Thank You, Five: Interview with Rachel Bay Jones
Tony Award winner Rachel Bay Jones is perhaps best known for originating the role of Heidi in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen. Additional previous credits include the Broadway revivals of Pippin and Hair, as well as The Kennedy Center production of Next to Normal. In this latest Thank You, Five interview, Jones discusses her time in Pippin and explains the process of putting together a concert performance in preparation for her upcoming performance at Theatre Raleigh in North Carolina on July 7, 2023. Interview answers were received via email. Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. A full review of her performance can be found here.
Pippin is such a unique production. What was it like bringing the character of Catherine back to the stage, particularly since the production was modified from its original 1972 script?
Diane Paulus, our director for the Pippin revival, loves the process of creation and invention. She gave us all so much freedom to play; every idea that came into our head was not only entertained and tolerated, but explored, and often deeply. She allowed me so much room to find the comedy in the truth of who this character might be for me and in the world we were all creating. It was such a fertile rehearsal and development process; we all inspired each other so much. When you put so many differently talented people in a room you can’t help but come up with something fabulous!
Can you discuss the process of putting a concert like this together (music selection, telling a story, etc.)? How will it differ, if at all, from your production Something Beautiful?
My musical director Randy Redd and I like creating a unique set list for each venue. I think every audience is different, the time in our lives and our world is different, and I’m different, too! We have different things we want to say and hear and experience sometimes so it’s fun to play around with it.
Is there a difference in how you prepare/rehearse for a concert like this versus how you prepare for a musical or television role? How so?
Oh, sure, so many differences, of course. But the biggest one is that I get to decide what the show is. There’s a lot of creative freedom in that. And it’s ME, up there, not a character.
Rachel Bay Jones will perform at the Theatre Raleigh Arts Center in the De Ann S. Jones Theatre on July 7, 2023 at 8pm. The concert will feature music and stories as part of the Theatre Raleigh In Concert series. Tickets can be purchased here.
Feature Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy