The Conversation: Colm Wilkinson and Deborah Hay discuss melodic storytelling at the TIFF Bell Lightbox
The Conversation: Colm Wilkinson and Deborah Hay discuss melodic storytelling at the TIFF Bell Lightbox
The place: Luma at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. The people: musical theatre legend Colm Wilkinson and actor-turned-singer Deborah Hay. The subject: melodic storytelling
Torontonians love blockbuster musicals. We flocked to Phantom of the Opera for a decade and sang along to Mamma Mia! for five years, and Colm Wilkinson has made his career on our zeal. The prodigally piped Irishman moved here in 1989 to star in Toronto’s first production of Phantom after spending two years doing Les Misérables in NYC and London. His latest concert, Broadway and Beyond, features a band and two singers accompanying Wilkinson as he sings classics from both shows, along with some of his personal favourites (John Denver, Johnny Cash, John Lennon and of course the Irish anthem “Danny Boy”). Deborah Hay made her name in Shaw Festival productions like The Women and Born Yesterday and is now adding musical theatre to her repertoire, taking on Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. We got them together for seared tuna salads and a little shop talk.
CONCERT
Broadway and Beyond
Aug. 12 and 13
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
Broadway and Beyond
Aug. 12 and 13
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
THEATRE
My Fair Lady
To Oct. 30
Shaw Festival
My Fair Lady
To Oct. 30
Shaw Festival
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- My all-time favourite piece in a musical is “I Never Loved You” performed by Christopher Plummer in <em>Cyrano de Bergerac</em>. It is heartbreaking. Even his speaking voice sounds like music. I once brought up the <em>Cyrano</em> performance with him; he laughed and said, “I croak, dear boy.”
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- HIGH NOTES
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- One of the sweetest things I ever heard was Brent Carver singing “I Remember” from the musical <em>Evening Primrose</em>, to celebrate Stephen Sondheim at the Festival of Creative Genius.
- HIGH NOTES
- HIGH NOTES
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- Of my own work, I think <em>Les Misérables</em> is a more interesting show than Phantom. Jean Valjean is a much more dramatic role. The story itself is more sweeping, probably because it’s rooted in Victor Hugo’s amazing book, which is just so full of passion and sacrifice and tragedy and joy.
- HIGH NOTES
- HIGH NOTES
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- The story is so important. I think about 80 per cent of <em>My Fair Lady</em> is true to George Bernard Shaw’s <em>Pygmalion</em>. I don’t find it dated or anti-feminist at all. Eliza decides her own destiny and stays true to herself.
- HIGH NOTES
- HIGH NOTES
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- I would love to see the Anna Karenina story done as a musical. It has all the key components: epic story, drama, passion, betrayal. That would be a dream production. Know anyone who might want to write it?
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- I’ll have a look at that! I am constantly thinking up ideas for musicals. I don’t want to reveal them. The last time I did, someone had mounted one of my ideas within six months.
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. Deborah Hay made her name in Shaw Festival productions like The Women and Born Yesterday and is now adding musical theatre to her repertoire, taking on Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady. We got them together for seared tuna salads and a little shop talk.
FOLLOW THE CONVERSATION »
CONCERT
Broadway and Beyond
Aug. 12 and 13
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
THEATRE
My Fair Lady
To Oct. 30
Shaw Festival
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