Gay Marshall is a New York gem with a powerhouse voice. She may be best known for her covers of Edith Piaf songs on her album, Gay Marshall Sings Piaf. which was a Billboard Top World Album in 2010. She’s a riot sweetheart, humble and exquisitely talented. Her recently released album Go Back Where You Stayed Last Night detours from her Piaf fame to delve into the world of bluegrass and dixieland. This woman is a real talent. While her songs are covers, they are anything but imitation and provide such soul and heart that you may feel like you’re hearing them for the very first time.

When she’s not singing, Marshall is on stage. Currently performing as Jaqueline in La Cage Aux Folles in Boston, Marshall adores performing. She’s an actress at heart and hopes to always be onstage performing. Gay, we hope you are too! I was lucky enough to have a few minutes to pick Ms. Marshall’s brain as she discussed life, love and the never ending pursuit of her dreams.

Times Square (TS): It’s nearly every NYC actor's dream to make Broadway. How did you feel when it happened for you?

Gay Marshall (GM): It was beyond thrilling.  The best and worst thing about being an actress is that if you’re any good, every show has to be for the first time. It can hold you up in your life, it’s a bit of a double edge sword. I had to keep the myth in my head. I just was not interested in the harsh reality of it, I kept pushing that away. You know, Broadway’s not give you a hug. So I just kept the myth. I love New York. I really do. I just couldn’t believe I was there.

TS: Much of your career reflects your love of Edith Piaf. What is it exactly about her or her songs that inspired you so much?

GM: What drew me to her originally was the unbelieveabilty of her story. She was born on the street with no family environment and ultimately complete freedom. She was somebody born to such disadvantage but by sheer force of soul or will or determination, whatever you want to call it, she became successful. She loved to sing, music was her whole life.  The major force in her was this complete “joi de vivre.” Nothing stopped her. Listening to her music moved me to tears, it was just full of heart and soul. It was overwhelmingly communicative.

TS: What do you think it is about your interpretation of Piaf that excites people?

GM: Oh jeez, how do I answer that question? I think it’s...I’m an actress at the base of things and her songs, I can see them vividly. I feel like I’m there. Her songs are like country western song in the way that they tell a story, so when I sing them I try to see it and feel it. I’m not into imitation, it never occurred to me to imitate. I just had to sing those songs.

TS: You moved to France because you just had to learn French. What was it that attracted you about France?

GM: Well, I sang a lot in French so I wanted to speak it. People would come up to me after performances and speak to me in French and I couldn’t respond! So I went there to learn to speak French. France was wonderful, but I always dreamed of coming back to New York. It is really a wonderful place to visit, but there is just no contest between Paris and New York.

TS: You say you kept dreaming about coming back to NYC? What do you love about it?

GM: Lately I can’t get enough of the newly landscaped river walk down to Battery Park. It’s beautiful. My favorite, though, is rehearsal studios. They’re wonderous. I love the atmosphere in rehearsal studios. Looking out the window in a NYC rehearsal studio, you feel more alive than you ever felt. Anything is possible. It feels timeless. I can’t believe every doesn’t want to live here.

TS: You’re currently performing in La Cage. How is that going?

GM: It’s great, I’m glad to be acting! You always have fear when you’re traveling in regards to who you’ll be working with. Luckily everyone here is so talented and fun. We did some charity events, we did Equity Fights AIDS. George Hamilton is one of the sweetest guys on the face of the earth and Chris Sieber is just unbelievably talented.

TS: You produced both of your CDs, Gay Marshall Sings Piaf and the recently released Go Back Where You Stayed Last Night, on your own. Do you prefer having that kind of artistic control? What was that experience like?

GM: I was incredibly lucky to work with amazing musicians. The atmosphere was great in the studio. It was definitely a lot of work. Each album took about a year and a half and it does become very difficult not to give up, whether because of finances or because people let you down. You just keep going and you “get by with a little help from your friends”. There is no better feeling than when you’re working with others and it all comes together. There’s no ego or worry and everyone was on the same page and making music. I was really lucky to have that with both albums.

TS: How did "Go Back Where You Stayed Last Night" happen?

GM: Someone asked me to sing with their dixieland band, so I started to research those tunes. I got really into it. Those songs have such heart and soul and humour. I was totally inspired by people like Ethel Waters and Ida Cox. Songs like West End Blues, Ain’t Got Nothing but the Blues, Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out; songs like that as well as the upbeat ones you find on the record, I fell in love with those songs.

TS: You’re albums are all covers. What draws you to this kind of work musically?

GM: I think it’s a great thing to keep those things alive. I love original works but it’s great to rediscover things that already exist.

TS: What advice to you have for up and coming artists/musicians/actors?

GM: I am always moved by authenticity. I think too much emphasis is put on technique. It’s always “louder, higher, longer!”. Everyone sounds like everyone else. Be authentic, let your voice be your voice and try to stay true to that. So many people compare themselves and then feel not good enough. They end up missing out on what they can do because they spend so much time worrying about what they can’t. I didn’t take singing class for the longest time because I was so afraid of someone making me sing a certain way.

TS: What does the future hold for you?

GM: I always want to be onstage and performing. I would love to do my show If I Were Me about an American in Paris off-broadway. Also, I have a dream. I want to go on Stephen Colbert and have him sing a duet with me. I think we’d have fun!

TS: Call her Colbert! She's a great!  

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