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Interview with Andrea Rivette, Sacramento's 'Fantine'
By: Pati Buehler Jul. 14, 2007
After touring the country with Broadway's Jekyll & Hyde, playing the role Dr. Jekyll's upper crust fiancée Emma, and Ellen, the wife of an American GI in Miss Saigon, Andrea Rivette admits she is in heaven playing the role of Fantine in the Sacramento Music Theater's production of Les Miserables.
Andrea is proud to have been associated with the Miss Saigon production for five years. She can be seen playing the role of Emma opposite David Hasselhoff as Jekyll and Hyde on the DVD release of Frank Wildhorn's production of Jekyll and Hyde. Her other favorite shows are Show Boat (Magnolia), Yeston/Kopit's Phantom and The Fantasticks (Luisa). I had the chance to pull Andrea from her busy opening to spend a bit of time getting to know her. Pati Buehler: Please tell us about your experiences any of the roles you've played, including Ellen in Miss Saigon and Emma in Jekyll and Hyde.
Andrea Rivette: Miss Saigon was my first big break right after I moved to NYC! I understudied Ellen for a year and 10 months on the road, then got transferred to the Broadway company to cover for 9 months before finally taking over the role of Ellen for a year and 9 months on the road! I LOVED that show A LOT. While I DID love the show, I secretly wished that the creative team would allow me to transfer over to Les Miz! It has always been my dream to be in Les Miz. A lot of people had the chance to do both shows since the singing styles are so similar. Jekyll and Hyde was neat because I didn't HAVE an audition for it! I didn't want to go out on the road again! My husband, Charles Pistone, had the audition and long story short, my headshot fell out of his audition book onto the floor; that is when the director took notice of me. He asked Charlie if I could sing! (laughing). I was originally called in for Lucy and got called back three times but at my final callback I said "I am really more vocally suited to Emma". I guess they agreed because 3 callbacks later, I landed the role that I did for a year on the road starring Chuck Wagner and then a year on Broadway. I loved singing Frank Wildhorn's music every night.
Andrea Rivette: Miss Saigon was my first big break right after I moved to NYC! I understudied Ellen for a year and 10 months on the road, then got transferred to the Broadway company to cover for 9 months before finally taking over the role of Ellen for a year and 9 months on the road! I LOVED that show A LOT. While I DID love the show, I secretly wished that the creative team would allow me to transfer over to Les Miz! It has always been my dream to be in Les Miz. A lot of people had the chance to do both shows since the singing styles are so similar. Jekyll and Hyde was neat because I didn't HAVE an audition for it! I didn't want to go out on the road again! My husband, Charles Pistone, had the audition and long story short, my headshot fell out of his audition book onto the floor; that is when the director took notice of me. He asked Charlie if I could sing! (laughing). I was originally called in for Lucy and got called back three times but at my final callback I said "I am really more vocally suited to Emma". I guess they agreed because 3 callbacks later, I landed the role that I did for a year on the road starring Chuck Wagner and then a year on Broadway. I loved singing Frank Wildhorn's music every night.
PB: RE: Jekyll & Hyde: You are the only actress to have played Emma opposite almost every Jekyll/Hyde. What was that like? Any special moments?
AR: Well, besides having Chuck as my full time Henry on the road, my favorite days were matinees on Broadway when I got to perform with Joe Mahowald and Rob Evan. I missed Chuck very much. I was and still am very good friends with him. As far as having the distinction of performing with pretty much every JH...well, I didn't really even realize that until you brought it up! I wish I had had the opportunity to have done the role with Bob Cuccioli, because I really like him. I have met him a couple of times and he is a really nice guy. I will get to perform with him in a concert of Show Boat this fall, when I will be playing Julie! We won't get to really do anything together but I am so looking forward to working with him.
The most special moment I had during JH was probably my last night on tour when Chuck Wagner announced to the audience that it was my last night with the show because I was going to Broadway. I felt like the audience was really behind me and happy to be "in" on something so special! It got me very excited! PB: Who/what inspired you to become an actress and who do you look up to either in this profession or otherwise for your support?
AR: I was a real theater brat. My dad was/is and actor and director and was always doing something at the theater. My step dad did a lot of scenery work, and my mom ran the business office and box office areas of the theater. I did everything I could at the theater too! My main love was always performing. I had started out as a ballet dancer and when I was 13. I had the opportunity to be in Carousel and was featured as a dancer but I really realized that singing was my passion. I gave up ballet but never stopped thinking about becoming a professional actress. Judy Kuhn was a HUGE influence on me as far as singing style. I think she is just the best! I guess you can say I look up to her in a way. My family is who I look to for support...always! I have an amazing group of people around me as far as my family and friends! I am very blessed!
PB: If you're comfortable, tell us about your physical setback and what it took to come back into this business?
AR: I have Grave's disease which is a thyroid disorder. Left untreated, it can kill you. I was misdiagnosed for a long time. I started missing shows a lot because I just felt so sick all of the time and so tired! I wasn't diagnosed for another year after JH closed. I was so relieved to know that I wasn't CRAZY! I was also relieved to know that I wasn't dying! I truly felt that bad.
As far as my future plans in the business. That isn't 100% up to me! I wish I could just do Les Miz for the rest of my life! I guess, I will just continue to audition and hope for the best!
PB: You mentioned that Fantine was one of your "dream roles," what are your enjoying about this all of this and the production?
AR: I love everything about this entire experience. The people, the facility, the weather! LOL! I used to be very sad that I hadn't had the opportunity to do this role on Broadway or even the tour. It is just a reinforcement of my philosophy that everything happens just as it should. There is a reason that I am doing Les Miz now, at this theater and with these people. It is an experience that will stay with me forever. It is by far the best theatrical experience of my career. I have never worked with a nicer production team, administrative staff and cast ..ever.. This is the most supportive environment I have come across in this business. Plus I get to sing the most gorgeous music I have ever had the honor of singing. Honestly, I could play Fantine forever. I wish our show was a package and we could just travel it to other theaters! I would love to do the show at a couple of other theaters that are doing it. There is a lot of competition to be in this show right now because only 8 regional theaters were given the rights at this time. So I feel like a gift has been handed to me and I am cherishing every single second!
PB: Any advice to young actresses as to theater as a career?
AR: Do whatever you can in any theater or school program around you. Be involved and learn all you can about every aspect of the theater. It will give you an appreciation for all that goes on around you. Too many actors don't realize how hard the work is for everyone else around them! Follow your dream and believe in yourself. If there is something else you feel inclined to do, maybe you should think about doing that. Not because I believe people won't make it, but because I think that you have to want this life very badly in order to really succeed. There are a lot of sacrifices to be made when you're living a life in the theater. You have to be sure you love it more than anything else. This is just my opinion of course, but I believe that you have to want it so much that you absolutely can not see yourself doing anything else. It makes it easier to keep pushing through when things aren't always going the way you want them to because you're not beating yourself up thinking "I SHOULD have gone to law school!" You don't do that sort of thing when theater is all you REALLY want. You just say "ok...what audition is next?"
PB: What are your future theatrical plans?
AR: As far as my future plans in the business. That isn't 100% up to me! I wish I could just do Les Miz for the rest of my life! I guess, I will just continue to audition and hope for the best!
PB: Andrea, I wish you continued good health and success. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your run with Les Miserables.
Photo credits: Andrea Rivette as Fantine (Sacramento's Les Miserables production photos by Charr Crail); photo: Chuck Wagner (Dr. Jekyll) and Andrea (Emma) from Jekyll and Hyde from www.chuckwagner.com
Interview with Brad Little, Sacramento's Javert:
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