Performer gets into the ACT
Performing in front of sold-out audiences is becoming routine for Jodi Stevens.
The award-winning star of Broadway and off-Broadway productions was just named “Best Featured Actress” by the CT Critics Circle for her portrayal of Lina Lamont in last year‘s “Singing in the Rain” at the Summer Theater of New Canaan. She recently brought her one-woman cabaret show, “A Broad’s Way,” to Norwalk’s B.J. Ryan’s Magnolia room, where it played to a sold-out house. And she’s now starring in “Mamma Mia!” the debut production of Ridgefield’s brand new theater, ACT of Connecticut. That show is playing to sold-out audiences, too, Thursday through Sunday, and has been extended to July 1.
“I loved performing my cabaret show at the new Magnolia Room at B.J. Ryan’s, and I’ve been invited back to do the show again, so the people turned away can come,” said Stevens, a Weston resident. “One of the many reasons why I love being a resident of Fairfield County is that there are so many professional venues to showcase my work.”
ACT of Connecticut, the new Equity theater located in the Schlumberger auditorium in Ridgefield, is yet another one.
“Being a part of ACT of Connecticut’s debut production feels like it was meant to be,” Stevens said. “I think the more thriving theaters in Connecticut, the better for everyone. Theater is necessary for elevating our humanity. It continues to educate and teach tolerance in our very divided country.”
Stevens’ Broadway credits include roles in the original company of “Urban Cowboy” and “Jekyll and Hyde.” Her films include “The Funeral” and “The Narrow Gate,” and she has guest starred in many television shows, including “Sex and the City” and “Law and Order.” The singer also has a solo recording as a leader called “Girl Talk.”
In ACT’s “Mamma Mia!” she plays the role of Tanya, a character she describes as “smart, sassy, and sophisticated, who arrives on the Greek Island wearing her stilettos — a perfect setup for this character,” said Stevens. “But she’s got a moral compass, too. Tanya may not have the biggest emotional arc in the show, but she has an arc all right, a deliciously musical arc.”
Visit actofct.org for details.
Besides starring in the current Ridgefield production, Stevens has worked at many of regional theaters throughout the state. She received her “Best Featured Actress” award at ceremonies held Monday at the Westport Country Playhouse. It was her first win, although she had been nominated by the CT Critics Circle six times before.
“It’s exciting to be able to play all of these incredible roles over the years right in my own backyard. I feel blessed, grateful, and I think it’s really important to be keeping the arts vital in our community. As many educators are realizing, we need to add the Arts, and take Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and make it Arts in STEAM.”
Speaking of education, Stevens is one of the resident voice teachers at the Performing Arts Conservatory of New Canaan.
“Being a working professional actor and maintaining a very full student roster benefits not just my students, but me as well,” she said. “I impress upon them the importance of a positive work ethic. Having knowledge of what is currently on and off-Broadway and knowing how to prepare our kids and young adults for the demands of a Broadway career as well as maintaining a healthy sense of balance and well being is vital for young performers to master. Because of my professional and personal experiences, I’m able to truly guide my students, and this is quite a thrill for me.”
Stevens moved to Connecticut in 2003 and married Emmy-nominated actor, television star and screenwriter Scott Bryce, who grew up in Westport and was a Staples Player graduate. Together they co-run Stevens-Bryce Entertainment, an educational and development production company. They have one child.
Stevens, even with all her accomplishments, has goals yet to achieve.
“Here are my dreams: I keep working the Connecticut stages, my teaching career thrives, and I sell some scripts. My husband is a prolific writer, and his films get produced. And our company thrives. Once my son graduates high school, I hope all the work that I’ve continued to do in Connecticut will have kept me still connected to the New York theater scene — and I return bigger and brighter, knowing that I won’t miss tucking my son into bed at night,” she said.
And her favorite role? “My favorite role is being a mother. The best gift I could have ever received,” she said.