BWW Interviews: Adam Pascal comes to Toronto and Talks RENT: The Broadway Tour

RENT: The Broadway Tour stops in Toronto for two weeks beginning January 12th, starring original Broadway cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp in the roles of Roger Davis and Mark Cohen. The tour also features Original Broadway Cast Member Gwen Stewart and many other Rent alums.

Rent follows a group of young artists and musicians struggling to survive in New York City's Lower East Side while dealing with issues such as homosexuality, HIV/AIDS, drug addiction, love, loss and of course, how to pay the rent. The writer of the show, Jonathan Larson, died tragically of an aortic aneurysm right before opening night, but his beloved message lives on through the music of Rent, which has been embraced around the globe.

Due to its popularity, Rent spawned a hit 2005 movie (also starring Rapp and Pascal) and when it closed on Broadway, launched an extremely successful tour that has played the United States, Japan and now comes to Toronto.

Adam Pascal originated the role of Roger Davis on Broadway back in 1996, and went on to play the role in the West End and again on Broadway in 2007. He took some time to sit down and talk to BWW about life on the road, as well as what it has been like getting to be a part of Rent for so many years and how things have changed for him since he first began.

Welcome to Toronto! Is this your first time performing here?

 

 

Yep, it's actually my first time in Canada and I'm really looking forward to it.  It has been great so far and we just got here, we have only done one show. We've been to a number of really beautiful, larger metropolitan areas on this tour and Toronto is really great.

 

 

Do you have anything specific on your "to-do" list while you are here?

 

Not really, I'm not a big tourist in that way. I'm a big "foodie", I love restaurants and wine. A few other cast members and I like to experience the food wherever we go. We like to find the best restaurants in each new city and just go out to dinner and that's a big thing that I'm looking forward to.

 

You first played the role of Roger on Broadway, and then also did it in the UK, but this is your first time doing Rent on tour. How do you find touring differs from being in a sit-down production?

It's a bit more exciting because you have new people coming into the theatre every week or every two weeks. Also, the travel moves everything along and you don't get bored and nothing gets stale. The performing is obviously still the same, you do your job because that is what it is. But the travel has been very enjoyable and made the time go by quicker.

Do you have a favourite city so far?

I loved being in Japan. It was just a really special trip. We were there for a month and I fell in love with it. I also loved a lot of the Northwest cities like Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and Chicago. I guess I like the bigger cities (or at least the nice ones) but Seattle was probably my favourite.

On this tour, you have a very interesting mix in the cast. You have members of the Original Broadway Cast, theatre veterans and complete newcomers like Lexi (Lawson). How do you find that affects the dynamic on stage?

I think it works to our advantage. Everybody in the show is perfect for the role and that is why they were cast. Everyone was carefully chosen and are fantastic at what they do. The chemisty is so great between all of us both on stage and off and that is very important - it's crucial to be friends with the people you work with. You hear stories about actors and people who hate eachother during production and I just don't understand how anyone could work like that. I would have a really hard time with it. We all get along so well and it seems to be a perfectly working dynamic between us. It's really a smooth running machine and I think that shows when we are on stage.

Since you and Anthony (Rapp) have done the show for so long and also worked together many times, were you able to help the newcomers adjust to life in the Rent family?

I guess, but not overtly. I'm not the kind of person to assume my advice is so worthy I would just offer it without even being asked. I do think that because Anthony and I were in the original cast people might look to us to see how we work and how hard we are going to work. Maybe they just want to see what we did and maybe it helps raise the level of other people's games, even if it is only subconsciously.

To be honest, that really is a hard question. *laughs* I mean, "how do you positively affect the people around you?" Not an easy thing to answer. But truly, we are all such good friends that it just translates onto the stage. We all support eachother in that emotional and physical way ... and really in every way that people need support on stage.

Has your personal preparation for a performance changed since the early days of Rent?

Absolutely. I never used to warm up my voice and now I do. It's really important to do that and I have learned over the years how to properly warm up and get ready.

This is a question that everyone always wants to know, and that I'm sure you are asked a lot, but do you have a favourite part to perform?

I do get asked that a lot, and to be honest, I have a different answer every time! Because I've done the show so much it would be impossible to have one moment that I look forward to every night because it really does change. I'm really enjoying "Without You" right now. It is a beautiful song and I have been really excited by it on this tour.

When you and Anthony returned to the Nederlander in 2007 to reprise your roles in Rent, there were a lot of stories surrounding the crowds and the antics that happened at the stage door. Have you had similar experiences on tour?

Certainly people will wait at the stagedoor and in some cities there are more than others. But I can't recall any place being quite like New York during that summer - it got really crazy. Japan was pretty wild; however, it was a more behaved kind of wild. There was more control over that crowd. The level of intensity does seem to differ depending on the city.

When Rent closed on Broadway, it wasn't regarded as "the end" because the tour was already being promoted. Since after Toronto there are only two more weeks of the tour and then it appears Rent really is coming to an end, do you have a farewell message for the fans?
This definitely is the end, but it is only the end for the Equity tour and for Anthony and I. It's certainly not the end of Rent, it's a new life for Rent. There are productions popping up all over, in high schools and regional productions and people are re-imagining it which I think is really exciting. We have had an incredible life with this show and it has been amazing for all of us who have ever been part of the Rent family. But yeah, I think some people are going to have a bit of withdrawal *laughs*

Any plans for what you hope to do next? Do you plan on doing more Broadway or solo stuff?

Both ! I have a musical that I'm working on that I'm developing that is based on a 1988 concept album by a band called Queensrÿche (a staged musical version of "Operation: Mindcrime") so I'm working with them to make it into a fully fledged stage musical. And I'll do lots more solo stuff, I love doing that, it's one of the most important parts of my career because quite frankly that's what I grew up wanting to do. It's kind of funny that after all these years I get to do it now. And I will just have to see where things go, I'm very lucky in that I can generally hop between things and keep myself employed.

In this business that is important, and it also keeps things interesting. It keeps you on your toes. It can be nerve-wracking, especially in this economy when a long job comes to an end. So I will just have to wait and see what the future will bring.

Any final message for your Canadian fans?

I'm just hoping that the people in Toronto come out to see us!

Adam Pascal, Lexi Lawson and Anthony Rapp relax in The Canon Theatre before the opening night of RENT: The Broadway Tour.  Photo by Roger Cullman

The Toronto engagement marks the beginning of the end of RENT: The Broadway Tour's hit run. With just four weeks remaining after over a year on the road, this is one of your last chances to see the show before the tour comes to an end. Did you miss it in NYC? Come to Toronto, two whole weeks before the cast heads west! They have a brief stop in Wisconsin before finishing out the tour in Sacramento, California.

When and Where?
RENT: The Broadway Tour
Jan 12-24, 2010
The Canon Theatre, 244 Victoria St, Toronto

Performance Schedule:
Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri @ 8PM
Sat @ 2PM and 8PM
Sun @ 1PM and 6PM

Tickets can be purchased at the box office, by phone at 416-872-1212 (toll-free 1-800-461-3333) or online at www.mirvish.com

For more information visit www.siteforrent.com.

Rush and Lotto Details:

As has generally been the tradition of Rent, there will be a limited number of both lotto and rush seats available.

For Lotto: Names can be entered into the lottery 2 hours before each performance, in person at the box office. The draw will take place an hour and a half before each performance. Names will be drawn for 18 front row seats at $20 each (cash-only). Winners must be present and will need to show photo ID. Limit TWO tickets per person.

For Rush: Rush tickets will be limited to students. Available to purchase in person at the box office two hours before the performance with VALID student ID. Limit ONE ticket per student, $25 per ticket. Seating will be subject to availability.