Interview: Aidan Park Rules As the Asian Dr. Strange in THE STREAMING-VERSE OF MADNESS: AN UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY

The world premiere of The Streaming-verse of Madness: An Unauthorized Musical Parody has already opened at the Lyric Hyperion Theatre. This mash-up of pop song favorites doubles as the official re-opening of this Silverlake landmark.

I had the opportunity to dig into the mind of Aidan Park, who essays the role of Dr. Strange in this Madness.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Aidan!

Thank you for the interview!

What cosmic forces first brought you together with Lyric Hyperion's Kaela Green in January?

Well... actually it's all because of my big mouth! I got booked on a show as a comedian in The Lyric Theatre, where I was being so loud in the green room, I was afraid I was interrupting the other comedians' preparation process!

So I took myself to the lobby where I met Kaela who informed me that The Lyric Hyperion was producing a Stephen Sondheim musical review. I love musicals and I love singing but I hadn't been in any kind of musical production since probably 2014... I said, "Can I be in the Sondheim Musical?" Half joking and Kaela said yes!

So through the Sondheim Review, I was also able to meet Brandon who is the director/writer of Steaming-Verse of Madness and also the co-owner of Lyric Hyperion Theatre! I was very blessed to have found my tribe in this serendipitous way!

What has the process been for you to don Dr. Strange's red cape for their production of Streaming-verse of Madness?

It was totally unexpected. Initially I had intended to audition for the role of the sidekick, Wong! But when I went into audition, I guess they had other ideas! It is kind of strange I do look like a Benedict Cumberbatch in an alternate universe in which he is Korean!

I also love that I get to be a superhero! I remember myself as a 13-year-old kid who could barely speak English, who was picked on for being too "gay," bullied for being overweight!

Neither myself, or anyone else who knew me, would've guessed that this would've been in my future! So if you are a teenager and you feel down on yourself (which I definitely was), just keep moving in the direction of what you THINK will make you happy and watch what happens!

How did our opening night July 7th go? Any audience responses take you by surprise?

Opening night was glorious! SOLD OUT!

I think this musical is very unique in the sense that it is somewhat of an immersive experience. We often break the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience!

It's got a really cool Rocky Horror vibe. I think it surprised me how much the audiences were having fun with participating! Cheering for the good guys, booing for the bad guys and just really getting into the experience!

Have you worked with any of Madness' cast or creatives before?

YES! One of the cast members Nina Gosiengfiao and I have been friends for... 17 years! We're both Asian musical theater actors, so of course we met doing a production of Miss Saigon! Nina is one of my very dearest friends and we go to karaoke all the time and do musical theater harmonies for fun! So I feel very, very lucky to be in this production with her!

I also know Andy Van, a standup comedian who produces a show called, fittingly, "Asian Leading Man."

This is my first time working with the creatives, and I have to say I feel really blessed to be working with Brandon and Pete.

I know everyone says that but...

Brandon Wood the writer, director and owner of the theatre, came up with a really great script with a ton of heart. More than that, the show is so involved! There are multimedia elements, Easter eggs, the staging is multi-layered. I will be honest... When I thought I was doing a parody musical, I thought it was just gonna be us on a stage coming off and on... I never imagined this level of creativity... It's inspiring!

Pete White Is our musical director... And he is a genius... One time we were working on a song, and I said, "This feels a little high." Pete than just transposed the song on the spot! This show also features a live band which Pete musical directs! It's got such a cool rock and roll feel to it all!

What would your three-lie pitch for Madness be?

This show is funny, touching at times and a once in a lifetime experience! Featuring songs you will recognize, sung well by Broadway performers. A live band and hilarious surprises await!

I'm sure Marvel fans have their own assessments of Dr. Strange. If you were to submit Dr. Strange to an online dating site, what qualities would you include?

Well... I would have to say that the traditional version of Doctor Strange and the character that I play in the show are quite different!

If we are talking about my Dr. Strange, I'd say... Romantic, Caring, Brave

What character flaws would you definitely omit?

He's a neurotic. Can be childish. Highly emotional.

How does it feel for you, an Asian gay actor, to be taking on the usually Caucasian role of Dr. Strange?

Well, at first, I was a little worried because I know there are die hard Marvel fans out there and I thought it might upset the purists.

But as I am playing Dr. Strange, he feels... like me! ... When I am playing Doctor Strange, I'm not Korean Doctor Strange I am just Doctor Strange!

As far as being gay, I really feel that love is love! So the feelings of loss, desire, closeness that I have to convey in the character are all things that I am intimately familiar with! As a matter of fact, I am a young widow... I was with my partner Michael for five years and he passed away four years ago to cancer. I would say that I am very lucky to have been in love! But also I experienced the loss on the other end of it. So I believe it doesn't matter what your love looks like, at the heart of it all, love and loss is a universal experience!

What's your favorite song in Madness that you just love to wail?

Happy Ending by Avril Levigne! And boy do I wail!

Do you prefer doing stand-up as Aidan Park or performing as a scripted character (like Dr. Strange)?

It's different... I love stand-up comedy because I feel like it is one of the few performing art forms in which you are celebrated for being unique! Going on stage and talking about personal experiences, embarrassing moments, random thoughts! I don't know if you can tell from this interview so far, but I'm a weird one! So stand-up comedy has been a great art form through what I've been able to accept myself more.

I like playing scripted characters because it gives me an opportunity to step into someone else's shoes! Playing Doctor Strange, I started exploring what it means to be a hero! What kind of confidence does that take? Or what kind of grit and perseverance does a hero display? My hope is that through this experience that I'm able to walk away a little more of Dr. Strange-like in adapting some of his positive attributes for my everyday life.

What initially inspired you to create your wellness lifestyle brand, The Art of Being Yay!?

Necessity! When I lost my partner Michael... I entered a deep dark place. To be honest I wasn't even sure I wanted to continue to live anymore. I had a few months where I seriously contemplated taking my own life. After a few months of this, I decided that I needed to make a decision because the back-and-forth was driving me insane!

In the end I've vowed to stay and live my best life! But I made a deal with myself that I could not continue my life experiencing the levels of pain I was experiencing daily after Michael's Death. So I decided at that moment that as long as I'm alive I'm gonna try to be happy! I started studying happiness and emotions And I started applying practical strategies to my life with the hope of creating a positive emotional result!

After a few months, I noticed a big, big difference in my happiness level, and apparently so did everyone around me! My mentor Ennette Morton suggested I write a book about it! I followed her suggestion! And the book then turned into a brand in which I hold workshops to share practical tools for joyful living!

What accomplishment of The Art of Being Yay! are you most proud of?

I don't know if this would count as an accomplishment, but I am so happy that I have been able to make connections and lifelong friends with people from all walks of life as a result of my work with The Art of Being Yay!

I have lead workshops for American Cancer Society, Special Olympics, Widow's Camps and walked away from each of these experiences having connected to people and having created some lovely friendships. The more I do this the more I realize that we humans are pretty much all the same. Whether you are new widow from Ohio, a Special Olympics athlete, a cancer survivor, a high school senior for Nebraska. We are all different but the same! It has really opened my eyes to other people's perspectives that I would have otherwise never have even gotten to meet prior to my work with TABY!

Which gives you the most gratification: cracking up an audience from the comedy club stages? Acting in front of the camera or on stage? Being a public speaker? A published author?

I love all of it! They are such different mediums and I feel very lucky to be able to connect with people using different artforms and mediums. When I am at a comedy club, my job is to help the audience feel a sense of joy and relief through the power of laughter. Acting on camera or stage, the job becomes allowing the audience to experience different emotions through the eyes of the character. In my workshops and in my book, I help the participants apply practical tools for happiness to their own lives and create a path for joyful living. I can't really pick 'cause I find it all interesting!

What's in the near future for Aidan Park?

I am currently working on developing a TV show around "The Art of Being YAY." I have upcoming comedy dates in New Jersey, Montana, Colorado, Northern California! You can find more details at @aidanparkshow

But for now, my full focus is on The Streaming-Verse of Madness! at the Lyric Hyperion Theatre! I hope to see ya'll there!

Thank you again, Aidan! I look forward to experiencing your Dr. Strange.

For tickets to the live performances of Streaming-verse of Madness through July 24, 2022; click on the button below:

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