JoJo Says She's Exiting Her 'Comfort Zone' in Broadway Debut as Satine in 'Moulin Rouge!' (Exclusive)

"I really wanted to step up to a challenge, and that's what I think Broadway is — it's the best of the best," says JoJo, sharing exclusive first-look photos with PEOPLE

JoJo has been manifesting her Broadway debut as Satine in Moulin Rouge! The Musical since she was a little girl.

Before notching massive hit singles with "Leave (Get Out)" and "Too Little Too Late" in the mid-2000s as a teenager, the Massachusetts native starred in regional productions of The Who's Tommy and A Midsummer Night's Dream at ages 6 and 7, respectively, following in her mom Diana's footsteps. "I always tried to learn the Phantom of the Opera stuff that she'd be singing," JoJo, 32, recalls to PEOPLE. "It's something that she and I really bonded over."

Now, she's preparing to take the stage for a 14-week run as the Moulin Rouge's Sparkling Diamond at New York's Al Hirschfeld Theatre starting April 11. "I really wanted to step up to a challenge, and that's what I think Broadway is — it's the best of the best," says JoJo, who can be seen in full glam for first-look photos shared exclusively with PEOPLE. "These costumes, honey, are insane. They're tailored within an inch of my life. I feel like Jessica Rabbit!"

Related:JoJo Says It's a 'Dream Come True' to Make Broadway Debut as Satine in Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Throughout her career as a musician, acting has remained a side gig for the powerhouse vocalist, born Joanna Levesque, who's appeared in films like Aquamarine, RV and G.B.F. After participating in a workshop for a musical adaptation of the 1997 film Jawbreaker a decade ago and watching friends in recent televised versions of Rent, Beauty and the Beast and Annie, she began itching to return to theater.

A lifelong fan of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 Moulin Rouge! film starring Nicole Kidman, JoJo was blown away after seeing the stage production in Los Angeles last year. "I saw Satine descend upon us from the ceiling, sing these gorgeous songs and have these glamorous moments, and I was just like, 'I would love to do that one day,'" says the performer, who told her manager about the hopeful venture and soon heard about the opportunity to audition for Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

Immediately after the audition, she began rehearsing the songs with her vocal coach, learned various forms of dance with a choreographer in order to "move confidently" and worked with an acting coach to get into the musical's 1899 setting. "I got a call a month later that they wanted me to be a part of the cast, and I shrieked," she says. "I have really, really wanted to do something like this. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I needed to get out of L.A., have a new backdrop to life and make space for newness."

Related:Nicole Kidman Shares 'Favorite' Memories from Moulin Rouge in Honor of Film's 20th Anniversary

Despite having more than 20 years of experience performing concerts around the world, she's encountered nerves throughout the rehearsal process, concerned about perfecting each note and step in the show. "When I'm touring, it's me, two background singers at most and a few band members," says JoJo. "But with this, there are dozens of people on stage, and we're equal parts of the puzzle."

Luckily, she's been able to seek advice from friend Ashley Loren (who preceded her as Satine) as well as fellow castmates Derek Klena (who plays Satine's love interest Christian) and Sophie Carmen Jones (who plays Nini). "[Sophie] said to me, 'We have nothing to prove, only fun to have and space to explore,'" she recalls. "I think about that as I come down from the ceiling on this fancy swing and look at everyone in the audience."

Now that she's physically and mentally geared up for the show, one of the only remaining anxiety-inducing elements is the thought that Kidman could attend a performance, as many celebrities do. "Nervous isn't the right word. I would be excited because she's a goddess. She's one of the best actresses ever," she says. "I would like to meet her after, but I don't want to know if anybody's in the audience — even my family. It just freaks me out."

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The jukebox musical couldn't be more well-suited for JoJo, who earned second place on The Masked Singer in 2021 after covering songs by Whitney Houston, Heart and Michael Bolton.

As she steps into the role of Satine nearly every night for the next few months, she's looking forward to belting out the show's high-energy pop songs. "I love the mashup of 'Rolling in the Deep' and 'Crazy.' It is so sick, and it's mad dramatic," she says. "And I love singing 'Firework.' I had never heard those lyrics this way, and I relate to it."

Living in New York City and starring in Moulin Rouge! The Musical will also provide great fodder for an upcoming memoir JoJo's currently writing, which will already be jam-packed with stories about child stardom and record label drama.

"I can be Satine at night, write about my life so far during the day and take this period of time to put it all out there and keep moving," says the artist, who's working on new music as well. "I feel like Carrie Bradshaw right now in this city. I am so inspired."

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