BWW Interviews: Getting to Know HELLO DOLLY's Michelle Barber

The Chanhassen Dinner Theatre is a family place. It has been around for a long time, and it's the kind of place that does pre-show announcements of birthdays, anniversaries and other celebrations of life that audience members share.

The family experience extends on stage where HELLO, DOLLY! is directed by Michael Brindisi who oversees the work of daughter Cat Brindisi (Irene Molloy) and wife Michelle Barber (Dolly Levi).

With more than 60 Chanhassen roles to her credit, Barber seems to have hit her stride as Dolly. BWW Minneapolis got to know her a little better in this Q&A:

BWW: This role seems to be one you were meant to play right here, right now. Tell us a little about how you feel about playing Dolly Levi in this production.

Michelle Barber (MB): I feel so lucky to have this chance to play such an iconic character as Dolly Levi. It seems the older I get, the better roles are coming into play. And it IS the right time for me to play her right now as I am at that age where a person could either slow down and just take life as it comes, or get out the front door and MOVE through life, grabbing every cool day that is offered!

Your Dolly seems a woman who's been there, done that. You are an actor who has been there and done that -- with your years of experience at the Chanhassen alone. How are you making this role your own?

MB: Any actress would have to make Dolly her own character as Carol Channing is the iconic Dolly and I wouldn't touch her take on the role. And there's nothing in her performance that I could get into my own being to make it work that way. What I personally bring to the role, I think, is self-confidence as a woman, quick thinking ingenuity and a survival mode to both use and help others. Sounds crazy,no? But very human.

Playing the lead and namesake role is demanding - you are on stage almost constantly, though you really seemed to hit your stride as you went throughout the show and some of your biggest moments are later in the show. How do you stay motivated throughout the show and the performances all week?

MB: I watch what I eat and drink and get to the gym at least five times a week. As any actor knows, doing a major role means it's in the back of your mind from the time you get up in the morning until curtain time. So, I try to just accept the very fact that it's hard work for the next six months, eight shows a week, and that seems to make it easier to do!

Working with your husband and daughter must be a delight for you. Is it hard at all to separate your family life from your stage life? Or, after all these years, does this just feel natural now, and an extension of your family?

MB: Cat and I have only worked together one other time as adults; SPRING AWAKENING at Latte Da. In this production of DOLLY, we have much more stage time together (Cat plays Irene Molloy), which is really fun. But we both have great respect for the piece and the paying audience, so it stays very professional. Honestly, I don't really think of her as my daughter when we're onstage except when she sings the duet "It Only Takes A Moment." She sings it so beautifully and I get to watch her sing it every night. Truth is, I'm always looking to see her great vocal technique. Makes me very proud. But I think Dolly could be beaming at the couple at that point in the show,right?

And Michael and I have been married for 30 years this year, so we have our own language when working together. He is the best director I know, bar none.

What has your experience taught you that you share with the newer actors you're working with now? Are there any secrets of your success that you relay to others now?

MB: How to stay focused and present in every scene. I'm onstage for most of the show. Many times I'll drop a line, or get mush-mouthed and sometimes the younger actors might try to laugh onstage--which is what I used to do all the time!! But now I realize it's not about us--we need to tell the story to the audience who have paid to hear it! So, I don't let them horse around with me onstage unless it's something the audience can be in on as well. That being said, I'm still not a rock onstage, damnit!

Aside from Dolly, what have your favorite roles been both at the Chanhassen and other stages you've worked with?

MB: Martha in WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? at Jungle Theatre, Helen Bayer in PEN at Guthrie, Selda in OTHER DESERT CITIES at Guthrie, Mme. Thenardier in LES MIZ at Chan, Golde in FIDDLER at Chan, to name just a few. Usually, my favorite role is the one I'm doing at the moment.

What is your yet-to-be-played dream role? And are there other theaters you hope to work with that you have not yet?

MB: I played Mama Rose as a guest artist at ISU when I was in my late twenties. So too young to play her then, but now I'd like to give it another shot. And any role in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. And of course, MEDEA, which I'll just continue to dream about.....

With the Ivey Awards recently celebrating 10 years, and the vibrant theatre community here, what's the best show you've seen in the past year (besides your own!)?

MB: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS , a 7th House production. I say this in all objectivity, as 7th House is a theatre company that my daughter helped found, but it truly was a clever production. And she wasn't even in it! Also, I loved THE HEIRESS at the Jungle Theatre. I don't get out much to see shows because of our schedule.

How do you like to spend your time off-stage?

MB: Watching movies with my husband, Michael, cooking or reading cookbooks and going to the gym.

What advice from Dolly would you use in your own life?

MB: Like my late husband, Ephraim Levi said, "I believe in life and anyplace you can find it. Cafes, ballrooms, yes, even theatres!"

I will continue to look for life's adventures as Dolly Levi does and make the most out of every given opportunity.

HELLO, DOLLY! plays the main stage until Feb. 21, 2015. Tickets and info at www.chanhassentheatres.com.

Photo: Michelle Barber in HELLO, DOLLY! at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. (Courtesy of Chanhassen Dinner Theatres)