Interview: Tony Award-Winner Beth Leavel Takes The Stage At The Blue Strawberry This October

The Blue Strawberry welcomes Broadway and Muny veteran Beth Leavel for two cabaret performances on October 21st and 22nd. Broadway World had the opportunity to sit down with her and chat about her upcoming shows. She shared, “the audience will get to hear stories and songs from my sordid career.” Leavel continued, “there will be moments that will surprise you and some stories that you haven’t heard before that have actually happened.” She added the show is filled with lots of laughs and some great showtunes.

In addition to Leavel’s storied Broadway career, she has been performing locally at The Muny since earning her Actor’s Equity Card 35-years ago. She said, “It was my first fancy job. I understudied Lucie Arnaz in I DO! I DO! I also did a chorus part in THE KING AND I and have been trying to come back every summer since.” She warmly mentions St. Louis and The Muny as her theatre home away from home. She said, “If I get a job offer, even to go to Broadway, I consider what is happening at The Muny and think about taking a break to go back and work in St. Louis.” She attributes her connection to the strong sense of community that she feels along with all of the St. Louisans. “I’m looking forward to bringing my cabaret show and sharing some music, stories, and laughs with the St. Louis audiences,” she shared.

Leavel continued that cabaret performing was never really in her wheelhouse when she was invited to perform at Feinstein’s 54 Below in New York City. It was right after she had won the Tony Award for THE DROWSY CHAPERONE that she was asked to develop her own show. She spoke of the fear of having to be herself on stage without a character to hide behind in a full-scale production. She said, “It was terrifying.” Leavel told Broadway World, “I have a fantastic musical director and we would sit around and talk about the tone and what we really wanted to achieve.” Working together they wanted to create a show that was entertaining, and that would build a relationship with the audience. Her solo-show performance has morphed and grown over time, but she has kept the things that really resonate with the audience.

Leavel has been acting on Broadway for decades, performing in thirteen Broadway shows. She shared that the work that has really stuck with her includes her Tony winning role as Beatrice Stockwell in THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. It was her sixth Broadway show after working for many years and, it was that performance that took her career to another level. She added that playing Mama Rose in GYPSY at The Muny was also career defining. Leavel shared that the part of Mama Rose is like the King Lear of roles for a musical theatre actress. Critics called her performance ‘a powerhouse’ and said that ‘she owned the show as Rose.’ Finally, she shared that she really loved working on THE PROM, because “I realized that we have the privilege and ability to change lives with our storytelling.” She called the response that THE PROM is getting heartwarming. She proudly explained that there are now over two hundred productions of the show being performed across the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Tickets for Beth Leavel’s performances at Blue Strawberry can be purchased by clicking the link below. She said that it feels like she is coming home. Leavel added, “Doing this cabaret show is really a blast. It is really fun, and I want the audience to feel like they’re in my living room hearing stories.” Blue Strawberry is located at 364 Boyle Avenue in Midtown St. Louis. For more information visit bluestrawberrystl.com.

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