Having won Tonys for Evita and as Mama Rose in Gypsy, did you find the roles equally challenging?
Yes in different ways, though. Evita was very, very difficult to sing. I was 30, had no technique, and nobody was there to help me through it. The vocal production of that score was incredibly difficult. And for Gypsy, the physical energy I needed. Both of them were incredibly difficult roles for different reasons. You just have to figure out how to do it. I’ve never been one to sort of cave. Was either show more rewarding than the other? I think Gypsy was more rewarding. I guess because audiences knew me and appreciated the ability. When I was a kid, audiences really didn’t know me. My applause used to dip after Mandy [Patinkin]’s. It was depressing. Every night you’d go out there, and your applause dips, and you can hear it dip. Several times in your memoir, you mention the importance of coming to a character on your own rather than imitating someone else’s performance. How do you make your mark on a role when you’re not originating it? The only thing I’ve ever done in that respect i
