Broadway star Jessie Mueller kicks off Provincetown Town Hall/Art House 2023 season
Who is Jessie Mueller?
She was Carole King in 2014 and fit into the musical icon’s shoes so well that it earned Mueller a Tony, a Drama Desk and a Grammy for the starring role in “Beautiful: The Carol King Musical.”
She was Miss Manners in Steven Spielberg’s 2017 movie “The Post,” which led to Mueller’s meeting and befriending Judith Martin — the real Miss Manners — and becoming ladies who lunch.
She was Jenna Hunterson, originating the role on Broadway in composer-lyricist Sara Bareilles’ hit musical “Waitress” for which she was nominated for a Tony, Drama Desk and Grammy award.
Also in 2017, she was Danny Reagan’s (Donnie Wahlberg) love interest after his wife died on the popular “Blue Bloods.” It didn’t work out.
“My character had this bad ex-boyfriend and we spent all day running around the hospital with everybody shooting,” Mueller said in a telephone interview last week from her home in New York City.
Mueller opens season of the 2023 Provincetown Town Hall Concerts
Mueller will be telling stories like these with host Seth Rudetsky and singing a song or 12 on May 28 at Provincetown Town Hall. She is the season opener for the 2023 Provincetown Town Hall Concerts.
Also opening that weekend, in the smaller Provincetown Art House venue, will be Indie Rock star Melissa Ferrick, who returns for her twelfth consecutive Art House season on May 27, for one show only. For tickets and information about Producing Artistic Director Mark Cortale’s lineup of music and comedy stars this summer, visit www.ptownarthouse.com or call 800-838-3006.
Mueller, who performed in Provincetown Town Hall concerts-with-conversation before the COVID pandemic, said she can’t wait to return and only regrets she can only stay for one night.
Mueller grew up in Evanston, Illinois, caught the acting bug in middle school
Growing up in Evanston, Illinois, the middle child of four (the twins are older, her sister is younger), Mueller’s parents were both actors but none of the kids took it up until later. Mueller was in middle school when the bug bit. (Fun fact: Jessie and her sister Abby played Carole King at the same time in different productions of "Beautiful.")
Mueller most recently appeared on Broadway in Tracy Lett’s “The Minutes.” She received a Tony nomination and Drama Desk Award for her performance as Julie Jordan in the revival of “Carousel” opposite Joshua Henry and Renee Fleming.
The original plan was to get to know Mueller in a 13-question interview but she is a high-energy ball of charisma with stories to tell that bubble over the edges of that format. So instead we spent an hour hanging out, talking and laughing.
Rescue dog may be in Mueller's future with partner Andy Truschinski
She thinks, Mueller said, that she and her partner of 14 years, Andy Truschinski, are ready to become parents of a rescue dog.
“Maybe someone will bring me a dog!” she said, quickly adding, “No, no that’s not good. Maybe they could bring me pictures of dogs.”
She pictures hundreds of cellphones filled with mutts longing for a home and then we mentally conjure an entire Provincetown audience, each guest with a dog sitting on his or her lap.
“Maybe we should just go to a rescue group later,” she said, still chuckling at the town hall image.
Jesse Mueller known for her expansive vocal range
Like her friend and colleague Sutton Foster, Mueller is known for her expansive vocal range, so much so that fans compiled notes from her various performances to illustrate the point.
Mueller said she doesn’t know what songs Rudetsky — whom the New York Times dubbed the “mayor of Broadway” — will lead her into but she expects to be singing at least some music from her Broadway shows.
Asked if there is a particularly difficult number, she mentioned “She Used to be Mine” from “Waitress.”
“It’s very emotional and you are sitting there on the couch by yourself so it’s challenging.”
Mueller kicks off a season of Provincetown Town Hall concerts that includes historic six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, Jeremy Jordan, heartthrob star of Broadway's "Newsies," LaChanze, Tony Award winner for Alice Walker’s "The Color Purple" original musical staging and Emmy Award winner for PBS "Handel’s MessiahRocks: A Joyful Noise," as well as a visit from RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 4.
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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Jessie Mueller from 'Beautiful' and 'Waitress' in Provincetown concert
