Interview: From SPRING to PSYCHO- Jennifer Damiano Opens Up About Her Life on Broadway So Far!

She might be just 24 years old, but when it comes to bringing new musicals to Broadway, Jennifer Damiano is a pro.

The Tony nominee is currently in rehearsals for her fourth Broadway production- the American premiere of AMERICAN PSYCHO, which will begin performances at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street) on Thursday, March 24, 2016.

Set in the excess of 1980s Manhattan, American Psycho tells the story of Patrick Bateman, a young and handsome Wall Street banker who pursues his darkest American dreams. Patrick and his elite group of friends spend their days in exclusive restaurants, hot clubs and luxury labels. But at night, Patrick takes part in a more sinful indulgence, and his mask of sanity is starting to slip...

Damiano plays Bateman's secretary, Jean- a part originated onscreen by Chloë Sevigny. Below, she checks in with BroadwayWorld about her take on the character, the challenges of bringing this genre to the stage, growing up in the spotlight, and so much more!

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I know that you've been in rehearsals now for a couple of weeks... what's the room been like so far?

It's going very, very well. I'm having the best time. We were just today doing some blood testing, which is really cool... as in we were testing some of the blood effects. It was a very interesting morning. But, yeah, it's such a great group of people, and everybody's so passionate about this, about this show, and we're having so much fun.

I'm amazed by how well the whole tone of the story is translated into this musical version. I never thought American Psycho screamed "Must be a musical!"

Well I think, for one thing, Duncan [Sheik]'s music... he has a really special way of making stories that you think wouldn't work as musicals work. His music just kind of makes sense with the story. I think he's really good at doing that, obviously with SPRING AWAKENING, and this piece as well. But, yeah, it's kind of amazing what they've done. It just, for some crazy reason, makes sense this way. It's very watchable for anybody that might think it isn't.

I think it will surprise people.

Yeah, I think it will surprise people too. And it's done a really good job at setting the tone of the character of Patrick in the correct way. And, I'm really lucky that my role is this one human in this world of chaos. I kind of enjoy taking on that challenge of having the audience see a lot of the story through my eyes. My relationship with Patrick is obviously way more fleshed out here than it is in the book or the movie, and it's kind of nice because I feel like we actually end up in a place where we find ourselves feeling compassionate towards Patrick, and it kind of sneaks up on you. You end up feeling things for his character that you never think you would.

Let's talk a little bit more about your character, Jean.

Yes, Jean is his secretary.

What is your approach to her?

Well she's in love with him- or rather, she's in love with who she thinks he is. What I've decided is, everything about Patrick... right before he makes that leap, that jump into being a serial killer, where he crosses over and it goes too far... I think right before that, everything about him is so great. He's fun and funny and witty and charming, and I think that if you didn't know him, you would think that he really really is a sweet, sensitive person, because he is very insecure. I think that it's fun that my character gets to see him as that person because she has no idea. And it's difficult because you want to make it clear to the audience that she doesn't know, because otherwise there's some other of masochism involved, which I don't think is part of the story at all.

The tragic part about their relationship is that things between them would probably be great and would probably work so well if he didn't have that one, big tragic flaw. Every musical, I think, needs to flesh out whatever romantic throughline it can, and I think that is is a very interesting, different romantic story than most shows. It doesn't really come to fruition in a normal way.

And this is definitely a more mature character than we've seen you play before.

I think it's the perfect role for me in this moment, because she's not a teenager and she's not an adult. She's a young woman and she's just kind of figuring it out herself, and I'm the same way in my life. It's a really great next step for me in my life kind of entering, or rather straying away from the teen angst ridden role. It's interesting, but the twenty-something-year-old-girl roles are tough to find, and I feel like it's the perfect mash up in the moment.

It's been amazing just following your career, from SPRING AWAKENING to Natalie, and to watch you grow up with your characters.

Thank you for saying that! I was telling someone recently, well I was reflecting back on NEXT TO NORMAL. I was doing an interview with Alice [Ripley], and we were talking about it and it was funny how difficult how is to talk about because I was so close to the role and because I kind of grew up in it. There was over a span of three years of my life revolving around the role of Natalie. There's nothing I love more than growing with characters because you bring yourself to the characters and then the characters end up teaching you about yourself as well. And I think Jean is the perfect challenge for me at the moment.

And you've worked almost exclusively worked on new shows so far. What a gift!

Yeah. Well, it was difficult when I was 15 working on SPRING AWAKENING. It's so crazy as I look back on that time and in that age I thought I was so much older in my head. I look back now and I go, "Wow I was an actual child." I think it took me a minute to understand just how cool opening a new show is and just how special that is. I've been so lucky to create roles and it's a process that I definitely don't take for granted.

I think it's got it's own challenges and it's got a little bit more weight than just stepping into a role or a show that's already working. It's not stress or anxiety but, as lucky as I am to do that, there's still that extra bit of... I don't what to say anxiety or stress... there's a little more pulse in it that can sometimes be a little bit scary when you don't know if it's going to work. There's just more weight on your back to create it in the right way.

But then you get to leave knowing that everyone who comes after you will look to what you did...

It's crazy to think that everyone then learns that music. There might have been one day in rehearsal where I'm sitting there with Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey in NEXT TO NORMAL and I might of said, "This note works better for me," or "I think it should be that," and that's now what everyone learns.

You're still a very young actress who's had amazing success. Do you still have "pinch me" moments?

Absolutely! I look at my first day at rehearsal for a Broadway show ever, SPRING AWAKENING, and I was one of those people that walked in the room and my mom had to come with me because I needed a guardian there for the equity meeting. She was sitting in the corner, and everyone was so much older. I didn't know anyone, I didn't understand the process at all. It was so scary. And I fast-forward to now, where I'm walking into a room with already a handful of people that I've worked with extensively and know and love. Especially people like Alice, who is like my family, are in the room. I walk in as someone who knows these people and has established something in this world. That is a major "Pinch me," moment. I still don't feel like I'm in a show again... like it's too good to be true! I mean, I'm sure it will start to feel that way soon, but yeah, it's really incredible.

Looking ahead, with previews starting in the next few weeks, what are you most excited about?

I'm most excited for the people who don't know what to expect to leave this theatre being able to understand what we did. And for them just being able to understand. I guess I'm most excited to surprise people. I think surprise is the right word. I want people to leave thinking, "Wow, I had no idea how that would work or if it would work, and it did, and it was great!" That's what I'm most excited about- people's reactions to something that they probably can't really put into perspective until they see it.

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Damiano received a Tony Award nomination for creating the role of "Natalie" in the critically acclaimed Broadway production, Next To Normal. She returned to Broadway as the original "Mary Jane Watson" in Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark, with music and lyrics by U2, and starred in the Off-Broadway musical, Venice, at the Public Theatre. At 15 years old, Jennifer made her Broadway debut in Spring Awakening and was the youngest member of the original cast. Jennifer recently completed shooting the independent film, American Dresser, and can be seen in the indie features Outliving Emily and B-Side, as well as Fourth Man Out, due in theaters early 2016.

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