Culture
Inside Juliana Canfield’s Glamorous Stereophonic Opening Night On Broadway
Some rock-'n'-roll edge for Broadway’s buzziest new play.
Juliana Canfield is hyperaware of how she’s using her voice these days. The actor, who marked her Broadway debut on April 19 as Holly in David Adjmi’s play Stereophonic — which follows a ‘70s band on the precipice of hitting it big — would even go so far as to say she’s mostly made of Throat Coat and ginger tea, she jokes from her apartment. (Even at the play’s opening-night after-party, during which she says she really wanted to “just go completely screamo,” her vocal coach’s voice would pop into her head saying, “Don't strain your voice!”)
Otherwise, Canfield prepared for her career-highlight performance both physically and energetically: first with an intra-oral facial from her go-to esthetician Carrie Lindsey, which she describes as “one of the great sensations on planet earth”; then, by arriving early to the John Golden Theatre to take it all in and center herself. “Over the course of the play, and especially on a night opening, there's so much adrenaline rushing,” she says. “I haven't felt so nervous to do this play since the fall when we did it for the first time.”
Canfield originally played the role during Stereophonic’s off-Broadway run and notes her pride and ownership over it, especially how the music, composed by Arcade Fire's Will Butler, feels tailored to highlight her and her castmates’ strengths. “We as a cast, as a company, broke ground on this together, and we're just getting to dig deeper and deeper in,” she says.
Ahead, Canfield takes NYLON behind the scenes of Stereophonic’s opening night, from curtain call to glamor shots to a raucous party.
Curtain call with a Cheshire Cat grin. Six of us were making our Broadway debuts! I’m verklempt!
Back in Sarah’s and my dressing room. I never remember to take pictures, so I made a point of bringing my Polaroid camera for some era-appropriate snaps of the cast on our big night. Our room smelled like the Flower District. Dreamy!
Crunch time. We gave ourselves a generous 37 minutes to get out the door. I worried the room might feel frantic and packed, but hair stylist Aki Yamaguchi, makeup artist Samantha Lau, and stylist Alexandra Kotur kept it cool as a cucumber.
Finishing touches! The clingy showstopper of a dress is by Altuzarra. I love all his designs, and this one felt like a real departure for me. Very femme fatale — I loved every second of it. The beautiful earrings are vintage and on loan from Alexandra.
A posing tutorial with Sam. Chin down, but not too down…
In the alley. Broadway theaters are full of romance. I love thinking of all the actors who’ve tromped through, the whispers, the trysts. If the walls had eyes…
The gals of Stereophonic loving our marquee.
Headed downtown. See you tomorrow, 45th street!
The band is back together. Let’s rock and roll!
