ELLISVILLE- From Brooklyn, Mississippi to just outside of Brooklyn, New York, Jones County Junior College 2004 alumna, Jenny Anderson鈥檚 journey to success has been spent capturing the intimate, candid moments of the stars. The University of Mississippi Journalism graduate was back in Mississippi recently for a reception in her honor to celebrate her first solo exhibit, 鈥淭he In聽Between: Intimate & Candid Moments of Broadway鈥檚 Stars.鈥� This exhibit gives the public a behind-the-scenes look of Broadway theater from the collection of more than 14 years of Anderson鈥檚 photos. Open to the public through the聽spring semester in the University of Mississippi鈥檚 Ford Center Gallery in Oxford, the exhibit captures Broadway stars on the red carpet and in numerous theaters in New York.
“It鈥檚 been a very overwhelming weekend!鈥� Anderson admitted.聽 鈥淥le Miss asked me to do the show a couple of years ago, but Covid postponed the show until now. It has been great to have it all come together.鈥�
The 37-year old鈥檚 journey from living her dream of working in the 鈥淏ig Apple鈥澛� began before she was a freshman at Forrest County Agricultural High School. However, receiving a camera at 14 years of age was the catalyst to making her dream come true. Taking photos of life in the rural south, first as a hobby, with her grandaddy in the fields and her Mimi on the porch, to her daddy playing bluegrass music and mom on stage, gave her the confidence to pursue photography while in college.
However, it was her musical talent on the saxophone that landed the pre-med major a full-tuition marching band scholarship. She said band became her priority because it paid for tuition, and it was the only way she knew how to get a college education.
鈥淲ith my mother, (Debra) teaching theater and performing in Wiggins and my dad (Doug) teaching art at FCAHS, I didn鈥檛 think we could afford college,鈥� said Anderson. 鈥淎t Jones, I started doing yearbook and newspaper and I got distracted from the original, practical goal! I really loved it! I was in the acting ensemble for the musical, Grease, and my good friend and drum major, Sarah Burkett played Rizzo. I was spread pretty thin doing a little bit of everything at Jones.鈥�
On staff for the college newspaper, the Radionian, Jenny began writing stories and taking some photos. She fondly remembers doing a faculty profile story on Australian-born, science instructor, Fiona Qualls. Anderson said that鈥檚 when her 鈥渄ramatic flair鈥� came through. Qualls thought she sounded way more romantic than her real life.
Even though she enjoyed being a photojournalist at Jones, Anderson credits Ole Miss for allowing her photographic talent to blossom. She was the photo editor of the University鈥檚 newspaper, The Daily Mississippian at the same time, Erin Napier, of HomeTown fame and JC graduate was the Ole Miss yearbook editor.
鈥淲e worked together in the media center at Ole Miss. Erin used one of my pictures on the front spread of the yearbook. It was of my friend, Haley Strode (a current actress in LA) in the University鈥檚 play, A Streetcar Named Desire. 聽I knew it was an awesome photo but so did Erin. She created the most beautiful, and one of the most unique yearbooks ever designed at Ole Miss. It was gorgeous! It was all because of her designer eye.鈥�
Soon after graduating in 2006, the then Water Valley resident applied for jobs everywhere-LA, NYC, Chicago, Nashville, and Atlanta. Getting to New York, she said was a little bit of luck while trying to be practical.
鈥淚鈥檝e had a romantic notion of being in NYC since I was younger. My dad blames my love of NYC on the TV show, Friends, which is probably true,鈥� shared Anderson. 鈥淗owever, I wanted to move where I had a job offer. The ONLY job offer I got was in NYC as a souvenir photographer for Circle Line Cruises in Manhattan if I could get there in two weeks. I sold everything, including my car and got a one-way ticket that cost about $94, and I packed two suitcases. I probably had about $750 in my bank account and moved to NYC for that job. It鈥檚 insane to think about now, but I did it!鈥�
Her full-time job at Circle Line got her to NYC but it wasn鈥檛 her goal. It took her two weeks to find the job that would establish her photography career; a paid internship at Broadway.com.
鈥淚 was very persistent. I didn鈥檛 hear anything for three weeks after I applied so I emailed and called every day because I knew this job was meant for me. I learned later that the photo editor was on vacation. He came back to some very strong, annoying emails from this 22-year-old southern girl desperate for this job,鈥� said Anderson.
The job that only paid $6.50 an hour for 13 hours a week, launched her career. After six months, she was promoted to full-time after the photo editor quit. She didn鈥檛 get the title or pay raise, but she did everything expected in that role.
Her first assignment with Broadway.com was a dream for the Wicked fan. The Saturday, 8 p.m. assignment to shoot 鈥淲icked Day鈥� in 2007, conflicted with her job at Circle Line. After her boss wouldn鈥檛 give her the time off, she quit her full-time, safe job.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 come to NYC to stand in a boat to take pictures of tourists. I came here to be a photographer鈥�. It worked out by taking another waitress/hostess job at another restaurant. So, I had two different restaurant jobs plus the photographer internship at Broadway.com, in which I did all three jobs for 1 陆 years. It was crazy!鈥�
After two years as a 鈥減hoto editor,鈥� Anderson finally got a pay raise and the title and quit the restaurant jobs. While at Broadway.com, she began shooting her favorite type of pictures, behind-the-scenes of Broadway plays; something that had never been done before. She worked 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. every day as the photo editor. Then, Anderson would take pictures at night and on weekends. Meeting publicists, actors, actresses and producers, established her as a Broadway photographer. Six years later, she quit to become a freelance photographer and she hasn鈥檛 stopped working. She mostly shoots editorial portraits of actors/actresses and promotional pieces, in addition to being hired by individual theaters as the 鈥渉ouse鈥� photographer.
鈥淢y favorite story involves shooting pictures of Glenn Close when the
Broadway show, Sunset Boulevard was revised. She won the Tony Award for her role 20 years ago and they brought her back for the revival of the show. I was backstage taking pictures when she told me she was ready for her pictures in her dressing room, after she was fully dressed and in character. It was thrilling and amazing to be in that space with her! After a few pictures, she left and went to another location. I heard Glenn Close yelling from the wings upstairs, 鈥榩hotographer, photographer!鈥� I will never forget her yelling 鈥榩hotographer,鈥� for me!鈥�
Known as the 鈥渟weet and kind one鈥�, Anderson鈥檚 work behind-the-scenes opened the doors for her to be one of the main photographers for the Tony Awards every year. While taking pictures in 2018, she captured Taylor Louderman on the red carpet in the rain, with Radio City Musical Hall in the background. The 2018 Tony Award nominee for Mean Girls, not only posted Anderson鈥檚 picture on her social media, but Louderman鈥檚 dressmaker, Christian Siriano also used the picture on her website.
鈥淚 was standing in the rain, while the other photographers were under a tent. I thought it would be a pretty picture with Radio City Music Hall in the background. I know Taylor pretty well and she trusted me enough to walk in the middle of the rain. She just threw her dress up and the wind picked it up. It was magic!鈥�
When the Covid pandemic closed Broadway, the 鈥渕agic鈥� ended in one area of Anderson鈥檚 life for almost two years. Fortunately, she was also employed by ABC News and covered news events, like the Presidential election and the Inauguration. She said she liked being able to use her journalism skills once again.
Then, when the pandemic shut everything down, Anderson retreated to Water Valley, Mississippi for three months. Becoming restless at home with her parents, she bought a car and traveled throughout the southeast taking 鈥淧orch Portraits.鈥�
鈥淭aking photos of the south, that鈥檚 the beginning of my love of photography. I hope to be able to continue to do more of that now, that I have more mobility,鈥� said Anderson. 鈥淚 credit being from a small-town community and being southern as a big reason why I am successful. I went to NYC with this hopeful, bright outlook on the world, theater, art, everything, and that got me into a lot of places I am now. I am lucky that I have a career that flourished, and hopefully continues to.鈥�
Becoming a freelance photographer seven years ago was a little scary Anderson said. However, she still has her days and nights filled doing a variety of work. Her photos have been featured in Vanity Fair, InStyle, The Wall Street Journal, The X Magazine, The Observer, Time Out New York, PureWow, People, USWeekly, EW, and Broadway Style Guide. Employed as a freelancer, she has also worked for Disney Television, Getty Images and The New York Times.
After spending the January 28th weekend in Oxford for the opening of her exhibit, Anderson drove back to New York the following Monday, to take photos of the Tuesday, opening night of the musical, 鈥淢J鈥�- the newest Broadway show about Michael Jackson. To see her work click on the website link,