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."