Before leading Irish Rep's revival of Finian's Rainbow this fall, Tony Award nominee Melissa Errico returns to Feinstein's/54 Below September 20-24 with her new show, Funny! I'm a Woman with Children—a nod to Sondheim and Styne’s “Small World” from Gypsy.
Errico's resume includes acclaimed star turns in My Fair Lady, Sunday in the Park with George, One Touch of Venus, Finian's Rainbow, Amour, and Passion.
BroadwayBox caught up with Melissa Errico before her 54 concert to hear from her about which roles are still on her Broadway bucket list (ingénue police aside).
Francesca , The Bridges of Madison County
I’m going to start with The Bridges of Madison County. I’ve been really paying close attention to Jason Robert Brown’s music more in the last seven months because of that particular show. I love the score. I can really relate to it. I’m 100% Italian, and I feel like I could bring something new to it—a real Italian girl.
Desiree Armfeldt, A Little Night Music
I’d like to play Desiree and I’d like to sing “Send in the Clowns”. I feel like her choice to be an actress and the sacrifices she’s made in her personal life must be agonizing. They are the opposite of the choices I made. On some level I envy her, and on another level I saved myself from being her, and I’d like to explore that.
Lilli Vanessi/Katherine, Kiss Me, Kate
The final choice is a tie between two Cole Porter shows I want to learn more about. The first is Nymph Errant, and I hear it’s a wonderful show— fascinating and fun. Also Kiss Me, Kate would be interesting to me. I think she’s misunderstood. She seems to be a hothead and I have a lot of passion in me. I think I could bring a radicalness to her. She’s hysterical and super-smart and that’s hard for her, because she knows she’s centered but she’s misunderstood. (And that’s no way biographical!) I could enjoy exploring that. I’ve always had a passionate nature and she’s on fire. It’s an exciting, temperamental person to be, and I could have fun letting all my energy out.
Don't miss Melissa Errico at Feinstein's/54 Below Funny! I'm a Woman with Children September 20-24.
