The Next Ten Minutes with Carey Anderson

She's been on Broadway, she's done a national tour, she sings with a band and is working on recording her own album. Carey Anderson is just about the ultimate showbiz star. The only thing left for her to do is perform at Playhouse on Park, and then we can officially classify her in the same ranks as Barbara Streisand, Julie Andrews and Liza Menelli. Lucky for Carey, there's a show at Playhouse on Park next week called The Last Five Years and I think she's starring in it.

Starting June 16, Carey will be playing Catherine, a role that Carey says has "complex material to work with" in both the acting and singing departments. Catherine is an aspiring actress who meets Jamie, a successful writer. The story of their courtship, marriage and divorce is told backward by Catherine and forward by Jamie. One of the reasons Carey wanted to audition for the show is because "there is so much solo work in this play" which she thinks will be a pleasant challenge for her. "It's practically like we are doing two simultaneous one-person shows that just happen to coincide with one another in the middle. Brilliant!" she says.

Carey's most recent and most notable credits include playing Sophie in Mamma Mia and Kate Monster/Lucy T. Slut in Avenue Q - both on Broadway. She then toured nationally with both of the shows. Performing in regional theatres, she also played Nellie Forbush in South Pacific, Emily Webb in Our Town, and Kate Mullins in Titanic. I was lucky enough to meet her for a few minutes last week and conduct an interview with her over email. Here are some of her thoughts on past roles, acting, singing, and The Last Five Years:

Naomi: What has the rehearsal process been like (for The Last Five Years)?

Carey: So far it's been going great! Since the show works in reverse time for my character and in real time for Jeff's character (Jamie), we have spent a lot of time working on the time line of the piece. We have tried to lay out all of the events chronologically so that we can make sense of where each of them are during the other one's numbers

Naomi: Do you have a favorite song or moment in the play?

Carey: Well, my favorite song to listen to has always been Jamie's song "Resist Temptation"...I just think it's really funny. But I'm so in love with so many moments in Cathy's journey that it's hard to pick a favorite.

Naomi: What attracted you to performing in musicals rather than in dramas?

Carey: Singing is my first love. I absolutely love telling stories through song. I love the idea of a world in which things get so hightened that you can't speak about them - you just have to sing!

Naomi: What got you interested in theatre?

Carey: It was my love for singing. A friend talked me into auditioning for a children's show when I was 12 and I was hooked ever since.

Naomi: So of course I looked at your website and was really impressed by some of your previous credits. What was it like to play Sophie in Mamma Mia?

Carey: I absolutely loved playing Sophie. It was my broadway debut so I will always hold it close to my heart. I still hold the title of being the longest running actress to ever play the role of Sophie on broadway! That's pretty cool!

Naomi: Had you heard of ABBA before in cast in Mamma Mia?

Carey: I had heard of ABBA, but only their big hits like "Dancing Queen" and "Mamma Mia." Let's just say I know them backward and forward now.

Naomi: I noticed you also do some more relaxed performances with your husband and you're also doing some recording. How are these projects going?

Carey: I love singing and performing with my husband, we like to do it at any opportunity we can. He plays the guitar and we like to try out new tunes. I am currently recording TWO albums simultaneously! It's kind of crazy, but the one with the band that I sing with called THE BLUE BOTTLE COLLECTION is pretty much done and just getting mixed. Please look us up! We perform all over NYC and actually have a gig coming up on June 21st at The Bitter End. I am also recording my own solo album, which I'm so excited about. I actually starting writing a little myself and am contributing lyrics to at least one of the songs. I will be touring Japan in the fall with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and wanted a CD that the audience could buy if they liked what they heard! I hope that it's done by August...that's the goal, anyway.

Naomi: Do you have a favorite role out of all your past credits?

Carey: I'm not just saying this, but I really think Cathy Hiatt will be right up there if not my favorite role by the time our run is over. I am having so much fun discovering all the different layers that she has!

Naomi: What do you think of your experience in West Hartford so far?

Carey: I'm really loving being in suburbia! I am a midwestern girl, so I get comforted when I see strip malls, Cheesecake Factories and Targets! But I'm really loving the gorgeous homes and kind people I'm meeting in line at the grocery store. My impression is that it's a very eclectic place, and I really love that!

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