To most audiences, Jane Krakowski is best known for her small screen work. From the NBC soap Search for Tomorrow to her Golden Globe nominated turn on Ally McBeal, her multiple Emmy nominations for 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and her latest endeavor, Schimgadoon!, Krakowski’s face is familiar to tv junkies.
On Monday night, the ageless star took to Midtown’s Town Hall with Seth Rudetsky to reinforce what theater fans already know: Krakowski can sing. Really sing.
As part of Rudestsky’s Broadway Series, the pair treated the audience to a evening of performance and conversation. (Earlier guests this year included Vanessa Williams and Brian Stokes Mitchell.)
Krakowski began her stage career in the Milliken Breakfast Show and later, debuted on Broadway in Starlight Express. As a 19-year-old, she earned a Tony nomination for the Tommy Tune helmed Grand Hotel and in 2003, she won the Tony for her role as Carla in the Broadway revival of Nine.
The duo trekked down memory lane as Krakowski shared interesting tales from her career including a fortuitous audition with Tommy Tune for the original Broadway production of Nine. Although Tune did not cast her in the show, he remembered her and hired her for Grand Hotel.
She also praised her former co-star Gavin Creel. With him, she performed in the 2016 Broadway revival She Loves Me. At each performance he would raise her leg in the air and drag her across the stage, ultimately ending a split. Creel would ask her how high she wished to have her leg raised: “Is tonight a 10 or 11?,” he’d ask her. During Tony voter season, she joked that she’d take it to a 1 (a.m.)!
Krakowski also spoke about her dangerous and quite literal death defying stunt in the Nine revival. She emerged from the top of the stage and lowered herself down in silks with no support beneath her. Because of rehearsal location and a delay with the silks, she performed the number in front of a live audience having only worked with the material once before. Rapturous applause ensued.
Other highlights of the night included “Adelaide’s Lament” from Guys and Dolls.( Krawowksi played Adelaide in a West End revival) and “A Little Brains, a Little Talent” from Damn Yankees. (She played Lola in a 2008 NY City Center Revival.)
Jenna Maroney fans were not disappointed, however. Near the end of the night, Krakowski and Rudestky played a 30 Rock trivia game with the audience which highlighted that role on the beloved Tina Fey sitcom.
Krakowksi’s television co-star Titus Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) joined her before the night wrapped for a duet of “Happy Days are Here Again.”
Happy days continue at Town Hall with upcoming concerts, talks, and events.
For complete Town Hall programming, click here.