Vanessa Williams Trades ‘Betty’ for ‘Sondheim’
Source:
www.eurweb.com
(March
15, 2010) *Now that “Ugly Betty” is winding
toward its series finale, star
Vanessa Williams
has more time to devote toward her other pastime – the stage.
As she wraps production on the ABC comedy, Williams, 46, begins
performances this Friday in “Sondheim on Sondheim,” a look at
Stephen Sondheim through his music, films and taped interviews.
The show at Studio 54 runs through June 13.
In 2002, the actress earned a Tony nom playing the witch in
“Into the Woods,” so she’s very familiar with the melodies and
lyrics of the composer, who turns 80 on March 22.
Below Williams spoke about her return to Broadway in a Q&A with
the New York Daily News:
How do you juggle “UB” and “SoS”?
I’m very organized. I have everything in my BlackBerry, so as
soon as I have a break I go and find out: Do I have a fitting
here? or Where do I need to be? The bottom line is that
everyone’s been completely understanding and accommodating, and
it’s been seamless going back and forth between the two shows.
I’m told “Good Thing Going” and “Losing My Mind” are two of your
big numbers. What else are you singing?
Another solo is “Smile, Girls,” which was cut from “Gypsy,” and
I’m doing “The Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” as a duet
with Tom Wopat. I’m singing “Every Day a Little Death” with the
ladies in the cast. We all do a lot of singing. There’s a lot of
company numbers.
Are you a happy camper being onstage?
It’s great to be back home. I love it. The first day, we were
sitting around at our music stands learning new music, and I
felt like I was back in high school and college. You know, when
you get new material for a new show, there’s a sense of
excitement that’s like nothing else. It’s similar to reading a
new script and not knowing what to expect.
Michael Urie, who plays your assistant on the show, is in “The
Temperamentals,” an Off-Broadway play about early gay-rights
activists. Have you seen him?
I saw him twice last year, before this transfer of the show.
He’s such a well-rounded and brilliant actor –
Juilliard-trained. He plays the part of Marc so well, I think a
lot of people who watch him have no idea that he’s nothing like
that character. I hope it doesn’t put him in a box. He can do
drama, accents, anything. He’s one of my favourites.
You have four kids. Any of them following in your footsteps?
Well, my 20-year-old’s a dancer. She’s at the New School and
doing beautifully. And Sasha, my 9-year-old, kind of has the
acting bug. But she’s focusing on being a student now.
Below, Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater in clip from “Ugly
Betty”
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