BWW Interviews: Chris Sams Talks 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL

While Christmas is all around us and holiday shows are abound, TUTS Underground is gifting Houston audiences with something a little different than your typical holiday fare. TUTS Underground is gearing up for their second production of their inaugural season, 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL. Parodying the popular book by E.L. James, the musical provides a hilarious interpretation of the novel through the eyes of a ladies' book club. Playing Taylor, Houston native Chris Sams took some time out of his schedule to let us know what Houston audiences have in store with 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL.

BWW: When did you know that you wanted to be an actor?

Chris Sams: In that regard, I was a really late bloomer. Both of my degrees are in Speech Communication, so I never really had that input in theatre arts until late in my undergraduate career. And that's when I pretty much decided, around age twenty-three. I know that most people start much earlier, they have that dream at a much younger age, but for me it was a lot later. I did dabble in theatre. I did a couple of plays in college, but most of my training came from an activity called Forensics. Most people are more familiar with the name Speech and Debate, and I did several dramatic interpretations and poetry interpretations. So, I got a really solid foundation there as far as technique, unbeknownst to myself, that I could cross-apply to the theatre world once I got there. That's pretty much where I got the basis of my training, but I didn't know that I wanted to really make the transition until later.

BWW: You're a Houston native! How does it feel to be performing 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL in your hometown?

Chris Sams: It feels great. Actually, this will be the first time that I will be coming back to Houston to perform. I know that we performed in Galveston with both ROCK OF AGES and THE COLOR PURPLE, and also SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE. We've been to that opera house several times, but never to Houston. So, it is going to be a homecoming of sorts. I really can't wait, especially coming to the new explorative space at TUTS. That's also going to be really awesome, to bring a type of theatre that isn't your standard fare, and maybe increase the viewership of the arts. That's going to be really exciting. I'm really looking forward to that.

BWW: Well I'll tell you, Houston is really excited to see 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL. It has been so popular that they have even added an additional afternoon performance!

Chris Sams: That's amazing. We got the email a couple of days ago about the added shows and we are really pumped as well. It's more than a viewing experience! It's a good time to be had by all. It's an interactive experience. We encourage you to laugh out loud and to have the most raucous time you've had in a very, very, long time.

BWW: Regarding 50 SHADES!, what has been your favorite part about being in this musical?

Chris Sams: My favorite part is just being part of a production that isn't your standard fare. When you're in musicals like ROCK OF AGES, like THE COLOR PURPLE, like SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ, not to take anything away from those productions because I had an awesome time and awesome experiences, you get boxed in and cornered into what you think that theatre should be. You kind of use that as your criteria in judging other pieces, and what this piece has taught me is that theatre can reach anyone. It can be about anything, and that merit and that artistic integrity is still there. You still have the same base components. You still have that same structure that is adhered to. That is the biggest thing that I have learned about this production, and that is what I am most excited about when I perform. Although it is a different medium of a type of show, it's still a show, and it still has it merits and value is still found in this production, even though the roof is going to be blown off with laughter.

BWW: So I have to ask, have you read any of the books that 50 SHADES! parodies?

Chris Sams: I have read the first book. I didn't go into the other two. I just read the one. (Laughs)

BWW: I know that each role presents its own set of challenges. Regarding your role in 50 SHADES!, what has been the most difficult part about preparing for this production?

Chris Sams: I guess, to put it simply, is being eye candy on the stage. Coming from ROCK OF AGES, there are three female dancers and they are the emphasis, and they were always very cautious about what they looked like because they were wearing next to nothing, and they were the feature of the show. You know, for that particular aspect of spectacle. That was very hard for me to get into because more often than not, the males are just the males. We are not necessarily as exposed as I am here, so that took a good bit of getting used to. Also, the female attention after the show, I am not used to that either. Getting used to those aspects, like being so exposed on stage as far as costuming , the pressure to keep that aesthetic up, and also those ladies after the show can appear to be pretty ravenous. (Laughs)

BWW: I bet! It is, in so many ways, a reversal of what you typically see. Women are quite often made to be the visual aesthetic, and in this show you have male eye-candy so to speak.

Chris Sams: And just the juxtaposition is also that, as far as sex is concerned in this show, the women are in charge. The women are in power. It is their story, especially Anastasia's story, about coming into her own sexually. While ChristIan Grey is the main character, and he kind of lays the groundwork of the things that she is expected to do, it is ultimately in her control. It's not like a patriarchal stamp or kind of coercion on his part. It is in her court, and she gets to make the decision. And there is another character, and I won't give too much away, she's very much in control (Laughs) of the kind of things that she takes part in. I think when those elements come to life, you see an even bigger response or appreciation from the female audience, and a bigger response of laughter when they see that they're the ones that can be in control of these situations.

BWW: What can Houston audiences expect from 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL?

Chris Sams: Audiences can expect to have a very, very, very good time. They can expect to laugh their heads off. They can expect to be shocked. They can expect to find a new connection to things that they normally wouldn't consider, and not necessarily that they have to go and do all of the things that they allude to in the show, but just to have a general breadth of knowledge to spice things up somewhere along the line. There are plenty of jokes in the show that we say on stage, that we visually can see the audience conversing amongst themselves to find out amongst themselves what the meaning of what we said was, trying to get the joke. So that's one of the things that I really appreciate about this show, the explorative nature of the audience. They get to see a whole new world that they may not have been exposed to and that knowledge can lead to more explorative practices down the line.

BWW: I really appreciate you taking the time to talk to BroadwayWorld. I know Houston is really excited to see you, and is really excited about seeing 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL.

Chris Sams: I am so very excited to come back home. Like I said before, I am proud to be a Texan. Whether it is known to Texas natives or not, the state of Texas is a fabulous export of talent in New York City. You have no idea how many people are from Texas and the close knit community we have up there. This state is an awesome launching pad for success in the arts around the country.

This show sounds like the perfect naughty, pre-holiday stocking stuffer! 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL will be running at the Houston Hobby Center for Performing Arts' Zilkha Hall from December 17 - 22, 2013. Due to overwhelming demand there has been a 5:00 pm performance added on December 21, and a 12:00 pm performance on Thursday December 19 for a quick afternoon delight. For more information on 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL, upcoming TUTS Underground production, and information on purchasing season subscriptions please visit www.TUTSUnderground.com or call 713-558-TUTS (8887).

Photo courtesy of TUTS Underground.