ActorQuest - Kristin Huffman Goes Inside 'Company' 36

In November 2006, Kristin Huffman made her Broadway debut as Sarah (flute, piccolo and sax) in John Doyle's production of Company.  The actress, with a new series of tales that go inside the making of Company from an actor's perspective, starting at the Cincinnati Playhouse and on to New York, continues her stories about a 15-year career that has led her to the door of the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

 

I couldn't resist writing about the recent PBS showing of Company on their Great Performances series. Thanks to those of you who saw it and enjoyed the evening with us!

SAVED

I sat in the dark with some of my cast mates and once again had that "opening night feeling."  My heart was beating so fast I chugged the champagne they had given us to counteract the caffeine in the diet coke I had chugged earlier.  On the screen when the opening "Bobby's" were being sung, I experienced an involuntary avalanche of angst caused by memories of the First Rehearsal and the First Show and the PBS taping which now will have a permanent place in musical repertoire.

We arrived at the Laurie Beechman Theatre at 8:15PM and gave interviews onstage in front of folks who had bought tickets to see the screening of Company on PBS with us.  Truthfully, our cast would have preferred to see the broadcast as we did in Cincinnati – sitting around someone's television with chips and dip, drinks and your cast of friends. We often watched 'Lost' or "Sopranos" that way.  Bruce would tape it and we would gather after our show and watch and relax.

But the folks who showed up for the Screening Sondheim series were so lovely and  added to our excitement.  Even though Lonnie Price (director) and his crew did the most amazing job of catching every little nuance, I noticed my body slowly adopting a fetal position because of anticipation.   This is a beautiful piece of work.  I have seen other taped musicals from Broadway and they are not all created equal.  Lonnie really understood what to look for and where to 'focus' for special moments with his cameras.

I even laughed at some of Keith's reactions in our scenes that I was never able to see when I was actually in the scene.  We all did. I was able to watch Rob Cunningham (Paul) laugh at Heather's (Amy) antics as he watched his scene.   That was one of the unexpected perks of the viewing and I think when our cast gets together again to watch it with each other I may sneak in my video camera and catch those lovely moments of enjoying scene partners.

The way the show was directed for stage, with more of a cinematic approach, works well on the screen.  Every small nuance shows up.  Lonnie caught them all too!  He was there at the screening and, as usual, I can't find appropriate moments to talk to important people, so I talked to him while he was waiting in line for the men's room.  Leenya told me to go ahead and speak to him so technically it's her fault.   But he was so sweet and gave me the biggest hug and I just gushed all over him during the intermission of our screening.  He deserved it all. 

What one must realize is that he literally had only a few days to get the entire thing together for the taping. They made a 'scratch' tape of one of our shows, which I assume he studied.  But then they came back, set up 10 cameras, practiced a LITTLE and then taped two shows.  He put together this beautiful piece from just those two live shows. I can tell which show he used only because I used my own hair during the show, and I noticed that one day my hair was stiffer than the other. No one else would notice this.  But what woman doesn't notice her own hair?

As we watched the telecast, by the second act I was overwhelmed with the enormity of our production. I remember seeing Into the Woods on PBS, and taping it, to watch again and again.   The man who ran the Q and A for our screening said the same thing. The audience agreed that many had watched that televised version of Into the Woods and it had changed so many things about how they thought of theatre.  It made a huge difference in my professional life. I fell in love with those performers.  I wanted to be one of those performers.  

Now, many years later, I am.  As I walked home from the train station at 2 am, I realized the weight of this in my life.  A Broadway show!  A Tony!  A Grammy nomination for our CD!  All really great!   But now it has been saved for all time on film.  Saved for other aspiring artists to see and fall in love with- just as I did again last night!

Photos by Katie Hughes
1. Elizabeth, Leenya and Kristin, viewing Eliz's huge scrapbook of Company memorablia
2. Group on stage interview at the Screening