By Michael Buckley
28 Aug 2005

Swing, which premiered in December 1999, was her second Broadway show and earned Benanti a first Tony nomination. In the revue, directed and choreographed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett, she sang (among other numbers) a memorable "Cry Me a River."

Susan H. Schulman again directed her in the 2001 Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Time & Again. While in Sound of Music, Benanti had done a workshop of the musical, based on the 1970 Jack Finney novel that had been filmed as "Somewhere in Time" (1980), starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

Another of the many other workshops she did was William Finn's musical version of The Royal Family, playing Elaine Stritch's granddaughter. Into the Woods brought Benanti a second Tony nomination.

Next came the 2003 revival of Nine, in which she played Claudia, the lead character's movie-star muse. Director David Leveaux surrounded Antonio Banderas (as Guido) with an ensemble of top-flight actresses. "I was excited about [working with] Antonio," recalls Benanti, "but even more excited about Chita Rivera [who played Guido's producer, Liliane La Fleur]. Isn't she amazing?

"I was a little girl who grew up idolizing musical-theatre stars. Chita's awesome, so warm, and she has a wicked sense of humor. Broadway used to be a community of people who loved each other. Chita embodies all that. She carries it with her, like a beautiful amulet. The lady's a legend!"

Following Nine (in which Benanti was succeeded by Rebecca Luker), she turned down the Broadway revival of Wonderful Town. She had scored a success as Eileen, opposite Donna Murphy, in the Encores! production, but decided to accept a straight role (as Rosamund Plinth) inThe Violet Hour. While in rehearsals for the Richard Greenberg play, she was replaced by Dagmara Dominczyk.

"That just wasn't a right fit. It was a bad time. I was run down. We agreed that I would leave. Suddenly, [a tabloid columnist] was writing that I had been fired, which was simply not the case. He also attacked my acting ability and said that I needed acting lessons. That really, really hurt. He's attacked many of my friends, Donna Murphy included. She's a wonderful woman and didn't deserve any of the things he said about her."

In the 2004 Los Angeles Opera production of A Little Night Music, Benanti played Anne ("such a difficult character"). She considers herself lucky "to have been part of that wonderful cast," which included Victor Garber (Fredrik), Judith Ivey (Desiree), Michelle Pawk (Countess Charlotte), Marc Kudisch (Count Carl-Magnus), and Zoe Caldwell (Madame Armfeldt).

"Just standing next to Zoe Caldwell made me a better actress," declares Benanti. And Stephen Sondheim's backstage visit remains a cherished memory: "He said some amazing things that I will keep with me for the rest of my life."

There have been numerous concert appearances, including Something Good: A Broadway Salute to Richard Rodgers on His 100th Birthday (June 28, 2002), in which Benanti sang "In My Own Little Corner" ("Cinderella") and "Something Good" (The Sound of Music). In 2004, she was part of the February Guys and Dolls concert, and the September Actors' Fund benefit concert of Hair.

For the November 2004 National AIDS benefit performance of Pippin, she played Catherine, opposite Michael Arden ("who was fantastic") in the title role. Among the cast were Terrence Mann (Charlemagne), Julia Murney (Fastrada), and Charles Busch (Berthe). Its originator Ben Vereen shared the Leading Player role with others, including Rosie O'Donnell. Says Benanti, "I couldn't believe that Ben Vereen remembered me by name: 'Hi, Laura!'...'Hi, Ben Vereen!'"

She has also appeared at Joe's Pub ("with Gavin Creel") and Feinstein's. To date, her 2005 appearances include Wall-to-Wall Sondheim and a Daytona Beach tribute to Leonard Bernstein in July ("two days before my wedding").

Upcoming are two concerts with Rebecca Luker connections. ("And we're really so different," insists Benanti.) "I'll play Marian in The Music Man for Paul Newman's Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, September 17, and I'll be Lily in The Secret Garden," on December 5, World AIDS Day (for the same group that produced Pippin).

On September 19, Benanti co-stars with Andrew McCarthy in a reading of Neil Simon's Plaza Suite at the High School for the Humanities (351 West 18th Street). It's a benefit for Opening Act, a group that provides free theatre programming for high-school students.

Among Benanti's CDs are cast albums of Swing, Into the Woods and Nine. She may also be heard on "The Maury Yeston Songbook," "The Stephen Schwartz Album," "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught...The Songs of Sondheim & Hammerstein" and "Mozart Was a Kid Like You and Me" (the diary of Anne-Marie Mozart, narrated by Benanti).

Also a songwriter (and guitarist), she's working on a solo CD. "It's kind of up in the air," admits Benanti. "I'm having a hard time; I want to make it special. Musical theatre is my first love. My writing is sort of folk-rock. I get compared to Tori Amos and Joni Mitchell — though I'm not nearly as talented as either. Neither a straight-pop album nor a musical-theatre album seems the way to go. I want to take my music and orchestrate it in a kind of old fashioned style, and take some standards and 'popularize' them — do a true crossover. I'm working on it."

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The day after her wedding, Benanti attended a callback for The Wedding Singer, based on a 1998 movie starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler. Afterwards, she relates, "They asked me to wait outside. Then John [Rando, the director] called me back. 'It's so weird,' he said. 'Everyone in the room agrees on the person that they want for the part. We would love you to play Julia.' I cried like a Miss America. It was such a beautiful wedding gift."

Since he's in the business, Chris Barron fortunately understands the demands of his wife's career. "Even though he sings rock and roll," Benanti tells me, "he loves musical theatre — maybe even more than I do. He loves Cole Porter, Leonard Bernstein. . ."

Tim Herlihy, who wrote the screenplay of "The Wedding Singer," co-authored the musical's book with lyricist Chad Beguelin. "It's a really, really funny show," believes Benanti. "It's the story of Robbie [Stephen Lynch], a wedding singer who gets left at the altar and then realizes that he loves Julia. But she's engaged. My friend, Jason Antoon, is in it."

Music for The Wedding Singer was composed by Matthew Sklar. "I've known Matt since I was 14. I was working in a summer program at Paper Mill, and he was the conductor. The score is eighties pop-oriented. I'll have to work that side of my voice a little more."

The show opens in January 2006 at Seattle's Fifth Avenue Theatre, prior to a March Broadway premiere. "I look forward to doing the comedy [of the part], and to not wearing a dirndl or a corset [as previous roles required]. With this one, hopefully people will get to see my more humorous, girl-next door side. I'm very excited!"

Here's hoping that, like Cinderella, the genuinely enthusiastic and enthusiastically genuine Laura Benanti lives (professionally and privately) happily ever after.

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Michael Buckley also writes for TheaterMania.com, and is the author of the book "Between Takes (Interviews with Hollywood Legends)," to be published next year.