New Interview with Stephen Schwartz

Prolific composer Stephen Schwartz has delighted us with such musical megahits as Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show and...the most successful show in Broadway history Wicked, which is still playing in New York and on tour internationally and grossing millions of dollars on its souvenirs alone. He will perform this Sunday, August 23 at 7:30 pm at the Ford Amphitheatre in an evening entitled Making Good. Guests, tributing Schwartz's past work include Valarie Pettiford, Michael Arden, Terrence Mann and opera star Lauren Flanagan. Schwartz will present selections from his new opera Seance on a Wet Afternoon at the event. Produced by Chris Isaacson and Shane Scheel and Upright Cabaret, this is the third and final concert in the series Wicked Summer Nights which previously showcased Shoshana Bean in June and Eden Espinosa in July, both triumphant Elphabas in Schwartz's Wicked.

To quote producer Isaacson, the concerts were put together to "celebrate the past successes of these artists and to show what they are up to since Wicked."

Stephen Schwartz was been awarded a Grammy, Tony and 3 Oscars for his songs in the film scores for Pocahantas and The Prince of Egypt, and nominated for The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted. He also composed the popular song "Butterflies Are Free" for the Broadway play and film of the same name.

Schwartz took time out of his busy schedule to talk via phone from New York about his work, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, and what has become his latest and perhaps greatest passion in music.

Q: Tell me about Seance on a Wet Afternoon. It is based on the movie from the 60s. Was this one of your favorite films?

SS: No, I wouldn't put it that way. I saw it when I was a kid, and I remember liking it and being intrigued by it, like many other good films, and then I more or less forgot about it. Maybe a year after Wicked opened, the idea was suggested to me by an agent, Peter Franklin, who took me out to lunch and pitched some ideas for some possible musical theatre pieces. One of them was Seance and I didn't really think it was right for a musical, so I put it aside. I guess about a year later I got offered a commission to do an opera by the Opera of Santa Barbara and asked if I had any ideas. For whatever reason, I immediately said Seance on a Wet Afternoon.

Q: Is this your first opera?

SS: Yes.

Q: How did you enjoy composing it?

SS: I actually wrote one when I was in college...an extremely bad one. So, Seance is the first one that will actually be performed by professionals.

Q: How much more difficult is it to write an opera than an operetta or a musical comedy?

SS: For me? Considerably! This is the most challenging thing I've ever done.

Q: Will we be the first to hear it on Sunday?

SS: Some people have heard readings in various developmental stages. There have been a couple of readings of the full opera here in New York under the auspices of an organization called the American Opera Project. Accompanied by pianos, as will be the excerpts on Sunday night.

Q: Will you be playing piano?

SS: No. There'll be 2 pianos. I'll try to set up some of the various arias.

Q: What will you be performing in the show?

SS: I'm going to sing something in the second act.

Q: Terrific! When you finally got into the composition of the opera, what did you think had to be translated into the piece from the film?

SS: It's really a mood piece. The title alone suggests how moody it is. I needed music to set the tone and the mood. Also the 2 leading characters (Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough on film) are characters who want things very, very badly and are passionate about them and this is always good for musical adaptation of any sort. A lot of what is going on in the piece is subtextual in that the characters don't actually say what's going on. There's a lot of deception and dissembling, so music can be telling that subtext. There are many exciting elements at play.

Q: I'm really looking forward to hearing it Sunday.Tell me about the background of Godspell.

SS: I didn't have much to do with its origins. It was the brainchild of the original conceiver/director John-Michael Tebelak. He started it when he was at school, at Carnegie Mellon. He was always torn between being in the theatre and being an Episcopal minister. He was a sort of big, hippyesque kind of guy. The story is he was going to Easter services and they gave him a hard time getting in, and he found the whole thing very joyless ...and thought this really isn't it at all. That's when he got the notion to do Godspell. I came into the project very late in the game, when the producers decided to transfer it to an off-Broadway commercial run.

I was asked to contribute to the score and only had 5 weeks to write it before it began rehearsal. So, I came into that quite late.

Q: Another favorite show of mine is Pippin. What do you think makes it timeless? What is your most favorite production of it?

SS: I loved the recent production at the Taper. (Dead West's production at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in January of this year.) I was hoping that it would go forward and be seen in other places. It was such an imaginative reinvention of the show. Not going forward with it is very disappointing. I loved their whole approach to it. I think Pippin remains relevant to audiences because the basic subject matter is about trying to figure out what to do with your life.

What's worth devoting your time to and what isn't? Every generation and everyone growing up have to deal with these questions.

Q: What is your favorite film score that you've been involved with?

SS: I haven't done a whole score. I've done songs. The only score that I did the music as well was

The Prince of Egypt. The other 3 were with Alan Menken. I do have a partiuclar fondness for The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I think it was Alan's best score.

Q: No favorite song that you've written?

SS: Well sure, we all have our favorites, but, as many writers do, I tend to duck that question. I feel it colors people's response to a song if they know it's the writer's favorite. If I hear "Someone in a Tree" from Pacific Overtures , I feel "Oh yeah, that's Steve Sondheim's favorite song".

Q: In your spare time what kind of music do you like to listen to?

SS: I listen to all kinds of music. I have very, pardon the pun, catholic tastes. It sort of depends on what I'm in the mood for. I do listen to quite a bit of opera and classical music, because I like it a lot, but I also listen to a lot of pop music. I almost never listen to theatre music. Every now and then something will come out like most recently Next to Normal or a couple of years back

Hairspray...I'll listen to those albums for a little bit, but basically it's either pop stuff or classical.

Q: Do you have any favorite pop singers?

SS: Oh sure. I have tons of them...one singer that I like a lot that I just recently got to write with is John Ondrasik, who works under the name Five for Fighting...we wrote a couple of songs together that will be on his new album which comes out in the fall. It was fun, because he had been one of my favorite singers before I had the chance to work with him.

Q: I know you mentioned not listening to a lot of theatre music, but...do you have a favorite musical of all time? Many singers choose West Side Story.

SS: The King and I, for a few reasons. Musically I love it, but also the way the characters were treated was incredibly influential on me... that you had 2 strong central characters who clash with one another, and they're both right and they're both wrong. It's kind of a love story and it's kind of not. Actually, if you look at Wicked, you can see that in a way it's an all-girl version, in terms of the relationship, of something like The King and I.

Q: Anything new that you've worked on for Broadway?

SS: The last couple of years it's been opera all the time. I've been in operaland! It's been really consuming. I've learned an enormous amount, and it's been daunting, but also educational and exciting in such unfamiliar territory.

Q: Well, you've got me very excited to see the concert Sunday night and to hear Seance on a Wet Afternoon for the very first time.

SS: Thank you very much.

A full press release follows:

Upright Cabaret presents the third and final concert of 'Upright Cabaret's "WICKED" Summer Nights' at the Ford Amphitheatre with a musical celebration of the Oscar, Grammy, and Tony Award-winner Composer/Lyricist of "WICKED" and "PIPPIN"...MR. STEPHEN SCHWARTZ!
On Sunday, Aug 23 at 7:30pm - Stephen Schwartz, the Oscar, Emmy and Grammy award-winning lyricist and composer presents an extravaganza of song featuring the Upright Cabaret All-Star performers interpreting Schwartz’s most popular songs including “Defying Gravity,” “Colors of the Wind” “Morning Glow” “When You Believe” “Corner of the Sky, and as an added bonus, Mr. Schwartz will give a sneak peak of his new pop-opera, “Séance on a Wet Afternoon,” featuring acclaimed soprano Lauren Flanigan!

Performances by 3x Tony Nominee Terrence Mann (Cats, Beauty and the Beast, Les Miserables), Tony Nominee Valarie Pettiford (Fosse) with Michael Arden (Times They Are a Changin'), Elizabeth Brackenbury, David Burnham (Light in the Piazza, Wicked), Matt Cusson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Spelling Bee), Barrett Foa (Avenue Q), Grammy winner Nathan Lee Graham, singer/songwriter Audra Mae, Michael Marcotte, Katy Mixon (HBO's Eastbound and Down), Nicole Parker (MadTV), Hila Plitmann, Aaron Refvem, Tami Tappan Damiano, Ty Taylor (CBS's Rockstar INXS), Tracie Thoms (Cold Case, Rent), Jennifer Leigh Warren (Little Shop of Horrors, Big River, Marie Christine), Brenna Whitaker, and many more! Music Direction by Charity Wicks and Christopher Lloyd Bratten.
This show is directed by Billy Porter celebrating life beyond the Wicked stage, starring pivotal figures who have created and defined this musical phenomenon.

General Ticket Prices: $55, $45, $35. with $75 VIP Artist Meet and Greet still available
Tickets can be purchased online by visiting http://www.fordtheatres.com/ or www.uprightcabaret.com/events or by calling (323) 461-3673.

New Interview with Jake Broder & Vanessa Claire Smith

Jake Broder and Vanessa Claire Smith created and star in the multi-award-winning Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara! onstage through Labor Day Weekend in the Skirball Theatre of the Geffen Playhouse. It all began in 2008 at the Sacred Fools Theatre, then moved to the Matrix last fall and now it is going into its 6th month at the Geffen.The two phenomenal - and very humble, I may add - talents took time out of their busy schedules to talk about the show.

Q: How did the idea germinate for this show? You guys are so young! It's amazing to me that you know the music of Louis and Keely so well.

JB: This is Vanessa's seed. What is funny is that musically and story-wise, I'm the dirt. I've been unconsciously preparing to grow a story like this my whole life. Between being a jazz musician, playing Lord Buckley, Mozart in Amadeus on Broadway, and working so intensely with the audience, I've written stories about musicians who struggle with their humanity before.

VCS: I grew up around the music in Louisiana. My grandfather was a fan and would see his (Prima) shows at the Royal Sonesta, and he became a character in one of my earliest works about jazz-era New Orleans. In my research, I found myself more drawn to Louis Prima's love story with Keely Smith, and began actively writing this story when I met Jake in December 2006. He joined me in the writing later in 2007.

Q: Tell me how and why director Taylor Hackford encouraged you to change the show.

JB: Taylor wanted to add more drama and infidelity to the show. He thought we had something strong before, but thought that the audience could really cry properly at the end if we had more clarity about the journey of their love affair in a conventional narrative, rather than purely onstage.

VCS: And…through Taylor's long friendship with Keely, he knew stories that we hadn't found in any literature or in the documentary about Louis Prima. We really endeavored, with Taylor's help, to make this version of the show more accurate to what really happened. We also changed songs around to reflect the most popular titles in the Louis/Keely canon.

Q: Where are you taking the show after the Geffen? Is Broadway or Off-Broadway a goal?

JB: World domination...children in Malaysia singing 'I've got it Bad'...
(after laughter dies down)

VCS: New York is most surely a goal. However, at the moment, we have received interest from numerous theatres, yet have not made commitments to any of them.

Q: Jake has described himself as the dirt in the mix, so, Vanessa, I think this question is more appropriate for you. How did you prepare to play Keely? Did you meet her?

VCS: I have met Keely, but at that point we had already been performing the show for several months. So in order to prepare, I would listen to her CDs over and over again, just to burn the nuances in my brain. Nobody could ever re-create perfectly her sound, but one can get at her very specific vowel changes and phrasing. As for the acting of it, I've approached it like any other role: find the essences of the character, her honesty, her dry wit, her big heart, and play through the filter of that lens.

Q: Well it works, because I remember seeing her on The Ed Sullivan Show and you look and sound remarkably like her. Are you constantly changing the show from week to week, night to night, or is it pretty much set at this stage?

JB: It changes. I like to think of it as Stand Up Tragedy.

VCS: We have the freedom of being the writers of the show. We have been known to change lines in the show from time to time in the moment of the scene to more accurately describe what we're experiencing. But the variances are usually slight. Sometimes, we like them so much, we put them into the script.

Q: You work so well together. That is certainly clear! …

Frank Sinatra is not played as an impersonation of Sinatra. Neither are Louis and Keely for that matter. But, somehow, Sinatra's mannerisms and vocal style are downplayed. Is there a specific reason for that?

JB: Oh. I thought he was trying to do them. Oh well. Nick (Cagle) has the hardest job in the show. Everyone knows Sinatra, so they have a very clear picture in their mind's eye and ear of him. So his every move is scrutinized for authenticity by the audience in a way that mine and Vanessa's aren't.

VCS: We didn't want a Frank impersonator. We wanted a good actor that could sing and get at the moral ambiguity of the character we had written. Portraying real people is very challenging. Do we go for a cartoon impression, or do we try to find the soul of these people? I think Nick does a great job of finding the charisma and machismo of Frank, without doing a blatant imitation.

Q: I understand you did the recording at Capitol Records in Hollywood in one day. That’s truly amazing! Talk a little about that!

JB: It was a glorious, freaky experience. We came off of 8 shows and went into this huge iconic building that is in our show even, with the ghosts of the greats on the walls and up our noses, challenging, supporting and intimidating us. Wanting to hold back and save the vocals for later was the plan, but the spirit of the moment took over (for 18 hours) and we just played our hearts out and almost everything on that album came from that day. Lord above.

VCS: Jake was like a mad scientist that day, getting everyone to be at their best. Our company had had the advantage of playing this music for more than 200 shows at that point, so there didn't have to be a whole lot of takes. Nevertheless, it was a long day. Our poor bassist had to put anti-inflammatory cream on his hands before the last song of the day.

Q: Jake, what's the greatest challenge as an actor playing Louis?

JB: Fighting the battle between feeling the love of a glorious woman (Keely) and the legacy of a showbiz mom and the love for an audience, and Louis’ colossal ego, and making it a fair fight.

Q: Vanessa, what's yours playing Keely?

VCS: My greatest intimidation was that I was portraying someone that was still alive, and that she would show up one day. Which she did, to my surprise... and it wound up being one of the most sublime experiences I've ever had as an actor: Watching her watch me be her. Everyone has such high expectations for how she should sound and act. I've worked very hard to be able to fill those legendary shoes.

Well, they do indeed fill those legendary shoes. See them at the Geffen until September and buy the CD!

New Interview with Stephanie Fredricks

Crown City Theatre's Passionella from The Apple Tree - Stephanie Fredricks - talks about her passion: the theatre.

Q: How many plays have you done for Crown?
This is actually my first show with Crown and my third stage production since I moved to Los Angeles three years ago. So I’m averaging one theatre production per year. I’d better get busy! And…knowing that this is only my first role with Crown makes me wonder how I could improve the experience, but… I’m having such a blast!

Q: What are the challenges of playing Ella/Passionella and making her delightful to the audience?
Ella and Passionella have two completely different personalities but, unlike someone with a mental disorder, they are completely aware of each other. Ella is meek, awkward, clumsy and completely talent-free! Passionella is beautiful and confident – a movie star! I find playing the different characters to be the easy part. The challenge comes when Passionella is feeling nervous or threatened and I have to bring little bits of “Ella” into her personality.

Q: What is the appeal of the three musicals that make up The Apple Tree? Do you think Passionella is the best of the three?
All three musicals have that “careful what you wish for” theme which will never lose its relevance. As far as which one is the best I’ve found that each audience responds differently to each act. Some people really connect to the charm of The Diary of Adam and Eve. Others laugh out loud at the campy flavor of The Lady or The Tiger? And, there are those audience members that respond the most to the old-school humor and Cinderella story of Passionella. It’s just a question of what appeals to the individual.

Q: How do you like teaching acting to young children?
I love teaching! It has a lot to do with that “if I knew then what I know now” thing. To have the opportunity to help prepare young people (and their parents) who want to pursue careers in theatre, film and/or television is a really gratifying experience. It’s important that they understand that their job isn’t to “book the gig.” It’s to audition and build relationships with casting directors, theatres, producers, etc. Those are the people that are eventually going to help them develop their careers. And, the only thing they can control is how prepared they are and what they do in their audition. Everything else is out of their hands.

Q: How many musicals have you done? Is it your favorite type of theatre?
I don’t know that I could actually count the number of musicals that I’ve done and come up with an accurate number. I love all types of theatre. For me, it comes down to the project I’m doing, the role I’m playing, and the people I’m working with. And, really, there’s nothing like live theatre. You never know what’s going to happen and you just have to roll with it!

Q: What role do you really want to play?
Growing up, there were so many roles I wanted to play and I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to play them. Now, I’m too old to play them! I’d have to say the next dream role on my list would have to be Galinda/Glinda in Wicked. Aside from the fact that it’s an absolutely hilarious role, to have the opportunity to use different vocal styles and personalities, and to really be able to grow with a character over the course of the show . . . well, it just doesn’t get any better than that. If it does, then it hasn’t been written yet.

Q: Who are your acting idols?
Too many to innumerate in multiple mediums! When I was a kid I wanted to be Jody Foster. I’ve been a fan of hers since she was the Coppertone baby! But, I remember seeing Meryl Streep in Sophie’s Choice and it changed my life. I’d never seen anyone in a role like that – such emotional range, multiple languages, she even made me laugh! I just didn’t realize that was possible. It was definitely something to aspire to. Since then I can honestly say there have been dozens of actors, both male and female, that I have learned so much from. In fact, it’s rare that I leave a play or a film where I didn’t learn something from someone’s performance.

Q: What is your favorite musical of all time? Why?
That is probably the toughest question you could’ve asked me. There are so many to choose from, and while my head keeps buzzing about every musical I’ve ever known in hopes to not leave one out, I keep returning to West Side Story. The genius of Bernstein’s score and Sondheim’s lyrics notwithstanding, it is the best telling of a story through dance that I’ve ever seen. That show, in its original form, was like the perfect mating of writers, director, and choreographer that any show has ever had!

Q: How have your audiences been for The Apple Tree?
I’m so appreciative of theatre audiences especially those that support small companies. In our current economic situation I’m truly touched that people are still doing what they can to treat themselves to the things they enjoy while supporting the arts. I have hope that theatre in Los Angeles will continue to grow and thrive despite the difficulties it faces as long as there are still people who love it!

New Interview with Matt Williamson

in
Come Back Little Sheba

(2007)

One of the stars/directors of Crown City Theatre's smash hit The Apple Tree - Matt Williamson -shares his love of theatre with us.

Q: How many plays have you done for Crown? Have you always alternated as actor/director?
MW: Since I met Bill and Gary in 1999 I've done 9 plays with them. We became CCTC in 2005 and since then I've done 4 shows. This is the first time I've directed but I really enjoyed the process so I'm sure it won't be the last. It is a challenge to do both simultaneously so next time I'll just do one or the other.
Q: What's your favorite role so far?

MW: I've been fortunate to do a lot of different roles but the ones that stand out are Lee from True West and Hamlet.

Williamson plays Adam in The Diaries of Adam and Eve in The Apple Tree.
Q: What are the challenges of playing Adam and making him interesting to the audience?

MW: My biggest challenge with Adam was to make him somewhat endearing. He's written sort of short tempered and mean on the surface but I tried to make all that come from being nervous, unsure, innocent, and very attracted to Eve. He's experiencing emotions that we all take for granted before anyone else, so everything that he feels is a surprise.

When asked if it was ever suggested that Adam and Eve be played in the buff, he responds:
It was suggested to go without longjohns and then quickly rejected. He's traditionally done wearing some sort of clothing which I think is a great idea. I don't think au natural is too risky, I just think it can be an unnecessary distraction. I personally feel that audience members miss much of what's being said when it's being said by naked people on stage. Or even mostly naked people.
Q: What is the appeal of the three musicals that make up The Apple Tree?

MW: I think there are several appealing aspects to this show. Variety. You get three shows for the price of one. Also, it's just a ton of fun. It deals with basic and powerful human emotions in a way that doesn't take itself too seriously. Finally, the music is really great. It's catchy and playful without being too overbearing.

In 2007 Williamson played the milkman to S. Epatha Merkerson’s outstanding portrayal of Lola in William Inge’s Come Back, Little Sheba @ The Kirk Douglas Theatre for CTG. (see top photo) In 2008 the production went to Broadway for a limited engagement.
Q: Talk a little about the difficulties of getting Come Back, Little Sheba to New York.

MW: Well, it's always a challenge to get any show on Broadway but Sheba was especially hard because it's not considered to be one of Inge's best works. I personally feel that it was S. Epatha Merkerson's beautiful performance that made it happen. I'm sure that the producers felt that it was a risk, but a risk worth taking. I'm glad they did because it was one of the most memorable experiences of my career.
Q: Did New York treat it differently from LA? I mean, both audiences and critics?

MW: Not really. If the critics on both coasts had any problem with it, it was with the play itself. I think it is a wonderful play that is funny and heartbreaking but many people don't agree. I was particularly impressed by the fact that people in both LA and New York quickly let go of the fact that Lola and Doc were a mixed race couple in the 1950s. That is a testament to the strength of the acting and directing.
Q: What role do you really want to play?

MW: Wow. Um, I kind of feel like Bottom in Midsummer in that I want to play all of them. I think acting is the most fun you can have with your clothes on so there are few roles that I wouldn't enjoy. If I had to make a short list though, I'd say McMurphy in Cuckoo's Nest, Brick from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Macbeth, and either one of the men in Pinter's Betrayal. Beyond that, I just love playing characters that allow me to break out of my comfort zone and really work. That was one of the things that made Apple Tree such a challenge was the fact that it was the first time in my life that I had to sing solo. I was terrified, but it made me work hard to avoid totally embarrassing myself and in the end it was a lot of fun.
Q: Who are your acting idols?

MW: I've always really looked up to people that can do it all and that really commit to whatever they are doing. The list is long but distinguished. Ben Kingsley and Meryl Streep are right up there at the top along with Anthony Hopkins, Kevin Kline, Sean Penn, Emma Thompson, Dustin Hoffman, and even Robert Downey Jr. The list could go on and on but those are the ones that pop out. Actually, S. Epatha Merkerson is someone that really impressed me. She brought her A-game 100% of the time and could draw on a huge range of emotions at will. I'm biased, of course, but she earned every bit of praise that she has ever received.
Q: Tell me about your film company - Nautaroc Films.

MW: My brother and I started it several years ago to produce a short film that he wrote. It was called The Box and was directed by CCTC's Gary Lamb. We would like to make a few more shorts and eventually expand to features or documentaries. However, my primary focus right now is building up CCTC to be one of the most respected 99 seat theatres in the city.
Q: Any final comments about the future of theatre?
MW: I just hope that people continue to support live theatre in Los Angeles. We have such a well of talent in this city that it is a shame that the theatre scene isn't on par with New York or London. It would be nice to have more Equity houses in Los Angeles so that more actors, directors, and technical staff can earn a living applying their craft.

Catch Williamson and Fredricks in The Apple Tree @ CCTC on Camarillo in NoHo through the end of this month!

New Interview with Eduardo Enrikez

Eduardo Enrikez is a talented actor and producer whose company Canary Productions is currently producing Cabaret @ The Met. Enrikez is playing The Emcee, following an acclaimed performance last fall in Blood Brothers @ the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. With British musical theatre training under his belt, Enrikez discusses theatre here and across the Pond.

Q: Tell me the challenges of playing the Emcee.
EE: The biggest challenge was knowing comparisons were going to be made. Joel Gray & Alan Cumming created an award winning role....I knew I had to trust my instincts and try to make it my own.

Q: Have you ever seen Joel Grey do it? Did that influence you in any way?
EE: I've never seen the movie..maybe once our production is finished I'll venture into it.

Q: What do you feel is special about Cabaret?
EE: Honestly Cabaret was not one of my favorite shows, because I'd seen too many bad productions that kind of alienated me from the material..It's a brilliant story when told correctly, that's what I told my producing partner Bonnie Mcmahan. We decided to create a Cabaret that's true to the story and the characters that live through those difficult times.

Q: Is this your favorite role in musical theatre so far? Why? If not, what is and why?

EE: This is way up there as one of my favorites...It's funny how things work in life. At first I was just going to produce the show...Then I was cornered into producing and becoming the EMCEE which I'm grateful for...
One of my favorite roles has been Bat Boy in Bat Boy the Musical...a very tragic and touching story about a being that just wants to feel loved and accepted. And Raoul from Eating Raoul was my first professional Job in London after I graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London...Talk about being thrown into a lead at a very early stage in my career...that was an amazing experience...

Q: How do you feel about training in London? How is it different from the training one receives here?
EE: Theater in London or in the UK is an institution...People don't study to become film actors or TV actors over there..They study acting. I sometimes feel that in LA the training is all about how to get in FILMS and TV...I feel there's something missing.

Q: Have you been in New York to experience theatre there? Do you think there are differences?
EE: I've seen many productions in NY but I have yet to venture into The NY scene but it's on my List...Like every Actor that lives in LA will tell you, I came out here to do more films and TV work....I just was miserable not being on stage...It might not have the same financial reward but it feeds my soul and my passion for creation...I just can't do without it, whether it's in London, NY, or LA!

Q: Who are your favorite actors? Anyone had an influence on your work?
EE: I'm a huge Robert Downey J. fan, John Cusak, Sean Penn, Mandy Patinkin to name a few..
They are real talents that aren't fame seekers...They're true to their ART and Their Passion and that sometimes gets them in trouble...but they always stay real to WHO they are. I appreciate that!

Q: What role do you yearn to play and why?

EE: I'd Love to Play Che in Evita...George In Sunday in The Park with George..
Che because of the passion that comes from his presence in the story;
George because I truly believe life is white "a blank canvas"... what does he see?..."so many possibilities".

Q: Who is your favorite composer? Why?
EE: Sondheim...His ability to understand longing is brilliant.
Boubil and Shoneberg...They create anthems of love and passion... something greater than oneself.

Q: You seem suited to playing character roles? Is there a particular process that you use?
EE: Yes, I tell the truth...whether it's good, bad or ugly, my characters are always grounded in truth...When I am affected by something is when I become most effective.

Q: Anything else exciting in your life right now?

EE: After Cabaret I'm off to Miami to workshop a new musical by DESMOND CHILD called CUBA LIBRE...I'll playing Fidel Castro... very exciting!!!
To everyone out there, come see a Raw and Sexy production of Cabaret...NOT TO BE MISSED!

I'll second that! See my review on my review website!

New Interview with Judy Norton

Actress Judy Norton, best known as Mary Ellen Walton from the long-running hit TV series The Waltons, has an accomplished background in musical theatre. She recently co-starred in the acclaimed Blood Brothers at the Whitefire, a co-production of Music Theatre of Los Angeles and Canary Productions, headed by actor Eduardo Enrikez, and is currently director of their production of Cabaret at the Met.

Q: Tell me about life after The Waltons. Your involvement with theatre, and TV, and the kinds of roles you've been playing.

JN: Since The Waltons I have been branching out into both writing and directing as well as singing and acting. I spent 10 years living in Canada where I was the co-artistic director for two theatres. For 8 years I was responsible for co-writing and directing over 40 original productions. I have also been working in numerous television and film productions as an actor. On stage I’ve done many musical theatre roles such as Annie in Annie Get Your Gun, Dolly in Hello Dolly, Maria in Sound of Music...in non musicals I’ve done shows such as Social Security, Move Over Mrs. Markham and I Ought to Be in Pictures. As a singer, I’ve headlined my own concert style show and performed for numerous benefits.

Q: Talk briefly about the theatre company outside of LA that you have been active in for several years.

JN: For several years now I’ve been a guest writer and director for Texas Family Musicals. This company provides shows for theatres in Galveston, Texas and the Granbury Opera House. For Texas Family Musicals I have created the original musicals - Swinging With the Stars, Majesty of the Silver Screen, A Tribute to Patsy Cline, and Get Me John Denver.

Q: What do you like best about Cabaret?

JN: With CABARET – I love the characters. Being an actor, I’m always drawn to the characters and their journey. In CABARET you have a wonderful array of people who are all brought together at a major political turning point in history. To have these small stories set against the bigger picture provides a wonderful artistic challenge. The best part about working on this production has been the cast and production team. It has truly been a collaborative effort. The producers, Bonnie and Eduardo have been fabulous to work with. We have been so fortunate to have an incredibly talented cast who brought so much to the show. And the behind the scenes team has been everything a director could wish for. This has absolutely been a labor of love.

Q: Talk about the challenges of directing the show on a small stage.

JN: Set and transitions become the biggest challenge. There is no capacity to fly set pieces, or roll in large pieces, so the stage has to be very versatile. We wanted to keep it minimal yet define the two different spaces – in the Kit Kat Club and in the apartments, and yet blur the lines between the two. I wanted to keep the action moving, and as seamlessly as possible, move from one scene to the next.

Q: What do you feel makes it still stand up after almost 50 years? Are its themes timeless? What about Kander and Ebb's score in 2009?

JN: Man’s struggle for freedom, the feeling of being helpless against suppressive government elements are unfortunately as relevant today as in 1930 Berlin. The need to be able to express oneself, to have dreams but not be able to reach them, the small personal conflicts, I believe we can all relate to these issues. Kander and Ebb’s score is as fun, poignant and memorable as ever. These are songs you walk away humming. I have spent countless nights during rehearsals with one or another of the songs running through my head all night!

Q: What is your favorite musical of all time?

JN: This is a very tough question.... One of my long standing favorites is CAMELOT. Another timeless story, although with an element of fantasy. My other longtime favorite is My Fair Lady - hard to beat a book based on the great George Bernard Shaw’s work!

Q:What is the role that you like the most, that you've played?

JN: My favorite musical role so far was probably Annie in Annie Get Your Gun - I was such a tomboy growing up that I really related to the character, and it has so many classic songs.

Q: Any role that you're yearning to do? Like Lady Macbeth or Auntie Mame...?

JN: There are so many roles I’d like to do.... Desiree in A Little Night Music, Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd, Kate in Kiss Me Kate, Auntie Mame, Rose in Gypsy. There are some terrific roles out there for strong women, I’d like to do them all!

Q: If you had your choice of filming a musical that hasn't been filmed, which one would you choose to direct?

JN: Great question.... I may need to think about that one for a while....

Q: As an actress who grew up working on TV, what advice do you give kids interested in pursuing an acting career?

JN: Make sure it is YOUR idea and not your parents... And that you have a really strong sense of who you are. Being well grounded as a person and being able to handle rejection and criticism without taking it personally, I believe, are crucial to survival in this industry.

Q: Tell me briefly about your family. Any kids? Are they into the arts?

JN: I have one son – Devin – who is 13. Although he is quite talented with wonderful natural ability as a singer and actor, he is not interested in pursuing a career as a performer. Currently he is interested in writing.

Q: Anything else you would like to share?

JN: I’m currently developing a new musical ATARIA - music and lyrics by Raven Kane, book by Judy Norton and Raven Kane. I’m tremendously excited about this project. Folks can learn more about it and keep updated by checking out the website:

atariathemusical.com

You can also check out my website:

judynorton.com

And don't miss Cabaret at the Met! Check out my review of the show on my review site.

New Interview with Bill Pullman

Bill Pullman will open Friday, June 5 in David Mamet's Oleanna at the Mark Taper Forum. He has championed the common man in a variety of film roles over the last couple of decades, including Meg Ryan's unappealing finance in Sleepless in Seattle, and other memorable characters in classics like The Accidental Tourist, A League of Their Own and Sommersby. He's even played the Commander in Chief of the United States, but a very human one in the midst of peril, in the mega-grossing film Independence Day. No stranger to the theatre, on Broadway Pullman created the straying husband in Edward Albee's brilliant The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? An actor's actor, Pullman recently earned an honorary doctorate from my alma mater the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. In our talk, he discusses Mamet's play, and his favorite roles on stage and screen.

Q: Why is Oleanna relevant to today's world?

BP: The play stands on its own as a very interesting document of two very personal responses to an issue that gets emtionalized in a very extreme way. But then also there are the issues of higher education and... sexual politics... and how they are functioning... It's a curious thing. The play was written in 1992 and a lot of the federal laws came into effect in '95 and a few years after. It seems like a lot of these issues about how you conduct yourself are almost more hyper-managed than they were at the time. So it has an interesting ramification in a world where maybe the magazine thing isn't talking about it as much but within corporations, institutions, a lot of internal politics are evolving...

(He cites the recent case of West Indies poet laureate and Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott who withdrew his candidacy for Oxford professor of poetry due to a smear campaign of allegations of sexual harassment that actually occurred over 25 years ago. The opposing candidate who made the accusations Ruth Padel, after attaining the position, stepped down after only 9 days and offered an apology.)

Q: It's just a very powerful drama - in one-act, is that correct?

BP: It's got 3 acts and sometimes people take an intermission. When Julia (Stiles) did it before in London, they had an intermission. But we've chosen to play all 3 acts together.

Q: What is your favorite film role so far?

BP: I've had quite a few, and I've really liked them all for different reasons. I've been lucky to be a part of many blockbuster movies...in which it's hard to get to that level of being memorable, but I still have fond memories of Independence Day, to be sure. There are also many small ones I've had that give me many fond memories.

Q: What's your favorite film of all time?
BP: For different reasons there are many...Lawrence of Arabia...and then there are those that have been very influential and informative to me as an actor, like Bergman's Scenes From a Marriage...

Q: Any favorite actors?

BP: I've always been a fan of George C. Scott, who was working in movies when I was in college...films like Patton and Hospital. I was really impressed by him, and I had seen him onstage as well in Uncle Vanya. He was a champ to me.

Q: I saw him do the comedy Sly Fox on Broadway.

BP: Oh, yeah...

Q: He was so irascible...

BP: (laughs)

Q: Is there one play that stands apart from all the others for you?
BP: I really enjoyed doing Albee's The Goat. It's a powerful piece and a really exciting play to do...I did it originally on Broadway with the wonderful Mercedes Ruehl...no one had ever seen it before and audiences didn't know what to make of it. There were a lot of disagreements about it. There were a lot of people vocally disturbed, audibly groaning and complaining and other people hushing them up...

Q: I heard people laughing. I think..out of nervousness, not really understanding the

symbolism.

BP: Yeah...It really uncorked a lot of feelings, and then when the reviews came out, things started to even out. That period of my life is about as rock and roll as I've ever lived through and Oleanna is reminding me of that. It does feel like the audiences are being tweaked into a different level of engagement.

Q: Do you long to play any role...any Shakesperean role like King Lear?

BP: I did a lot of Shakespeare touring when I was in college in Montana..there are some great comical moments as in Measure for Measure, the duke. I've always liked Shepard's (Sam) plays too. I love his language, his word choice. One of the first things I did in New York that was a real breakout for me was The Curse of the Starving Class ...

...now I'm ready to play the older guy.

Q: Let's get back to Oleanna. What are the greatest challenges for an actor performing Mamet?

BP: I think you have to find where you're emotionalized personally and then make sure you don't make it become Talking Heads...and it's a bear too because the language is fractured and ...there's no hiding. During rehearsal...I have these 2 fast changes in the second act and my fly was down. And this is the kind of play where that can be dangerous. There's no place to hide and I turned upstage...and I just couldn't get it. (laughs)

...The play is very much a living organism. Rehearsals...explorations to find the execution ...and I'm looking forward to the run of it too. Theatre is such a privilege, for those of us who get the chance to do it. With an audience you learn so much and the challenges just get deeper.

Be sure to catch Oleanna starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles at the Mark Taper Forum from June 5-July 12. For tix call (213) 628-2772 or go online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org