Modern Family actress Sarah Hyland has reunited with her first love: the theater. She’s currently starring as Daisy Buchanan in the hit Broadway musical The Great Gatsby. This production marks Hyland’s return to the Main Stem after nearly two decades. Entertainment journalist Frank DiLella of Spectrum News NY1 recently caught up with the actress to discuss growing up on stage, stepping into a dream role, and which musical she and her Modern Family costar Jesse Tyler Ferguson should tackle together.
You’re back home on Broadway for the first time in almost two decades. Welcome home!
It feels wonderful. I love the Broadway community more than anything. To be able to perform every night at the Broadway Theatre is so surreal.
The last time you were on Broadway, you were performing opposite one of our great leading ladies — Christine Ebersole — in Grey Gardens. Now you’re leading your own Broadway show. What did you learn from Christine about being a Broadway leading lady?
What didn’t I soak up from Christine? I just remember her being so wonderful to all of us. And how much she took care of herself. That’s something that’s important, especially with the vocal acrobatics she did in Grey Gardens.
Your vocals in Gatsby are demanding as well. It’s not an easy part vocally.
And I’m the crazy person who asked to sing “Beautiful Little Fool” a half step higher. [Laughs.]
The story of The Great Gatsby has never gone away. It’s been present in popular culture since it debuted 100 years ago. What was your first introduction to it?
I read it on my own outside of school when I was probably way too young to read it. I was soaking up books left and right as a child. I was on so many film sets and TV sets as a kid, and with all that downtime I would just read books. I utterly loved it. I didn’t understand the nuances and metaphorical and satirical issues that the book was talking about when I first read it. But there was something magnetic to me. I read it so many times thereafter. I was always a fan of Daisy.
What’s the appeal of Gatsby? Why do you think this story has never gone away?
It’s relatable no matter what decade you are in. One hundred years later we’re still facing the same issues. One of the great things that our book writer Kait Kerrigan did with Gatsby the musical is explore the female point of view. Jordan, Daisy, Myrtle, and what their thought process is for everything going on. The lyric “Love or Money” is still so prevalent to this day. And Daisy’s “Beautiful Little Fool” is still so prevalent. As a woman 100 years later, we’re facing the same issues we did then. It’s mind-boggling and heartbreaking, but it’s a relatable book. People will always be reaching for something, whether it’s obtainable or not.
You’re starring opposite Ryan McCartan — he’s your Jay Gatsby.
He brings a beautiful humanity to the role and this funny quirkiness. The way Gatsby is described in the book is “full of life” and “magnetic.” And what we talked about and created together is a grounded humanity. He brings a goofiness to Jay and humanness that is so opposite of everything Daisy has ever known her entire life.
You took over the role of Daisy from Eva Noblezada, who is now right around the corner from your theatre playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club. Any advice from Eva?
She was at the theatre the other night and it was fun hanging out with her during the first act. She’s so wonderful and supportive and said, “If you need anything, I’m here.”
Fun fact: You come from a theater family. Your parents are actors. Did they push theater on you, or did you discover it on your own?
It was never put upon me. It was an environment I grew up in. My first memory of theater, my father was doing a Shakespeare play and he was in a sword fight with another actor, and I loved this man outside of the show — I was a toddler. I saw the show and he killed my dad in the stage fight. And when I went backstage — according to my parents — I gave him the dirtiest look as a toddler, and I do remember feeling the hatred toward him. “You hurt my daddy.” And then my dad came out and said, “Me and my scene partner — we’re friends.” I grew up around thespians. It was such a loving environment.
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I saw that your Modern Family pal, Tony winner Jesse Tyler Ferguson, was recently at your show. You both are close.
I love him so much. He and his husband, Justin, are two of my favorite people in the world. Jesse and I are nerdy theater kids. It fills our inner child with so much joy. We love to revel in musical theater. We’ve been to each other’s shows; I loved Jesse in Fully Committed and Take Me Out. We love to support each other. I want to see him in London in his new show Here We Are.
Dream musical theater project for you and Jesse?
I always thought that Jesse would be an amazing Baker in Into the Woods.
And you could be Cinderella.
I was Cinderella in Into the Woods, Jr. in seventh grade! Jesse and I could sing “You Are Not Alone” together. DONE!