Review: Rachel Bay Jones Performs as Part of the TR In Concert Series at Theatre Raleigh

Rachel Bay Jones is perhaps best known for her Tony Award winning performance as Heidi Hansen in the original Broadway company of Dear Evan Hansen. Her other credits include the Tony Award winning revivals of Pippin and Hair, The Kennedy Center’s production of Next to Normal, and the original Broadway production of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Jones is the latest performer in the TR In Concert series at Theatre Raleigh as she shared stories and songs from her life and career, accompanied by Randy Redd on the piano.  

Jones has often been praised for her ability to bring comedy into her performances. So when she kicked off her show with an ode to the musical My Favorite Year and a song about wishing she could be funny (“Funny”), it was perhaps even more endearing. Full of adorable idiosyncrasies, Jones presented a gawky, heartfelt character desperate to be something other than “buttoned-up, boring, and brainy.” As she finished her song looking dejected and sorrowful, Scott Treadway came bounding out of the audience and onto the stage. He volunteered to teach her to be funny as they continued the scene with a rendition of “The Duck Joke” in a charming back and forth reminiscent of the classic comedy of the 1940s and 50s, ending with a duet of “Professional Showbizness Comedy.”

“Years ago, I did the revival of Pippin, and it was one of the best experiences of my life.”

As Jones transitioned to discussing her time on Broadway, she shared stories about understudying for Patti LuPone in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, her audition for Pippin, and how she made the character of Catherine (Pippin) her own. 

Since Pippin is a show within a show, she explained that she approached the role with the idea that the “actress” playing Catherine would have outgrown the character and would instead be friends with the audience, letting them in on the secret. As Jones began a rendition of “Kind of Woman,” she played on this cheeky idea, effectively filling her performance with so much charm and warmth that you can’t help but adore the dimwitted, lovable Catherine. 

Jones continued her show with jaunty, jazzy tunes that have that classic sort of feel. That is, until she introduced her surprise guest. 

As Academy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Ariana DeBose took the stage, the audience went wild. After sharing the story of their friendship and meeting during Pippin, they sang a goosebump-raising rendition of the infamous Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland “Happy Days Are Here Again/Get Happy” performance from a 1963 broadcast of The Judy Garland Show. Moments like this are why people love the theater. It was pure, euphoric magic.

“Are you a Barbra or a Judy?”

- Ariana DeBose

Perhaps the most special part of these intimate concerts is watching the performers sing the songs that changed their lives. This is often a song that made them famous, won them an award, or will always be affiliated with their name. For Jones, this song was “So Big, So Small” from Dear Evan Hansen. As she began to sing, her emotional attachment to the song was palpable and in that moment, she earned her Tony Award once again. Wiping away tears, Jones poured her heart and soul onto the stage, filling the room with promises of a mother’s love. 

Jones finished her show with a reminder to cherish the ones you love and a folksy, upbeat performance of “Dance a Little Closer” by Kathy Mattea. 

Next up in the TR In Concert series is Lisette Glodowski on July 22, 2023. Additional information and tickets can be found here.