Enjoy this interview with 4 of the singers of Broadway Scores at the Playhouse: From Broadway to Hollywood–Leanne Robinson, Kat Rodriguez, Sean Steele.
MARK SHANAHAN: This concert celebrates the Broadway and Hollywood movie musicals we all love—was there a stage or film musical you watched as a kid that made you want to perform?
LEANNE: I’ve had so many beautiful personal and funny (lots of falls on stage) moments on stage, but I will never forget the day we reopened after being closed for 18 months due to the pandemic. The audience was so electric, every applause felt 10mins long. I savoured every word and every song, and it really re-ignited my gratitude and love for being able to share art with people as my profession. I could barely sing the final closing number because I was so overcome by emotion and thanks. It stands as a reminder that being on stage and performing for people is a blessing, a true privilege and one of the greatest honours.
KAT: I mean there’s so MANY! Hairspray is the first one I think of, but I have to mention Les Mis, Rent (that was a little later, don’t worry), Phantom, The Greatest Showman, and dare I say… Pitch Perfect?
SEAN: My Papa Don sat down with me when I was about seven and we watched Fiddler On the Roof. He had bought the two VHS extended version from some garage sale, I’m pretty sure. The music, the spectacle, the story… It all really spoke to me. And I still have that double VHS feature.
MARK: This concert features songs that have lived on both stage and screen—what’s the biggest thrill or challenge in performing a piece that’s already so iconic? How do you make it your own?
LEANNE: I grew up on Julie Andrews, Sound of Music, Beauty and The Beast, Bernadette Peters in Annie and Cinderella, with Whitney Houston (The greatest singer of all time) and Brandy. These are definitely some of the shows that really made me want to ‘DO IT’.
KAT: The greatest thrill? Everyone gets excited and leans in when they know the song I’m singing. The greatest challenge? Having to deliver such a well-known piece in a way that honors the originals while also knowing that the audience probably hasn’t ever heard me sing it! I think it’s important to know the history of a song/how it’s been done so that I honor the tradition, and then see if there’s any room to make it my own. Sometimes, simply singing the song is original enough because it’s coming straight from our hearts, and therefore, it is our own.
SEAN: The best things in life are often terrifying and exciting all at once! No one is going to sing any of Celine Dion’s music like her. Or Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Reba, etc! So it’s best just to take the best inspiration from them and let it ride. How would I sing this at karaoke night with my besties?!? That’s always how I approach those iconic ones!
MARK: Without giving too much away—what song or moment in this concert are you especially excited to perform, and why?
LEANNE: I’m excited to do the ‘classics’ and roles that I will probably never play, but get to present and share them on stage!
KAT: I have to say “When You’re Home” from In The Heights. I LOVE that music, and it’s one of those shows I have always dreamt of being a part of. And it doesn’t hurt that Aaron and I have been friends for a minute, but we’ve never gotten a chance to sing together before this. It’s truly an honor to sing with all of these folks, and it’s even sweeter when they’re your friends.
SEAN: I’ll just say this… This song might take a particular Herculean effort… 😉
MARK: This cast is filled with veterans of Broadway, the West End, national tours and the best regional stages… You’ve performed all over – so what’s one role or moment onstage that’s stayed with you, and why?
LEANNE: – I have a solo number, that I’ve sang many times before (I may or MAY NOT have sung it at Westport before) and during rehearsals, Drew and I were exploring the song, and for the first time, the song became a conversation between myself and ‘the music’, and in essence, Drew, as he played, and it made me so emotional. That’s the beauty of exploring art with different people, in different ways. We all see and hear things differently, so every time we approach something in a different formation, there is room for discovery and exciting new ideas and perspectives.
KAT: One moment that I will never forget was when I got to perform in the Wicked National Tour for my hometown of Seattle. Our opening night was the day after the 2024 election, and I will never forget the roar of the audience after Elphaba said, “It’s the wizard who should be afraid… of me.” THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE. I still get chills thinking about it.
SEAN: I had the incredible privilege to play Billy in Once at Syracuse Stage. It’s a simple, beautiful story of love, loss, and simple things. The cast was just… Perfect. Everyone just treated the entire thing with such care and attention. That group of people will always hold a special place in my heart. Once is an actor/musician show where we all played instruments on stage and serve as the “orchestra”. So you have to come together as a band and really, really gel or it just doesn’t work. I’ll never forget our first dress rehearsal. We played through “When Your Mind’s Made Up” and it finally just clicked. It was magic. Absolute magic.
MARK: When audiences come to the Playhouse to see this show, what do you hope they walk away feeling?
LEANNE: Two words… JOY AND DELIGHT!!!!!
KAT: I hope the audience DANCES away feeling all of the joy of live theater and remembering why they love it. I can say for myself that I’m having all the warm fuzzies singing this music and remembering how magical it is to do this. I hope we can pass that feeling on to the audiences and get them excited about coming to the theater again and again for the undeniable spark of life that theater gives us all.
SEAN: I hope it’s nostalgic and joyful. So many of these classics have been shared between family and friends. Community and memories are built on and around these classics! If we can give people that feeling, we’ve done our job! And hopefully shared in that same feeling.
You can read the singer’s bios by clicking on their graphic or heading to the show page.
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