Interview: Wife Swap! Rebecca Luker Gets Ready to Take Residence at FUN HOME

Four-time Tony Award nominee Judy Kuhn will temporarily depart FUN HOME this spring to undergo hip surgery, and it's Rebecca Luker to the rescue! On April 5, the three-time Tony Award nominee will take over as the Bechdel family matriarch in the groundbreaking and Tony Award-winning Best Musical.

Luker adds FUN HOME to her long list of Broadway credits, which already includes such favorites as THE SECRET GARDEN, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE MUSIC MAN, MARY POPPINS, CINDERELLA, and many more. Now as she prepares for her latest role, she's checking in with BroadwayWorld to update us on the process so far!

How are rehearsals going?

It's amazing. You know, we're rehearsing on the stage because it's such a complicated "in the round" setup, so, rehearsing in a rehearsal room doesn't work, really. Because of that, I have Wednesdays and the weekends off. So basically I just rehearse Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and they're really being great about packing a lot into those three days, so it's wonderful. Everyone over there is amazing and lovely.

Have you been working directly with Sam [Gold]?

I did! My very first day I was able to spend a couple of hours with Sam, just the two of us, and that was really helpful. And you know, it was just sitting in chairs talking about all the character things, the background of the characters, things that really filled in some spaces for me. And then we did scene work with the understudies. It was a great day. I like Sam a lot.

Yeah I've heard nothing but amazing things about him.

Yeah he's a sweetie. He's clearly very close to this piece, and that means a lot to all of them. They worked very hard to get this musical written. They're very proud of it. My husband Danny [Burstein] did THE CRADLE WILL ROCK with him and Judy Kuhn at City Center, and they had a lot of fun too.

Stepping into a show like this that has had so much acclaim... like that kind of swept the award season last year... is there an extra level of pressure?

[Laughs] Well there is now! You know yes, a little bit, I have to say. I do love this show and I want to live up to its reputation. My husband put it really well yesterday- he said "You know, going into a show like this and replacing is like jumping onto a moving train." And that's exactly what I'm doing, so I have to be way ahead of my game and just be on top of it. And it's a wonderful show where I want to rise to the occasion and support the show and keep it as wonderful as it was, hopefully, for these two months.

I am nervous about it. But I am excited about it, more than nervous.

This show is so special because it really hits home with so many people on so many different levels. What was your reaction to it when you saw it the first time?

Oh my gosh, I just blubbered, you know? I wept. At the end I was so moved. And every single time I've seen the show... I've probably seen it four or five times now because I'm watching and that sort of thing. Every single time it deeply affects me in the end. It can be hysterically funny and silly and it has every emotion, but in the end, what really gets me is that Alison figures out her life and comes to some sort of sweet resolution about her dad and decides to move on. And because it's done by all three Alison's, it's just very moving. And then the score just goes right to my heart, you know?

You mentioned you're already a friend of Judy [Kuhn]'s. Have you discussed the role at all with her?

You know I haven't and I really want to do that! Every time I've been to the theatre I really haven't wanted to bother her. She and Beth Malone share a room and I think "Oh they're getting ready for the show!" But you know what, that's a good idea. I'm gonna find some time to do that with her, because she's so smart and because she created this role. It would be very valuable. She's a great gal!

Have you gotten to work with Michael Cerveris before?

I have! Judy and I and Michael, the three of us, did PASSION together at the Sondheim festival in 2012 at the Kennedy Center. Yeah, it was so much fun. It was a wonderful production. So I had got to know both of them that summer. And since then we've become closer friends.

That's wonderful. So this is kind of like a "full circle" moment in some respects?

Yes, exactly. And I love Michael, he's such a sweetheart. Everybody's been so welcoming, and it's just a dream, really. I heard about the fact that everybody over at Circle in the Square was lovely, but they really are, right down to the last usher.

It's such a small cast, too. It seems like everyone is so tight...

No it's so true. I think they hang outside of work! And the kids are so cute! I'm working with the understudies and all the understudies by the way are excellent. I've seen a lot of them do the show as well. Very, very good.

Well, I want to at least touch on THE SECRET GARDEN production that you did a couple of months ago. And you worked with Gabby [Pizzolo] right?

I did! I met Gabby doing that.

She was wonderful!

She is. Everyone calls her an old soul, and I can understand why. She can have a conversation with anybody at any age about anything. She's very bright and precocious, but not in a coying way, you know? She's still a little girl and she's so sweet and kind and she's the best Mary Lenox ever. I thought she was excellent. I had already seen her do FUN HOME, and so I came in with a huge respect for her, and we talked about that. And I enjoyed it very much.

That's terrific.

Yeah, you saw her do SECRET GARDEN, right?

I did! And seeing you do it was just so special!

Oh, thank you! I had such a great time revisiting it. It was just a gift, you know?

This whole season is big for your whole family because your husband is performing right down the street from you. That must add an extra level of excitement, being on Broadway at the same time, right?

Yes, it is. That's happened to us throughout our lives, and it's nice that it's happening again, even if it's just for a few months. He's like three blocks away, but my show comes down an hour before his does, so... it's so funny. By the way, I never get shows that don't have intermissions and don't run three hours, so for me, this is amazing! I'm very excited about that.

You have about two weeks now till performances start, right?

Oh lord, yes April 5th. How many days is that? [Laughs] That's coming right up.

What are you most looking forward to?

Well I'm looking forward to getting the first couple of shows under my belt, because after that I'll be fine. I mean I'll be fine on my first night, but you know, doing theatre in the round... it's different. People are right there by you, they're all around you, it's scary. I'm just looking forward to performing it for an audience, to tell you the truth. And hearing their reactions, and having that help me in my performance. I'm just looking forward to making the journey with these actors for two months and I just really feel so honored to be a part of it. I'm very excited.

The current cast of Fun Home includes two-time Tony Award-winner Michael Cerveris, four-time Tony Award nominee Judy Kuhn, 2015 Tony Award nominee Beth Malone, Lauren Patten, Gabriella Pizzolo, Roberta Colindrez, Zell Steele Morrow, Joel Perez and Oscar Williams, along with Alessandra Baldacchino, Kally Duling, Presley Ryan, Perry Sherman, Jim Stanek, and Nicole Van Giesen.

FUN HOME introduces us to Alison at three different ages, revealing memories of her uniquely dysfunctional family - her mother, brothers and volatile, brilliant, enigmatic father - that connect with her in surprising new ways. This intimate and emotional theatrical experience is performed entirely in the round, bringing audiences closer to Alison's story than ever before. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Fun Home is a refreshingly honest, wholly original musical about seeing your parents through grown-up eyes.