in (h e Na(io na l Theane produc(i on of Joshua
af(er Ghetto,' she says, '(har I decided I was
Sobo l' s G hwo. Se( in (he (Own of Vilna, now
passiona(e abo u( wha( I did an d (h a( I didn '(
Vilniu s, in li(huani a, i( is a musica l pl ay (h a(
wam
(e ll s (he s(O ry of (he Vilna YidJish Thea n e
loved wha( I dJd and a lways rook i( seri ously.
group and i( s ex (inc(io n , along wi(h i(s
Bu( I didn'( have a 1m of self-bel ief. I had an
audience, by (he N az is. She had no( knc,w n (ha(
age n( wh o fil(er ed audi(i o ns
he r granJpare ncs ca me fro m Vilna uncil she
someone who coulJ guide my career. So I juS(
received a (e le gra m from her fa(her whi ch read:
(Ook (he jo bs I was of(ereJ.
audi(io ns wi(h (he big compan ies , so I d id (he
When, a few years Ia(e(, her farher died
less exci(ing scuff, (hings li ke Bwter~ ies are Free.
be(wee n her (Wo one- wo man sho ws a( (he Donmar, i( was a devas(a( ing loss. She told me
I did Therese Raquin in (he top room of a ru b in
(h en, 'I'm lucky in (ha( I can rue rain in(O my
from of five pe orle in a nc) raks. And an abridged
songs. I('s a gif( I gO( from him and my mum a nd rrobably from genera( io ns before (hem.
version o f Romeo and}uliet fc) r sc hoo ls. Bu( wi(h Ghetto I me( N ick Hyrner 束(he d irec (Or) and I
For me, mu sic is a need, I have
sudde nly fel( (ha( being a n ac (Or \Vasn'( juS(
(0
do it. '
Her music is of (he und ying kind, (he
si n ging, dancing and entena inin g, (h a( you
songs of George and Ira Gershwin, Weill,
co uld reall y communicate some (hing
Sondheim, Arle n, Brei, Berns(e in, Harnick
I( is
huge a (hing
(0
(0
people .
say (ha( i( can change
and Bock , Rodgers and H an, Comden and
reo ple' s liv es because i( does n'(. Bu( I( enhances (hem, ma kes peorl e (hink. I fel ( (ha( I
(00.
'I lo ve
coul d be invo lved in some(hing (ha( \Va s (es(ing
so ngs wi(h s(Ories,' she says, 'songs wi(h
and de mand ing, bo(h for myself and, hopefull y,
characre r. Mc,s( of (he POI' songs (alk abou(
(he aud ie nce .'
one emoti o nal s(a(e. I go fo r things I ca n charac(erise. My singing, I like
(0
She h as no r rot-Iem wi(h ma king herself ugly if (he ra rt reyuires it. [n (he S(e[,hen
(hink,
is ac( ing
Sondheim/ Jame s Lap ine
Where she can, she (akes grea( pains - a nd
Pa.\S IUn
1",( yea r she
bec ame yUI(e sc, ur and mad as a \\'"man who
grea( expe nse - o ver (he a rrangeme n(s
obsess i\'e!y sdks a man . lr ran for I(S scheduled
of (he songs, r ay ing for (he hes(, working wi(h
six mo nrhs in (he Wes ( End bu( k)s ( money and
(h e arranger for ho urs at a (im e. This is no(
divided (hea tregoers and cri(ics a like. ' I( wasn'(
goes
(0
(00
d ifficu l( whe n (he arrange r is Jere my Sa ms, (he
abou( perfect love,' she says, 'bu( an
comroser, Iyricis( and (heane direc (O r, her
unco mfo rtabl e, di stressing story (c) wa(c h.'
panner and fa(her o f her (hree year olJ hoy,
She was offered o(her \Xies( End sho ws 足
To by. 'We n ea( a song,' she sa ys , 'as if no o ne
'big, cc)mmercia l (h in gs ' - and turned (hem
h as eve r sung i( before, as if no o ne has e ver
down, desri(e (he loads o f mo ney in vo lved. ' I
heard ie. '
love go ing (0 see (hese (hings' she sa ys , 'bu(
She could no( be exrec (ed
(0
res is( Lady in
(0
d o (h em e igh( (imes a \Veek " She pull s a fac e.
the Dark wi(h i(s score by Ira G e rshwin a nd
Nor was she inre res(ed in (he (el ev isi on offers.
Kun Weill. To (hose
She describes (hem as 'gi rl-friend pans, (he kind
(WO,
she adds Moss H an.
Tha(,' she sa ys, 'is a preny heav y cock(ail.' There was (he scrip(,
(00 .
'I lo ved (he ide a of
o f wo man who has a pulse o nly when (h e man 's in (he room.' [f (e le visio n h ad ()ffered her her
a r lay se( in (he 1940s wi(h (he world a ( war
own so ng show she would have jum ped a( ie.
and a wo man in a pos i(io n of au(hority running
Bm o nly if she had comple(e control of (he
a very successful co mra n y a nd fi nding (ha( her
mate ri a l. Mo re (han a ny(hing else , she woulJ
life , her work and h er relm ion shirs we re all
like
imperilled because of he r emo (i onal sta(e.
music OU(
'I( has resonance a nd re leva nce fo r (Oday, (00 .
Wh a( isn'( so radica l (Oday is (ha( she (akes
her proble ms
(0
a psychi a ni st. Then i( was
(0
(ake o ver (he Albert H a ll (0
(U
'ge( my
lo (s of people.'
Af(e r Lady in the Dark she has (he mo re realis(ic , s( i11 risky, ambi(to n
(0
(ake her o ne足
woma n show, which includes a lor of Broadwa y
absolurely new ground. H er famasies beco me
show songs , (0 Broadway. 'I ' m nm fri gh(e neJ of
reali(ies in he r drea ms and
(ha(,' she says. 'I fee l I'm very sa fe wi(h a 12足
Yl)U
are nm qui (e
sure which is which as (he (Wo wo rlds cc) llide.
piece band and (he suppo r( of (he music, a ll
N e arl y all (he mu sic happe ns wi(hin (he
(hose wo nde rful chords, notes and words.'
dreams; (he res( of i( is like a stra igh( r lay.' The ac(i ng is n ow as impor(anr
(0
her as
(he mu sic. She harks back to G hetto, in 1989 . 'I ( was
1997
(00
Green, Po n e r and Vernon Duke. Th e Bea rles and Randy Newm an co me into i(
NlARO-~
me hu( no (
lo(s of straigh( (he a(re before, hu ( I neve r gO (
keering rheir (hough(s and wo rds a live. '
12 APPlAUSE
(l>r
'They were n'( a ll singinc j0 hs. I had don e
'Yo ur granJrare ncs love and (h ank you fo r
I..
do any(hing else. Ur uncil (hen I had
(0
Wha(ever comes up, (he o nl y offers she will re fu se are, as she pu(S i(, '(he (hings (ha( dc' no( make my hea n bea ( fas(e r.' lr see ms (ha( she needs (ha( (ightrope .