revisit this at a professional level and to be a part of a large project was and is pretty amazing. People expect to see an imitation of your character, how have you made it your own? You just can’t imitate the film actors. We sort of had to pay tribute, but it would
be difficult to do what I call “MGM movie speak.” Once I was cast I never looked at the film again and then of course, the directors have their own vision. I think the best homage is to pay respect but bring a more updated version. Which is your personal favorite scene from the show and why? I think the “saying goodbye scene” at the end of the show, after we receive our
heart, brain and courage and the Wizard tells Dorothy that she is going home. For me, when I realize that I have to say goodbye to Dorothy, it is the best scene as an actor. Also because I adore the actress, Danielle Wade and fall in love with her every night too . . . I am heartbroken.
THE COWARDLY LION
LEE MACDOUGALL His U.S. tours include the
original casts ofMamma Mia! andDamn Yankees. Favorite productions have beenThe Boyfriend, Urinetown andGuys and Dolls. Also a playwright, his plays includeHigh Life, The Gingko Tree and an adaptation of W.O. Mitchell’sWho Has Seen the Wind. Directing credits include, Glory Days, Beauty and The Beast, The Producers, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat andAll Shook Up.
get to climb up the side of the castle and
rescue Dorothy! THE TIN MAN
MIKE JACKSON Not his first U.S. Broadway tour, he has been
around the states inChicagoandContact. His Canadian productions include Kiss Me Kate, Evita, How to Succeed In Business…, Man of La Mancha, Seussical, Oklahoma andJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He didAnne of Green Gablesin Japan, thenCats andStarlight Express in Germany. Film and television credits includeThe Producers, Glitter, Once a Upon a Mattress, Missing, plus a stint onQueer as Folk.
Where are you from and where are you living now? I grew up in Vancouver and now live in Toronto.
What brought you to theOz tour? I sort of did it the old fashioned way, I auditioned at the casting call in Toronto.
I was called in for the Tin Man role and was given sides and a song, I came in and they narrowed the candidates down. Then I auditioned for an artistic team from England and they couldn’t have been more positive, they were wonderful. The director had me read a couple of times, changed up the direction and I found out the next day I was the Tin Man! We were cast and got to watch the TV competition showOver The Rainbow in which the girls fought for the part of Dorothy. The characters inThe Wizard of Oz are so iconic; how did you feel when you landed the role? Overwhelmed—I have to be honest. I played the role once as a kid of 16. To
Where are you from and where are you living now? I am originally from Kirkland Lake, up north near Ontario and now I live in Strat-
ford, Ontario. What brought you to the Oz tour? I originally was called in to read for the Wizard, which was strange, because I’m
not very old. I made it through the first round and kept telling my partner, “I don’t get it,” but I kept going. I went in, started singing and right away they asked me to leave the room. The casting agent came out and said, “no go on the Wizard, but you’re in luck, they haven’t found the lion.” They told me to take the music and scenes, learn them, then be back in an hour. I went back and sang “If I Only Had the Nerve” and an hour later they told me I got the Lion. The characters inThe Wizard of Oz are so iconic; how did you feel when you landed the role? Excited, thrilled and happy to have long-term employment!
People expect to see an imitation of the character, how have you made it your own? We were told from the onset, don’t follow the movie, make it original; we could
never be those people. It’s basically commitment to playing all of the different colors of fear, nervousness, anxiety and terror and do it in a big way for musical comedy. Which is your personal favorite scene from the show and why? My first entrance as the Lion, I have a crazy costume, a huge lion’s wig headpiece
and a nine-foot tail that stands up behind me. The costume always gets a big laugh from the audience and that is lots of fun. The Wizard of Oz plays Tuesday, February 11 through Sunday, February 23 at the Segerstrom Center For The Arts, 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For tickets and more information call 714.556.2787 or go
toscfta.org.
FEBRUARY 2014FEBRUARY 2014 | RAGEmonthly RAGE monthly 59
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