MANSFIELD, Ohio – Mansfield’s own Broadway star Jenni Barber is coming home for the holidays.
Appearing alongside the Mansfield Symphony and the Mansfield Symphony Chorus, Barber will be featured as a vocal soloist in the Mansfield Symphony’s annual holiday concert, “Holiday Pops.” Led by Maestro Thomas Hong, the concert will feature both traditional and contemporary holiday music.
“I haven’t been back in so long, so I’m really looking forward to seeing old friends and the old landmarks,” the Mansfield Christian graduate said. “I’m excited to see the Renaissance and Kingwood Center, and the Carousel, all these memories I grew up with.”
“Holiday Pops” will be the first time Barber has appeared on the Renaissance Theatre stage in 2005, when she starred as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast.” More recently, Barber portrayed the role of Glinda in Broadway’s “Wicked,” and has played major roles on Broadway in “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Nance,” and “As You Like It.” She’s also known for her role as Lisa Heffenbacher on PBS television’s “The Electric Company.”
Barber said she agreed to perform in the “Holiday Pops” concert after receiving a call from the Renaissance at the end of the summer. She said she made it a priority to move her schedule around so she could be in Mansfield for the concert.
“I’m thrilled that anybody would want to have me back, and thrilled to be asked back,” said Barber. “I passed on other things to make sure to be back because it’s an exciting opportunity to revisit your roots and where I first had a love for theatre.”
Starting at a very young age, Barber said her parents were very involved in the arts scene in Mansfield and encouraged her siblings to audition for community theatre, take dance lessons, and singing in youth choirs – any opportunity to participate in community art.
“I feel like I really kind of grew up in the theatre. I learned work ethic and collaboration and the skills I needed – even just reading music and the technical terms of being in theatre,” said Barber. “At 9 years old I knew this was where I felt most comfortable and I knew I always wanted to be on one of these stages.”
To that end, Barber said she was excited that performing arts organizations such as the Renaissance, Mid-Ohio Opera and Neos Dance Theatre have continued to thrive in Mansfield. She credits her participation in the Mansfield art scene to keeping her “very successfully employed” in New York City.
“I love being in New York, but I think it’s extremely important in local communities to support local artists and the local creative scene,” said Barber. “It’s always positive things to come out of that, and it results in a lot of success for lots of different careers and people. As a society we have to make sure we support and encourage it as much as possible.”
Barber will be giving back to arts education during her time in Mansfield over the holidays by teaching a master class at St. Peter’s High School on Dec. 21 and at the Renaissance. Her husband, Ron Robinson, who works in the production side of the music industry, will also be present to answer questions.
For Mansfield youngsters who might have their own dreams of Broadway, Barber said the most important piece of advice she could give was to apply discipline to every facet of life.
“It’s important you are succeeding in school because it’s very helpful to go to a university for theatre to get to that next step into Broadway,” she said. “Audition for anything community based – be in the ensemble, if you don’t get the lead role that’s fine. I’m so grateful for my experience in the ensemble in different shows. Or do the lights or the props.
“Take every opportunity given to you in the circumstances you are in, and more doors will open if you go down those roads with as much discipline and work ethic as possible,” she said.
Barber said she hopes the success she’s had in career can be a service to others in the Mansfield community.
“I grew up with stars in my eyes about the Renaissance Theatre,” she said. “What music and theatre can do, it makes you feel less alone and empowered. I hope I can give that back in some way.”
The Mansfield Symphony Orchestra’s “Holiday Pops” concert performs Saturday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 20 at 2:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Theatre. Tickets for the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops concert are on sale now at the Renaissance Box Office, by calling 419-522-2726 and online at MansfieldTickets.com
