She credits much of her fearlessness as a performer to her time spent on the Hulu series “The Great,” on which she played a fictionalized version of Russian empress Catherine the Great.

I bring that up here to make clear that even in our current perilous state progressives can find multiple paths forward, with enough fearlessness and determination.

That fearlessness is evident in Washington’s performance too — charming, boisterous and musical, but in the character’s bookend moments, serene and almost childlike.

It is a far cry from the fearlessness she remembers from 2019, when she brought her daughter to the protests and they marched on the streets with thousands of people, united in their defiance.

That fearlessness is part of what caught the ear of longtime producer and the group’s business manager Craig King.