Rachel Bay Jones may be best known for originating the role of Heidi in the incredible Pasek and Paul musical, Dear Evan Hansen, it was a role that would secure her Tony Award and will forever be associated with her, but like most of Seth Rudetsky’s guests, Rachel has a lifetime of career highlights that were shared with us in the latest edition of The Seth Concert series.
Rachel joined Seth via video link from Pasadena, California. It always amazes me how well the technology works in these concerts, there’s no hint that they are even in different rooms, never mind opposite ends of the United States.
Rachel grew up in Florida, with parents who were both actors, 12 year old Rachel caught the bug when she was cast in a dinner theatre production. Just seven years later, her Nana would sell her engagement ring so that Rachel could move to New York and pursue her career. She would be cast as an understudy for the lead in Meet Me in St Louis, but would never get the opportunity to go on. Tonight at least we got the opportunity to hear what Broadway missed out on, as Rachel Bay Jones gave us a wonderful performance of the ‘Trolley Song’.
Despite a long break away from performing, Rachel Bay Jones still had a wonderful array of anecdotes to share with the audience. Playing Eva Peron in Miami, this production of Evita performed half the week in Spanish, a language that Rachel does not speak. The story would no doubt send chills down the spine of a fellow performer, but for the rest of us it was simply hilarious. During the concert Rachel performed a glorious ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’ and included a Spanish verse for good measure.
Another fascinating tale came from the wings of the Belasco Theatre, where Rachel found herself understudying a lead again, this time Patti Lu Pone in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, who’s reputation had proceeded her, and left poor Rachel quaking in her boots. By the end of the story Patti and Rachel were great friends, but it was a fascinating insight to the fears and trepidations performers often hide with the greasepaint.
The concert series is as appealing for its anecdotes as it is for the music, and in this particular edition there was a great variety of tunes on offer. Rachel Bay Jones has a beautifully unique voice, and when it came to ‘Kind of Woman’ from Pippin and ‘I Miss The Mountains’ from Next to Normal there was no doubting that Rachel Bay Jones had earned her place as a Broadway star.
It would be towards the end before we got a taste of Heidi Hansen, with a moving performance of ‘So Big/So Small’, I was immediately transported back to that March night I spent at The Second Stage Theatre watching an early preview of a musical that I would fall in love with. Just as Heidi had to fight her own battles, Rachel Bay Jones shared her own life story with humility, and welcomed Seth Rudetsky’s audience in to her home with warmth, charm and grace, making for a very special night indeed.
Upcoming concerts in The Seth Concert Series include Sierra Boggess, Karen Olivo and Jeremy Jordan.
