Daddy Long Legs
Jerusha Abbott
Kansas City Regional Premiere
Check out the link below to see Samantha singing "Mr. Girl Hater" from Daddy Long Legs, promoting Spinning Tree Theatre's Kansas City Premiere of the production on the Kansas City Live Television News!
(Accompanied by Jeremy Jacobs, Assoc. Music Director) https://www.kshb.com/entertainment/kcl/entertainment-kcl/spinning-tree-theatre-premieres-daddy-long-legs |
Samantha McHenry stars as Jerusha Abbott. Actors are seldom as perfect for a role as McHenry is for this one. She inhabits Jerusha like we all inhabit our favorite article of clothing. She's wears her comfortably, believably, and is so genuine in her approach it's as if the role was written with her in mind. McHenry checks through the emotional highs and lows of this character so convincingly she has the audience on the edge of their seats. McHenry's brilliant performance is...quite special. [Co-star John] Cleary's mesh[es] well with McHenry's strong vocals... He's a fine actor who matches well with McHenry... - Paul Bolton - Broadway World Review (Kansas City Premiere of Daddy Long Legs with Spinning Tree Theatre at the Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri)
https://www.broadwayworld.com/kansas-city/article/BWW-Review-DADDY-LONG-LEGS-at-Spinning-Tree-Theatre-20180819 |
Be prepared to fall in love as you watch two talented actors take on a full-length, two person musical where they must remain onstage over 90% of the time... Charm and emotion just ooze from Samantha McHenry as Jerusha Abbott in her Kansas City debut. Both [Cleary and McHenry are] powerful actors, [and] they create the prefect balance of a young ingenue and a slightly older man... The show works because McHenry captures the audience’s attention from her first song and carries them through the story... McHenry’s vocals and performance point her toward star-status–just give her time to become known in New York. She’s young, fresh, and has acting and vocal talents to bring audiences to their feet... [McHenry and Cleary] show great chemistry in this piece, which moves the enjoyment factor from good to fantastic.
- Bob Evans - KC Applause Review (Kansas City Premiere of Daddy Long Legs with Spinning Tree Theatre at the Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri)
https://www.kcapplauds.net/story-snares-with-heart-felt-music-lyrics-performances/
https://www.kcapplauds.net/story-snares-with-heart-felt-music-lyrics-performances/
Samantha McHenry, who plays Jerusha, has a hell of a voice. She’s earnest and plucky and even earnest-er and pluckier in Act II.
- Liz Cook - The Pitch Review (Kansas City Premiere of Daddy Long Legs with Spinning Tree Theatre at the Off Broadway Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri)
Daddy Long Legs
Jerusha Abbott
Dallas Regional Premiere
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Lyric's production featured Samantha McHenry as Jerusha ... With the bulk of the show relying on each actor reading, writing, or singing about a letter exchange, the success of this musical relies on two performers who can intimately engage an audience with little more than a simple costume and spotlight. And fortunately for Dallas audiences, both McHenry and Deaton were up to the tough task. McHenry brought to the stage a contagious spunk that captivated the audience from curtain up to her inevitable bow. Her warm soprano proved to be a perfect fit for the show - an important quality for a character featured in twenty of the show's thirty musical numbers. - Kyle Christopher West - Broadway World Review (Dallas Regional Premiere of Daddy Long Legs with Lyric Stage at the Majestic Theatre in Dallas, Texas)
https://www.broadwayworld.com/dallas/article/BWW-Review-DADDY-LONG-LEGS-at-Lyric-Stage-20180124 |
McHenry has a powerful, haunting, and deeply moving monologue in Act Two in which she reveals to her Daddy Long Legs her affections for someone else. McHenry engulfs her heart within her pain that just devastates you. All alone with a lone light shining on her, she holds the audience in the palm of her hands as her eyes well up in tears...
- John Garcia - The Column (Dallas Regional Premiere of Daddy Long Legs with Lyric Stage at the Dallas Majestic Theatre)
http://thecolumnonline.com/review/01-20-2018_DADDY-LONG-LEGS/
http://thecolumnonline.com/review/01-20-2018_DADDY-LONG-LEGS/
Samantha McHenry and Christopher J. Deaton deliver resplendent performances. Both display not a hint of modernism behavior. Their body posture, diction, and mannerisms stay firmly in 1912. Their arc to their chemistry is extremely believable that just fills your heart. Both actors focus on each other’s subtext within the lyrics thus allowing the audience sincerely feels their emotions. Both have luxurious singing voices. Both performers have an armful of solos, plus duets that are sprinkled throughout the evening... [There were] natural, honest, performances from both Ms. McHenry and Mr. Deaton. There is not a hint of false emotion and the subtext flows from both actors.
- John Garcia - The Column (Dallas Regional Premiere of Daddy Long Legs with Lyric Stage at the Dallas Majestic Theatre)
http://thecolumnonline.com/review/01-20-2018_DADDY-LONG-LEGS/
http://thecolumnonline.com/review/01-20-2018_DADDY-LONG-LEGS/
Lovely Score. It was remarkable how Samantha McHenry ... filled the mighty Majestic Theatre with feeling and song. A well deserved standing ovation on opening night.
- Dallas Morning News' Nancy Churnin (Dallas Regional Premiere of Daddy Long Legs with Lyric Stage at the Dallas Majestic Theatre)
Samantha McHenry is appealingly and politely energetic as Jerusha... [She has an] attractive voice well-suited to this intimate musical...
- Theatre Jones (Dallas Regional Premiere of Daddy Long Legs with Lyric Stage at the Dallas Majestic Theatre)
http://www.theaterjones.com/ntx/reviews/201801201075224/2018-01-20/Lyric-Stage/Daddy-Long-Legs-the-Musical
http://www.theaterjones.com/ntx/reviews/201801201075224/2018-01-20/Lyric-Stage/Daddy-Long-Legs-the-Musical
BroadwayWorld Interview
Promoting Daddy Long Legs for Lyric Stage at the Dallas Majestic Theatre
https://www.broadwayworld.com/dallas/article/BWW-Interview-Christoper-J-Deaton-And-Samantha-McHenry-of-DADDY-LONG-LEGS-at-Lyric-Stage-20180117x
Excerpt from the Interview:
Q: What is it like working with Samantha?
Chris: "In short, Samantha is great, but I knew that coming into rehearsals. I produced three National Tours of a production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed-Reindeer: The Musical, and when I hired Samantha in 2015 as a replacement "Girl Elf" for the second year of our tour, I sent her the script, score, and a video of our 2014 tour and said "please learn as much of this as you can, and we'll teach the rest and clean it in rehearsals." Well, she ended up showing up to the first day knowing everything. I mean literally everything - and better than most of us could even remember from doing it before. Our whole production team was impressed, and we of course were quick to rehire her for our 2016 tour as well. It should come as no surprise then that she showed up to the first day of rehearsals for Daddy Long Legs pretty much fully memorized/off-book, which is truly a feat given the amount she has to do in the show. However, it's not just her diligence in being prepared that makes her great. I've been a professional, union stage actor for a few moons now, and there aren't too many people I could think of from over the years who are as easy to work with as Samantha, and who are also always willing to try a scene a different way, take a note, or run something again to figure out or find what's best. She really wants to not only do and be her best, but to make the production the best it can be as well. Then of course she's just talented on top of that. All of which is to say, she's great and makes doing the show very easy for everyone involved. Plus she bakes cookies and cakes and brings them to rehearsals, so that's not too bad either."
Promoting Daddy Long Legs for Lyric Stage at the Dallas Majestic Theatre
https://www.broadwayworld.com/dallas/article/BWW-Interview-Christoper-J-Deaton-And-Samantha-McHenry-of-DADDY-LONG-LEGS-at-Lyric-Stage-20180117x
Excerpt from the Interview:
Q: What is it like working with Samantha?
Chris: "In short, Samantha is great, but I knew that coming into rehearsals. I produced three National Tours of a production of Rudolph the Red-Nosed-Reindeer: The Musical, and when I hired Samantha in 2015 as a replacement "Girl Elf" for the second year of our tour, I sent her the script, score, and a video of our 2014 tour and said "please learn as much of this as you can, and we'll teach the rest and clean it in rehearsals." Well, she ended up showing up to the first day knowing everything. I mean literally everything - and better than most of us could even remember from doing it before. Our whole production team was impressed, and we of course were quick to rehire her for our 2016 tour as well. It should come as no surprise then that she showed up to the first day of rehearsals for Daddy Long Legs pretty much fully memorized/off-book, which is truly a feat given the amount she has to do in the show. However, it's not just her diligence in being prepared that makes her great. I've been a professional, union stage actor for a few moons now, and there aren't too many people I could think of from over the years who are as easy to work with as Samantha, and who are also always willing to try a scene a different way, take a note, or run something again to figure out or find what's best. She really wants to not only do and be her best, but to make the production the best it can be as well. Then of course she's just talented on top of that. All of which is to say, she's great and makes doing the show very easy for everyone involved. Plus she bakes cookies and cakes and brings them to rehearsals, so that's not too bad either."
Of Thee I Sing
Diana Devereaux
... Lovely, funny Samantha McHenry plays beauty contestant Diana Devereaux... - Dallas Morning News (Of Thee I Sing at Lyric Stage)
www.dallasnews.com/arts/theater/2016/11/04/presidential-election-meets-bachelor-1931s-lush-witty-thee-sing-lyric-stage Samantha McHenry is vivaciously energetic as the jilted beauty queen Diana Devereaux. - Theatre Jones (Of Thee I Sing at Lyric Stage)
www.theaterjones.com/ntx/reviews/20161104070013/2016-11-04/Lyric-Stage/Of-Thee-I-Sing-in-Concert |
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Hairspray!
Penny Lou Pingleton
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As Tracy’s best friend, Penny Pingleton, Samantha McHenry has some great moves too. Her physicality for the part is excellent, creating a contrast [with Tracy] as she moves long, lanky limbs in spider-like motions. It’s fun to watch her fall in love with Seaweed Stubbs and see her character grow from submissive to defiant... and [it's fun] to see the two of them [Seaweed and Penny] create a couple that was sparkling with sexual tension. - Encore Michigan (Hairspray! at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre)
www.encoremichigan.com/2016/06/hairspray-at-hope-summer-rep-is-an-explosion-of-joy/ |
WZZM Channel 13 News
Promoting Hairspray for Hope Summer Repertory Theatre
www.wzzm13.com/news/local/holland-zeeland/hrst-presents-hairspray/247444212
and Dr. Suess' Cat in the Hat for Hope Summer Repertory Theatre
www.wzzm13.com/news/local/holland-zeeland/hope-summer-repertory-theater-presents-kid-friendly-shows/280107925
Podcast Interview
Discussing the National Tour of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with fellow castmate, Sara Kreski
https://www.tcu360.com/2016/12/cultured-podcast-122116/
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Samantha McHenry as Jerusha Abbott in Daddy Long Legs with Lyric Stage at the Dallas Majestic Theatre - January 2018, Penny Pingleton in Hairspray at Hope Summer Repertory Theatre - July 2016, and an Elf in the National Tour of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - December 2016.
Photos courtesy of Michael C Foster Photography, Dale Dorlin Photography, and Ellie Hertel Photography.
Photos courtesy of Michael C Foster Photography, Dale Dorlin Photography, and Ellie Hertel Photography.