BWW Interviews: THE john & jen CHRONICLES, Part Three - Martha Wilkinson

Mention "Martha" to Nashville theatre insiders and they instantly know of whom you speak. She is the diva of all Nashville divas, the doyenne of musical comedy in Music City, and the object of ardor and affection for scores of gay men in the Volunteer State and beyond.

"Martha" is Martha Wilkinson, an actress who's been on the scene for more than 20 years, performing on stages all over town, racking up glowing notices other actresses would kill for, carting off nine - count 'em, nine! - First Night Awards, being named the Nashville Scene's best actress, ranking atop Nashville.BroadwayWorld.com's year-end review for 2009, and winning hearts every time she walks onstage.

What Martha Stewart is to homekeeping, what Meryl Streep is to Oscar nominations and what Bette Midler is to millions of budding gay boys the world over...that's what Martha Wilkinson is to Nashville theatre.

She is, quite frankly, a force of nature who reminds me that I once wrote in a review that I wished I could be her. Well, hell, who wouldn't? And even today I'd probably do some sorta Freaky Friday switch with her given the chance.

Martha is the quintessential triple threat: a singer, an actress, a dancer - and she does it all marvelously, while looking damn good. She's played some of the most challenging, and most coveted, roles in musical theatre: Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Rizzo in Grease (as Rizzo she played alongside Alice Ripley as Sandy - the same Alice Ripley who last year won the Tony Award as best actress in a musical for her work in Next to Normal. While Ripley had some free time from her work as a Hee Haw Honey on the syndicated cornfest that was Hee Haw, she trod the boards for Tennessee Repertory Theatre. But it was Martha Wilkinson who won the lion's share of stellar reviews for that production of Grease.), Roxie Hart in Chicago, Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, Nellie Forbush in South Pacific - well, those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head and that list doesn't include the archetypal roles she's played in straight plays, like Emily Webb in Our Town. Her resume is staggering in its depth.

Apparently, she never rests. Witness our interview last week, only ten days before the opening of her latest theatrical endeavor - john & jen, opening Thursday, February 4, for a three-week run at Backstage at the Barn - with her co-star Patrick Waller and musical director Tim Fudge in tow. The purpose? An interview about the trio's work on the Andrew Lippa-Tom Greenwald musical.

More often than not, Waller and Fudge (and yes, even me) watched in awestruck amazement as Wilkinson morphed from one hilarious characterization to another, entertaining and performing along the way. Yet never forgetting the task at hand: Promoting john & jen.

It's who she is - she's a larger than life personality who understands her audience, who trusts her instincts (for the most part) and who knows her strengths, as well as her weaknesses. With every role she plays, she goes for broke, testing her own limits, pushing the envelope and taking her rapt audience along for the ride. While some actresses walk that same tightrope and fall flat, Martha soars. Although she may come perilously close to the ground with some choices, she never falls.

How does she do it? Clearly, it's her self-awareness: Every character she plays is grounded in reality.

"I first did john & jen at Tibbitts Opera House in 2003 - a ten-performance run with Kevin Thornton as John," she recalls. "I wanted to come back and do the show immediately here in Nashville, with the same musicians, but it just couldn't happen then. But the timing is right now."

Lippa and Greenwald's chamber musical focuses on the tumultuous relationship between a brother and sister (John and Jen) and later on Jen's relationship with her own son, also named John. It's a heartfelt script, accompanied by a memorable score that exemplifies the notion that characters in musical theatre burst into song when their emotions can only appropriately and justifiably be expressed in that manner.

"I like the idea that this musical is not typically boy meets girl," Martha explains. "Obviously, I love musicals, and this one really speaks to me."

Of john & jen, she contends that she loves the contemporary sound of Lippa's music and the element added by Greenwald's script which focuses on the language and emotion of the piece.

"This exploration of this kind of familial relationship (brother and sister, then mother and son) I find extremely intriguing and unique and of course, put it to music and you got me," she says. "Musical theatre is my my passion. A musical is very much a living art form - possessing a brain, a heart and courage. The brain being its intelligence and style, the heart being the genuineness and honesty with which it's performed and the courage or "guts" to do something exciting and different with it.

"To me, john & jen has all these qualities and hopefully Patrick and I can bring it to a fully realized wonderful life."

It was Wilkinson's idea to bring the show to the Nashville stage in the current production being readied for opening night, so she approached Johnny Peppers with the idea of producing the show through his company, 3Ps Productions.

"I could think of no other person I'd rather perform it with than Patrick Waller. During Sweeney Todd we had such a great time working together and developed this truly wonderful bond and mutual respect for each other as performers and friends. That's one of the perks of performing: you meet some of your best friends in life while doing what you love."

Theatre is certainly what Martha loves best, although over the years she's become an accomplished businessperson and arts administrator. As artistic director for Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, she annually selects 10 to 12 shows for the venue, lending her expertise to the hiring of directors, conducting auditions and selecting actors for the productions, as well as working on the technical aspects of the shows.

She credits the largesse of Janie and John Chaffin, the people who put the "Chaffin" in Chaffin's Barn, for their support of 3Ps Production's staging of john & jen. "They've been exceptionally supportive of this effort and have helped out in countless ways," she says. "They couldn't have done more for us, quite honestly."

- john & jen. Music by Andrew Lippa. Lyrics by Tom Greenwald. Book by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald. Directed by Martha Wilkinson. Musical direction by Tim Fudge. Presented by 3Ps Productions, produced by Johnny Peppers. Starring Martha Wilkinson and Patrick Waller. February 4-20. At Backstage at the Barn at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, 8204 Highway 100, Nashville. For reservations, call (615) 646-9977. Tickets are $25; house opens at 7 p.m., with curtain at 8 p.m. No buffet is included, but dessert and bar service are offered.

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