Laura Benanti on Comedy, Growth, and Her Edinburgh Fringe Debut

“I have cultivated the art of viewing the world through the lens of a sense of humor,” says Laura Benanti, setting the tone for her one-woman show, Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares, which debuts at the Edinburgh Fringe from 30 July to 24 August 2025 (excluding 11 and 18 August) at Ermintrude, Underbelly, Bristo Square. In an exclusive interview, the Tony Award-winning actress shares the personal journey behind this show, billed as a “love letter to recovering people pleasers everywhere,” blending stand-up comedy with original songs to explore ageing, motherhood, marriage, and growth. Benanti, popularly considered a Broadway luminary, opens up about crafting her narrative and her excitement for UK audiences.

From Broadway to Bristo Square: A Star’s Candid Transition

Benanti’s career spans stage and screen with remarkable depth. She first captivated Broadway at 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music, later earning a Tony for Gypsy and starring in Into the Woods, She Loves Me, My Fair Lady, and Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower alongside Amy Schumer. Her screen work includes films like No Hard Feelings with Jennifer Lawrence and Worth with Michael Keaton, plus TV roles in The Gilded Age, Elsbeth, and Life and Beth. Her viral Melania Trump impression on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert showcases her comedic prowess. This rich background informs Nobody Cares, a New York Times Critics Pick that sold out off-Broadway in 2024, now making its UK premiere.

“…a love letter to recovering people pleasers everywhere…”

Laura Benanti

A Personal Journey of People-Pleasing and Growth

Discussing the show’s origins, Benanti reveals a personal revelation. “To keep them happy. To keep them from being mad at me. To keep from hurting their feelings,” she says. “Seeing my adult journey laid out before me illuminated that essentially all of my growth has come from the ongoing process of shedding the need for external validation. I’m not nearly there yet, but it was nice to see how far I’ve come!” Her candid stories, covering three marriages, childbirth, and perimenopause, connect with diverse audiences, including, as she notes, “boyfriends and husbands who were dragged to my show against their will and are now my ‘biggest fans.’”

Blending Stand-Up and Song to Uplift and Connect

Produced by Soto Productions and Jenny Gersten, with songs co-written by Todd Almond (whose Edinburgh Fringe hit I’m Almost There inspired Benanti), the show is directed by Annie Tippe. Benanti emphasizes its format: “If I had to boil the show down I would say it’s standup comedy with original songs. A one person show. I don’t want anyone to think they’re going to hear me sing from My Fair Lady!”

**Nobody Cares in action – Laura Benanti by Avery Brunkus**

On the role of comedy and music, she explains, “When that lens gets cloudy, when I lose sight of what is innately humorous, life can feel insurmountable. Nothing opens our hearts and minds like music. Music and comedy are, in my estimation, vitally important means of communication. A way to feel connected to others. It’s also just fun! Sometimes you just want to have fun!”

Fringe Debut Brings Creative Liberation and Unexpected Fans

Benanti is eager to perform at the Fringe. “My dear friend and songwriting partner, Todd Almond, debuted his show, I’m Almost There, at the Fringe last summer and shared what a remarkable experience it was,” she shares. “I am really curious to see which stories and jokes land differently.”

Creating Nobody Cares has been liberating. “Being an actor can be somewhat infantilizing. Waiting for other people to create roles for you and auditioning for parts you don’t get can make you feel powerless,” she reflects. “Writing my own stories and being unabashedly myself has been very freeing for me. I see it positively reflected and not just my career but in my life.”

“Nothing opens our hearts and minds like music. Music and comedy are, in my estimation, vitally important means of communication.”

Audiences have responded deeply. “One of my favorite moments was with one such gentleman,” Benanti recalls. “He came up to me after the show and told me he really hadn’t wanted to be there. He told me he ‘laughed his ass off’. He then told me that one of the more intimate stories about Motherhood had made him cry. And that it was a bonding moment for him and his wife. That really surprised me. I will never forget it.”

Her Melania Trump impression also shapes her stage presence. “Taking on that impression has been a big part of my people pleasing recovery!” she admits. “It opened up a whole new world of criticism! … Putting aside my desire for everyone to like me was imperative if I was to continue impersonating her.”

To reluctant audience members, Benanti shares a friend’s husband’s endorsement: “You’ll have a great time. You can even go voluntarily!” She adds with evident mirth, “And he doesn’t even like me!”