Helm has narrated quite a career
Laura Helm would do anything to perform.
At age 11, after singing in her church choir and taking any child part she could get in community theater, she announced to her mother, “I’m going to be an actress.” Her mother’s reply was, “If that’s what you want to do, let’s do it right.”
“We went about things scientifically,” Helm said from her home outside of Boston where she was on a holiday break before heading to Philadelphia to renew her role as The Narrator in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the Merriam Theater through Sunday.
“We combined all the requisite lessons — dance, voice, acting — with doing as much performing as I could, at school and in local theaters,” Helm continued. “My mom also took me to all of the shows in Boston, so I also saw a lot of theater. When it came time for me to think about going to college, we took out all of the programs we saved and highlighted the schools the actors attended. We came up with a list of 15 schools. I sent in the applications, began the audition process, and waited to hear.
“Of the 15 schools, there were three I was really excited about, mostly because of the way I felt when I auditioned there. You get a sense of the people and the environment. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I was accepted by the one that was first on my list, the Hartt School at the University of Hartford in Connecticut.”
Helm graduated from Hartt in 2012 and set off on a career path that defies cliche. She began working right away and has not stopped.
“At Hartt and other schools that are known for their theater programs, there are showcases in which you perform for agents and casting directors,” Helm said. “I got an agent from one of those showcases and began going on calls in New York City right away. Soon, I was booked in a great role, Lucy Harris in ‘Jekyll and Hyde.’
“‘Jekyll and Hyde’ not only launched my professional career,” Helm continued. “It gave me the touring bug. I loved seeing the different cities while working. When the ‘Jekyll’ tour ended, and I saw the casting notices for ‘Joseph,’ I asked my agent to get an audition.
“The Narrator is a role I’ve wanted to play. ‘Joseph’ is such a male-heavy show, the woman’s voice and the woman’s presence makes a difference in it.
“The Narrator’s part was given to a man until 1982, when Laurie Beechman played it in a production that moved to Broadway. Everyone must have liked the change because a woman has played the part ever since.
“What I like about the role is not only being a focal woman among men. Theater is so much about storytelling, and The Narrator primarily tells the story. She guides the audience through the different scenes in which the Bible story of Joseph is enacted. You get to really relate to the audience. In this production, there is no children’s chorus. The children’s parts are sung by the ensemble, so it’s even more important you build a bond and keep the audience’s interest.
“My job is how to tell the story, to decide who The Narrator is and how she goes about telling the tale. Laura is less important than The Narrator. Her character is the one that matters. My job is to find her character and present it.
“I have been lucky in the roles I’ve gotten. To begin a career playing Lucy and The Narrator is great, but for me, acting is so more than just getting the roles you want. As much as I love what I do, I am not looking to be a star. That was never my goal.
“Working is. I want to be successful in terms of always being in a show. I don’t have to be the lead. I want to be in the cast and give the audience a story that entertains them. The show and the role matter less than being able to do good work as an artist.
“As I say that, I have to admit that one of my big surprises came in Detroit, when I walked through the stage and was swarmed by 50 young girls who wanted me to sign their programs. That response makes playing The Narrator even more fun.”
Fun becomes more important as Helm talks about some of the roles she’s played. Lucy from “Jekyll” and Eponine from “Les Misérables” are women who face adversity and who die in the course of their musicals. The Narrator, by contrast, she said, is upbeat and survives to close the show.
In addition to seeking work, Helm has always maintained a strong work ethic. She talks about rising early so she could get to school by 7:30 a.m. and staying in school until after 5 most evenings, as she was a cheerleader in addition to being in shows.
“Then came the time for the various lessons and coaching,” Helm said. “I was too busy and happy with what I was doing to sleep. I always said, and still say, you’ll have enough time in when you’re dead.”
This touring production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is directed by Andy Blankenbuehler, who had received much praise this for his choreography in the Broadway hit, “Hamilton.”
“Working with Andy was one of the great joys of this production,” Helm said. “He is so creative and really helped me find the character of The Narrator.”
While home for the holidays, Helm said she’ll be watching a lot of football with her “football family.” She has two brothers, one of whom is a musician, the other of whom has no interest in music at all.
“We call him the deaf Trapp,” Helm quipped.
to
sleep
von