She is delightedly making her Broadway debut. Avenue Q. Elsewhere: The Angel in Angels in America (Gallery Players), Olivia in Twelfth Night, Cassie in Rumors (Connecticut Repertory). TV: "Sesame Street," "Between the Lions" (duet with singer Brian McKnight), Bear in "The Big Blue House," and "Book of Pooh." BFA in acting/concentration in puppetry, University of Connecticut. (Avenue Q website)
Corine Cohen: Jen, what is it like to be one of the only original
cast members left in the show?It's kind of a nice feeling, actually. I feel very fortunate. I mean, I've gotten to be a part of and bear witness to this little show from its first tentative steps in its Off-Broadway run to winning three Tonys and beyond. With each new person that becomes a member of the Avenue Q family, the show grows into something new. The evolution can be at times challenging, exciting, and even occasionally frustrating for everyone, but it's always ultimately rewarding.
I went back to see the show the week before Stephanie left and my closest friend pointed out how fantastic she thought you were. When did you realize you wanted to be an actress?
I got bit by the bug when I was thirteen years old. I was Queen Aggravain in my junior high school's production of "Once Upon a Mattress." On Opening Night, while the overture played, I was trembling with stage fright behind the closed curtain. Some friends in the cast came over to calm me down; I was practically in tears. But as the curtain started to rise, a complete change came over me: I was poised, confident and in control. That first taste of laughter and applause did me in. I was hooked!
We are happy that you are! What is your dream role?
Let's see... Shakespeare's women spring to mind: Beatrice in "Much Ado...", Lady Macbeth someday, and Barrett Foa and I keep joking about playing twins Viola and Sebastian in "Twelfth Night" someday. Hedda Gabler, Regina in "The Little Foxes." And I think Mrs. Lovett is every character woman's dream role.
Who do you admire most and why?
The person I admire most is my mother. She was a single mother who sacrificed much to raise us. Despite her own fears about money and security, she encouraged my brother and me to pursue our passion in the arts. She also stressed that we diversify and get a college degree, which we did... but we both ended up as performers after all. My brother Jeff Barnhart is a jazz/ragtime piano player, and I'm an actor and a puppeteer.
How touching! Any funny backstage stories you can share?
There are so many I could write a book! Mostly they happen onstage. For instance, my partner Christian Anderson started singing gibberish one night: He sang "If you were Gay/That'd be OK/I mean, 'cuz hey!/ Na-mah noo-noo anyway." I know my eyes got wide during that! The hardest part about when something like that occurs onstage is the off-stage "peanut gallery" -- the other cast members who aren't onstage at the time rush to the wings to see what will happen next. Then all you see is these faces in the wings all screwed up with laughter!
That is very funny! I wish I had seen that! What is your favorite
song in Avenue Q?A tough choice, but I'd have to say "College" -- I love that it's a trio, and I'm a sucker for the tight harmonies. I also love its universal appeal. Even if you haven't been to college, you can understand and relate to that sense of yearning for something lost, a more innocent time. I asked an eleven-year-old girl at the stage door one day what her favorite song in the show was, and she replied, "College." When I asked her why, she said, "Because I wish I could go back to Kindergarten! No homework, snack time, playing all day -- man, that was the best!"
What is your favorite character?
I love them all for different reasons: the Bad Idea Bears because they're naughty, Rod because he's conflicted, Gary Coleman because he's salty, Christmas Eve because she's salty and sweet. But if I had to pick one, I'd pick Nicky. I'm biased, I think, because I love the collaboration it takes to bring him to life. And he's so sweet! He's got the best of intentions, but he's a little clueless and tactless at times. But he's incredibly honest. And he never stops loving his friend, even when Rod turns his back on him.
Nicky is a great character! Do you have a favorite playwright?
I love Martin McDonagh because his stuff is dark and potent. I also enjoy Michael Frayn, Pinter, and Stoppard to name a few.
What are 10 things people don't know about you?
Wow! Tall order! OK, here goes:
- My backstage nickname is Crash.
- My favorite place on a rainy day is an antique store.
- I make jewelry - keep an eye out someday for a website!
- My paternal great-great-uncle was Hannibal Hamlin, Lincoln's first Vice President.
- My maternal great-grandfather was the lead cornet player for John Phillip Sousa's marching band.
- I'm not a good cook, but I'm a great eater.
- The movie "The Dark Crystal" inspired me to want to become a puppeteer.
- I'm a good body-surfer.
- I sang tenor in the high school choir.
- I used to play trombone in and sing for a short-lived traditional jazz band called "The Squabble Hill Backyard Stompers"
What is your favorite thing to do in New York?Whenever I can, I enjoy solitary pursuits in New York. Go to the Park, find a cafe to do some writing, discover a new restaurant, poke around an old used book shop... quiet things. Heaven.
Question to Ms T: I heard you were planning a trip for your students to the Big Apple. Where are you planning on taking your students?
Well, since Avenue Q is in one of the outer boroughs, my students are fairly "Big Apple" savvy. But I like to take them to places they might not ordinarily go, in order to boost their cultural awareness: my favorite is the walking tour of manhole covers. Some of them date back to the 1800s, you know!
Thank you Jennifer for your time. You can catch Jennifer in the hit musical Avenue Q!
Photos: 1. Jennifer Barnhart; 2. Jennifer Barnhart, Trekkie Monster, Lucy T. Slut, and Christian Anderson (by Nick Ruechel); 3. Jennifer Barnhart and Lucy T. Slut (by Nick Ruechel)
Interview conducted by Corine Cohen
