Broadway stars Patrick Page and Laura Benanti bring shows to Boston

In October, two big Broadway stars will bring two very different shows to Boston. Patrick Page will look at the origins of evil, while Laura Benanti just wants to make you laugh. 

In "All the Devils are Here," Page's distinctive voice brings new life to words written centuries ago. 

"The idea of the show was that I would trace Shakespeare's exploration of evil," Page told WBZ-TV. "What I discovered was that Shakespeare, in virtually every way, introduced all of the innovations which we now associate with modern villains." 

"Outside the boundaries of everyday morality" 

From Scar in "The Lion King," to the Grinch, to Hades in "Hadestown," Page has embodied many literary villains. 

"I love playing these characters who stand outside the boundaries of everyday morality," he said. 

But he doesn't consider them to be villains. 

"When you're playing a character like that, you are standing inside his shoes, and he's got a lot of reasons for what he does," Page said. 

By approaching all of Shakespeare's plays as a single piece of work, Page told WBZ-TV he uncovered a larger story. 

"That is the story of Shakespeare's own spiritual growth and maturation. And consequently, mankind's understanding of evil," he said. 

Tony winner bringing show to Boston

Benanti has spent the past two decades on a Broadway stage, earning a Tony award for her role as Louise in "Gypsy," and portraying Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady." 

But in her show "Nobody Cares," she shows off her new passion: standup comedy. 

"I'm writing more and more standup," she said. "I'm really enjoying this evolution from Broadway and TV, into doing some standup." 

Non-theater lovers may recognize Benanti from her appearances on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" as Melania Trump. 

"That did a lot for me in terms of comedy," Benanti said. "I think that was really, in many ways, the thing that made people go like, 'Oh, she's like a comedian!'" 

When Benanti does sing in "Nobody Cares," the original songs are filled with adult humor. 

"If you come expecting the ingenue she's not home. She's not there anymore. Now she's grown," she told WBZ-TV. 

You can see Laura Benanti's "Nobody Cares" at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Oct. 22- 25. 

Patrick Page brings "All the Devils are Here" to the Emerson Paramount Center in Boston, Oct. 28 to Nov. 1.