Interview with John Leguizamo

Irrepressible actor John Leguizamo certainly needs no introduction. A star of TV, such  films as Carlito's Way, To Wong Foo and Moulin Rouge, and on Broadway with his own plays Mambo Mouth, Sexaholix...A Love Story, Klass Klown, and most recently Ghetto Klown, Leguizamo will be reviving Ghetto Klown @ the Ricardo Montalban  Theatre on Vine St in Hollywood September 30-October 16. Ladies and gentlemen: the one and only, John Leguizamo! 

Tell me about your award winning solo turn with Ghetto Klown  and how this show differs from the other shows you've performed. 

I was trying to do a whole life in less than two hours. Like a Wikipedia version of myself and make it about career, the ups and down, the success and failures, the people who helped me and those that cock blocked my career.  The loves, the losses. I wanted to be an example of what not to do. I wanted to be a living cautionary tale. The difference from the other shows is that this one is about my career. the movies, like Carlitos Way,To Wong Foo..., Romeo and Juliet and all my plays, plus I'm doing impersonations of Pacino, Swayze, Baz Lurhmann, Steven Segal, etc.

You are a brave performer relating your  career and personal life for all to witness, and if I'm not mistaken been  called a little man with a big mouth. Kind of a Colombian Lenny Bruce.  How did your comedy roots take shape? Did you always envision yourself  changing the world, a sort of revolutionary?

I love being a rebel, thanks. You only hope of making a difference and I think you gotta really have that upfront when you do your work. You gotta say I wanna make this to change peoples way of thinking and looking at things and then hope it's mad funny too.  I started performing in improv groups, performance art spaces and comedy clubs. I was doing it all but the place I really found myself was the down Ps 122, the home, kitchen... here I was able to tell a whole story and people had the patience to let you be as out there as possible.

Who are your heroes of comedy?


Oh, I love to  pay tribute to them.. Richard Pryor who brought the raw and the urban and personal to comedy..  Spaulding Gray who brought the whole thing into a  narrative.  Lily Tomlin who made it into a play... and Whoopie who  brought the ghetto and the poetry.  They opened those doors for me and  passed on the baton.  Now hopefully when kids watch me they can take  that baton and run.


Speaking of film, do you  have a favorite of the ones you've done?


Yeah, I really like my work of late. I feel like I"ve entered a new stage in my life where I'm doing work that's a little closer to myself and really digging it. Like Where God Left His Shoes - I'm a boxer who loses his job and ends up being fired from every job and evicted and he's got a beautiful family but his issues keep him in hock, even though he's so well meaning and The Take - where a Brinks truck driver is set up as the suspect of robbery and he has to clear his name even though he wasn't sure if he was guilty himself because of the injuries to head he has sustained.


I loved you in To Wong Foo... Any  memories of that you care to share? Funny ones? Memories of Patrick  Swayze?

Swayze was a trip. He wanted to look so hot as a woman that it was funny.  And we all looked our best in the morning but by the afternoon, we needed shaves and the make up started to cake over - we looked like roaches in a bakery - all white powdered and we were all pms-ing and cranky from the gender bender apparatus to hide our primary male attributes....


Any film or TV projects currently in sight  for you?


I'm a boxing manager with Katherine Heigl as a bounty hunter in Jersey.


Your LA appearances seem to be very few. Is  there any particular reason for that?


Yeah, I live in NYC.  I actually  really dig LA,  I just haven't been performing. I had a bad experience and  stopped doing live, but hey, now I'm on top of my game and hitting out of the ball park..  ‘cause people in LA get where I'm coming from. We have very similar life experiences in NYC.  We have the big melting pot, tower of babel international cultural cross pollination that makes these two cities  trend setters.

Do you think it is any easier for comics/actors  of Latin heritage at this point in time? Are they getting the work they  deserve?


We got an audience that is very appreciative and hungry to hear their own stories and their contribution to this country and they have the money and numbers to support a huge comedy revolution... touring America and being Latin has never been more soulfully and financially enriching.


Much luck with the tour and I look forward to  the show. Anything you care to add?


I'm also going to start doing  an international tour for the first time... I’m going to London in November and South America - gonna do it in Spanish for the first time...  This show is going to be my magnum opus. So far, people are telling me they have never felt more inspired from anything they've ever witnessed, so there should be millions of story tellers out there ready to tell their story and remember, John sent ya...
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Friday, September 30 to Sunday, October 16

The Ricardo Montalbán Theatre/1615 Vine Street, Hollywood, CA 90028
Tuesday through Saturday at 8 pm; Sundays at 5pm
$42.50 to $115; premium available.
Web – www.tix.com
Phone 800-595-4849
Box Office information – 323-461-0663

Information: Visit www.ghettoklown.com

                   www.twitter.com/ghettoklown

                   www.facebook.com/ghettoklown

Interview - Levi Kreis

Appearing at The Ford Amphitheatre as part of Chris Isaacson Presents New York's Finest - The Leading Men of Broadway concert September 16, Tony Award winner singing sensation Levi Kreis is on his way to becoming one of our nation's top hit vocalists. He talks about the concert, his appearance in Million Dollar Quartet on Broadway and other musical endeavors.


What's life been like since winning the Tony for Million Dollar Quartet?  

Busy.  Thanks for asking.  I moved back to the West Coast in March to begin my 4th studio album and plan the next tour.  No down time yet: I'm looking forward to holiday season for that very reason.  LOL.  

Might you be doing the show out here in LA at some point in the near future?  

I won't be, but I believe the touring cast has been decided and I know there are some remarkable triple threats coming to this coast.  Personally, I would entertain a limited engagement with the Chicago cast.  The Apollo Theatre has been running MDQ for nearly 3 years now.  My fondest memories of the show are there.

Was Jerry Lee Lewis a real challenge for you to play? How did you prepare for him? 

 I had the opportunity of playing a 20-year-old Jerry Lee which allowed me to discover an entirely different angle from what we are used to seeing.  Framing his brazen qualities with an not-yet-tarnished innocence was interesting for me.  It allows the audience to see the purity of his soul, and really root for him.  It was also lovely to finally have an outlet for the southern humor that has been a staple in my real life, and I loved working with Hunter.  He is a great actor to learn from and grown with. 

Tell me about Leading Men at the Ford - and the recent concert at the Rubicon. What did you sing and what will you be singing on the 16th?  

I'm a big lover of New Works Programs.  The Rubicon Theatre and the Village Theatre really have a commitment to that.  I was grateful to have a sold out fundraiser this week.  As far as the Leading Men of Broadway show, I kind of feel like it's play time. LOL.  These guys are all so fun to perform with.  I haven't met Brandon Victor Dixon yet.  I'm excited for that: I know he's a really talented man.  Truly, this is going to be a one-of-a-kind evening.  Personally, my most anticipated moment is singing "For Good" with David Burnham.  I've always adored that man's heart.

I understand the new CD is different from your previous ones. How so?  

Perhaps playing the role of Jerry Lee brought a wild abandon out of me.  I have finally managed to stop taking career so damn seriously.  We are put on this earth to absolutely love what we do and do it uniquely.  My only concern anymore (thank you Mr. Quincy Jones) is vibrating at the highest level of excellence that I possibly can.  Nothing else matters. When this becomes tarnished by an obsessive need for approval, you forfeit your greatness.  A Tony Award will never be "that thing" you need to "believe in yourself" if you don't believe in yourself right where you are!  Self-love is the theme of this new album.  The entire execution of the writing, recording, and marketing not only invites a higher vision of excellence, but an individuality that is me and me alone.  I've been recording since I was 15 years old, and I'm having more fun right now than I have ever had in my life.  I also find that my heart for our LGBTQ youth is expanding to a call for action.  I'm not sure what that looks like for me yet, but I know they are the inspiration behind the new songs.

Tell me about your association with Del Shores. Didn't you compose music for Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife?  

The amazing Joe Pat Ward composed music for ...Housewives.  I composed music for a play prior to ...Housewives called Southern Baptist Sissies.  It was about 4 boys in the Baptist church, each dealing with the religion vs homosexuality conflict in four very different ways.  I had just moved to Los Angeles, and friends of mine drug me into the Zephyr Theatre to see it.  By intermission I was nearly on the floor in a fetal position, balling my eyes out.  After 6 years of "reparative therapy" to become 'straight", and living with the angst of a young man with a passion for God, yet being an "abomination" to God at the same time, it was very healing to see this piece.  I met Del that night.  He invited me to see it as many times as I needed to help process the pain. I must have come back 36 times.  Eventually, I wrote the theme song for the piece,  "Stained Glass Window", which won me an Outmusic Award and is featured on my last CD "Where I Belong".  

If I'm not mistaken, your music from the past has been of a very spiritual nature? Tell me about your background and how music affected you growing up?  

The first record I ever remember hearing was Mahalia Jackson.  My grandaddy played it for me, along with Andrae Crouch.  Gospel is nothing more than putting your deepest convictions to song.  No pretense, no show, no polish.  It's raw emotion and complete connection.  That's how I cut my teeth, so baring my soul in song will always be the way I have to do it. It's all I know.  I know it's also helped me find an authenticity as an actor.

What's up next? Another show? More concerts?  

Taking the time to pour my best efforts into a new album followed by touring domestically and overseas.  I also plan to spend more time discovering where I can be of service to our LGBTQ youth.  

Anything else you care to share with us?  

Yes I do have something to add as a matter of fact.    Just a couple of quick love letters.  I send my sincerest thank you to Ms. Whoopi Goldberg for being gracious, supportive, and kind during my time on Broadway.  You will never know the inspiration you've been to me.  To all my B'way friends, I miss you.  Keep doing you!  You're the best one for the job.

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New York’s Finest: The Leading Men of Broadway  will  play  one  performance  only, on Friday, September 16, at  the  John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, in Los Angeles, 90068. Showtime is 8:30pm, and tickets are on sale now.  Admission is $40 for reserved seating, and a $75 VIP package includes premium seating, post-performance artist meet and greet, and much  more.  Student   and   senior  discounts  are   also  available.  To  purchase  tickets, call (323) 461-3673. Tickets for reserved seating purchased prior to September 9 receive a $5 discount. 

www.fordamphitheatre.org/en/events/deta

Interview with Bryce Ryness

Bryce Ryness appeared on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning revival of  Hair (Woof, Drama Desk nom) and Legally Blonde(Aaron, Emmett u/s). Other credits include the NY premiere of Drama Desk-award winning See Rock City... (Jess/Cutter), Crossing Brooklyn (AJ, Transport Group) and the national tour of Rent (Roger). Los Angeles musical theatre credits include the world premieres of Dangerous Beauty at the Pasadena Playhouse and Leap of Faith at the Ahmanson Theatre, as well as the Los Angeles premiere of Floyd Collins. Bryce fronts a rock band called Ryness and has sung backup for Roger Daltrey, Sarah Brightman, Frankie Valli, Marin Mazzie, and Josh Groban.He will star as the MC in Reprise Theatre Co's Cabaret opening their new season September 14 at The Freud, UCLA.

Tell me about the MC in Cabaret and what is challenging about playing him. 
And give away all my secrets!? What kind of magician would I be? Kidding.
First and foremost, he's human. He has thoughts, feelings, and opinions. And, in this particular production, I think audiences will be delighted and/or outraged by my/our take on him- I gladly take either reaction. I think he's a cautionary figure. And, hopefully, if I do my job right, he'll make you quite unsettled... all the while giving you that funny feeling in your tummy. So that, ultimately, is the challenge: to make this guy human, subtly terrifying, and irresistible. 
Is this perhaps the most challenging/difficult role for you to date? Why? or Why not?

in Hair

Well, it's certainly daunting… but then again I wouldn't have auditioned for the show if I wasn't terrified of the role. I've always been attracted to roles (and shows) that force me to confront an overwhelming fear; about myself, my abilities, my stamina, my resolve, my moral paradigms, etc. Roles are like children- each is challenging in its own unique way!  Iconic roles (like 'The Emcee' or 'Pippin' or 'Roger' or 'Reno Sweeney') present a unique challenge to the actor that lesser known roles avoid: preconception. Ironically, this has nothing to do with the actor. Iconic roles carry with them a built-in bias, generally chained to another actor's work. So, realistically, the notes aren't any higher or the choreography any more difficult than the guy before you- the challenge becomes undoing the preconceived notions the audience member brings into the theater before the show even starts! Can my characterization disarm the audience member and allow them to live in this moment anew? Or will it merely be a further academic exercise for him/her in "compare-and-contrast"? In addition to learning this entire show in 13 days, that's maybe the largest challenge I face.

Do you feel he is the key to Cabaret's message?
Subjectively (read: selfishly) speaking; of course! With the way we're telling this story- and we're telling it as historically accurate as we can- he's the guy you gotta watch out for, the one who's expertly trading on people's hopes and fears… devoid of empathy.

You have done quite a few ground-breaking shows. Talk a bit about doing Hair and then Rent.
They were fantastic! Both experiences were fully three-dimensional. I spent enough time doing both- at a certain zenith of their exposure- to be fully immersed in all the joy and pain that a massive, hit show can bring. Shows are kind of like lovers. You spend somuch time getting to know them, learn their ins-and-outs, know how to please them, that each show feels like falling in love. Both HAIR and RENT were like being in relationships with a well-known celebrity: really attractive and popular but demand A LOT of time and attention because everyone knows them and (oftentimes) thinks they can do it better than you… but if you love them with truth and sincerity (and don't listen to the haters) they give back an ocean in return. 

Legally Blonde must have been a real switch. Did you enjoy it? In what ways?
Oh man, I loved it! I afforded my wife and I the chance to stay in New York City! We were on the verge of running out of money and were praying- literally, on our knees on the cracked parquet wood floor of our Woodside apartment- in November of 2007, asking Jesus to provide us a way to stay in New York. Exactly one month (to the day) after that pleading I got a call from my agent saying that I'd be making my Broadway debut on January 2nd, 2008. The divine comedy is that when I first got the call to go in for the audition, my response was, "Legally Blonde? What am I going to do in that?"


What is your favorite role so far in musical theatre?
Floyd Collins.


Do you have a favorite composer? A favorite show, whether you've done it or not?
I love Once On This Island. I'll never be able to do it (for obvious reasons) but I love every note of that score and all the lessons it imparts. I also love Jesus Christ Superstar. Not so much for its take on the gospel but the music is epic.

Favorite Composer: John Foreman.
Tell me about your band. Do you play gigs regularly? How does that fit in to your schedule as a musical comedy actor?

in Dangerous Beauty (right)

RYNESS is Robin Lai (drums), Jae Ko (bass), Jeff Washburn (guitar), and me. It's the best group of musicians I've ever worked withspanning both my onstage and offstage life. True friends. I write the majority of the songs but I'd be nowhere without them. They're all based in New York so playing gigs when I'm doing out-of-town productions is a bit tough. I think we've played out, as a band, once in the last year. But, when everyone is in the same quadrant of the U.S., we generally play out once every month or so. It started as an opportunity for me to be creative while in the midst of bartending, cater-waitering, and banging my head against brick walls (read: starting out in New York as an auditioning actor). It matured into this wonderful group of friends who love to create music together. We've got two albums out: Live @ Joe's Pub was recorded in September of 2008 and is available at our shows and A Fire In The Night came out in May of 2009 and is available on iTunes and Amazon. We're in the process of writing a third...

You were wonderful in Dangerous Beauty. Tell me your feelings about playing that role and the show overall.
Thank you! It was a wonderful confluence of events: being back in Pasadena (where my wife and I lived after we were first married), at the Playhouse (where I'd always wanted to work), working with my college roommate (James Snyder), on a new piece (yay, creativity!), directed by Sheryl Kaller (who I love). Every single person- from the lead producers to the 'Friends of the Playhouse' volunteer ushers- were sincerely loving, supportive, and ready to make something cool and new. It was a golden episode in our life. We were also walking distance from Vroman's Bookstore and their story-time in the kids section was the jam. (our daughter) Mercy. loved. it.

backstage with James Snyder before a performance of Dangerous Beauty at Pasadena Playhouse

Anything more to say about Cabaret before signing off?

I hope people are getting excited about our production of CABARET. I think it's going to blow your mind/heart. Whatever happens, you won't leave unaffected!
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CABARET

Theatre:       The Freud Playhouse at UCLA, conveniently located in Macgowan Hall

Dates:          September 13-September 25
Tuesdays through Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 2:00pm & 8:00pm,
Sundays at 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
 

Tickets:        UCLA Central Ticket Office:  310/825-2101

Prices:         September 13 preview $63.00; September 14 opening night - $78.00;
Tuesday through Thursday Evenings - $73.00;
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, (all performances) - $78.00.
Student/Senior rush $20, 15 minutes before showtime
(subject to availability).

More Info:      www.reprise.org

Interview with Lee Lessack

Singer Lee Lessack was my choice for Best Cabaret Artist - Male for 2010 for his Chanteur merveilleux. Now he is releasing the CD Chanteur on August 9. He discusses the show and CD in depth in our chat.

Tell me briefly how and why you wanted to put Chanteur together. What was particularly engaging about the music involved?

My dear friend and colleague, Brian Lane Green, actually came up with the concept and wrote and directed a concert for me which then became the basis for the new album. I had mentioned to Brian that I felt I was ready to create a new concert and since Brian and I have shared the stage with "3 Men and a Baby…Grand!" for many years, he knows where I live vocally and as an actor and he thought of this idea and I loved everything about it.

Talk about your experiences mounting the show in London and Paris.

It was truly a magical experience. I've performed in London several times but it's been about 5 or 6 years I believe. The shows were completely sold-out which is always exciting - and the crowds were crazy for the material so it was just a London-Lovefest. Heading to France I was a bit intimidated. Our first stop was Lille and the audience was not fluent in English so I had to streamline my patter and stories. It was a matinee and they were very reserved and quiet during most of the songs so I was worried that they didn't enjoy my performance. But, alas, it was just that they didn't understand much of what I was singing. When the show ended, this very docile audience bounded to their feet and demanded 3 encores (and I had none prepared).   Paris was a dream come true. I've always wanted to perform there and a friend of mine who lives in Paris came on board to produce the event. It was at a lovely theatre called Le Sentier des Halles. Every moment of the night was just perfect and the audience was phenomenal. Can't wait to go back!

 Does the CD contain the whole show?

The CD is selections from the show plus some additional songs that will be added to the concert as we have now expanded it to a full 2 Act show for performing arts centers.  Some of the arrangements have also been modified as I wanted to create a listening experience and a mood that was slightly different from the "tour-de-force" concert presentation.

Is this the best work you've done so far, do you think? Why?

I never like to comment on my own work as that just feels awkward.  But I will tell you that I am really enjoying this recording.  I don't normally listen to my albums once they are mastered, but I've spent a bit of time with Chanteur and I'm quite pleased. I think it's probably some of my best work. It's very simple and sparse, which leaves room for me to really touch the listener's heart, which I hope I have achieved.

 Are there more concerts of the show planned for the immediate future?

Yes!  I'm most excited about our upcoming concert in Los Angeles at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre on October 7th. I'll be sharing the stage with the magnificent Amanda McBroom in an evening titled Chansons d'amour.

Talk a little about your record label and your investment in it. Does it bring you as much joy as performing yourself?

Well first of all, I am thrilled that LML Music has sustained in the ever-changing marketplace for over 17 years. I never dreamed it would become what it is today, or that we would be distributing for such wonderful names like Lucie Arnaz, Kathie Lee Gifford, Lea Salonga, Tom Wopat and Stephen Schwartz. It's been a very exciting journey and one that has allowed me to offer a vehicle of distribution to lesser known talents.   Voices that I truly believe should be heard, but artists that don't necessarily have the name recognition to get them a record deal with a major label. So that brings me great joy.

Who is your favorite composer?

Johnny Mercer

Who are your favorite singers? Of the old school and contemporary!

Old School Male:  Mel Torme

Old School Female:  Rosemary Clooney

Contemporary Male:  Jason Mraz

Contemporary Female:  k.d. lang

What's up next in your career?

Well in addition to the record label (LML Music) I am partners in a concert production agency called Spot-On Entertainment. We book and produce concerts all over the country which feature mostly Broadway vocalists "in concert".  We've got a busy year ahead which I'm excited about.

How precarious a state is the music business  in right now, in your opinion?

It's interesting to watch the music industry change so rapidly. When LML started in 1995 we were still manufacturing cassette tapes and I wonder what will happen when CDs become old school. The digital world has brought wider spread recognition and accessibility to artists, and social media has provided a venue for the independent artist to create quite a loud voice in the marketplace. Every day brings a new adventure and something new to tweet as they say.

to order Chanteur:
www.leelessack.com

Old Interviews - 2003, 2004 - with Playwright Ernest Thompson

Up soon!

Interview with Sam Harris

Chris Isaacson Presents New York's Finest -The Leading Men of Broadway directed by Sam Harris @ the Ford Amphitheatre on September 16. Harris certainly needs no introduction. His brilliant performances on stage/TV over the years have dazzled audiences worldwide. In our chat, he talks about this exciting show and other theatrical interests.



Let's talk about New York’s Finest - The Leading Men of Broadway on September 16. As director, give us a little preview of what we can expect to see from these great singers!



Well, we titled it “New York’s Finest” for a reason. Not only are these guys immensely-freakily talented, they also happen to be immensely-freakily sexy too. So the word “finest” has multiple meanings. This is not your mother’s “Theatre Under the Stars” kind of thing. There’s a very provocative opening number sung very seductively by our only lady, Frenchie Davis, where we put a brassy Broadway song in a mashup with Alicia Keyes and Lady Gaga songs. I think it’s going to be very hot and also let the audience know what they’re in for.
Also, we’re trying to construct the sense of a real show - where you feel the performers have a chemistry and know and work together. There are duets and trios and groups songs. As far as the cast, I am a lucky director. Levi Kreis takes my breath away. Such an incredible musician. Frenchie(Davis) is so available. She’s got that great voice and she’s willing to go to unpredictable places. David Burnham is striking and powerful and then hysterically funny. Brandon Victor Dixon is like silk. And he moves me to tears. Keeping Ace Young clothed has turned into a challenge in itself… I feel I will lose this battle. I don’t want to give too much away.




Is there any chance you might surprise us by singing a song or two on stage?


I don’t think so. It’s come up from time to time and, while I’m flattered and would love to sing with these amazing talents, my role needs to be from the outside in. Believe me, they don’t need me on the stage.

SAM at the Coronet was such a great show and I believe you wrote that. Is this your first directing and creating for the stage outside of your own shows?


Thank you so much. Yes, I wrote and sort of self-directed SAM, although Oz Scott came in at one point and really helped me rethink, dig deeper and go further. In addition to creating my own shows forever and directing a few things that I’ve written, I’ve contributed material or concepts to other performer’s shows – for instance I wrote a lot of Liza’s Palace show a couple of years ago. But officially directing is definitely not my usual thing. And I really love it. I love structuring. I love writing. I love communicating and exploring new avenues of material with actors. I love twists in subtext and circumstance. I love to connect things through juxtaposition and arc. But I am not remotely technically savvy when it comes to lighting and that whole end. So I am learning a lot as I go. Thankfully, I’m surrounded by experts and this cast is so gifted that they make up for any shortcomings I may have.


I understand you are again planning on doing Jolson on stage. Talk a little about this project.


I’ve been involved with it for some time and it has gone through several incarnations, and I can honestly say this show coming to fruition is a dream come true. As most of the people who come to Broadway World know, mounting a musical can take years. It’s a ridiculously crazy and arduous task, which requires tenacity and belief beyond beyond. Richard Winkler, who is our producer, is the real deal. A man of rare commitment and integrity. And our director, Matt Lenz, is an incredible visionary and smart smart smart. And I’ve been like a dog on a bone – I believe in it so much. The show is dark and complex and yet buoyant and redemptive. It is a period piece told with an absolutely contemporary style and device. We will be announcing our plans for 2012 soon and our intention is, of course, taking it to Broadway. I continually cross everything, including my eyes, which makes it difficult to read and drive.


Do you have a favorite show - one that you would like to star in but haven't? And what about a favorite composer?


There isn’t a show, per se. I love Jason Robert Brown (who lives up the street from me) and Michael John LaChiusa (who doesn’t live anywhere near me) and anything Sondheim. I’d love to originate something by Steven Schwartz. But as far as specific roles - well, Jolson is the role I dreamed of. I’m not just doing PR. I said that even before it was written. I always thought, “I want to play Al Jolson.” He had an exuberance – an insatiable need to perform – that I relate to. That need is the devil I’ve kept in check while I’ve built a real life of balance for myself – but I know it’s there, lurking. And tapping into it is thrilling and scary. Also, Jolson was such a vital part of American entertainment history, probably more so than any other person in the 20th Century. His personal story, and the time in history he came up in, are so fascinating. You don’t have to know who he was for it to be powerful. This very human story stands on it’s own. I joke about this being one of those “be careful what you wish for” dreams. All the things I love about it – the very difficult original score, the Jolson “give-all-you-got” songbook songs, the emotional rollercoaster the story takes – the father issues – basically the haunting and breakdown of his mind and memories and ego and purpose, are quite a ride for an actor. When I do get to realize the dream of actually doing this show, (kineahora, knock on everything) I will probably say “What!? I have to do this 8 times a week?! It’s not human!” Kidding. It will be a dream and an honor. And I am ready to come back to New York. I miss it a lot. Like a person.


I thought you were wonderful in The First Wives Club at the Old Globe in San Diego and put you on my year end list as Best Featured Performance. Did you enjoy doing that? Is it still in the planning stages for a Broadway run?


I didn’t know that I was on the list. Thank you! Is there an actual award that you need to give me? A statue? A plaque? A vase? A certificate? 

Sorry. But I'll give you a great big handshake or hug, whichever you're in the mood for, when I see you.
(we both laugh)

I had a great time playing with that cast. What a solid, intelligent group of actors: Barbara Walsh, Karen Ziemba, Sheryl Lee Ralph, John Dossett, Brad Oscar, Kevyn Morrow, Sara Chase. And book by Rupert Holmes. I mean there were enough Tony noms and awards in that cast to furnish a museum! I always learn so much from working with creative people. It’s the thing I love most about this business. There is always something to acquire, see, steal, explore. As far as the show itself, I think the concept and the story are good and very commercial. It had problems that were not fixable in the situation we were in. I don’t know what the plans are for the next stage. I remain very friendly with the producers and I know they want very much for it to go forward. I hope it goes for their sake.


What about TV? What Sam Harris appearances are slated for fall?


I was just on Rocco’s Dinner Party with Liza Minnelli, Alan Cumming, Sandra Bernhardt, Kenneth Cole and Marvin Hamlisch, but I don’t think eating and gabbing count. After New York’s Finest, my fall will be spent touching up a pilot I wrote which was optioned by a prominent producer, another TV show in development, and some concert dates. Also I am putting together a new live show with a certain amazing legendary performer who happens to be one of my best friends, and we’ve been talking about creating a duets show for a long time. We’re planning on trying it out in NY for a night or two in the Fall, somewhere small and casual to see what we have. Guess who! All that and raising a child too! It’s a full life. I’ll rest when I’m dead.

with partner Danny and infant son

Bless you for all of your AIDS charity work and now what you are doing for Equal Marriage Rights. You wrote a song called “My Reclamation, ” after Prop 8 passed in California. (http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=YKVXXfw2nAI) As an openly gay and married man - with a son - how do you feel about the progress that has been made? Are you satisfied? What more needs to be done?


I don’t think any of us can be satisfied until there is no more anti-gay legislation and equal rights are the given. My son is 3 ½ years old and I watch him with his friends at preschool. There are observations, but there are no judgments. The fact that he has two daddies is just that – a fact. Just like some families have single parents or multi-racial parents, or grandparents in parental roles, or whatever. It is the adults that teach the hate and fear of “the other.” What’s that song from South Pacific?


“You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are 6 or 7 or 8
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught”


And one day someone will tell our son that he is wrong and that his dads are bad people. And it will kill me because he won’t understand that kind of judgment. But I hope that, by then, we will have given him enough foundation and tools to understand what love and family and equality really are, and recognize that some people just don’t. I would put up the quality of our parenting and the love and family Danny and I create in our home against anyone’s. I could never have dreamed when I was a kid growing up in Bible Belt Oklahoma that we’d have come this far. But we have so so far to go. 


It all boils down to love, but it's such a struggle to get some people to understand that.


Yes, and the best thing anyone can do is live their life honestly, with the love they seek in others. At this time in history, when same-gender couples are finally getting legally married and having children and are open in their workplaces, we are under the microscope. Just like at the beginning of integration, when racists were sure it would be the end of society. Being an example of strength and love and patience is, well, like being a parent. Being your best person. And that goes for straight people too. Civil rights are never won solely by the oppressed minority. It is the right-minded majority that really makes change. People need to speak up and stand up. And leave the room better than you found it. It ain’t always easy. But it’s worth it. How did we go from show biz to politics? I guess it’s all the same thing. Capturing and demonstrating the challenges and foibles and triumphs of the human spirit. And of course I love a big production number too…
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

New York’s Finest: The Leading Men of Broadway  will  play  one  performance  only, on Friday, September 16, at  the  John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, 2580 Cahuenga Boulevard East, in Los Angeles, 90068. Showtime is 8:30pm, and tickets are on sale now.  Admission is $40 for reserved seating, and a $75 VIP package includes premium seating, post-performance artist meet and greet, and much  more.  Student   and   senior  discounts  are   also  available.  To  purchase  tickets, call (323) 461-3673. Tickets for reserved seating purchased prior to September 9 receive a $5 discount. 

www.fordamphitheatre.org/en/events/details/id/289

Sam and family now

Interview with Dee Wallace

Actress Dee Wallace, best known as the mother of Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore in Steven Spielberg's E.T., is not only an award-winning actress but renowned acting coach and healer. The healing part of her career came out of the needs of her own personal turmoil. She has written three books, the latest called Bright Light. In our chat, she talks about the roots of her healing process and its components, Bright Light and her best loved work onscreen.


When I read that you were a healer, it surprised me. Forgive me, but I have not kept up with all the details of your busy life. Tell me how it all began. Was it a religious thing for you?


No.It was a desperation thing for me. In a nutshell, I was raised in a very poor family. My dad was an alcoholic all my life. He ended up committing suicide. Before he had even turned 55, I lost my husband of 18 years, Christopher Stone. (1995) He's the father of my daughter. When that happened I just dropped to my knees and in despair said, "I don't want to be this way anymore. I don't want to be a victim. I don't want to be angry.I want my life back." My dad had always called me bright light. And I always was, but when shit happens to us, we turn our light down. We lose ourselves. I was just sick of losing myself and not being who I was anymore. I said I want a way we can heal ourselves, and I swear to God, the next day, information started pouring in. I was raised a methodist in Kansas, so we went to church, but seriously until this happened, I never got what Ask and you shall receive meant.  I want to do this, I want to know it, I'm gonna move, I'm not going to misuse energy anymore...that happens, and you get guidance from yourself, from others, from the world, I mean, it's weird to me. If you were to ask me twenty years ago, are you ever going to be anything but an actress?...I would have said, "What? Are you nuts? Like this doesn't consume enough of my life?" At the time, I also had one of the largest acting studios in town. All of my students embraced the creation process. They wanted it. I'm sure during hard times, I had a full studio when a lot of other people couldn't keep going ...  because of this work. When you hear the truth, you want it. Anyway, I started doing it within the studio, and everybody's life and career were changing so exponentially, they went from "Can you do one for my girlfriend? Can you do one for my wife?" And it started to grow from there. Now it's going out all over the world every day, and I'm finishing my fourth book on it.

When you say you're asked to do one, will you describe specifically what the process of doing it entails?

What my specialty is...is I'm able to extrapolate from someone's energy by listening to their words and the vibrations that they say them with. Putting all the pieces together...I had one woman say "I've been in therapy for ten years, and I've gotten further with you in one hour." But the people who come to work with me are the people that are ready to take responsibility for their own lives. It's not, "Can you do some mumbo jumbo and save me and heal me, so I can stay in my victimness?" That's not what I do. I want a way we can heal ourselves. So, I bring in the information, and they choose whether they want to shift their lives or not. And that's why I wrote Bright Light. It occurred to me in this divine flash that the technique I use in my acting is exactly the technique of the creation process.  And I thought "How brilliant" -she says humbly (she snickers)- "to combine the two worlds." You can go on amazon.com and read the testimonials, because basically what so many of them say is "It's your story, Dee, but it's my story." I get it. When I shut down, I know who hurt me, I know when I decided to lose my life, I get it...and I get that it's up to me to empower me again.

Did you have an abusive father?


No. He was never physically abusive, but very mentally and emotionally abusive to my mother when he would get very drunk. Never to the kids. But...

You were in the presence of it...

Absolutely. So I witnessed every night my dad getting drunk, running around naked, berating my mother...and my little brother getting very frightened, because there would be a lot of yelling...rescuing him and being the guardian of everybody, and pulling my dad off my mom and having to put my naked father into a cold shower to sober him up so he could keep a job...those aren't pretty things for a young girl. But you know, I want to be very clear...that's my story, and if I keep going back to my story and hanging on to my story and using my story to limit myself, I never create myself in this moment. And that's what so many of us are doing, and we don't understand why the creation process isn't happening, 'cause we're still trying to fix all the old shit. You just have to go, "That's what happened. I honor it, there's a reason, and the reason is I've got to learn the lesson that nobody or nothing can define me ever. I always get to choose to define me. How do I want to write the virtual reality of my script now?"

You do it in the lab and also privately?


I do three to five privates a day from Tokyo, London and Australia, Canada, all over the United States.

You do them on skype?


On skype, on the phone and in person. I just had my first training weekend on how to do this work. I had twenty people in my home and twenty people online at a pretty good, hefty price, I must add. It's incredibly empowering work...I started with one master class, so many people were asking me...and shit, everybody's working now! Creation can and should be very fast and miraculous. But you have to believe that that's a possibility in order for you to create that.

Tell me about the other two books previous to Bright Light. How are they different?


Conscious Creation is all channeled heady material, very much focused toward the spiritual community. Bright Light I wrote because I wanted to reach a larger audience and tell a story that would relate to their story and that they could enjoy. Look, if you're just an acting fan of mine, you'll love Bright Light as much as somebody who's looking for a spiritual lesson. I tell all the great stories of all my great directors and stuff that happened on the sets, so Bright Light is a much more accessible book. The Big E I wrote with one of my healing partners Jarrad Hewett, and it was just a lot of fun. We take all the things of our lifetimes that we've been raised with, that our mothers espoused overtures over and over again and go, "Look, this is what they used in order to teach you the wrong thing. The true understanding of creation...this is what it means." I call it my toilet book. It's great to sit on the toilet with - it's only a page, page and a half, each one...but you get it, you get it through the humor.

Let's switch over to acting for a while. I recently rewatched 10. You were so funny in that and by today's standards you should have been nominated for an Oscar for Supporting Actress.

Thank you. A lot of people thought I should have been put up, but I wasn't with an agent that was big enough. Nobody was taking care of me.

Too bad!  


Stephen King says that about Cujo on his website; that's his favorite film that was ever made.

Any new film coming up?


I had a great zombie film that I really have high hopes for; a distributor of horror films just picked it up. It's called Exit Humanity. I also just finished a film with Doris Roberts, which is a cute little comedy called Margarine Wars.


You're always working, and now with the healing, you're busy 24/7.

Pretty much, and I love it all. I just love...it...all.

You seem to be having fun. You radiate warmth from within. You always have. You glow and have such a positive effect on everybody.


Thank you. That's the best compliment you can give anybody.

As well as being a great actress, I've always imagined that you are a truly great person as well.


I am. (we laugh) I faked my life for a long time. What you see now...people come up to me all the time, strangers in the airport, literally and say, "I just wanted to say hi. I don't know why."

Do you have a favorite film of the ones you've done?


Cujo. As an actor, I went about as far as you can go. I'm truthful in every moment. I adore E.T. and I adore The Howling; I love all the films that I've done that are worth anything, but Cujo (1983), I've got to say...what it asked of me was so much more than I knew I had to give. I did it well I can claim that.

Anything that you want to add for our readers about Bright Light?

If you truly want to get out and create what you want, love yourself. The first thing is to love yourself. Every day you get up, you go, "How can I love myself more?" ...'cause none of us are every taught to do that. And that truly is the creation of your power...you love, your light. When you know that, you know that you literally are the creation of you. Knowing you're the creation of you, there's nothing you can't create.

Dee Wallace will be appearing at Vroman's in Pasadena on August 30. Don't miss her! In the meantime, visit:
www.iamdeewallace.com