Katie Holmes has found her way back home, or as close as the actress can get while still working on the Great White Way. The Toledo, Ohio native is currently on Broadway in Dead Accounts, playwright Theresa Rebeck's new comedy. The show is about a Cincinnati family that must deal with a sick parent and a son who has lost his way. Holmes plays Lorna, the designated parental caretaker, now living again in her childhood home. Midwestern to the core, Lorna is honest, stubborn, low maintenance, family oriented—and drinks her wine out of a box. The play begins with the surprise arrival of Lorna's big brother Jack (played by St. Louis native Norbert Leo Butz). He's been working at a finance job in New York but has come home with a big secret—referenced in the title—that shakes up the whole family. Holmes was eager to get back on Broadway after her debut in the 2008 revival of All My Sons, and she's in good hands with Butz as a scene partner. The Broadway vet made his debut in Rent back in 1996 and has since won two Tony Awards for roles in the musicals Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Catch Me if You Can. We sat down with the pair at legendary Broadway haunt Sardi's to talk about their Midwestern roots and what they love about living in New York.
Katie, this is your second time on Broadway. What about that experience were you looking forward to reliving?
Katie Holmes:
I particularly like the theater schedule. You just go and you do it, there's not a lot of waiting around. But you have to think on your feet while you're up there. Sometimes words just don't come out—you mean for them to come out [but] they just don't. Then your costar has to fill in and you feel like a jerk. You spend your next line going, “Oh, God, why did I do that?”
What do you do when that happens?
Norbert Leo Butz:
We've both been there. The other day it was my turn in the first scene, and she covered me.
True! Norbert, how have you found Katie to work with?
NB:
I can tend to…well, shall we say, “overdo” my work. Some people call it mugging; some call it overacting. I'm very excitable. Katie is a real listener on stage, and that's the beauty with working with someone who's worked in front of the camera. She feels less pressure—and this is just my opinion—to [show off] and wanted to find a more truthful way of being in the play. She made me [say to myself], “I actually have to look at this person and communicate with her.” So she's been a grounding force for me in the play, and that's very true of our characters. Lorna brings Jack back down to the planet. I think that's why we have good chemistry on stage.
Do you feel that some of your Midwestern qualities have come back to you while doing this play?
KH:
Lorna has a line at the end about sharing, not cheating, doing your homework and working a 16-hour day. To me that says everything about the Midwest. You respect it [because] it doesn't go away. It's always there. The reason why you feel safe in the world is because you know that where you're from is still the same. I think that's why I feel a kinship with other Midwesterners. That's what attracted me to this play. I felt like Theresa [Rebeck] really got it right.
Is there anything you guys do with your kids in New York City that reminds you of your childhood in the Midwest?
KH:
New York has so many great places. It's particularly crazy right now, with all the people in for the holidays. I'm excited about it. It's like you're part of [something], like walking around
….
What do you guys love to do in New York when you're not working?
KH:
I just saw the
, which was one of my favorite things. It's gorgeous, all porcelain ornaments. I also love
,
,
, and I like walking outside of
and watching the dancers through the window. I love downtown, too.