“I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT'S SUCH A BELOVED MUSICAL IS BECAUSE OF THESE CHARACTERS THEY’VE CREATED WITH THESE HUGE THEATRICAL EGOS. I CAN RELATE TO ALL OF THEM IN DIFFERENT WAYS.”
what they ate when they were working. They'd go over to the kitchen and come back with a tray of soup and lots of matzo and things like that. They liked to snack to a lot. I could tell you what they snacked on when they wrote.
TS: Do you personally relate to any of the characters in On the Twentieth Century? If so, which one and why?
AG: I think one of the reasons why it's such a beloved musical is because of these characters they’ve created with these huge theatrical egos. I can relate to all of them in different ways. Actually, they remind me of my father. Oscar reminds me of my dad because I can hear him singing “I Rise Again,” which he loved. The show makes you love theatre people because of their egos, vanity, and fun, and their undeniable love of the theatre. That's why the show is so much fun; it obviously loves the world of the theatre and it pokes fun at it, too. You love the characters even as you see them scheming and trying to put one over on each other. It makes you fall in love with theatre people even with all their flaws.
TS: Do you see it as a love story between Oscar and Lily? AG: I do. I do. If they have a true love, it is each other, absolutely.
TS: Do you have any advice for young people who might want to work in the musical theatre?
AG: My advice is to just do as many shows as you can, be involved.
If you don't get cast in it, do the lights or help with the sets because all of it is valuable. The more you learn how to do, in all different aspects of theatre, the better you'll be if it's something you want to do moving forward. It's always better to be involved, even if you don't get to do the one thing that you want to do. If it's not in your school, find it in your community. So many young, professional actors I see today got their start in the community theatre. If nobody's doing it, you do it—start it yourself.
TS: I was wondering if you would share what other projects you're working on currently?
AG: 2014 has been the year of my dad and Betty. I just finished doing Peter Pan Live, which was really fun. I wrote a few additional songs using Jule Styne's music and starting with the base of the songs that he wrote with my dad and Betty to create some new song moments for Captain Hook, Wendy, Mrs. Darling, and Peter. That was very exciting. Again, another outsized character that reminds me of my dad, Captain Hook. I just started working on a new musical I am very excited about.
TS: Is there a question you wish I had asked but didn’t?
AG: I just think that people today will enjoy On the Twentieth Century as much as, if not more than, when it first came out. It's truly a fantastic musical. It's so funny and smart, and you fall in love with these characters. I love the operetta style of it. And I'm so excited to have Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher and the rest of this great cast be part of the first Broadway revival.•
ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY UPSTAGE GUIDE 9
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24