Versatile vocalist Karlah Hamilton tops the cast of Signature Theatre’s annual fund-raiser, a concert version of Stephen Sondheim’s “Anyone Can Whistle.” As evidenced by her rŽsumŽ, Hamilton revels in playing loud, lusty and somewhat shady characters. Now she is in her element as crooked town mayor Cora Hoover Hooper, the role that marked Angela Lansbury’s Broadway debut.
“I love the fact that Cora’s so deliciously, unabashedly self-centered,” Hamilton says. “She reminds me of an evil queen in a Disney movie who’s greedy and rotten to the core. The opening song, ‘Me and My Town,’ is my favorite because you discover all about her in the first ten minutes of the show. The music is surprisingly vampy, jazzy and bluesy and she sings it with a bunch of men dancing behind her, like a showgirl number.”
“Anyone Can Whistle” was an utter flop on Broadway in 1964. Sondheim was known as the lyricist of Bernstein’s melodic “West Side Story” so theater-goers were was not ready for the curious plot, objectionable characters and dissonant music that would eventually become his signature style.
As Sondheim fans multiplied, “Anyone Can Whistle” evolved into a cult musical with a staged performance at Carnegie Hall in 1995 that included numbers cut from the original show. A reissue of the original Broadway cast on CD in 2003 was followed by several revivals. This concert version showcases Hamilton and an entire cast comprising the theater’s favorite artists, including Will Gartshore as a psychiatrist and Tracy Lynn Olivera as a nurse in the local asylum.
Following several seasons playing character roles with Miami Opera, Hamilton crossed the country seven times on national tours. She was on her way back to Miami Opera from a Chicago engagement when she stopped by to visit her mother in Arlington.
“After she showed me all the theater listings in the local paper, I spent the week auditioning and was hired for several roles,” she says. “I’ve been here ever since. It’s like being in the middle of a goldmine.”
Hamilton has earned three Helen Hayes nominations and last season took home the Award as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Resident Musical for her role as Felicia Gabriel in Signature’s production of “The Witches of Eastwick.” Although she “retired” ten years ago to raise her family, she’s now back to the career she loves on a part-time basis. When she is not cavorting on stage, she utilizes her training as a beautician (“as a backup in case the music thing didn’t work out”) by designing wigs for Olney Theatre.
“It’s fun to portray a strong woman like Reno Sweeney (“Anything Goes”) in a big, brassy musical because I like heels and earrings, but I’m tailor-made for Mayor Cora Hooper,” she says. “I used to feel rather insulted when they cast me in these kinds of roles. Now I appreciate that it’s the grandest compliment, not a personal affront.”
If you go
Signature Theatre presents Stephen Sondheim’s “Anyone Can Whistle” in concert
* Venue: Schlesinger Concert Hall, Alexandria
* Performance: 8 p.m. Monday
* Info: $40 to $150 at 703-573-7328 or at signature-theatre.org.
