Sara Bareilles on her remarkable career from pop hits to Broadway to TV: "I feel the most alive when I'm reaching for something"
NEW YORK -- Singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles is charting a new path as an actress.
Bareilles, who is currently starring in the acclaimed Broadway revival of "Into the Woods," sat down with CBS2's Dave Carlin for a conversation about her remarkable career.
"I make things I really love and care about, and I have been really amazed to watch the road that unfolds in front of that," she said.
Her career started off with pop hits like "Love Song."
"I feel so much, I don't know, so much tenderness for those songs that have come a long way [like 'Love Song']," she said. "Fifteen years and six times platinum that song. Like, it's beyond my wildness dreams. From a little, tiny town in northern California, just, I can't even believe that my life has sort of shaped the way it has."
Bareilles recently starred as The Baker's Wife in New York City Center's production of the Stephen Sondheim musical "Into the Woods." After a successful limited run, it transferred to Broadway with much of the same cast, including Bareilles.
"Getting to do 'Into the Woods' right now is so special. This is the first show since Sondheim's passing that has been brought into a production ... Getting to swim in his music every night is just a real, it's a gift," she said.
"Are you really hooked when it comes to this theater scene in New York City?" Carlin asked.
"Beyond," Bareilles said. "You are not alone. It comes back to this theme of 'Into the Woods,' it's that no one is alone ... It's ingrained into the process of this sense of community and teamwork."
"You've triumphed in pop music. You've conquered Broadway. Now you're on TV series ['Girls5eva']. What is behind those decisions? Whether it's fearlessness?" Carlin said.
"It certainly is not fearlessness. I'm a very fearful person, but I actually have learned over the years that... I feel the most alive when I'm reaching for something and trying something new," Bareilles said. "I get, I'm a Sagittarius so I get bored easily, so I knew really early on in my career that I was not well suited for, just, like, the tour cycle of you write a record, you go on tour, you come home, you take a rest, you write a record, you record it... Like, I just, I was like, well, I can see the rest of my life and I'll go crazy if that's what it looks like."
She added, "Writing a book, writing a musical, being on the TV show ... Every one has felt scary and impossible in its own way and then you start to do those impossible things."
"And there's a song you have. 'Brave' talks about that and talks about taking chances and just speaking out and trying new things, and that's become an anthem," Carlin said.
"Every song is a teacher in a different way and that song really took on this other life and means a lot to a lot of other people, and I just feel like that's... I feel so lucky I get to be a part of the story of that little spirit, like, coming down and being in the world, if it brings comfort to people," Bareilles said.
She added, "I love making art so much. I love collaboration. I love people ... I just try to honor the blessing of it by really being grateful and enjoying it."
"Into the Woods" runs at the St. James Theatre through Aug. 21.
Meanwhile, Bareilles indicated the Broadway production of her musical "Waitress," which she wrote the songs for and later starred in, was filmed and could be coming soon to television.
