BWW Interviews: Ann Street-Kavanaugh, A Life in the Theatre

Ann Street-Kavanaugh has been in theatre since she was in fourth grade and has been a professional actress since 1984. And no, those two things didn't happen in the same year...no matter how young she might look!

During that time, the talented Ms. Street-Kavanaugh has performed in musicals, plays, commercials, movies and videos and she's done voice-overs, choreography, cabaret, cruise ships and concerts. Furthermore, she's directed and produced, and was nominated for an Irene Ryan national acting award, a First Night Award (for the original production of The Bop She Bops at Chaffin's Backstage at the Barn Theatre in which I compared her to a young Ann Margret) and she won a best actress award as Mama Rose in Circle Players' production of Gypsy.

"I've acted in about 130 or more different productions over the years," she estimates. And for a very memorable time in her career, she worked with country music superstar Vern Gosdin (known as "The Voice" of country music), singing with him and appearing on four albums as his duet partner.

 Now married, Ann Street-Kavanaugh is the mother of a six-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son. She's always on the move and her beautiful voice, which features one of the best theatre belts in Music City USA, is something to be savored and appreciated. If you have the chance to catch her onstage, don't miss it!

Even with a crying baby boy in the other room, she still found time to sit down and answer our questions, to give us some insight into her own very special Life in the Theatre. Read and enjoy!

 

 

What was your first taste of theatre? I saw a play about the Bell Witch at Nashville Children's Theatre when I was around eight years old...I was mesmerized and knew I had to be on stage...I still remember it and consider it a "light bulb" moment of my life.

 

 

What was your first real job or responsibility in the theatre? As a freshman at Western Kentucky University, I was hired by their new dinner theatre as an actress. I got my first paycheck about three weeks in and it was for $15.00! (It got better after that!)

When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in theatre? I had secretly wanted to pursue it all through high school, but didn't have the confidence.  My English teacher took me aside after a performance of A Christmas Carol and told me that he would normally never tell anyone what to do, but felt like he had to: That he thought I had an energy and presence onstage that made people watch me whether I was the focus of the scene or not. He advised that I think about theatre as a career; that was all I needed! It was like someone validated what I felt inside.

Why do you pursue your art in Nashville? What are the best parts of working here? Nashville is my hometown, but I had rarely worked here until my 30s when I wanted to be closer to family. The best parts of working here is the community spirit among the theatres, being a small enough market that it's pretty easy to work with your favorite actors time and again - and for me, my family and history are in Nashville.

If you could play any role, direct any work, design any production, mount any production...what would it be and why? I would adore playing Mama Rose in Gypsy again...that role seemed to fit like a very comfortable glove [editor's note: Ann starred as Mama Rose in the production of Gypsy directed by BroadwayWorld.com's Jeffrey Ellis].  I've been dying to play M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias...I've been cast as Shelby and Truvy and it feels like M'Lynn would be the next step. I have a very loose script I've worked on through the years called Steel Radials...about 5 guys who work in a auto garage. I also have a musical based on Janis Joplin that I wrote that I'm probably too old to do, but would love to produce it...and Les Miserables.

Who would play you in the film version of your life story? Sally Field (I'd like to play her!)

What's your favorite play/musical? Whichever one I'm in at the time.

If you could have dinner with any three figures (living or dead, real or fictional) who are a part of the theatre, who would you choose and why? Shakespeare...just to have a conversation and see how his mind works. Helen Hayes...would love to hear her theatre stories and ask advice and Liza Minnelli...again, just to hear her stories and be in her presence.

Imagine a young person seeing you onstage or seeing a production in which you played a major role coming up to you and asking you for advice in pursuing their own theatrical dream...what would you say? First, I would ask why they want to pursue that career; it seems so many young people these days want fame and money and aren't in it for the craft. I would steer those away. If they love theatre for the craft, then I'd say to put together a clear set of goals of what they'd like to happen and go about making it so. Don't wait around for someone else to "discover" them.

Ann Street-Kavanaugh as Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls