Lauren Chanel and the corporate of the North American Tour of Jagged Little Pill. Photo by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade
With the unique Broadway production of Jagged Little Pill having been shut down resulting from rising COVID-19 cases in 2021, the Alanis Morrissette-inspired musical is not any stranger to setbacks. And so, when a technical difficulty on opening night on the Windfall Performing Arts Center interrupted the North American Tour version of the show not once, but twice in the course of the first act, the solid and crew did every little thing they may behind the scenes to make the show go on. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be and ultimately the decision was made to cancel for the night.
Nevertheless it wasn’t all rain in your wedding day: that night, theater goers were treated to an impromptu stage appearance by the lead actress, Heidi Blickenstaff, between the pauses. She hosted a casual Q&A, offered insight into Alanis Morrisette’s heavy involvement within the musical’s development, and even led the theater in singing completely satisfied birthday to an audience member.
“I used to be completely satisfied to do it because I used to be eager about if I were within the audience, what would keep me engaged?” she says.
Blickenstaff also revealed on stage that this isn’t the primary time she’s had a ‘memorable’ experience within the Creative Capital. She last visited twenty-five years ago as a part of the touring solid of Dream Girls, but a family emergency called her back to California for a couple of days in the course of the looks. Fortunately, though, every little thing turned out okay and she or he was in a position to return to Windfall to complete the show.
“I didn’t get to explore last time, but I’m hoping to get to during our time without work in the following couple days. I’m looking forward to creating calmer memories!” she says with amusing.
Blickenstaff and the remainder of the solid are also looking forward to putting on the complete production for Rhode Islander audiences.
“I feel like that’s the fantastic thing about live theater, you never know what you’re going to get,” says Dillon Klena (who, fun fact, is the second member of his family to tackle the respect of playing Nick Healy within the show). “[Tuesday] night, especially, with the technical difficulties — I do know as a solid backstage we were all attempting to make it work and work out a way that we could placed on the show that may be helpful to everyone within the audience in addition to us as performers. Seeing the camaraderie between everybody attempting to work together to do that, it made me excited for [Wednesday night]. I’m excited to get to do the show and provides the audience the show they deserve.”
Dillon Klena and company of the North American Tour of Jagged Little Pill – photo by Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade, 2022
Directed by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus and written by Tony and Academy Award-winning author Diablo Cody, Jagged Little Pill follows the peerlessly imperfect Healy family because the 4 members navigate their very own personal challenges — from opioid addiction to societal pressures to racial and sexual identity — all set to the tune of a few of Morrissette’s biggest hits in addition to recent songs she penned only for the show. The play has been nominated for a season record of fifteen Tony Awards following its Broadway premiere, and the Recent York Times says it, “stands alongside the unique musicals which have sustained the perfect hopes of Broadway.”
Blickenstaff, who plays matriarch Mary Jane Healy, says those not as acquainted with the play are sometimes surprised to search out that it doesn’t follow Alanis Morrissette’s life. In reality, it was something the star was adamant about from the beginning of the project.
“It was talked about because her life is so fascinating, but she wanted it to be a totally invented story about very real issues all of us face as humans,” Blickenstaff says. “The story of the Healys is a compelling story in that it’s an American family that appears perfect on the skin, but there’s so much going improper on the within that they’re all hiding and never coping with. As an actor, to have the option to dive into a personality like Mary Jane who’s so complicated… I’ve said this before, but I don’t know that I’ll ever have the option to play a meatier role. I get to do every little thing: I feel every emotion, I pull out every trick in my bag of tricks, and it’s a privilege to not only get to make use of a lot of myself as an artist but additionally to inform this story because I feel plenty of people can discover with it.”
Jordan Leigh McCaskill, Chris Hoch and Heidi Blickenstaff within the North American Tour of Jagged Little Pill – photo by Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade, 2022
She goes on to say that many audience members are sometimes surprised by the musical’s deep subject material.
“We go to some pretty dark places. Quite a lot of people are available not knowing what the story is about in any respect, and so they come out going, ‘I had no idea what I used to be in for.’ Nevertheless it’s cathartic for people because you may’t help but see yourself in these characters. Which is great, I really like with the ability to share that.”
As a self-proclaimed hardcore Alanis Morrissette fan from day one, this chance has essentially been a dream come true for Blickenstaff.
“When her album got here out twenty-six years ago now, I immediately latched on to it — it was like someone had written music to my journal. I felt so connected to every little thing she was saying. To listen to a lady my age rage and just be incredibly deeply thoughtful about things… I had at all times been a fan of female singer/songwriters, rock musicians, folk artists, but there was something about Alanis that tapped into something personal,” she says. “Then, when this chance got here up, I couldn’t imagine my loves of musicals and rock music got here crashing together. After which I got to be the person to sing this amazing rating — I feel really lucky.”
As for her favorite Alanis song and her favorite song to perform within the musical, they’re one in the identical. Ironic, some might say, considering it isn’t a track from the unique Jagged Little Pill album.
“’Uninvited’ was certainly one of the one songs that we took from a special place that Alanis wanted to incorporate within the show, and thank god because I’ve at all times loved ‘Uninvited,’” Blickenstaff says.
Heidi Blickenstaff, Allison Sheppard and Jena VanElslander within the North American Tour of Jagged Little Pill. Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade, 2022.
“Once we get to that a part of the show, it’s very intense and scary for me to do as a performer since it’s incredibly vulnerable. It’s unexpected and type of haunting. I really like doing that each night, and I get to do it with one other singer /actor who’s exquisite and plays my doppelgänger. We find yourself wrestling one another for my soul. It’s something else.”
You’ll be able to see for yourself on the Windfall Performing Arts Center now through January 22 — tickets are still available here. For any ticket holders who were at Tuesday night’s canceled show and who need to catch a remaining performance, PPAC encourages you to call the Box Office at 401-421-2787 to exchange your tickets as soon as possible. If you happen to don’t contact the Box Office by Friday, January 19, your January seventeenth ticket shall be fully refunded.
