An Interview with Faith Prince

Currently on tour with Tom Wopat in "Over the Rainbow", a centennial national-tour celebration of the music of Harold Arlen, this represents only one of the many irons that Tony-winner Faith Prince has in the fire.

The "Over the Rainbow" tour of Harold Arlen's music has canvassed the country over a six week period as the two stars bring the music of Harold Arlen across the country. "For me, Harold Arlen is one of America's finest composers of standards" explains Faith, "but he probably hasn't had as much publicity as Gershwin or Cole Porter. I think what people realize from this evening is how much material he has and how great his music is. It's really a part of America's heritage."

The tour isn't the first time that Faith and Tom Wopat have worked together, and for her, the reunion is a happy one. "Tom and I have the same manager, and we've worked together a couple of times (and always get along) so we were looking for something to do together. When the Harold Arlen centennial came up, we thought this might be a good thing."

Sometimes being on tour can strain even the closest of friendships, but the two are still getting along. "Working with Tom again is fantastic, because we have great chemistry together. It's a lot of fun, and we're both pretty easy going and like to have a good time so it's a good match. It's always great when you can work with someone like that."

Though no stranger to singing on stage, or in concert, this is the first major tour that Faith has embarked on. So what has the experience been like? "Well, it's really been different for me, because it's a lot looser than a Broadway show, or my one woman show, or a symphony show so it's been an educational experience - a fun educational experience."

On the tour, which runs through late February (click here for tour dates) Faith gets to wrap her voice around such standards as "Man That Got Away," "A Sleepin' Bee," "Get Happy," "Down with Love" and other Arlen hits. Together with Tom, the two duet on tunes including "Let's Fall in Love," "Any Place I Hang My Hat is Home," and "Come Rain or Come Shine."

With hits like that, it's no wonder that audiences have been more than responsive to their concerts. "The audience response has been fantastic with standing o's every night. It's such great music that I think it's kind of a no-brainer for people to enjoy it."

Prior to the tour, Faith filmed several lauded episodes playing the recurring role of "Kelly" on the critically acclaimed Showtime series "Huff" which stars Hank Azaria.

Hired initially to play a small part on the show, producers saw her fabulous on screen chemistry with Oliver Platt, and immediately signed the actress up for more. "Oliver and I had worked on stage together before, and we have a lot of chemistry together. They hired me just to do a one-shot thing, and the show's executive producer pulled me aside after we filmed the one show and as I was telling him how much I liked the show, and how smart it was, he told me that he had an idea."

Not only did they bring her back – but they brought her back pregnant as a featured character. "They're going to have me back next season too," explains Faith "and I would have never imagined this storyline going where it has based on what I did the first week."

The level of writing talent that cable shows have attracted these days is an often-discussed topic in the world of theater, and Faith weighed in on the subject as well. "The writers today on some of these cable shows are just amazing. I suppose that that they had to go somewhere, and it's almost like they're starting their own commune. It's a shame that they're not doing theater, but this is some of the best television that I've ever had written for me."

Continuing her professionally packed year, Faith has also filmed a part in the independent film "Our Very Own" currently in post-production, opposite Allison Janney, Cheryl Hines, and Keith Carradine. "Cameron Watts wrote and directed the film which was set in Tennessee."

A Georgia-native, the film also represented a return home. "It was fun for me, because I'm from the South, but never get to play Southern characters, and it was a fantastic character part for me. She's the president of the Woman's Club, and she's in charge in Town Hall, so she's one of 'those women.' I got to go back into my roots and to pull out all those characters I grew up with which was fantastic. It was such a great set to be on, and we had a really wonderful time during the summer."

The year's certainly been an interesting one for Faith who moved to Los Angeles a year ago to take on more TV and film projects, but she's always interested in a return to the stage. "Concerts are so important to me these days because I'm always in need of a 'live fix.' I've been doing theater for 25 years now, and it really is just a part of me. I'd absolutely love to come back to Broadway with the right project, I think I just needed to take a break to gain perspective, but I'd definitely come in for something I was right to do, and wanted to do."

One of the lesser known tidbits about Faith Prince's career is how she was actually the original cast star for the original Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors. "I had gotten hired to do it at the WTA, and I couldn't take it because I had an IBM industrial I couldn't get out of. I tried to, but I wasn't able because it was only in my contract that I could get out for a TV pilot or for a Broadway show, so I couldn't do it. I went off and did the industrial, and they cast Ellen Greene, who I then wound up replacing in New York and in LA. I think it was probably the best for me, and I remember thinking that 'I guess it's just not my time.' It's a similar role though to Guys and Dolls and I probably wouldn't have done Adelaide if I had starred in Little Shop, so it all worked out for the best. You just have to go with it!"

In Guys and Dolls which of course she won the Tony for, she also had the opportunity to work with Nathan Lane for the second time in her career, the first being Bad Habits in 1991 at the Manhattan Theatre Club, an experience she also looks back on fondly. "Nathan is fantastic, and he definitely has very high standards, just like I do. When you start working with him, he sort of puts you through a little test, and if you pass it, he gives you everything. He comes into the read-through with all of his lines memorized, which is not how everyone works – I don't work that way… I have to feel my way through, and work my way through, and I memorize my lines naturally, but he's right off the book from the very beginning. He's of course got a strong personality, but once he can see that you can hit the ball back – it's game on! It's so exciting when things come together like that.

Her ideal return to Broadway would be in a new part written for her, but there are a few revival parts that she's always wanted to try including Ms. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Hello Dolly! and Mame.

Those wanting to hear Faith sing more Broadway tunes (and soon!) aren't out of luck though, because she returns to the studio this spring to record a new CD, her second. "My first CD was a live album at Joe's Pub, and I've really grown to love the concert part of my career so I'm going to make a big-band symphonic Broadway album. I'll be doing that in LA with a writer named Gordin Goodwin who's got his own big band called the Big Phat Band."

The song choices haven't been finalized yet, but it is going to be all Broadway tunes, and she throws out CDs like Linda Ronstadt's "Lush Life" album written by Nelson Riddle, and Natalie Cole's "Unforgettable," but of course with all Broadway music instead.

Summing up the past year of her life, Faith says "What's fun for me is to grow and change, and to go into different areas. It's still the industry, but it's different forms of it, and who knows where I'll morph to next?"

Where she goes, we'll be following her along with her many fans.