If I HAD to pick ONE word to describe Rachel York... I would probably be in trouble. Because, you really need two words to describe her - dramatic and fun. This was one interview that I wish I had on video because many of her answers included sound effects, different voices, and elaborate physical movements when she described her experiences in ballet class. We both found ourselves laughing several times

NR: Can you give me a little back- ground? Where did you grow up?

RY: I was born in Orlando, Florida and my family moved to Boulder, Colorado when I was nine and a half. It was a big change. I had lived in the country in Florida and we were very simple. So, we moved to Boulder, and believe it or not that was a very cosmopolitan town in comparison to Florida. I was very shy when I moved there. I was very, very shy. I was always a clown at home. I was always singing and dancing. My mom sang and she would play the piano and we all sang together. But, when I was in school I was very shy because I came from Florida and they made fun of me because I had a funny accent, so I sort of clammed up. In fact I was so shy in school that when my teacher would call upon me to read out loud I would panic and I just couldn't do it. Until, finally when I was 13, something in me just said "I want to act. I want to do a play. That's what I want to do." When I went to the audition for the school play the director had everybody do a cold read. You know, he handed you the script COLD. It petrified me so much that I left the audition. I never auditioned. And then after that I realized that I had to get over this. So on my own ... my parents worked out of town a lot. So I was actually like a latchkey kid. And my brothers and sisters were off at college. So I had a lot of spare time at home. And so I used that time - I would sing. Instead of doing my homework sometimes I would sing for three hours. Or I would read a play and I would practice aloud a monologue and I spent that time on my own just trying to come out of my shell.

NR: Did that help you?

RY: Actually the thing that really brought me out was choir. I always sang with my mom but I never really realized that I had anything like a gift. I just thought everybody could sing. So when I was 13, I was in the school choir and I realized, "Hey, I can sing really well. These people can't really sing that well." Then I started getting all the solos and that helped me to come out. That gave me the courage, after practicing, to audition for the school play. So from 13 on, throughout school, I was in every school play and all the choir concerts. My parents were gone a lot and so I submerged myself into theater and music.

NR: Is that when you decided to become a performer?

RY: I came from an upper middle class family but our lives were sort of like "feast or famine." My dad was an engineer and he would have these contracts. And so it was like in acting. We would have lots of money for a certain amount of time and then he would be trying to get work. And one particularly bad time was right at the time of my high school graduation. So, at that time I decided that I hated school so much. I was an A/B student but I did my homework just to get it done. I just hated it. I just wanted to get out and I wanted to DO WHAT I WANTED TO DO, which was I wanted to act and I wanted to sing. So I had to make a big decision when I graduated and that was either to go to a regular state college in the theater department, or what I really wanted to do, which was to go to Julliard. I auditioned and I didn't get in. They took about 25 people out of 4,000 and I was 18, and it was pretty rare that they would take people that were under 25. So, I had to make a decision. Do I want to go to a regular college and work my way through college with loans and all that stuff or DO I WANT TO GO OUT THERE and just try to make it? And study? And I really did believe in studying. I actually had a scholarship to the American Center for Music Theater at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in LA because you should know that in my senior year I moved to San Clemente, California and after I graduated, at 18, I moved to LA. That was a 2 year scholarship so I went there when I was 17 and 18. I also studied acting with a man named Aaron Spizer who encouraged me to move to New York. I was kind of his star pupil at the time. I was very green and so many of the plays were about New Yorkers and the playwrights were New Yorkers and I really hadn't lived in that world. That's what I was craving. I felt that one thing I was missing in my work at that time (dramatically) at that time because I knew SO MUCH at 18! was LIFE experience. I didn't have enough LIFE experience to feed what I wanted to do. I was interested in doing musical theater because I could sing but my main goal was acting. So he encouraged me to come out here and luckily after I was here about 2 months I enrolled in a "song presentation" class. And the accompanist, Brad Ross, came up to me and said, "You know, you have a really pretty voice. Could you do some demos for me?" I didn't really know what that was so I asked "How much will that cost?" He said, "No, no, no, the demo's for me. I want you to sing my material." So I went over to his place and we sang all these different songs in different styles and he said to me, "You can sing in any style there is. Do you have an agent?" and I said "No, I just moved here." So he introduced me to Bill Timms, and Bill Timms has been my agent ever since. (laughing) I won't tell you how long that's been because then you'll know how old I am, but it's been many years.

NR: Did you study dance as a child?

RY: Um hmm. I started dance class at 8. I started ballet and tap. Tap was my forté, but in ballet I started to feel like a clod. (laughs) I always thought I was a clod compared to all those other people. Which was something that I used as Norma - when I played Norma Cassidy (in Victor/Victoria). Because we moved around so much when I was a child, I would be getting really good at ballet and then we'd move. Then I wouldn't study for a year. And so then I'd enroll myself back into the advanced class. I guess I sabotaged myself basically. So all these people would be doing these splits in the air and I'd be like (very ungraceful gesture here!) You know, I felt like such a clod! So I remember that I thought "I'm going to use this for Norma - that feeling." And it was great! You know when she does "Chicago, Illinois" and all the girls are kicking their legs and she's TRYING TO KICK HER LEG HIGH!

NR: How do you compare the experience of Pimpernel vs Victor/Victoria? They're very different shows, very different casts.

RY: Pimpernel is actually easier for me because Norma in a way backstage is almost like Percy Blakeney, the way that he's running around all the time and he's constantly ... as Norma, from the minute I was on stage I was in action, and I didn't stop until the end of the show. And it was physical, vocal, strenuous action, so I was always fatigued it seemed when I was doing that show. But I enjoyed - it was great. It was a gift. You know, you go out on stage, say a couple lines and the crowd roared and it was great comedy. It was wonderful to play that role. But afterwards, I really wanted to play something different. I couldn't play another Norma. Which is of course what always happens. After you play a character like that they say, "Oh, she plays a great dizzy blonde. Let's cast her as this dizzy blonde." When the truth is - I don't know, maybe there are a lot of actresses who just continue to like to play the same thing but I don't. I want something different. "OK, I've done that. Now give me something else. I need something else to express." So I wanted to sing. I hadn't sung. Norma was a character voice and I wanted to use my voice. And I wanted to do something more meaningful to me. When I heard the music from Frank Wildhorn I just heard something that I wanted to express. Besides, that was comedy. That was being wacky and fun. This is being deeper and emotional and it's a little closer to the heart.

NR: Was there something in particular about Marguerite that drew you to the character?

RY: Yeah, it was the music first of all, and what the music said. The music basically describes what the character's gone through. And that was what attracted me. Because it was this material that I could relate to and that I wanted to express.

NR: Knowing that you had two different directors and two different scripts, did you feel like you were stepping into Christine Andreas' role, or did you feel it was a completely new creation?

RY: I didn't feel that I was stepping into her role, no. First of all, I'd never seen the show before when I agreed to do this. So, the first thing I heard was the music and I thought, "Oh, my God, I need to express this. This is me." And then I read the book and I thought, "Oh, yes, this is me too. I've got to do this." Then I saw her play it. Even though I really felt Christine played from a lot of truth, I did not interpret the character at all the way she interpreted it.

NR: You also had a different script and a different director.

RY: Yeah, but I was actually going from the book. I didn't even have a script at that time. But after reading the book I thought she saw her more this way. I saw her fiery. She's an actress. She's dramatic. She's the "toast of Paris." She's strong. She's an actress, she wants to be noticed. She's a "presence to be reckoned with." Although the challenge in Marguerite is to somehow tell that to the audience yet what's going on in her life right now is she's so contained right now. So it's an actress who feels contained because she has so many questions and emotions that she can't express. So, I think that's an interesting challenge to try to portray in a character.

NR: Did you try to keep "Only Love" in the show?

RY: I did. I worked very, very hard at it. I tell you, I had my arms out. I was campaigning left and right. I'm very happy with everything. I'm very happy with Bobby (Longbottom). I enjoy working with everybody in the show so much, but again, before I had ever seen the show, I guess I had these ideas. I saw what it could be. When I had seen the first show I didn't like it. I wasn't trying to be judgmental either. And it was the direction. It wasn't that I didn't like the show or some of the acting or stuff like that. It was just that to me it was just a mess, it wasn't clear. When I talked to Bobby before about the changes we were in total agreement, and I loved everything that he was doing until he cut that song. At first when he cut it I thought, "OK, I trust your opinion if you really feel this needs to be taken out." Then I realized that Percy and Marguerite have no intimate moment in the entire show. I mean, the wedding is not an intimate moment - everybody was there.

NR: Well, you have the boat at the ending...

RY: Yeah, but you can't tell a love story just by the ending of it. I felt the audience would lose their confidence in this love story if they had to wait till the end to believe in it. To me, there had to be the kind of thing where this love was so special that it is such a tragedy that these two people are not together. And when you start a show where they've known each other for six weeks, and they're getting married, and immediately on the wedding night, they don't speak to each other for the next two months. AND, they don't even confront each other. So you think, "These guys are really great. These people will do anything for love. They won't even say `Honey, what's wrong?'" To me that was just ridiculous. And I said, "There has to be at least a confrontation scene or something." So he put in the one scene when we're in the ballroom and I say, "Why do you hate me so? What's happened?" AND, there's a whole chapter dedicated to it in the book. To me it's THE most important chapter in the book and it was taken out of the script. So, I had a hard time with it but what's happened instead... I tried to compensate. It's Bobby's vision and he had an idea of the way he wanted to do this play and I had to trust him. And it IS his vision. I still had those feelings after he made that decision. I just felt that was a little weak so I just had to, every moment in that play, Doug and I have to relay that to the audience in other ways, in the moments when there's no dialogue.

NR: What's your favorite part of playing Marguerite?

RY: (laughing) The costumes! (sarcastically) The wonderful corset that I wear. (laughs) I DO like the costumes! The costumes are fun! Hey, that's what I got into this business for anyway, right?. And the wig! (very sarcastically) I love to wear that wonderful wig! (laughing) It's all vanity, really. I look fabulous! I love it! Everybody thinks that's my real hair.

(seriously now) I think singing the songs. Again, that's why I originally wanted to do the role in the first place. I love being able to express that part of me in those songs every night. It's healing to me.

NR: What's the most difficult part?

RY: Actually, the most difficult part is when I eat too much in between shows and then they put me in that corset and I can't breathe!

NR: How DO you sing in that?

RY: It's really hard to sing in it. That's where you breathe. Usually, it's not a problem. But when I eat too much I have a problem. Also, you know, corsets make you burp. (laughs) They do!

NR: (laughing) That's something we didn't know.

RY: They do! Ask any of the girls! You know, you'll be fine. You know, you ate dinner two hours ago and you're fine. Then all of a sudden you put the corset on and (sound effect). It doesn't happen that often. Actually, I've been able to control it pretty well. But there have been a couple of times when I ate maybe too close to the show and I'm out there singing and all of a sudden I get this burp in my throat and I'm trying to sing "enticing lies" with this bubble in my throat! (Rachel then did a demonstration of singing "If you could look at me once more...." - broke to clear her throat - "with all the love you felt before.") I've actually seen Rex do that a lot. I've seen him a couple of times. You know, Rex has cords of steel. But every so often you can tell he's got something in his throat. And he'll take that moment, the big pause in the song that he has, and he'll go "La la la (swallow) La la la." (laughs)

NR: Someone wanted to know how you learned the accent and is it hard to do it for the entire length of the show?

RY: (teasing) I can only do it for half of the show! Then it goes on strike.

NR: (laughing) Actually, I've heard actors do that. I've heard them turn it on and off! (teasing) Does the costume bring the accent on? Or the wig?

RY: (laughing) The corset is the one thing. I can't do the accent without the corset! (seriously) No, I love accents. I lived in France for awhile, but I like any accent. Actually, when I was 20 years old I got a gig. I was singing in a French band. When we were rehearsing, I was the only one who spoke English. I didn't speak French that well but I had to learn. I didn't stay with that group. The producer was kind of crazy.

NR: What were you warned about the League before you got here and was it a surprise?

RY: It was a surprise. When was the first time I heard about it? I think it was in rehearsal and Doug had received something and I said, "Oh, where did you get that?" and he said, "This is from the Pimpys." And I said, "The Pimpys? Who's that?" I had no idea what that meant. And he said, "Oh, yeah, we have QUITE a fan club." And I still didn't really grab the concept. I was thinking it was a fan club that writes letters. Then I first experienced them - you know, in the audience and after the show. It's great! I love it! I'm so glad. What a gift! I'm so glad that there is such a fan club for this show.

NR: I have a question from someone who wants to become an actress. She wanted to know if it's everything it seems and is it worth it?

RY: Yeah! I mean, for me, it's my life. I love what I do. It's healing to me. If you find that kind of thing healing, and if you get a high when you go out on stage ... You don't do it for approval or recognition. You can't do it for those reasons. You do it because you LOVE it. You do it because it feeds you. You crave it and it feeds you, and nourishes you. So, that's why I do it. So, if somebody feels that way about this, and they're not doing it because they want to marry a movie star or they want the recognition or the approval of other people. If they're not doing it for those reasons, but for genuine reasons, then YES, it's worth it. It's sort of like the song "What I Did For Love." I think that's sort of the feeling you have when you go into this business. Because it's like a very challenging love relationship that you have to put a lot of work into and be very patient with and you sort of "die" for this relationship.

NR: What do you wish you had more time for?

RY: I wish I had more time to read - what I want to read, not scripts but pleasure reading. Because I find that I don't have much time, it's such a luxury. Or write in my journal. I like those kinds of things.

EVERYTHING! If I could have more time to... When you're an actress there is that "feast or famine" thing. When I'm working I never have any time to go on vacation, travel the world, do fun things. I like to go see movies and when I'm working I never have any time to do that. And when I'm not working I'm working so hard to get a job, and I don't have the money. So it's kind of a "Catch 22."

NR: What do you want to do in the future?

RY: Film. Film and I'm seeing about doing a play on Broadway. I don't know if it's going to work out. But, we'll see. So, a play or film. I would love to do that. Or both. Everything.

NR: Everything?

RY: (laughs) You know, it's funny. I've been in this business for a long time and I've gotten to the point where I've had enough. I've had enough and I'm just going for it because that's the way you have to be. There was a time when I thought, "Whatever's meant to be will be. It will come to me in its time." And that's true, that's very true. But now I have to get out there and make it. Now I'm getting really aggressive. (laughs)

NR: Well, good luck!

RY: Thank you so much.

Rachel has been a charming addition to the cast. Her character has grown considerably since previews and her Marguerite certainly comes across as a "presence to be reckoned with." I thoroughly enjoyed speaking with her and I wish her the best of luck in Pimpernel and in the future.

Questions suggested by:

Susan Cassidy, Jan Kolb, Suzanne, Shovelin', Samantha, Andrew, Pat O'Neill, Peter Williams, Meredith, Farin, Shari Perkins, Thom Rosati