Back On Broadway: Colin Bates Talks Joining GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY, His Favorite Moment in the Show & More

BroadwayWorld's new interview series Back on Broadway is taking readers on the exciting journey of Broadway's return to the stage! Featuring interviews with cast and creative team members of Broadway's returning shows, Back on Broadway will highlight how members of Broadway shows are preparing for live performances, what they've learned from the last year and half, what is most exciting to them about Broadway's long-awaited return, and much more!

Next up in the series is Colin Bates, stepping into the role of Gene in the Broadway company of Girl from the North Country!

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How does it feel to be returning to live performances after all this time?

I think everyone is so ready, I'm so excited. I actually got a chance to go see a couple of live shows recently, and the energy was just super... everyone is just so ready!

And how does it feel to be a new member of the Broadway company of Girl from the North Country?

I got together with them at Mare [Winningham]'s house a couple of weeks ago, and they are so welcoming and so warm, and super excited to have me, and so that helps. I actually did the show in London before Covid, so I've already played the role, but it's going to be so different. It's different with each cast. The Broadway cast, I got to see them do it opening night, and I'm just so excited to do it with a new cast, because it feels like a completely different show. It's really a character-driven piece, and I'm excited to jump in with them.

What would you say that you are most excited for, not only with the return of Girl from the North Country, but with the return of Broadway in general?

Just the energy of getting people together and experiencing art together, it's going to be moving. I'm sure we're all ready. I was recently in Austria, and in Venice, Italy, and I had the chance to see a couple of live performances of music, and it was so moving to be in a room with people, and hearing people singing, it brought me to tears. I think the most exciting thing is everyone together in a room, a thousand people, focusing on one thing. That hasn't happened during Covid, we've been on Zooms and phone calls, all in our separate spaces. I think that's the most exciting thing about theater coming back and Broadway coming back is a group of people focusing on one thing for three hours, two hours. Experiencing something together is going to be so lovely.

Do you have an onstage moment you're most looking forward to performing?

I was just reading the script a couple of days ago to prepare, and I forgot about the scene leading up to the song that I sing called 'I Want You', it's so heartbreaking and so moving for me, and I'm sure a lot of people have experienced that situation, being broken up with. I'm so excited to experience that each night, and of course, singing the song is a joy, but the scene leading up to it, the preparation for that is just as moving as the song. There's one moment where the character played by Caitlin Houlahan wants to give my character, Gene, back a locket, a Saint Christopher Medallion. And the character has kept his cool up until that moment, and he just can't deal with it, and has a moment where he's like, "Keep it, keep it." And it's such a heartbreaking moment, and Conor [McPherson]'s writing is so beautiful. That locket moment is such a lovely thing I'm going to get to perform each night. And there's a new song, 'Pressing On'. When I was in London, we didn't do this finale song, and they added it with the Broadway cast, and it's during our curtain call. I'm excited to learn that and get into that each night, from Bob Dylan's gospel phase.

What would you say that you've learned about yourself in the past year and a half that you'll take with you going forward?

What it actually means to take care of yourself. I don't know if everyone took care of themselves during Covid, but I think a lot of people got to learn how to take care of themselves because we didn't have anything to do. And so, what do we do with all this idle time? I think taking care of myself and walking in nature was the biggest thing for me. I need those nature walks for a reset, and time in nature was really healing over Covid. And just patience, and being grateful for what is in front of us. I think gratitude and patience and taking care of oneself, the simple things. Eating well and sleeping well and slowing down.

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Girl from the North Country will resume performances on Broadway on Wednesday, October 13, 2021. Conor McPherson reimagines the songs of the legendary Bob Dylan in Girl From The North Country - the new musical about the dreams we keep close, the people we hold dear, and the place we call home.

Girl From The North Country began performances on Friday, February 7, 2020 at the Belasco Theatre and opened on Thursday, March 5, 2020, before Broadway was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.