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Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Sadie Sink on the vulnerability of her star turn on Broadway
At the tender age of 23, Sadie Sink is already a Broadway veteran. She made her Main Stem debut as a standby ragamuffin in the 2012 revival of Annie and later assumed the title role. A few years later, in 2015, she was a young version of Elizabeth II in The Audience. (The older version? Helen Mirren.) Since then, she has achieved nationwide fame for playing troubled teens on Netflix's Stranger Things and the Brendan Fraser drama The Whale. But none of those teens was quite as tormented as the one she currently plays at the Booth Theatre in John Proctor Is the Villain. Kimberly Belflower's suspenseful drama, directed by Danya Taymor, centers on a group of high school girls in rural Georgia who draw connections between Arthur Miller's The Crucible and sexual situations in their own lives; Sink is Shelby, a classmate who returns after a lengthy and mysterious absence. 'Shelby is one of the most meaningful characters I've ever played,' Sink says. 'It's been the thrill of my career so far.' Her star turn has earned her a Tony nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Play. We spoke with her about the excitement of Tony season, the demands of her role and the songs that help her get into character every night. In advance of the Tony Awards on June 8, Time Out has conducted in-depth interviews with select nominees. We'll be rolling out those interviews every day this week; the full collection to date is here. Interviews have been edited for length and clarity. How have you been processing the madness of Tony season? It's the biggest thing that's ever happened to me! One thing that keeps me focused is that I still have to do my job; we're still doing the show eight times a week. That's been a challenge, but also something I've been super appreciative of. And the part is challenging enough already! What do you think are Shelby's strongest qualities? Shelby is incredibly smart—that's not so obvious to other people—in a way that's beyond her years. What drew me to her was her honesty, which I think is something a lot of people struggle with. Personally, I could never be as honest and blunt as Shelby is. I was really drawn to how she can maintain that quality throughout the trauma she's suffered, and the way she carries that trauma in such a complex, beautiful, messy way. Digging into that and peeling back her layers was such a long process—and one that I feel like I didn't actually have a full grasp on until right before opening, to be honest. How has the role evolved for you over time? In rehearsal, we got into some of her wackier and nerdier sides, where she's a little bit more energetic and awkward. In previews, we stripped that back and brought back some of my initial instincts; we grounded her a bit and found places for her to relax so that the audience could see the many dimensions of who she is. I learned so much from exploring and pushing the boundaries of a character and then reeling it back in. That's all thanks to Danya; I saw her do that with every actor in this ensemble piece. What do you remember about her directing you for your big scene with Amalia Yoo's character? I think it's the most beautiful scene in the play, but I'm biased. You get to see a vulnerable side of Shelby. This scene went through many phases. It felt awkward at first; there's a wall for her in letting her vulnerability peek through, because until that point she doesn't let you see that anything is wrong. Letting that go, in a really honest way, took some time to unlock— especially when you add an audience, because we're sitting on the edge of the stage for that scene. There might be people in the audience that are just seeing Max from Stranger Things, so there's automatically a wall that I, as Sadie, am putting up. But Danya made me feel I had permission to let that down. She told me something that shifted how I approached the scene: That any choice I make, anything I say, has nothing to do with me. It's only Shelby. And if I can just be a vessel for her, then the vulnerability can open up and it can feel honest. That was so important to hear from a director—for her to call out the anxieties that I have in that area, and allow me to feel safe and protected. The play gets intense at some points. How do you get into character? There are 30 minutes in the play before I go on stage. So while everybody else is warming up, I'm not; I wait until everyone else is on stage, and that's my warm-up time. I have the space to get into character, because it's so quiet backstage. I have a few songs that are triggers, or that help me associate with Shelby. If I listen to one of those songs, then I'm good. I've been listening to 'Limp,' by Fiona Apple. I think Shelby would love Fiona Apple. Also, 'Liability (Reprise)' from Melodrama by Lorde. That's a huge one. It's weird how much muscle memory comes into play. We've done the show so many times at this point; each show feels different, but your body knows what to do and knows what you need to access at different points. That's been a huge learning curve. It doesn't get worse or less true the more you do it. It becomes second nature, and you find different things in the performance that stick out. Is there a line in the script that particularly speaks to you? This week's line was in the gas station scene. It's when Shelby says, 'I think I'm going to be super messed up for a really long time, but I don't know if I'm fully equipped to start that journey right now.' That was always my favorite in rehearsals, but it really came back around this week; it's such a mature thing for her to say but also so heartbreaking. I was emotional thinking about what the rest of Shelby's life looks like, carrying what happened to her. How do you wind down after a performance? At the end of the show, I'm so winded from that last dance. I've given all the energy I have left. I have 45 minutes in the car where I can listen to music. When I get home, I pretty much go to bed. I would be remiss to not ask you about Charles Strouse, the composer who wrote Annie and passed away recently. What do you remember of him? It was really heartbreaking to hear and made me appreciate my time in that show. I met him at the opening night party for Annie. What he did for Annie —that kind of raised me in a way. That's the legacy he created and I'm so appreciative of him. What do you remember about going on in the role of Annie for the first time, after Lilla Crawford had left the production? I'm still friends with Lilla—she's a good friend of mine. Once she left, me and another girl shared the role. I remember the first time I went on for Duffy, the first orphan I played, but I can't remember the first time I went on as Annie. I do remember a put-in that we did: I thought it was so bizarre that the casting directors showed up, and maybe [director] James Lapine and [choreographer] Andy Blankenbuehler. I later realized that that was my audition to step in as Annie. It felt very adult and very serious. I cannot believe someone trusted me to go on stage and do that. Mia Farrow, who is also nominated in your category, recently came to see your performance. How did that go? It was amazing. She did The Roommate at the Booth, so she knew a lot of the crew that worked there. She really loved the show. And I love her so much. She is so kind. I got to meet her at the Tony nominees luncheon. She was like, 'Who do you want to meet?' I said, 'Jonathan Groff.' So she introduced me—which was huge. I will never forget that. What did you say to him? I just said I was such a big fan. I think that's all I said. I hope I can meet him again soon, because I'm obsessed with him. Have you been able to see him yet in Just in Time? No, because we're on the same schedule. The weird thing is, even if you aren't on the same schedule as another show—if you have a night or an afternoon off—it's hard to get yourself to midtown to sit through another show. But I did get to see Oh, Mary!, which was awesome. Maybe you'll get to see him again at the Tonys. Who are you bringing as your date? My brother!
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tony Awards 2025 nominations: George Clooney gets nod while Denzel Washington snubbed
Nominees for the 78th annual Tony Awards, honoring the best of Broadway, have been announced. Forty-two productions from the 2024-2025 Broadway season were eligible to receive nominations, which were shared Thursday morning by Tony winners Sarah Paulson and Wendell Pierce. Oscar winner George Clooney is among the A-list stars who have been recognized. Clooney, currently making his Broadway debut as Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck, received a nod in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category. The role marks his first on stage performance since 1986 when he appeared in Vicious at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. Stranger Things star Sadie Sink received a nomination in her return to Broadway. She's been nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for her role as Shelby Holcomb in playwright Kimberly Belflower's John Proctor is the Villain. The production also received a nod for Best Play. Sink last appeared on Broadway in 2015's The Audience. Nominated alongside her is Succession star Sarah Snook, currently starring in The Picture of Dorian Gray. Snook is making her Broadway debut following a successful run in London's West End. Former Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for playing Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Similar to Snook, Scherzinger is making her Broadway debut with the production following its' London run. The production was also nominated for Best Revival of a Musical. But not all celebrities who took their work to the Main Stem were recognized by the Tonys. Oscar winner Denzel Washington was snubbed in the category where Clooney was recognized. Washington marked his return to Broadway as the title role in Othello. He last appeared on the Main Stem in 2018's The Iceman Cometh, and won a Tony for his leading role in Fences in 2010. Washington's co-star, Jake Gyllenhaal was also snubbed. The three-time Tony nominee is playing Iago in the Shakespearean revival. Oscar and Emmy winner Kieran Culkin was not recognized for his work as Richard Roma in Glengarry Glen Ross. The production marks Culkin's return to Broadway following 2014's This Is Our Youth. In his Broadway debut, Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. was overlooked in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play category. He starred as the titular character in the limited run of McNeal. Nick Jonas, in his return to the Main Stem for the first time since 2012's How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, was also snubbed. Jonas is starring alongside Tony winner Adrienne Warren in the first-ever Broadway mounting of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years. Interestingly, two productions — Our Town and Romeo + Juliet — were each nominated for Best Revival of a Play. But the stars at the forefront of those productions — Jim Parsons and Katie Holmes, and Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler — did not receive acting nods. The 78th annual Tony Awards will take place Sunday, June 8 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Hosted by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy winner Cynthia Erivo, the Tonys will be broadcast live on CBS starting at 8 p.m. ET. The full list of 2025 Tony nominees can be found here. Nominees in the eight main acting categories plus those for best play and musical are below: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck Cole Escola, Oh, Mary! Jon Michael Hill, Purpose Daniel Dae Kim, Yellow Face Harry Lennix, Purpose Louis McCartney, Stranger Things: The First Shadow Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play Laura Donnelly, The Hills of California Mia Farrow, The Roommate LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Purpose Sadie Sink, John Proctor is the Villain Sarah Snook, The Picture of Dorian Gray Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical Darren Criss, Maybe Happy Ending Andrew Durand, Dead Outlaw Tom Francis, Sunset Blvd. Jonathan Groff, Just in Time James Monroe Iglehart, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical Jeremy Jordan, Floyd Collins Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical Megan Hilty, Death Becomes Her Audra McDonald, Gypsy Jasmine Amy Rogers, BOOP! The Musical Nicole Scherzinger, Sunset Blvd. Jennifer Simard, Death Becomes Her Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play Glenn Davis, Purpose Gabriel Ebert, John Proctor is the Villain Francis Jue, Yellow Face Bob Odenkirk, Glengarry Glen Ross Conrad Ricamora, Oh, Mary! Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play Tala Ashe, English Jessica Hecht, Eureka Day Marjan Neshat, English Fina Strazza, John Proctor is the Villain Kara Young, Purpose Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical Brooks Ashmanskas, SMASH Jeb Brown, Dead Outlaw Danny Burstein, Gypsy Jak Malone, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical Taylor Trensch, Floyd Collins Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical Natalie Venetia Belcon, Buena Vista Social Club Julia Knitel, Dead Outlaw Gracie Lawrence, Just in Time Justina Machado, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical Joy Woods, Gypsy Best Play English The Hills of California John Proctor is the Villain Oh, Mary! Purpose Best Musical Buena Vista Social Club Dead Outlaw Death Becomes Her Maybe Happy Ending Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical Best Revival of a Play Eureka Day Romeo + Juliet Thornton Wilder's Our Town Yellow Face Best Revival of a Musical Floyd Collins Gypsy Pirates! The Penzance Musical Sunset Blvd.
