Interview with Broadway Actor Liz Larsen Now Appearing at Arena Stage in Sarah Silverman’s The Bedwetter – A New Musical
Jordan Wright
February 3, 2025
Liz Larsen
For Broadway, film and TV actor, Liz Larsen, a return to Washington, DC and Arena Stage since winning the Helen Hayes Award for Sunday in the Park with George in 1998, it is a very exciting time. In advance of attending opening night for Sarah Silverman’s The Bedwetter who plays Sarah’s grandmother, Nana, I took the opportunity to chat with her about her career. Full Disclosure: Liz Larsen is my niece.
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Jordan Wright – In 1998 you performed at Arena Stage in the DC production of Sunday in the Park with George where you played Dot, the female lead, winning the Helen Hayes Award for “Best Actress in a Musical”. So let me just say, after all your years dazzling audiences on Broadway, a Tony nomination for The Most Happy Fella, and a Helen Hayes nom for Baby, we’re thrilled to have you back in town. For those who wonder why we haven’t seen you here in ages, you’ve been on Law & Order in various roles for 15 years plus roles in The Americans, Madoff, Mr. Robot, The Sopranos and many more TV series. On Broadway you were featured in half a dozen major productions. As many of your fans know, your longest Broadway run (six years!) was in The Carole King Musical playing Carole’s mother.
Currently you’re co-starring as Nana in the DC premiere of the Sarah Silverman semi-autobiographical musical, The Bedwetter, based loosely on her eponymous book. Just to let readers know, if they saw its highly acclaimed Off-Broadway run, the show now has a new book with additional music and lyrics by David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit). The role casts you as the grandmother of ten-year-old Sarah who struggles with the embarrassing condition of wetting her bed along with the many stresses kids have when entering a new school and dealing with being an outsider. Let’s talk about your role as the grandmother. Is there another role you might have done in the past to channel a grandmother?
Liz Larsen – I recently played the grandmother in Sunday in the Park with George in LA which was very full circle for me having played Dot. Now I’m playing a lot of mothers of grown children and grandmothers.
JW – Tony nominee, Anne Kauffman is directing. What’s the most challenging part of working with a new director?
LL – Absolutely nothing. She’s fantastic. I know that she trusts me and I trust her. I try to figure out the “voice” of the character with her. There’s a tone to this because it’s heartbreaking and yet it’s hilarious. There’s also a certain style to this piece that needs to be figured out and we’re all doing it on our feet. It’s very collaborative. What I enjoy is playing someone who is a real person. Like when I played Carole’s mother in “Beautiful” I liked learning about her. What’s amazing about Sarah’s mother is that she pulled herself out of a ten-year depression and went on to do great things in theatre.
Liz Larsen as Dot in Arena Stage”s production of Sunday in the Park with George
JW – You’re good friends with Ashley Blanchet who plays Miss New Hampshire and was one of the cast members in the original production. Have you worked with her or any of the other cast or crew members before this production?
LL – Ashley and I worked together in Beautiful. She played Little Eva. And Shoshana Bean, who won a Grammy last night for the “Best Musical Theatre Album” of Hell’s Kitchen, and I played in Hairspray together on Broadway in 2003. David and I worked together on Broadway in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Full Monty. [David Yasbek, composer/lyricist of The Band’s Visit, wrote additional music and lyrics for this show]
Liz Larsen
JW – What’s your preparation process?
LL – For this particular show, I practiced a Boston accent and her voice. Because she’s a smoker, I make my voice lower. And I walk a certain way because she’s in her 70’s.
JW – Do you have a routine before you go onstage?
LL – You’re gonna laugh, but gummi bears. They stimulate the saliva and moisten your throat.
JW – Favorite go-to snacks and food cravings?
LL – Just plain milk chocolate – no nuts, no caramel. Every single day of my life! It’s been great being in DC with the theatre across the street from The Wharf. I love seafood and they have great crabcakes here.
Liz Larsen in The Baltimorons
JW – What do you do in the rare times you’re not onstage or on camera?
LL – I like to cook – chicken soup with the whole chicken and matzoh ball soup. When I’m home I cook for my family and friends every night. And I love to read. Currently I’m reading Barbra Streisand’s audible book, “My Name is Barbra”. She narrates it. In it she tells what she ate and what she wore, and I love that. The other thing is swimming.
JW – You travel with your little dog, Finn. Is that for luck or comfort or both?
LL – It’s everything! I can’t be without him. Ashley and Shoshona have their dogs here too.
JW – What’s new career-wise?
LL – For the first time in my life, I was offered the lead in a movie. We shot it in Baltimore and now we’re all going to Austin for SXSW where it’s premiering later this month. It’s a buddy film – a romance. My co-star is 35 years old. I never thought that would happen! In it we spend 48 hours together at Christmas. It’s called the “Baltimorons”. Indie filmmakers Jay and Mark Duplass are the producers and directors.
JW – What is the one role you’d like to play?
LL – There have been roles I wanted to play like Mama Rose, but I feel like the role I’d want to play hasn’t been written yet.
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed.