Lives Worth Living

T2 Reaches New High

In a little over a decade, TheatreSquared has established itself as a powerhouse regional theater that attracts phenomenal talent from acting hubs like New York and Chicago, as well as homegrown talent from right here in Northwest Arkansas. But with the casting of Broadway veteran Liz Callaway in its production of “Every Brilliant Thing,” TheatreSquared has reached a zenith. Callaway made her Broadway debut in Stephen Sondheim’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” sang Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sublime “Memories” as Grizabella in “Cats” for five years on Broadway, was the original Ellen in “Miss Saigon” and received a Tony Award nomination for her performance in “Baby.” Her resume also includes voicework in animated films like Anya/Anastasia in “Anastasia,” Odette in “The Swan Princess” and Jasmine in two of the “Aladdin” sequels.

Yet this Broadway luminary says that appearing in the one-woman show “Every Brilliant Thing” might be the bravest artistic thing she’s ever done.

“When I say it’s the bravest thing I’ve ever done — some of it is that I really kind of get off on things being dangerous,” she says with a wide-open smile. “I’ve always kind of liked it when things go wrong, and you have to figure it out.”

While it’s true that appearing in a one-person show — where the full responsibility of the performance rests solely on one actor’s shoulders — is a terrifying prospect, that’s not the only thing that might scare an actor about this particular show. The play is about a 7-year-old who starts a list of “every brilliant thing” that exists in the world to combat the stress of watching her mother struggle with mental illness (and attempt to prove to her mother that life is worth living). She adds to the list throughout her life, finding inspiration in the high times, comfort in the low.

Photo courtesy Bill Westmoreland “Every Brilliant Thing” audiences will get a chance to hear Broadway veteran Liz Callaway’s beautiful singing voice in one particularly charming part of the show.