Grand Hotel
nytheatre.com q&a preview by Audrey Heffernan Meyer
October 12, 2012
What is your job on this show?
Actor- Grushinskaya.
When did you know you wanted to work in the theater, and why?
I had always loved singing, and my Junior high Choral conductor urged me to tryout for Maria in West Side Story, the school musical. I didn't know I could sing in that legit style, but he did. I got the role and I've been hooked ever since! It brought such joy to me to sing that gorgeous music, feel the depth of the role, and tell the story through the art of that glorious musical!
Why do you do theater (as opposed to film, or TV, or something not in the entertainment field)?
The energy one feels from a live audience, the immediacy of the moments with other actors,the heat of the lights, and the idea of the play taking place in real time makes it such a palpable experience, that I prefer it to the other acting options.
How did you meet your fellow artists/collaborators on this show?
I had heard about this fabulous Troupe of actor /singers who perform Broadway Musicals and Gilbert &Sullivan from my voice teacher.What I loved was that the proceeds from the productions go to charity. I auditioned for the Troupe and went through quite the vetting process before I was admitted. The quality of the voices and productions are extraordinary and the people are charitable and fantastic!
Which “S” word best describes your show: SMOOTH, SEXY, SMART, SURPRISING?
I have to say Grand Hotel is all of those s words! There's an elegance or smoothness to it, the way the show flows , and how it portrays the 1920s in Berlin; It's sexy due to the sensuous characters and various types of lusting after their chosen glory:It's smart with its references to the 1st World War,faded barons and ballerinas, drug addiction, and wall street troubles that haunt the characters; And it has lots of surprise relationships which I won't give away!
Theater is a necessary ingredient in democratic societies. Do you agree or disagree, and why?
Theater is absolutely necessary in a democratic society as one of the most thorough ways for people to express their beliefs, political or otherwise, and to explore the full depth of their emotions while examining the human condition. It's also crucial in education as getting up on one's feet and telling a story of great literature is more indelible for actor and audience than just
reading it.
