Jessie Mueller to Join Sirus XM Radio Host Seth Rudetsky for Concert in Lafayette

Lafayette, LA: Actor and singer Jessie Mueller is well known on Broadway, where she’s played the lead roles in Waitress, Beautiful the Musical, and Carousel, but she has never performed in Louisiana. That changes on Sunday, January 21 when Mueller and Sirius XM Radio host and pianist Seth Rudetsky team up for a one-of-a-kind concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Heymann Center. The concert is part of the Performing Arts Serving Acadiana (PASA) season.

This show, one of many of Seth Rudetsky’s “Broadway Concert Series,” showcases Rudetsky’s knowledge of Broadway history and trivia, music, technique, and more as he shares a depth of knowledge that is virtually unparalleled in the business.

Mueller, who won the 2014 Tony Award for best actress in a leading role in a musical for her performance as Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, is equally well known for her leading roles in the Broadway hits Waitress and Carousel, for which she received Tony nominations.

 

Mueller and Rudetsky will share the spotlight together in a rather spontaneous show of Broadway banter that prompts a selection of somewhat unplanned songs. While songs from those shows--"If I Loved You" from Carousel," Carole King's “Beautiful,” and "She Used to be Mine" from Waitress--are likely to be performed during the course of the evening, the precise set list order may be as much of a surprise to Mueller as it will be to the audience. Possibilities include other show-stopping songs by Carole King, Sara Bareilles, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and more, sung by Mueller, with Rudetsky at the piano. It will be Rudetsky who decides the order of songs Mueller sings, even though they will have agreed on a basic set list.

Seth’s Broadway Concerts are always one-of-a-kind because they’re never fully planned in advance. In a past concert, Rudetsky remarked that Mueller should have been in Les Miz, and as soon as he started playing the intro to Eponine’s classic song, Mueller launched into an unrehearsed and amazing performance of “On My Own.” This spontaneous evening of show-stopping stories and hit songs will also feature Mueller recreating her recent triumph when she put her own spin on Miss Adelaide at the Kennedy Center’s Guys And Dolls. Theater fans who love amazing musicians and sassy comedy should see this one-night-only event!

"No show's ever the same. I don't like anything that's too prepared," says Rudetsky

“Seth has teamed up with a number of Broadway stars in his globe-trotting schedule, including Audra McDonald, Patti Lupone, Chita Rivera, Adam Pascal and many others,” says Jacqueline Lyle, PASA’s executive director. “To experience one of Seth’s Broadway concerts is unlike any other performance I’ve attended. His skill as a pianist matches perfectly with Jessie Mueller’s beautiful voice and acting talent.”

Among his many activities, Rudetsky is also an actor, writer, and musician. He has spent many years on Broadway as a pianist and conductor and is the afternoon host of Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s "On Broadway," as well as the host of "Seth Speaks" on Sirius/XM Stars. He spent many years on Broadway as a pianist and  a conductor, as well as two years as a comedy writer on “The Rosie O'Donnell Show.”

He's written the books Seth's Broadway Diary Volume 1 and 2, and has also authored two young adult novels My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan and The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek. His latest book, Musical Theatre for Dummies, is a “must read.”

In addition to the public performance on the evening of January 21, Rudetsky and Mueller will also offer a unique performance for Lafayette Parish School’s eighth graders on Monday, January 22. The two stars will open the student show with a few Broadway numbers and will then be joined on stage by five local students who are active in musical theater. The five students—chosen through an application process--will take part in a master class component, performing Broadway selections for Rudetsky, Mueller and the student audience. They’ll then receive pointers and tips from Rudetsky and Mueller, in what Lyle describes as an unusual learning opportunity for everyone who attends.

PASA is committed to an inclusive theater and community experience for all of its patrons. The Heymann Center is an ADA compliant venue with accessible seating areas and a designated accessible entrance. Early seating is offered for those who need additional time to get to their seats. Infra-red listening devices are available free-of-charge for those with low hearing and are available in the Heymann Center lobby. Additionally, PASA provides large print program notes and American Sign Language interpretation upon request. Patrons with disabilities who have additional accessibility requests or who are in need of additional information are encouraged to contact the PASA office at 337-769-3231 or email info@pasaonline.org. The Heymann Center can be reached at 337-291-5540.

Tickets for the January 21 performance by Jessie Mueller and Seth Rudetsky are available at heymanncenter.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the Heymann Center box office or by phone at 337-291-5555

 

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