Nicolette Robinson

When Nicolette Robinson made her Broadway debut in September, taking over the lead role of Jenna in "Waitress," she was not just fond of Sara Bareilles' hit musical, she had been listening to the cast album cathartically as she went through emotional ups and downs in her own life. This might be part of why I found her "Jenna" so connected to the material, so alive. We talk about what led up to that Broadway debut night, stepping through the complex engulfing that is "Hamilton" (her husband Leslie Odom Jr. won a Tony for the musical), and what her inner actor needs before that curtain rises. (Robinson's limited run in "Waitress" is through October 28)