Christine Ebersole: Shining As Brightly as Ever

Does Christine Ebersole ever get tired?

Like the Cheshire cat, Christine changes location in an instant. One minute she is at home in Maplewood, N.J., then in a blink she is performing at Northwestern University, and, without losing a beat, she is filming her next movie in Connecticut.

Tony Awards

Christine hit the ground running soon after college. Her 35 years on Broadway earned her the “overnight success” of two Tony Awards for Best Leading Lady in a Musical, one for her role as Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street and another as Little Edie/Big Edie in Grey Gardens. In between, there have been too many television roles to count and movies ranging from Tootsie to Amadeus to My Favorite Martian.

But all of this glorious success is not why Christine works so hard. Her first love is performing in clubs, especially the Carlyle Café in NYC.

Born to Sing

Christine was born to sing. If you have not heard her unforgettable a cappella version of “Amazing Grace” at a 9/11 fundraiser, you can still catch it on YouTube.

“What I enjoy most is storytelling in song on stage,” Christine said. “I think on stage it is more effective, it is the actor’s medium, that’s where you have the most power and the most control. It’s not done through the filter of a lens, it’s a direct relationship with the audience.”

Speaking her mind about politics has occasionally caused more trouble than expected. But Christine feels strongly about the world outside of theater and it is the foundation for the patter that she writes for her annual club show at the Carlyle.

“I’m not religious but I have faith and without it, I pretty much couldn’t get out of bed. There is so much that I want to speak about,” Christine said. “To lead a spiritual life and to be a spiritual warrior is to be political. So the two are inextricably linked because what you believe in you must stand for in life.”

On the Homefront

Christine and her husband are the parents of three teenagers. Instead of rolling her eyes as most parents would do, she rejoices in it. “They are really exquisite creatures. I am always very humbled by it and very grateful. It is just like life, it has its’ challenges. It’s the most rewarding, I believe, and the most fulfilling and so I’m grateful that I was given this opportunity.”

The opportunity to which Christine is referring is the chance to be a mother through her adopted children. “It wasn’t really a hard decision, it was given to me by my desire to be a mother and by the limitations of my own body.”

With so many professional and personal goals having been met, what does Christine still strive to achieve? “What I want is balance in my life and peace of mind that comes through pursuing my passion,” she said. “Professionally, it is really my music that I’m most passionate about. But I am interested in being able to create a balance in my life between motherhood and my career as a performance artist.”

By the way, her household is also to home to three dogs and two cats.

Christine concluded, “It’s not dull.”