Tony-nominated actress Kerry Butler chatted about starring in the “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now!” Off-Broadway musical, which is being performed at New World Stages in New York City.
Working with Laura Bell Bundy and Marissa Jaret Winokur
In this show, Butler stats opposite Tony nominee Laura Bell Bundy and Tony winner Marissa Jaret Winokur. “It is so fun working with them and we are closer than we’ve ever been,” Butler noted.
“We have been talking nonstop and it’s so nice to have this sisterhood with them. It has been such a wonderful friendship. I am going to miss them so much once the show is over,” she acknowledged.
Kerry Butler on ‘Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now!’
“We are having such a good time with this musical,” Butler exclaimed. “The show has been really, really great, as well as a good learning experience.”
“It was so empowering to create this show with my friends and we push each other to go out of our comfort zones. The fact that we did it ourselves (just the three of us) with no other writers or directors was so great,” she elaborated.
“Creating the show was the easiest part,” she admitted. “The stressful part was getting the rights to songs and getting the set together. Marissa was painting the set a few days before it opened,” she said with a sweet laugh.
“Figuring all those other things out has been a real learning curve,” she added.
Favorite parts of her show
Butler revealed that her favorite parts of the shows involve singing both the mom medleys and the kids’ medleys. “Of course, I also love the Disney medley because those are my favorite songs to sing,” she noted.
The digital age
On being a part of the digital age, Butler said with a sweet laugh, “We are in charge of all of our social media, so it is a lot.”
“We are so creative and opinionated so it has been fun to channel ourselves in those ways too. We try and put out something every single day but it’s work. We do like it though and we enjoy doing it ourselves.”
Tony nomination for ‘Xanadu’
In 2008, Butler scored a Tony nomination for “Best Actress in a Musical” for her stage work in “Xanadu.”
On earning a Tony nomination, Butler said, “That was so exciting and a dream come true, especially since this was the hardest part I ever played. I was beyond excited about the nod.”
Kerry Butler on Darlene Love
Butler had great words about Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love, who starred with her in “Hairspray.” “We love Darlene Love. She is so great,” Butler exclaimed.
“We actually did a Tony performance with her for the 20th anniversary of ‘Hairspray’ when it was being honored. It was a fun reunion with Darlene,” she added.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Butler revealed, “Sisterhood.”
Advice for young and aspiring actors
For young and emerging actors, she said, “For actors, find a thing that you are the most embarrassed of or made fun of or that’s different, and embrace it. That is what is going to make you shine later on. That’s your secret sauce. You need to accept all of yourself, that way, the quicker you will get work.”
“Also, don’t take rejection personally. It is not about talent because there are so many talented people out there. Just brush rejection off and know that it’s not about you. The tougher your skin, the more you will get work,” she elaborated.
Superpowers of choice
Her superpowers of choice would be “to be the most amazing gardener so she can feed the world” as well as “to fly.” “If I could fly, I would visit my daughter in college,” she said.
Kerry Butler on success
Regarding her definition of success, she remarked, “Success means achieving your goals and being happy. Finding contentment in life by enjoying the climb and the ride. My goal has always been to be a working actor and that has worked out well for me.”
Closing thoughts on ‘Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now!’
For fans and viewers, Butler concluded about the show, “We hope we can bring people together with this show, and bring them joy, and see each other’s humanity… that is what the world needs more of right now. We want people to feel like they are all connected.”
For more information on “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now!” musical, visit official website.
Read More: “Mama, I’m a Big Girl Now!” review
