THE
TELLY LEUNG INTERVIEW
"doing
the role of "Angel" has taught me -
to live every day/moment to its fullest . . to choose to live not in fear
but in gratitude and joy for today, which is the message of RENT"
Could
you describe the process and situations that took you from
the touring production of RENT
to its exciting performances at the Hollywood Bowl? I
was on the final touring production of RENT
for its last 1 1/2 years, that eventually was part of the
DVD called "Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway - the Final
Performace." Many of the cast members went on to the
Rent: The Broadway Tour with Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal
and while we were in Los Angeles, we met Neil Patrick Harris
(a member of the RENT
family since he played "Mark" in a national tour
of the Tony-winning show that ran at the Ahmanson Theatre
in 1997). A year after this meeting, Neil held audition
for the Hollywood Bowl production that will be performed
at the Hollywood Bowl on August 6-8, 2010. In addition to
Neil, Jonathan Larson's father (The show's creator,
Jonathan Larson, died suddenly the night before the off-Broadway
premiere) and Tim Weil (original music director).were
also at the auditions with the Hollywood Bowl staff. This
is a new production, but keeping the theater tradition of
the original version by keeping some of the original members
of the cast. After I auditioned for the production, they
asked me to portray the role of "Angel." BACKGROUND INFO ON RENT, ADAM PASCAL& ANTHONY
RAPP Rent, written by Jonathan Larson and directed by
Michael Greif, opened at Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre,
on April 29, 1996 following a history making, sold out,
extended limited engagement at off- Broadway’s New
York Theatre Workshop. The musical went on to win every
major best musical award, including the Tony Award, as well
as the Pulitzer Prize for drama. Rent is the seventh longest
running show in Broadway history. Adam
Pascal - In 1996, Adam auditioned for the then unknown,
off-Broadway production of RENT.
He landed the role of Roger Davis--one which he would reprise
a few years later in London, in the 2005 movie version,
and again 11 years later for a limited run on Broadway during
the summer of 2007. Anthony
Rapp - He is best known for creating the role of Mark
Cohen in Rent‘s original workshop, Off-Broadway, Broadway,
Chicago, and London productions. He also appeared in the
feature film version.
Getting
to play ANGEL once in a while is nothing short of
a dream. What a role! When I first started as an understudy
at RENT,
I was encouraged by the powers that be to not simply
understudy and fill a vacancy for the night –
but to find my own Angel. When I was first learning
the show, I was able to watch three amazing Angels
in my time at RENT
- Justin Johnston, Shaun Earl, and Andy Senor. I learned
so much from watching these three actors. All of these
brilliant actors brought their own sense of truth
to this character, and I watched the show live and
breathe differently when they were playing the role.
Have
you played the role of Angel before and did your upcoming
role as Angel required additional training, different skills
and/or practice that provided the needed comfort to get
into the role's "skin." The
role of Angel is not new to me and is a role that I loved
to play. I've understudied the role of Angel on Broadway
(that provided many opportunies to perform the role)
and did it a lot on the tour (he has performed
it at places such as Newark and Rochester). When I
was first learning the role of "Angel" - my dance
captain, Owen Johnston, shared to me (and the other
actors that played Angel) that it would be good to
practice singing the role while running so that one wouldn't
get winded by the end of the show while performing the character
on stage. When I was doing this in New York, people would
look at me funny - but this method of practicing helped
me. BACKGROUND INFO ON "ANGEL" A
New York City drag queen who enters the lives of the other
main characters in the stage musical and film, his story
is one that resonated with a generation and a subculture,
and continues to appeal to new groups of younger people
who are just now discovering one of Broadway’s most
famous productions.
What
are the differences and similarities between the Hollywood
Bowl and Broadway versions of "RENT?" There
are a lot of people that haven't been in RENT
before such as Vanessa Hudgens, Nicole Sherzinger and Wayne
Brady performing with people who have been in previous productions.
I'm sure that Neil has innovative ideas on how to stay true
to the original while doing it "our own way" at
the Hollywood Bowl. Neil has the task of adapting a production
that started in an intimate small theater in downtown New
York - prior to the Nederlander Theater - and now will be
will be performed in one of the most non-intimate venues.
Recognizing the logistics of one of the largest venue in
the United States, it will be a slightly shorten version
of the original.
Hollywood
Bowl Changes
Neil Patrick Harris has stated "With this gang,
I'm hoping to provide an eclectic mix of experienced RENT
performers, amazing new talent, and recognizable faces
in unexpected roles. Of paramount importance to me, though,
is honoring the piece as a whole - the music, the vibe,
the creator - so that those who have never experienced
RENT will be able to appreciate it alongside die hard
fans. We'll only have one week of rehearsal, which I like
to call 'madness', but as of now my hopes are very high."
He also states that "the staging will pay homage
to director Michael Greif's original New York production,
but "I don't want it to feel like a stop on the national
tour."
Tim
Weil has expanded the orchestrations for the Hollywood
Bowl version by having a 12 piece band that includes real
string and horn players that adds to numbers like “Take
Me or Leave Me” and “RENT”
while enhancing the images that will be shown on the two
jumbotrons that will be utilized.
The
ensemble for the Bowl version of "Rent" will
include 25 performers, 10 more than the usual cast of
15, performing on a multilevel set designed for the production.
Jamal Sims, who was an associate choreographer of the
film Hairspray, co-choreographed the 82nd Academy Awards,
and was assistant choreographer of the Madonna: Sticky
and Sweet Tour, has been announced to choreograph, working
with Neil Patrick Harris who makes his debut directing
a musical with this production.
What
aspects and/or performers of the Hollywood Bowl production
are you most excited about in experiencing and have you
worked with Vanessa and Nicole before? I
have never worked with Vanessa Hudgens or Nicole Scherzinger
before, though I am very excited to perform with them because
I am a fan of their respective works with the Pussycat Dolls
and High School Musical films. I can't wait to work with
Wayne Brady. I am a BIG fan of his since his days on "Whose
Line Is It, Anyway?" He is one of the funniest man
I know, along with being a brilliant master of improvisation.
He is not new to theater since he has been on Broadway before
playing Billy Flynn in "Chicago." I think that
he was perfectly cast and Neil has brought together a very
good and unique cast. Wayne
Brady - He is an actor, singer, comedian and
television personality, known for his work as a regular
on the American version of the improvisational comedy television
series Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and as the host of the
daytime talk show The Wayne Brady Show. He was the host
of FOX's Don't Forget the Lyrics!, and currently hosts the
2009 revival of Let's Make a Deal.
DID
YOU KNOW THAT TELLY . . . . When
I was in high school, I slept on 41st street the first
summer that RENT
debuted on Broadway and got my $20 front row rush
seat. This was before they did the lottery system
– and it was first-come-first-serve, so I was
there from 5 AM in the morning!
A
motto that was taught to me on my last tour (which
I still abide by): “Do you have your wallet?
Your phone? Your keys? Good! Leave your hotel room
and take an adventure!”
One
moment that still touches me emotionally EVERY time
is “Without You”. I love the way Michael
Greif has staged this moment – to reflect the
passage of time with the three couples on stage. As
Angel, the passage of time signifies the disease taking
him further (and in some ways, closer) to Collins
and his friends. As Angel, this moment always feels
like a tug of war of emotion.
Excited
to hear how your background as the son of Chinese immigrants
(Judy and Stephen Leung) brought different and unique perspectives
to your role as Angel in the Hollywood Bowl's production
of RENT? There
is no ethnic specificity attached and/or part of the description
of the role of "Angel" - or to any other role
in RENT. The writer of RENT(Michael Grief, the original director of the Broadway
show was also the artistic director of the LaJolla Playhouse
that Neil Patrick Harris was part of the cast playing the
role of "Mark Cohen") wanted a cast that
represented the diversity of New York city. The role has
been played by actors that are White (Justin Johnson) and
Hispanic (Wilson Heredia). There has been other
Asian actors playing "Angel" such as Jose Ilana
before I played the role. In RENT, there is a fine between
"acting" and "being" because there is
nothing to hide behind. As the show was developed, it was
actors on stage having an honest moment with one another
with no costumes. What made the show so real was that one
had to bring whatever they have at that moment that is honest
in those shoes or heels that night. I bring "all who
I am" (race, background, history, culture, etc.)
to my role every night that I perform. When another actor
is portraying Angel, they will bring everything that makes
them who they are to their own portrayal of the role. There
is a fine line between Telly and Angel and that is what
makes the show works and makes it different than most other
productions. Note:
Some of the actors that have portrayed "Angel Dumott
Schunard" include actors such as Wilson Jermaine Heredia,
Justin Johnston, Telly Leung, Kristoffer Cusick Justin Rodriguez,
Evan D'Angeles, Robin de Jesús, Wilson Cruz, Jose
Ilana, Kinaundrae Lee, Job Baustica and Joel Camden
What
has playing the role of "Angel" taught Telly Leung? I
see "Angel" as somebody who understands that one's
time on earth is limited and each moment is precious. He
understands that he is terminally ill he realizes that he
has to make a choice - to choose to live in the fear of
dying or choose the joy of living every moment to its fullest.
He makes the choice for the latter. Doing the role has taught
me that I must make that choice. You never know where you're
going to be the next day and every day is a gift. That's
what the role has taught me. I believe that the role has
changed me more than I changed the role. I've learn more
from doing the show than I can teach the show. That's what
doing the role of "Angel" has taught me - to live
every day/moment to its fullest . . to choose to live not
in fear but in gratitude and joy for today, which is the
message of RENT. When somebody loses somebody (like Angel,
who dies halfway through the show), his group of friends
are constantly reminded this motto when he is gone.
After
the Hollywood Bowl run, what is next for the production
and Telly? Last
week, I premiered my one man show (Who Loves Ya, Baby) in
New York that I've been working on with Alan Muraoka. This
actor/theater director currently plays Alan - the current
owner of Hooper's Store on the television show Sesame Street.
Gary Adler provided the musical direction. Some of the many
credits this NYC-based American composer has received are
two 2005 Drama Desk nominations for his music and lyrics
for the off-Broadway show. In addition, he has served as
the musical director for shows such as Avenue Q, . His other
NYC conducting credits include Chita Rivera: The Dancer's
Life, Urinetown, The Fantasticks and Nunsense. Alan and
I collaborated on a show that is a tribute to my Mom and
Dad. When my parents first arrived in New York, they didn't
speak English. They learn how to speak by watching television
and listening to vinyl records of music from the 1970s.
While my parents grew up on Neil Diamond, I grew up on Sesame
Street. For my show, I raided my dad's vinyl record collection
of 1970's music to peform songs from that era. "Who
Loves Ya, Baby" is the catch phrse from my mom's favorite
show Kojak. I was named after the show's lead character
Telly Salavas. This show is a love letter to my parents,
though they didn't always show support my show business
aspirations, i wanted them to understand they are the reasons
why I am doing what I am doing. EVENT BACKGROUND INFO Telly Leung States ""Meet Judy and Stephen
Leung — my parents — who immigrated to this
country in the 1970's from China, and used TV and vinyl
records to learn English and become American . . . . It's
a celebration of THEIR music, so get ready to hustle, bus
stop, and boogie-woogie your way back in time as I go through
my Dad's incredible 70's vinyl collection."
Telly promises to bring you selections from the songbooks
of artists such as Neil Diamond, Bee Gees, Barry White,
Johnny Mathis, Simon and Garfunkel, Chicago and other songs
that were his parents listened to learn English while becoming
favorites to Telly. The concert will be at 8:00 P.M. on
August 12, 2010 at
Cabaret at the Castle, Los Angeles, CA ( 7001 Franklin Ave.
/ Los Angeles, CA 90028). To purchase tickets, call 323-851-3313.
What
three words would describe your parents Challenging
Surpirising
- that is a good and bad thing
Unconditional
- they can make you so happy and so angry, but no matter
what - they are your parents.
US
Asians wants to personally give their thanks for taking
the time out of his busy schedule to participate in this
interview. It is our hope that his message to live every
day/moment to its fullest . . . to choose to live not in
fear but in gratitude and joy for today is embraced by everyone
that reads this article. For more info on Telly, visit his
website at www.tellyoneline.net
