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DIVA TALK: A Chat with Wicked's Jennifer Laura Thompson Plus Kristin Chenoweth Soars at Carnegie Hall
By Andrew Gans
17 Sep 2004
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Jennifer Laura Thompson in Wicked
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| photo by Joan Marcus | News, views and reviews about the multi-talented women of the musical theatre and the concert/cabaret stage.
JENNIFER LAURA THOMPSON
For her performance as Hope Cladwell in the hit musical Urinetown, Jennifer Laura Thompson received a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. She followed that acclaimed performance with the demanding lead role in Michael John LaChiusa's Off-Broadway musical Little Fish. Thompson is now combining two other roles: the comical Glinda in the hit musical Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre and new mother to eight-month-old baby boy Tommy. I recently had the chance to chat with the talented Thompson, who is in the midst of determining how to juggle these two challenging roles.
Question: How is your run going so far in Wicked?
Jennifer Laura Thompson: Oh, it's great. It's amazing and wonderful, and I'm exhausted. [Laughs.]
Q: And you have a new baby?
JLT: Yes, he's eight months old. He just started teething, so he's wearing me out. [Laughs.]
Q: Has it been difficult combining both the show and being a new mom?
JLT: It's really tough. I said when I was going to do this that I have to remember to take it one day at a time, so I don't get overwhelmed. Last night, honestly, I started to feel overwhelmed, and I had to kick myself and say, "No, I knew it would be rough. You'll have good days and bad days."
Q: Does the baby come to the theatre with you?
JLT: He comes in between shows occasionally, but I'm still trying to work out how to do that and get a nap and send him home. I haven't figured it out yet.
Q: Is your husband in the business?
JLT: No, he brings [Tommy] to the theatre on Saturdays. He's a regular work-week person.
Q: What was the audition process like for Wicked?
JLT: The initial audition was your basic "learn a couple of scenes and one of the songs" — "Popular" and a tidbit from the opening, "No One Mourns" — I think they wanted to hear some soprano and make sure that [part of my range] was there. And, then there was a long waiting period, where they were trying to work out scheduling the next step, which was going to be my blending session with Idina [Menzel]. It didn't happen for, I think, at least a month. I almost started to think, "Okay, I'm going to let this go because it's just not going to work out for whatever reason." And, then, finally, just before the Tonys, Idina came in — and she was exhausted from all the promotions and Tony [events] — and they wanted me to blend with her. She was just so tired. [She said], "I don't think I can sing full out," and I thought, "Oh no, all you're gonna hear is me singing solo!" [Laughs.]
Q: Were you singing "For Good"?
JLT: I was — I learned that song and the last scene.
Q: And when did you learn that you had won the part?
JLT: I think it was that day. When I went home, my agent called and said, "I have wonderful news." It's funny because I have a picture of me that day, coincidentally, not long after I found out. I was holding Tommy. I tried to "Galindify" myself for the audition, so I'm now looking at my picture thinking, "Oh my God, that was the day!"
Q: Were you excited about getting cast?
JLT: I was. I was also terrified. [Laughs.]
Q: That was actually my next question. Kristin Chenoweth had received such raves for the role. Was the prospect of replacing her daunting?
JLT: Absolutely, but I think I somehow remained in a pleasant state of denial. I wasn't going to face up to the magnitude of what I was doing. I was just going to attempt it. It actually all sort of hit me after my very first performance, and I was so wiped out, and then I thought, "What have I done?" Because you could just be shooting yourself in the foot in this kind of a situation. [Kristin] was so brilliant in the role. All I could do was approach it with what I thought the role lent itself to, who I thought Glinda was.
Q: How do you approach the character?
JLT: It's hard for me to define exactly what the differences are. I've never verbalized it really. I never said, "I'm going to do it this way." I think the result has been [that] I'm a little bit goofy, a little less polished. And I think that's probably Jennifer Laura Thompson creeping into the role because I'm not a beauty pageant queen, nor do I twirl a baton, but I'm attempting [to], and I'm going to believe I am that person.
Q: Had you ever replaced in a show before? How much rehearsal time did you get?
JLT: No, this was my first [time]. They had offered a month, which I think was a nice, substantial amount of time, and, unfortunately, I had a trip that was already planned, so I had to do it in three weeks. So, it was really quick. And that, once again, was me trying not to get overwhelmed. The first week is the first act, the second week is the second act, and the third week is putting it all together.
Q: Were you watching the show while you were rehearsing?
JLT: Well, I didn't have as much opportunity to watch it as [I would have] if I didn't have a child. I probably would have been there three or four times a week at least. As it was, I only got to see it once a week in addition to the rehearsals. I think maybe that was good because, like I said, Kristin was so good at what she was doing, and she got such great laughs. If I had seen it more, I might have latched on to her mannerisms more, so maybe it was an advantage not to see it so much.
Q: It must be a great show to be in. The audience response is so . . .
JLT: Amazing! That's what gets me through when I'm exhausted. It's wonderful to make people laugh — it sort of energizes you. If it was a dark show, I think I'd be a wreck. [Laughs.]
Q: It feels like a rock concert at some points in the show.
JLT: It really does, especially for Idina. I think I'm still trying to win over audiences, but for her people are there specifically to see her from the start. Her first entrance, her first song is like "aaaaaahhhhh," crazy screaming. It's just amazing!
Q: I don't know too much about your background. Where were you born and raised, and when did you realize that performing would be your career?
JLT: In Michigan. I think somewhere in high school I chose the University of Michigan's program. That was the direction I wanted to go in. I didn't really even consider other schools. I don't think I actually thought about so far in the future at that point. I think it just sort of all fell into place, and when I did graduate, I was ready to come to New York and just took a chance, and that's what I did, and I'm still here. [Laughs.]
Q: Was your interest always in musicals? What were some of the shows you did in high school and college?
JLT: Yeah, it was. One of my favorites was Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera. I love that show; I love dark shows. I did Into the Woods in which I played a Stepsister. I did a couple of plays in one of their smaller theatres. I did Reckless, which I loved. Continued...
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