First lady of comedy Faith Prince brings her unique humor and vocal renditions to Live at the Orinda! Jan. 12. Her local appearance will be her last cabaret show for a while as she heads back to Broadway to star in “Betty Boop.”
Bigger than life, Broadway’s reigning funny lady Faith Prince comes to Orinda Jan. 12 at 5 p.m. as part of the Live at the Orinda! concert series. Prince will sing selections from her many musicals and albums, as well as share a plethora of stories about her long career.
Although she started out studying to be a musical therapist, luckily for audiences, Prince discovered theater and went on to play a variety of stage roles.
Prince credits her parents for giving her a unique sense of humor and comedic timing.
“My dad was a nuclear engineer but also a vaudevillian, and my mom was just wacky with a nice voice,” said Prince. “We would watch the old cartoons for hours and that’s where you get the best ideas for comedy.”
As a young performer, Prince landed several shows before dazzling Broadway audiences as Miss Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls,” for which she won the 1992 Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress in a Musical.
A few of the many successful Broadway shows that followed include “The King and I,” “A Catered Affair,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Bells are Ringing,” “Nick & Nora,” “Little Me,” “Noises Off,” “Unusual Acts of Devotion,” “Annie,” and the national tour of the Broadway hit “Billy Elliott.”
Prince recalled how much she enjoyed playing Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls,” as well as her many other iconic roles.
“I love the work, but not all the whirlwind – not the fame. Anything that takes me away from the work, I get pissed off about,” Prince said.
She most recently starred on Broadway in “Disaster! The Musical” directed by Seth Rudetsky. Prince received rave reviews as Shirley Summers (a nod to Shelley Winters) in this homage to 1970s disaster films.
“Seth really drew me and so many amazing others to this musical. We all trust him and it’s really about trust and respect. To have 11 comics on stage and a six-person ensemble, all of whom got along so well, it really restored my faith in live theater,” said Prince. “I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to have this much fun each night, and Shirley was amazing to play – a little like a grown-up Adelaide, a little like Shelley Winters and a little like ‘The Exorcist’.”
The sought-after actress has also appeared in many films and television series, including recurring roles in such shows as “Modern Family” and “Spin City.” Her cabaret performances and guest appearances with philharmonic orchestras have taken her throughout the United States and Europe.
According to “Variety,” Prince is “a singer who can define a character in a few bars of music, a talent so rare and valuable, that her absence from Broadway, however temporary, is indeed a crime.”
Well, the wait is over as Prince returns to Broadway on March 11, in the much-anticipated musical “Boop.” Directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, the show takes place at the Broadhurst Theatre and marks the first time Betty Boop has appeared live on stage. Prince plays Valentina, an astrophysicist from the real world in love with Grampy, with Jasmine Amy Rogers as Betty Boop.
Also a popular teacher, Prince advises her students to “find your character’s dilemma, listen to yourselves and pause and enjoy where you’re at, because it can be fleeting.”
Obviously, Prince has followed her own advice, as she and her husband, trumpeter Larry Lunetta, have been married for over 30 years and enjoy life with their son, also a musician, in Sacramento, where Lunetta was born.
For more information about Live at the Orinda! and for tickets, go to orindamovies.com/concert-series/.