Interview: Alysha Umphress Talks Paper Mill's PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES

Alysha Umphress (Broadway's ON THE TOWN, AMERICAN IDIOT) will star as Rhetta in Paper Mill Playhouse's spring musical, PUMP BOYS AND DINETTES, running eight times a week from April 6 through May 1, 2016. Directed by John Foley with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter, the show is a musical celebration of life‚ love‚ Dolly Parton‚ and catfish!

Today, Umphress speaks exclusively with BWW about why her character Rhetta is "a kick in the pants!"

Were you familiar with the show prior to joining the cast?

Not really. I knew some of the music from it and I had seen one production of it, so I was a little familiar with it but not like I knew it like the back of my hand.

I understand you had to learn to play the cheese grater for your role?

[laughing] Yes, actually I learned to play a lot of percussion instruments in the show. I play the whisk and cheese grater, which has kind of a washboard effect, and I play a lot of pots and pans. I'm actually drumming, except instead of drums it's kitchen items!

You just can't get out of the kitchen. First you loved to cook in ON THE TOWN and now this!

Exactly - it must be a conspiracy. And the funny thing is, I'm not a great cook, I'm okay, but not great.

What did learning to play these different forms of percussion entail?

Well John [Foley] the director kind of let us do our own thing with it, he was like 'just have fun.' But then we also have a little bit of structure, just because Julie [Foldesi] and I are not natural drummers, so we were given some ideas and suggestions and I will say it gets easier every day, once you get the hang of it. And I'm getting more confident. Not to say my drum skills are amazing, but they're definitely serviceable I'd say.

And all the other actors are also playing instruments in the show.

Yes, everybody else plays proper instruments, so they are trained and excel at them, including Julie. Because normally 'The Dinettes' don't play instruments besides pots and things, but Julie who plays Prudie, is playing the harmonica, which she learned for the show, the accordion, which she learned for the show and then she's also playing guitar, which she has played before. So I'm really the only person who's in the back banging on assorted pots and pans. Everybody else is really playing real things, but you know, what can you do!

Have you ever been in a production like this before?

Well yes, AMERICAN IDIOT was very much like that, although we also had a band on top of the guys playing in that show. But this one is all self-contained, so they are the band. And actually tech has been fairly easy breezy, but it's also been interesting because most of what we stop for is instrumental stuff, like 'I can't hear enough of this sound' or 'I need more guitar,' or 'this sounds muddy, can we change that?' So that's been interesting because I just sit back and go 'I'm fine, I can hear myself'! But it's going to be great, it's a really fun show. And I think once we're in front of an audience, that's sort of the seventh character in the show, it's going to be great.

I understand there is some improvisation involved.

Yeah, we totally get to improvise a little bit. And there's a little bit of audience participation, not a lot, nothing scary, but the entire show is breaking the fourth wall as it were, so that's why it's sort of vital that on opening night we'll be like 'oh my God, here's the show!' It's exciting.

Can you talk a little bit about your character Rhetta?

Yes, Rhetta's a kick in the pants. She doesn't take no shit, from nobody. She dates Jim, sort of the lead of the Pump Boys, and she has two kids from a prior relationship and Jim is sort of the father figure in their lives They're always getting into it and fighting, but it's very playful and James Barry, who plays Jim, is just fabulous and so much fun to work off of.

Can you relate to her?

Oh yeah, from the minute I got the part I felt that Rhetta is so in my wheelhouse, it's like I don't even have to try! She's very sassy, she's very self-assured, she loves her sister, although she is a little more of the domineering one, whereas her sister is a little bit sweeter, but yeah, I identify with her in more ways than I can imagine, except for the kids, I don't have kids.

The show is based on real life experiences of the writers, so is Rhetta based on an actual person?

Well I think she probably comes a little from Cass Morgan, who originally played her, and I'm sure there are aspects of the creators in all of these characters. And it's interesting because I think they are all going to be there on opening night so that's a little bit unnerving to perform this for the people who created it.

Is this your first experience performing at Paper Mill?

It is and I'm very excited. I've seen a bunch of shows there over the years but this is the first time I've been in one and I'm stoked to try it all out. But they are so professional, everyone is so nice it's been great.

What has it been like to work with this talented cast?

Everybody has been super great to work with. No egos, it's been a great experience thus far and I feel really lucky to be working with everybody. They are all interested in making the show the best that it can be - and to have fun. And that's exactly what this show is, fun. I can't imagine that you would leave the theater not feeling great!

ABOUT THE SHOW: Paper Mill Playhouse is proud to premiere its spring musical, Pump Boys and DinettesThis Tony Award nominee features James Barry (Jim), Gabe Bowling (Jackson), Julie Foldesi (Prudie), Jason Ostrowski (L.M.), Alysha Umphress (Rhetta) and Sam Weber (Eddie). Pump Boys and Dinettes is conceived and written by John Foley, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Cass Morgan, John Schimmel and Jim Wann. Pump Boys and Dinettes will be directed by John Foley with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter. Pump Boys and Dinettes will run eight times a week at the Millburn, New Jersey, theater from April 6 through May 1, 2016.