ARTS & CULTURE
Trodding the Boards Brian Sands bsnola2@hotmail.com
Jessie Mueller/The Seth Concert Series through July 13
It’s not the same, but what is these days? And in some ways, it’s even better than what it’s replacing. “It” is The Seth Concert Series, a spinoff from the Broadway@NOCCA series that has become a beloved part of NOLA’s theater scene. With live performances temporarily on hold, producer Mark Cortale and host/music director Seth Rudetsky had the wise idea to move their cabaret-cum-interview programs into cyberspace. With its simple, two-person format, this singular entertainment has made the transition well-nigh seamlessly. While I missed the first two (Kelli O’Hara, and Jeremy Jordan, who appeared at NOCCA last March), I’m happy I caught the third installment which featured Jessie Mueller, a Tony winner for Best Actress for Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. In these
quarantining times, the show was a delight and so refreshing after 3+ months of hardly any theater, certainly nothing like this. As is his wont, Rudetsky started the discussion with Mueller’s childhood. She wanted to be an animator as a kid and didn’t do any performing till high school. Once there, rather than the lead, she “wanted to be the comic sidekick.” In her senior year, she kinda got both as Princess Winifred in the comedic Once Upon a Mattress, a musical retelling of The Princess and the Pea. After hearing her absolutely delightful rendition of its powerhouse song Shy, I’d love to see her star in it. Though Mueller had no connection to Broadway and just “wanted to be in the Chicago theater scene”, fate had different plans for her. In 2011, she found herself starring opposite Harry Connick, Jr. in a revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever and, as Rudetsky put it, “everyone was obsessed
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Jessie Mueller
with [her]”, an out-of-town newcomer who had landed on top in New York. Mueller gave us the background on the show’s audition process, including a demonstration of how she repurposed the lovely Rodgers & Hammerstein tune It Might as Well Be Spring into a jazzy version since she didn’t have any other song at the tryout that could show off that side of her talent. She also noted that Broadway is similar to Chicago only a lot more money is involved, and told a great story about the time Connick got lost in a musical number and she saved it while wryly noting that “Harry has his own version” of the tale. After a couple of other shows, Mueller landed the lead in Beautiful and said “she couldn’t just mimic King as she’s such an open vessel who gives away her heart.” Her performance of I Feel the Earth Move demonstrated this as it honored King without being a slavish imitation of her. Mueller also advised, “If anyone’s taking piano lessons, stick with it. It’s a great skill to have.” The concert continued with songs from Sara Bareilles’ Waitress, Mueller’s next leading role for which she received a Tony nomination. Performing the show’s 11 o’clock number, She Used to Be Mine, Mueller gave it 110% as though it were opening night on Broadway. More recently, Mueller starred in the revival of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel as Julie Jordan (garnering another Tony nod). Not only was her interpretation of If I Loved You
gorgeous, but she provided very interesting textual analysis of the song as well as technical aspects of how she approached singing it. Throughout the evening, Mueller, appearing from her living room in a polka dot top and with her hair in a bun, came off as wise and articulate, charming yet wholly down-to-earth. Commenting on the past few months she said she’s been “reading lotsa books” and “cooking up a storm”; I suspect there was a touch of sarcasm when she noted “Every day is different.” Rudetsky, hosting and playing piano live from his home, was his usual hyper, enthusiastic, trivia-obsessed and gossipy self which was actually comforting in a world so in flux these days. Together, these two pros created a wonderfully intimate 90 minutes, an easy camaraderie passing virtually between them. Mueller’s pure tone came through remarkably well and if it wasn’t quite the same as hearing her live at NOCCA, it was the next best thing. Plus, this way, she was almost kinda literally in your living room or bedroom or the palm of your hand (if you were watching on your cell phone). And live. Technically, there’s nothing fancy about The Seth Concert Series with host and guest sharing the screen, each having one steady camera angle on them. Only when Mueller soloed on guitar for Waitress’ A Soft Place to Land did the configuration change to a one-shot of her. Coordination between Rudetsky and Mueller was extremely well-done
8 · The Official Gay Magazine of the Gulf South™: www.AmbushMag.com · June 30 – July 13, 2020 · Official Southern Decadence Guide™ · www.SouthernDecadence.com
