2017 Interview with Jules Aaron

Award-winning veteran director Jules Aaron has been putting his directorial stamp on plays and musicals for several decades.  Mr. Aaron took time out of his busy schedule to talk with us about his current project, The Group Rep’s production of Agatha Christie’s New York Critic Circle and Tony award-winning play WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION featuring guest artist Salome Jens, running January 27 through March 12, 2017 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood.  Last season, Jules Aaron directed the most successful play the Group Rep has ever produced, the sold-out, twice extended musical THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’.

written by Steve Peterson

When did you first get interested in theatre as a performer and later as a director?

I performed since I was six years old through graduate school.  I made two close friends — Bernadette Peters, who I went out on auditions with when I was young; and Lily Tomlin in undergraduate school at Wayne State University. I became close to Lily and her brother. She and I did reviews together. 

When I saw Olivier do Beckett at 20, I knew I was not going to be a real actor. I became interested in directing during my PHD program at NYU, and my former wife and I had a theatre in a loft in the West Village. My first show, THE MAIDS, was fortunately well received by The Village Voice and given a good review.

What was your first directing experience and what did you learn from it?

Since as an actor I had no connection with my inner feelings, I learned to find that inner life in the actors I worked with. I was always good at orchestration and visuals, but as they say - casting is 2/3 of directing, and I’ve learned from wonderful actors.

Did you have a mentor along the way?

Richard Schechner, the king of environmental theatre, was my mentor and Joe Papp and his wife Gail Merrifield at The Public Theatre in New York also took me under their wing and I learned a lot from them.

How did this particular project come about and was Salome Jens attached when you took on the directing assignment?

The Group Rep originally had The Visit on their schedule with Salome and Mitch Ryan as guest artists with me directing.  As it turned out, the rights to the play were not available.  Salome’s brother-in-law, the well-respected character actor Anthony Zerbe, suggested WITNESS which also had a plumb role for Salome.  In addition, there were roles to go round for Group Rep company members.

You’ve worked with Salome in the past.  What is it about Salome and her creative process that makes for a good working relationship with you?

Salome and I have worked on five or six shows together, with A Long Day’s Journey Into Night being one of the most satisfying experiences. We’ve developed a type of shorthand in regards to developing characters, even working privately on her character before joining the cast for an official rehearsal.  Salome and I are blunt and to the point about her character’s choices.  We are a symbiotic spirit - - sharing a sense of humor, in a loving relationship of both friendship and artistry.

Tell us a bit about the play

Agatha Christie fashioned this play in 1952 from an early excellent short story of hers which was subsequently made into a feature film.

The play has a different ending than the short story; and Christie also took care to develop the characters fully, which was not usually the case with thrillers written at that time.

Please note that in the early 1950s, when Witness for the Prosecution takes place, women were taking their place as part of the justice system.  Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was a barrister during that time.  But, true to the time, the role of Mayhew had traditionally been played by a male actor.  However, I chose to partner the Sir Wilfred character with a woman solicitor (Mrs. Mayhew) to second him in court. With the rising role of women in law and politics, Mrs. Mayhew becomes a vital part of the defense team – especially in the dealings with defendant Leonard Vole’s infinite charm, and the maneuverings of his enigmatic wife Romaine Vole.

What do you want the audience to take away or perhaps feel,  from having seen this play?

I want the audience to experience the passionate love story disguised as an intricate cat and mouse game between the defendant’s wife Romaine Vole and his defense attorney Sir Wilfred - - to feel the twists, turns and surprises - - and have some laughs along the way. 

I’m reminded of when Craig Lucas and I were working on two projects at South Coast Repertory (Craig on the premiere of Prelude to a Kiss) and I on Marry Me A Little (libretto by Craig and music by Sondheim), we became friends.  In our discussion of the journey of a play, Craig compared a good production to a rollercoaster ride.  The audience gets into the car, you move them through unexpected loops and drops, and they all end up experiencing an exciting ride.  That became my credo for good story telling.

I hope that this play will be great entertainment at a time when we need to be lifted out the reality that surrounds us, for a few hours.

You’re very busy with multiple projects both in Los Angeles and New York.  What’s up next for you?

I am directing Separate Tables for a May opening at Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills.  After that, I’ll be helming Daybreak, a play about two women whose lives were affected by the Armenian Holocaust celebrating the endurance of the human spirit, which goes up at the Odyssey in September.

In addition, I continue my work on the musical “I Will, I Can,” inspired by the life of Sammy Davis, Jr targeted to open in 2018.

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Witness for the Prosecution runs January 27 – March 12, 2017.  Fridays/Saturdays at 8:00 pm.  Sunday matinees at 2:00 pm.   Lonny Chapman Theatre 10900 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601.  Tickets: $25.  Students/Seniors with ID: $20.  Groups of 10+: $15.      Buy tickets www.thegrouprep.com.   Info: (818) 763-5990.

2017 Interview with Dan Castellaneta

Actor Dan Castellaneta's face and voice are assuredly familiar from TV's The Tracy Ullman Show and The Simpsons. He has written a play entitled For Piano and Harpo that will open on February 10 at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank. In our chat he tells us about his past TV work, the play and what inspired him to write it.

Tell us how For Piano and Harpo came about. Were you intrigued by the relationship between Harpo and Oscar Levant? What a frenzy those two must have created together!

I was reading Harpo Marx’s biography, "Harpo Speaks". There was a chapter about how Oscar Levant crashed a dinner party at Harpo’s Beverly Hills home and stayed for a year and a month. I thought these two completely funny, interesting, and different characters living together might make an interesting play. I didn’t want it to be a 1930s Odd Couple, so I focused primarily on Oscar Levant’s struggle with mental illness and drug addiction and how perhaps memories of his friendship with Harpo helped him cope.

How many characters do you play in this piece?

Oddly enough, I play one character – Oscar Levant. Everyone else plays multiple characters.

Talk about voice-over work and describe for our readers how different it is from acting in scenes of a play. film or TV. It must be difficult not to get the immediate feedback from the audience that you get as an actor. How are you validated?

The difference is that on-camera or in a play, you’re in costume and make-up and have to memorize lines. In a play and sometimes in TV, you get a response from an audience. In film, everything is broken up in pieces. Sometimes in radio, you’re performing in front of a live audience like LA Theater Works. But in all cases you get feed back from somebody -- your fellow actors, the director, maybe the writer. It’s still acting, it just requires some adjustments.

Tell us briefly about The Simpsons, the ups and the downs.

Sum up 28 years? Hmmmm. The ups were the many awards, and the related projects, like the video games, and, of course, the movie. The downs – because we’ve been on so long a number of terrific people have left the show or sadly passed away. They are all still greatly missed.

Also...about The Tracey Ullman Show. You were great in creating characters on that one. Why is this kind of show no longer viable on TV today? Except for SNL, variety and sketch playing seem to be passe.

There actually seems to be a few sketch shows around. One great example, of course, is “Portlandia,” and I know there are a few more. I just think that there are more outlets for delivering content (Hulu, Amazon, Youtube, etc.) that it’s hard to keep track. It could also be, because of the computer, people can stream a satire or sketch directly and it’s hard for TV to keep up. But what do I know? I’m an old man.

What's up for you on TV in the near future?

Nothing really. That’s why I’m writing and doing plays.

Tell me about working with your wife on this play and with the rest of your fine cast... and director.

It’s always a blast to rehearse and create a show together. It’s all people I’ve worked with before so I know what they can do, it’s been fun, and I feel like the play is in good hands. My wife (Deb Lacusta) has been so instrumental in this. Besides acting in and producing the play, she has been vital in the writing and shaping of the script. Being a writer herself, she’s been a great sounding board giving me advice to help write this play and everything else I write.

Dan Castellaneta as Oscar Levant? I'm already dizzy with excitement. Remember For Piano and Harpo at the Falcon Theatre.

For info and tix, visit:
www.falcontheatre.com

2017 Interview with Actress Salome Jens

Actress Salome Jens certainly needs no introduction. She has starred on Broadway, in film and on television over the years creating a mystique that is original and totally alluring. The very sound of her voice holds me captive. She will open at Group rep in NoHo on January 27 in the classic Witness for the Prosecution. I caught up with her during her busy schedule, and here's what she had to say about the play and the new production.

Explain the choice of Witness for the Prosecution. Is it a favorite?

After Blonde Poison, that I did at Theatre 40 with director Jules (Aaron) a year ago, we talked about what we might want to do next and of course, we were looking at Long Day’s Journey Into Night with Mitch Ryan and a couple of other things that might be possible, as far as rights were concerned, and the possibility of a company and what was going on with Equity and all the things going on right now.  And it did seem like this play was a possibility. It was suggested, first of all, by my brother-in-law Anthony Zerbe, and I suggested to Jules that he might want to read it ... and I read it again.  Certainly it’s a lovely play, and it’s so beautifully written by Agatha Christie. It’s kind of a fun challenge for me.  And certainly Jules was very excited about it as a possibility.  So he took it to the people at GRT and they thought it was a terrific idea – or they certainly liked the idea, and they decided they wanted to produce it.  So that’s how it came about.

This role suits you so well. Tell me about her.
As far as the role is concerned, it’s a bit of a challenge for me in the sense that – what is fun is that I certainly know what Marlene Dietrich did with it in the film. And that’s kind of a glamorous thought.  However, it’s got to be what I think of it and from where I come from.  And it’s also a challenge doing the Cockney girls and it’s fun and certainly a bit of a challenge for me because I’m no longer a spring chicken so, it’s a bit of a stretch ... and, you know, just a stretch going into the rehearsal process – and we’re doing it, and it’s fun, and it’s a lovely company.

So, the rehearsals have started and everything is going well?
Yes. Larry Eisenberg is really wonderful in the part of the interrogator Sir Wilfred, and of course Jules is such a wonderful director which is why I always have pleasure doing his plays.  So I’m looking forward to having some fun with it now that we’ve got the technical things under our belt - which is certainly learning the text and being able to live in it fully so that’s what we’re about right now. It takes a lot of energy and we’re going for it.

Talk a little about your teaching and your love for it. Are you still doing the Graduate program at UCLA? Any TV or film projects on the horizon?

Now, I’m still teaching and have my own classes. I’m not teaching at UCLA; I have my private classes. I have a little theater that I rent at the Atwater Village Theater Playhouse so that goes on, and I have my personal students that I’ve had for a time. I’ve got about 20 people in my class right now and, at the moment, I’m not doing anything new in film or television. But I’m always open to that happening, and I hope that it will, so until there’s more to report, I think that’s what I have to offer you darling. I look forward to seeing you opening night and I hope you’ll enjoy the show.

For info about the play and for tickets, go to:
www.thegrouprep.com

2004 Interview with Debbie Reynolds

Debbie Reynolds will return to the El Portal from April 29-May 10 for her delightful evening of comedy and song.

When I interviewed her in 2004, she had me in stitches as she answered a question doing a Bette Davis impression. After all, who better than Reynolds to do her? She played Davis' daughter in The Catered Affair. She also does Ann Miller and others. What a talented mimic! Reynolds is no stranger to the El Portal. At the time of the interview she was about to do a benefit of Love Letters on its Mainstage with John Saxon.

Q: How often do you perform your one-woman show?

DR: I do 42 weeks a year, on the road doing night clubs and Vegas, Reno, Tahoe and Atlantic City and all the Indian reservations and different big civic theaters, like the Alex in Glendale. I've been doing that for 30 years or so. Every year I do a Florida tour.

Q: How often do you change the show?

DR: I change it every year. Different songs, different openings...I just put in a new 40s medley. My audience likes that. A Gershwin medley.

Q: You're still in great voice!

DR: Well, I learned years ago from Jack Benny, who used to stay at my Palm Springs house... he used to practice the violin. I'd say to him, "Why don't you just fake it for comedy?" He'd say, "No dear, that's not how you do it. You have to keep practicing, if you're really going to be good."

So, it's the same with the voice, you have to keep singing.

Q: Any comment about Ann Miller's recent passing?

DR: I was just devastated. She was one of my favorites, as well as of many others. At MGM, we were all under contract. It was like a school. Everybody there: Ava Gardner, Lana Turner, Janet Leigh, Janie Powell, Kathryn Grayson, we were all friends all these years, since 1949. It's tough when you lose the funniest one. Annie was so loud. She said to me two weeks ago, (in best Miller voice) "Debbie, let me ask you a personal question. Why are you still working? It's ridiculous, you know what I mean, we could go to parties and we could play!" That was just two weeks ago. She had lung cancer, but she didn't tell us. She had osteoporosis, and with an 8 inch bone loss, her head was down on her shoulders. That was clearly why she developped all these other problems. I mean she didn't smoke. She was an athlete; she was a great dancer. She was in top condition when all this happened to her 8 years ago. It was just horrible! She was just fabulous, a greater talent than anyone I could say! She's going to be terribly missed. She had no family, so it's up to her friends to give her a farewell. She was one of a kind.

Q: Why Love Letters?

DR: It's fun to get back to acting. I do Will and Grace and a movie once a year, when you can find a part for older women, or a fun part. There are so few. It hit my fancy. I'm doing it for me.

Q: The El Portal has been in your neighborhood since you were a little girl, correct?

DR: I used to ride my bicycle to go to the movies there for 10 cents. I lived 12 blocks away in North Hollywood. I was raised in Burbank, right on the edge, on Evergreen Street. I was Miss Burbank of 1948 and I'd ride my bike to the El Portal with my girlfreind Jeanette from age of 8 to 17 years. She's coming to see the show. "Is it still pretty, Franny?" (Francis is her real name.) I said, "It's much prettier, Jeanette, you'll see, it's going to cost you more than a dime!" "Should I ride my bike?" I said, "No, bring your Rolls!"

Q: I just saw you in The Catered Affair the other night on TCM (Turner Classic Movies), and Robert Osborne was saying how the movie was a turning point in your career. You were terrific in it!

DR: Well Richard Brooks (director) didn't want me for the part, but...I was under contract, so Mr. Mayer said, "But, you've got her!" So Brooks was really tough on me, but Bette Davis and Ernie Borgnine were great, and Rod Taylor was wonderful.

Q: So were you!

DR: It's amazing, but when I look at it, I was 20, and certainly untrained. They certainly were not thinking of a dramatic actress. They took me out of my tap class and said, "You're doing The Catered Affair". It shook me up, and I had to work really hard. Bette Davis and Ernie Borgnine got me through it, not Richard Brooks. He considered me a brat. But...(she launches into her best Davis impression)...that's where I started imitating Bette Davis and doing impressions.

Q: What's your funniest Bette Davis story?

DR: She and Gary Merrill, to whom she was married, were so ill-matched. He used to come in drunk on the sound stage, wearing a little beanie with a propeller on the top. Then we'd try to do a serious scene. It was a very strange mix. There was Barry Fitzgerald with the Irish voice (she imitates his brogue) and you had BETTE DAVIS and you had Gary Merrill with the beanie and then you had Marty/ Ernie Borgnine sitting there, a serious New York actor and then Rod Taylor from Australia, trying to do an American accent. And then you had Tammy who wasn't yet Tammy. And then the cameraman who tried to run the camera over the director; they hated him so much. It was a real mixture of emotions, but all the actors loved each other.

Q: Was Bette easy to get along with?

DR: She was. She was older at that time, and she wanted to look very ordinary. It was miscasting in a way, but she did it very well, and she was very kind to me. Ernie would tell me, "Don't try to play the scene, just be it!"

Q: What are your more recent memories of Mother with Albert Brooks?

DR: I was very lucky to get that great part. Albert is such a wonderful writer and director. It was a tough movie, because it's really a two-person show. So much dialogue, and you had to underplay. Again, like The Catered Affair, understated. Also, the reason I wanted to do Love Letters. I mean I love doing my act, but I miss acting. I wanted to do Mother on television, but Albert doesn't do television.

Q: What about a project for you and Carrie (Fisher)?

DR: We'd love it, so I told her, "Write something!" There's nothing out there. You have to write your own material. We're available.

Q: What's next for Debbie? Another book?

DR: A Disney movie for children, called Halloween Town. I turned down 42nd Street for Broadway, because I don't want to do 8 shows a week.

Q: And Unsinkable Molly Brown in Long Beach was your last musical onstage, right?

DR: It was too much... dancing. When you're doing flips in the air and that kind of hard dancing ...I was 62 at the time, now I'm 71...I don't think I should do triple flips off the bar. I think you should control yourself a little bit, so you can walk, and when you die, you can walk to your own funeral. (we laugh)

Q: You look great!

DR: Well, I'm in good shape. I love what I do, so I think that's the key. I don't have to retire to be happy.

Q: Any advice for young actors?

DR: If you're a dancer, study singing. You have to do everything and do it well. You have to study acting. You have to study all of it. You have to find workshops, get out on the stage...and fail. The only way you learn is by failure. Now if I could apply that to my marriages...

Debbie Reynolds is happy with her accomplishments, but talked about building her Motion Picture Museum in Tennessee due to the lack of interest in Hollywood. This is something that she truly wants to happen. From my understanding the project is supported by Dolly Parton and in 2009 is still in the works.

2016 Interview with Impro's Dan O'Connor

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica presents the World Premiere of  Impro Theatre’s 1966 Holiday Variety Extravaganza, from LA’s Impro Theatre, the creators and performers of the wildly popular Jane Austen UnScripted. Impro Theatre’s 1966 Holiday Variety Extravaganza is created especially for The Broad Stage. Over their history, the company has produced a bevy of mainstage shows including: Shakespeare UnScripted, Film Noir UnScripted, Twilight Zone UnScripted, Sondheim UnScripted, Dickens UnScripted, The Western UnScripted, Tennessee Williams UnScripted, Chekhov UnScripted, along with Fairytales UnScripted and Jane Austen UnScripted, which both previously ran at The Broad Stage. This new production marks the group's 10th anniversary.

Producing artistic director of Impro Dan O’Connor sat down recently to talk to us about this holiday show.

Tell me from your perspective all about this wonderful holiday show. Is it different from usual Impro productions? If so, how?

Well, first of all, Impro Theatre's 1966 Holiday Variety Extravaganza is a World Premiere.  We've never done this show before, so while the show is completely shaped by audience suggestions and totally improvised (like all of our other shows), this show is brand new and never seen before.  Plus, we have a cast of 17 and a five-piece swinging 60s jazz band, so our audiences will see a much bigger production than most of our other shows. And we're thrilled to be back at the Broad Stage.  

Impro Theatre’s 1966 Holiday Variety Extravaganza is a completely improvised show in the style of those TV holiday spectaculars hosted by Andy Williams, Perry Como and Bob Hope in the 60s. This style is perfect for Impro Theatre because we can capture the spirit of spontaneity in those holiday specials. Bing Crosby’s doorbell rings and in walks David Bowie, wrapped in a scarf ... Judy Garland’s house is suddenly filled with a group of dancing Santas for no reason ...  There is a wonderful chaos to these holiday variety specials, and we’ve had great fun exploring these in rehearsal. Everything will be inspired by audience suggestions and improvised, including holiday songs, dances, novelty acts, special appearances from fictional celebrities, puppets, fake commercials, and much more.  Like the original holiday shows, ours will be filled with joy and laughter, and now more than ever, we think it’s important to unite on some level.  What better way to connect than by laughing together during the holidays?

I love the work your group does. I have seen and reviewed many productions around town. I am always amazed at how actors seem to make precise entrances and exits and perform their roles during the improv show as if some plot elements and scenes were previously staged and rehearsed. It just seems too perfect at times. How much exactly do the actors know in advance apart from what the audience provides at the top of the show? I know it takes imagination and mucho skill, which the actors have in spades, but it is actually all improv?

We get this question a lot. And yes, sometimes scenes and shows appear to run very smoothly -- almost perfectly -- which is exactly what we aspire to!  Our shows are completely improvised, and at the top of the show, the actors don't know anything in advance. Nothing is pre-set; the cast doesn't even know who will appear in the first scene. Once we get the audience suggestions that start the show, we're off and running, and everyone is working together to make up the play on the spot. We're usually supported by lighting and sound improvisers, who are improvising right alongside us.

We always tell people that if you doubt the show was completely improvised, come back another night, and we'll prove it to you because you'll see a completely different show.  We also have rotating casts that ensure that every performance is entirely unique.

Even if the script is improvised, you must rehearse. How do you prepare?

We have developed a very innovative rehearsal process that combines scholarly research with improvisational exercises over an extended period of time.  Before we perform a show like "Jane Austen UnScripted," we have spent a great deal of time reading her books, studying literally criticism, watching movies, and discussing the themes, tropes, storylines, language, etc., that Austen explored in her work.  Same thing for "Shakespeare UnScripted," "Chekhov UnScripted," "L.A. Noir UnScripted," even "Sondheim UnScripted," and every other style we do.  All of that extensive work allows us to inhabit the world and collectively work within the framework of that genre. Within that world, we are all working together, inspired by the audience's suggestions and improvising on the spot. 

I understand you extend your skills through education. Tell our readers about this work.

In addition to performing, we also manage the Impro Theatre School in Los Feliz, CA, where we teach these narrative and genre improv skills to students of all levels. The School grows much bigger every year because we're teaching things that students can't find anywhere else, and with every show, people are more and more interested in our creative and artistic process. We attract a lot of actors who are looking to improve their improv skills, and also improvisers who want to become better actors. We really enjoy and believe in the importance of teaching and sharing our innovative approaches to the next generation of improvisers.  What we do is completely unique -- no one else is doing what we do -- and it can definitely be taught. We've been doing it for a long time and have become pretty good at it.

Remember: The Broad Stage December 15-17 at 7:30 pm. Three performances only!

www.thebroadstage.com

2016 Interview with Cheyenne Jackson

Actor/singer Cheyenne Jackson first appeared on Broadway with Sutton Foster in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Needless to say, he caused a sensation and has since made the TV screen sizzle with his appearances in Glee and American Horror Story. He will be making a concert appearance on December 15 and 17/18 in four Holiday shows with the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles. (GMCLA) Jackson spoke briefly with me about this concert and comments on various points of his illustrious career thus far. As far as his personal life goes, Jackson is openly gay, married to Jason Landau, and they just became the parents of two children.

What was it like being an understudy in Thoroughly Modern Millie?
Did you go on and work with Sutton Foster? Describe that experience.

It was life changing, bouncing off the walls excitement.  Yes, I went on with Sutton many times.  She was nurturing, hilarious, and professional.  I learned much from watching how she handled herself.

How did Altar Boyz and All Shook Up change your New York career?

Both shows gave me an opportunity to originate roles for the first time, which is where you can really find and express your voice.

Xanadu followed. Were you happy with that show? Or did you long for something else?

Are you nuts?  Of course I was happy!  Xanadu was magic in every way.  I adored that cast and that character.

Do you prefer the classical Finian's Rainbow to a new show like Xanadu or do you take both in stride?

Both have their merits and appeal to me, but I am definitely looking for something new for my next Broadway outing.

You have also done many plays like Neil LaBute's The Heart of the Matter and The Performers. Was there a favorite?

The Performers will always have a big place in my heart.  I adored that cast and mostly loved being married to Ari Graynor...one of the best comic actresses I've ever worked with.  period.

Which film of those you appeared in did you enjoy the most?

I loved "A Beautiful Now" a film that came out last year with Abigail Spencer  ...  also,  I have a new movie coming out called “Bear With Us."  It's very comically broad, and I'm fully stealing Alec Baldwin's vocal cadences ... cuz,  I'm no dummy. There’s also "Hello Again" a live sung film musical, based on Michael John Lachiusa's piece that comes out next year.  It’s very experimental.  It will be interesting to see how it turns out.  Audra Macdonald and I share quite the love scene.  Look away, mom and dad.!  You've been warned.  

What happened to Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks? You were very good. It seemed to appear and then quickly disappear. It's a great flamboyant role for you.

The best thing to come out of Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks was getting to work with Gena Rowlands.

Talk a bit about being the coach in Glee. What was that experience like?

That was a great, snarky part.  I joined that show on season 2 when it was a cultural phenom.  I'll save the juicy bits for my autobiography one day

Recount, if you would, a little about your part in American Horror Story.

I just finished my second season with them.  I love that troupe of actors.  Ryan Murphy consistently pushes the limits, and I've really enjoyed the challenges that the genre brings.

In 2012 you composed and released Drive. Are you still composing? How is it going?

From time to time.  I wrote a bit last month.  Right now I am in full daddy mode and loving every second.

Talk a little about your appearance with Michael Feinstein and the album that you did together.

I really enjoyed making that album with Michael.  He's a consummate pro.

How did you enjoy playing in and then recording West Side Story? Is that your favorite musical of all time?

It was the perfect experience at the perfect time in my life.  I am very proud of the album … and my first Grammy nomination.  It’s definitely one of my top 5 favorite musicals.

Tell me about what you will be singing in December with GMCLA. Just a tease for our readers without giving it all away.

I’ll be singing a couple of pieces that I feel will really fit right into the evening.  I' m excited to play with the GMCLA.  They always put on a gay old time, which is obviously the point.

2016 Interview with Ron Laqui from Cirque du Soleil's TORUK

After a nearly sold out engagement at the Staples Center, November 11-13, the new Cirque du Soleil arena show inspired by James Cameron’s record-breaking movie AVATAR, TORUK – The First Flight returns to Los Angeles at The Forum for six performances only from January 12-15, 2017.  Pupeteer Ron Laqui entices us with details about the new show.

Tell me about working with Cirque du Soleil. How long have you been with them?

TORUK - The First Flight is my first Cirque du Soleil show. I started with the majority of artists in July of 2015. I actually first auditioned for Cirque du Soleil in 2001 and made it to their artist database in 2002. It was puppetry that finally got me to run away with the circus!

As a puppeteer, you obviously bring much imagination into the proceedings. Describe what is most magical about the puppets in TORUK.

The whole experience is magical. We puppeteers, and the creatures of Pandora we portray, are just one of the visually stunning and immersive elements of TORUK that draw audiences in and engage their senses. The entire arena floor becomes an otherworldly playground for the life size, full scale puppets and the level of design detail is so nuanced that it's easy for us puppeteers and the other artists onstage to believe we are on the moon Pandora.

Tell us about the story a little bit. It's before Avatar began, correct? How many puppet characters are new to us?

Yes! Our story takes place thousands of years before the events of the movie Avatar and details the adventures of some brave Na'vi youngsters and the first Toruk Makto. I don't want to give too much away... you'll have to see for yourself! Just know that if you are a fan of Cirque du Soleil and/or Avatar you will see a side of both that will thrill and surprise you. And yes, there are some new creatures that are new to the fans of Avatar. There are two new animal species approved by James Cameron himself.

When Cirque approached you in 2014 about TORUK, did they ask you to design the puppetry for the show?

No, the puppets are designed by Patrick Martel, who is based out of Montreal. One of the cool things about being involved with TORUK from creation is seeing how the show evolves. Cirque makes it a point to continue improving and honing the concept of the show to make it better. This is the same with the puppets. We continually seek to improve how the puppets are made so they can be the best tools for the puppeteers as artists to fully express the creatures of Pandora. I think my background in working in a puppet building studio helps me understand mechanics and materials better to assist in how the puppets get better. It really is a collaboration.

Talk a bit about War Horse and that whole wonderful experience.

War Horse was the production that set me down the road of puppeteering as a true artistic endeavor. I hadn't thought of myself as a puppeteer before War Horse and couldn't have dreamed of a better introduction to the world of full scale puppetry. Working with the designers (Handspring Puppet Company) of those incredible puppets and the creative and producing teams (National Theatre of Great Britain/ Bob Boyett) of the production was inspirational. It was a dream job I didn't even know I needed! It was one of those rare projects in an artist's life that are truly delightful and absolutely transformative.

You have a great musical background as a dancer and performer. When did you first get interested in being a puppeteer? Your musical background must help your performance a lot. Explain.

I've always loved puppets and puppeteering. I think I'm like a lot of people in that my first exposure to puppetry was through Jim Henson and the Muppets. I thought there was a magic in how much life and personality went into the Muppets. When I look back at companies that have caught my attention, (Mummenschanz, Imago out of Portland) and companies I've worked for (HT Chen and Dancers, MOMIX) I see glimpses of why puppetry is now my main focus. These companies have elements of technical physical training and extensive prop and object manipulation. I say that I kind of approached dance like puppetry in that I would 'puppeteer' my body. 

I trained in musical theatre because it was my main performance exposure and honestly, I thought it would yield the most employment, but looking back it was the best training because it gave solid background in how to marry physical technique, musicality, and expression in performance. 

Funny, if you would've told me as an aspiring artist in school that I'd have the career path I've had, I definitely would've thought you were crazy! It has been such an amazing journey and working for Cirque du Soleil and this show has been a culmination of so many dreams I didn't even know I had!

What for you sets Cirque du Soleil above every other circus? What makes them special?

Cirque du Soleil make dreams come to life. They use circus arts as a way into fantastic worlds of imagination. The incredible artists Cirque du Soleil uses, from the acrobats able to perform super human feats, to the designers who come up with the brilliant concepts and whimsical landscapes, to the artisans and technicians that physically create and maintain these visions, these talented people allow the audiences to wonder if they are still in everyday reality and if you think about it, they are not. The millions of people that have seen a Cirque du Soleil show have been transported to these universes of ingenuity and fantasy and have left forever changed. It's an honor to be part of this company and this show and to give people a taste of what  they never thought was possible. 

Tickets are now on sale at https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/toruk.