States as Christine Daaé in the third National Tour of The Phantom of the
Opera before recreating the role in Shanghai for the much-anticipated
World Tour. She has been invited to continue as Christine on the World
Tour’s subsequent stops in Seoul (opening June, 2005), Taipei (opening
January, 2006), and Hong Kong (opening July, 2006). In Europe, Marni had
the pleasure of playing Jellylorum in the Hamburg production of Cats.
US regional theater credits include leading roles in My Fair Lady,
Carousel, The Fantasticks, and A Little Night Music. In New York, Marni
charmed audiences and critics as Peggy in the city’s first revival of Jerome
Kern’s Have a Heart, produced by the Obie Award winning company
Musicals Tonight!. Readings and workshops in New York include Edgar,
The Lily of St. Pierre, Sabina, The Count of Monte Cristo, and, most
recently, Atlantis the Musical!!!. In 1996, Marni toured the US in a
TheaterworksUSA production of a children’s version of Phantom of the
Opera by Rob Barron and David Spencer, in which she played Christine.
Thank you so much Marni for this interview and the great photo you sent
me!
Sandra - What has meant for your artistic career being part of the Phantom
of the Opera in Webber's musical?
Marni - Phantom has been a dream come true for me all around.
Artistically, it is a wonderfullly interesting role to play because of the
long and detailed journey the character makes throughout the story. It is a
challenge and a pleasure to sing that beautiful music. And the decadent
period costumes appeal to the little girl in me that always wanted to dress
up as a princess every Halloween. Now, as an adult, I have the chance to
dress that way for a living!
Sandra - What scene/song of the Phantom musical is your favourite and
why.
Marni - I enjoy “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” because, in
addition to it being a beautiful song, it is a pivotal dramatic scene for
Christine. She is seeking a way to hold on to her father’s memory without
allowing her grief over the loss of him to keep her from moving on in her
life. Playing that scene each night is the kind of huge challenge that
remains interesting no matter how many performances I do.
Sandra - What are some of the aspects you have brought into your
interpretation of Christine?
Marni - This is a great question and tough to answer. Essentially, I try to
tell the story as clearly as possible. Since Phantom has been so successful
with so many productions over the course of so many years, there have
been many terrific actresses to play the role. I think we all bring a bit of
ourselves to it. It’s our job as performers to tell the story and since we’re
different people who come with a slew of different experiences, we’ll each
have a unique take on how we tell Christine’s story. To see specifically
how we differ, you’ll have to come watch the show. I would be interested
to hear your own thoughts on this!
Sandra - How did you prepare for Christine role?
Marni - I had around a month of rehearsals during which I learned all the
music, choreography, and staging.
Sandra - Is it difficult to play the same role that many times?
Marni - It does have its challenges. Luckily, this is such a large role that
there are seemingly endless details to rediscover in each performance. I
have also been lucky to work with really talented leading men who help
me keep things fresh. I do have to make sure to take good care of my
health during the run and get plenty of sleep because this show is
definitely a workout!
Sandra - What do you think about Christine role and her relationship with
the Phantom and Raoul?
Marni - The Phantom and Raoul each represent things that Christine
needs. Raoul is a neat link between her past and present because he was a
childhood friend who knew her father and he is a love interest and
companion for her in the present. The Phantom helps her unleash her
talent, brings out the passion she feels for her music, and since she
suspects he is an Angel of Music sent by her father, allowing the Phantom
to mentor her makes her feel closer to his memory.
Sandra - In the Phantom musical, what do you think it’s the most
important scene and which one represents a bigger vocal difficult?
Marni - I believe the most important scene is the final scene. In it we see
the culmination of the three main characters’ stories. The drama is
heightened and the music intensifies and crescendos to support it. The
scene is beautifully written and that makes it a pleasure for us performers
to play it out.
Sandra - What are your future projects?
Marni - I leave in a few weeks for Hong Kong for another run of Phantom
in the World Tour production. A future plan of a more personal nature is
my wedding which is coming up in October.
Sandra - In the musical world what’s the character you would like to play?
Marni - I would love to be a part of a production of a new original
musical. It seems exciting to me to help interpret a character for a new
piece after having been a part of something tried and true.
Sandra - Write us some words to your fans.
Marni - First of all, without you we would all be looking for new careers!
You are the reason we do what we do. It’s inspiring and moving to know,
as a performer, that the work I adore doing resonates with you. Thank you
so much!
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