Interview: Cue the Violin- Nikki Renee Daniels Is Traveling Back to 1776!

The story of America's founding fathers is about to get a shake-up- and no, we're not talking about HAMILTON.

Next up in the Encores! season is 1776, the classic Tony Award-winning musical about the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. A unique show that presents John Adams (Santino Fontana), Thomas Jefferson (John Behlmann), and Benjamin Franklin (John Larroquette) in all their fractious, fascinating complexity, 1776 features such beloved songs as "Sit Down, John," "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men," and "He Plays the Violin." Written by Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone, 1776 opened on Broadway on March 16, 1969, and ran for 1217 performances. The Encores! production will be directed by Garry Hynes, and choreography by Chris Bailey and guest music direction by Ben Whiteley. 1776 will run for seven performances at City Center from March 30-April 3.

Playing the radiant Martha Jefferson will be Nikki Renne Daniels, whose extensive Broadway credits include THE BOOK OF MORMON, PORGY AND BESS, ANYTHING GOES, and LES MISERABLES. Rehearsals for the production have only just begun and Nikki checked in with BroadwayWorld earlier this week to tell us all about her preparations. Check out the full interview below!

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This is not your first ENCORES! production, is it?

I was in the ensemble of THE APPLE TREE years ago with Kristin Chenoweth. It was 2005, so it was very long ago!

So, you know how the process works. I know rehearsals haven't started yet, but are you in your own "getting ready" stages now?

Yes- I was actually just in a voice lesson working on my song. Because, you know, it's sort of an iconic number with Betty Buckley and all that... so I wanna make sure I'm getting all the notes out.

So I'm guessing that this is a role that you never really thought you would play?

That is very true, yeah. [Laughs] I think they announced in a press release last year some time in the fall that they we're gonna do a "Hamilton" on the casting. As soon as I saw that, my agent started right away because I was like, "When would I ever get to do the show otherwise?"

I love that, especially with Hamilton recently, colorblind casting is becoming even more prevalent. I feel like it opens up so many more possibilities...

Yeah, it does! I just did THE SECRET GARDEN concert at Lincoln Center and I played sister to Sierra Boggess and that was pretty great to experience. And it was also kind of a good preparation for this Encores! experience because they're very similar. There is a short rehearsal process and this kind of jumping in with your script in hand. I was just telling my husband: in the past couple months I was able to play Nabulungi on Broadway and Rose in THE SECRET GARDEN and now this role at City Center. It's just such different parts and I literally have to handle all of them!

Were you a fan of the show before now?

You know, I never really listened to the soundtrack a lot because it was mostly men, but I saw the show when I was in college. I was at the MUNY doing their summer season, and 1776 was part of the season. So I got to see the show there, but I don't think I've seen a production since. So, I read the script, I watched the movie, and Blythe Danner! It's so cool to see her in it.

"He Plays the Violin" is such a perfect moment in the show. You said you are practicing it already... are you excited to get to sing it?

I don't know. I'm a little nervous just because I know a lot of people will probably be coming specifically to hear that song, so it does make me a little nervous to sing such an iconic number that's such so associated with someone as amazing as Betty Buckley. So, yeah I'm a little nervous but I am excited. It's like any performance, for me at least. There's always some nerves involved but for the most part I'm really excited about getting to do it.

And your character is so ideal for this kind of Encores! thing, because really you get to jump in halfway through and sing the best song in the show, and then peace out.

Yeah! I can't believe it I'm not in anything else. But it also makes it much more nerve-wracking because, you know, at least In THE BOOK OF MORMON I get to come out and be kind of in the background and just get warmed up, but there's no warm of for this. You just jump right in it.

The rest of the cast that they've assembled for this is absolutely ridiculous. I love how Encores! brings out the best of the best.

Yeah, and I don't think I've worked with most of the people in the show other than Christiane [Noll] and I did SOUND OF MUSIC LIVE together. So that's how I know her- and I really love her work. She's such a nice lady, so I'm excited to work with her again. My husband, [Jeff Kready], had worked with Santino [Fontana] a couple of times, but I never have. I obviously admire his work so much on stage and I listen to him almost every day in FROZEN with my daughter, [Laughs] so I think that will be fun. Alex [Gemignani] and I did Les Mis together and we also did theatre together in college, so he's a friend. I remember watching John Larroquette on Night Court when I was young, but never worked with him! So that'll be fun because my scene is just with him.

Your 2016 has been absolutely insane already, between this, THE SECRET GARDEN, THE BOOK OF MORMON, and you're a mom... how are you managing all of it?

I just sort of take it one day at a time. My husband is also an actor, but his show closed a few months ago. So he's been at home with my daughter, which helps, but for parts of the day he also starts rehearsals for a reading and then goes out of town the week that we do the show. My mom's gonna come and visit for a week, and she loves getting to spend some time with Lena, so that'll work out for all parties involved. It's hard in New York when you don't have family, because those people have at least someone or a friend they can lean on in times like this. We're just figuring it out!

And I'm sure the next couple of weeks will be quite a whirlwind. What are you most looking forward to?

You know, I've never done a role on the City Center stage, so it's always fun to get to step on a new New York stage. I'm kind of excited to be on stage there in front of the audience. I've seen so many things there- it's such a beautiful theatre. And, as much as I love THE BOOK OF MORMON, it's always nice to take a break and work on something else to keep those artistic juices flowing. I've been in BOOK OF MORMON for almost two years now. So It's nice to get to do SECRET GARDEN and 1776. And I'm lucky that they allow us to to step out every once in a while and do other projects. I feel so lucky.

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Nikki Renee Daniels is currently appearing on Broadway as Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon. Other Broadway credits include The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (Clara); Les Mise?rables (Fantine); Promises, Promises; and Anything Goes. TV/Film: "Chappelle's Show," The Other Woman, and "The Sound of Music Live!" City Center Encores!: The Apple Tree. Ms. Daniels has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall and with symphony orchestras across the country. Her debut solo CD Home is available on iTunes and CDbaby.