NewsPHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day With Jesus Christ Superstar's "King Herod," Bruce DowSpend a two-show day at the new revival of Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway. Bruce Dow, who brings down the house with his comedic turn as King Herod, takes Playbill.com through a busy day at the Neil Simon Theatre.
By
Matthew Blank
May 01, 2012
With digital camera in tow, Dow takes readers through his morning routines, introduces the cast and crew and demonstrates what it takes to get Herod's eye makeup and fingernails just right.
0
of
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day With Jesus Christ Superstar's "King Herod," Bruce Dow
PHOTO EXCLUSIVE: A Two-Show Day With Jesus Christ Superstar's "King Herod," Bruce Dow
Spend a two-show day at the new revival of Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway. Bruce Dow, who brings down the house with his comedic turn as King Herod, takes Playbill.com through a busy day at the Neil Simon Theatre. Read the Playbill.com story.
52 PHOTOS
Every morning begins with making sure my iPod and iPhone are fully charged. Then I charge myself with a big cup of coffee and the daily news - then, I check out what's on playbill.com for the day!
Bruce Dow
Last winter, my sister, who lives on the west coast and whom I see all too infrequently, took me to an Ottawa Senator's home game - it was a freak occurrence that we just happened to be in the same city at the same time.
Bruce Dow
The DREADED GLOVES. Once these are on, I am ready to face the world! (to be explained later)
Bruce Dow
Leaving home. The 5-story walk-up. I'd better have all I need for the day, 'cause I ain't going back up there again until I absolutely have to! I.E. Not till tonight!
Bruce Dow
Spring in Greenwich Village! Foliage and flowers are welcome treats!
Every morning I pass a pet store window full of puppies. It takes all my strength not to go in and buy them all. They are so danged adorable. And I so miss my two feline girls back home so much - Lily and Alice.
Bruce Dow
The descent! High Ho, High Ho! It's off to a two-show day I go!
Bruce Dow
... only to get off the subway in Wonderland! 50th and Broadway!
Bruce Dow
Arriving at work on "Des McAnuff Way" - better known as 52nd Street. Des, of course, directed both our show at the Neil Simon, and Jersey Boys, which plays across the street at the August Wilson Theatre.
Bruce Dow
This is the amazing cast I get to work with every day. It's an incredibly strong company of actor/singer/dancers and, I believe, as diverse a cast as you will find on Broadway. You should hear the gales of laughter coming from the ladies dressing room.
Bruce Dow
The brilliant and very pliable Jason Sermonia. I hardly recognize him here, as during the show he is very rarely vertical - nor is he often on the ground. Jason's a great dancer. He's also a lovely actor and has the sweetest lyric tenor voice.
Bruce Dow
Our brave and brilliant choreographer, Lisa Shriver and her beautiful daughter, dropping by the theatre just to say "Hi!" So much of what is wonderful in our production is thanks to Lisa.
Bruce Dow
The company begins to arrive in the theatre to start vocal warm up. On the left, you'll notice Tom Hewitt (Pilate). He looks like he's waiting for the show to start... Poor dear. He worries me so.
Bruce Dow
Matt Stokes - trying to dislocate his own jaw. Matt is one of our amazing swings. He just joined the company in Feb. and has had to learn 3 major understudies as well as all the male ensemble tracks.
Bruce Dow
One of the "cameo" mosaics on the wall of our theatre. It reminds me of the history of this great theatre - the Neil Simon/formerly the Alvin. So many great original productions of plays and musicals happened in this house.
Bruce Dow
Meet Meredith Benson, one of our crackerjack team of dressers. What you see in the background is one-half of our stage left quick-change booth. Every hook you see will be layered with clothing pieces. I have a 23 second quick-change in curtain call.
Bruce Dow
The Mens' Changing Room, upstairs stage right. The calm before the storm!
Bruce Dow
Clothes on the rack. Ready to be moved downstairs, whipped on and ripped off! Don't mix up a garment, or someone will miss their next entrance! It can happen and has - and will happen again.
Bruce Dow
Carrie Rohm puts the "Mary Magdalene Wig" on Chilina Kennedy. Look at those eyes. What beauty. Both Chilina and Carrie! I've seen Chilina play everything from Maria to Philia to Eva Peron to Lois Lane. Ain't nothing this girl can't do. Fur reals.
Bruce Dow
Tom Hewitt. Greet him with a simple "You're looking lovely today, Tom," and he will reply gently and sweetly, "I know." But I still worry... he stayed in this pose for a good 20 minutes after this shot was taken.
Bruce Dow
My dressing room door. 3rd Floor. We have an elevator. I TRY to walk up. Sometimes. Just to maintain my figure. "I have flying monkeys and I'm not afraid to use them" As of yet, I have not been given reason to summon them... but, don't push me.
Bruce Dow
Before the damage begins!
Bruce Dow
The reason for the DREADED GLOVES. I wanted "Herod Antipas" to have talons. Since I can neither afford, nor have I the time to do "press-on nails" everyday, I have resorted to growing out my own nails and shellacking the heck out of them.
Bruce Dow
An actor's toolkit!
Bruce Dow
Put on the paste and smudge it! Broadway IS Glamour!
Bruce Dow
In addition to lots of smudged cream eye-liner is the heroine-chic redness on the inner eye-lid that is then dragged below the lash line. We've gone from a sort-of “Vegas performer gone-to-seed look” to more of a "glam-rocker gone to seed look.”
Bruce Dow
Is this Les Miz all over again? Nope - the "company" clothes for JCS are too hip for that! Who this poor peasant woman is, I don’t know. She keeps muttering something about her mother losing the cherry orchard.
Bruce Dow
People always ask what I do during Act One. I spend my time reading the works of Shakespeare and O'Neill. I also do some Alexander Technique to keep my body in proper alignment. One must live in the character every moment of the play.
Bruce Dow
Every show, at the same moment in Act Two, this tiny creature (my wonderful dresser, Julienne Schubert-Blechman) comes into my dressing room and forces me into this giant be-dazzled jacket and toga/cape/thingy...
Bruce Dow
Ready to go yell at... "you know who."
Bruce Dow
After the matinee, Matt, our super-sweet Sound Dude, has to collect all the mics, change their batteries and double check 'em before the evening show. This is hardly a flattering picture of a very handsome, charming young man...
Bruce Dow
After the matinee, Lee Siegel (Simon Zealots - What a voice this guy has! He stops Act One every show!) and the company are mobbed at the stage door! Seems they enjoyed the matinee! A LOT!
Bruce Dow
Jeremy Kushnier, a brilliant actor and singer who saved the day for us when Josh Young, our Judas, had to take some time-out for an illness. Never sigh when you see an understudy is on - get excited! Talent and skill like Jeremy's will never disappoint!
Bruce Dow
Lee Siegel told me we should go to dinner... instead, he dragged me to the NBC Store at Rockefeller Center. He wanted to send some souvenirs home to his family.
Bruce Dow
So, after our NBC shopping, ran back to the Cosmic Diner to grab a bite. On the corner of 52nd and 8th, close to the theatre, the Cosmic is an always enjoyable, reliable choice.
Bruce Dow
Inside the Cosmic Diner between shows! A busy place! Great food and fun staff!
Bruce Dow
Back at the theatre, Heather Wright, our Head of Wigs, is overseeing the re-dressing of the 8 bazillion wigs needed for each performance of JCS.
Bruce Dow
Heather, Carrie, and Tim Miller - who is of satan (not really, he's a doll - but he looks rather possessed in this photo!) - are our wig team. These guys never stop running and pinning once the curtain goes up.
Bruce Dow
Little heads all in a row. Just waiting for the evening show... so patient. The rest of the "heads" are already upstairs in dressing rooms or backstage - ready to go!
Bruce Dow
Scott Westervelt and Angela Simpson, our Wardrobe Supervisor and Asst. Wardrobe Supervisor. They keep us clean and clothed and laughing. These two are priceless!
Bruce Dow
This is what renowned bass, Marcus Nance, looks like when not all dolled-up as Caiaphas. Marcus is so much more than just an incredible, incredible voice. One of the most talented and honorable men I know.
Bruce Dow
The stunningly beautiful Aaron Walpole (Annas) in his dressing room with his inspiration for playing a priest! His voice is amazing. Annas is written so high, and yet it sounds like it’s just sitting comfortably in the middle of Aaron’s voice.
Bruce Dow
Do not enter the ladies dressing room without knocking. Laurin Padolina (Rachel) is the ladies-dressing-room look-out! Kinda like a gorgeous, gifted Cerberus. She may attack your ankles.
Bruce Dow
Paul Nolan (Jesus). One of the most gifted actors and singers I will ever know, and a good, good man. I've watched Paul work this role into his voice, body and mind over the past year. How he does 8 shows a week, I have no idea.
Bruce Dow
Jeremy Kushnier, looking sultry with his water bottle, getting ready to give his second Judas of the day! Another titan.
Bruce Dow
Although we are all feeling very much embraced by the Broadway community, each of us has photos of our loved ones at their station. Here are some of my pics. Faces I just can't live without.
Bruce Dow
A great tradition! Every Saturday night, at the 5 minute call, all of our company rushes over to the 52nd street side of the theatre to bang on the windows, open them and cheer across the street to the cast of Jersey Boys, who are doing the same.
Bruce Dow
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown... twice in one day.
Bruce Dow
Julienne snapping up the snaps on my "tear-away" pants. Yes. I get stripper pants! Just for the quick change in the curtain call. (That's a lot of snaps... She's so brave... So beautiful.)
Bruce Dow
Errolynne, one of our wonderful Stage Door Ladies, holding pens for the actors to use to sign autographs. Our ladies are the best! And it was another healthy crowd for the evening show! The fans are wonderfully patient. We are so lucky!
Bruce Dow
Exit Stage Left! or Heading Home. 8 minutes until my next "private car" picks me up. Ah, the Glamour of Broadway!
Bruce Dow
After a two-show day, I am never sure quite how I make it back up those 5 flights. G'night y'all! Tell Mom 'n 'em I said "Hey"! xo Bruce
Director Des McAnuff (The Who's Tommy, Jersey Boys) has focused Christ's rise as a religious phenomenon through the lens of rapid-fire, present-day media sensationalism, with crawling news tickers indicating time and place. Projections illustrate the atmosphere and population of the last days of Christ, in the Year 33 (as one image indicates). The cinematic flourishes happen on and around a steel-frame (with moving staircases) that serves as the platform for the emotional triangle between Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot and Mary Madgelene.
Superstar arrived on Broadway March 1 following an extended, sold-out run last summer at the Stratford Festival, where McAnuff is artistic director, in Ontario. It transferred to the La Jolla Playhouse for an engagement through Dec. 31. Superstar first came to life as a 1970 double LP, which is credited as the birth of the musical-theatre "concept recording." Superstar premiered on Broadway in 1971 under the direction of Tom O'Horgan. It has music by Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Rice.
"I've never really been happy with it before," Lloyd Webber said of Superstar in an interview with Playbill magazine. "Now Des has got it absolutely right. In a way, this version is the opposite to the original in that it's got a grittiness and a reality about it, real rock 'n' roll, and as long as it stays rock 'n' roll, I'm a happy boy. If you go back over the years, it's amazing how many pieces that we now celebrate weren't quite right in their first incarnation. Now, it's right."
Superstar has choreography by Lisa Shriver, musical direction by Rick Fox, set design by Robert Brill, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy and video design by Sean Nieuwenhuis.
The Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of Jesus Christ Superstar is produced The Dodgers and The Really Useful Group, Latitude Link, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group, Waxman-Dokton, with Joe Corcoran, Detsky/Sokolowski/Kassie, Florin-Blanshay-Fan/Broadway Across America, REG/Caudwell, Shin/Coleman, Theatre Dreams North America, LLC.
For tickets visit Ticketmaster, or phone (877) 250-2929.
