Optimistic, curious, adventurous. And also: never complicated. That's how Sutton Foster describes Princess Fred, the character she plays in the new Broadway version of “Once Upon a Mattress.”
Listen to this week's Stagecraft podcast below:
“What’s really fun is I can open my eyes wide and be like, ‘Everything is great!’” Foster said on the new episode of “Stagecraft.” Varieties “I thought, ‘What an interesting way to look at life,’” she continued, adding with a laugh, “It’s basically just an unbalanced version of myself.”
Foster returns to star in “Mattress” after it premiered in January as part of the annual Encores! series in Manhattan’s City Center. During that initial engagement, the actress was also preparing to take on the complex role of Mrs. Lovett in the Broadway revival of “Sweeney Todd.”
“I had just finished learning the role of Sweeney, which was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever learned,” she recalled. “And then — gratefully — I stepped into a role that was about jumping happily and naively into the unknown, which is a unique role. So the character kind of reflects what I’ve been going through in my life.”
Foster's role in “Mattress” was famously created by Carol Burnett. In the new episode of “Stagecraft,” the actress reveals why Burnett's work has influenced her, citing her predecessor's generosity toward other performers and the fact that she “wasn't afraid to be funny.” While discussing Burnett's past roles, Foster also mentioned that she wouldn't mind the chance to take on the role of Miss Hannigan in “Annie” sometime in the future.
She also spoke to listeners about her “side gig as a trainer” — her passion for teaching dance and exercise classes whenever she was available at her fitness studio called The Limit. She was leading multiple classes a week during her hiatus, shortly after starring in “The Music Man” opposite Hugh Jackman.
“I miss that,” she said. “It really teaches you to push yourself to the limit and be able to feel comfortable there. And that goes for life, too. … Now when I feel like I can’t do something, I know I can because I survived teaching six dance and cardio classes a week!”
To hear the full conversation, listen via the link above or download and subscribe to “Stagecraft” on podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Broadway Podcast Network. New episodes of “Stagecraft” are released every two weeks.
