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S1E6 - Laura Benanti

This week on The Town Hall Spark Sessions, we welcome luminary actress and singer Laura Benanti. Best known for her revolutionary performance in the 2008 revival of Gypsy, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Benanti made her broadway debut at 18 playing Maria in the Sound of Music on Broadway... Read More

21 mins
Jul 2

About

This week on The Town Hall Spark Sessions, we welcome luminary actress and singer Laura Benanti. Best known for her revolutionary performance in the 2008 revival of Gypsy, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Benanti made her broadway debut at 18 playing Maria in the Sound of Music on Broadway. She has also starred in television and films, including ABC’s Nashville, NBC’s Supergirl, and HBO’s The Gilded Age.

Join us as we discuss her upcoming appearance at the Town Hall, in John Cassavetes' Opening Night, the first musical with music, lyrics, and orchestrations by the brilliant Rufus Wainwright. We chat about what it’s like working with your idols and the creative power of taking long walks. In addition to her highly anticipated appearance at The Town Hall, Benanti will be performing her solo show, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, created with Todd Almond, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland this summer!


You can listen to The Town Hall Spark Sessions on The Spark File podcast feed - now on the Broadway Podcast Network! Or tune in to Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more. And, you can learn more about The Town Hall at thetownhall.org.

Transcript

Laura Camien:

Welcome to the Town Hall Spark Sessions. I'm Laura Camien.

Susan Blackwell:

And I'm Susan Blackwell. We are creativity coaches at the Spark File, where we help people fear less and create more.

Laura Camien:

As creatives ourselves, we are obsessed with one of the most dynamic cultural centers in New York City: The Town Hall.

Susan Blackwell:

For over a century, the Town Hall has been a champion for artistry and advocacy, amplifying the voices of icons and emerging artists alike.

Laura Camien:

And now, aren’t we lucky, the Spark File and the Town Hall have joined forces to elevate and celebrate artists who are gracing the stage at Town Hall and using their creativity to fight for the powers of good.

Susan Blackwell:

So, without further ado, let's get into the Town Hall Spark Sessions. Laura Camien! I am so excited to share with you this human spark, Laura Benanti. Laura Benanti is an old friend of The Spark File podcast. She is beloved by Broadway audiences for good reason. Remember her Tony Award-winning work in shows like Gypsy, starring Patti LuPone, and she’s also known to TV audiences for her portrayal of Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Also, she’s a kickass generative artist and her solo show, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, is headed to The Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer, starting July 30. Laura Benanti is everywhere you want to be, and today, she’s on The Town Hall Spark Sessions!

Laura Camien:

I’m just over here making noises because I’m so excited.

Susan Blackwell:

Laura Benanti is such a kick in the pants. She’s so authentic and honest, besides being wildly talented. So I had the pleasure in advance of her turn at The Town Hall in John Cassavetetes’ Opening Night, which is the first stage musical with music, lyrics, and orchestrations by Rufus Wainwright.

Laura Camien:

Oh my gosh, that’s going to be an incredible show.

Susan Blackwell:

That’s going to be an incredible show at the Town Hall, and I cannot wait to share with you my conversation with Laura Benanti. Let’s get into it!

Intro Music

Susan Blackwell:

Welcome, Laura Benanti. Thank you so much for joining us on the Town Hall Spark Sessions podcast. We are SO happy to have you, because we love you. And I’m about to ask you a little handful of questions, but before I do, tell us, how do you identify creatively?

Laura Benanti:

I guess I say I’m an actor, even though I also find it humiliating to say it out loud, because the inner critic in me is like, well, if you were successful, they wouldn’t have to ask you what you do for a living, you know? I have that piece of me, but yeah. I guess that’s what I say.

Susan Blackwell:

That’s so interesting to me, because I think of you as so much more than that, creatively speaking.

Laura Benanti:

But what do I say? Do I go like actor/singer/creator…I guess a performer?

Susan Blackwell:

You could say a performer. But also…writer. Front and center.

Laura Benanti:

Maybe I’ll just say I’m a writer; maybe that'll also make me feel better about myself.

Susan Blackwell:

Get a pair of glasses to make yourself look really smart.

Laura Benanti:

I think so… and adopt a British accent?

Susan Blackwell:

I think so. Laura, tell us what you’re doing at Town Hall on September 15 with Rufus Wainwright.

Laura Benanti:

First of all, I have been obsessed with Rufus Wainwright since I was, like, I don’t know, twenty-two? I remember I had like a very bad boyfriend who, maybe he was like 21, but he was like the worst…but he introduced me to Rufus Wainwright, so I’m like…. I’ll take it?

Susan Blackwell:

I love it. I love it when you have an experience, like, 'doing that show was awful,' but you know who I got out of it? Who got out of that relationship? I got Rufus Wainwright.

Laura Benanti:

But what was interesting is I was like… Wow, you introduced me to him, but Rufus Wainwright also taught me to break up with you through his music. He illuminated everything I don’t like about you. So, you have yourself to blame.

Susan Blackwell:

Thank you, Rufus!

Laura Benanti:

But also, when he asked me to do a show with him, gosh, two or three years ago at City Winery…what is time? But I was like, 'Is this a joke?' And then, I sang with him, which was incredible. And then he reached out to me to ask me to do this, and I’m just thrilled.

Susan Blackwell:

The cast of this is crazy. It's called John Cassavetes' Opening Night, this bananas source material and this amazing cast. Besides your upcoming event at Town Hall, what is sparking your creativity right now?

Laura Benanti:

Well, I wrote this show called Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares for Audible, and I did it for like a weekend last year, and then they brought me back for like 18 performances, which they hadn’t done before, which was really exciting. And I’m going to do it at Edinburgh Fringe this summer, in Scotland, which is like… a bucket list thing for me. I’m really excited about it, and I’ve rewritten it. I’ve got it down to 64 minutes. Todd Almond and I have been working together, and he’s so helpful on the structure of the show and talking to me about what I’m really trying to say, and he’s just a remarkable artist and person, and I love him so much. He’s the best. I’m really excited about it. I feel really good about the place it's in right now. And then I’m doing it in London on September 2, at 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm.

Susan Blackwell:

Amazing!

Laura Benanti:

I’m really excited about it. And then, it's a very high likelihood that we will film it. Amy Schumer and her producing partner, Dan Powell, are investigating filming it and trying to sell it. In the worst-case scenario, I’ll put it out on YouTube. For me, it feels like. I feel like I’ve done a bunch of different things that showcase different aspects of what I enjoy and/or do well. I have felt fully seen on Broadway. I felt that way in Gypsy. I felt that way in My Fair Lady. I felt that way a little bit in She Loves Me. But I never really felt that way in TV and Film. Maybe this film, called Worth, or maybe The Gilded Age, a little bit. I’ve never really felt like I’ve done the thing that makes people go…oh! That’s the thing she does.

Susan Blackwell:

The true expression of you!

Laura Benanti:

Yes, and I feel like this is the full expression of me. I get to sing songs that I wrote with Todd, I get to say words that I wrote, telling my story, of a lived life, and I get to be funny. And I get to connect with an audience. So I’m really excited about it, and I also feel this sense of hope, of like if decision makers get to see it, then maybe it will open up more for me in terms of the wholeness of my artistry. And, maybe not.

Susan Blackwell:

Yes. To all this I say. I love that. Laura Benanti, tell me something real about your creative process.

Laura Benanti:

I am not a person who can be like…I’m sitting down to write this now. Like, I find that it sparks in me at random. A lot of times going for a walk. Which, you know, I don’t get to do a lot. I have two young children and a lot of responsibility in that area, so when I go for a walk, I really feel it. Like, right before I go to bed, where I’m in that space of consciousness and unconsciousness, in that Jungian space, I…things will come to me. And then, for this particular show, my husband was really helpful in terms of asking me questions and prompting me. It helped me a lot.

Susan Blackwell:

Was he doing that consciously?

Laura Benanti:

Kind of, yeah. Cause he and I would just like to joke around, and so a lot of the funny jokes that happened within the show are because he and I were kind of talking and laughing about stuff.

Susan Blackwell:

The best.

Laura Benanti:

And then he was like…I had written this section of the show that wasn't good, and he was like, 'Can I ask you some questions about what you’re trying to say here?'

Susan Blackwell:

I love him for this!

Laura Benanti:

That really helped me, and I was like… oh, this is what I’m trying to say, this is what I’m trying to say. And he was like… okay, let’s figure out HOW you want to say that. And then also Todd. Talking to Todd, who has known me for twenty years, in a way that is different from how my husband knows me. So getting his perspective on the version of me that I’m putting out into the world. I think that’s a long-winded way of saying there’s no real structure to it, it's just a long row of strikes. Which is also hard, because I wish I had more of a process, like I’m going to wake up in the morning, but my kids are like… journal me some breakfast.

Susan Blackwell:

Yeah. Can I ask you, do you have a consistent practice of capturing those things when they do come to you? Are you like, 'Oh, that’s a sweet, sweet gem,' and you somehow get that into your phone or down?

Laura Benanti:

I voice note it, so I don’t lose it, and if it's short, I just put it in the notes app on my phone. My husband is like, 'You need to carry a journal.' Because when I physically write things out, it’s better.

Susan Blackwell:

That makes sense to me, and I’m also not mad about accessing a Google Doc or a notes app on a phone.

Laura Benanti:

I’m not gonna carry a journal…

Susan Blackwell:

Well, you've got those glasses, looking real smart, like a writer. You carry your journal…that’s what we call a callback!

Laura Benanti:

Exactly, like, who am I, Sherlock Holmes?

Susan Blackwell:

In that deerstalker cap.

Laura Benanti:

I’m not solving crimes.

Susan Blackwell:

Aren’t you? And then another reflection on what you just shared, I was just having a conversation with one of our creativity coaching clients about this very thing you’re describing, the walking, and what a fertile time that is for you, and also that liminal space, that twilight, I’m not quite awake, I’m not quite asleep yet. I can’t tell you how many times I have said to Laura Camien, “I had this idea while I was working out this morning and I wanted to tell you…” I think there’s something about those brain states that are brought about by either circulation or that liminal space, but the thing I was sharing with our coaching client is sometimes I will ask, this is Julia Cameron Artist’s Way, I believe, little Susan will say to capital S Susan, there’s that part I wrote that I don’t love, can you rewrite that for me? When I go to sleep, I’ll just see those gems pop up.

Laura Benanti:

That’s very Jungian, too. Like dream work or the subconscious mind, to reveal specific things.

Susan Blackwell:

Make them do the work!

Laura Benanti:

Yeah, I mean, I had an acting coach in LA who worked on that with me, you know, if you’re trying to crack into something, whether it be like…Dear Inner Self, please try to frame tonight how I can best show up in this difficult work environment tomorrow. Then, when you wake up in the morning, if you can, draw that image with your non-dominant hand. And I’m a terrible artist, you don’t have to be like a good artist. And then, sort of reflect on that throughout the day. Just let yourself be with it, and then allow yourself to engage in creative, free-flow writing whenever you can throughout the day. And you know, when I’m able to focus that much, I've found it to be incredibly helpful. And you can also ask whatever character you’re playing, like, how to best align yourself with that of your character. And I do find all that dreamscape stuff to be really cool.

Susan Blackwell:

As a creative, how are you navigating this particular moment in time?

Laura Benanti:

I’m not great with what’s happening in the world, in particular, watching children be ripped from their parents, watching masked cowards pull women by the hair and throw them to the ground. The absolute, I think, evil cowards at the helm, like, you know, I’m not a huge JK Rowling person anymore, but I was super into Harry Potter, and it just feels like Voldemort. Feels like when you had to hide in a closet to work on your, like, white magic. That’s what it feels like to me. And again, like, my husband and I were talking about like how do we protect the space of our home, and our mental health, whilst engaging actively in community, because what I do not feel I can do is say “Oh, I’m protecting my peace.” Like, no privileged white woman, you don’t get to protect your peace. To a certain extent, so that you can also be of service. And so that I don’t, I’m not a toxic waste in my home, creating sadness or fear in my children. So, you know, Mary Mitchell-Campbell and I, and Lynn Pinto, back in 2018 when families were being separated, we produced this album called Singing You Home, it’s a dual language children’s album to benefit, which is an organizaiton in Texas, they’re the oldest immigration services organization in Texas. And they’re working now triple time throughout the country, so, Immigrants 100% of the proceeds go to them, which is astonishing. Every single artist on that album, musician, even the record label, is like…take all the money, which is kind of unheard of. That helped me feel like I was being of service in some way, trying to be part of the solution within my small community, but there is still an overwhelming sense of it. I think that with social media, we’re not meant to digest this much information from so many people, while also receiving 1,000 texts and emails, and everyone expects an immediate response. I feel like our fight-or-flight response is already activated. Or, to speak for myself, my fight-or-flight response is already so activated, even without the landscape we find ourselves in, and I'm really struggling to pull myself out of it. And I’ve tried to do it with humor on Instagram, sort of do humor through my Melania impression. Be active, as I just mentioned, and also meditate to create a space where I can raise children who feel loved and safe, so that they can become active community members.

Susan Blackwell:

It’s a lot, but I have to say for what it’s worth, Laura Benanti, I feel like you really are a beautiful possibility for how to first make sure that you and your family have your oxygen masks on, that you have a foundation to operate from, and then that you flow it into your humor and you flow it into that album, your activism and your creativity sort of intertwine, I think we all can feel like we’re not doing enough ever, and we’re failing miserably, but from the outside, you’ve got some things figured out.

Laura Benanti:

I just also feel so mad. And I don’t like feeling this angry.

Susan Blackwell:

Chronically, like chronically angry. Yes, this is why I love Town Hall; frankly, it's because it's in their history, started by suffragists, people who are really contributing to this conversation. So, when you’re on that stage at Town Hall, I want you to know you’re in such good company. The artists that have come before you.

Laura Benanti:

Yeah? Yeah.

Susan Blackwell:

Final question: Laura Benanti, you work incredibly hard and are deeply committed to your creativity. What is it all for?

Laura Benanti:

Phew. It keeps me alive. When I’m fully engaged, activated, and allowing myself to be the center of it, it is the lens through which I see the world. And when I look through that lens, I’m kinder, I have more empathy, and I have more connection to people I’m angry at, to even people, more connected to people I’m aligned with. But I’m in a midlife crisis-like place, where I'm asking, 'Why are we here?9 It can only be love, it can only be love, right? That could be the only reason, which is why I’m in such a state. My inability to access my love as much as I want to.

Susan Blackwell:

Laura Benanti. I love you. Thank you for doing this. Now, please do something fun and enjoy this summer day.

Outro Music

Susan Blackwell:

Thank you so much to our guest, Laura Benanti, for joining us for the Town Hall Spark Sessions, and thanks to the team at the Town Hall who made all of this possible.

Laura Camien:

The Town Hall and this episode of the Town Hall Spark Sessions were made on the lands of the Lenape people.

Susan Blackwell:

If you'd like to learn more about the Spark File, creativity coaching and how we can support you as you clarify and accomplish your creative goals, visit thesparkfile. com, and you can follow us on socials @ thesparkfile.

Laura Camien:

To learn more about the Town Hall and its exciting upcoming events, visit theTownHall. org, follow them @TownHallNYC and visit them at 123 West 43rd Street in the heart of New York City. It's all happening at the Town Hall.

Susan Blackwell:

And if something you heard inspired you to use your creativity for the powers of good, we are writing you a forever permission slip to make that thing that's been knocking at your door. It's your turn to take that spark and fan it into a flame.

Laura Camien:

We're going to wrap it up with the Town Hall Ensemble. This was recorded live at the Town Hall in 2017—take it away!

Exit Music

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