|
 |
ONSTAGE & BACKSTAGE: Henchmen Aren't Forgotten
By Seth Rudetsky
19 Feb 2008
We then spoke about him playing Philip Sallon in Taboo. He said that the real Philip came to see the show on Broadway and afterwards Raúl asked him what he thought. Philip said, "Hmm…do you want me to be honest?" Raúl said yes. (Mind you, that Philip was still dressed in his "going to the theatre outfit": A Vivienne Westwood white pants suit, Vivienne Westwood brooch and an afro made out of shaving cream. Seriously). Philip shook his head, and afro, and said, "Frankly, darling….I'm not that camp." Interesting.
I dared to ask Raúl about the famous fight he had with Rosie O'Donnell during Taboo. He said that the rehearsal period was a very stressful time; the show was in the gossip columns a lot, Rosie was being sued by her former magazine, and he felt there wasn't a strong director taking control. During one rehearsal, it was apparent that Raúl was having a hard time making a quick change. Rosie asked him to exit the scene earlier so he'd have more time to change. Raúl said that he needed to be in the scene because his character needed the information being said onstage and wanted the costume change cut. The argument escalated until Rosie said that another actor could play his role just as well, and Raúl said that she was right! He stormed off the stage and out of the theatre. Unfortunately, for those of you that think he had an incredibly sassy exit, please now visualize the outfit that he was storming off in: Henry the VIII balloon pants, a cape, a crown and orb, scepter and elf shoes. So, first of all, (this was also confirmed by Jen Cody who was standing onstage with him at the time) his "storming off" was greatly de-sassified by his elfin shoes. Plus, right before he got offstage, his crown fell off. Everyone in the theatre was stunned by Raúl's departure and froze in silence — silence that was only broken by his dresser scurrying onstage, picking up said crown and scurrying off. Charles Busch immediately tracked Raul down and, over lunch with Polly Bergen(!), they both convinced Raúl to get back to work ASAP. Raúl said that he and Rosie get along great now, and he thinks she was an excellent producer. He wishes she'd do another show because he feels she had amazing ideas that helped bring Broadway into the twenty-first century.
Finally, we discussed Company, and he informed me that he gets annoyed by the people who always say Bobby can't be acted because all the action happens around him. He feels that there's a lot to be done in observation. The audience is watching a character grow by how he reacts to the situations around him. He explained it by saying that sometimes during a conversation, the one not speaking is the more interesting one. I was about to agree, but realized that I usually speak non-stop during conversations, so I wound up feeling insulted. Not cool. He admitted he was terrified playing the piano during "Being Alive" and was so nervous the first time, that his over-sweated hands kept slipping off the piano! I had that problem once, but it wasn't a piano my hands kept slipping off of. 'Nuff said.
Sondheim saw that first, nerve-wracking performance and afterwards asked Raúl if he could look up while he was singing at the piano. Raúl flat out said no. "I can act, sing, do the correct lyrics or play the piano…but I can't do all at the same time!" Raul thought Sondheim would hate what they did with the show, but he loved it. He told Raúl that the show is about accepting exactly who you are, and the moment you do that, you become an adult. I guess that's why I'm a kid at heart?
The interview ended with Raúl saying that he's going to be doing a new musical, but when I asked him for any information, he was more silent than the Taboo cast after he stormed offstage in his elf shoes. (P.S., he also sang a song that got cut from Company, "Multitude of Amys," and I played for him. You can hear the whole interview Feb. 20 at 5 PM on Broadway's Best at Sirius.com.)
I'm psyched because on Feb. 21 my great friend Jason Little is doing a show at the Zipper Theater (www.zippertheater.com/shows). Jason came to see Lend Me a Tenor last week, and we were reminiscing about what a terror he was when we were both working at the Surflight Summer Theater. It was one-week stock (you rehearse for a week while doing a different show at night…a brand-new show each week for three months), and people were constantly messing up their lines. Jason was playing Andy Lee in 42nd Street, and at the end of Act One, chorus girl Peggy Sawyer bumps into Dorothy Brock, causing her to fall. Dorothy is supposed to point to Peggy Sawyer and say, "She did it! Sawyer broke my leg!" and the curtain falls. Well, our Dorothy Brock was under-rehearsed and right after she fell to the ground she pointed and said, "She did it! Brock broke my leg!" Silence. We all hoped the audience wouldn't notice Dorothy Brock calling someone else her own name. Then Jason loudly said, "Who?" Curtain. It was hilarious.
Another time, Act Two of Show Boat began, and the guy playing Ravenal was at the ice cream place next door, getting a scoop. The ladies playing Magnolia and Parthy were stuck onstage waiting for him to appear, and instead of Jason running outside and getting him, he instead ran to the men's dressing room and breathlessly informed everybody, "Ravenal's still getting ice cream, Magnolia and Parthy are stuck onstage waiting for him…and they're ad-libbing! Come on!" Everyone ran to the wings to crouch down and watch Parthy repeat over and over again, "Um…He's just a river rat, that Ravenal. Yes, he is. A river rat." While Magnolia kept up a constant and low energy, "Oh, Mother. Mother, stop." It was the one time it would have been appropriate to ad lib:
"Do you see Ravenal coming?"
"No."
P.S., the brilliant Mary Birdsong who worked at that ice cream place next door to the theatre is now playing Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray…and opening for Jason at the Zipper! We've known each other for all these years…and still can't stop telling the same stories.
All right. I'm off to mourn the loss of Lend Me a Tenor and try to get another gig…one that allows me nights off for the new season of "Top Model" and "Top Chef." Best of both worlds. Peace out!
*
(Seth Rudetsky is the host of "Seth's Big Fat Broadway" on SIRIUS Satellite Radio and the author of "The Q Guide to Broadway." He has played piano in the orchestras of 15 Broadway musicals, and he can be contacted by visiting www.sethsbroadwaychatterbox.com. His first novel is titled "Broadway Nights.")
 |
|
Raúl Esparza as Philip Sallon in Taboo.
|
Contact Us | Advertise | Privacy Policy
Send questions and comments to the Webmaster
Copyright © 2008 Playbill, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
|