Carmen Cusack's New York: Why She Loves The City

A Tony nominee for the musical Bright Star, Carmen Cusack makes her solo concert debut at Feinstein's/54 Below (August 9th through 16th), where she shares stories and songs that brought her to Broadway. She even sings a beloved Steve Martin/Edie Brickell song that was cut from Bright Star. Cusack shared what she loves about New York City with NewYork.com.

The first time I came to New York, it was 1993 and I had my first job ever working on the QE2. We had ported here. I was like a child and hadn't even finished college. Even though I had an opera scholarship, I couldn't afford to finish college. My friend said, "Let's just audition for this Jean Ann Ryan Production going on cruise liners." They offered me a job on the spot. And I thought, well, I can't finish out my semester.

So I ended up singing on the QE2. We did transatlantic crossings from Southampton to New York. So my first time landing in New York was from a ship. It was the most incredible thing. When we passed the Statue of Liberty, they always made a point to play "New York, New York" so you'd hear "Start spreading the news...."

What do you love about New York City?

1. I love to walk around and people-watch. My grandmother looked after me for a certain amount of time. We lived out in the woods in a place called Fountain, Florida. And some Saturdays, we'd go to the mall, sit on a bench and watch people. It became a form of entertainment for me. I love walking around and getting the gist of the vibe of the city.

Read more about what Carmen loves about New York at NewYork.com Click here to get the full story.