How a Broadway star is bringing the music to Florida in a different way

Don’t expect fancy costumes and a cast of dozens when Broadway star Sutton Foster comes to town this weekend. Foster is bringing a more intimate look at her musical theater life in a cabaret-style performance.

Yes, Foster will sing some of her most notable Broadway musical numbers. But she’ll do it with just a pianist and her personality.

Foster’s breakout role was the lead in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in 2003, for which she won a Tony Award. She’s been a marquee name since, starring in “Shrek,” “Anything Goes” and “Young Frankenstein.”

Foster, 44, also has a regular role alongside Hilary Duff on TV Land’s “Younger.”

We caught up with Foster in an email conversation just before her Broward concert appearance to talk about her upcoming revival of “Music Man” and what it’s like to juggle parenthood and performance.

Q: Do you feel added pressure performing in a revival versus originating a role? Will you draw anything from your experience reviving a role in “Anything Goes” when rehearsing for “The Music Man?”

A: With “Anything Goes,” I was so intimidated by the amazing women who had played Reno before. The shoes felt so big that they were impossible to fill. I decided to pretend as if the show had never been done before and find ‘my’ Reno. And I plan to do the same with “The Music Man.”

Q: “The Music Man” doesn’t open until fall 2020. How much time will you spend rehearsing for that before it opens? Will it conflict with your filming schedule for “Younger?”

A: The seventh season of “Younger” starts filming in March and I start rehearsals for “The Music Man” in the summer. I think we’ll have about six to eight weeks of rehearsal before previews begin.

Q: Do you prefer acting for film or stage, and why?

A: Nothing compares to performing live, but with that comes a lot of pressures. Filming has longer hours but more down time and the ability to stop and start again if something isn’t working or if you mess up. Both have taught me a lot. I am proud that I started in the theater because it taught me how to have a great work ethic. I love how camera work has expanded me as an actress. I hope to do both for the rest of my life.

Q: How do you manage performing while balancing being a mom and a wife?

A: Oh it’s easy – lies! It’s a constant juggling act. I have an amazing support system. A wonderful nanny who takes care of all of us, and my dad and his girlfriend live an hour away. It’s constantly about prioritizing. Now I choose family and being a mom over a lot of career stuff. I’ve turned down jobs because it conflicted with her first day of school or Halloween or Thanksgiving.

Q: What can audiences expect to see at your upcoming show at Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale?

A: It is a very similar to the show to the one that I did at the Cafe Carlyle this past summer. Songs from all three of my albums as well as some new material and songs from shows I’ve done in New York. It is an intimate look at me as a performer and a person.

Q: You’ve performed solo at Carnegie Hall. How does a more intimate venue like Parker Playhouse compare?

A: I love both. But I think my favorite is piano and voice. It’s stripped down and simple and the songs and material are able to exist in their purest forms.

Q: How do you maintain your triple threat status as an actor, singer and dancer? Do you still take dance classes and voice lessons?

A: I actually take fitness/dance classes at Body By Simone in New York and Los Angeles as well as Pilates on both coasts as well. I’m currently back in voice lessons preparing for “The Music Man.”

Q: Do you ever regret starting your professional career so young?

A: No. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to make a living solely on being a performer. I’ve been working professionally since I was 17 years old.

Q: What is your favorite song to perform in concert?

A: “Being Alive” — It’s a great reminder every time I sing it to embrace all the good, all the bad, that all of it makes us alive.

Q: Is there a song that you’re completely tired of singing in concert?

A: Not yet!

Q: What is the best advice you’ve received on pursuing a career in the arts?

A: Kindness matters. People want to work with good people.

IF YOU GO

What: “An Evening With Sutton Foster With Music Director Michael Rafter”

Where: The Parker Playhouse, 707 NE Eighth St., Fort Lauderdale

When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7

Tickets: $47-$67, available at Ticketmaster.com