Director Kathleen Marshall knows a thing or two about chemistry鈥攂oth onstage and off. Many a successful showmance have blossomed throughout her productions, including one between Margo Seibert (the breakout star from Broadway鈥檚 Rocky) and Kevin Munhall (last seen on Broadway in Allegiance). Seibert played Danielle in the Paper Mill Playhouse premiere of the musical Ever After鈥�a slightly more grounded Cinderella adaptation based off the 1998 Drew Barrymore film鈥攁nd Munhall was the production鈥檚 dance captain. Marshall added in a last-minute, lift-heavy dance number, and sparks flew when Seibert was literally in Munhall鈥檚 hands.
One year later, and Seibert and Munhall experience their first time apart as Seibert stars as Cathy in The Last Five Years at A.C.T. in San Francisco and Munhall dances in the world premiere of Anastasia at Hartford Stage. Though 3,000 miles apart, Seibert and Munhall stay connected with long hand-written letters and .
How did you spark a romantic connection in Ever After?
Margo Seibert: We have to kind of give credit to Kathleen Marshall there鈥�
Kevin Munhall: Yeah it鈥檚 funny because my good friend, Jess Stone, who I did Anything Goes with, met her husband, Chris Fitzgerald, doing a show at Encores! with Kathleen Marshall, and she鈥檇 always tell me how Kathleen was really good at creating phenomenal casts that get along really well and that a lot of people have found their significant others doing her shows. That鈥檚 always been in the back of my mind. Then low and behold this happened to me, and I was like, 鈥淪he is good!鈥�
MS: I had never met Kevin before, and, once we were well into the rehearsal process, Kathleen mentioned that I had a big old dance number that I didn鈥檛 know about. Kevin was the dance captain on the show and had to help teach me and cement the dance into my mind. He was kind enough to meet with me before rehearsal and on breaks to help me not look like a fool. That was very attractive and very helpful. Thank you, Kevin!
KM: No problem. It was solely for the good of the show. Not because I liked you at all.
And now, Margo is taking engagement photos with someone else to promote The Last Five Years! Kevin, you , but does it bother you when your girlfriend is doing such a romantic show across the country?
KM: This is something that we鈥檝e always kind of [talked about]. We had one memorable breakfast when we first started dating where we talked through this whole issue for a couple of hours. It鈥檚 hard for people on the outside to really understand what it is, because if you鈥檙e really going to be there and be present in a performance there is something real that does happen. Clearly, it鈥檚 not going to interfere with a relationship every single time, but the person you鈥檙e with has to at least understand and be okay with what that is. We got on the same page about that very early on. One thing that was very attractive was how she could be simultaneously understanding and slightly jealous at the same time. That鈥檚 a wonderful balance to have. Someone who gets it and still gets a little angry that makes you feel good about yourself a little bit. But our relationship has been built on so much honesty from the very beginning that we are able to talk about it instead of it being this awkward thing.
MS: That鈥檚 pretty rare, due to the kind of careers that we have. When we鈥檙e dealing in emotions and Kevin is a beautiful performer and a beautiful dancer and is always lifting tiny ballerina girls above his head and they鈥檙e like rubbing on his body, and I鈥檓 just like鈥�
KM: Professionally. Not in life!
MS: But when you trust somebody to have your full body weight and to take care of you and not drop you, there鈥檚 a certain intimacy there. There鈥檚 also obviously this intimacy if you鈥檙e having an emotional journey with someone in a show and you fall in love with them. You are exploring, and the lines become blurry. I think that鈥檚 something that we don鈥檛 talk about enough in our careers, so in the beginning it was amazing to have a really honest conversation about what this truly is; why it gets messy and how we can help it not get secretive. That was incredibly helpful.
Anastasia and The Last Five Years began on almost the same night on opposite ends of the country. Is it really hard when you鈥檙e both having such big moments 3,000 miles away from each other?
KM: It鈥檚 definitely a challenge. We were really lucky. For the first year of our relationship we were together constantly. I was doing Allegiance [on Broadway], and Margo was doing just about every reading and workshop that existed in New York. This is really our first time being apart for a long period of time, so it鈥檚 helpful that we both have really exciting things to distract us. The time change is just killer for an after-show [catch up]. When I get out of my show she鈥檚 just starting hers, so I鈥檝e started writing letters. That鈥檚 something I hadn鈥檛 done recently.
MS: My cast and designers were like, 鈥淲hat is that?鈥� And I鈥檓 like, 鈥淚t鈥檚 an eight-page letter from my boyfriend.鈥� They couldn鈥檛 believe that that happens anymore.
KM: I鈥檓 in Hartford, CT, and it鈥檚 a very old-timey, old-fashioned place.
And Anastasia takes place in the early 1900s when they definitely still wrote letters鈥�
KM: Right. I鈥檓 just getting into character.
Are you going to be able to see each other鈥檚 shows?
MS: Kevin can鈥檛 come see The Last Five Years, but I can come to Anastasia at the end of the run, so I鈥檓 excited about that.
KM: It鈥檚 great, but I would much rather be able to go see her show then have her come see mine.
Why is that?
KM: Have you ever seen her? She鈥檚 incredible. I rarely come across a performer that is able to鈥攁nd this is before I started dating her鈥攐pen up that little part of my heart that never opens and make me feel things that I don鈥檛 want to feel. Afterwards I鈥檓 like a new person.
That鈥檚 such a great review!
KM: I know it sounds like I鈥檓 biased, and maybe now I am, but I wasn鈥檛 always.
Margo, had you seen Kevin perform before you started dating?
MS: I had not. I鈥檓 so sorry, babe. But what I actually really enjoyed [during Ever After] was watching how seriously he takes his job. He takes a lot of pride in it and takes a leadership role. When somebody is really good at what they do it鈥檚 always attractive. I was like, 鈥淥kay, that guy鈥檚 on it. He鈥檚 going to eventually help me water my plants and take out my compost.鈥�
KM: That鈥檚 no joke. I finished up our second show last night, and then drove back to New York, so that I could water her plants. That鈥檚 teamwork right there.
MS: I鈥檓 over here not doing anything.
Just taking engagement photos with other guys.
MS: Getting married every night.
KM: And not to me.
MS: It doesn鈥檛 end well though, babe.
