Interview with Gregory Harrison

Actor Gregory Harrison will star @ La Jolla Playhouse in June in the world premiere of Surf Report. His association with Catalina Productions in Los Angeles for so many years put him at the top of his craft as a stage actor and theatrical producer. He revolutionized the theatre scene here and was rewarded over and over for those successes. Of course, he is recognized most for TV's Trapper John M.D. and the countless MOWs and Cable films he has done over the past thirty years. This ageless man, still an avid surfer, is now preparing to take on his dream role @ La Jolla.

Q: I haven't seen you in a play in quite some time. What have you been up to theatrewise since Catalina Productions? Talk briefly if you would about Steel Pier in New York.

I've stayed in theater fairly consistently since the Catalina Productions days. Though I moved up to Oregon to raise my family back in the early 90s, I've continued to drop in and out of the Broadway and regional theater world between film and TV gigs. Paper Moon came very close to the Broadway boards in 1993, though it never quite made it the next step past it's Papermill Playhouse version. That was a heartbreaker for me, and I took a couple of years off of theater after that...returning with Steel Pier in '96, which was an amazing experience. So much talent in that show, and taking a huge musical through all the stages of development was so satisfying. Of course, being in the room with John Kander and Fred Ebb as they wrote songs for me was a dream come true. I followed that with Follies for the Roundabout in 2001. Another great experience, and working directly with Sondheim was a real joy. He's an musical icon and a true genius. I took on Billy Flynn in Chicago after that, for a few months on Broadway and then a couple of years on the national tour. It's the first time I'd toured with a big show and I loved it. A year or so ago I toured about 20 universities with the LATC show TOP SECRET: The Battle For The Pentagon Papers, which we eventually recorded in Los Angeles.

Q: Tell me about Surf Report and your role in it.

Surf Report is a compelling piece that really intrigued me the very first time I read it. Of course, the title alone piqued my interest, since I've been an avid surfer for half a century now and still have the stoke of a teenager about anything having to do with riding waves. The role I'm playing is of a wealthy surfer/entrepreneur named Bruce Ernst, a complicated, self-absorbed, and completely surf-stoked resident of La Jolla, living in a cliffside estate overlooking the waves. This character is maybe the most suited to me of any role I've ever had...though he's quite a bit more brutally capitalist than I've ever been, and lots less introspective. But I definitely possess the earthy surfer side of him, and I have to admit his childish self-indulgence and ambition is somewhere in me, too. I'm usually fighting that side, but in this role I'm able to uncage the worst of it and embrace it, which is really perverse fun. That's one of the best parts of being an actor...being given permission to show your dark side and get away with it. Maybe even get applause for it. Ha!

Q: What kind of role really inspires you at this stage of your life?

I'm looking for a 3-dimenisonal character that conveys some type of truth and that surprises both me and the audience. I've played all the "good guys" that I can stand and am looking for roles that expose the light and dark sides. A good person isn't necessarily all good and a bad person isn't necessarily all bad. Shades of gray are where truth usually lies, and the challenge of acting those shades is what interests me as an actor. Of course, it takes a fine writer to create the opportunity to find those subtle, nuanced colors. Annie Weisman is that kind of writer, and has definitely provided ample opportunity for me with Surf Report.

Q: You are comfortable in musicals as well as plays. Do you have a preference?

I really love to sing, and I thrive on the high-energy style of most musicals. They're lots of fun, but they completely devour my time and energy and focus, so the rest of my life inevitably goes on the backburner. That's hard on me and it's been really hard on my family, so I've been very reluctant about committing to musicals over the last few years. Straight plays are not usually as demanding for me, and the runs tend to be shorter than big-budget musicals, so I've been inclined to find those opportunities. My life feels a bit more 3-dimensional when I'm doing a play, and I'm able to live a more fleshed-out life. It's funny, my entire career I've battled with finding balance...between the performer, the surfer, the parent, the husband, the naturalist, the traveler. I've always loved acting with a passion, but only in relation to the rest of my life. When acting is my whole life, there's a tendency for me to start looking for the light at the end of the tunnel, which isn't really a good way to spend one's time. So, the answer to your question is I truly enjoy them both, but with limits.

Q: In talking about theatre to young actors starting out, what advice would you give?

Well...I tell them the brutal truth, at least as I see it. If they can imagine doing anything else for a living, then that's what they should be doing. Seriously. Acting is one of the most competitive and grueling pastimes there is. The demands and the sacrifices of pursuing this for a living are so great that you will be destined for misery unless you are willing to give everything you have and expect almost nothing in return. You gotta love the process, and not focus on any imagined result. The love of one's craft, the rare brush with real artistry, and the brief moments of magical rapport with an audience are a sweet reward, but for most actors "the life" is a lonely one. I wouldn't trade my chosen career for anything, but I'm the luckiest guy I know.

Q: Do you have a favorite actor/actress? Anyone that has especially been inspirational for you?

Jason Robards, who actually "discovered" me in Catalina 40 years ago performing in a local bar, was a huge inspiration. He was a great man, and the kind of actor I've always aspired to be. Jeff Bridges, damn him, is having the career I always wanted, and he deserves it, too. We've both been acting about the same amount of time, and I've enviously watched him brilliantly negotiate the business and give the most amazing performances. He continues to inspire me, especially with his amazing performance in Crazy Heart.

Q: Do you have a favorite play/playwright? An all time favorite?

Not really. I mean, there are plenty of playwrights that I admire, but none that stands out above the rest for me. It's funny, I find the things that I favored as a young man have changed. The plays I related to, the performances I most admired, the songs I loved...they've all shifted around on my favorites list as I've aged.

Q: Anything up on TV? What's next for Gregory Harrison? Any role you are just yearning to play? On film or stage.

I've been regularly appearing on One Tree Hill for the last couple of years, and it's just been picked up for another season, so that should keep me relatively busy. I've got several irons in the fire musically, and a couple of theatrical ventures in the works. Too early to talk about though. I'm also developing a new cabaret show with a dear friend of mine, Linda Purl, and we'll be performing in several venues around the country starting early next year. That's something that I'm really excited about and am looking forward to developing.

Q: Talk a bit about your association with La Jolla Playhouse and a bit more about this production.

I've never worked here in La Jolla before, and have always wanted to give it a try. So far its been an absolute joy. The play is wonderfully written and beautifully cast, and Lisa Peterson is a fine director. This is a perfect project for me to take advantage of the area while also experiencing the excellence of the theater operation, so each evening after rehearsals I've been able to get in the water and surf until sundown, which is a rare treat while doing theater. I'm in heaven.

________________________________________________________

Surf Report
By Annie Weisman
Directed by Lisa Peterson

World Premiere
June 15 – July 11, 2010 (media night: Sunday June 20 at 7 pm)
Tue/Wed at 7:30 pm; Thu/Fri/Sat at 8:00 pm; Sun at 7:00 pm
Matinees: Sat/Sun at 2:00 pm

@Mandell Weiss Forum, La Jolla Playhouse

Director: Lisa Peterson
Scenic Design: Rachel Hauck
Costume Design: David Zinn
Lighting Design: Ben Stanton
Composer/Sound Design: John Gromada
Dramaturg: Shirley Fishman
Stage Manager: Jennifer Wheeler

TICKETS: Tickets go on sale Sunday, May 16, 2010 and prices range from $31 – $66
BOX OFFICE: (858) 550-1010; lajollaplayhouse.org

Interview with Magi Avila

Magi Avila
This Mexican beauty with a curvaceous figure made her US television debut in a guest starring role on the final episode of the critically acclaimed cable series The Shield. She has appeared in 15 motion pictures, most of them in Spanish, but several features for major American studios (Universal, Lionsgate, Warner Brothers). Magi Avila began her professional career as an opera singer at the age of 15 and has performed at various presidential galas. Hers is a familiar face on Mexican television, where she additionally worked as a newscaster and appeared in many commercials. She’s appeared in stage productions in Mexico, San Diego, (San Diego Rep) and Los Angeles (Casa 0101). The gorgeous Avila is rehearsing Carmen Miranda: The Lady with the Tutti Frutti Hat, to begin previews on May 21 with an official opening on May 28 at the Hudson Backstage in WeHo. In our interview she talks about Carmen Miranda, her background and what made her great. Avila speaks of a fierce dedication to the craft that she admires in others - which is most obviously her own philosophy of living.

Q: What made you want to play Carmen Miranda?

Because she's such an inspiration. She's so wonderful and a great example to follow for anyone in every career.

Q: She's portuguesa, correct?

Yes, she was born in Brasil. What a life ... and her music! Most of her music is celebration. It's about the beauty of life and how to do things to make people happy. It's so healthy, so beautiful.
It's catchy and so healthy for the mind.

Q: Is she an inspiration for you personally? Are there any similarities between you?

A lot. (she laughs) It's interesting because I never saw too many of her films until a dear friend told me I should and I googled her and started reading more and more about her. For me, she's the typical underdog. She came from a very humble family. Her father was a barber who immigrated. My father didn't immigrate, but he was a barber too. Her mother cooked to make some extra money for the family, just like my mother. So, we both come from very humble beginnings.

Q: Where were you born?

Ensenada, Mexico.

Q: I never knew until I read about Carmen Miranda this morning that she was abused by her husband and died at such a young age!

Yes, at 46. So sad, but she left us so much. She is a symbol of self-mastery. She would work her skills and her talent and polish and polish herself until she became a great artist. She became the best she could be. That's why she's so inspirational for so many.

Q: Did she start her career on Broadway before making her way to Hollywood?

Yes. In the show, we show her starting out as a young lady and how she was discovered for radio. She became one the greatest artists in Brasil and then she went to Argentina and performed all over South America. That was her hardest time careerwise. Then she was discovered by a famous producer Lee Schubert and was brought to New York. Then she was invited to come to Hollywood.

Q: What was her strongest point? Was she a stronger singer or dancer?

A singer. But the Latin rhythms have a lot of dancing built into them, so she was already dancing so much. It's a requirement of that music. You can't help it. It just pops out naturally.

Q: Where did the big hats come from that became her signature?

When she was 16 she started working at this hat place. Naturally she was very creative and started making her own hats and modeling them. When she was singing she got invited to go to Bahia, a beautiful place in Brasil where she got to see a lot more of the Brasilian tradition. The African women who had come to Bahia wore these beautiful blouses and had these little baskets that carried fruit. They wore them on their heads and would move their arms a certain way and she loved it. A gentleman created a song about it that she wanted to do, and so she started to create her costumes from the inspiration that these women from Bahia and their traditions gave to her. Carmen was a nationalist; she loved Brasil. And so she created more and more hats based on the traditions of these Brasilian women who wore them.
What is interesting too is that she was a white woman from Portugal with light skin and green eyes. And she was dressing up like a black woman, because these women were black. And at first they didn't like it very much. Not many people in the US knew that her costumes were inspired by the black people. Carmen loved them and wanted to show their beautiful traditions to the whole world.

Q: What were Carmen's greatest obstacles or did she hit it big immediately?

The struggle came before Broadway, but in New York she was such a novelty, so she became a big success.

Q: How much of her music are you using in the show?

All her traditional songs. "Chico, chico", "Chica Chica Bun Chic" "Mama yo quiero" and so many others. So many were famous, it was hard to select. Some also that were not samba, samba, samba like "Chattanooga Choo Choo". All wonderful tunes that people will love. They will leave the theater chicachicaboomchic-ing. (she laughs)

Q: You were an opera singer. For how long?

I was very young. For about 10 years. I was lucky to be in the hands of good people who trained me, good teachers. I stopped when I got married. That lasted for 7 years. I got divorced. And here I am. Whatever happens, makes you stronger.

Q: Carmen Miranda certainly didn't sing opera. Hardly. With opera training, you can do practically anything. How difficult a challenge has it been to get into singing and moving like her?

Not very. The greatest challenge has been all the hours of work and preparation for the show and trying to always look fresh. Getting the choreographer (Daniel Coffman) to work in the shortest amount of time.

Q: You look beautiful. No worries. Do you have a favorite actress or actor?

Maria Felix, a Mexican actress from the times of Carmen Miranda as well. Dolores Del Rio from those times too. And now Salma Hayek, I admire her so much and Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close...there are so many. ...Sandra Bullock.
The down side with Carmen, Maria Felix and Cantinflas was that they always had the same Latino image to uphold, the same character to play.

Q: It is sad that Miranda never really got past that image she created. But, you have the chance to do it all. How do you feel about these other Latina actresses?

Jennifer Lopez didn't have to cross borders. I don't mean geographical borders, but cultural borders. She grew up in the United States and knows from there how to expand. Salma Hayek, on the other hand, having her accent and cultural richness from another country, she's seen always as "the Mexican person" instead of giving her some other roles ...or, I don't know, maybe it's about creativity or self-proposing. As for myself, I chose to come here and work instead of going to Mexico City and doing novelas (soaps). With the talents that you have, a big responsibility comes. You have to develop and do the most you can with what you have. With that you can do so much good.

Q: Anything more that you care to add about the show?

In this show everbody gets to do what they love to do, dance, sing, play instruments. What we want to accomplish... Every great work is the result of a great team effort. With this, I'm generating a lot of jobs for a lot of people. We have 11 in the cast. I hope it's a success. Carmen had a very sad life at the end, but as Shakespeare said, "It all depends on how you look at it". We want to entertain people, make people happy, like Carmen did. We hope they leave the theatre with big smiles on their faces and that tunes or images or flashbacks come to them two weeks later. That's our mission.

Q: Crees que los actores latinos "superestrellas" han alcanzado un nivel excelente en Hollywood durante los ultimos 10 anos?

Yo creo que es algo totalmente individual. Independiente. No tiene nada que ver con el pais de origen, ni con la cultura, ni con la educacion. Tiene que ver con el desenvolvimiento personal - self-mastery. The work they do and how dedicated they are.

_________________________________________________
Carmen Miranda- The Lady in the Tutti Frutti Hat. World Premiere engagement of a new musical written by Sam Mossler. Directed by Adam Schlachter. Musical director: Dennis Kaye. Choreographed by Daniel Coffman. Presented by Tocayo Productions, Inc. in association with Hudson Theatricals. Magi Avila toplines the cast of eleven.
Hudson Backstage Theatre, 6339 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038.
Previews May 21-23. Opens Friday, May 28, 2010., runs through June 27. Show times Fri. & Sat. at 8, Sun. at 3.
RESERVATIONS: (323) 960-7740.
or visit: www.Plays411.com/carmen
_________________________________________________
When asked about the challenges of mounting this new musical, musical director Dennis Kaye had the following to say:

"Musically, my greatest challenge has been to recreate, as closely as possible, the Carmen Miranda experience for the audience. The singers, dancers, and the band have all tried to remain as authentic as possible to her film performances."

And from director Adam Schlachter:

"Excited in my transition from feature films to a stage musical. (I'm) delighted to be working with such professional musicians, actors, performers, and craftspeople."

James Denton to Appear in Studio City With Band

May 22, 2010 has been set as the date for SEAGLASS THEATRE’S second annual fundraising event, it was announced today by Kimberly Van Luin, the company’s Artistic Director who founded Chicago’s prestigious Griffin Theatre, now in its 22nd year of producing. The event will be held from 7:00 to 11:00 pm at the DECOR ART GALLERIES located at 12149 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City, CA 91604, and is open to the public.

Dedicated to the SeaGlass mission of “Illuminating the American Experience”, the evening will offer samplings of sumptuous cuisine indigenous to select regions throughout the U.S., complimented by a variety of diversified entertainment. SeaGlass Board member and longtime co-star JAMES DENTON of ABC TV’s hit series DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES and others associated with the popular rock group BAND FROM TV - including actress/singer ERIN O'BRIEN, CHRIS KELLEY, and MINDY STEIN - will lend their musical talents to headline the event; as will noted guitarists LUIS OLIART and DEAN GLORIOSO. Also scheduled to perform is SLOWRECK, a rollicking jalopy of hillbilly bluegrass and old school bluesy-rock. Additionally, valuable and diverse raffle prizes will be awarded to lucky ticket holders.Event tickets at $30 each may be purchased online through SeaGlass Theatre at http://www.seaglasstheatre.org/

_____________________________________

Watch for our interview soon!!

Janet Krupin to Perform First Complete Cabaret @ Sterling's May 15

Actress/singer Janet Krupin is not resting on her laurels after winning LA's Next Great Stage Star 2010 at Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's in January. Hardly! This is one hard-working career oriented girl! She is currently auditioning in New York and is about to graduate from USC. She talked with me about her career and the road ahead.

Q: Has winning LA's Next Great Stage Star 2010 changed things for you? If so, how?

Yes! Indeed it has, and in all the most wonderful ways. It's been the big daddy domino effect of them all. Just over a week after the competition was over, I was so excited and so surprised to be offered my equity card along with the part of an opera singing poodle. Bark at CLOSBC was like the best, and fastest, masterclass I've ever had the honor to be apart of. I really feel like that's where I learned how to operate at the next level, and I couldn't have asked for a better cast, crew and creative leadership team to learn from. The best example of how the competition changed things for me is that I am currently in NYC! I wouldn't have journeyed east for a few days of big time opportunity without the invigorating show of confidence from everyone involved at Sterling's Upstairs.

Q: Tell me about the shows you've done since West Side Story 2008. What is your favorite role from within these plays (musicals) you've done?

Well since my beloved West Side, I've been honored to jig with the best of 'em in USC's Brigadoon, tell the story of both Alice and Peter in Boomkat Dance Theater's NeverWonderLand, heard it for the boy in Glendale Centre Theatre's Footloose last summer, then straight into the delicious depths of LaChuisa's See What I Wanna See with USC's Musical Theatre Rep, as well as making sure everybody paid the fee to pee in Urinetown with the same wonderful people... (It's almost over, I swear!) Finally, Bark at CLOSBC and understudying the incredible Lesli Margherita in SWIWS at The Blank Theatre.

Favorite? Yikes, I don't know if I have a favorite. I mean I adore performing, but it's really the people with whom you get to work with and form a little family with that makes shows so wonderful to remember... Boomkat, USC's MTR, all my new friends at The Blank... I love all my people!!

Q: The 15th of May is your first full cabaret, correct?

Yessiree. I've been apart of cabarets and showcases and whatnot, but this is a certainly a horse of a different color. I'm so darn stoked to see how everyone responds to what my good friend and accompanist Michael Alfera and I have been crafting together. Should be a great afternoon!

Q: Do you have a theme for the set?

I was inspired by Lady Gaga... Not kidding! The show does not include Gaga's music, but I was fascinated by some of the articles that have come out about her and her own statements and performing, the construction of meaning and art in general. The show is called Rhapsody In New and is composed of songs you know and love, but what we, my own mini Haus of Gaga creative team, including some close friends, fellow artists and my MD (musical director) Michael Alfera, altered the pieces in order to create something original, something exciting, something NEW.

Q: Do you like singing in a supper club as well as acting in a show? Explain the differences with both and the challenges!

I enjoy them both, but I like the full experience of a show better. I think the stakes are always higher in a full show and the build and climax can build to something that just can't be achieved in a club. But, on the other hand, I do enjoy the intimacy of a club setting. Getting to use a hand held mic allows for some vocal play that you don't get to do in a show.

Q: What is your major graduating this year? What are your immediate plans for the future?

I graduate May 14th, almost exactly 24 hrs before the show. My degree is in Cinematic Arts, Critical Studies with a double minor in Musical Theatre and Philosophy. My plans are to keep going on the road I'm on! More performing, more singing, more creating! I am going to fit in a little vacation to Paris with my grandmother in the little vacation space I have later this month.

Q: What are your long range goals as a performer?

I think my dad said it best, "Get your eye on the ball and just keep swinging, kiddo!" I want to be apart of and give as much as I can back to the storytelling community for as long as they'll let me.

Q: Talk a little about film vs. stage and how both fit into your career goals.

That phrase "the storytelling community" is really a great descriptive term... Film and theatre are just slightly different mediums in which meaning and story can be constructed and presented. I'm going to keep working to be infront of and onstage, but also behind the processes for both.

Q: Getting back to your family, it sounds like they are really behind your plans.

I have the MOST supportive and magnificent family and friends. My dad and I spoke about me flying to NYC on an impulse and his last words to me where "Break legs and please bring me some really good deli mustard."

Catch Janet Krupin on the afternoon of Saturday May 15 at 1pm at Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's! She is one talented sizzling performer you do not want to miss!

Interview with Vicki Lewis

Character actress/singer Vicki Lewis is a favorite with TV and theatre audiences alike, perhaps most recognized as Larry David's producing partner from Cable's hilarious Curb Your Enthusiasm. When we spoke, she was starting rehearsals with Reprise for their next production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying opening May 11 at the Freud @ UCLA.

Q: Tell me about the character you're playing in How to Succeed...

Smitty - tough cookie with a heart of gold - my favorite kind of musical comedy character.

Q: You were great in the shortened version of Promises, Promises two years ago in the S.T.A.G.E. benefit honoring Burt Bacharach. Talk a little about S.T.A.G.E.

Something magical happens at S.T.A.G.E. Each year a very generous,talented group of actors come together to raise money for aids. David (Galligan)works selflessly for the cause, he's absolutely brilliant, his humor is infectious, and he inspires. Thusly the productions are infused with a lot of passion and heart.

Q: David Galligan has talked about possibly doing an abridged version of Funny Girl with you at S.T.A.G.E. Tell me about that.

That is a dream of mine to do Funny Girl with Galligan.

Q: What have you been up to recently and what's next after How to Succeed...?

I just finished filming Den Brother for Disney, which will be released in 2011. This summer I am playing Mama Rose in Gypsy at North Shore.

Q: You're a busy gal! Who are your favorite performers?

Judy Garland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elaine Stritch. They all share gut wrenching honesty, pathos, vulnerability and they step out of their vanity and allow themselves to be unattractive - incredibly brave.

Q: Do you enjoy working in musical comedy the most?

I do. I love working in film and television, but there's always a part of me that's waiting for the song - it feels as if there's something missing.

Q: What is your favorite role?

Mama Rose. I did the production last year with Marcia Milgrim Dodge ( an incredibly inspired director) - there's a strength, a rage, a broken quality to her that is very fulfilling to perform.

Q: You also have some exciting news to share, correct?

My debut solo album East Of Midnight will be available on itunes in May.

Q: Congratulations!

Vicki Lewis is a stellar character actress/comedienne. Don't miss her in How to Succeed in Business... for Reprise Theatre Company opening May 11 at the Freud.

Interview with Michele Lee

Actress/
singer Michele Lee will appear in S.T.A.G.E. benefit's Original Cast on May 1 at the Luckman Theatre. Star of stage, screen and TV, Lee starred on Broadway with Robert Morse in How to Succeed in Businees Without Really Trying (1961-65) and then repeated the role of Rosemary on film in 1967, Bravo Giovanni in 1962, Seesaw in 1973, winning a Drama Desk Award as Best Actress and a Tony nomination as Best Actress in a Musical and in Charles Busch's comedy The Tale of the Allergist's Wife (2000-2002), receiving a Tony nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Play.
On the big screen she is best remembered for Disney's The Love Bug in 1968 and for playing Ben Stiller's mother in Along Came Polly in 2004...and on TV for 14 consecutive seasons in all 344 episodes as everyone's favorite neighbor Karen MacKenzie on the longest running prime-time soap in TV history Knots Landing (1979-1993). In our chat, Lee talks fondly about Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields and Seesaw and other theatrical loves.

Q: You deserved a Tony Award for Seesaw! You were wonderful in it.

I so appreciate that. There's that old saying that You don't appreciate what you've got until you don't have it. It was one of the most glorious times I've ever had playing a character. There were changes going on with the show...and I remember so fondly Michael Bennett, who left us much too early (writer, director, choreographer).

Q: Tell me about the "Finale: I'm Way Ahead" from Seesaw, which you're doing for S.T.A.G.E.'s Original Cast. It's a lot like "Rose's Turn" from Gypsy, don't you think?

It really is! Well...Seesaw was in trouble in the last months before we opened. Michael Bennett, Tommy Tune and I came into it, just a few weeks before the Broadway opening. Michael had a vision that was new. As I was memorizing lines, they were being thrown out or rewritten. And the music...this was Dorothy Field's (lyrics) last show...most of the songs stayed. At one point Neil Simon was "doctoring" the show. His scenes were mind-boggling funny. Michael and I ...I know this sounds braggadocio, but that's the way it was...would stay up until 3 in the morning during previews, editing the show. We were trying to get it down to an acceptable size, because it was so long. The music...I think is one of the best scores ever...the cd is one of the best produced cast albums. Anyway, the finale "I'm Way Ahead" didn't have enough emotional balance or what they thought it needed for a curtain. It needed an embellishment, so Cy Coleman (music) wrote ..."Rose's Turn" (she laughs) At rehearsal, on this very old out of tune piano Cy Coleman played me the new finale. And...we opened the next night. I might do it for the S.T.A.G.E. benefit...I do have, now on cds...I recorded it originally on my old recorder in 1973...Cy Coleman teaching me the Seesaw finale with Dorothy Fields in the background shouting "Stop already!" That's the true story of the "Seesaw Finale". That time was the most, most fun!

Q: Tell me about Mame that you did at the Hollywood Bowl a couple of years back.

I had to learn the whole show in a 10-day rehearsal period. We had our dress rehearsal in the morning, opened that night...and closed that night. It's like...what the hell did I do? It was such a task. I had so many costume changes. We did hair changes; I might have had 4 wigs. To do the show right, you need more time. It's such a Herculean feat, that you better do it more than one night. Now they do 3 shows over a weekend, but then it was only one night. You know what I love...I always like to bite off a little more than I can chew, to prove to yourself that you can do it.

Q: You were terrific as that Auntie Mame type character in Charles Busch's The Tale of the Allergist's Wife. Have you done any other plays recently?

A couple months back I did Nora Ephron's, with her sister Delia, Love, Loss and What I Wore, which was a huge hit. It's 5 women, a little reminiscent of that other women's...female part of the body (she teases) ... (The Vagina Monologues). I do whatever I can in New York until I get a musical.

Q: You deserve to get one! You're still in great voice.

Thank you. I don't know how, but I've managed to keep it in pretty good shape. I have my one-woman show and I do concerts at performing arts centers. People like Michael Feinstein, who sing every night practically, get to the point that they don't have to vocalize, because it's always there, as the muscles are toned, but when you sing more sporadically, like Seesaw to the Hollywood Bowl (she laughs), you have to warm up a little bit. Now, it's OK, because I sing more often.

Q: Who's your favorite Broadway performer?

There are so many incredible people. But, when you think of an Angela Lansbury... I just saw her in A Little Night Music. I must say if there's anybody, who year after year just...if there's any such thing as getting better...she fits so gracefully into the new kind of roles that she can play, with such a gusto and a love. You can see the love that she has for what she does, in everything she does. And she's at a point in time where she just has to stick her head out of the curtain, and the audience goes crazy.

Q: What's one of your favorite new shows on Broadway?

There are so many wows. I'll tell you what blew me away, the new production of South Pacific. It's a couple of years old now, but what blew me away was...you think you know the musicals that have been around for so many years. To make it work for today, they have to have a gimmick (she laughs and sings) "You Gotta Have a Gimmick" (from Gypsy)...and often it doesn't work. South Pacific is one of the best musicals ever, but it doesn't make it if you don't have the right eye, the right director. But this new production is superb in every detail. I cried as an audience member, because we can all identify with it.

Q: What's your favorite musical of all time?

Gypsy. I think it's one of the best musicals ever written, ever, ever. It's like Medea. No matter what, you can always relate to the mother and the child, the parent and child struggle. Even though all of us don't have the same kind of dysfunctional relationship, you see the underpinnings of this character Rose to such a degree. Gypsy was the first Broadway musical I ever saw. With Ethel Merman. I was sitting in the orchestra with my mother. My parents were New Yorkers. I was born in Los Angeles. I was already doing little theatre. I was coming to New York, and my mother said "Wait until you see the theatre in New York!" For me, at that point, New York was tall buildings. Then when I listened to that overture and saw the curtains parting and the stage, it was like "Oh, this is New York. Now I get it!"

Then years later when I saw Tyne Daly do Gypsy... she's such an exquisite actress that when she did "Rose's Turn", I wept. I felt her pain. This musical will be forever. It doesn't matter about the time. It could have been in the 1600s, the 1700s or 20...whatever we're going to end up being...

Q: You should do Gypsy here in LA.

Oh, God, you get to a place..there have been so many productions of it...but I should do it for me. It's one of those roles I'd kill for! (she laughs)

Q: Let's talk a little bit about Knots (Landing). I got so caught up in that show, because I felt like you were all a part of my family.

I think the show as drama was so much more than just a soap. The first year we were on, we were self-contained stories. The second, they decided to make us continung stories. We had unbelievable competition on the other networks, but we became a hit. As soon as we became a hit, the other series started to have continuing story arcs as well.

Q: So, you were a great forerunner! Would you like to do another series, maybe a sitcom?

I would love to do a sitcom. But there are limits today due to reality shows, etc. But, yes, that's another something that would attract me.

Q: Is there anything that we've failed to talk about?

My sex life!

She emits a huge and deeply feisty laugh that is reminiscent of her Gittel Mosca character in Seesaw: funny, gutsy, down-to-earth, warm and lovable. What a doll!

Versatile Michele Lee is bound to be around for a long, long time to come onscreen or better still in a great big Broadway musical like Gypsy or something newly created just for her. She's one of a rare breed of performers that have earned their place at the top and deserve to remain there. Don't miss her in S.T.A.G.E.'s Original Cast for one night only on Saturday, May 1 at the Luckman Theatre, along with a bevy of other stars!

Interview - Kres Mersky

Actress/playwright Kres Mersky’s solo plays include Isadora Duncan: A Unique Recital (currently touring the West Coast and Canada) and At The Codfish Ball. Her full-length, full-cast plays include Algerian Romance and Flag Day. She has also written numerous one acts. She has appeared extensively on stage, screen and television, and is a member of the prestigious stage company Theatre West. Mersky’s newly revised solo play The Life and Times of A. Einstein will open at Theatre West on April 10. In our talk, she discusses the play and what drew her to Einstein among other theatrical interests.

Q: When and how did The Life and Times of A. Einstein begin?

It’s interesting…this show has had a couple of different versions. The first version was in the 80s as a four character piece. Einstein wasn’t a character in it. It was sort of this play within a play, a high concept idea I had. It was a great idea that didn’t fully work. Over the years people were always so interested in the secretary character…I would put it away, come back to it…it eventually evolved into the one character piece with the secretary. I was always interested in Einstein like a lot of folks- just fascinated by this iconic man and just that face alone…stops you.

Q: So, you were not a science major in college or someone with a tremendous scientific curiosity?

Not at all. When I think back on it, it was more of an unconscious attraction initially. But, after a lot of reading about him and his life, trying to understand his work, which I don’t really…only to a small degree, I think it was the man’s amazing courage to be able to think in a new way, think differently about some of the basic principles of science that he rejected in order to find the Theory of Relativity. It took enormous courage and belief in himself, the ability…the courage to not be afraid to go against the ingrained accepted theories of Newtonian physics…the Newtonian mechanical principles of nature. I think it was that courage to go his own way that I related to, there being a kind of maverick and not really caring what people thought. All of this was attracting me more than I knew.

Q: What is the secretary’s real name?

The real secretary’s name is Helen Dukas. I renamed her Ellen. I was thinking, What can I do theatrically on Einstein? What would be interesting? …Something that I would also like to perform in. I began reading different biographies, and the secretary was always mentioned. They didn’t go into her life at all… “and his stalwart secretary Helen Dukas…” She was 17 years old when she came to work for him and moved in with them. She wasn’t just someone who came to work every day. She became a part of the family and stayed there for the rest of her life into the 80s. Einstein died in the 50s, but she stayed in the house in Princeton, New Jersey and managed his estate until her own death. What an interesting character!

Q: But, in the books you read, they never gave you an idea about her character other than the fact that she was loyal?

No. I thought, if I’m going to make this about Einstein through the secretary, I have to imagine a life for this woman, her conflicts, and her own feelings and emotional life. That’s how the piece evolved.

Q: It had to be challenging, because you were starting from the ground up!

It was. I took the bare facts and extrapolated on them as a writer. I did my own ‘psychologizing’. She was a German Jewish woman. I wondered why she spoke English, because Einstein didn’t speak English when he came to this country. I imagined that she worked for a publisher who translated material…I just made that up. Not very long ago I found out that indeed she was a secretary for a publisher who printed in English.

Q: Quite an intelligent guess!

A little spooky moment! I really channeled that woman! I got a kick out of that. Einstein’s son who was a mechanical engineer and taught at UC Berkeley believed that they had an affair at one time. There is other material out now that is suggestive of that. Even before that I had suggested it in the piece, but I didn’t want to make that a major issue in the story.

Q: Tell us about the structure of the play.

I was over in Pasadena at the second largest Einstein archives at Cal Tech. I came upon a little newspaper article, it was 1945…it said: Today is Albert Einstein’s birthday; he will be celebrating quietly with his friends; there will be no press conference…and I thought, “Oh! I like that, it’s his birthday and he has decided to give a press conference”…and that became the premise. He’s just arrived in the United States from Germany, he’s settling in Princeton, New Jersey; they’ve been here about a month and he’s in an interview. He was always hounded by the press. He was a huge celebrity. No other scientist ever captured the public imagination like he did. It’s an interview he’s granting to actually discuss matters in Europe: he would like our government to get more involved with helping Jews get assistance in getting out of Nazi Germany. Though the premise was really to say hello…and get the press off his back. He’s late in arriving, so the secretary is sort of filling in until he gets there. But…he never gets there. She fields questions, and it gets more complicated trying to explain his theories, and then in her own funny way she gets caught up in her own personal memories and frustrations of trying to run this household. Time changes during the piece and you go to two other press conferences. It goes through about 25 years, so it’s a little time travel piece in one act.

Q: Where did you do the original piece?

In 1982 or 83, in its four character state here at Theatre West. Then I rewrote it and it was done at Taper Too at the John Anson Ford Theatre. After that, I put it away for a long, long time. In the late 90s I revisited it…people were always saying “this is a wonderful idea, but what you’re trying to do just doesn’t quite work. The secretary is so compelling…why don’t you just stick with her?” So that’s what the work has been. In the last five years, I’ve been out on that booking circuit, at colleges and universities for one night or two night runs. I’ve done quite a few of those. I did put it on its feet, I think in 1999 at the Fremont Centre in Pasadena and it got a really good response. Then I put it away and five years later pulled it out again for rewrites. So, this new version will really be the first full run. It’s been a long process.

Q: Let’s talk about your other play about Isadora Duncan.

I was awfully young when I put that together. I saw the movie with Vanessa Redgrave; I was so inspired, I read the biography of Isadora. I wanted to take some of the writings from her autobiography and make a monologue out of it. I tried it out on workshop night at Theatre West and everyone said I should keep working on it. It worked into a 45-minute play that I put up for a couple of nights. I also tour with that. It’s a tough show to do, very physical. The last years of Isadora’s life were a real struggle, so it’s a challenge to play her.

Q: Your husband Paul Gersten is directing Einstein. Is this your first collaboration?

We’ve been working together the last seven years. Paul was a commercial food photographer for many years; now he’s teaching. He’s always directed theatre stuff, and it’s just been wonderful to do this together.

Q: Who is your favorite writer?

Playwright?

Q: Yes.

What jumps to mind right away is Samuel Beckett.

Q: Why? What makes him an inspiration?

I’ve always loved the absurdists. Many of my pieces tend to be absurd. I did a film with my son called Rope based on a short piece I wrote. It’s been out on the independent film circuit. It’s absurdist, very offbeat. I also love Chekhov, Anouilh, Pirandello. Sartre, No Exit. Since I was a young actress, I’ve always been attracted to the European writers and the more avant-garde stuff. I also love Christopher Durang, John Guare, Murray Schisgal.

Q: Do you have a preference for comedy or drama?

My sensibility is to find as much humor as possible. That’s my predilection. As an audience member, I love to laugh and to be moved. When you can do both, it’s really kind of wonderful. Einstein’s humor comes from the fact that Einstein was a very funny man. A real kibitzer, he loved a good joke. It’s very much in the spirit of him.

Q: In short, what do you want us to learn from The Life and Times of A. Einstein?

There was so much control over the Einstein image, kind of like over Tiger Woods currently. It’s now a known fact that Einstein was a womanizer. Who would have ever guessed? The secretary constantly shielded him and his personal life from the press. Her story is so impressive. She never married and took only one vacation during her whole lifetime. What devotion!
____________________________________________________________
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF A. EINSTEIN OPENS APRIL 10 AT THEATRE WEST
Written and performed by Kres Mersky. Directed by Paul Gersten. Produced by Jill Jones. Season producer: Jill Jones. Theatre West executive director: John Gallogly. Presented by Theatre West.
Theatre West is located at 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, in Los Angeles, CA 90068. This is in proximity to North Hollywood, Universal City and Studio City. There is FREE parking in a lot across the street.
The play runs April 10- May 16, 2010. Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m.
RESERVATIONS: (323) 851-7977.
ONLINE TICKETING: www.theatrewest.org