Latest news with #Pirates!ThePenzanceMusical
Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Jinkx Monsoon is rocking the boat in Pirates!—and she's never felt safer
When Jinkx Monsoon was offered a meeting with Scott Ellis, the director of Broadway's Pirates! The Penzance Musical, she had a goal firmly in mind: to land the plum character role of Ruth, the seasoned sea wench who plots to marry her fresh-faced young ward. The two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner was ready for anything. 'Before I went in, I decided that I wanted to walk out with the role,' she recalls. 'Whether that meant auditioning on the spot, whatever it took.' A Monsoon at full force is hard to resist. She got the part—and she's irresistible onstage as well. This is only Monsoon's second Broadway show; she made her debut as Mama Morton in a 10-week 2023 Chicago stint that broke box-office records. Bt she uses what Time Out critic Adam Feldman praised as her 'vocal chops and facial elasticity' to hold her own on a stage she shares with such Broadway pros as David Hyde Pierce and Ramin Karimloo. From her dressing room at the Roundabout Theatre Company's Todd Haimes Theatre, Monsoon spoke with Time Out about bringing Ruth to the stage, missing people's smells and using her celebrity for positive change. You've dreamed about Broadway all your life. How does it feel to finally be here? The joke I often make is that it sure is nice to get here and find that I'm actually quite good at this, because otherwise my life would have been a huge waste of time! I crack a lot of jokes, but they come from the truth. I always wanted to be an actor. I didn't know if I was going to be doing that in drag. I didn't know if I was going to be doing that as a past iteration of myself or the person I am now. I was told so many times the world wouldn't let me be that. It almost lit a vendetta in me to show the world that I absolutely could be a leading actress on Broadway. You seem so comfortable on Broadway for someone who is relatively new to it. When you think about what a Broadway production is, and then you think what goes into just being a drag queen—it's the same, you know? It's a literal head-to-toe transformation. Look at what happens to your average Broadway actor: The wig goes on; there's a full costume and full makeup; the actor gets lost in the character, much like a drag queen does. The biggest difference is a drag queen is typically doing it all by herself. Or if she's someone like me, she's lucky enough to have a team that she works with, but that's when you've gotten to a level where you can afford to hire people. How did you get this role? It's one of those stories that makes it sound a lot easier than it really is. I was doing my second run of Chicago as Mama Morton. I had to turn down an audition for something I really wanted, because it conflicted with the holiday tour that I do annually. So on the day that audition would have been, I was licking my wounds. But that night, I got an email from my agent asking if I could meet with Scott Ellis the following day. I looked at the role—I looked at the text, I found videos and I started to imagine what I could do with this character. He and I talked about my mission statement as an artist, which lines up a lot with values he holds dear. We both decided we wanted to help new audiences experience this story through a new, fresh, accessible angle. Which is? It's a very joyful celebration of the fact that no two of us are exactly the same—and that all of us come from somewhere else, so there should be no hierarchy based on geography. How has Gilbert and Sullivan's original operetta, The Pirates of Penzance, been reworked to emphasize that? As with many older shows, many of the classics, there's a lot of good stuff, but then there's a handful of stuff that you're like, 'Eeew.' It was a different time. I came in with some anxieties about how audiences might see the character because I am a trans-feminine actress. [The creative team] really looked at how we could finesse the text so that it's the story it's meant to be, and not the story people might want to put on it because of who I am. How is Ruth different in this adaptation? This Ruth is unique in the fact that she's so caring, she's so doting. She doesn't do anything bad on purpose; she's just an idiot. She's just really flighty, the poor thing. What I love about my Ruth is she speaks her mind a lot, and she has a lot of agency. She wants to keep her family together—she doesn't always know the best way to try to do that, but that's her end goal. What has surprised you the most about being on Broadway? The anxiety of fucking it up faded away faster than I thought it would. And the other thing that has been really pleasant is how safe and relaxed and comfortable I feel being myself. As a queer person, you do a lot of code-switching; you do a lot to diminish yourself and hide parts of yourself just to make it through your day with as little hassle as possible. But I feel like I'm in the safest space I've ever been in that was not one that I curated myself. To be in mixed company and have our mutual love and respect for the work be our common denominator—that neutralizes our egos and those anxieties. I've felt so at home with these people I've only known for a few months. In addition to Chicago, you also recently played Audrey in Off Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors. How does originating a role compare to stepping into a long-running show? It's a completely different experience. What's funny is that when I'm building a character from the ground up, the character tends to be further away from me. I really love that challenge. I start with how I'm similar to the character and what we have in common to get my bearings, and then I examine the ways we are different. Ruth and I overlapped a lot at the beginning of rehearsal, but as I got to know her better, we stopped overlapping as much. Whereas, when I'm stepping into a character and the role is already set, it's a no-brainer: I got hired to do the job I got hired to do. Put Jinkx Monsoon in that wig and let her sing that song. You were recently honored at the Drama League Awards and made a joke about speaking after Idina Menzel. What was it like to be in the room with all of those incredible stars? I worshipped these icons as a young person, and now I get to be one of them. It's very surreal for me. But I try to remember what it means to other young trans people to even see me on that stage, and that's what motivates me. I love when my work gets praised, but don't give me too much credit. I'm just doing what I was put on this earth to do—I just want to use the time that I have people's attention to try to send out waves of positive change that might reverberate in other people. We've just got to be outputting as much love as our oppressors are outputting hate. Was there anyone you really did fangirl over? I didn't really get to talk to her, because we all had to do the procession, but I felt Bernadette Peters's hand for a brief moment. She told me over and over that I looked so good, so good, and I don't even think I said words. A single tear, I'm not even kidding, ran down my face. You're originally from Oregon. What have you had to let go in embracing New York City culture? I've embraced that people wear deodorant here. I'm trying to live with that. I, of course, love to smell like a hippie witch. I'm very earthy in my smell. I wish less men around me wore deodorant! But New York's not that kind of city—maybe in Brooklyn, but I'm in Manhattan. Sorry, was that TMI? No, but I didn't suspect that would be the answer! I've also gotten ruder. In the Pacific Northwest, we are passive aggressive. In New York, when a car takes up a crosswalk, I have no problem slamming down on the hood of the car. But that only happened once or twice on injection days, so I can't be held responsible. Final question: What are five places you love in New York City? Times Square's Dave & Busters. Scent Elate is right next to me and where I get all my rocks, incense and witchy stuff. I love the West Bank Cafe and the Laurie Beechman Theatre—it's been a second home for me in New York City. Licensed dispensaries! Thank God for them because that is one thing I would have hated to leave in the Pacific Northwest. And can I just say backstage? Backstage at Little Shop, backstage at Chicago, backstage here. They're my favorite places in the world. I go and visit them in my free time.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Actress Samantha Williams Harnesses the Headstrong Heroine In Tony-nominated ‘Pirates! The Penzance Musical'
'I'm just happy that our work is being recognized. [It's] super crazy,' says actress Samantha Williams on a Zoom call, just hours after finding out 'Pirates! The Penzance Musical' has been nominated for the Tony Award for best revival of a musical. Perhaps nearly as thrilling as the Tony nom, Williams is also fresh off a performance for a group of young students, which she says felt like headlining at Madison Square Garden. For Williams, the journey with this New Orleans-set, jazz-inspired adaptation of the comic opera 'The Pirates of Penzance,' has been this exhilarating since Day One. Williams stars as Mabel, the headstrong heroine, alongside David Hyde Pierce (who plays her father), Jinkx Monsoon and Ramin Karimloo in 'Pirates! The Penzance Musical' at the Todd Haimes Theatre through July 27. More from WWD EXCLUSIVE: Kiehl's Is Back in the Locker Room With Life Time Nicole Scherzinger Makes a Fashion Statement in LaQuan Smith and Thigh-high Boots at Broadway's Big Luncheon Honoring Idina Menzel Ana de Armas on 'Ballerina,' Breaking Barriers and Finding Balance in Hollywood 'Pirates! The Penzance Musical' follows a young man, Frederic, accidentally forced into being a pirate until he turns 21. Gearing up for his birthday, he meets and falls in love with Williams' character Mabel. However, a slew of challenges arise, deterring their relationship — and hilarity ensues. While many theater fanatics are familiar with the original Gilbert & Sullivan work, this adaptation has been surprising attendees since its opening night with this new setting and 'silly' approach, according to Williams. It also surprised Williams, who was originally reluctant to audition for the role when she was first approached about a one-night-only concert rendition in October 2022. According to Williams, it was a complete change of pace from the type of work she'd been doing. 'I was like, 'Girl, I don't really think that's my vibe,' because I was doing more serious contemporary theater,' she recalls. 'I was like, 'A lot of young people don't really know it.' I learned about it in theater school, but I passed on the original audition for the concert. Then the team, specifically Joseph Joubert, who rewrote all the music — he was my music director and the orchestrator on 'Caroline, or Change' — wrote to my agents like, 'She has to come in…it's not what she thinks it is. They've changed it all.'' Williams adds: 'The world of Gilbert and Sullivan, I'd never seen a Black girl. I was like, 'I don't really see where I would fit in that world,' and so it was more like the preconceived ideas of what that [world] is and what that looks like, that society has put on all of us, actors and theater makers alike, that I was giving into.' Upon digging into the updated score and production, Williams was hooked and did go on to star in the concert alongside many of her current cast members. The jazzy orchestration and new take on the character of Mabel in particular stood out to her. 'Mabel is very headstrong and in tune with her sexuality in this version. She knows what she wants, and she gets it,' Williams says. 'She's the one sister that's always up to her own thing, whereas the rest of the sisters work as a school of fish… It's been fun to dive into bringing this character back in a way that's not so much damsel in distress and has more ownership over what she wants.' Of the vocals, Williams says: 'It has the jazz, the soprano, a little belt. It is all over the place, so it's been really fun and a great challenge for me.' The show comes with some other challenges, most notably holding in laughter, particularly in scenes with costars Pierce and Karimloo, Williams says. 'We laugh a lot on stage… The audience loves when you break during a comedy. They eat it up,' Williams says, adding this was especially true of the student audience. In terms of who breaks the most with laughter, Williams immediately says: ' It's me, and [the cast] would all say me too.' While Monsoon, Pierce and Karimloo are constantly causing Williams to crack up on stage, she's grateful to be working with such a stacked cast. 'All three [are] so gracious and humble… We're only around each other. We don't really have lives, and so [I] kind of forget who they are until someone [is like] 'how is it working with these icons?'' she says. 'My mom is obsessed with David Hyde Pierce and 'Frasier.' She was fan-girling when she met him at opening. David is just so subtle with everything, which is what makes him so good, and Ramin [has] that voice, and Jinx is just such an icon.' Upon opening, 'Pirates! The Penzance Musical' was already set for a limited engagement, something that Williams is used to as she completed a short run of 'Titanic' at New York City Center last summer alongside Karimloo. 'I love being able to be like, 'OK, we did that. Now, let's jump to the next thing.' There's always something to learn with that,' she says. 'At the same time, it is a little bit scary because you just don't know what the next thing is going to be, and you have to just trust that something will come that's meant to be.' As far as what is next, Williams jokes about writing a 'Cheetah Girls' musical with her friends, adding that she's always been a Galleria, the character played by Raven-Symoné. 'It would be for a very specific audience, though, like our age girlies, [but] we can we make a dent,' she jokes, adding that she's been listening to the song 'Cinderella' from the first movie. As thoughts of a potential 'Cheetah Girls' musical rattle around Williams' brain, she says a bit more seriously that she is a part of several hopefully Broadway-bound new musicals. She's also ready to do something on television. 'What's next?' she asks herself. 'Lots of fun!' Best of WWD Celebrating Lenny Kravitz, Rock Icon, Actor, Author, Designer and Style Star: Photos Cannes Film Festival 1970s: Flashbacks, Celebrities and Fashion Highlights from WWD's 'Eye' Pages [PHOTOS] A Look Back at Cannes Film Festival's Best Dressed Red Carpet Stars: Blake Lively, Angelina Jolie, Princess Diana and More Photos
Scottish Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
90s sitcom legend admits he's ‘not against' returning for show reboot – despite failing to rejoin cast
The original series ran for 11 years between 1993 and 2004 hyde & seek 90s sitcom legend admits he's 'not against' returning for show reboot – despite failing to rejoin cast Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A US icon has thrilled fans and given hope for a future TV reunion with his former castmates. The actor starred in the multiple Emmy-award winning show - but failed to rejoin his fellow stars on a recent reboot. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 The Emmy-award winning show was cancelled after its 2023 reboot Credit: Getty 4 David Hyde Pierce - aka Niles - could be up for rejoining the show Credit: Getty Frasier star David Hyde Pierce - aka Niles - refrained from joining the 2023 revival - but hasn't shot down the chance of another appearance. Speaking about his latest venture in Broadway's Pirates! The Penzance Musical, he shared: "I did not think it would hinge on my participation. "I thought it should move on from what we were doing," he told Variety. "When Frasier happened, he didn't bring the gang from Cheers. It was successful because they made it something different. Read more on TV MOVING ON Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford cutting final ties amid divorce battle "Creatively, I thought, I have nothing else. I don't think I'm going to be much fun or be that enthusiastic about returning." David said about a possible return: "If there was a reason for me to appear, I'm not against it at all." The 2023 revival introduced son Freddy, played by Jack Cutmore-Scott and introduced Only Fools star Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan Cornwall in the sitcom. Although the recent revival was axed by Paramount+ after two seasons, Kelsey admitted he still wanted to find a new space for the show. Kelsey previously told the New York Post: "There's a better home for it. We'll end up somewhere where people are passionate about it. "Ted [Danson] and I might visit actually something together. Nicholas Lyndhurst features as Frasier's best friend Alan Cornwall in iconic sitcom's reboot "We've been talking about a couple ideas. Maybe on Frasier. We don't know. "As long as it's still a relevant relationship, it will still be relevant for the show,' he added. "[Sam] and Frasier got along pretty well, discovered some things together about life. They could still do that." The Cheers spin-off ran between 1993 and 2004 and followed the lives of Frasier, his brother Niles and their dad Martin (John). David Hyde Pierce played Niles alongside Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, John Mahoney and Peri Gilpin for 11 seasons. Cast members also included Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle and Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Sternin. Sadly, John, who played Martin Crane, died back in 2018 aged 77. 4 The Cheers spin-off ran between 1993 and 2004 Credit: Getty
The Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
90s sitcom legend admits he's ‘not against' returning for show reboot – despite failing to rejoin cast
A US icon has thrilled fans and given hope for a future TV reunion with his former castmates. The actor starred in the multiple Emmy-award winning show - but failed to rejoin his fellow stars on a recent reboot. 4 4 Frasier star David Hyde Pierce - aka Niles - refrained from joining the 2023 revival - but hasn't shot down the chance of another appearance. Speaking about his latest venture in Broadway's Pirates! The Penzance Musical, he shared: "I did not think it would hinge on my participation. "I thought it should move on from what we were doing," he told Variety. "When Frasier happened, he didn't bring the gang from Cheers. It was successful because they made it something different. "Creatively, I thought, I have nothing else. I don't think I'm going to be much fun or be that enthusiastic about returning." David said about a possible return: "If there was a reason for me to appear, I'm not against it at all." The 2023 revival introduced son Freddy, played by Jack Cutmore-Scott and introduced Only Fools star Nicholas Lyndhurst as Alan Cornwall in the sitcom. Although the recent revival was axed by Paramount+ after two seasons, Kelsey admitted he still wanted to find a new space for the show. Kelsey previously told the New York Post: "There's a better home for it. We'll end up somewhere where people are passionate about it. "Ted [Danson] and I might visit actually something together. Nicholas Lyndhurst features as Frasier's best friend Alan Cornwall in iconic sitcom's reboot "We've been talking about a couple ideas. Maybe on Frasier. We don't know. "As long as it's still a relevant relationship, it will still be relevant for the show,' he added. "[Sam] and Frasier got along pretty well, discovered some things together about life. They could still do that." The Cheers spin-off ran between 1993 and 2004 and followed the lives of Frasier, his brother Niles and their dad Martin (John). David Hyde Pierce played Niles alongside Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, John Mahoney and Peri Gilpin for 11 seasons. Cast members also included Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle and Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Sternin. Sadly, John, who played Martin Crane, died back in 2018 aged 77. 4 4
The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
90s sitcom legend admits he's ‘not against' returning for show reboot – despite failing to rejoin cast
A US icon has thrilled fans and given hope for a future TV reunion with his former castmates. The actor starred in the multiple Emmy-award winning show - but failed to rejoin his fellow stars on a recent reboot. Advertisement 4 The Emmy-award winning show was cancelled after its 2023 reboot Credit: Getty 4 David Hyde Pierce - aka Niles - could be up for rejoining the show Credit: Getty Speaking about his latest venture in Broadway's Pirates! The Penzance Musical, he shared: "I did not think it would hinge on my participation. "I thought it should move on from what we were doing," he told Variety. "When Frasier happened, he didn't bring the gang from Cheers. It was successful because they made it something different. Advertisement Read more on TV "Creatively, I thought, I have nothing else. I don't think I'm going to be much fun or be that enthusiastic about returning." David said about a possible return: "If there was a reason for me to appear, I'm not against it at all." Cornwall in the sitcom. Although the recent revival was axed by Paramount+ after two seasons, Kelsey admitted he still wanted to find a new space for the show. Advertisement Most read in News TV Kelsey previously told the New York Post: "There's a better home for it. We'll end up somewhere where people are passionate about it. "Ted [Danson] and I might visit actually something together. Nicholas Lyndhurst features as Frasier's best friend Alan Cornwall in iconic sitcom's reboot "We've been talking about a couple ideas. Maybe on Frasier. We don't know. "As long as it's still a relevant relationship, it will still be relevant for the show,' he added. Advertisement "[Sam] and Frasier got along pretty well, discovered some things together about life. They could still do that." The Cheers spin-off ran between 1993 and 2004 and followed the lives of Frasier, his brother Niles and their dad Martin (John). David Hyde Pierce played Niles alongside Cast members also included Peri Gilpin as Roz Doyle and Bebe Neuwirth as Lilith Sternin. Advertisement Sadly, John, who played Martin Crane, aged 77. 4 The Cheers spin-off ran between 1993 and 2004 Credit: Getty 4 Crane brothers Niles and Frasier Credit: Getty
