The World of the Play: "Winter Song"
The brilliant singer Merideth Kaye Clark (Fiddler on the Roof and The Last Five Years at The Armory, Wicked national tour) and director Brandon Woolley are creating an original presentation of favorite songs that celebrate winter and all it represents: love, loss, family, solitude, renewal and friendship.
“Winter is the most emotionally complicated season. The music that it inspires is rich. There are, of course, holiday songs. But we were more interested in the music that captures other winter feelings. Traveling home or hunkering down in the cold. The loneliness and isolation the darkness brings. The gatherings of families and communities.” -Merideth Kaye Clark
Get to Know Merideth
How many instruments do you play?
All melodic string instruments: guitar, banjo, viola, harp, piano, xylophone – well, that’s not a stringed instrument, but I can still play it.
How do you identify as an artist? Are you a musician first, actor second?
That’s a really good question. And one that I don’t really know how to answer which is probably why I feel like a jack-of-all-trades. I identify as an acting musician, how about that? I think that acting is connecting to a story and connecting to an experience. And one of the best ways I know how to do it is through music. I talk sometimes, too. [laughs] But I’m more successful when I do it with music.
Lets talk Wicked.
So, the first year, I was the Elphaba understudy and in the ensemble. I did eight shows a week for 52 weeks, so I did something like 400 shows in the ensemble and played Elpheba ten times. There was the woman whose name was on the marquee and then there was the standby and then there was the understudy - me - so in the first year, I would only go on stage if the first two couldn’t do it. Then I got promoted to standby for the next two years. I would just stand backstage unless they needed me in green, so that was two years of that. The person I happened to be standing by for would call out 2-3 times a week, so I was always doing it.
How did that affect your career?
It was a huge break – life changing. Not only was touring in a big Broadway show a huge deal, the role is beloved by millions of people, the salary was different than anything I’d ever experienced before, the amount of pressure was different than anything I’ve experienced before. And what it's done for my credibility post-Wicked, when people see that on my resume, they say “oh , she’s been able to carry a big show before” was huge, so it was career changing.
What was your favorite part about performing that role?
I think the connection I made with the fans of Wicked - the girls and boys who really connected with that character and saw me as a role model. They would wait at the stage door and tell you their life stories and send you fan mail. I made a connection with them as Merideth, but mostly they just loved Elphaba and whoever was playing her. I loved having the connection with kids who needed a role model of an underdog who was awesome.
Want to dive deeper? Revisit our The Last Five Years interview with Merideth Kaye Clark.
Merideth Kaye Clark is an artist, traveler, musician, songwriter, singer, and actress. Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Merideth studied Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology at Emory University before earning a Masters in Musical Theatre at San Diego State University. It was there, in California, where she began her career as a concert artist and musical theatre performer. Merideth has since performed major roles in theatres around the country. Highlights include: Nancy, Oliver! (Seattle’s 5th Ave); Cathy, The Last Five Years (PCS); Clara, The Light in the Piazza (Portland Playhouse); Tzeitl, Fiddler on the Roof (PCS); Kate/Lilli, Kiss Me Kate (Clackamas Rep); Eva Peron, Evita (Northern Stage); Olivia, Twelfth Night(Alabama Shakespeare Festival); How the Grinch Stole Christmas (The Old Globe); Amazing Grace(Goodspeed); Rose, Meet Me In St. Louis (Irish Rep). She has participated in numerous developmental readings and has originated roles in two off-Broadway musicals. Merideth performed the role of Elphaba in the First National Tour of the Broadway musical Wicked over 150 times in 35 major US cities. Stay updated on what's next for Merideth.
Supporting Oregon Culture is as Simple as 1, 2, 3!
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Holiday Specialty Cocktails at The Armory
From Dickensian-era cocktails to mulled wine and eggnog, our Resident Mixologist Melissa Larrabee has created delicious concoctions to warm your spirit this holiday season.
"A Christmas Memory" and "Winter Song" Cast and Creative Team
Learn about the artists behind our new show in the Ellyn Bye Studio.
Behind the Scenes of "Winter Song"
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Winter Song - one half of our cozy new show in the Ellyn Bye Studio this holiday season.
Holiday Choirs at The Armory
This holiday season, enjoy live choral music from local groups and schools.
"Winter Song" Album
Want to take Winter Song home with you? Co-creators Merideth Kaye Clark and Brandon Woolley recently produced the Winter Song original cast album.
Reviews of "Christmas Memory" & "Winter Song"
It's a happy and satisfying way to spend a chilly afternoon." -EDGEMedia
"A Christmas Memory" and "Winter Song" Cast and Creative Team
Learn about the artists behind our holiday show in the Ellyn Bye Studio.
Current & Upcoming
Improvisation Classes for Beginners
Whether you're looking to get more confident in social situations, think quicker on your feet, or get in touch with your imaginative side, these "one-off" improv classes will set you on the path to success!
Adult Class : TWELFTH NIGHT, Before & After
Join veteran actor Joe Costa for a unique opportunity to take a “deep dive” into both Shakespeare’s text of Twelfth Night, and the PCS Production. Participants will read the play out loud as a group, with “intermissions” provided for lively discussion of themes and content. Interested participants will have a chance to act in selected scenes, guided by the instructor.
Improv Comedy: Love, Shakespeare
Witness the Magic of unscripted Elizabethan comedy! Step into the offbeat world of Love, Shakespeare, where seasoned Portland comedians attempt something audacious: performing a fully improvised Elizabethan play based on your suggestions!
Albina Music Trust presents A Brown Branch Christmas
Celebrate this holiday season with A Brown Branch Christmas at Portland Center Stage. Now in its fourth season, this two-night big band celebration features directors Domo Branch and Charlie Brown III guiding a heavy 15-piece lineup of regional and national musicians.
BIPOC Affinity Night DJ Party with ALoSo
Join us for a double feature BIPOC Affinity Night, featuring a live DJ set by ALoSo, plus holiday craft market vendor tables, art exhibits by Albina Music Trust Wall to Wall Sound and Jason Hill's Favorite Things, with complimentary select drinks provided by Multnomah Whiskey Library and Deschutes Brewery while supplies last.
Winter Teen Academy: Scene Work
Calling all teens! Are you looking to expand your acting skills and be the best scene partner you can be for your fellow actors? In this class, we will dig deep into scene study, character motivation, and active listening, while learning the necessary questions to ask in every rehearsal situation. You'll develop fuller characters and deeper relationships on stage by partnering in scene work — and have lots of fun too!
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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