knew at a very young age that I wanted to pursue musical theatre as a career, but I also loved literature and history, so when the time came for me to apply to college, I went the liberal arts route and ended up getting a B.A. in American Studies from Yale University. Fortunately, there was a thriving extra-curricular musical theatre scene, so I was able to have my cake and eat it, too. I also sang in an a cappella group, which is profoundly nerdy, and extremely awesome.

Do you have siblings?

Yup! I am the oldest of 3. My brother Charlie is a television writer, and my sister Monica is a software engineer. They are excellent individuals, and I am lucky to have siblings that I like as well as love.

What else?

I am a voracious reader, and am slavishly devoted to all of the word-based puzzles in The New York Times. I love to cook, and to have folx over (Thanksgiving is my Olympic event.). My husband Matt and I love to travel and make music together. Our rescue dog Busy is the cutest, sweetest soul I have ever met, and it humbles me to my core that she chose us.