Betsy Morgan
Betsy Morgan is an actor whose Broadway credits include High Fidelity, A Little Night Music, and The King & I.
She is currently covering for “Pattie” and “Debra” in the Tony Award winning Broadway production of Kimberly Akimbo in New York City, N.Y.
To watch the interview with Betsy Morgan, click the play button below (or click here to open the video player in a new tab/window).
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Mike Reflects
I first saw Betsy in the role of Ariel in The Little Mermaid on Broadway.
For me, especially as a kid, it was really easy to fall in love with a bouncy, colorful song like “Under the Sea”.
But Menken/Ashman musicals (movie and stage), like a lot of productions, usually have a song of longing and desire for a new and better life. That song can be very powerful when it strikes a chord (no pun intended) and very hard to appreciate when it doesn’t.
For example, despite the movie and various other stage productions, it wasn’t until I saw Kelly Felthous in Little Shop of Horrors at Drury Lane that I finally felt “Somewhere That’s Green” and truly understood it in my soul.
And, with all respect to the myriad of other performers I’ve heard, it was Betsy Morgan’s performance that made “Part of Your World” mean something—mean everything—to me. She hit it differently in an intangible way that, all these years later, I can’t describe but can still remember.
When an artist takes a song you’ve heard many times before, but found utterly forgettable (or, frankly, even boring), and transforms it into something that brings tears to your eyes and chills down your spine, you become a fan for life. Any show, any role.
So, when I was looking to talk to someone who primarily performed on stage when I first transitioned over to this site and format a few years ago, naturally, Betsy was the first name that sprang to mind.
And I am unbelievably glad it was.
I certainly never imagined we’d do it again, let alone 3 more times (with, hopefully, more to come).
And, of course, with Drury Lane having announced a production of The Little Mermaid in their new season, I couldn’t resist asking her to don the tail one more time, so I can see it again.
That was probably my favorite part of the interview.
I know it’s been about 15 years (in the interview, I believe I said “almost 20”—it’s closer to 15). And part of me feels like I’m cheating Betsy a bit by always coming back to Ariel when she has so many other great roles on her resume.
Like I said above, I’ll always be a fan, no matter the show or the role.
But, to some degree or another, no matter what else she does or how amazing it is (or how amazing she is in it), she’ll always be my favorite Ariel, too.