BWW Interviews: Tracy Michailidis talks PARADE

Acting Up Stage and Studio 180 present the Canadian Premiere of PARADE at the Berkeley St Theatre, on now until January 22nd 2011. A Canadian Premiere, this musical showcases the work of composer Jason Robert Brown, a critically acclaimed up and coming lyricist who penned such other works as The Last Five Years and 13. The show features a talented cast of some of the best that Canada has to offer, including Michael Therriault in the lead role of Leo, the wrongly-accused and persecuted Northerner in this historical tale of the famous trial. We spoke with Michael Earlier this week, and today we are featuring an interview with Tracy Michailidis, who plays Leo's wife Lucille:

 

Congrats on the Canadian Premiere of Parade! How do you feel the city is responding to the piece?

It is a privilege to get to be the first Canadian company to be doing this special piece. We've had full houses, and I've participated in a few talkbacks with the audiences, which have been thoroughly enlightening. What's most exciting is that people are eager to talk about the history that we're dealing with - they are curious to know about the outcome, the politics, and the social ramifications of the Leo Frank case. I think ultimately theatre is a social and political activity, and to be part of a musical that does this is rare. Colleagues have told me they were moved by the piece, and this, too, is encouraging.

This show deals with a lot of very sensitive and difficult issues so you have to balance the musicality of your roles with the emotion and acting needed to convey the story. How do you approach this as an actor?

It's all about balance. For me, it's important to figure out the truth of what's going on in the scene, and for the character. It's challenging, because sometimes what a character is saying belies what they're actually feeling. And sometimes the key to their deeper truth is within the music. It's very challenging music, and much of the material I sing is (as it rightly should be) when I'm in a heightened emotional state. So I continue to work both technically as a singer, and also to keep trusting my acting instincts, and digging deeper. I also try not to worry so much about what things sound like. For example, my favourite Tonys in 'West Side Story' are those who sound like they may very well crack when they reach those high notes, but that's what makes it so thrilling: there's a fine line between soaring and falling, I guess the jumping is the most important thing.

Parade is playing in a very intimate space; does this affect how you approach the show and the material?

I don't know if the size of the space actually changes the way I've worked on the piece and the character, but I do think having an audience that much closer, and even having to do it acoustically means less padding between yourself and the audience, so it's helpful, sometimes scary, and always instructive in helping me find what's genuine and truthful.

Jason Robert Brown has a huge following as an up and coming musical theatre composer, and is very popular with self proclaimed "theatre geeks" With your personal background in theatre, would you consider yourself a theatre geek?

I wore out my albums of Annie and Evita before I turned twelve years old, so yeah, I'd say I'm a theatre geek. Having said that, I've gotta say, I've always had a frustration with that term. You never hear people term themselves 'sports geeks.' I think theatre, and perhaps particularly musical theatre, because people so plainly (and bravely) wear their hearts on their sleeves, can make lots of people feel uncomfortable and shy. But it's an arterial vein to the heart; there's no denying that.

We would love to get a bit of musical theatre trivia for our readers - could you rundown your five favourite Broadway shows and why?

Only five? Hmm. They vacillate, but right now, I'd say these:

West Side Story, because that old adage about when words aren't enough, you sing, and when that's not enough, you dance--is so true, and so expertly done throughout. Also because the music is thrilling and timeless, and because you care about every character in the show.

Sunday in the Park with George because the longer I'm on this earth, and in this profession, different things in that show resonate with me, and teach me.

Gypsy is near and dear to my heart---though my mom's by no means a stage mother, my relationship with her is one of the most important and complex in my life, and I like that the relationships between Rose and her daughters are complicated ones. Also, that score is beautiful. I could listen to that overture for days.

Light in the Piazza because it is blissfully free of irony, full of heart, musically complex, and unabashedly romantic.

In The Heights because after seeing it, I felt like I'd changed on a cellular level. The heart and soul and guts of that piece, and the cast that invested so wholly in it both moved and inspired me.

Finally, for those unfamiliar with the history behind Parade or Jason Robert Brown's work, what one thing would you say to encourage people to come out to the theatre and experience it for themselves?

Jason's a genius composer, and his music is visceral. It's thrilling to get to hear it sung in an acoustic setting, and the talent that surrounds me on the stage at the Berkeley Street is first-rate---I could listen to my castmates sing for days. It's a story that I think we as a cast feel is our responsibility (and privilege) to tell, and one that needs to be heard. To hear this story sung only reinforces the message, and will likely stay in an audience's members ears and spirit long after the curtain goes down.

 

When and Where?

PARADE
The Berkeley Street Theatre

Performance Schedule
Monday-Saturday 8 PM
Matinees Saturday 2 PM

Tickets: $32 to $40, with 20% discount for students and seniors

On Sale Now by Phone at 416-368-3110

And Online at www.paradethemusical.com