Interview: Lisa Antoni of CHESS IN CONCERT at Musik Und Kongresshalle Lübeck
The Austrian Musical Star is talking about her theatre life and how it was to be the German Voice of Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins Returns
Lisa Antoni, already in preperations for CHESS, The Musical in Germany, sat down to chat with us about her career. Lisa starred in numerous musicals, including Frank Wildhorn's Dracula, Rudolf, Les Misérables, The Witches of Eastwick, and The Phantom of the Opera, before expanding into film dubbing and providing the German singing voice for Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins Returns. This summer, Lisa is joining Chess The Musical alongside Melanie Gebhard and Mathias Edenborn, staring as Svetlana Sergievsky.
BWW: You are now in preperations for Chess in Lübeck, Germany, playing Svetlana Sergievsky in the All-Time Classic, written by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (The B’s from ABBA). As we want to learn more about you and your career in Musical theatre, let’s start at the beginning: what brought you to theatre?
Lisa Antoni: As a kid I had a children's record of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and absolutely loved singing along to the Queen of the Night’s aria. Throughout my school years, my mom and I had a subscription to the Theater der Jugend in Vienna, which is where I truly fell in love with plays and musicals. I soon wanted to be on stage myself, so I joined the Kinderoper and the Kinder Musical Company Wien, and took jazz dance classes at the Tanzforum Wien. For me, musical theater was the ultimate fusion of all my passions, so I auditioned for performing arts academies to become a professional performer!
BWW: You have been part of numerous productions in the German-speaking area. Rudolf, Die Affaire Mayerling (written by Frank Wildhorn) can be seen as your breakthrough. What kind of impact did Rudolf have on your career?
LA: To this day, playing Mary Vetsera in RUDOLF has a special place in my heart, of course, as it was a defining milestone for me. I went from admiring my co-stars from afar to sharing the stage with them as colleagues. Playing a character with such a dramatic journey under the guidance of our wonderful creative team really shaped me as an artist. It was also the moment I realized I had the resilience and stamina to hold my own in a demanding lead role. And because of the DVD release, I still get messages from people throughout the year sharing that they are revisiting the show, which always makes me happy!
BWW: We already mentioned composer Frank Wildhorn. You have done Wildhorn and friends' concerts. What makes Wildhorn-Musicals so special and, in your opinion, why are they so well loved in Europe?
LA: Frank Wildhorn writes such sweeping, dramatic shows with powerhouse songs that are a dream, and a thrilling challenge, for any singer to perform! He really knows how to take the audience on a massive emotional ride. Plus, a lot of his shows lean into darker, more dramatic stories, which probably fits the European theater landscape well. I think that’s really why his work connects so well with audiences here!
BWW: Apart from the stage, you have lent your singing voice to Emily Blunt in Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns, the movie. What are the differences or similarities when working in a studio compared to working on stage?
LA: What’s similar is that I’ve always tried to adapt my vocal tone to the character I’m playing, and that’s also what I did with Mary Poppins, aiming to embody her vocally. The difference is that in a recording studio, you have to stay as close as possible to the original, in this case, Emily Blunt’s performance, which was an absolute joy, because I’m a big fan of hers!
Also, because you’re wearing headphones, you don’t hear yourself the same way you would on stage or in a rehearsal room, so you have to trust the physical sensation of singing rather than your ears. It’s also a softer, more intimate approach; studio microphones capture every tiny whisper, so you don’t need to project with the same power you'd use on stage.
BWW: You have done concerts as well as shows, both magnificent, but if you had to choose, which would you prefer and why?
LA: Thank you so much! If I really had to choose, I’d probably lean toward shows. I love being able to tell a complete story from start to finish, because it allows the actors and the audience to fully immerse themselves in the character's emotional arc and connect with their journey.
On the other hand, concerts are wonderful because the focus shifts more to the music. You get to perform highlights from various shows, and you have more freedom to interpret the songs in your personal style and be more spontaneous, or maybe interact directly with the audience.
BWW: As mentioned, you are in rehearsals for CHESS in Concert. The show has already had a huge revival on Broadway with Lea Michele and Aaron Tveit, and is a regular in many theatres throughout Austria and Germany. What makes CHESS so special? What’s the show's secret of success?
LA: I’d say the real 'secret' is the amazing score by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus. It’s such an intriguing mix, sometimes it’s symphonic and quite complex, and other times it’s catchy pop. Having songs like 'One Night in Bangkok' and 'I Know Him So Well' become global hits obviously made the show more widely known. Plus, with all the political tension and the dramatic love triangle, there’s a lot going on!
BWW: Your CV is full of some of the Most Wanted “Bucket List” Shows. From Rock-Shows like AMERICAN IDIOT to classic ones like THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (Concert Version). A balancing act for your voice, how do you prepare your voice for a challenge like this?
LA: What I love about musical theater, is the fact that there are so many different styles of music, and I really enjoy singing them all! When I first started taking singing lessons, it took some time to discover my higher, lyrical voice, and I really had to work to unlock my upper register. But once I managed that, I absolutely fell in love with it. Singing a role like Christine in The Phantom of the Opera was incredibly exciting, because it had always been a dream of mine.
Naturally, my voice is a mix-belt, as that feels the easiest for me. But for shows like American Idiot, I had to train to strengthen the muscles needed for belting and rock/pop singing, which means warming up carefully and practicing that style of music a lot. To me, singing classical or pop/rock is like doing different sports- you have to train for them separately.
BWW: As mentioned, you have a lot of major roles under your belt. Is there something on your bucket list you desperately want to play?
LA: I would absolutely love to perform in Sondheim shows, roles like the Witch or the Baker’s Wife in Into the Woods. Characters in A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, and Sweeney Todd are dream roles of mine. On the other hand, playing Donna in Mamma Mia!would be so much fun, as would classic roles like Marian in The Music Man or Anna in The King and I. And of course, Jenna in Waitress is also very high on my bucket list!
BWW: Talking of favorite roles, you are familiar with Broadway’s Miscast. We are sure there is at least one song that comes to mind that you would love to sing. Which one would you choose and why?
LA: For Miscast, the first song that came to my mind was 'Being Alive' from Company. The song just moves me. I’ve loved it ever since we did Company at MUK (Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien), where I played Jenny. I know there’s already been a production with a female Bobby, so I guess it’s not entirely miscast anymore!
BWW: Thank you so much for your time; it has been a pleasure. All the best for your upcoming projects. We are delighted to see you back on stage in Austria as well.
LA:Thank you so much, the pleasure was all mine!
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