Interview: Carmen Cusack on WICKED, BRIGHT STAR, & BULL DURHAM

Coming to Theatre Raleigh to perform in concert this Saturday night is Carmen Cusack. She returns to the area after starring as Annie in last season's Bull Durham: The Musical. On Broadway, she has starred as Alice Murphy in Bright Star and Clare Booth Luce in Flying Over Sunset, both of which resulted in Tony nominations. Her additional credits include Julia Sugarbaker in the world premiere adaptation of Designing Women at TheatreSquared, Lynn Gardner in MCC’s Off-Broadway revival of Carrie, Annie McDougan in First Wives Club, Dot in Sunday in the Park with George in Chicago, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd at the St. Louis Muny, Nellie Forbush in the first national tour of Lincoln Center Theater’s revival of South Pacific, and Elphaba in the first national tour of Wicked. West End credits include Fantine in Les Misérables, Rose in The Secret Garden, and Kim in Personals. She also toured the U.K. as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera and as Eva Cassidy in Over the Rainbow. Her film/TV credits include Sorry For Your Loss, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and American Fiction. Most recently, she was seen as Mary Todd Lincoln in the world premiere musical, 3 Summers of Lincoln, at La Jolla Playhouse. Carmen studied opera at the University of North Texas, which gave her its first honorary baccalaureate degree in 2018. I recently got in touch with her about a lot of this and more.

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To start things off, how excited are you to be coming to Raleigh?
CC: Very! Raleigh is such a chill town, with great people and good food!

What songs can the audience expect to hear from you?
CC: Well I love all styles of music so it’ll be a little eclectic. Of course I’ll be throwing down some old faves from Bright Star and a couple of goodies from Bull Durham mixed with some original material and others by beloved artists such as Steve Nicks and Linda Ronstadt.

You were previously in the Triangle area doing Bull Durham with Theatre Raleigh back in September. How does it feel to be working with them again?
CC: I’m a fan of this team led by Lauren Kennedy. She really understands the industry, the importance of theater and community and the whole team are just lovely to work with.

Going back to the beginning, how did you first get started in the theatre?
CC: I started singing in church and one day my mother was approached by a professional singer who recommended an opera coach. I started training in opera at age 16. When I was 23 I auditioned for a show in London and was cast in Phantom of the Opera. My gospel background allowed me to sing all the other styles and hence my musical theater career sprouted.

Some of your earliest credits were across the pond. Do you have any favorite experiences from London’s West End?
CC: Gosh, so many great experiences but I’d say working with the Royal Shakespeare Co in Stratford upon Avon to put up Secret Garden in the West End was up there. I also enjoyed a little kooky show called Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens. And loved touring with my funk and jazz bands in between theater gigs.

After all those years in London, Wicked was what brought you back to the United States. A musical that’s even more relevant now as we’re currently in
between releases of both movies. How does it feel for you to be a part of such an incredible legacy?
CC: It’s always nice to be part of a legacy. I haven’t actually seen the movie yet! But I will forever be thankful for that show. If you can sing Elphaba 8 times a week, you can do anything!

From what I’m aware of, several actresses who’ve played Elphaba in the past have dreamt about that role. Has that happened to you?
CC: Oh yes, they are usually fever dreams!!!

In 2016, you made your Broadway debut in Steve Martin & Edie Brickell’s Bright Star. While the run was short-lived, your performance still got you a lot of attention. You were Tony nominated and Grammy nominated as a principal soloist on the original cast recording. Now, the musical is being done everywhere, how do you look back at your time with the show?
CC: It was a beautiful gift to be a part of something that is still so beloved even though it was short lived on BW. That it is being done all over is truly heart warming. I am continually surprised by the die hard fans of that sweet show and will forever be grateful for them and Steve and Edie.

What was it like getting to work with Steve & Edie?
CC: A dream team indeed. So smart and dedicated. They were there every single day writing and rewriting. Constantly checking in to see how we felt on changes, listening and respecting our input. It was an incredible time full of hard work and a ton of fun.

Your most recent main stem appearance was in Flying Over Sunset. That musical had quite a bumpy journey. You were literally hours away from beginning performances on March 12th, 2020 when all of Broadway shutdown due to COVID-19. About a year and a half later, most of you all regrouped and went on with the run, which was eventually cut short.
CC: Yes, it was a very difficult time to try and get people to come to the theater for sure but I will never forget the pure joy I felt to see my cast mates again. After so much time, to come back to the theater and be able to finish what we had started at the Lincoln
Center! We were all huddled in hugs and tears just so happy to see each other and play again. And that show was absolutely gorgeous. Yes, we were tripping on LSD but the show was about human connection and after the pandemic this story took on a whole new meaning for us all. Another gift.

For those who’d like to pursue a career in the theatre, where do you think would be a good place to start?
CC: Any time you can find to get in front of an audience you are learning. Community theater is a good start. Get serious about training in acting and singing. Learn how to use your voice properly.

Before we go, do you have any other upcoming projects that you’d like to share with us?
CC: I just finished working on a show in San Diego that is looking like a possible move to BW called 3 Summers of Lincoln. I had a blast playing Mary Todd Lincoln. Directed by Christopher Ashley.

Carmen, I thank you very much for devoting your time to this interview. For those who’d like to keep up with your career, where can people find you on the internet?
CC: Well I’m rubbish at posting on social media but, I will try and make a better effort moving forward as I have new material of my own in progress and will need to become a better promoter! Big LOVE and thanks for the questions!

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