STAGE VOICE/INTERVIEW: D.C. ANDERSON ON "PHANTOM" AND THE MUSIC OF THE NIGHT
BY: COLIN MURPHY – SENIOR WRITER
The majesty and splendor of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Phantom of the Opera and “the music of the night” will again hold court at the Fabulous Fox Sept. 30 – Oct. 25.
Directed by Harold Prince, the Cameron Mackintosh/Really Useful Theatre Company, Inc. production brings the longest running show in Broadway history back to St. Louis starring Tim Martin Gleason as our dark hero, the Phantom and Trista Moldovan as his obsession, Christine.
Also joining the 36-member company is out actor and singer/songwriter D.C. Anderson as Monsieur Andre. The Bistro Award winner knew long ago that he wanted to be a part of Phantom after listening to the soundtrack (on LP, of course) and turning to a friend and saying, “I’m going to be in this!” He has since performed myriad roles in Phantom productions including on Broadway and in the Los Angeles Company and the National tour.
The Vital VOICE recently caught up with Anderson while on tour in Detroit to talk about America’s love affair with the musical, its draw for gay audiences and his upcoming cabaret concert in St. Louis.
Colin Murphy: You’ve enjoyed a long association with Phantom and have played several roles. At one point you were under a swing contract; how many different roles did you have to memorize at once?
D.C. Anderson: Thirteen!
CM: How is that possible??
DA: The thing about Phantom for the ensemble, because a lot of those were ensemble roles, is they are smaller parts. It’s a great job, certainly and there are definitely challenges to the score and all, but when I went to see Hairspray and I saw that if you are a swing in Hairspray how much you have to learn and how much you have to keep in your head, I thought to myself, I could never have swung Hairspray. It’s a phenomenal thing. Phantom was just enough for me.
CM: Many national tours are watered down versions of the Broadway show. Having performed in Phantom on Broadway how does this national tour compare to the New York show?
DA: This is not at all watered down, actually. The beauty of this company and the way that this is done is there are maybe two differences. And that is in New York they can cut holes in the stage because they’re going to stay there awhile. They have stayed there awhile; 23 years now. So they can cut a hole in the stage, make a trap door for people to drop into, and that makes sense. Here, when people disappear, they don’t disappear into the floor but they still disappear. But that is the only difference. It’s the same size cast, it’s the same costumes; there’s no scrimping there; it’s the same set except for the fact that things can’t fall into the floor, they have to come in from the side. Everything is the same, there’s no difference. And I’ve been in the Broadway show and I’ve been with the Los Angeles company and that’s one thing that’s thrilling about this is there is no difference.
CM: To what to you attribute Phantom’s longevity and continued popularity?
DA: I remember when I sat in the movie Hannah and Her Sisters and I thought that this is perfectly cast, perfectly designed, perfectly dissected and it was almost as if everyone was exactly where they should be doing exactly what they should be doing at the time. And I feel like that was Phantom. The design, the director, the music, the choreographer; there is something about Phantom design-wise when you look at it, except for the scenes in which they are in the theater, where it goes off into darkness. If you look at it you don’t see the back wall of the theater, you don’t see the back wall of the office, you don’t see the back wall of anything; it just goes into darkness and I think that that’s on purpose. It was directed very cinematically, it continually moves. And I think that is a big part of its appeal and also the music. It’s a romantic story. It’s also a mysterious story and there’s some suspense to it. I just think that everyone was working at the top of their game from the original book and story to Harold Prince and to Andrew Lloyd Weber and Gillian Lynne and they were just all on the same wave length it seemed to me.
CM: Gay audiences have always been a loyal fan base for live theater. I read where you had mentioned that gay audiences were drawn to Phantom’s outsider theme. Could you talk more about that?
DA: I think that’s very possible. Certainly myself, I’m in my fifties so I grew up in a time in which I didn’t know any gay people when I was a kid. As far as I knew there was nobody but me. Nobody was talking about it; there were no gay characters on television, there were no gay characters on film; it was as if I was this complete aberration. And I was able to hide that aberration. But the thing about the Phantom is he can’t. He puts the mask on but he’s still there.
So there is something to that. There’s something to the fact that there’s only one of me here and nobody understands me and if they knew, they would do me damage. The Phantom, I don’t think he’s an evil man, I just think he’s trying to survive.
CM: Talk about your cabaret concert. You’ll be performing Oct. 16 at the Kranzberg Arts Center Studio Theater. It’s gong to take place after the show so that’s going to be a long evening.
DA: It is, it’s at 11 o’clock that evening and I’ve got a brand new CD which actually releases that Tuesday. So it’s actually going to be a CD release concert. We’ll do lots of stuff from the new CD and then some favorites from other ones. I’m very excited about it. Tim Schall who does a lot of the cabaret stuff in St. Louis, he helped me find the location and he’s helped me in all sorts of ways, so I’m very grateful for that. Luckily on the road with me in Phantom is David Robinson, he’s our Associate Conductor. He also likes playing stuff that I write and enjoys doing this with me so that’s a real blessing.
It’s going to be a busy month. Not only will I be doing that gig but on Oct. 5 I’m coordinating the Phantom cast in a benefit for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation that’s going to take place at the Purser Center. We’re calling it “Comic Release” because the show [Phantom] certainly has enough dramatic elements to it so we’re doing a lot of light, fun songs that night. And then on Oct. 12 there are five of us involved with the Reparatory Theatre of St. Louis’ Laramie Project Epilogue. So I'm doing all of that and then I think I'll just pass out.
"The Phantom of the Opera" will play the Fabulous Fox Theatre September 30-October 25. Performances are Tuesday-Friday evenings at 8p.m.; Saturdays at 2p.m. and 8p.m.; and Sundays at 2p.m. and 7:30p.m. There is also a weekday matinee on Thursday, October 1 at 1p.m. Ticket prics range from $28-$75 and are subject to change. Please visit www.fabulousfox.com for currenct pricing information.
