First thoughts when you heard this new musical score? They did a brilliant job of capturing the movie. It is true to the spirit of the movie and the storyline, and yet they adapted it into their own wonderful musical. There are songs that help the story open up in a few areas, and flashbacks showing who people were before this road trip. It is absolutely musically so right on. What is wonderful about James [Lapine], as a writer/director, is that even though he works in the realm of musical theatre, which often has two-dimensional characters, he is interested in all the characters having multiple dimensions. Tell me about the multi-dimensions to your character, Frank Ginsberg. Uncle Frank is a sweet, slightly broken guy; a professor who tried to kill himself when
his relationship ended. Prior to this, he’s never had a relationship with another guy, but this attractive young man came into his life and then abruptly left. He is sort of in mid- life crisis. He has a desperate need to reach out beyond himself. How are you settling into the character? A few weeks before I started this show, I had an “actor insecurity” moment. I was feel-
ing very middle aged, like I didn’t know my place in the universe. I was telling a friend that, as I was getting ready to come work on Little Miss Sunshine. He said, “Well, isn’t that what your character is feeling? Then just show up.” It’s a role I can identify with, I am really glad the show has so much humor. By bringing myself to identify with the character, I can laugh at him and laugh at myself and not take life as seriously. Part of Uncle Frank’s role is to pull his nephew Dwayne (played by Taylor Trensch) out of a teenage funk. How do you tap into that side of your character? Well first, Taylor is an amazing young guy from Florida and I’m from Florida.
Growing up in same state we had a bond right a way. It is fascinating how he ends up here - he was going to school, put himself on tape to audition for Spring Awakening, got the part and his work on that show brought him to the attention of these guys. He is wise beyond his years, an extremely talented kid. Some of the more experienced actors I’ve worked with don’t give me as much to play off as he does. It’s thrilling to work with him. I’m such an old poot, sometimes I want to sit back on my heels and then I see Taylor and Georgi James who plays 10-year-old Olive. Unbelievable, these two younger people
are blowing us out of the water every day and I need to keep up. I’m not a parent, but I am an uncle many times over. I have a nephew who lost his
father and I have really tried to be there as much as possible. Sometimes you get so sick of self-involvement, I am grateful to have younger people around me. I have been teaching for the NYU graduate acting program and at the Julliard School of Music—it feeds me, makes me feel good. These kids, well they’re not really kids, young people, are so brave, so open and not jaded. It really feeds my own work. I asked Christopher Ashley [La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director], can I please do some workshops with the students at UCSD while I am here? What is it like to work with Director James Lapine? Incredible. I would certainly say Sunday in the Park with George, out of all the plays
ever written, musical or non-musical, is the show I have loved the most all these years. This is the fourth or fifth time I have worked with James. He’s my friend. But every now and then I look at him and William Finn and think, “Wow!”, James and Bill co-authored Falsettos. I used to stand around in my living room, listening to my Falsettos record and singing along. [Laughs] Yes, we had records then. This show is clearly great work, it is wonderful to be in a room with people you respect and trust. What musical soundtracks most inspire you? Well, works by Bill Finn and Steve Sondheim. I’m also a fan of old-school Rogers and Hammerstein—I blame it on the five records my mom had: Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music. I loved seeing the recent revival of South Pacific. So, okay, can I go a little off-topic? I have to admit, I’m a little stunned and star-struck. Having worked with such amazing people, you have this familiar luxury of saying ‘Bill’ Finn and ‘Steve’ Sondheim. Do you have a nickname? Well, I was born with the very, very English name Hugh and when I turned 10, I told
everyone to start calling me Malcolm. There wasn’t a Hugh Grant or Hugh Jackman back then, so Hugh was an easy name to make fun of. And how did you get into this biz? Were either of your parents singer/actors? No, but they both grew up seeing a lot of theatre in London. Then in New York, in
1950s, they took us to Broadway shows—Annie and The Wiz and shows like that. Out of four little kids, I was the one saying, “can we go again tomorrow?” My dad never gave me grief for going into theatre, but I always told myself if he did, I would tell him it was his fault for taking me! Like in this show, did your family have to take you around to competitions and auditions? No, because I didn’t get into theatre until I was a little older. But I did the whole piano thing until I was 15 or 16. My mom would take me to piano competitions. She was not a stage mother and it was a very different world than a pageant. But, I do remember this one time, when I was 14 and in a pretty serious competition. There was this panel of judges and an older lady judge said, “Young man you play beautifully, but you should never wear brown shoes with a blue suit.” It was funny that she was more concerned about what I was wearing. What music are you listening to of late? Well, I am a musician first and foremost—I love opera. My most recent discovery is Madame Butterfly’s Humming Chorus. I’m a classically trained pianist, but I am trying to get a little more contemporary. I really like that song the kids are listening to, maybe you know it, it goes like this, [singing] “When I see your face, there’s not a thing that I would change….” [singing together] “…’cause you’re amazing just the way you are.” [“Just the Way You
Are”, Bruno Mars, Album: Doo-Wops & Hooligans]. It’s a sweet tune. It’s got a good melody.
So music and acting aside, what else do you like to do? I’m a big reader. Recently I read The Bridge of San Luis Ray by Thornton Wilder. I’m sure I
was supposed to have read that in high school, but it was really good. Now I am reading Wandering Stars. My partner and I love to throw dinner parties, he cooks, I clean. We’ve been together 12 years or something. Before that I was the order-out king—what do I make for dinner? Reservations! Ha! That’s great. We also like to travel, and I love to go camping, we recently discovered the South-
west, Zion. I’d love to go hike there for a week, but he would pick a five-star hotel. The southwest is just beautiful, that’s another great thing about this show. It starts in Albuquerque, New Mexico and travels to Redondo Beach, California. The set design is amazing with the vast sky and openness of the Southwest. The set, the costumes, all that—it’s so colorful and imaginative, but I’m not allowed to say much more. I love to go to the movies. I saw The King’s Speech recently, which is a movie I really loved and I was so moved by it. When it was over I thought, why was I so moved? And I thought because it’s uplifting and it offered such a life-affirming message. That’s true of Little Miss Sunshine, our show. We are living in some very challenging times and this show ultimately offers a very life-affirming message. Any last thoughts you want to share about this brand new show? It’s a really great show. I can remember in past interviews saying that and knowing in the back of my mind it was not going to be. This one is really special, quite remarkable, funny and really moving. If a jaded bird like me gets teary eyed, then it really has great potential for being a big hit. Now that’s the interesting thing right now. Back in New York there are all these revivals on Broadway, but no new work --where’s the new work? So much of the really interesting new stuff comes out of La Jolla Playhouse or the Old Globe. San Diego is lucky to have not one, but two major regional theatres. And this weather! Spoiled, spoiled, honestly, I’m more excited than I have been in a long time.
Little Miss Sunshine plays February 15 through March 27 at La Jolla Playhouse. For tickets and more information visit
lajollaplayhouse.org or call 858.550.1010
“It’s a really great show…really special, quite remarkable, funny and really moving. If a jaded bird like me gets teary eyed, then it really has great potential for being a big hit.”
FEBRUARY 2011 | RAGE monthly 25
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