Rachel Tucker on Come From Away's Timeless Story of Hope & Remembering 'Chairography'

Rachel Tucker was only two weeks into her new Broadway stint as Captain Beverley Bass in Broadway's Come From Away when theaters went dark. The next morning, Tucker took a flight to London that only cost 72 quid ($90!) to be home with her family during quarantine. "I was finally hitting my groove on Broadway and boom now I'm back," Tucker told Paul Wontorek on #LiveatFive: Home Edition.

Although Tucker says she's keeping her lines fresh, one thing she doesn't need to practice is the show's infamous "chairography." "I will never need to practice those chairs again ever in my life," she joked. "They are so ingrained in my brain from those four weeks of rehearsal. I honestly thought I was going insane, but now I'll never forget."

Tucker earned an Olivier Award nomination for originating the role of Beverley in the West End production. She is also known for her multiple flights as Elphaba in Wicked productions around the world. "Come From Away is an ensemble show, and in a weird way, this is harder than Elphaba," she said. "In Wicked, you're so on your own and working on your own trajectory in the show. In Come From Away you really need to listen. If someone says a line slightly different, you have to adjust to that. Even though I've only got one solo in Come From Away, we're singing nonstop for 100 minutes, so by the time I get to my solo, I really need to hype myself up. It's so exciting to do."

Known as being the 9/12 musical that tells the story of a community coming together after 9/11, Tucker reflects on Come From Away's timely message. "The best of humanity comes from the most tragic times," she said. "The amount of stories I believe that will come out of this [pandemic] would be enough for another musical of the same ilk. I think [Come From Away] is the show people are going to want to see after this is over; it's a story of hope. I can't wait to get back to it." We can't wait for Tucker to be back either, vlog-camera in hand.

Watch Tucker talk about going from Belfast to Broadway and more in the full episode below!