Rebecca Naomi Jones on Fan-Girling for John Cameron Mitchell and Discovering Her Yitzhak

Rebecca Naomi Jones is "a little bit nervous." Not only is she about to join the cast of one of the biggest shows on Broadway, John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask's Hedwig and the Angry Inch on April 14, but she's taking over the role of Yitzhak from Lena Hall, who won a Tony for her performance. And then, of course, there's the fact that, for two weeks, she'll be starring alongside Mitchell himself, a performer she has idolized since she first discovered the show years ago.

So Jones has every right to be nervous. But we all know that this curly-haired, big-voiced veteran of American Idiot, Passing Strange, and Big Love has no reason to be. As she began her rehearsal process (which includes building two completely different versions of the show, one for Mitchell, and one for Darren Criss, who starts April 28), Jones let TheaterMania in on how much it means to her to be playing this unique and specific character.

Is Yitzhak a dream role for you the way it was for Lena?
Yeah. It's a role I always thought would be a really fun one to play, but I never thought I would because I'm brown, honestly. I've loved the show and the movie for years, and I've always loved, particularly, the harmonies that Yitzhak sings. I had my first session with Justin [Craig], the musical director, and it was really funny how much I knew just because of all these years of singing along. What a cool, weird role for this play to have: an actual male role — not a drag king role — traditionally played by a woman. I love that. It's so cool.

You're going to be working with two Hedwigs: John Cameron Mitchell and Darren Criss. Take me through the rehearsal process of how you put together a show for two different actors.
Right now, I just spent the week learning the version of the show I'm going to do with John, and then the next two weeks I'm going to be working with Darren and building the show we're going to be doing together. I have to keep in my little brain this version, and then do that version. It's a lot, but I know it'll get there.

What's the hardest part of rehearsals so far?
You know what I'm finding that is so difficult? So much of this role, at least in this version with John, is remembering to move the right things around the stage at the right time. There's so much of the roadie work. It makes sense, and it's part of what will inform the acting work, but it's a lot to juggle. If this was a thing I had built as an original member of the show, it wouldn't be so daunting. It's quite a task to just simply memorize what I move, from when and to where. I haven't had time to think about the acting work or even the singing.

Tell me how you're teaching yourself how to be a man.
Mostly, it's just remembering to look alive when I'm out on the street and watch the way men walk. It really is a different thing [than how women walk]. In rehearsal, I'm trying to remind myself to move my butt in instead of out. You really find out how much you stand like a lady when you don't want to do that anymore. This is when conservatory training comes in handy. I remember doing all this mask work, and that's exactly what this role needs, for me to spend time in the mirror and figure out where this character lives and what feels right. That's the research, in quotes, that I'm doing: observing, and then, when I have time, trying to apply the mask work to my body.

Has Lena Hall, your predecessor, provided any pointers?
She totally reached out and said she would be willing to give me little pointers, little extra things that would be helpful, which I'll totally welcome. I would like to speak with her about keeping one's head on straight. She was saying the show can be physically exhausting for the character. The tambourine stuff has taken a toll on her body. I am going to give her a call to really have a chat.

Have you had any pinch-me moments from working with John Cameron Mitchell?
Oh, sure. And I think I'll have more of them as it gets closer to the time, you know? We had a fun little dramaturgy session, really casual, in the greenroom, and it was just lovely to sit and chat with him and hear his thoughts on the relationship between Yitzhak and Hedwig. I remember when we were doing Passing Strange at the Public and we were having celebrities come and see the show. That was all very exciting, but when he came, that was when I truly flipped out. I remember being so delighted when he told me that I had a really good German accent. I remember being like, OH MY GODDDDD.