BWW Interviews: Dennis Tamblyn - Pushing the Limits

Dennis Tamblyn is a honey-voiced tenor and a big, smiling teddy bear of a man who it's impossible not to love. His onstage presence is larger than life (beyond the fact that he is a large guy), sensitive, alert and often infectiously silly. He played the lead in A Man of No Importance, produced by Tucson's Studio Connections last season. He is now part of the impressive company at the north side's Great American Playhouse. Interviewing theatre artists is always an adventure, and with his background, it felt a tad ridiculous to ask how Dennis found his way into the performing arts, but his story proves extraordinary.

Dennis Tamblyn: I was introverted and insecure in middle school and in high school (even by their standards!). I would sign up for theater classes, but would get so nervous about performing that I'd give myself panic attacks. I would even fake being sick as a kid just so I didn't have to perform on days I knew I had to (sorry mom!). It wasn't until I got to college that I started falling in love with performing. I started studying opera and I found a niche as a character tenor. I realized that I would MUCH rather play the quirky, funny supporting character than carry a lead role. I spent many years in the opera world and really honed my craft as a singer, but I had to figure out the acting side of things on my own.

I would take acting classes when I could and I thrived on an environment where I could just "act" instead of worrying about singing. Once I started connecting my acting with my singing, it actually made my singing that much easier. It wasn't until very recently when I broke into the world of musical theater. I am so grateful for my years of voice and music study because now I can focus my craft on bringing my acting to the same level.

I grew up the youngest of 7 in Scottsdale, Arizona. We all studied music as kids and specialized in stringed instruments. None of us we really singers or actors except for my dad. My dad was a classically trained tenor and he would always embarrass us in church because he would sing the hymns so loud! My uncle (my dad's brother) is Russ Tamblyn who was Riff in the movie version of West Side Story and was quite an accomplished film actor/dancer. His daughter Amber is currently on Two and a Half Men and has done such movies as Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and 127 Hours. I knew performing was in my blood, but I didn't really access it until much later in life. When I went to college, I originally got my degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics with hopes of becoming a doctor. It was after my junior year that my dad passed away and I started reassessing my life path. My sister Suzanne was the only family member who chose to actually pursue music as a profession and she had died in a car accident the year before my dad. I came to the conclusion that someone from my family needed to step up and show the world that the talented Tamblyns weren't just on my uncle's side! Since I was th youngest, it was easier for me to change my career path so after getting my B.S. in science, I went back to do another degree in music.

I focused most of my career on opera . As we've all read in the papers, opera companies have not been doing well lately so I decided to take a step in a different direction and pursue musical theater. Even though in 2011 when I did Sweeney Todd it was my first musical, I played Pirelli which is mostly operatic. I would really consider A Man of No Importance (AMONI) to be my first dive into musical theater. I was so used to performing in operatic venues that I had forgotten what it was like to be nervous before a performance. AMONI pushed my boundaries as an artist in every way possible. The music was so subtle and internal that I couldn't rely on my loud opera voice. Also, I had to deliver a lot of dialogue which was very much out of my comfort zone. That show was a real turning point in my life and one that I will never forget.

I think it is so important for us as artists to keep challenging ourselves and stop sticking to what we know. I'm not saying that we need to change our direction as artists completely, but we need to take the opportunities every so often that terrify us. We need to feel that nervous excitement we feel when we are doing something we haven't done before. That can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but over the last year I know one thing...pushing the boundaries of our art is essential. OK enough of my soap box. Because I pushed my limits as an artist, it translated to my personal life. I took a huge leap of faith and left my job of 7 years as a teaching artist with the Opening Minds Through the Arts (OMA) program to head the theater program at Pusch Ridge Christian Academy. I loved my job at OMA very much and I never thought I would leave it, but if I hadn't pushed myself in new directions over the past year, then I would have never thought I could run my own theater program. Now I'm confident that I can do it and successfully for that matter.

JS: Do you have a process that you have found to work for you? If so, can you describe it?

DT: My process as a performer is to keep the work load on the front end of a production. This leads to a much more enjoyable rehearsal process and performance. There are people who say "Oh I am terrible in rehearsal, but in performance I'm awesome". I can give you MANY MANY examples of how being prepared leads to much more opportunities. One example of this was when I did Sweeney Todd and, in typical fashion, the 2nd verse of "The Contest" was cut (the tooth pulling scene). I had no intentions of changing that, but I did make sure that I was off-book by the first rehearsal with the entire cast so that I could play with the character once we started staging. After the first read-through, the director emailed me and said we were adding the the 2nd verse. That ended up being my favorite part of the whole show!! It is that kind of preparation that I think is pivotal to a performer. Once people see that you can learn your stuff quickly then they will start trusting you and relying on your more. You don't have to be the most talented one in the cast (I certainly wasn't during Sweeney Todd), but if you are prepared then you will get noticed. Am I sounding too preachy?

JS: Not a bit. I appreciate your focus on discipline. How have your personal losses informed your work as an artist?

DT: Life is such a crazy thing and I've seen too many times people go through a tragedy and that tragedy defines them. My dad and sister would be so angry with me if I used their deaths as an excuse to be a negative or bitter person. They both were wonderful, positive people and I feel that it is my duty to carry on their legacy as people and as musicians. Everyone has things they have dealt with in their lives and I cannot begin to understand or judge what someone has gone through in the face of adversity. For myself, however, I decided early on that I would not let these tragedies turn me into a cold, hard person. I promised myself that I would live my life so that when I see them in heaven, they would be proud of what I did for them. I don't think of carrying on their legacies as a chore, but as a privilege and and an honor. I thank God everyday that my life is now filled with music, theater and performing and I will continue to do so on whatever scale God sees fit. That is where my positivity comes from...love. Love that I get to be an artist everyday and I can share that passion and love for the arts with others. This new job at PRCA will start from there and I can't wait to see how it will grow over the years.

My family is so musically inclined that they all still keep it in their lives. In fact, for my sister, Kathleen's, 50th birthday, she put together a recital with all of the Tamblyn family performing. It was an awesome evening and proof that once the arts are in your blood, they never go away.

Dennis Tamblyn can be seen in the Great American Playhouse hit, Naomi and Michelle's Excellent Adventure, running through August 30th. Tickets and Information: http://greatamericanplayhouse.com/

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