Tony-nominated actress Carmen Cusack has left audiences completely breathless over the course of her longstanding career in London’s West End, Australia, and the United States. After performing in classics such as Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, and Les Misérables, Ms. Cusack took center stage this spring in Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s new musical, Bright Star, making her Broadway debut as literary editor Alice Murphy. Her star shined so brightly that we're sure she is here to stay!
Next up? A solo debut at Broadway’s supper club, Feinstein’s/54 Below, this August that will provide another opportunity for New Yorkers and guests to get to know Ms. Cusack on a deeper level. Songs from her career journey, including past productions and selections from Bright Star, as well as pieces of original work will comprise the evening, making for an unforgettable experience from one of Broadway’s newest leading ladies.
StageBuddy had the chance to speak with Ms. Cusack about her musical influences, prepping for her debut, and her secrets to always being performance ready!
Are there certain themes centered on your songs and stories that will be highlighted in your debut?
Well, the main theme is going to be a lot of Bright Star music and then I’m going to open up and answer the question of “Who Is She?” and work to fill in those blanks. I’ll be singing a few songs from roles that I’ve played in the West End and then fill them out with a few songs that I fell in love with through the process of collaborating on Bright Star that were cut from the show. I want to provide the story behind some of those, and then also give a bit of information on what I’ve been doing the past few years – I have a lot of stories about my travels and what took me to different places.
What was the process like selecting the songs and what can audiences expect from the catalog?
A lot of it encompasses the type of music that inspires me as well as the music that I write -- I’m actually going to be singing two originals every show and alternate them so they’ll be different experiences.
Is there an aspect you enjoy most about performing to New York audiences?
There are so many different reasons about being excited to perform in New York! I grew up wondering if and when I would actually step on a stage and sing a song on Broadway, so finally got to fulfill that and check that off the bucket list! I got to play this role that some women wait their entire careers for and for it to be a brand new show and something I got to be very involved with from the beginning was beyond exciting! I kept pinching myself and wondered if I was in a dream the whole time.
Why would you say you appreciate the experience of a solo show, as opposed to performing on Broadway with a large company?
My career mainly has been in musical theatre, but I took a couple years out, here and there, to sing jazz and just perform gigs – that was an itch that I needed to scratch as well. If you were to go into my music collection, it’s not a lot of musical theatre, it’s more jazz, soul, R&B, and folk. I’ve done a lot of traveling with bands and singing, and this whole set list will be a whole collaboration of all of that.
What is your favorite type of music to listen to?
I love all sorts of music, but what I think fits nicely with my voice is kind of an Americana vibe as well as a 1960s [Dusty Springfield] kind of smoky. Currently, Adele is hitting it in the way that is exactly the kind of music I like to listen to and sing.
In thinking about the uniqueness of Bright Star’s score, can you speak about how that music resonated with you?
What immediately resonated is that this was the type of music that I would perform in a gig scenario – it wasn’t necessarily the kind of music you’d hear in a musical theatre realm, so that excited me. It’s similar to the kind of music that I’ve written – I started writing about five or six years ago now, and it was very comparable to what was coming from my own creative juices. When this show came up, and I listened to some of Steve and Edie’s music, I just thought ‘This is perfect’ and ‘Exactly the road that I want to take.’ This material has been ingrained in me since I was a little girl -- I grew up with folk music, and blues, and gospel, so it was some kind of a perfect match!
You’ve had some iconic roles in the past, and looking to the future, is there a certain type of production that you’d love to be a part of?
Just more new work. I’ve loved this process so much and want to do more things that intrigue people enough that they don’t know what they are about to go and see and then they leave transformed. It’s wonderful when people are challenged to think differently and feel differently, and I want to do work that leaves audiences feeling like they will never be the same again, when they walk out of the theater. I definitely feel like that’s the power and the magic that Bright Star brought to so many people. More of that please!!
When it comes to staying healthy and performance ready, what is your best advice?
Sleep is numero uno! I know in my body what feels right and what doesn’t, and for me, it’s 100% get that eight hours of sleep and stay hydrated. Also, I’ll put a moisture mask on when I get to the dressing room – that’s about it!
Ms. Cusack will be performing 4 shows in August on the 9th, 11th, 14th and 16th. For ticket info, visit: https://54below.com/
Ms. Cusack will perform August 9th, 11th, 14th and 16th at Feinstein's/54 Below.
