DIVA TALK: Chatting with Gypsy 's Lenora Nemetz Plus News of LuPone and McDonald
By Andrew Gans
Lenora Nemetz
News, views and reviews about the multi-talented women of the musical theatre and the concert/cabaret stage.
LENORA NEMETZ Gypsy , Patti LuPone — who just won her second Tony Award for her thrilling performance as Rose — told me, "I am so happy that Boyd [Gaines] and Laura [Benanti] and, in fact, the entire class [will be transferring to Broadway], minus Nancy Opel, which is sad, but she's replaced by the very brilliant Lenora Nemetz, so I'm really happy about that. Lenora's back on Broadway!" Nemetz and LuPone have been friends since the two appeared in the short-lived 1979 musical Working , and now they are sharing the stage again in the Arthur Laurents-directed revival of the classic showbiz musical at the St. James Theatre. Nemetz, in fact, plays two roles in this Gypsy : the quick-witted secretary Miss Cratchitt in the first act and the equally sarcastic stripper, Mazeppa, who knows a thing or two about trumpets, in the second. The triple threat is equally wonderful in both roles; she's so convincing as each character that most audiences don't realize it's the same actress until they read their Playbills. Earlier this week I had the great pleasure of chatting with the multi-talented performer, whose Broadway resume boasts the original productions of Cabaret and Chicago . Even by phone, I was struck by Nemetz's great spirit, her wonderful sense of humor and her sincere joy about being back on the Broadway stage. And, good news for Nemetz fans: She also hopes to perform her cabaret act — which features some of Bob Fosse's legendary choreography — for New York audiences. My interview with the actress follows.
Question: How did your roles in Gypsy come about?Lenora Nemetz: My mother passed in December of 2006, and it was quite sudden, so I was really depressed and working in Pittsburgh. A friend of mine called me and said, "You know, they're looking for someone to play Drowsy in The Drowsy Chaperone on the tour. Why don't you come in and audition?" And I said, "Oh, I don't know." And I thought, "Well, you know, I just feel so crappy that maybe I should. Why not?" It was just a terrible time in my life, so I said, "Why not?" I came and auditioned for that. On a Saturday night I went to City Center. Judy Kaye was doing a show there. It was delightful. I opened up my program, and a picture of Patti fell out. It said, "Patti LuPone. Three Weeks Only. Gypsy !" Well, I said to my friend Norman, "If she's playing Momma Rose, I'm playing Mazeppa, and that's all there is to it!" As it turned out, a series of events happened, and I ran into a person who was assisting [choreographer] Bonnie [Walker]. [Casting director] Jay Binder called and said, "We want to see you for this." And, wouldn't you know it, I didn't cut it, and I didn't get The Drowsy Chaperone either! The person who got the City Center job, [Nancy Opel], also got the Drowsy tour. [Laughs.]
And, then all of a sudden, the ironies of life… That's what Arthur [Laurents] said to me, "Ah, the ironies of life. Aren't they wonderful?" [Laughs.] [Nancy Opel] couldn't do [the Broadway transfer because she was doing the Drowsy tour] and Arthur said, "I have my Mazeppa." And that's how it came about. I got a phone call that said, "You've got the job." ...And, boy am I grateful for it because I'm playing Miss Cratchitt and Miss Mazeppa! And who would have thought… If you would have asked me at this time last summer what I would be doing, I would have never said to you I'd be on a Broadway stage every night bumping and blowing a trumpet...
Lenora Nemetz as Miss Cratchitt photo by Joan Marcus
Question: Because you took over in the roles, you were the one new person to join the cast when it went to Broadway. Was that at all difficult?
Nemetz: No, not really. Everybody welcomed me with open arms. The cast is amazing. The girls that I work with, Alison [Fraser] and Marilyn [Caskey], welcomed me with open arms. They were just, and still are, great — my two fellow strippers, I love them dearly. And, of course, Patti, she's been my friend for 30 years. We've known each other since
Working . We've always been there for each other, and it's so much fun to be working with her as well.
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Question: Tell me about working with Arthur Laurents as a director. What was he like to work with?
Nemetz: It was like having a master class every day. If you're lucky enough to have had him touch your life and be a part of it, then you know that you've learned something about the theatre. Arthur makes you really dig deep down inside and find the reality of it all. I'll tell 'ya, a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into these parts. That goes for every character on that stage. The stakes are high for everybody. That's why the show is so brilliant, you know? Working with Arthur is like having a mater class every day, and I am so grateful to have had him touch me and to be a part of my life and my heart.
Question: Do you enjoy that you get to play two different characters? Nemetz: You know what's so much fun? The audience doesn't know that I'm Miss Cratchitt! [Laughs.] It's really fun, they don't know! They don't know that I'm her, and it's great. She was a surprise. I thought I was just coming to play Ms. Mazeppa, and then he was looking for Cratchitt. I read for it, and he gave it to me. I had to work on it. After I got it I thought, "What am I doing? What am I doing?" And then, all of a sudden, it happened. Like I said, he makes you work hard. He makes you work. The stakes are always high, and that's what's so wonderful about working with Arthur Laurents. I wish everybody could work with him. It's really an experience in itself. And I've been lucky because I've worked with the greats.
Question: The last time you were on Broadway was in The Rink in 1984. Talk about the break between The Rink and Gypsy . What were you doing in between? Nemetz: Well, I was engaged in Pittsburgh. It was like Nathan and Adelaide. I was engaged for 14 years, never got married! But I was engaged, and eventually we realized that the only thing that was keeping us together was that we really didn't like each other. [Laughs.] So that was the end of that.… I did the national tour of Sweet Charity in '87. That was my last time working with Bob [Fosse] and Gwen [Verdon]. I worked with Tommy Tune. I did Bye, Bye, Birdie in '91 and '92. That was a national tour. I replaced Annie Reinking. . . . I did The Pajama Game at Lincoln Center in 1990, and I did a national tour of Cabaret , this last revival. I did a lot of national tours, and I did a lot of shows in Pittsburgh, and some outside of Pittsburgh in different regional theatres, and I taught and kept very busy. I had my own cabaret act, which I hope to do someday here in New York.
Question: You should.Nemetz: First I have to get settled here. I've only been here for five months. It's crazy coming back to the city. It really is — to get adjusted to it again.
Question: Have you moved back full-time? Nemetz: Well, I'm here full-time. I'm hoping to stay. What else would I do? [Laughs.] There're no coincidences in this life. There's a reason why I'm here. I'm so grateful to be back on Broadway.
Lenora Nemetz as Mazeppa in Gypsy photo by Joan Marcus
Question: What's it been like getting back into that eight-performance-a-week routine?
Nemetz: It's exhilarating, you know? It doesn't matter what happens to you in the day. It doesn't matter. When you're there and you're doing the show, that's what it's all about — being an artist onstage and being a part of a great, great show. What did Arthur say about the show? He said it was a history-making show. The show was a part of history, this particular production.
Question: I know you had the chance to go on one night as Rose. What was that like? Nemetz: That was an afternoon, and I had two hours notice, and it was crazy ! It was really crazy. But afterwards it was fun, just to reflect on it. I'll tell you what was really cool about that day: When the Overture was playing, I got to watch it from the back of the house dressed as Rose. I wish everybody in the cast could just do that once. Just to watch the orchestra play the Overture, and then to see that scene happen and to be able to walk down the aisle and say, "Sing out, Louise!" It's very empowering. [Laughs.] To say the least. It's really fun. It was very exciting. I had a great time doing it. I really did. Continued...
