Watch Robyn Hurder Talk About the Healing Power of A Beautiful Noise in This Extended Interview From The Broadway Show

Robyn Hurder is a standout in A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical as the famed musician's ex-wife Marcia Murphey. The Tony-nominated performer sat down with Broadway.com Editor-In-Chief Paul Wontorek at the Starchild Rooftop at the Civilian Hotel to talk about jumping into the new musical just weeks after leaving Moulin Rouge! The Musical, finding healing through sharing grief and more in this extended version of her interview from The Broadway Show.

When Hurder left her role as Nini in Moulin Rouge!, she was not looking for a new production. "Once I left Moulin Rouge, I was so prepared to just be a mom and take a seat in my house in the woods and to just enjoy life and give my body a rest finally," she said. "But when this audition came up just two months later, I was like, 'I think I should probably go in for this.' And then all of a sudden, within three days, I had another Broadway show. That's when you throw your hands up and say, 'Take it away, universe.' I'm not going to fight it. Clearly, this is meant to be. Never in my life would I ever expect that I would be starring in the Neil Diamond musical. It is the most fun I've ever had and it's the happiest I've ever been on stage."

Hurder's previous roles include the dance-heavy Chicago, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Grease and The Wedding Singer, which is why taking on Marcia Murphey was an unexpected, but welcome, move. "This was very intimidating for me," she said. "The roles that I've been able to create on Broadway have been made up and they've not worn a lot of clothing and they really like to dance and express themselves. Not only do do I get to wear clothes in this show, I am creating a real human that's here, that's alive. With Marcia, there is not a whole lot of information about her. She's led a very very private life since the divorce. She helped create this lifestyle, this Neil Diamond that everyone adores and loves, which kind of turned into a beautiful monster."

One month after taking her final bow in Moulin Rouge!, Hurder shared on social media the reason she left the production was she was expecting her second child—but she suffered a miscarriage. Hurder said she wants to break down the stigma surrounding miscarraiges and found solace by sharing her story.  "My circle of friends—they're the ones that helped me keep going," she said. "I feel like, especially with miscarriage, that it's so strange that  literally one in three that women experience this but we still have this feeling like we can't talk about it.  So I let it out, and it was the best thing I could have done for myself. This is when social media can be such a beautiful place where you can find this community and bring people together and help each other. Out of something that's so horrific and traumatizing, I was able for to turn it around into something that was really beautiful for myself, and that's what healing is."

Just days before A Beautiful Noise opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on December 4, Hurder's father Dennis died. Hurder followed her gut and honored her father by staying on stage. "When I found out, I didn't know what to do," she said. "Should I run home to Maine and be with my family? My mom and brothers that were like, 'Robyn what are you gonna do? Are you going to sit here and cry with us? Dad knows this is the most important week and he would be so upset if you missed it because of him.' The number one thing my dad loved most in this world is watching me perform. And I knew deep down, after freaking out for the whole day, that this is what he wanted. I didn't tell [the cast] because I'm always a mom and I want to take everybody under my wing and take care of them first. It was actually a beautiful escape to go into the theate. It was so therapeutic to just shut it off and get to do what I love most."

Watch the extended interview below and head here to check your local listings for The Broadway Show. Hosted by Emmy winner Tamsen Fadal, it is the only nationally syndicated weekly theater news program.