Laura Benanti on the Power and Pressure of Being a Woman

Sunday Pancakes with Celia Keenan-Bolger

Tony Award-winner and five-time Tony Award nominee LAURA BENANTI is a highly celebrated stage and screen actress. This May, Benanti stars in the film Here Today opposite Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish and as a guest star on the Showtime series Cinema Toast. This Fall on Netflix, Benanti will be seen in Sara Colangelo’s WORTH starring opposite Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci and Amy Ryan which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Additionally, Benanti will be seen in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tick, Tick...Boom! for Netflix and is currently in production on HBO Max’s much awaited “Gossip Girl” reboot.

In 2020, Benanti created and executive produced the HBO Max special, HOMESCHOOL MUSICAL: CLASS OF 2020, an unscripted musical special featuring students from across the U.S. Additionally, Benanti released a self-titled studio album for Sony Music Masterworks.

In 2019, Benanti made a triumphant return to Broadway as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. Since making her Broadway debut at the young age of 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music, Benanti has wowed audiences in numerous musicals and plays. Other Broadway roles include: ‘Amalia Balash’ in She Loves Me, for which she was nominated for Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Awards; Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown for which she was nominated for a Tony Award, and won both the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards; In The Next Room, or the Vibrator Play; The Wedding Singer; Nine; her Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award-nominated performance of ‘Cinderella’ in Into the Woods; and her Tony® nominated turn in Swing! Benanti earned the 2008 Tony Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical, a Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics Circle Award for her revelatory portrayal of 'Louise' in the Broadway revival of Gypsy opposite Patti LuPone.

Weekly Round-Up:

• Read the Lit Hub article, “Eula Biss on How Motherhood Radicalized Adrienne Rich.”
• Read Ayad Akhtar’s New York Times piece from 2017, “An Antidote to Digital Dehumanization? Live Theater.”
• Listen to Simon Sinek’s A Bit of Optimism podcast episode, “The One with Brené Brown.”
• Read Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism which Laura recommends in the episode.
• Watch Homeschool Musical: Class of 2020 on HBOMax inspired by Laura’s online movement, #SunshineSongs, for which she also served as Executive Producer.
• Buy the digital album Laura produced for Ghostlight Records, Singing You Home: Children’s Songs for Family Reunification, with proceeds benefiting RAICES and ASTEP.