NR: What I noticed you do differently, which is very interesting, is in the "Storybook" reprise. It's a very different take when you're joining in the dance. You look a little more scared and nervous. Rachel did that number very angry and I've noticed that you approach it differently. I like it. It's very interesting.

CC: Everyone has their own take.

NR: That's right and I love seeing that. I love seeing someone take something and turn it around so you think, "Oh, that works too."

CC: It's interesting because you can take the same material and the same costumes and yet it somehow tells the story differently. I always find that fascinating too. That's why I love when understudies go on. They're in the same clothes and they're saying the same lines, but it's completely different, which is fun.

NR: Marguerite doesn't have a lot of light moments, but this is a much lighter show than Parade was.

CC: True.

NR: Do you enjoy one type of a show more than the other?

CC: I think I like the opportunity to go back and forth. I think if you do too much of the sort of light entertainment, you start to feel like, "What does it all mean?" And, if you do too much of the really heavy, "artsy" stuff... (laughing) you never make enough money.

NR: (laughing) Well, that's a good point.

CC: And, you also don't reach the same numbers of people, because the audience for a show like that is that kind of "inside-theater people, New York, that artsy-fartsy kind of show" that some people really love, and the people that come to this show couldn't care less about. It's really lucky if you can go back and forth so you can appeal to the masses and appeal to the elite theater crowd. I like to go back and forth if I can between mediums too, if people will let me.

NR: Scarlet Pimpernel has just announced that they're closing, and you had to deal with Parade closing. How do you get through things like that? That must be hard.

CC: It is hard. It's devastating. When I went through that whole thing with Parade, I think that was the hardest that I've ever been through, because I had been involved since the very early stages. I had so much invested in it and I felt so much a part of the whole process of making the show happen. This will be hard because I really enjoy the show and I really enjoy the people, but because I wasn't involved all the way along, I don't think it will wreck me emotionally as much as that did. But you just hope that something else will come along to distract you, and it usually does. Sometimes you have to wait awhile. Usually some project comes and you think, "Oh, that will be fun." It's like a new boyfriend. (laughs) It takes awhile, you mourn for a little while, and then you say, "Oh, he's cute."

NR: Tell me a little more about Parade. What about all those awards and the Tony nomination?

CC: Oh, it was so exciting and heartbreaking at the same time because we weren't running anymore. Every time the show was recognized in some sort of award or nomination I was just so sad that we weren't still doing the show. I think all that attention would have brought more audience in and maybe it would have been running a little longer. But it was so exciting. The night of the Drama Desk Awards when...and it's still unbelievable to me that I tied with Bernadette Peters because I was SURE that she was going to win. My husband was telling me on the way in, "You'd better write something just in case. I have a feeling." I kept saying, "No. Honey, will you stop? I'm NOT going to win." He kept saying, "I don't know. I have a feeling." I was totally shocked. It was so exciting. There's nothing like that when you're sitting in an audience and they call your name out. You wait for that all your life. It was really cool and it was fun to be at the Tony awards and to perform because we were reunited - the cast members that did perform on the show that night. It was bittersweet.

NR: Are you interested in doing the Parade tour?

CC: You know, we're talking about it now. As I mentioned I have a four year old so it would be very hard. It's hard to tour. I used to do a lot of touring when I was younger and not married. Now that I have a family, it just disrupts everything. Gregg will probably stay with Les Miz for a little while and my daughter Zoe's in pre-school and she'll be starting kindergarten in the fall. I would love to do the show again but I have a feeling it's going to have logistical problems.

NR: I'm just wondering when she starts to get older, it's going to be hard for both of you, because when she gets home from school you're leaving for work.

CC: Yeah, that's true. There are a lot of actors that have kids but usually what happens is one of them decides to stay home for awhile. We haven't come to that point yet. I don't know what's going to happen.

NR: Would you like to do some TV shows? You're not doing Remember WENN anymore, are you?

CC: No, they didn't pick it up for that last season. They did four seasons altogether and I did three of them. Then they did this big cliff hanger which was Pearl Harbor at the end and AMC decided not to do it anymore. We were all so mad because it was such a good show.

NR: Would you like to do some TV?

CC: Yeah, totally.

NR: Would it have to be locally?

CC: No, even if it was out in L.A. My husband and I have been out there twice now for pilot season work - you know, all the actors flock out to try to get the TV jobs. It's such a nice job if you can get a sitcom. It's an easy schedule and very high paying. If one of us got one we'd probably just move out there.

NR: Is it tough without the audience?

CC: You do have an audience with a sitcom. We didn't with Remember WENN. That was sort of shot like a movie. It was one camera and it was a lot more strenuous, but a sitcom is quick. They rehearse it for three days and then the last day they shoot it in front of an audience so you get that sense of laughter and response. That's the gig. That's what I'm looking for.

Interview conducted and photographs by Nancy Rosati.