Pop Culturalist Chats with Laura Benanti

Laura Benanti is the Queen of Broadway. In her roughly eighteen years treading the boards, she has proven again and again that she is the real deal: a virtuoso leading lady whose sharp and expressive acting skills are matched only by her warm, luminous soprano that trills (and thrills) like a finely tuned Stradivarius. She has a Tony Award (for her performance as Louise in 2008’s revival of Gypsy, opposite Patti LuPone) to show for it, along with five Tony nominations, and other awards and honors too numerous to list. In other words: this is Laura Benanti’s world, and we are all just living in it.

After a five-year absence, Benanti makes her triumphant and welcome return to Broadway in Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of She Loves Me, a delightful Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock musical that, though it has an ardent fan base, has seen only one previous Broadway revival since its premiere in 1963. The show follows two sparring co-workers at a parfumerie in 1930s Budapest; little do they know that, though they have frequent spats at work and claim to loathe one another, they are actually falling in love as they anonymously exchange letters through a Lonely Hearts Club. Benanti has received rapturous reviews for her performance (including another Tony nomination), further cementing her status as one of the most gifted, celebrated stage actresses of her generation.

It’s no secret that Laura Benanti is one of our favorites here at Pop Culturalist. So, we were thrilled to have the chance to chat with her about gender roles, politics, New York City, trash TV, and everything in between.

PC: Hi, Laura! Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today. First of all, congratulations on your Tony nomination!

LAURA: Thank you!

PC: Your nomination is for your performance as Amalia in She Loves Me, and she is someone who is living and working in a man’s world. In fact, she’s the only female shopgirl who is selling items at Maraczek’s Parfumerie, the store in which the majority of the action takes place. You’ve claimed in previous interviews that Amalia is your dream role because it’s a funny soprano role, which is rare in the musical canon. So why do you think it’s important that we have funny soprano roles, and why do you think there are so few of them in the classical musical canon?

LAURA: I think that it’s very easy to box people into stereotypes: belters are funny, sopranos are serious, moms are moms, working women are working women– the madonna/whore complex. I think there are many ways in which we box women into specific categories and have unrealistic portrayals of women– like, I’m a 24-year-old lawyer who has a motorcycle, but who also loves children and animals, but I love to go to baseball games. There are a lot of stereotypes in Hollywood about women and men. But I’m a woman, so that’s my vantage point. So I think especially in classical musical theater, when it was a different time for women– you know, pre-feminism– there tended to be more stereotypes. So the thing that I love about both Ilona [the second named female character in the musical and Maraczek’s office clerk, played by Jane Krakowski] and Amalia is that they are fully drawn characters. Yes, Ilona is funny, but she is also very heartbreaking and heart-warming. And Amalia is a go-getter, who also happens to be a romantic and who can sing in this beautiful, colorful soprano. But just because you’re singing in head voice doesn’t means you’re not strong.

PC: Absolutely. I think that’s one of my favorite things about the show: seeing all of the complex, well-drawn characters on the stage. So that’s wonderful that you’re able to embody your character so convincingly and so well. I think it’s so important that we see more well-drawn female characters on the stage.

LAURA: I agree, for sure.

PC: So while we are on the topic of gender, what male role do you think you would want to play someday? If you could play any male role, what would it be?

LAURA:  Oooh. That is a great question. You know, I’ve never even thought about it.

PC: Well, good– you’ve done so many interviews, I wanted to give you some fresh questions. I’m glad you’re getting new things to think about.

LAURA: Yeah, this is amazing! Thank you… I thought of my answer: Sweeney Todd.

PC: Oh, that’s a great one– classic. So let’s switch gears now and think politically. You recently received a lot of attention for your spot-on Melania Trump impression, which was great!

LAURA: [Laughs] Yeah, thank you.

PC: That made me wonder: if you were to make each of the presidential candidates– so, Trump, Sanders, and Clinton– see one musical, what would you make them see?

LAURA: I would make them see 1776.

PC: Oh, that’s a good choice.

LAURA: Thank you.

PC: I recently saw the Encores! production of it, and that thought crossed my mind then, too! [Laughs]

LAURA: [Laughs]

PC: You’ve lived in the greater New York City area your entire life, having grown up mainly in New Jersey. And you’ve spent your adult life in New York City, as well, with spells in Los Angeles. So, what is your relationship like to this city? Do you have a favorite “New York City moment” that stands out in your memory at all?

LAURA: Everybody says this, so it’s generic, but it’s true: there is so much electricity in New York City, you know? It’s just a very vibrant place. To me, it just feels like home. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Crazy things happen to me every single day. One time there was a five-year-old kid, and he was sort of practicing his karate moves– like, in his little gi, going through his karate moves on the street. He accidentally punched me directly in the vagina– that was pretty amazing! [Laughs]

PC: [Laughs] Oh my God!

LAURA: His mom was like, “Oh my God, I’m so sorry! He doesn’t normally do that!” And I was like, “Good, I’m glad he’s not going around punching ladies in the vage.” So that happened. The other day I was walking down the street, and a man was eating a sandwich, and he started walking towards me with his sandwich extended, like he was straight-armed trying to feed me a sandwich. That was pretty amazing. Just crazy, weird things happen to me every day, but those two stick out to me as some pretty funny shit.

PC: That’s pretty great. The quirky, uncensored New York moments– I like it!

LAURA: Yeah, for sure.

PC: I want to ask you about your writing, because I know you’ve written songs in the past and that you’re working on a book of comedic essays. So what creative outlet does writing offer you that performing does not?

LAURA: My own voice. As an actor, you are a conduit for other people’s words and feelings and thoughts. What I really appreciate about writing is having my own point-of-view and getting that out there. The particular way in which I like to do that is through the lens of humor– that is how I’ve always seen the world.

PC: What’s the estimated release time on the book?

LAURA: As soon as I finish it! [Laughs] So, we’ll see. I’m hoping that once the show closes on July 10th I’ll have this summer to really devote to it. It’s been really, really hard doing Supergirl [on CBS] and doing this show– doing eight shows a week is a lot. During my one day off [a week], I’m either doing press or sleeping, so my creative brain is sort of shut down, unfortunately. But I’m going to get back to it as soon as the show is done.

PC: Oh, that’s exciting– and something that a lot of people are going to be looking forward to.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Favorite book?

LAURA: To Kill a Mockingbird.

PC: Favorite play or musical?

LAURA: Into the Woods.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie and television show?

LAURA: Oh my God, Southern Charm. On Bravo. I’m sorry, it’s true.

PC: [Laughs] I’ve never watched that show.

LAURA: It’s so disgusting. Don’t do it.

PC: [Laughs] Well, guilty pleasure, indeed! What about guilty pleasure movie?

LAURA: It’s not really a guilty pleasure, but The Princess Bride. I love it so much.

PC: That’s a classic.

LAURA: Yeah.

PC: What would people be surprised to find on your iPod?

LAURA: I mean, just a lot of Tori Amos. But I don’t know if that would surprise anybody. I think my music is pretty transparent. It’s definitely a wide range– Beyoncé is on there, musical theatre is on there. A lot of Indigo Girls, Tori Amos, Kate Bush, even a little Toad the Wet Sprocket.

PC: I’m loving all the lady-power on there.

LAURA: Yeah, a lot of lady-power, for sure.

PC: I think I know the answer to this last one, but I’m going to ask it anyway: what is your bucket list role?

LAURA: Eliza Doolittle, My Fair Lady.

PC: You know, I’m seeing the Julie Andrews production at the Sydney Opera House [this fall], and the whole time I’m going to be thinking about you in that role.

LAURA: Thank you– I appreciate it. If you could scream that out at some point during the show, that would be great.

PC: I can definitely do that for you.

LAURA: Thank you, I really appreciate that. [Laughs]

PC: Well, I think that we are out of time, unfortunately. Thank you– it was truly an honor to talk with you, and a pleasure. Have an excellent day, and good luck with the awards season.

LAURA: Alright, my friend, thank you so much– great to talk to you!

 

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Catch Laura Benanti in She Loves Me at Studio 54— tickets are on sale through July 10, 2016.

Photo Credits: Deraney PR