BWW Interviews: Rob McClure - From Bagels to Broadway

 

The theater bug bit and Rob went on to perform in Community Theater with Emerald Productions and Bergen County Players.  The Paper Mill Playhouse's awarded Rob with the Rising Star Award for his role in "Where's Charley?", a show he did in high school. At the age of 20 Rob's good looking boy-next door looks landed him an international campaign of commercials for Pepsi. "Carousel" was Rob's first professional show at the Paper Mill Playhouse. From there it was onward and upward and all the way to Broadway.

 His big break came again at the Paper Mill with "I'm Not Rappaport" which transferred to Broadway and gave Rob his Equity card. His bagel factory ditties and songs paid off too. With the help of a former school teacher Rob was encouraged to turn his Bagel Factory project into a full length musical comedy which was produced in his home town High School much to the approval of the New York Critics. From there Rob fell in love with Philadelphia and a young actress named Maggie Lakis and moved into the city. But before long it was Broadway coming to call with "Avenue Q" and onward and upward again. After a successful run on Broadway he was offered to tour with Avenue Q.

Rob proposed to the girl he loves in the city he loves directly after the tour stop performance of Avenue Q in Philadelphia. Visit Rob's website www.robertpmcclure.com/BIO.html for all the fun, romantic details!

I was first introduced to Rob after seeing his wonderfully flamboyant portrayal of Carmen Ghia in Walnut Street's production of "The Producers" in Philadelphia in 2010.

Rob, your bagels to Broadway life is truly a Cinderella story. Did you ever imagine that writing songs and stories about bagels would turn out this way?

I never dreamed that the little ditties I wrote about annoying customers or bagel recipes would turn into a full length Musical Comedy. But a very wise person told me to "write what you know". So I did.

What advice would you offer other serious young thespians?

I would advise young aspiring theater artists to do as many shows as possible. It doesn't matter if it's in the basement of a church, in school, or in Community Theater. Do them wherever you can; big parts or small it doesn't matter. Every experience will make you a better actor. You'll learn what is good story telling, and perhaps more importantly, what is BAD story telling. Find out who you are and who you are NOT. I didn't start to work until I realized what it was I had to offer. I stopped imitating performers I admired, and started just being myself.

Rob has been in several wonderful productions since in his young whirlwind career from 1997 including "Gypsy"," Joseph", and "Fiddler", "The Bomb-itty of Errors" with 11th Hour Theater Co, which won him the Barrymore Award. He was also nominated for a Helen Hayes award for "Avenue Q". His professional career includes "I'm Not Rapport", "Avenue Q", "The Producers", "Oliver" and most recently Rob was invited to play the title role of Charlie Chaplin in La Jolla's production of "Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin" which is Broadway bound. It was recently announced that Rob was the winner of the Craig Noel San Diego Theater Critics Circle Award for Best Actor for Limelight.

He is currently playing the lead role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in Walnut Street's production of "Amadeus" which runs through March 6th.

Rob adds these comments about playing such a brilliant and eccentric character; "Portraying Mozart is a scary task. Whenever I'm asked to portray actual historic figures it comes with extra accountability. Not just to your Director and Playwright, but to the Man himself and the beloved persona that the public forms. Nothing is more humbling than trying to get inside this mans mind. I've listened to endless amounts of his music in preparation for this, and it is astounding. Genius is an understatement. I am looking forward to exposing the audience to a new perspective on Mozart. The classical composer and the far less classy man."

When asked about Mozart's take on Salieri and the audience's reaction's as the story unfolds, Rob shares this; "The play is in Salieri's mind. We are all conjured by the ailing old man as he recalls the story for the audience. Mozart's feelings for Salieri change drastically over the course of our story, and eventually Mozart considers him his true friend and only protector."

Rob, you have played some very intriguing and iconic roles. How do you prepare yourself for  these?

"Forming characters is a never-ending evolution. You bring something to the table at auditions. If they like it, you are cast, and you bring those choices into the rehearsal room. Most directors tend to respond well to bold choices. Some are right, most are wrong. But hopefully, the "right" choices that you and the director eventually choose culminate in the performance that the audience receives. Those "wrong" choices are just as informing and valuable to the end result. You have to take risks to find the rewards."

We are looking forward to Limelight coming to Broadway with you re-creating your critically acclaimed role of Charlie Chaplin. Beyond this what role(s) would you love to play?

I am so thrilled at the possibility of sharing Limelight with New York City. I am in awe of Chaplin, and in love with the piece and its creators. Beyond it...who knows? It's not even here yet! I've tried to predict in the past, and I'm always wrong, always surprised, and always reminded how lucky I am to be making a living doing this. It's terrifying, yes, not knowing what is next. But it has to be HARD, or else it wouldn't be fair to the rest of the world that we get paid to play glorified make-believe.

For more information about Rob visit his website at www.robertpmcclure.com

For more information about "Amadeus" playing at the Walnut Street theater visit: www.walnutstreettheatre.org.

Photo #1: Rob McClure headshot- Courtesty of www.robertpmcclure.com;

Photo #2: Dan Olmstead (Salieri) and Rob McClure (Mozart) by Mark Gavin 

 

Photo# 3: Rob McClure (Charlie Chaplin) and Ashley Brown (Oona O'Neil) "Limelight: The Story of Charlie Chaplin Photo Courtesy of: culturemob.com/blog/limelight-trailer-release...