You’d be surprised to learn that Hannah Cruz is not the biggest fan of singing. I certainly was, having seen her in musical after musical—Suffs (playing Inez Milholland on Broadway and Ruza Wenclawska at the Public), The Connector (where she got some of the best Jason Robert Brown songs in the score), and even Hamilton, where she took control of the narrative on tour as Eliza. You’d never know it, but apparently, singing is a source of stress for this rising Broadway star.
And yet, when it comes to Chess, the maligned rock opera by Tim Rice, Benny Anderson, and Björn Ulvaeus being revived on Broadway this month, Cruz finds a great deal of pleasure in the role of Svetlana and soaring numbers like “I Know Him So Well.” “It’s not just belting high for belting high’s sake,” Cruz says. “That, to me, is not interesting. This has bite to it and has stakes.”
We caught up with Cruz to discuss the moves she’s making, on stage and off...READ MORE