After graduating from Juilliard in 2012, Soo was cast as Natasha Rostova in the Ars Nova production of Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, based on Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace; the show went on to transfer Off-Broadway to Kazino, a tent custom built for the show.
In 2013 she was cast in a small recurring role in the NBC television series Smash as the character Lexi. She appeared in five episodes in the second season before the show's cancellation.
After seeing her in Great Comet, director Thomas Kail and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda asked her to take part in an early 2014 reading of the musical Hamilton, where she read as the leading female role, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. Soo remained with the show through its Off-Broadway and Broadway debuts. She left the show on July 9th 2016 to reprise a previous role in Amelie.
Ultraluminary
Phillipa Soo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you ready to watch me be legendary?
'Cause I′m
Ultraluminary
You wish on me in my glitter light
First star you see tonight
So wish away, wish with all your might
The stars ignite
They flame from dust
Born out of gravity and force, they combust
And though they try in rivalry
They'll never shine bright as me
I'm the light every night in your world, hey
You revel in the glory of my beauty
You ready to watch me be legendary?
′Cause I′m ultraluminary
Whoa, welcome to lunaria
Whoa, so spectacularia
Whoa, super singulary
'Cause I′m so very, very
Extraordinaria
The cosmic shine of my fine display
Can turn the night to day
I hear they say that the Milky Way
Can't help but envy me
I am the brightest star
Superb, spectacular
It was a desert on the moon when we arrived
Gathering all of my tears, heartbreak and sighs
Jade made a potion ignite and turned the night
To a radiant city of light
From tears I rise
I rise
I′m the light every night in your world, hey
You revel in the glory of my beauty
You ready to watch me be legendary?
'Cause I′m ultraluminary
Whoa, welcome to lunaria
Whoa, so spectacularia
Whoa, super singulary
'Cause I'm so very, very
Extraordinaria
The lyrics of Phillipa Soo's song Ultraluminary talk about the idea of being a shining star and the brightest light in the universe. The song starts with the singer stating that they are the light every night in your world and asks if the listener is ready to watch them be legendary. They are ultraluminary and are the first star people wish upon in the glitter light. The stars might try to compete, but they will never shine as bright as the singer.
As the song continues, the singer explains their own beauty and the fact that they are the brightest star. They welcome the listener to Lunaria, a place of wonder and awe. The ecstasy of being the "extraordinaria" is exhilarating, and the singer revels in it. They explain how their light can turn night into day and how even the Milky Way envies their brightness.
Towards the end of the song, the singer puts forward that they arrived at the moon when it was nothing but a desert. There, something extraordinary happened, and with the help of their friend Jade, they transformed the darkness into a radiant city of light. From tears and heartbreak, they rise and become the shiny star that they are.
Line by Line Meaning
I′m the light every night in your world
I am the shining entity that illuminates your world every night.
Are you ready to watch me be legendary?
Are you prepared to witness my extraordinary greatness?
'Cause I′m
Ultraluminary
Because I am an extremely bright and brilliant entity.
You wish on me in my glitter light
You make a wish upon me while I dazzle and shine brilliantly.
First star you see tonight
I am the first star that you observe in the sky during the night.
So wish away, wish with all your might
Go ahead, make a wish with every ounce of your strength.
Upon this radiant sight
Wish upon this radiant and dazzling entity in the sky.
The stars ignite
The other stars in the sky light up and spark.
They flame from dust
These stars are born from remnants and tiny pieces of dust and debris.
Born out of gravity and force, they combust
These stars are formed due to the immense pull of gravity and the subsequent explosion of energy that results.
And though they try in rivalry
They'll never shine bright as me
Even though they might try to outshine me, they will never be as bright and glorious as I am.
You revel in the glory of my beauty
You enjoy and admire the magnificence of my brilliant appearance.
Whoa, welcome to lunaria
Wow! Welcome to a moon-like place called Lunaria.
Whoa, so spectacularia
Wow! It is an incredibly impressive and breathtaking sight.
Whoa, super singulary
Wow! This entity is unique and one-of-a-kind in its brilliance and beauty.
′Cause I′m so very, very
Extraordinaria
This is because I am exceptionally remarkable and possess extraordinary qualities.
The cosmic shine of my fine display
Can turn the night to day
My brightness and radiance are so great that even in the middle of the night, it seems like daylight.
I hear they say that the Milky Way
Can't help but envy me
Rumors say that the grand galaxy known as the Milky Way can't help but be jealous of my superior shine and beauty.
I am the brightest star
Superb, spectacular
I am the most brilliant star in the sky, both superb and spectacular in my beauty.
It was a desert on the moon when we arrived
Gathering all of my tears, heartbreak and sighs
Upon my arrival at the moon, it was barren and lifeless. I cried, expressed my emotional pain and sorrow, and gathered all of my emotions together.
Jade made a potion ignite and turned the night
To a radiant city of light
Feeling inspired, a character named Jade made a magical substance that made light erupt all around us and transformed the bland scenery into a radiant and beautiful city.
From tears I rise
I rise
Even after experiencing sadness and shedding tears, I emerge from those emotions and rise up.
Writer(s): Christopher Patrick Curtis, Mary Marjorie Duffield, Helen Park
Contributed by Maya W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.