Interview: Patti Murin of FEED ME AND TELL ME I'M PRETTY at 54 Below September 3 - 5

Broadway veteran Patti Murin will return to the nightclub stage for three nights this September when she plays FEED ME AND TELL ME I'M PRETTY at 54 Below. The star of Frozen and a popular TV movie or two is set to play Broadway's Living Room September 3rd, 4th, and 5th at 7 pm with a Live Stream event during her closing performance on the 5th. Even as she is in Canada filming a movie, the new mom prepares for a unique night of entertainment that will feature different guest artists at each performance.

Because of shooting schedules and time differences, the best way for Patti Murin to chat with Broadway World Cabaret was by email, so this reporter rustled up ten questions for Patti and, in return, the funny lady brought home some answers that were honest, quippy, and sometimes a little serious.

For reservations to one of Patti Murin's live performances visit THIS 54 Below website, or check out the Live Stream action HERE.

This interview was conducted digitally and is reproduced without edits.

Patti Murin, welcome to Broadway World!

Thanks!

We are chatting digitally, via email, because you are a working actress right now! How's your latest movie going? Do we get to have a teaser of what you're shooting in Canada, or will the producers get to release the announcement of the project?

I'm actually not allowed to talk about this until they announce it at the end of September. But you can say I'm working on something exciting in Canada!

So, when you finish the film, you are returning to 54 Below for the first time in eight years. When returning to a type of acting work you haven't done in a while, are there certain types of training a performer has to do, like an athlete getting in shape for a competition?

I'm actually much more relaxed about doing a solo show 8 years later! I know myself so much better, and I feel like I'm much better equipped to get on a stage by myself and sing and talk for an hour or more. I've also learned to embrace the moments where I make mistakes or don't sound perfect, and that gives me a lot more freedom that I didn't have back then. So while I'm preparing as much as possible, I also understand now that whatever happens, happens, and that's why we love live performances.

The title of your show is one of my favorites, ever. Is there a meaning or a story behind it?

I've been talking about using this as a title for my memoir for years now, and when it came time to name this show, I was like, "Why wait?" It's basically my love language. Some people like gifts, or grand gestures, but I just need good food and some reassuring words every so often. And I feel like everybody should know that.

The event page on the 54 Below website has a wild description of what Feed Me And Tell Me I'm Pretty is going to be about. What was the artistic process like when you sat down to write this musical exploration of your personal life?

So much has changed in 8 years. I'm now a mother, married for a second time, an official Disney princess, and on medication for depression and anxiety. I am literally a different human being. And I'm very open about the struggles I've had, specifically ones that we don't talk about enough. So I wanted an honest and eclectic look into what music moves and inspires me when I'm feeling all of my feelings.

The 54 Below website does mention all those things - the social anxiety, the motherhood, the mental health. That's some heady stuff for a cabaret show - but there is also mention of your signature comedic style. How did you learn to look at the more serious aspects of life through laughter?

I always say, if you can laugh at yourself, then no one can laugh at you. It's my default defensive mechanism, and while sometimes I rely on it too much, it saves my heart and my brain from getting too heavy or too caught up in things that are just not worth my energy. Becoming a mom shifted my perspective immediately. All of a sudden, the important things were illuminated, and everything else sort of faded into the background.

The ability to laugh about things is a gift not everyone is blessed with. What advice would you give to people who would like to follow your lead and lean into the laughter?

Laughter is quite literally the best medicine. There are some things that truly can't be laughed at, but if you can see a light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how far away it is, you can find a way to laugh through the darkness. And starting small helps! For example, laugh when you say something silly instead of being embarrassed about it. It can be a conscious choice.

You have some sweet guests on your personnel list for Feed Me And Tell Me I'm Pretty. What is the instinct that you think draws artists to invite their chums to be in the club acts with them?

First and foremost, it's SO much fun. For me and for the audience! No matter how much you like watching a person perform, it's always great when they mix it up and bring some super talented people onstage to take up some of the slack, and to bring a new energy. And it's also a way to sing with people you haven't necessarily gotten to sing with before! I have Caissie Levy on Saturday the 3rd, because duh, and then Fergie Phillipe (Hamilton) on Sunday the 4th, and then James Jackson Jr. and John-Andrew Morrison from "A Strange Loop" on Monday the 5th. Which, if you've been following the yoga mat saga, will be ESPECIALLY delightful. And maybe my husband will pop in and sing something with me! Who knows?

A lot of musical theater performers like to veer away from the genre and focus on performing other types of music in their club acts. Put me in the picture of the construction of a Patti Murin setlist.

Whereas my last solo show was a bit of a career retrospective, I really just wanted to sing songs that make me feel things this time. You may not know every song in my show, but I'm hoping to introduce my audience to some of the more obscure ones. I have two songs dedicated to my daughter, and I WILL be sobbing through them. There's pop, country, classic musical theatre, and even a selection from "A Muppet Christmas Carol." Yes, you read that right.

It says on the 54 Below website that there might possibly be some light swearing in the show. How did you build up your propensity for profanity?

When you play a Disney princess, and are generally smiling a lot, you have to find a way to release that other dark energy. And swearing is fun!

Patti Murin, thank you for taking time out of filming to do this digital interview, I look forward to chatting in person one of these days. I can't wait to see you at your opening night.

Bye!

Patti Murin can be found on Instagram HERE, on Facebook HERE, and on Twitter HERE.

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