BWW Interviews: Bruce Dow and Sean Cullen Talk Sharing Pseudolus

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum was a smash hit at this year's Stratford Shakespeare Festival and this holiday season it comes to Toronto with both stars alternating in the lead role of Pseudolus. Bruce Dow originated the role in Stratford but had to bow out due to a vocal chord injury, at which point Sean Cullen stepped in and finished out the season. Now the two very funny men are coming together and sharing the role, which gives audiences the perfect excuse to come and visit The Forum twice!

In a year that has seen many celebrations of the work of Stephen Sondheim (including a very special Q&A presented by Mirvish a few weeks ago) it seems only fitting to get to end out the year with one of his early works. A true farce, A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum promises sex, greed, comedy and TOGAS!

BWW sat down and spoke with both Bruce Dow (BD) and Sean Cullen (SC) about the process of getting the show off the ground in Toronto and what it's like sharing the lead with another actor. Both guys were extremely jovial and you can tell that they are thrilled to be doing this show again:

Congratulations on your first invited dress! How did it go?

BD: Well, there's no blood on the stage so I would say it went pretty well! It was really great actually; I'm having a wonderful time.

SC: It's been great! The first preview last night went really well. This is a remount and it's almost like my second time since I also came in when Bruce was injured, but I'm really enjoying it.

As Sean mentions, this is a remount of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival production. What has it been like doing the show again?

BD: I just feel very lucky to be included. I originated the role of Pseudolus but then had a vocal chord injury that caused me to have to withdraw. I had never even heard of that before so it was really scary. Stratford brought in Sean the" big star" but when the Toronto production came to fruition they decided to include me as well. Figured it was only about a 50/50 shot and I'm so happy, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.

And now you are sharing the role of Pseudolus - is there any animosity between you guys? Or are you able to play nicely together?

BD: It is so very different from anything I have done. We come from different backgrounds and are almost like tag team wrestlers during rehearsals. We watch each other and wish we could do what the other is doing. But we get along great.

SC: No competition at all because I'm much better than him! It's actually strange to watch; because you see the other person and you want to be able to do what they are doing. But it's a neat way to approach things, and now I get Christmas off and he gets New Years!

Are there any changes from the Stratford Production?

BD: Some casting changes. Steven Sutcliffe is in for Stephen Ouimette who is doing La Bete in NYC. He is known for his Drama Desk turn in Ragtime. We also have two new girls joining us who are fantastic (Jacqueline Burtney and Rachel Crowther) Otherwise it is pretty much the same - if it ain't broke, don't fix it right? The theatre is obviously a lot bigger and the stage is much wider with different proportions, so that changes things a bit.

SC: Yep! The Steve swap! Steven Sutcliffe has replaced Stephen Ouimette because he is still on Broadway. Also the stage is much bigger and the theatre is a lot larger and holds more people.

Bringing this show to Toronto should allow it to be seen by a wider audience, what do you expect from the Toronto theatre goers?

BD: Have a good time! This is a much bigger house so hopefully the reactions will be bigger as well. We really hope they enjoy it as we are really proud of the show.

SC: I think they will really love the show. It's a fun and silly thing to do for the holidays. I also really love the Canon, it's a gorgeous theatre and it's where I played Max in The Producers. The reactions should be much bigger here.

Sondheim's shows are notorious for being challenging for an actor. Bruce, you have done a lot of Sondheim in the past. Do you find you need to approach this role differently because of it's farce-like nature?

BD: Not really. The music has the same requirements of any of his work which is to tell the story and make sense of the lyrics. They have very complicated ideas. It's like doing any other well-known and unique playwright (Coward, Shaw). The characters are all very quick. For instance, a song like "Free" is as complicated as anything you will hear in A Little Night Music. So yes, his work is terribly challenging but that is also what makes it so rewarding.

And Sean, you are more known for your television and comedy work. Has it been extra challenging for you to be doing a Sondheim piece in addition to stepping into the world of musical theatre?

SC: Very challenging. It's a totally different discipline. Even the act of repeating the performance each night is fairly new to me and I try and find ways to be spontaneous. Being musically and comedically inclined it has really helped.

So then, is it true what they say about Sondheim being the most difficult material for an actor?

BD: It's definitely tough. Totally the most difficult to do but also the most rewarding. "Ride it but don't let it ride you." I saw Sondheim speak in Toronto on December 6th and he spoke a lot about Forum and how it is this "brilliantly structured farce." The comedy comes out of the script and the situation and Des McAnuff is great about going after that and making it work.

SC: Absolutely. For example, in "Free" it's quite challenging, I have to move around a lot but also know a lot of lyrics and get them right.

When and Where?
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
The Canon Theatre

Performance Schedule
December 15th - January 16th

Tickets range from $40 to $120 and can be purchased in person at the box office, by phone at 416-872-1212 or online at www.mirvish.com

For a full calendar of showtimes and the Pseudolus performances please visit the official site