NEW YORK 鈥� A short time after Broadway shut down last year, Elizabeth Stanley went on a tiny rescue mission.
She was offered a chance to get back into her dressing room at the Broadhurst Theatre 鈥� home of her musical 鈥淛agged Little Pill鈥� 鈥� and to grab anything she needed.
鈥淚 went and retrieved a bunch of plants,鈥� she says, laughing. 鈥淚 knew they won鈥檛 survive in a room with no windows and no water.鈥�
That strong nurturing side of Stanley was also clearly evident from the stage before the pandemic closed
Stanley is seemingly comfortable singing anything, from complicated Stephen Sondheim show tunes to rock songs by Morissette, classics by Leonard Bernstein and modern gems by Jason Robert Brown.
鈥淚n some ways, people didn鈥檛 know what to do with me always and I think that鈥檚 honestly worked out to my benefit most of the time,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 just get stuck playing one singular type of part.鈥�
Eva Price, the three-time Tony Award-winning producer behind 鈥淛agged Little Pill,鈥� says Stanley has put her entire heart and soul into her latest character ever since workshops started.
鈥淪he actually created a multi-dimensional, 360-degree, completely layered, contemporary female protagonist in a way that none of us knew we even had on the page or in our minds,鈥� said Price.
Stanley made her Broadway debut in the 2006 revival of 鈥淐ompany鈥� and has had roles in 鈥淐ry-Baby,鈥� 鈥淢illion Dollar Quartet鈥� and 鈥淥n the Town.鈥� A Tony nomination this time is welcome, indeed.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a dream I鈥檝e had for the whole time I鈥檝e been performing and pursuing a career in the performing arts," she says. "So I feel like whatever crazy year it came in, I鈥檒l take it.鈥�
The musical is about a family confronting drug addiction, sexual assault, struggles with gender identity and transracial adoption. Morissette has told the cast she hopes the musical can be a hopeful beacon.
鈥淪he wants us to be a story about healing and connection," says Stanley. "And I think that鈥檚 such a beautiful sort of takeaway that she鈥檚 infused the piece with and that has always been in her music. I think it鈥檚 like this rallying cry for transparency and authenticity.鈥�
Stanley 鈥� as the mom, Mary Jane 鈥� is the spine of the musical, trying to connect with her workaholic husband and aloof teenage kids. She's also hiding an addiction to Oxycodone developed after being prescribed the opioid following a car accident. During the musical, her character also reveals her own history with sexual assault.
鈥淭here鈥檚 so many layers to get into that I think it took me a long time to really find all of her,鈥� says Stanley. 鈥淚n fact, I don鈥檛 even think I鈥檓 done. That鈥檚 one of the reasons I鈥檓 anxious to get back to the show 鈥� I don鈥檛 feel done with this part yet.鈥�
The 鈥淛agged Little Pill鈥� musical is so rooted in contemporary issues facing America that she believes the discussions and marches over racial justice will find voice whenever Broadway restarts.
鈥淚 think it will influence our interpretation of it as a cast, but it will also influence the audience and how they will see that,鈥� she says. "Going to see a piece of
During the past year, Stanley has been part of 鈥淛agged Little Pill鈥� online concerts and appearances. She also went through a series of crafting phases 鈥� baking, sewing and tie-dying. She made new throw pillows for her couch.
COVID-19 ruined what was to be one of her happiest days: her wedding. Engaged in January 2020 to actor and teacher Charlie Murphy, the couple were supposed to tie the knot in September. They even put down 鈥� and lost 鈥� a security deposit at a venue.
Now they're rethinking what they really want when COVID-19 releases its grip on the city. The original idea was to have an intimate affair with just family and a few close friends.
鈥淣ow I really want to party with a lot of people,鈥� she says, laughing. 鈥淣ow I need everyone there that I haven鈥檛 been able to see, and I鈥檓 surrounded by all of my friends and we鈥檙e just being crazy.鈥�
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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
