Why Isnt Jesus Christ Superstar Could We Start Again Please

Q. When did y'all get-go hearJCS?
A. Yous know what? I'm non sure! When I was a young child, I was, yous know, going around the house singing the chorus of "Superstar." My mom would get so angry at me and say, "STOP SINGING THAT!!"(Laughs) Only I don't know where I heard information technology first. When I was 21, I auditioned for a community theater production of it, with Garden City Productions, and I got to play Judas. I met my agent on opening night, and from the end of that show'due south run on, I worked professionally in theater. (And and so I played Simon and understudied Judas at Phase West the 2nd time I did the show.) It's been a show, much likeAnnie, where it's had a huge impression on my life.

Q. What's your favorite song from the score?
A. Judas' reprise of "I Don't Know How To Dearest Him." I think it'south clever that they brought it back that way. I love what it makes the audience see in the graphic symbol at that moment. I call back for all the fanatic stuff and running effectually crap that Judas has to do, they gave him a moment that'due south so poignant… I don't know. The first time I ever saw that, I bankrupt down in tears. And so I had the pleasure of performing it. It'due south just a clever thing. Information technology gives the role player a risk to breathe! Just spotter him interruption downward. I think it'due south actually touching. I also enjoy "Could We Start Once again, Please?" I know information technology was written for the motion-picture show and the play, and wasn't on the original recording, just… it's such a beautiful number. That and Judas' reprise are my two favorites. Y'all were probably expecting me to say "Simon Zealotes."(Laughs) Don't get me wrong, information technology's a fantastic song, but those are 2 great moments.

Q. 40 years on, why do you thinkJCS is still performed and considered relevant?
A.JCS is nevertheless performed considering it is the greatest story ever told. It is the story of… whether yous believe in Jesus or non, it asks a question of the audience: would y'all go through what this human did? Would you be able to cede your own life for other people? The music is some of Lloyd Webber's best! Tim Rice's lyrics are clever, abrupt, and you look at some of them and go, "Actually? 'Jaded standard mandarin'? What the heck is that?" And when you have someone (i.e., Tim Rice) explain that to you, yous're like: "Oh! That's really clever!"(Laughs) The music is fantastic, the show is great, but it's the story. The story can attain everybody. It doesn't matter whether you believe in the Bible or non. The story tin nonetheless touch you. The evidence will be effectually for another forty years.

Q. How did you come to be involved in the Stratford production?
A. I was doing some other show, and my agent chosen me and said that they were having auditions forJCS in Stratford. My amanuensis, like I said, saw me do information technology x years before and told me they wanted to see me. I said, "Yes, I want to go for it!" My first audition was for the casting managing director Beth Russell and musical managing director Rick Play a joke on. I went in and I sang "Heaven On Their Minds," and "Some Enchanted Evening" fromSouth Pacific(they wanted to meet me for the other musical that flavour, which wasCamelot). I did the audition, they enjoyed it, and they called me back. I went dorsum again to sing for Des. I went back again to sing for the managing director forCamelot. I went dorsum the first few times forJCS;Camelot was the 2nd-to-terminal audience. They wanted me for JCS, merely I had to also audition forCamelot. My first audition was May of 2010, and in October of 2010, I got it. It'southward a whole process. I had about 4 or five auditions in total.

Q. What was your view of Simon as a graphic symbol? Who was he for y'all?
A. We did a lot of table work forSuperstar earlier we started rehearsals. Nosotros did a lot of enquiry for and confronting the Bible, and historical studies on all of the people involved in the story of Jesus, including "who was Simon the Zealot." Nosotros all sat around a table, and talked about the story and characters, and got people'south takes on it. You take a piece of that with you, and you take a piece of yourself with y'all. My view of Simon was a person who wanted Christ to continue getting power over everything; to accept charge and keep going any manner he could. In my view of Simon, I didn't like the fact that he saw Jesus falling apart and starting to be distracted by other people like Judas and Mary. He was becoming trapped. Information technology was those things in the bear witness that would attract my attending. He would be like, "Hey! Nosotros're not focused anymore. Nosotros're going in the contrary direction of where we need to go." For me, that was Simon. He knew that he had to do expert, but at the same fourth dimension he knew he had to say this anyway. If that meant violence, I'thousand not sure to what extent it would take gone to, but he was someone who wanted so much skilful and justice in the world, and Christ to practice it.

Q. What's it similar to work with Des McAnuff, and in particular, what was it similar working with him onJCS?
A. Des is eccentric, and Des is fantastic! He's very nit-picky; you do it and you do information technology, until yous got it right, you do information technology until you lot encounter what you got. He's funny as hell. There would exist the most obscure off-color comments that would make united states express mirth! He would bring them back in the centre of mid-run. Working with Des made me see things that other directors don't meet or exercise. It got to a signal where… y'all could be pouring a bottle or drinking from a glass; y'all, as an actor, know it's completely empty…but Des wanted you to believe it was filled, and make the audience believe it was filled likewise. The smallest details mattered. In Des' world, even if you're in the groundwork, he would make sure that you would be pouring it properly, that it looked existent as opposed to simply miming it, and that y'all knew what you were doing. And so, he would break the show down in the smallest detail. I loved that! Equally an aspiring director, information technology made me see the evidence from that perspective, rather than just the performing side of it. I know information technology drives some actors crazy. Sometimes it drives me crazy when I'm on the role player'southward side of the table saying, "I simply want to motility on!"(Laughs) And then yous see the last production, and you're like, "Oh human being!" InTommy, considering of Des' progression with shows (Tommy,Jersey Boys, and at presentSuperstar and the revival ofTommy), you lot encounter, in viewingTommy, the pieces that he took from that and put intoSuperstar, and the pieces he took fromTommy to put intoJersey Boys, then information technology becomes his own signature matter. Some people may not agree with it, and be similar, "Why don't you modify it up all the time and do something different?" I'chiliad like, "Why not just be real? Real works." So when we exerciseTommy, it sort of brings backSuperstar for me, and I love that aspect of that. Seeing what Des came up with twenty years ago when all the technology didn't be, at present, gives the show a new life. I mean… the bright LED lights, the animations, and the alive theater work are incredible to witness. And he doesn't just cake the actors. Very early on, you lot sit down at a table, discuss the show: talk over the characters in the evidence, what Pete Townshend wanted in the bear witness, what happened before and after these people'due south lives in the evidence (you know, what happened before the Walkers met, and what happened to Tommy afterward the events in the story). Des will non go by that until we've done it. It works. It brings something extra. He'south just amazing to piece of work with during a bear witness. I can't lie to you, I merely idolize this man, and it's amazing seeing how his mind works!

Q. This production separate the vocals of "Could Nosotros Start Again, Please?" between Mary, Peter, and Judas. Who made that call?
A. That was Des' call. Nosotros initially did it without permission. In rehearsals, Des was like, "Okay, we're going to try this, we might take to flip it back when Andrew Lloyd Webber sees the testify." We all laughed, "Yeah, he's going to run into the show. Right!" And Lloyd Webberdid see the show, and approved of the change. Tim Rice liked it as well! And that's how information technology stayed.

Q. What was it like to perform for Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice?
A. We didn't even know they were at that place! They had kept it secret from united states, so that we could just perform the show and not recollect about information technology. It was kind of absurd! Thinking of it after the fact, I was singing for the composer and lyricist! Merely as any composer would say, they accept a certain audio in their head, or have a lyric sung in a certain fashion. They might come and tell y'all that they loved information technology — if they loved it, they loved information technology! — merely they can likewise walk away going "Hmmm…" But they both seemed pretty open up, especially Tim Rice. Tim was very complimentary to our show. He wrote u.s. a letter on opening nighttime in New York, he gave all of us champagne, he was unreal! Lloyd Webber came to work with the orchestra in New York and dropped by a couple of times just before nosotros opened. And so, that was cool!

Q. Did either of them offer whatever notes on your functioning or the production?
A. If they did, the notes didn't come from them to us. I don't remember Tim had any. If Andrew had whatsoever, he'd ship them to the musical director, Rick Fox, or Des. I recall they kept the show pretty much every bit information technology was. I recall Andrew may have worked with the orchestra. He had a certain sound for the guitars and the orchestra that he wanted, notes he wanted to hear, so they worked on that… I don't call up him having whatever notes.

Q. What was your first reaction to the audience response to the show?
A. It was kind of strange when nosotros opened the testify in Stratford. I don't think anyone knew what to expect. We knew nosotros had a skillful evidence. We did a lot of work during rehearsals. Des is so passionate. He picks apart everything. I mean, nosotros'd be singing the same three minutes of music over an entire twenty-four hour period of rehearsal — an eight hour day, singing the opening of "The Last Supper." That scene alone took the states about 2 or three days, just on that song! At the stop of Day iii of that, if I heard, "Expect at all my trials and tribulations…" I'd be similar, "Come on!"(Laughs) "Can't we practise 'Gethsemane'? I tin't consume the fake staff of life anymore!" But I know it was for the good of the show. When yous're in the moment, you think, "There'southward another xl minutes of the prove! Come on!"(Laughs) But and then I remembered I was happy, you know, happy that we'd done all that piece of work. Just we got to that first performance, and… I have to acknowledge, it'south kind of foggy. I call back that audition reaction was good. The Canadian reaction to the bear witness wasn't the same every bit the American reaction to the show, the applause. When we were playing to an American audience, it was similar we were in a rock concert, this rush of screams and adulation! In Stratford, it was all very polite, information technology was all very proper and polite, and at the finish of the bear witness, nosotros were thinking, "Okay… what'southward up?" I'1000 sure they loved it, but they were but very polite near it. It wasn't until Andrew Lloyd Webber came that the rumors of Broadway struck a chord, that the audience was encouraged to come and ticket sales went up. For the first little while, it wasn't full houses all the time; I think it was a lukewarm response at first. Once Lloyd Webber came and the Broadway announcement was made, you couldn't become a seat! And then, that was awesome! That became incredible to watch. It was the same in California. This mass hysteria was always at the evidence.

Q: How did you experience when you heard the show was sold out for most of its run and boosted performances were scheduled? When the La Jolla transfer was appear? When the rumors began circulating near a Broadway transfer?
A. Nosotros didn't hear about California until maybe Baronial, and the Broadway one became more of an inside joke to us for a while. Nosotros had a meeting with Des, who basically said, "Nosotros're not going to talk nigh New York. We're not going to admit it. Just know that it is a possibility." And in that location were college powers talking well-nigh what they should do with it. He said, "When I know more, you lot guys will know more." That meeting happened in July. We didn't find out anything about New York until Oct. We had information technology, we had our summer of people coming upwards to u.s., nagging u.s.a., similar, "Are you going to Broadway?" Eventually, information technology became a lot. It became something that we couldn't talk about anymore. It got to a point where we always had to be on, because nosotros never knew who was going to be in the audience. All your friends would come to meet you. They would be asking, "Are you going? Are y'all going?" It became an everyday question. Also, in that location were a hundred other actors who would want to exist in your shoes, and you don't desire to rub information technology in. Information technology was awkward. It became actually awkward, specially when it came to a point where we didn't know anything anymore.In October, nosotros had a meeting at a really strange fourth dimension, it was like 5:45 P.Thousand. We went into a room, and there were chairs in a circle, and we were asked to put our cell phones away. Des was on holiday at the time, and he'd sent a letter to the cast. It was read out to united states of america, and information technology said the show was going to Broadway, and we'd all exist going with it. At 6 P.Yard., the annunciation was released to the media and the public. In the room, there was a sense of elation! Everyone just ran to their phones, calling home, family, and friends! There were hugs, and people were saying, "We're going to Broadway!" The sense that 23 people in that room who had never seen New York, or never even dreamed they would e'er get there… the excitement in that room was merely unreal! There was a moment where everybody had to cry, like the Care Bear Stare? You know, the giant rainbow? (Laughs)  If I was a Care Bear and those things were existent, possibly that's what that would look like. That's what information technology felt similar. La Jolla, that was the first affair we heard about, even before Broadway ever became a reality; the show would go to La Jolla start. We had a meeting at 4 P.Thou. one day, and we were thinking, "This is it! Nosotros're going to Broadway!" And Des was there, and he said, "We're taking the show to California!" Nosotros were like, "California? We were hoping Broadway." But so we thought about it: "Well, we'll be doing the show, and we'll be on the beach in the middle of winter." (Laughs)  It was exciting. It wasn't as heady as the idea of being in New York, but La Jolla was crawly! Everyone who worked in that theater, anybody nosotros came into contact with in that area, everyone who helped united states out in that location, was awesome. They were fantastic, they were professional person, and the theater was cute. Yeah, La Jolla was great!

Q. As your Playbill bio made clear, this was your Broadway debut. What was your commencement experience on a stage in front of an audition on Broadway like? Tell us about that moment right before you made your first archway in the show!
A. Yeah! The calendar week leading upwards to the commencement preview, we all worked really hard! Nosotros were all kind of tired, and we all felt similar the weight of the globe was on our shoulders. We knew we had a bully testify, and anybody expected information technology to be explosive. We had 9 months in Stratford, and our months in La Jolla, and people in New York heard how incredibleSuperstar was. When nosotros went to La Jolla, people were raving mostSuperstar! And and so we got to New York equally if nosotros felt nosotros had to prove something. I don't know if that had annihilation to practice with the press… merely we certainly felt tired, but nosotros knew we had a good show. For the moment just before "Simon Zealotes," I was offstage, grabbing a glass of water, fixing the makeup, placing myself backside the upstage curtain, a quick stretch, then heading out. I ran out onstage, and for a moment I was like, "This is really happening. This is a Broadway phase. No one tin can accept this away from me at all."(Laughs) When we concluded that number, there was a shell of silence, then there was an explosion in the theater. This sound of applause, and screams, and hoots and hollers! The edifice was freaking shaking! It got to the cast. Every single one of united states was crying. Everyone was in tears. Then another blitz of energy came! Thank you, applause, screams! It was unreal! And Paul'due south voice was trembling, because he was crying, too. Nosotros thought, "Oh my God! This is what nosotros have! This is fantastic!" There may never be some other moment like that in my life that will e'er come up close to that dark. That was a great moment.

Q. This question applies to every segment of the run: were in that location ever whatsoever accidents on phase?
A.(Laughs) Aye, all the time! When nosotros did the bear witness in Stratford, we had the bridge that would come out and Jesus would stand on for "Superstar," and he'd be preaching at the peak of the bridge. In Stratford, it was pushed by usa, manual labor; we brought it out and we pushed it dorsum. In New York, we had extra money, we made information technology mechanical, so it was three,000 times heavier than it was when nosotros did information technology in Stratford, so in that location was no way we could push it in and out. And information technology bankrupt down! That happened during the first preview. It happened four times in a row that night. Nosotros did an awesome "Simon Zealotes," and Josh came out to practice "Superstar," and we had to terminate the show iv times. We'd be doing it, then we had to stop and practice it once again; kickoff, end, and do it once again. You know how it would go over the audience? Well, it extended even further in New York. It would so retract, and go back in, and rotate back. If it didn't work, you couldn't but pull the span dorsum into the wings, rotate information technology the contrary style, and rotate it back, and go information technology off. There was a lot of resetting of that bridge. Other than that thing, I don't remember annihilation always going horribly wrong. I call back the LED wall would sometimes accept a glitch in one of the panels, which would cause a strange flashing effect during the whipping scene that we would all try not to notice. Even though nosotros tried, we couldn'tnon notice it. It didn't happen very often, but when information technology did, you'd be like, "I want to look dorsum, merely I tin't because I'g supposed to be looking forward!"(Laughs) Simply I call back the span was the biggest hurting in the butt.

Q: Broadway shows tend to concenter a type of audience you don't necessarily go in Stratford. Did anyone famous or continued to the show's history come out to run into information technology in La Jolla or NY?
A: Yvonne Elliman came to see the show. She was awesome! She took a cast photo with united states of america. Chilina was on that night. Melissa O'Neil was the understudy Mary; Melissa, beingness of similar ethnic descent, had always idolized her, and when she got to meet her, she was so excited! Nosotros all knew almost it, and it was just a really warm moment for the entire cast. I recollect a couple of dancers from the picture version came to come across the testify. I know we had some original bandage members from the Broadway show there. Ben Vereen came. Ben saw the testify twice. Those were the biggest names, Ben and Yvonne, at least the famous people originally attached to the prove. We hadmany famous artists and political figures in our audiences.

Q: The show airtight on Broadway much earlier than expected, afterwards a rather unfortunate awards season, and lukewarm press reception. Did the reviews affect you or anyone in the cast at all?
A: Nosotros were told non to read them. All actors are told not to read the reviews. I'm not sure if it affected us as much. It was the fact that the bear witness opened effectually Easter. Leading upwardly to Easter fourth dimension, that theatre was full. Later Easter, we started to notice a turn down in audition, and that's when nosotros started saying, "What'south going on? Why aren't nosotros selling out?" Particularly after y'all couldn't get a seat in Stratford or La Jolla. That was hurtful for u.s.a., especially when you open and there's a really minor house of people. But the Neil Simon Theatre is this ane,500-seat theater.(Annotation: The Neil Simon really houses approx. 1,362 seats. —ed.) Y'all may go a crowd of 600 people, which is a lot of people, merely in a 1,500-seat theater doesn't mean a lot of people. So that became hard. And y'all still take to give the same show to those people who paid full toll for a show. It became important to brand sure they got the same evidence. The reviews… I don't know if the printing has a hate on for Des. I hope they don't, considering I recall the man is great, really. The rehearsals we did that the rest of the people don't see, and what ended upwards on stage… was unbelievable! His mind is crazy detailed. He sees a lot of things that a lot of people don't see. A lot of people were like, "Why isn't Jesus all over the place, running around hugging and kissing and touching, and being this lovable person?" Well, as Des explained to us, this guy was 33 years erstwhile. I tin tell yous that when I was 33, and if someone told me that year I was going to die shortly, I'm non going to be a happy-go-lucky. I'm going to compose myself, and become my message out as much equally I need to, before the stop of my fourth dimension. I kind of love the fact that Paul was more than of a quiet Jesus, who was like "Hey, guys! This is not about spectacle. Allow's get the message out equally much as we can. Love people!" I think the printing was similar, "No! This is notSuperstar!" And that had nada to practice with Paul, because Paul was fantastic. I think the world was expecting a Ted Neeley-like functioning, because that's the Jesus they know. To this day, I say we were robbed, just considering somebody's ego somewhere had a point to make. Maybe something against the fact that there was an unabridged cast of Canadians on Broadway, simply we did accept a few Americans in the bear witness (Josh Young, Tom Hewitt, Matt Stokes, and Nick Cartell). It was… I don't know. But I do feel we were robbed. However, that'southward what happens; that'due south theater. I hope nobody gets upset that I said that, but… there you lot go.

Q. Practise you lot notwithstanding keep in touch with your fellow cast members? We know you're working with a few at present.
A. Yeah! A chunk of u.s. are doingTommy right now, Des' revival ofTommy that played in the '90's on Broadway and in Toronto. Those of usa not in the show… we all accept a individual Facebook page that we made when nosotros were in New York — that no i tin can find considering it'southward private.(Laughs) That's great because we can all transport messages back and along, similar. talking to the quondam stage managers or talking to the American cast members. We all continue each other informed as to where nosotros are and what we're doing. Melissa O'Neil and Aaron Walpole are doingLes Miserables in Toronto, which we hear they're going to Broadway with next yr. Jaz Seeley is doingAladdin, which is as well going to Broadway next year. The rest of us are doingTommy, or somewhere else in the earth.

Q. What'southward next for you?
A. I'm finishing upTommy on the 19th of Oct, and then I'chiliad finishingFiddler on the Roof, which was extended until the 27th. So I'm off to Calgary to do a revue prove on the 28th, and writing and directing a bear witness in Niagara Falls after that. After that, I'm working on my second CD(you lot can detect Lee's music at http://reverbnation.com/leesiegel1 —ed.), I'thousand doing a lot of painting, and possibly going back to New York in Feb.

Q. Thanks for chatting with us.
A. Give thanks you, Andy! It was my pleasure.

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Source: http://www.jesuschristsuperstarzone.com/interviews/lee-siegel/