Interview: TONY WINNER MICHAEL MAGUIRE Solos with the LA LAW PHIL at Disney Concert Hall!

 Michael Maguire is perhaps best known to theater goers for his portrayal of Enjolras in the original Broadway company of “Les Miserables”  for which he won the coveted Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, Theater World Award and was featured on the cover of Newsweek. Michael repeated that performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London as a member of the “Dream Cast” celebrating the 10th anniversary of Les Miz, an event that has been broadcast numerous times on PBS and around the world. At the New York City Opera, he starred as Count Carl Magnus in ‘A Little Night Music’ as well as the subsequent PBS broadcast of the show. Michael took 10 minutes to answer 10 questions about his journey from Broadway to Beverly Hills.   

What was running through your mind at the Tony Awards then hearing your name win?

In the days leading up to the Tony awards, I knew that I had done my best at every single performance from the first preview and all you can ever do is your best so I was contented with this adage. I had no idea that I might win especially given the formidable competition. When I heard my name called, I was naturally overwhelmed but managed to say thank you without passing out on stage.

Most performers quit law school to run away to join the circus but you played your Tony Award forward and moved on to Law School? Why?

Ever since I was young, I have thrived on excelling at different experiences. I had a successful career as a broker on Wall Street before I got into Les Miserables and almost as soon as I won the Tony award, I started thinking about law school. As much as I would love to have been a leading man in Broadway show after show, I realized I could probably make a living as a Broadway performer but it would be difficult to go from one great show to another because there weren't that many great shows one year after the other and so I started pondering my options.

As I considered this and my own skill set, I realized I had operatic training, a Broadway background with highly marketable credentials and there was a plethora of symphonies around the US who were looking for shows to fill their pops seasons. I was fortunate enough to get connected with John Such who was just putting together a show called Bravo Broadway and I helped in the early creation of the show and went on to perform with symphonies for the next 15+ years singing with over 300 symphonies worldwide. Not quite the same as starring in a show on Broadway but I was able to sing all the great music with major symphonies and make a great living just singing on the weekends. It also allowed me to pursue another passion in Los Angeles which was restoring historic properties where I won the City of LA Restoration Award for one landmark (a Brush Canyon Craftsman). As I started to feel I had tapped out the market, I was able to shift my mentality towards law school. Which was something I had been thinking about for two decades at this point but had never pursued the J.D. until then.

What career switching advice would you give to performers just starting out in show business?

I hate to give advice to people about switching careers at the beginning of their show business career, but I think it is important to be realistic about your prospects because we all know some people are not successful but still hanging in there hoping for a big break. As long as they're happy in life doing this, it’s wonderful but I see way too many starving artists and particularly older actors who just naturally get edged out because it's a business focused on youth. Hopefully, people can find their own balance of performing and making a living to support yourself – ideally making a living at performing but if not making a living but still performing somewhere, somehow in a way that gives a vehicle to our creativity.

How do you keep your voice in shape for concert performances?

I have been blessed with a natural voice (Oberlin Conservatory) which still works almost as well as it did when I was in Les Miserables. I don't really practice a whole lot but I still do concerts mostly on the West Coast. It really feels like the ideal balance because I can sing what I want and when I want without having to worry about paying the rent.

How does your Broadway career parlay into a successful family law practice in Beverly Hills? Marlon Brando and Barbra Streisand never returned to Broadway citing eight shows a week were brutal. What role would bring you back to 42nd Street 8 shows a week? 

That's a funny question. What we were doing when Les Mis, I remember one of the performers complaining about doing eight shows a week and my response was, "apparently you've never had a real job!" I can't think of a better way to make a living than walking out on stage 8 times a week and pretending to be someone else and getting paid for it! I guess Marlon Brando and Barbra Streisand had their sights on different formats. If I ever come back to Broadway it would probably be as a smart ass old guy with a couple of killer songs!  There aren’t many of those roles . . . 

What do you miss about New York when you look at your Tony Award? Where do you keep it?

I was in New York just a few months ago visiting my daughter and was very nostalgic about the hustle and bustle of the streets, remembering how I motorcycled everywhere when I was there, working on Wall Street, being on Broadway and how exciting everything was. I keep my Tony award on the piano but I really don't think about it very often.

How do you pick a song for a concert by composer or its storytelling?

For me a song is always about conveying a character whether it's me or some other character. For concerts, of course, I have to do some of the big, well-known songs but it's also fun to do songs that no one would expect you to do. I particularly like doing quick talking narrative type songs or some of the old big voice Broadway baritone songs

How supportive were your parents/caretakers in the pursuit of performing on stage?

My parents were not necessarily driving force. I had sort of a natural voice so talent picked me up and just took me for a ride for a few decades. I was almost immediately comfortable as a stage performer because I was a good basketball player and when you learn how to perform under pressure, this seems to translate to any environment. The fact that I spent so many decades on stage, gives me a big edge in the courtroom. It's really all a big improv only with facts. The first law of improv is to never deny what was just said in front of you. 

There is a red hot discussion currently about replacement performers singing the role as directed or some are "opting up or riffing" to make the performance their own.  Where do you fall in this discussion?

This is a funny question relative to "Les Mis" because in rehearsals, Trevor Nunn and Jon Caird took us through a long series of improv play which  led us to all to feel like we were creating something new but, when I went back to London to do a special performance with the actors from the British cast, I saw that they were all doing almost the exact same things we were even though I knew that they all felt unique as well. This was a tribute to the brilliance of the direction. I've always felt you had to devote yourself to the character you're playing and you follow the direction of the director and the creative team when you're doing a book show but when it's me in concert, I pretty much do whatever I want in concert. Hopefully, whenever someone replaces another iconic actor they might start off following a template but hopefully are able to make it their own, within the initially artificial confines and then start deviating from there. 

What's next for Michael Maguire? Another lane switch or "One Day More" as the singing esquire or a barrister baritone? 

Well, there are number of things I fantasize about including going back to Broadway but I almost get to do everything all the time anyway! I have my law firm (maguirefamilylaw.com) in Beverly Hills, I am CEO of a rapidly growing company where we provide divorce coaching to employees of the service that's paid for by their company. Fortunately for me, we just won three very difficult cases in the last two weeks for the firm so the company is up and running with a lot of steam behind it while I’ve got a number of performances in Northern California this summer and singing at Disney Hall at the end of  this June.  I can’t ask for a better balance!

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