Interview: Brian Stokes Mitchell Talks KEITH LOCKHART 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION at Tanglewood

Brian Stokes Mitchell says he doesn’t recall exactly when it was that he met Keith Lockhart, but he’ll never forget his first impression of the Boston Pops conductor.

“It’s too long ago now for me to say when we first worked together, but I do remember thinking that Keith was so young, so energetic, and so knowledgeable,” said Mitchell by telephone recently. “Perhaps what impressed me most, however, was that I could see right away that the whole Boston Pops Orchestra really respected him. It is always a delight to see a conductor who has a great relationship with the musicians.”

Respect for Lockhart has only grown since he joined the Pops in 1995. First performed in May at Boston’s Symphony Hall, “Keith Lockhart 30th Anniversary Celebration” will be reprised on August 22 at Tanglewood in Lenox/Stockbridge. A new line-up of soloists will include Mitchell’s fellow Tony Award winners Lynn Ahrens (“Ragtime”) and Bernadette Peters (“Annie Get Your Gun,” “Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Song and Dance”), plus Jason Danieley, Ben Folds, Mandy Gonzalez, Guster’s Ryan Miller, John Pizzarelli, and the string trio Time for Three.

“I love all these performers and I’ve also worked with many of them previously,” says the famed baritone. “There is not a single energy vampire among them. They’re all lovely people whom Keith loves to work with, and superb performers, too. When it’s not my turn, I’ll probably be backstage, or maybe in the audience, watching and enjoying them.”

Theater audiences have been watching and enjoying Mitchell since 1988, when he made his Broadway debut in the musical “Mail.”  Since then, Mitchell has become a Broadway leading man of the first order – with starring roles in “Kiss of the Spiderwoman,” “Ragtime,” “Man of La Mancha,” and “Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation and All that Followed” – and a four-time Tony Award nominee, winning for Best Actor in a Musical for the 1999 revival of “Kiss Me Kate.”

The popular artist has been married since 1994 to actress Allyson Tucker, with whom he has a son, Ellington. Accompanied by Tedd Firth, Mitchell will make his Barrington Stage Company concert debut on May 18. When it comes to guest appearances with world-class orchestras, however, he knows well the importance of conductors like Lockhart.

“There’s only one rehearsal with the full orchestra before you do the show. The conductor has to take the music with its notes and bring it all together with the musicians who have to play it. Fortunately, I work with great orchestrators like Tedd and Jonathan Tunick, who did Stephen Sondheim’s shows for 50 years, so I always know Keith will get it,” says the Seattle native. “Keith has voluminous knowledge to draw on, and he is pliable and really listens. Working with him is like putting on an old cashmere sweater that always feels great.”

Mitchell credits Lockhart’s interface with the Pops with enabling him to put his own focus where he likes it best.

“For me, what I really want to do is to perform for the audience. And that’s possible because Keith feels music the way I do. He is one of the best conductors around because he’s such a great collaborator,” Mitchell explains. “A show like the one at Tanglewood is a huge collaboration – between the guest performers, conductor, musicians, sound and lighting designers and so many more people. It’s a disparate group, really, but everyone comes together beautifully.”

While he wouldn’t reveal his song choice, he was happy to discuss his approach to multi-artist concerts like this one.

“For shows like this, I try to find the best way to be of service. With that in mind, I asked Keith what he would like me to do and then I made my decision. I don’t want to spoil the surprise for the audience, but I will say that the music I chose will give honor to Keith,” says Mitchell.

In addition to concerts, recordings, and book shows, Mitchell – who currently plays Frederick Kirkland in HBO’s “The Gilded Age,” made his television debut in the 1979 ABC-TV mini-series “Roots: The Next Generation,” was a regular on CBS-TV’s “Trapper John, M.D.” from 1979 to 1986, and had a recent recurring role on USA Network’s “Mr. Robot” – also shares his talent in other ways. Until recently, he served as Chairman of the Board of the Entertainment Community Fund, formerly the Actors Fund, which offers resources and emergency financial assistance to those employed in the entertainment field.

“I stepped down two years ago, but I was replaced by Annette Bening, my classmate at Patrick Henry High School in San Diego, so the Entertainment Community Fund is in spectacular hands. It’s been great to see Annette fly with it. We just co-chaired a very successful fundraising campaign with the Fund’s president and CEO, Joseph P. Benincasa, and the future looks strong. Annette is West Coast-based and that will be good for the organization, too.”

Mitchell has many plans for the future, but right now his sights are set on his upcoming appearance.

“I am very much looking forward to reuniting with good friends, including Keith, and playing with the huge, spectacular orchestra that is the Boston Pops at Tanglewood, one of the most beautiful concert settings in the world,” says Mitchell. “I love the wonderful synergistic vibe of it all.”

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