Everybody has a dream role, a once-in-a-lifetime—or possibly never-in-a-lifetime—character that fulfills an actor’s wildest impulses. We asked a handful of this year’s Tony Award-nominated actors, fresh off their success, to weigh in on their ideal stage gig.
Jessica Lange, Leading Actress in a Play, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
“You know, the two that I really wanted to play were Blanche DuBois [in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’] and Mary Tyrone [in ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’]. And now I’ve done those! So I don’t know, I’d have to wait a while and see if something else comes up. But off the top of my head there’s nothing that I’m as passionate about as I was about those two. It so happened to all come about this way.”
Carmen Cusack, Leading Actress in a Musical, “Bright Star”
“I really want to do [Martha in] ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.’ Yes! Why not? Gosh... there are so many, there are just so many.”
Jessie Mueller, Leading Actress in a Musical, “Waitress”
“I feel like the ones I always think of are, hopefully, later in my life. I want to do Rose in ‘Gypsy,’ I think. I want to do Mrs. Lovett [in ‘Sweeney Todd’]. I feel like that’d be fun. It’d be different!”
Cynthia Erivo, Leading Actress in a Musical, “The Color Purple”
“I would like to do something completely original and new. That would be a dream: to be able to sit in the room at the very beginning, the inception of something. I’ve done it before and I like the feeling of it.”
Danielle Brooks, Featured Actress in a Musical, “The Color Purple”
“I like to keep my options open. But I do want to step into an August Wilson play one day. And I’d like to originate roles. I want to do something by a new playwright that no one’s ever seen, a world premiere type of deal. I want to do a play, a straight play. I love musical theater, but it’s a lot of work vocally!”
Jane Krakowski, Featured Actress in a Musical, “She Loves Me”
“A dream role that I could still possibly do is Dot in ‘Sunday in the Park with George,’ if we’re talking musicals. I would like to maybe grow into Mama Rose—‘I hope,’ she says, puff puff with a fake cigarette, ‘that’s many years away!’ I also always wish I’d gotten to play Sally Bowles [in ‘Cabaret’] and Louise in ‘Gypsy.’ ”
Christopher Fitzgerald, Featured Actor in a Musical, “Waitress”
“I don’t really spend a lot of time thinking about that. I love being surprised, I love new things, there’s no big role I’m thinking about. But I would love to keep doing this ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.’ I played Pseudolus [when] we did it at Williamstown Theatre Festival a couple years ago, and then we did it at Two River Theater this past year. It’s basically the all-male version, all men and double cast. The men play all the courtesans and the old lecherous dudes. So that’s something I’m really passionate about. It’s really awesome.”
Saycon Sengbloh, Featured Actress in a Play, “Eclipsed”
“I’ve actually played one of my dream roles—we just need it to come to Broadway or the West End, I guess—and that was Rita Marley, Bob Marley’s wife [in ‘Marley’]. We did it at Baltimore’s Center Stage. They’re tweaking the script and we’ll see what happens.
“Also the movie that I just did, called ‘Double Play.’ I’m this island MILF! I had beautiful children, I had a sexy husband. It was hot and my bosoms were dewy. It was a dream role I never knew I would play. So if I could play that three more times it would be amazing.”
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