BWW Interviews: Marcus Nance Talks Cabaret and Jesus Christ Superstar

Marcus Nance has had a pretty incredible year playing Caiaphas in the critically acclaimed Stratford Festival production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which just wrapped its final week in Canada before heading off to La Jolla, San Diego later this month. He is having a very special one night only cabaret performance in Toronto before he departs for the United States (and quite possibly, Broadway) and BWW got a chance to speak with him about not only his upcoming show, but his feelings on Jesus Christ Superstar and the journey ahead:

 

 

First, congratulations on Jesus Christ Superstar and thank you for taking the time to talk to us, I'm sure it's been a busy week!

It's been crazy! Everyone else is gone because Jesus Christ Superstar got a one week extension, so it's just us up here doing our thing and finishing out the season. It's been a really wild ride.

Can you tell us a bit about the upcoming cabaret night you have planned?

I first did the show at the Stratford Summer Music Church Series, and it's called ‘Unforgettable: A Celebration of the Great Black Crooners'. I got the idea to do it when I first heard Johnny Hartman and fell in love with his voice. It's interesting, everyone knows Sinatra and the Rat Pack but few people know about people like Hartman or Billy Eckstine and I thought that this would be a great opportunity to introduce their work to a new generation of people. These men sing the same types of songs that most people know (the "standards") but it has a different twist, and it is a lot of fun to sing. I feel that in a way they are like the male versions of Sarah Vaughan who is my absolute favourite singer ever.

So will people recognize most of the songs you are going to perform?

Absolutely! People will know the songs, they just might not know that it was these specific singers who first did them!

What prompted you to do the show now? Especially given you have such little time off between Jesus Christ Superstar closing and venturing off to La Jolla?

I actually planned these evenings a long time ago, in fact I've got a second show two days after the Toronto one and it is in Cornwall! When I set them up I had no idea I would be going to La Jolla, so it's too late to cancel now! *laughs* I would of course love to sleep and rest but I'm really looking forward to doing these shows. Plus it will be nice to get out of ‘musical theatre mode' for a bit and get into the cabaret frame of mind.

I love getting to tell stories so cabaret really suits me. The show is a combination of songs and stories from my life, so hopefully people feel like they get to know me while they enjoy the show.

And on a slightly personal note, I'm a huge fan of your version of "The Impossible Dream" - is that on the setlist for Thursday night?

Absolutely! I love that song and it's a great one to sing...but now the pressure is on to do it right!

You've spent most of the year playing Caiaphas in Jesus Christ Superstar, which has turned out to be (arguably) the biggest Canadian musical theatre success story of 2011. What is it like getting to be a part of that?

I feel like I've won the lottery! I really do. I mean, it's interesting because if I think back to 12 or 13 months ago I would have never imagined that all of this was going to happen. I remember sitting in my living room watching the video of the British film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, and at the time I wasn't terribly familiar with the production. I knew some of the music but that was about it, and when I saw Caiaphas I just knew I had to play that role. It's such the perfect part for a classically trained bass but then you get to do it in a real rock show! I'm absolutely jazzed to get to be a part of it and now get to take it to a new city and share it with a whole New Group of people.

The Broadway word has been thrown around quite a bit lately, hypothetically speaking, if this show were to make it to the Great White Way, do you think NYC is ready for another production of Jesus Christ Superstar? And what is it that you think is so special about your production that has caused it to be embraced so whole heartedly here?

Absolutely I think NYC is ready for it! It is a show that everybody knows, and I've never done a show before where so many fans that I meet can sing absolutely every word of the score. Plus it has mass appeal. We see grandmas and grandpas and we see little children, and they all have a great time. Plus this is the only time I've worked on a show where I've been this consistently blown away by how incredible everyone in the cast is. It's like when someone sings you think it can't possibly get any better, and then someone else goes and blows it out of the water. We have a truly special production.

And finally, what would you say to encourage a younger audience to come out and experience your cabaret evening on the 10th?

Well, it's something different and it's something fun! The great thing about cabaret is that it encompasses so much - it can be hilarious, sad, educational or story-telling in nature. It is a wonderful way to experience music you probably already know and love in a whole new way, and hopefully learn something about the person performing it at the same time. So I hope people will come out and celebrate these songs with me - it's going to be a special evening!

When and Where?
Marcus Nance at The Green Door Cabaret
The Lower Ossington Theatre

November 10th 2011 at 8PM

Tickets are $25 for general seating or $60 for a premium table for two. Tickets are available by phone at 416-915-6747 or online here

For more information on upcoming Green Door Cabaret performances please visit their official website: http://www.lowerossingtontheatre.com/cabaret