Interview: Theatre Life with Roz Ryan

Today's subject has been living her theatre life onstage and on screen for 40 years now. You might know Roz Ryan from the hit television show Amen, but for the past eighteen years she has been playing the keeper of the keys Matron "Mama" Morton in the hit musical Chicago either on Broadway or on tour. She is the longest running actress ever to play the role since joining the show in 1999. You can see Roz in action here in DC when Chicago heats up the Kennedy Center from April 4th to the 16th.

Chicago is not the only time Roz has appeared on Broadway; other Broadway credits include One Mo' Time, Dreamgirls, The Pajama Game, A Christmas Carol, Ain't Misbehavin', and Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson. Her many film credits include Coney Island, Cotton Club and The Invention of Living. Her voice has been heard on many animated cartoon series, including Scooby Doo!! and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Besides Amen, you might have seen Roz on the television series Barbershop or Good News.

There are performers who play roles forever and it's quite obvious when they get bored and tired of the role. Roz Ryan's Mama Morton goes against this prevailing trend. No matter how many times I've seen her play the show, her energy is always 150 percent. That proves that Roz is living her theatre life to the fullest in every city she plays.

If you've seen the show before, it's even more relevant now so it's definitely worth a repeat visit. Roz Ryan has been good to you all these years, now it's your turn to give her some love. Check out Chicago at Kennedy Center in April and all that jazz...Hotcha!!

How did you get interested in theatre?

I was a nightclub singer in Detroit at the tender age of seventeen. At the age of 27, I auditioned for Ain't Misbehavin' at the Fisher Theatre and was sent to Broadway ten days later.

You have been associated with Chicago for many years both on Broadway and tour. What is it about Matron "Mama' Morton that keeps you coming back to perform in this show?

She's such a strong character and I like being in charge on and off stage. Also, Chicago is a great show. It has taken me half way around the world and, most of all, given me a plethora of friends and show family. It's the gift that keeps on giving.

What do you remember about your opening night on Broadway in Chicago and what was your first thought after finishing your first song When You're Good to Mama?

I remember thinking "I really gotta pee," but I don't have time so swallow the nerves and anxiety and finish the show. And I did just that! Hahahaha!!

When Chicago opened in the 70's it didn't have a very long run. This is despite having Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera as the two leads. What does the revival have going for it that the original production didn't that has kept it running for twenty years now?

I believe it was just timing. Although Gwen and my beautiful Chita the magnificent were/are everything music and theatre, the timing was on point for the revival. There was the OJ [Simpson] trial and other high profile court cases going on. People who do not go to courthouses were curious and here you had a court case onstage with music by John Kander and Fred Ebb with Anne Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth [as the leads]. REALLY??? Who could resist? It's still surviving the test of time and we are holding it down in 2017 in grand fashion.

Many people might remember you from the television show Amen. What are some of your memories of working on that show and with its star Sherman Hemsley?

Well, when I got the show they hired me as a comedic actress. That for me was thrill because I'd always been a singer. Until Dreamgirls in 1983, I never had a spoken part. Ain't Misbehavin' was a musical revival. They (the Amen team) even forgot I could sing. They were looking for a lead singer for the choir and I was standing right there. All of a sudden Ruben Cannon said, "Wait a minute. Roz sings. Let her do it!" Now Sherman didn't know I sang so when I did he said "You are a natural triple threat!" He also used to make comments like "You are the most beautiful woman in this room." Most times I was the only woman in the room. But Sherman or (Germ as I called him) was a lovely, shy, sweet, generous, funny, genius and I miss him every day.

After this current tour of Chicago finishes, where can we see you in action next?

Probably on a beach somewhere sipping on a pretty cocktail full of fruit and a cute lil' umbrella being served to me by a tanned cabana boy named Delicious. Hahahaha! Somewhere in a cartoon. I don't know from one day to the next what I'm doing. God delivers my schedule and I just show up. However, if you really want to catch me, go to my website. You can find me there or Disneyland.

Special thanks to Kennedy Cneter publicist Brendan Padgett for his assistance in coordinating this interview.

Theatre Life logo by Kevin Laughon.

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