Interview: Chatting With BIG FISH's Brad Oscar!

When Brad Oscar stepped in to replace the ailing Nathan Lane in THE PRODUCERS on Broadway, much was made of the fact that Oscar had been playing Santa Claus in Radio City Music Hall's CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR. "I did it for two years," Oscar explains. "At the time I was doing JEKYLL AND HYDE on Broadway. It was a show that opened to savage reviews but managed to run for four years. JEKYLL had given me some leaves of absence to do other stuff because we were there so long. They were very generous because some companies don't do that. On my first leave I did Radio City in Los Angeles. For the second year I did it in Branson, MO. It was in Branson that all THE PRODUCERS stuff started and I got a call to come in because they were looking for a standby for Nathan Lane. The story went around that I'd gone from playing Santa in Branson to appearing on Broadway. There was a bit more to the story."

Now appearing in the musical Big Fish, Oscar spoke by phone and proved to be both congenial and loquacious. "I was born in Washington, D.C. and was raised down there. I attended Boston University and got my BFA, majoring in theater. After that I moved to the city and started waiting tables-it was very traditional as far as that goes," he said with a chuckle. I worked at a place called "Charlie's" that used to be on 45th Street. I was there for three or four years-late '86 to almost 1990. I started auditioning and stuff. My first Equity job was up in Worcester, MA in '89. A couple of months later I went to the open call for ASPECTS OF LOVE and the next thing I knew I was cast as a swing in the original Broadway production. That was my first Broadway show. I literally went from waiting on tables on 45th to ASPECTS OF LOVE on 44th. It was a pretty crazy jump in that way. After that, thank God, I never looked back because I've been able to continue working.

In THE PRODUCERS, Oscar was originally cast as Lane's standby but by the time rehearsals started he was a swing. "I wasn't just standing by for Nathan. I was covering several principals and the ensemble. When we went to Chicago I went on for Franz because the actor was having knee issues that had to be taken care of. As the rehearsals progressed, they made the decision that they wanted to keep me as Franz." When the show arrived in New York, Oscar was playing Franz and covering Max. He also went on for Nathan Lane a good amount of times because Max is such a demanding role. "That year was wild, "Oscar recalls. As that year went on he was going on as Max at the Wednesday and Saturday matinees and playing Franz in the evening performances. As time went on, he took over the role of Max full-time. "I did THE PRODUCERS on and off for about five years," he adds. He also received a Tony nomination for his performance as Franz.

Did Oscar have any of the vocal problems that Lane experienced while performing the role of Max? "I did," he responds. "My problems came at any time that I was under the weather. When I was healthy I felt great. I felt really on top of it and knew where to place it. The toughest thing about Max is the screaming. It's not the singing. It's the dialogue that makes Max such a demanding role. On the other hand, Norbert [Leo Butz], in Big Fish, not only has to act but he has to sing some huge notes. That boy works very hard. However, in THE PRODUCERS, I did have my spells."

"Let's face it, Max is a ridiculous role," Oscar explains. "No sport or art demands the same thing of your body-and certainly your vocal chords-than giving 8 performances a week in a Broadway musical. Look at ballet dancers and opera singers. Even football players or basketball players-anyone who uses their body as we do-and you'll find that we are the ones who are challenged most." True, opera and ballet have alternating repertoires and alternate casts. Sports stars may play only a few games a week. Broadway actors are on stage 8 times a week. "Ideally, we put it out at every performance and have the stamina to do it. My point is that whenever I felt under the weather as far as Max goes, it would drive me into the ground. There were definitely times when I had to take a few performances off because my body had to fall back and regroup. I had to listen to my body."

Carol Channing, and Yul Brynner were known for giving over 5,000 performances in their signature roles without missing a single one. How does Oscar account for their work ethic? "They're freaks of nature, and I mean that in a great way. Somehow they manage these incredible feats. Maybe they take incredible care of themselves or something. There are actors who are very proud of never missing a performance. More power to them. They are the exceptions, though."

The recognition and the Tony nomination allowed Oscar to work places and play roles that might not have been offered to him prior to that. "Most excitingly I got to go back to my home town and perform at the Arena Stage. It was there that I saw my first Arthur Miller play and my first Tennessee Williams play. I learned so much about theater by attending the performances at the Arena Stage in my younger days. In 2005, when I left THE PRODUCERS on Broadway for the last time, I was able to go down there and do DAMN YANKEES. The greatest thing about the whole experience is that that's where I met my husband. He was a D.C. native as well. He's an actor and worked down in D.C. professionally and was also cast in DAMN YANKEES. We met there and have been happily wed now for a year and a half. We were married at Arena by Molly Smith, the Artistic Director who directed DAMN YANKEES."

Oscar also played the Emcee in CABARET at Arena. "That was a role that was never on my radar. Molly asked me to take a look at it and we talked through it and I decided it was a challenge that I was up to. I also did THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP at Arena. It was great fun. Great fun."

Oscar additionally played BARNUM down in Sarasota "I didn't have to walk a tightrope thank God. It's the only way I'm gonna get to play Barnum!" Last summer he played Tevye up at the Barrington stage in the Berkshires. "I hope it was my first crack at playing that role. That is one amazing piece!"

As a gift from the theatrical gods, Oscar replaced Michael McGraw for eight weeks in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT. "Kathleen Marshall called and asked if I'd like to do eight weeks and it turned out to be fun. Great fun! I was with Matthew Broderick again and it was fun. It was joyous. I mean to do a show with that period and style to say nothing about hearing that orchestra and that marvelous music."

It was almost two years ago that Brad Oscar was asked to participate in a week-long reading of Big Fish. "It was exactly two years ago," the actor remembers. "I fell in love with it and what it's all about. In March, 2012 we did a four week workshop in a studio with a lot of set pieces, costumes and props. Susan Stroman likes to work that way. It's great because everyone rises to the occasion. It took the course of the next year to set everything up schedule wise and we started up again in February of this year. I was doing double duty because I was doing NICE WORK at night and rehearsing Big Fish during the day."

BIG FISH tried out in Chicago and Oscar found it invaluable. "It's so helpful; especially for a show like this that really was finding itself because its source material is open to so much interpretation. It's a series of little vignettes, really. John August created the narrative for both his screenplay for the film and expanding upon that to find out how we tell the story on stage. I'm so impressed with the work that was done on this show. When we got back to rehearsal again in August here in New York, I found that they'd done a great job clarifying the story."

"What I love most about Big Fish is that it's about a parent-child relationship of which we all are one or the other or both. This show is so right. There's so much stuff there. The constant exploration that can occur nightly between these actors/characters is delicious. It's exactly what you want as an actor. You WANT that stuff to play with. You WANT to do a show like GYPSY or FIDDLER or Big Fish because you want to have characters that are larger than life and have passion, feelings, ideas, and sentiments. We go to the theater to feel and to challenge ourselves that way. Every night we hear the sniffles coming from the audience as we stand at the river. We know that we've moved some-if not all- of the audience. What's better than that? We've told a story that has moved someone. If we do it right, if we do it well and we commit to it and are truthful, then ideally that audience is going to respond. Hopefully they'll leave the theater and take something with them. In the case of our show, maybe it will influence their relationships with their parents .or their children. What a beautiful thing that would be."

Brad Oscar is fortunate to have his parents still with him. "They were here on Opening Night, along with my sister and my husband. They've been very supportive and they've been amazing. Half the joy of all I've accomplished has been sharing it with my parents and family."

The actor has nothing but praise for the stars of Big Fish. "Norbert Leo Butz is just limitless in so many ways. He tears into this role eight times a week and is brilliant. Kate Baldwin is sublime. She's the real thing and the whole package. Her voice is absolutely gold. As for Bobby Steggert, he's an extremely good actor and he's a pleasure to work with. It's a blessing to work with musical theater performers who can act like Bobby and Kate. I think they're both terrific."

When asked to comment about Susan Stroman, Oscar is momentarily at a loss for words. "What can I say about Susan Stroman?" he asks himself. "I love her. I respect her. I'm so very proud to be part of the ' Susan Stroman Rep Company.' She's very dedicated and she loves working with actors. Having come from the other side of the footlights herself, she has not lost the understanding of what that is at all. So many directors and choreographers who were actors somehow forget what it's like to be on the other side. They're either very harsh or mean or abrupt. They just don't seem to work in a way that I see as beneficial. Stro, on the other hand, wants you to do your best and is very supportive and nurturing in getting you there. It's a very nurturing room to be in when Stro is in the rehearsal room."

Brad Oscar admits that Radio City isn't the only time he's played Santa Claus. "For about six or seven years in a row I've played Santa for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. I've gotten to meet the last two Presidents and that's been a wonderful thing; quite an honor. Yes, Santa's been good to me," Oscar admits. Will he be donning the red suit and heading down to our Nation's Capitol to participate in the lighting of this year's tree? "I don't know," Oscar replies. "These things often come together at the last minute."

Whether Brad Oscar lights the Christmas tree in Washington D.C. this year may be up in the air at this point but audiences can certainly see him light up the stage at the Neil Simon Theater in Big Fish which runs until December 29. His performance is remarkable.

actor and he's a pleasure to work with. It's a blessing to work with musical theater performers who can act like Bobby and Kate. I think they're both terrific."

When asked to comment about Susan Stroman, Oscar is momentarily at a loss for words. "What can I say about Susan Stroman?" he asks himself. "I love her. I respect her. I'm so very proud to be part of the ' Susan Stroman Rep Company.' She's very dedicated and she loves working with actors. Having come from the other side of the footlights herself, she has not lost the understanding of what that is at all. So many directors and choreographers who were actors somehow forget what it's like to be on the other side. They're either very harsh or mean or abrupt. They just don't seem to work in a way that I see as beneficial. Stro, on the other hand, wants you to do your best and is very supportive and nurturing in getting you there. It's a very nurturing room to be in when Stro is in the rehearsal room."

Brad Oscar admits that Radio City isn't the only time he's played Santa Claus. "For about six or seven years in a row I've played Santa for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C. I've gotten to meet the last two Presidents and that's been a wonderful thing; quite an honor. Yes, Santa's been good to me," Oscar admits. Will he be donning the red suit and heading down to our Nation's Capitol to participate in the lighting of this year's tree? "I don't know," Oscar replies. "These things often come together at the last minute."

Whether Brad Oscar lights the Christmas tree in Washington D.C. this year may be up in the air at this point but audiences can certainly see him light up the stage at the Neil Simon Theater in Big Fish which runs until December 29. His performance is remarkable.