Interview: Melissa Errico on MORE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH and Her Year of Letters and Corsets!
By: Nicole Rosky Dec. 07, 2013
Salon/Sanctuary Concerts presents More Between Heaven and Earth starring Campbell Scott and Melissa Errico. Directed and with a script by Erica Gould, the site-specific music-theatre production will be staged on Sunday, 8 December 2013 at 6pm at Fraunces Tavern at 54 Pearl Street, the oldest structure in Manhattan, built in 1719.
In the show, Campbell Scott plays Thomas Jefferson and Melissa Errico reprises her role as the stunning and trailblazing 18th century Italian singer, composer, and painter Maria Cosway in More Between Heaven and Earth, an original music-theatre work. Sparks flew between the widowed Jefferson and the recently married Maria Cosway when they met in Paris, and their passionate correspondence lasted for almost 40 years. More Between Heaven and Earth incorporates the text of that correspondence, music Maria and Jefferson heard together in Paris, and songs--sung by Errico--that Maria herself composed for Jefferson.
Errico took the time to chat with BroadwayWorld about the couple's romantic relationship, getting to reprise the role, working with Erica Gould, and more. Check out the full interview below!
What can you reveal about this story without giving too much away?
Well these are the verbatim love letters between Thomas Jefferson and Maria Cosway. Some of his published speeches and articles are also in it, but the script is mostly their voluminous 40-year correspondence. It covers the years 1785 through the French Revolution, so into 1824.
You'll hear a lot about Jefferson's ideas that have made him so famous- his really trailblazing ideas. But also, you'll get to hear some things that you might not have realized that he said. You'll hear him writing about how your religion shouldn't dictate your access to public office. He objected having 'Jesus Christ' in government texts, and that was very prevalent in that time. And he actually said that it is because it excluded Jews and Muslims- he actually said that! So he really defends religious rights in general. You get to hear a lot about his sophisticated politics and ideas.
And how does your character fit into all of it?
I play Maria Cosway, who was a very cosmopolitan, sophisticated Anglo-Italian woman. She grew up in Italy- she was a harpist, and a musician, and a painter. Her main thing was that she married well. It was decided that she should marry a wealthy and socially prominent man named Richard Cosway, but she didn't love him. He was twice her age and it was an unhappy marriage.
Maria's husband brought her to Paris, and the famous American painter John Trumbull was also there, and he was friends with Thomas Jefferson. So he fell in love with this stunningly beautiful young woman, and there were a couple of months in Paris when they first met that they were absolutely entranced by each other, and they would frequent these operas and listen to orchestras.
And music from those pieces is incorporated into the production?
Yes, you'll hear me sing her music that she wrote and mailed to Thomas Jefferson from Europe. Plus, you'll get to hear the music that these lovers heard together and feel what it was that they were listening to. I think that's kind of sexy!
Very! You get to perform this in an authentic, 18th century tavern. Have you gotten to check out the venue yet?
Yes, and some of the letters were written in the building that we are performing in! The space that we are performing in on Pearl Street, I went there today, and it was so freaky! There are pictures of George Washington that say things like "Sit where George Washington sat!" It was so groovy! There were sexy people in there, and it's down in the Financial District. I didn't expect to see all of these fun, attractive people having a great lunch [Laughs]
What do you think that audiences will take away from this story?
The centerpiece of the whole thing is that Thomas Jefferson is really humanized in these letters. We all think we know about him, but we see a very vulnerable and fragile side. The whole thing is very funny.
Thomas Jefferson writes a play to her in the very beginning that is a dialogue between his head and his heart. It takes something like five days to read but she reads it all at once. So that sets it off, and all of the letters he sent after that were not as long. She is this funny, Italian woman, and she's never satisfied after getting the big one. She always wants more!
Erica Gould wrote this piece and is directing as well. What has it been like working with her?
Any time that Erica calls me I always say yes. The last thing we did was an opera of The Bonfire of the Vanities and she always does really smart work. She's a writer and director. She constructs concepts so you perform in places that help the material. She loves that. She doesn't care if it doesn't end up in a theatre.
And she's a very interesting person. She's such a great thinker and dramaturg. She's always writing and rewriting as we work, and I think that we go well together because I'm the type of person that will dive in and not ask a lot of questions. I don't stop her.
And of course Campbell Scott is playing opposite you as Jefferson...
I've never worked with him before now. I've done this play before, and I'm the only one in this cast who has. I'm delighted to do it with him though. This role is such a magnet for great actors. Matthew Modine was wonderful in it also. I think we all just become fascinated by what we learn about Thomas Jefferson in this.
Campbell is already totally different, but I LOVED it today. We had a long day of rehearsal.
You also got to star in PASSION recently...
Yes, earlier this year and Passion was all letters- waiting for letters and writing letters. She was a wife and a mother and could not follow through on her feelings. Maybe this is all I do!
Letters are a recurring theme this year!
Yes! Corsets and love letters!
For tickets and more information about the performance, including a post-show dinner with the artists, go to http://www.salonsanctuary.org, or call 1 888 718-4253.
Errico is currently shooting a recurring role on the new Cinemax series "The Knick" with Clive Owen, directed by Stephen Soderbergh which will air in 2014. This year, Melissa was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her performance as Clara in the critically acclaimed revival of "Passion" by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. She has also been seen in guest starring roles on "Blue Bloods" and "The Good Wife." She has played leading ladies on Broadway in My Fair Lady, Dracula, White Christmas, Anna Karenina, Amour (Tony Award nomination for Best Actress), High Society and Les Miserables. Off-Broadway: Importance of Being Earnest, Major Barbara and Candida. Solo CDs include Blue Like That (EMI) and "Melissa Errico- Legrand Affair" conducted by Michel Legrand and produced by Phil Ramone. Melissa has an extensive musical history as a concert performer, and was seen this season at Symphony Space, Wolf Trap and The Tilles Center. She has three daughters, is married to Patrick McEnroe and lives in Little Italy, NYC. Visit www.melissaerrico.com.
Videos