Ann Harada
Avenue Q fans recently received some good and bad news. On the negative side, it was announced earlier this week that the joyous, Tony-winning musical, which celebrates its sixth anniversary on Broadway at the end of the month, will play its final performance at the John Golden Theatre Sept. 13. On the plus side, however, is the terrific news that stellar singing actress Ann Harada, who created the role of Christmas Eve, will return to the production July 6. That day will also mark the arrival of Anika Larsen (Xanadu, All Shook Up, Rent) as Q's new Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut, Robert McClure (I'm Not Rapport) as Princeton/Rod and Danielle K. Thomas as Gary Coleman. Harada was one of the many aspects that helped propel Q to its Tony-winning success; in fact, when I first interviewed the Broadway artist back in 2004, I wrote, "Audiences know they're going to have a good time at Avenue Q as soon as the Tony-winning musical begins, but I think they realize they're going to have a terrific time once Ann Harada takes to the stage as Christmas Eve and announces, 'It sucka-sucka-sucka-sucka-sucka- sucka-sucka-sucka sucka-sucka-sucka-sucka suck! It suck to be me.' Not only a gifted comedic actress, Harada also possesses one of the best voices in the show, a rangy, powerful belt that she controls with astonishing precision. Harada also scores in all her onstage moments, whether she's berating her unemployed husband, tossing Nicky out of her apartment, advising Republican investment banker Rod or belting out her second-act showstopper, 'The More You Ruv Someone.'" Last week, just a few days before the Q closing announcement was made, I had the chance to again chat with the good-humored performer, who was recently seen on Broadway in the new musical 9 to 5. Harada, who had just returned from a piano lesson for her four-and-a-half-year-old son Elvis, spoke about leaving 9 to 5 to return to the show that she says put her "on the map"; that interview follows.

Question: Before we get to Avenue Q, let's talk a bit about 9 to 5. How did you get involved in that production originally?
Harada: I auditioned for the role of Roz. Kathy Fitzgerald got it, and I was like, "Okay, great," and then I didn't think about it at all. Then, out of the blue, they called me and offered me [the role of] Kathy and said that I would cover Allison Janney, and I said, "Oh, okay, great." It sounded like a great challenge, so I said, "Sure!"

Question: Did you ever get to go on for Janney?
Harada: No, no. She has not missed [a performance] to date.

	Tory Ross, Ann Harada and Neil Haskell in 9 to 5
	photo by Joan Marcus

Question: Did your part or the show change much from out-of-town to Broadway?
Harada: The show changed significantly from Los Angeles to New York. In L.A. I started a song — it was a little bit more of a feature, but I knew that the song was probably gonna get cut. [Laughs.] And it was, and it was not a big surprise.

Question: What was the song called?
Harada: It was called "Tattletale." It was an office gossip song basically establishing how much everybody didn't like Doralee.

Question: When you were approached to return to Avenue Q, was it a difficult decision to leave a new musical?
Harada: It was a difficult decision in the sense that we had just opened it — although I felt like I had been in it already for so long because we started last summer. That was the hard part — the whole point, really, of doing it was to have the experience of being in a big show for a long time. And then it was like, "Well, we did all the hard work of putting it up and changing it a million times, and this should just be the fun part of doing the run … and buh-bye!" [Laughs.] So that was the bummer of it. Also, we'd sort of been plagued by injuries, so we've basically had nothing but put-ins and a lot of rehearsing. I knew that if I left, there would just be more of that. . . . But it was also that I couldn't say no to the opportunity to go back to Avenue Q. It's my part. It's the part that I originated and love, and I just thought, "Well, it'll be amazing. I haven't been in it in three years. This is my time." And, it was all fine. Everybody was very gracious.

Question: Have you started rehearsals yet for Avenue Q?
Harada: I have.

Question: How have they been?
Harada: Well, it was just one day. My first day was yesterday… but it was great. It's gonna be fantastic.

Question: Is there anything that you've forgotten that surprised you? How much did you have to go back and study the songs?
Harada: Yes, lots of things that I'd forgotten that surprised me! I think part of the confusion for me, too, is that the last time I did [the show] was in London, which was a different version. We had changed it a little bit for London. And then to come back and go, "Oh, I sing this part?" or, "Oh, I remember that gag." It's been a little like, "Oh, I don't remember doing that. Oh…okay!" [Laughs.] But it's going great. Everybody's terrific. I'm excited to play it with new people.

Question: You're going in with a pretty much new cast, right?
Harada: Half are new. Anika [Larsen] and Rob [McClure], although he did it on Broadway for a little while but on a different track, and Danielle Thomas from the tour.

Question: Who from the original Avenue Q cast is still in the show?
Harada: Just me and Jen [Barnhart].

Question: What does Jen say about the show now? Is she at all tired of doing her roles?
Harada: I think if she was tired of it she would have left. [Laughs.] I think she feels just as strongly about the show as she ever did. I think we all feel pretty strongly about that show. It's really hard not to be at Avenue Q in a way because it meant so much to us all. To me it's one of my first really big jobs that kind of put me on the map in a lot of ways. Having done it with a couple of different companies, I just know what that show is and how it works and what it means to people. Everyday people come up to me and tell me about when they saw Avenue Q, so I know that it's significant. I don't know, it just means something to people.

Question: When you guys were first getting it together for Off-Broadway, did you ever think that the musical would still be playing and coming up on its sixth Broadway anniversary?
Harada: Of course not. [Laughs.] We just wanted to open at the Vineyard!

	Ann Harada in Avenue Q
	photo by Carol Rosegg

Question: Why do you think it has had such longevity?
Harada: Because it's completely relevant. I don't think there's a person who lives in New York who doesn't understand what that's like — to move here and to be naïve and to not really know what they want to do but know that they want to be here. We've all, at some point, had to figure out what our purpose in life is. We've all had to figure out how to be young and survive … it's just completely universal.

Question: And they've kept the George Bush line in. . .
Harada: Yes! [Laughs.] We can't shake him!

Question: Does that still get a big laugh?
Harada: Apparently. I haven't seen the show since they changed it to "George Bush was only for now." But apparently it got a bigger response than anything else they tried. [Laughs.]

Question: A few years back you did a great cabaret show at the Ars Nova. Have you ever thought about doing more cabaret evenings?
Harada: I have. I'm hopeful that we'll be able to whip something together for later this year. It just hasn't been a top priority, what with Elvis and all.

Question: What was it like for you doing a show on your own versus being a character in a musical?
Harada: I think it's always easier to be a character. I think every actor feels that way. But it's great — it's just storytelling of a different kind; I really like it. What I love about it is that it gives me the chance to perform with people that I wouldn't ordinarily get to perform with. I enjoy both forms very much, but I far prefer doing scripted shows.

Question: How have you managed to combine being a mom to Elvis and doing eight shows a week?
Harada: I feel like I am just getting by at every point in my life. I never feel like, "I have mastered this." Also, I am the luckiest person alive. I have my parents living with me, who are available to do all the heavy lifting. Because of my schedule being so weird and so random, it's just a huge load off of my mind. I realize that not every parent has that luxury, and I'm incredibly grateful.

Question: They even came with you to London, right?
Harada: They did, yeah.

Question: What's your first date in Avenue Q?
Harada: July 6.

Question: How long will you stay with it?
Harada: 'Til there is no more Avenue Q!