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[0:00] Gordon Cox: Welcome to Stagecraft, Variety's theatre podcast, your backstage pass to revealing conversations with stars, creators and industry leaders, on Broadway, off Broadway and beyond. I'm Gordon Cox. On this episode of Stagecraft, I'm talking to the star of the new Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress, Sutton Foster. She's one of those performers who probably doesn't need a whole lot of introduction to listeners of this podcast. She's been a musical theatre favourite ever since her breakout role in Thoroughly Modern Millie, which won her her first Tony Award in 2002. Since then, she's starred in The Drowsy Chaperone, Shrek, Young Frankenstein, Violet, Anything Goes, which won her her second Tony, and The Music Man, opposite Hugh Jackman.

She also starred for seven seasons in the TV series Younger. More recently on Broadway, she played Mrs. Lovett in the revival of Sweeney Todd earlier this year, opposite Aaron Tveit. And now she's back on Broadway, playing Princess Fred in Once Upon a Mattress. It's a part she's reprising in a Broadway transfer of the popular Encores! production earlier this year. And it's also a role originated by one of Foster's idols, Carol Burnett. Now the actress is in the virtual studio with me to talk optimism, big swings, physical comedy, and her side hustle as a dance cardio instructor. Hey, Sutton, thanks for joining me.

[1:24] Sutton Foster: Hi, Gordon. Thank you.

[1:27] Gordon Cox: I'm talking to you just a couple of days after the first preview of Once Upon a Mattress, which I saw. I had a great time. How did it go for you? Were there any surprises?

[1:35] Sutton Foster: How did it go? I always feel like I black out, you know, as it's all happening. But I think there's always this fear. You know, we had done the show earlier this year, in January, as part of City Center Encores! And it went so beautifully well there. And the audiences loved it so much. And so there's always this fear and like revisiting something that maybe the magic will have disappeared or that people won't be laughing or it somehow, you know, you go, Oh, please, was I crazy? Did I feel like? But it was it was such a relief, I guess, to arrive to the first preview and audiences were so, the audience was so excited to be there, but also so receptive and, and it just felt like a joyful, it felt like the magic was still there.

And I think there's a sense of like, Oh, thank God, you know, so I, and I'm so thrilled to be a part of a show that is so, it's so earnest. And it's not, maybe the queen is cynical, but I was like, I was like, it's so, it's so positive and, and joyful and silly. And there's so much freedom within it to just be a complete fool. And yeah, it's really sort of a dream, a dream to be a part of.

[2:56] Gordon Cox: Is that what those qualities that you were just talking about? Is that, was that what made you interested in returning to the project? Because you know, you did it, you did it was a short run. It was 14 performances or something.

[3:08] Sutton Foster: Yeah, I think so. It's like, I was really astonished at City Center and Michael Urie and I talked about it too, about how the audiences reacted because I, it was so overwhelming. Like I didn't, I don't know what I expected, but they, the audiences just reacted so positively. And I think living in that meeting and like, it was so joyful and returning to that and being able to bring that to Broadway for a limited run. I mean, we're there for 18 weeks, but I thought, well, there, there are this, this felt, it just felt right, especially right now. And just to be able to live and the company is just so extraordinary across the board. Like everybody's so smart and witty and, and brave and daring.

And we're all just like delighting in one another. So it's, it's like, all right, yeah, this is sort of, this is one of the reasons why I love musical theater, especially musical comedy. And it's just, it's such a gem of a show and they, they're, they feel rare. So it feels exciting to be, you know, to want to, to want to be a part of it for a little bit.

[4:17] Gordon Cox: Yeah. You mentioned Michael Urie, who was playing Prince Dauntless. He's one of the folks who was returning and there are a number of folks returning from the Encores! productions, but then there are some new folks as well. There's Will Chase as Sir Harry and Anna Gasteyer as the Queen. What's, what's the whole new mix like?

[4:31] Sutton Foster: It's like a, I keep thinking it's like a, it's like a stew, right? And so everyone brings a new ingredient to the stew and it's, so it's still like a delicious stew and it just tastes a little different now. Now I'm getting gross. I'm getting like weird, but it really is. It's like, it's just a different, there's just new ingredients. And what I think is a brilliant thing about this show in particular is that the characters, there's so much room within each character for people to bring all of their themselves to it. So, because it was initially, it was sort of written that way, you know, for, and I feel like it, it just allows that. So it's, the more people just bring who they are to it, the, so it's just a, it's, it's about, they're about 50, about 50%, half of the people from City Center and then a whole, and a new, new group of people.

And so it's like a, it's like a, just a new little concoction, um, just as delicious, but like, you know, just a, just a little bit different. So it's, and the, and the show allows that, which I think is really cool. Like it can keep, it can keep sort of morphing and changing, which I think is really neat.

[5:44] Gordon Cox: What do you like about your character, Princess Fred?

[5:47] Sutton Foster: I like that she, when I first read the script, I went, oh, there's like no conflict except she has to pass this test. But she's like, there's like, no, everything's like great. You know? And I think, cause I was initially working on it when I was doing Sweeney Todd and I was like, oh wow. Like Mrs. Lovett is like full of complexity and you know, it's so complex. And I was like, Princess Fred is just like, everything's great. Like, this is awesome. Like everything. And I thought, oh, what a fun way to like, just look at life. There's, she doesn't have an ounce of, of like, except for when it comes to the test. Cause she just really wants to, you know, she's like, this is great. Like, why is there gotta be an obstacle?

You know? It's like the only obstacle in the show is she has to pass some test, but she doesn't even know what it is. And, um, but she, I think that's, what's so fun is that I can just be wide-eyed and like, and everything's great. She's super earnest and zero complex, zero complexity. And she's just sort of game. And, and, and I think for me, like, I, it's just, it's essentially just like an unhinged version of myself. Um, and she's full of optimism and, and, you know, like, uh, uh, and, and, and she's curious and, and, uh, adventurous and, you know, she's just, and she's not your typical. And she embraces, she embraces her uniqueness, but she's not even embracing her uniqueness because she doesn't even know that that's something you should do, you know? So she's just like, she just is who she is and all of her like, awesome weirdness. Um, and I, I, I think that's, it's so fun to play a character who just is like, just is, is yeah.

[7:34] Gordon Cox: You alluded to this, uh, a moment ago, back in January, you were, uh, famously busy cause you were working on mattress and you were preparing to step into Sweeney Todd basically right after the mattress run. Yeah. What has, what has it been like to revisit the part now with hopefully a little more brain space in your, in your head?

[7:56] Sutton Foster: Yeah. Right. Right. I know when I was doing it before I was, I was just coming off the heels of learning Sweeney Todd, which is probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to learn. And then, and then gratefully stepping into a role that is all about sort of leaping gleefully naively into, you know, the unknown, which is Fred. So it, it sort of mirrored what I was going through in my life. Um, and then returning to it has been, it's been really, it's been really awesome. I guess I was, I, you know, but I was afraid I was afraid I was like, Oh no, maybe it was, you know, I, it was a, it was a flash in a, in the pant, like, or whatever your, whatever one of those phrases is where, you know, it's, Oh, maybe that it was only supposed to exist at that moment.

But I feel like, no, it actually feels even more marinated and more free and more. Um, and I, I, we just started, we've done two performances. So I'm, I'm looking forward to it feeling even more, you know, at ease and more spontaneous and more free. And, and, uh, which I'm hoping I'll find more and more and more as I go, as we go through the run. Um, but it was oddly, I'm really, my brain, it was in some, I had put it away in some folder in the back of my brain. So when we started rehearsal, it was like all kind of flooding back, which I was amazed by. Um, but I, yeah, it feels, it feels, it feels awesome to just be working on one thing.

[9:28] Gordon Cox: During that time when you were working on these two really complicated things, did you learn anything about yourself as a performer or as, uh, as an artist or anything about these pieces that were like, what were the takeaways of like that really intense, um, period for you?

[9:44] Sutton Foster: Well, they oddly informed each other, which I was surprised by because they are both, both characters require, um, they're both like really big swings. Um, and they, and I, so I, they actually, by doing one made me braver for the other, like they, which I, I wonder if I would, would have been as successful doing Mrs. Lovett had I not gone and done Fred, vice versa. Like, I think Mrs. Lovett made me more brave to do Fred. Like there's, I, um, they were, they're very bold characters putting myself out there and like, uh, in a way I haven't yet, I think as an actress and, um, and as a comedian as well. Um, and just really sort of so much of it is like you're leaping and trusting and you're making massive choices and, um, and then you, and, and really trusting everyone sort of in the process around you as well.

And I felt incredibly taken care of by both companies and, um, yeah, I'll look back on it, probably be like, what the hell did I do? But I somehow did it, you know? Um, but I do believe that both of those characters somehow informed each other, maybe in another life they are, you know, somehow related in some way. But, um, but yeah, they're both sort of, uh, they're both sort of free, free, brave spirits. Um, just one's a little more complicated than the other.

[11:22] Gordon Cox: I'll have more with Sutton right after the break.

[11:29] Gordon Cox: And now here's more of my conversation with the Tony winning star of Once Upon a Mattress, Sutton Foster. Your role in Mattress, Princess Fred was originated by Carol Burnett, who I know has been an influence on you. Um, tell us a little bit about how you kind of thought about, um, well, what, how, what her influence on you has been as a performer and how you then thought about sort of tackling a role, uh, that she, that one of the roles that really made her famous.

[11:53] Sutton Foster: Yeah, I was, so as a kid, I grew up watching the Carol Burnett show. I watched the Muppet show. I watched, um, Looney Tunes. So I was like, I was like, it's a bit Looney Tunes, Muppet show, Carol Burnett, you know, those were the things that were like ingrained in my, um, like the fabric of who I am, you know, like what makes you laugh? Right. Uh, what do we, what do you think is funny? What do you, um, I mean, we all have different perspectives on that, but I think for me watching Carol Burnett show, it was really the Carol Burnett show is like, she was so ridiculously funny and unafraid to be a fool, to be goofy, to make, you know, crazy face. I remember as a kid spending hours in front of the mirror, just making the silliest faces I could, you know, just making myself laugh, you know, but, um, and, and sort of being unafraid to like be unusual, you know, and, uh, and self deprecating.

And, and, and the thing that I loved about the Carol Burnett show is that it was so much about the ensemble. So it wasn't just about her. It was like how she interacts with other people, how generous she was to as a comedian. It wasn't just like, I'm gonna, I keep now I'm like equating it to like playing a, you know, being on a basketball team. It's like constantly throwing the ball, setting up your, your fellow players so that they can score. Um, it's, that was somehow, somehow that was like ingrained in my, of this idea that it's not just, it's about the, the group. And I, I have found that's, that's what I love about Mattress too, is that it's a real ensemble. It's like everybody has a moment and we're all lobbing the ball to each other.

And so we're, and we're playing off each other and trying to make each other laugh. And, um, so that, that is like, that's the thing that I think I really took away from the, from her show. And then stepping into Fred, it was like, I was, I was, if I, yes, there's physicality.

[13:59] Sutton Foster: There's tons of physical comedy. I love all of that stuff. I love storytelling, using your body, all of those things, and then really trying to find the physicality of Fred. I'm still playing with all of that, but always trying to keep. The thing with Carol Burnett as well is I think why her slapstick and physical comedy and why it was always successful is that it always came from some element of truth, even if it was absurd. It was always coming from an earnest, truthful place. I feel like that's the base of everything when it comes to, especially in mattresses. It's ridiculous, but if everything's coming from a real place, a real need, a real place, as opposed to, I'm just going to do something because it's funny.

But if it's coming from a place of realness, then it goes beyond that. I feel like as a comedian, I'm all constantly trying to start from that place. I feel like that's her, too. It's not just about waka-waka. It's really having as much depth as you can, but it really is coming from honesty as much as possible.

[15:28] Gordon Cox: You mentioned that there is a lot of physical comedy. I'd heard you say the first time around that this is a tough role physically on you. That's why I'm still in bed. How do you take care of yourself? Because now you're going to be doing it a lot longer than 14 performances. How do you think about taking care of yourself while you're doing all those contortions on the mattress?

[15:57] Sutton Foster: I'm going to figure it out. I'm in the process of figuring it out. It is one of the more physical roles I've ever done. I'm older than I was. I'm an older lady now, so there's just reality to that. There's a lot of things that I have to be very mindful of. My nutrition, my sleep, my workout. I have a little roster of things that I need to do every day. The list is longer than it used to be. For this show, I can't just roll up and go for it. It's more like, all right, I want to make sure I'm really being very mindful and intentional about how to take care of my body, my voice, everything so that I'm at optimal capacity for eight shows a week.

[16:58] Gordon Cox: We should mention that you're not only doing it for 18 weeks on Broadway, then the show's going to go to the Amundsen in LA for about a month and hang out there. If I'm not mistaken, I saw Drowsy Chaperone at the Amundsen. That was at the Amundsen, right?

[17:10] Sutton Foster: It was. That's where it was before it came to Broadway, so I know that's a theater you're familiar with.

[17:14] Gordon Cox: Yeah, I'm excited to go back. I was there back in 2000 as well with the national tour of Les Mis. So it'll be like a little, you know, I'll go back. I'm very excited to come back, and I love spending time in LA, so it'll be nice.

[17:29] Gordon Cox: One thing I want to ask you about is the dance cardio class that you teach.

[17:32] Sutton Foster: Yes.

[17:33] Gordon Cox: Tell me how that started. What keeps you doing it? Give us the backstory there.

[17:38] Sutton Foster: You got it. That I have a side hustle as a trainer. Yeah. So my friend, actually, it goes back further. A physical therapist friend, she said, if you ever want to get into Broadway shape, you should train with this woman named Beth Nicely. And Beth, she's a Broadway dancer, and now has started her own company called The Limit, and she has a studio down in Chelsea. And over the pandemic, she began this company and was doing things over Zoom, and we did an Instagram Live thing together. And I was training with her, and it's dance cardio based. And now I'm a dancer, exercise and me, I'm like, you know, but the idea that I could dance and exercise. And she also, there's also lots of other things like HIIT and plyo and strength. And she has all these other things that we do as well. But the idea that I could get my exercise on by dancing sounded really cool.

[18:40] Sutton Foster: So in February of last year, she opened her studio in New York. And I just, she was looking for new trainers. And I was, I had just closed the Music Man and I had some free time. And I was like, you know what, I'll teach a dance cardio class for you. Like I sort of said it jokingly. And then it just became a thing. And I absolutely loved it. And I got up, I was teaching, like four or five classes a week, which is crazy. And I was teaching out in New Jersey, and I taught some out in LA. And I just absolutely loved it. And it was, and then you begin to build like a community. And it was a great thing for me to do while I was like between jobs. And because I was not only staying in Broadway shape, but I was like building a community of people.

And my goal was to get like regulars, you know, who are coming to take my class, which I totally did. It was really, it became like really fun. And I miss it. I don't know if I can physically handle it right now while I'm doing the show. But I have a feeling like once the show closes that I'll start, I'll start teaching again. But I think it really helped prepare me as well to be able to handle, you know, doing a show like this. And to be able to, because there's something about the mindset of what her classes do is, it's called the limit, that it really teaches you to sort of push yourself to a limit and be able to be comfortable there. And, and I was like, oh, that's that works in life as well.

Like being comfortable, finding comfort in the uncomfortableness. And when you feel like you can't do something, I know I can because I've survived teaching six dance cardio classes or whatever it is. But yeah, I love it. I absolutely love it. It's something that I would love to, you know, continue to do if she'll have me. So it's called the limit is the name of that studio. That's what people should check if they want to.

[20:40] Gordon Cox: Okay, great. Yes. You know, I might be there. I might pop up and take a class here and there. In addition to all the work you've done on Broadway and on stage, you've also starred in a TV series Younger. Do you enjoy TV work? Did you? How did you find that your work on screen sort of informed your work on stage and vice versa?

[20:58] Sutton Foster: Oh, I loved it. I loved being part of Younger. And before that, I did Bunheads with Amy Sherman Palladino. And so it was like eight years of my life, I really was doing TV. And I think the thing that I love the most, and this is interesting, because I think it absolutely translates to theater and maybe has helped me, especially tackle this last year, is that there's in television, and this was new for me, is that you really have to leap. You really can't think. I mean, you can't get in your own way. You have to kind of go. Every day is a new day. Every day is a new challenge. Every day is a new script. You have to kind of leap with both feet and go for it, make choices. And then you have to let it go.

You have to let it go, move on to the next thing. And it really is sort of about compartmentalizing. You can only really look at the day, whatever was right in front of you. And I really liked it. And I learned so much. Younger was such a gift because I had the opportunity of doing something for seven seasons and for seven years. And I was able to really... I'd only done a little bit of television before that. And I felt like it taught me how to be comfortable on a set. And I loved everybody that I got to work with. And theater, I think also the training of being in theater where I always knew my lines and I was always on time and always very sort of like ready to go. And I was always the first one on set, ready to go, let's go.

But I felt like that theater, it really prepared me for that. And then TV has sort of made me a better theater performer as well. I'm a much faster leap. I'm a leaper. Like, all right, let's go. Let's try things. Let's be unafraid to kind of go for it. And maybe that was one of the reasons why I was able to handle Sweeney and Mattress because I was able to compartmentalize, completely keep... and then let it go and move on to the next and just focus on the thing right in front of me.

[23:15] Gordon Cox: Yeah. Is TV something or film something you'd continue to do in the future?

[23:20] Sutton Foster: Sure. I'd love to. I mean, I love doing theater. But I would love to just keep growing as a performer and as an actor and whatever that looks like. So theater has sort of been what I've done for the last couple years. But yeah, I'd absolutely love to keep exploring what TV and film or whatever is out there. I'm sort of game for anything.

[23:52] Gordon Cox: And what's next for you after Mattress in New York and then LA? Do you know?

[23:56] Sutton Foster: Oh, God. I'm actually doing a lot of concerts.

[24:01] Gordon Cox: You do a lot of concerts.

[24:03] Sutton Foster: Yeah. That's another side hustle. I know. I've got like a little... A side hustle is like a crocheter. A side hustle is a fitness instructor. And then a side hustle is like a concert lady.

[24:15] Gordon Cox: But I don't think... Do people know about the crocheting? Can they buy your crocheted...

[24:20] Sutton Foster: The Etsy store will come soon. That's really... That's like another dream. Yeah, I do love to keep busy. But yes, I'm doing quite a few concerts through the first half of the year. And then kind of keeping space open for who knows. That's what sort of happened last year. The only thing I had really on the docket was Mattress at City Center. And then Sweeney happened and then Broadway. So I feel like there needs to be a little bit of planning and then a little bit of space because you just never know what might come up.

[25:55] Gordon Cox: Yeah. And you've now played Mrs. Lovett in what is your favorite musical ever, right, Sweeney Todd?

[25:58] Sutton Foster: Yeah.

[26:01] Gordon Cox: What are some other roles that would be particularly meaningful for you to play? What are other roles?

[26:07] Sutton Foster: Oh, God. I feel like I had a really good... Oh, you know what I was thinking of? This is just another Carol Burnett thing. I just want to follow now I'm on her trajectory, is that I'd love to play Mrs. Hannigan in Annie. And Annie's on my radar for some reason lately. You were in Annie as a child, yeah?

[26:25] Sutton Foster: Yeah. Yeah. So suddenly, I've just been revisiting it. It's such a great show. And I know that we've seen it many, many times. But there's something about it that I thought, oh, I want to do that someday.

[26:42] Gordon Cox: Yeah.

[26:46] Sutton Foster: It feels like home to me. It feels like where I belong. It feels like what I was born to do. Seems like it's giving it a lot of weight. But there's nothing else that compares to that. And the experiences I've had standing on a stage with a cast and an audience that shared whatever that shared energetic experience is, is just unlike anything else. And I find theater to be very powerful and healing. And in this day and age where we are all so attached to screens, and it's a moment where we're all having this shared experience. And every night is different. And yes, we may be telling the same story, but it's a different, every single night is different. And so there's just this, it's like, and yes, it's hard. Yes. I mean, it's hard. It's the hardest thing than anything. But it's also like, unbelievably rewarding as on like a spiritual, you know, a deeper level.

[27:56] Gordon Cox: Well, welcome home to the theater. Enjoy the rest of previews as you head into opening. It was great to talk with you. Thanks.

[27:59] Sutton Foster: Thank you so much, Gordon. Thank you. Thank you.