BWW Interviews: Steve Blanchard, PRAIRIE's 'Pa'

When someone mentions Little House on the Prairie, most people think instantly of the iconic television program, little Laura Ingalls twirling in the field or that unforgettable theme song. But what about the real people behind those memorable characters, and their tough life on the prairie with all its struggles and joys? That is what theatergoers who come to see Little House on the Prairie at the Fox Theatre will experience, as they live the stories of the Ingalls family on stage in this new musical based on the books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  And joyfully leading this stage family will be Melissa Gilbert (Ma) and Steve Blanchard, who plays Charles "Pa" Ingalls in this refreshing new production which comes to the Fox June 15 – 20. I had the chance to talk with Steve about the role, his experience with the show and how he has made a deep and personal connection with this truly remarkable man of the land.

BWW: Steve, thanks so much for taking the time to talk with me today. I am excited to hear about the show and I know our readers will be too. We are really looking forward to the premiere of Little House in Atlanta!

Steve Blanchard: Good! We are too. We are all anxious for some Mary Mac's!

Let's start by having you tell us a little bit about yourself and your career. Specifically, how did you get into the theatre business??

Well, I failed as a football player, so I said "Which way to the auditorium?" and it kind of fell in my lap. Someone had dropped out of the school play and my English teacher recognized my ability to ham it up when we read Romeo and Juliet in class so she reccommended me to the drama teacher. So, I took over as Howie Newsome in Our Town and that was the beginning. I got the bug from there. I went to the University of Maryland and majored in drama and got a terrific education from there. It wasn't just focused on acting or directing it was a broad, well rounded education. I learned how to do everything. I got my first Broadway show in 1984, Three Musketeers, and it was because of my fighting skills. It was a mandatory requirement for all Maryland students to learn stage combat. There is no way I would have gotten that role otherwise.

I am guessing you don't get to use your fighting skills in Little House, do you?

No, not really, but there is actually a little fight that takes place at the claims office, but they were very specific, they didn't want to see Pa land a blow or strike anyone. It is very well thought our that Pa never hits anyone.

Tell us a little bit about the show. I know a lot of people are familiar with the books and the TV show, but as far as the musical goes, tell us what makes it unique.

It was originally an idea conceived by Adrianne Lobel, our set desiger and Francesca Zambello and they got together and thought the story would be a terrific vehicle for a musical. Obviously they didn't want to base it on the TV series, it was always going to be about the books. Depending on if you are a fan of the TV series or a fan of the books, one may not know about the other. Our show is based on the last four books of the series which chronicle the Ingalls moving from Walnut Grove, Minnesota ,where the TV show took place, to De Smet, South Dakota which was their last move. Pa was a self confessed victim of wanderlust so he liked to move the family around all the time, whenever it got too crowded or the animals left, that's when he would move. He promised Caroline that this would be the last move. And it was. They settled down there and stayed for the rest of their lives. It is also the story of Laura and her transition from teenager to woman. 

And how long have you been part of the show?

Since 2008. We did it in 2008 at the Guthrie [Theatre in Minneapolis]. Francesca actually had me in mind for it ever since I auditioned when Beauty and the Beast closed. She was directing The Little Mermaid and saw me in Beauty and brought me in. I wasn't right for Mermaid but she said there's something else I want you to take a look at. She was always my champion as far as playing Pa in this show.

You mentioned the source material being primarily the books, but for the vast majority of people, all they know is the TV show. Do you find it refreshing to be introducing new content to people who think they know what to expect or is it a challenge to overcome those expectations?

I do relish telling the true story of the people. These were real people, they really existed. They weren't television characters. What they went through and what they had to endure to survive is truly remarkable. It's fun to do that and to play a real life character that actually existed and to bring that to life every night and try to show what they went through. People will come up to me after the show or at press events, and say that I have big shoes to fill with Michael Landon, and those are usually the first people to realize that he was a real life person and not a TV actor. All due respect to Michael Landon, I loved him in Bonanza, but quite honestly never watched him in Little House on the Prairie. I was older and into my high school and college years and I did not watch Little House. Because I never watched the show, I had no reference. When I found out they were based on books, I went out and read all the books and really got into the historical Pa, the real life guy. So, I got on my motorcycle when we were at the Guthrie in Minnesota, and I drove to all the sites that were close to there. I drove to their site in Wisconsin and of course the one in Minnesota in Walnut Grove and then I also drove to De Smet. When we finished there I took the southern route and went down to Kansas and visited the original little house on the prairie there. I then drove east and hit Mansfield where Laura and Almonzo lived the rest of their life in Missouri. I really got into the journey and what they went through and what they faced every day, not knowing where your next meal was coming from or if you would have a roof over your head or would be attacked by American Indians.

That has to be exciting, because it is not often you get to not only play a real person but also to immerse yourself in those experiences and connect with the locations, lifestyle and real challenges they faced.

Exactly right. The day I came back from De Smet everything I describe in the song "Prairie Moves", I saw that day. Having stood on Charles Ingalls' land, I cannot tell you the spiritual experience I had that night singing that song on stage. When I visited all the sites I took soil samples, so I carry Charles' land with me wherever I go, all across the country, because his deal was the land. That was his main thing, and he loved it. He loved going out in the middle of a field and hauling logs from a stream, letting them dry in the sun and building a house, that's the way he was.

Let's talk a little about Charles. What about the role and what about his character and the way he is portrayed in the show do you look forward to the most each night. What's the key piece of his character that you most connect with?

First of all, I share his love of the land. We have a lot of land in Maryland where I am from. I don't like having a lot of people around me, I don't like to feel crowded. So I share that with him. And also the fact that he was a very loving father. His girls and his wife meant more than anything, that's why they were so functional as a family. They just loved one another so much. I have that connection with the girl who plays Laura, her name is Kara Lindsay and she is exactly like my daughter. It's how I treat my own daughters. I have an 11 year old and a 16 year old, and I think that is the other part of the equation with Charles and I. I feel the same way about my kids as he did about his. I also like to have fun and be goofy and Charles was that as well. He was just a free spirit. He loved playing the fiddle, but I cant do that very well. But he loved dancing and being goofy and I try to bring a little of that to the show. In essence, when you see the show I am basically playing myself. So it really isn't that much of a stretch for me to go out there, put on some boots and some jeans and be goofy.

It has to be refreshing to be part of something new. What is unique or different about creating a role like Charles as opposed to taking one over and making it your own.

The neat thing for any actor is to do that, take a blank piece of canvas and start putting in strokes and colors and shading, that is really what we all live for; to create from scratch and put our mark on it. I had the pleasure of doing that with Johnny Guitar and with Frankenstein and I have enjoyed that with Charles as well. It is a terrific experience, and one that I would like to keep on doing. But unfortunately, in our days and times you can't always hold out for creating a new role, you have to go to Houston and do 42^nd Street or to Atlanta and do South Pacific, because that's the nature of our business.

And you have played the Fox before at least once, because you were part of 42^nd Street last fall, right?

Yes, last summer I did 42^nd Street in both Houston and Atlanta. The longer you hang around in this business you do play these theaters across the country that you have played in a number of times. It is neat coming back. I think I was first there in 1989 with Phantom and then in 1995 I did South Pacific there with Robert Goulet.

So thinking toward the future, do you have a dream role that you would one day like to play?

I would love to do Billy Bigelow one day, but I may have passed the age for that one. Certainly, I would say in about five years or so, I would love to do Sweeney. As far as a new one, I don't know if it has been written yet. I would love to do something like Gladiator, I actually did the workshop of it out in L.A., it was pretty wild. I would love to do the original Spartacus musical or something like that, something really epic. I enjoy those kind of dark things, I am not really a Dames At Sea or Anything Goes kind of guy.

Steve, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with me today. Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers?

Just bring all the kids and grandparents and come on out and see us. It is a great show and you won't be dissapointed.

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LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, THE MUSICAL will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre in Atlanta from June 15-20, 2010. Performances are Tuesday-Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm & 8 pm, and Sunday at 1:30 pm & 7 pm. Tickets are on sale NOW at all Ticketmaster outlets, at 800-982-2787 and online at www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices range from $25-$65. Special group rates are available through the Fox Group Sales Dept. at 404-881-2000.

Theater of the Stars celebrates its 58th Anniversary as one of the nation's premier regional theater companies. A civic not-for-profit cultural treasure, Theater of the Stars is dedicated to presenting and producing the best in musical theater. To learn more about our history of excellence, visit www.theaterofthestars.com.

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Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg