Interview: Eileen Barnett of IT’S MY BIRTHDAY… at Hollywood Catalina Jazz Club

Entertainer, Eileen Barnett, has an impressive career history, from her start as a pit singer in Stephen Sondheim’s COMPANY to her television work on DAYS OF OUR LIVES, KNOTS LANDING, and CRIMINAL MINDS. Eileen's  extensive theater credits—including Broadway's NINE!, national tours like FOOTLOOSE!, and her award-winning performances in RADIO GALS! and PASSION!—are remarkable.

Eileen's contributions to the Musical Theatre Guild as both a performer in GREY GARDENS! and a producer, as well as your cabaret recordings. It is clear she has maintained a highly successful bicoastal career while now being based in Los Angeles. Eileen took TEN MINUTES TO ANSWER TEN QUESTIONS for Broadway World Los Angeles: 
 

On the day that you were born, the angels got together and decided to create a dream come true...what constellation and where?

I am a Taurus and I born in Chicago, Illinois but the stars aligned for me twice! When I auditioned for NINE! on Broadway.  That was a dream come true.  Doing a lead on Broadway!!!!  Even got the last bow with the leading man.  And of course, when I got together with my late husband, Bruce French. 

 Bring us back to your earliest recollection of your first live performance and who was in it?

Well, I do remember being asked by my parents to sing for our house guests.  I could sing pretty well as a little kid.  Onstage, the first performance was in a dance recital.  I played a chicken at only four years old.

How did your caretakers respond to all your creative outlets?

My parents evidently saw that I had a talent for singing and performing and gave me lessons at a young age.  There was this wonderful place in Chicago called the Sulie and Pearl Harand Studios of the theatre arts.  They also had a summer camp.  On Saturdays my mom would drive me downtown and I’d have classes in singing, dancing and acting.  I loved it so much.  As I got older I studied voice more seriously with private lessons and took ballet class at some of Chicago’s really good studios. 

Are you classically trained or picked up from real life pains?

Haha!  Vocally, I was classically trained.  My sights were on musical theatre, not opera, but this is what I studied as a teenager and into college.  Learning how to belt later in life has been a bit of a challenge for me.  But I love it all!  Later, I attended professional acting classes more out here in LA than in NYC although I did study there as well.  It was the best the best thing I ever did.

Who was the first to have you on their professional company call sheet?

I auditioned for a professional summer stock company just north of Chicago, in Highland Park, at Uptown fpr Music Theater, when I was only 14.  I looked older than my age but by 15 I was working in the ensemble with college graduates and pros from NYC.  I worked for this company for four summers and also at Melody Top.  They were the best summers of my life.  I learned so much! And at 16, I played Maria in WEST SUDE STORY! with DOROTHY DANDRIDGE as my Anita!

Where & when did you realize you could pay the rent with your performance abilities?
My first job in NYC was as a pit singer in Sondheim's COMPANY.  It took 6 months in New York City to land this job, but after this, I worked!!

What was your motivation to audition for television?

Well, I feel that if you’re going to live in LA, where theatre jobs are few and far between, it’s best to go for TV.  I knew some people in the industry out here and set my sights on Soap Operas (DAYS OF OUR LIVES), although I did guest spots all along the way.  And the money is good!!!!  In the last couple of years I’ve been working in TV more than ever.  I think it somehow helped that I let my hair go natural. I’ve got a MATLOCK (Andy Griffith) and a HACKS (Jean Smart) coming out soon and several others.  It’s been great.  I’ve sort of reinvented myself.  I think women really have to think about that—especially if they were “leading lady” types—if you want longevity,  (ER, BROTHERS & SISTERS, BLACK-ISH, 911)

As a professional cabaret singer, how do you respond singing to music tracks?  Is this the AI way of cabaret?

Oh, I hope that isn’t the future of cabaret, but I have sung to tracks.  It is what it is, but you have to stay within the lines, if you know what I mean.

Pop stars are moving tickets on Broadway but how much leeway should they have on singing styles or morphing the genre?

I don’t really want the genre to change, but so often, these pop stars started on the stage.  I’d be more in favor of real theatre people getting those jobs, but if pop stars can hack it, more power to them. 

What Los Angeles venues have you performed live and which ones would you like to perform in the near future?

In cabaret, I believe I was one of the first performers to sing at the Gardenia.  I did lots of shows there.  There were other little cabarets that popped up along the way.  The best was Studio One!  That was so thrilling.  More recently, I did my act at Vitello’s, before it changed hands.  Theatrically, I’ve performed at The Pasadena Playhouse, the various CLO’s (Civic Light Operas)  in the area—La Mirada, back in the day-San Bernardino CLO.  I’ve been a member of the Musical Theatre Guild for 25 years and have performed so many shows with them.   I love this group!!!