Hadestown's Eva Noblezada on Her Sutton Foster Obsession, Teaching Herself to Cry & More on Show People

After making a triumphant (and Tony-nominated) Broadway debut as Kim in the 2017 revival of Miss Saigon, Eva Noblezada is back on the boards in Hadestown. Anaïs Mitchell's musical, which premiered off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop in 2016, enjoyed a celebrated run in the West End at the National Theatre last year, with Noblezada and Reeve Carney playing the roles of lovers Eurydice and Orpheus, respectively. The young talent stopped by Show People with Paul Wontorek to discuss what's different for her this time on the Great White Way and more.

1. PERFORMING IN HADESTOWN FEELS "COSMIC"
“Anaïs Mitchell started writing this ages ago. She is an actual goddess. I think they started out putting everybody in a van or a truck and did a tour in Vermont. It has been a long process. They did it off-Broadway at New York Theatre Workshop, and then they did it at Edmonton in Canada. I joined the journey at the National Theatre in London. I’m grateful that they even asked me to audition. I feel like a contest winner. The word that I use to describe this show, especially when it comes to the energy with the other actors, is cosmic. [Director] Rachel Chavkin is so amazing at creating this cosmic energy in a room: I feel like I’m walking amongst the stars when I do this show.”

2. GOING DOWN THE GREEK MYTHOLOGY WORMHOLE SNAKEHOLE 
“The beautiful thing about mythology is that it allows humans to see godlike bodies that we look up to, but the gods were created based off of humans. It's rich in history, and [the] myths change over time, which I love. In Greek mythology, Eurydice falls into a viper's nest. She got bit by a viper on the day of her wedding. You can really go into a wormhole—a snakehole!—it's so interesting. I am hugely passionate about what I love to do.”

3. SHE TAUGHT HERSELF HOW TO CRY ON COMMAND IN THE SHOWER
“If I did it in my room with no music, my mom would have been like ‘What’s wrong with her?’ The hot water is good for your pores. You pretend the wall is your lover in the rain. Thank goodness for it because I have to cry in everything I do.”

Other must-read highlights:

ON HER CO-STAR REEVE CARNEY
“He’s the best guy. He is incredible. I hope he never watches this because I promised him I would never compliment him. His voice could conjure the second coming of Christ. I am very, very lucky to work with him but more so just to have met him and have him in my life because he’s stuck with me now.”

ON HER OBSESSION WITH SUTTON FOSTER
“If Sutton Foster walked in right now, I would shit myself. Literally before we were going onstage at the Tony Awards to perform, I walked up to Sutton Foster in her beautiful gown. I started crying. Like, ‘Why can’t I speak English?’ And she was like ‘Awww, you’re so sweet.’ We took a picture. I cried. I don’t even remember what I said; I think I just made sounds at her. I’m so sorry, Sutton. I love you.”

ON CHOOSING PROJECTS THAT MAKE HER PROVE HERSELF
“I wanted to prove myself being in a show as big and as legendary and as epic as Miss Saigon. Hadestown is now a completely different epic in my life. Without Saigon, I would be nothing. But to walk into this--I find the story heartbreaking and inspiring but also being able to sing Anaïs’ music, think the way Rachel sees and just be this beautiful character that is timeless—that is special to me. Developing a character like this has been hugely challenging, but also the hardest thing I’ve done in my career so far for sure.”

ON HER LEGENDARY CO-STAR ANDRE DE SHIELDS
“Can we talk about Andre De Shields? What a legend! Andre De Shields is a walking one-man show, and he never takes a night off. Everything he says goes so far. He gives the best advice. He comes up with some things that deeply shock me—and I rarely get shocked. Also, his way of opening your eyes to things that you hadn’t really thought. He’ll say things—when he says it, it sounds so simple. Like, ‘I should have known that.’ But they’re existential: They change the meaning of life. He knows a lot about Greek mythology. He knows a lot about history.”

ON PUTTING HER SPIN ON EURYDICE
“In any story that I’ve seen Eurydice in, she doesn’t say anything. She literally says nothing. I’m very, very grateful that Anaïs and Rachel and everybody involved in Hadestown has been very supportive in adding a punk quality and almost half of me to the character because she is a survivor. She’s a tough girl. I wanted to make sure that she was relatable and not a mute, not a victim—especially now.”

ON HER FORTHCOMING ALBUM
“I am working on my album. It will not be musical theater. [The songs] will all be originals. If Jessie Ware and Amy Winehouse had a baby, that’d be me.”

ON NOT MAKING A FIVE-YEAR PLAN
“I don’t like making five-year plans because things change. Sometimes I wake up and go, ‘God, I wish I was in fashion.’ And then sometimes I wake up and go, ‘God, I want cake for breakfast.’ It just changes.”

Watch the full episode of Show People with Paul Wontorek below!

Interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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