Victoria Clark Joins the Boston Pops to Celebrate 21st Century Broadway

Speaking with Broadway star Victoria Clark, a long-standing question about the Tony Awards came up. Clark is the winner of two, first for "A Light in the Piazza" in 2005, and last year for "Kimberly Akimbo." The question: Since the awards are medallions suspended in a small frame, does she spin them?

"No, although my guests like to do that," she answered with a laugh from New York just days after "Kimberly Akimbo" closed. "My friends like to come over and pick them up." She paused for a second, then continued, "And I'm very proud of them. I worked hard for those, as well. They're symbols of collaborations with some really remarkable artists. They make me think about all the people that they belong to as well, not just me."

That sense of humility comes through when speaking to Clark, who was in the process of working on new projects, including an appearance with the Boston Pops on Thursday, June 6, and Friday, June 7 in a gala concert, curated and directed by Jason Danieley, entitled "Broadway Today! Broadway's Modern Masters" that looks back at musical theater in the 21st century – or, as Danieley calls it, the Post-Sondheim generation of composers and lyricists. The music is being supervised by Georgia Stitt, the esteemed composer/lyricist, music director, pianist, and music producer. (The concerts are at Boston's Symphony Hall at 7:30 pm. For ticket information, follow this link).

Clark was a natural for a concert since her two Tony wins are in musicals that showcase the talents of two of the new generation's brightest talents (who also both won Tonys for their work in these musicals with Clark). Adam Guettel wrote the score to "Piazza," which starred Clark as a well-to-do American who takes her daughter to Florence on a vacation that will forever change their lives. Jeanine Tesori wrote "Akimbo," last year's best musical winner about a teenage girl with a rare disease that causes her to prematurely age. Only 16, she looks middle-aged, and the character was played by Clark with heartbreaking sincerity. Clark was with the show off-Broadway, but when it moved to Broadway Jesse Green in the New York Times wrote: "But what has become even richer since 'Kimberly Akimbo' premiered at the Atlantic Theater Company last year is her [Clark's] profound and uncritical immersion in youthfulness. Leaving the ironies to us, she refuses to condescend to the character. There is nothing in quotation marks about her teenage mannerisms, or embarrassing about seeing her, at 63, wear the spot-on embroidered jumpers and colorful hair clips Sarah Laux has costumed her in."

Asked about how well she related to her teenage alter-ego, Clark laughed. "I have a funny story: I was at a family gathering, before we went back into rehearsals for Broadway. And it was actually a sad occasion, a memorial service. And I found, you know, sort of talking and chatting. And then I realized I was standing all with college students, all my nieces and nephews, just hanging out with them. And then I realized I was the only person [who was] 60 or over hanging with them. And I thought, 'Oh, this is where I feel comfortable...' And I found it hard to leave that little group, because that's where I felt the most at home. I have this very youthful spirit and a lot of exuberance, and I love being around young people. And I loved being around all those incredible folks who were in our show. They are just so talented. I can't wait to see what they do all do next."

In addition to Clark, the concert features performers with associations with the Tony-winning 21st century shows. Joining her are Mandy Gonzalez, Joshua Henry, Darius de Haas, Bryce Pinkham, and Scarlett Strallan. Amongst the titles that will be sampled are "Hamilton," "The Band's Visit," "A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder," "Hadestown," and "A Strange Loop."

When Clark was starting out on Broadway in the 1980s (post tours of "Cats" and "Les Miz"), she worked on a Sondheim show – "Sunday in the Park with George" – where she was an understudy, but she never got to go on. She subsequently went on to play one of the most coveted roles in the Sondheim canon: Sally Durant Plummer in "Follies" in an Encores production. She also played the Beggar Woman in a concert production of "Sweeney Todd" with the San Francisco Symphony, and Sara Jane Moore in an Encores production of "Assassins."

During 1980s and 1990s, Clark was the able supporting player in productions of "Guys and Dolls" (where she understudied Adelaide), "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," "Cabaret," and "Titanic." But it was "The Light in the Piazza" that made her a major star. Of her performance, Ben Brantley wrote in the New York Times: "A hitherto inconspicuous Broadway performer, Ms. Clark emerges as a star not through show-stopping flash but with the quiet confidence of an actress who knows every bumpy inch of her conflicted character."

Since then, Clark has received four more Tony nominations ("Sister Act," 2011; "Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella," 2013; "Gigi," 2015; and "Kimberly Akimbo", 2023), winning for the latter.

Speaking of the Pops concert, Clark said: "It's a great cast. I am so excited to work with them all. And, except for Jason and Keith, I've never worked with any of these artists. Well, Josh (Joshua Henry), we're friends and colleagues, and to work with him – and Mandy, Darius, Bryce, and Scarlett and Jason and Keith – is thrilling for me. And Georgia Stitt? She founded Maestra, the activist organization for women and nonbinary musicians in the theater. She's a force of nature, and it is wonderful to work with her. And what else is amazing? The music and lyrics from the last 20 years on Broadway."

Asked if she was to do something from "Kimberly," Clark said: "I do have this kind of a surprise. I don't want to talk about it. But there will be there are a few surprises. And there are some brand-new orchestrations for full orchestra that are debuting at this concert. Jason and Georgia have put together a concert that speaks to the contemporary Broadway fan. And when I saw the list of the shows we are doing, they'd all go into my top ten for the past 20 years. It's pretty cool. It makes a convincing case that the musical is alive and well when you see the titles. You know, I hear people lament the state of the Broadway musical these days, but with shows like 'Hadestown' and 'Kimberly,' there is proof that Broadway can do great things still."

Victoria Clark is a member of the ensemble of "Broadway Today! Broadway's Modern Masters" that is to be performed on Thursday, June 6 and Friday, June 7, 7:30 pm at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA. For ticket information, follow this link.