BWW Interviews: Tonya Pinkins, UNPLUGGED and Sizzling; Plays Joe's Pub Tonight

No doubt you've seen Tonya Pinkins perform, somewhere or other. Whether it was in a film, live onstage, or on the small screen (soaps, primetime shows), it's safe to say she's crossed your field of vision through at least one medium. You might call her a triple threat: good actor, good singer, good stand-up comedian. And tonight, June 3 her full repertoire will be on display in UNPLUGGED a performance at Joe's Pub.

"I got started in elementary school," Pinkins said of her introduction to the entertainment arts. "I had one teacher who did theater as a hobby and would run the theater program," she recalled of her early Chicago years. In junior high, she played the role of Golde in Fiddler on the Roof. "We did so much of the classics," she said. "Fiddler, The Miracle Worker, Guys and Dolls - we did them all."

Pinkins can't remember a time when she wasn't juggling painting, story-telling, acting or singing. "I actually have a high amount of energy," she said with a laugh. "I paint, I write. If it's creative then I do it."

She has won the 2012 Lucille Lortel Award, a Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics' Circle and Obie awards. Even Oprah knows she's special. "Tonya Pinkins is one of 10 women in America who will take your breath away," she said.

Many will recognize her from her mesmerizing portrayal in the 2004 Tony Award-winning, Caroline, or Change. Or for her work in Jelly's Last Jam in 1992. Her performance in the indie flick Milk Like Sugar won the 2012 Lucille Lortel Award. And Pinkins recently completed work on John Turturro's upcoming film, Fading Gigolo with Woody Allen.

This multitasking thespian is also the author of, "Get Over Yourself: How to Drop the Drama and Claim the Life You Deserve," a life coach and an activist for women's and children's rights. So, how did she manage to find the time for a gig at Joe's Pub?

Not a problem for a second, she said. "I've been known as the spine-of-steel woman who also has a light comic style," she said. "I think I'll try my standup throughout the concert," she thought out loud. "I'll do songs from shows I probably would never have been chosen for." For someone who seems to defy labels, she's sure been labeled enough. She has been deemed a pop singer, a soul diva, an R&B artist and a Broadway belter. But Pinkins eschews pigeon-holing; she's confident her audience will reach its own conclusion.

"I do characters, so I have lots of voices to play with. I love songs from the American Song Book," she said. "People will have a lot of fun-I plan on doing a variety of things, sexy, powerful to move people, and I also like to surprise people," she added.

"I've sung jazz in Lincoln Center. I've performed in Joe's Pub twice, and I feel like I can cast myself in anything I want," she said with a laugh.

"I like to take chances and pour all my energy out, leaving everything on the stage," she said. "It's good to be boss!"

Tonya Pinkins performs on June 3 at Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St. 7:30 p.m.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski

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