PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Jesus Christ Superstar's Bruce Dow

By Matthew Blank
26 Jun 2012

Bruce Dow
Bruce Dow

Bruce Dow, currently stopping the show as King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar, fills out Playbill.com's questionnaire of random facts, backstage trivia and pop-culture tidbits.

Dow's New York credits include Jane Eyre, The Music Man, Anything Goes and Grenadine.

He has worked 12 seasons at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in such productions as The Tempest, Cabaret, The Comedy of Errors, …Forum, Guys and Dolls, An Ideal Husband, Into the Woods, Man of La Mancha and The Merchant of Venice.



 Continued...

Full given name: Bruce Edwin Dow

It always amazes me how people can screw up the spelling and pronunciation of "Dow." They do. And it's just "cow" with a "d".

Where you were born/where you were raised: Born in Seattle, WA, to an American father and a Canadian mother.

Raised en-route on the I-5 and provincial highway 99 between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Zodiac Sign:Aries. Generally, I am very cheery and easy going for an Aries. Though, I can have my stupidly stubborn moments!

I prefer the Chinese system of horoscopes. I am a "Rabbit running into the woods." It's a much better description of my personality.

What your parents did/do for a living:My mother was a teacher. English grade 7 and 8. Hard work, but she loved it.

She wanted to be in radio or advertising, but back then (late 40's early 50's) her father limited her choices to teacher/secretary/nurse. She loved teaching - but then had to give it up when she got married to my dad. Ah! The glories of a patriarchal society! After Dad left the picture, she went back to school for linguistics and sold real estate for a while.

My father was, in turns: an endodontic specialist (root canals and stuff); a marine biologist; a professional photographer; a specialist in molecular and cellular research; and involved in dental forensics. Bit of a socio-pathic over-achiever, my dad. He's an Aries, too.

Siblings: Dad has been married three times. (Over-acheiver in a number of departments!)

My sister and I are from "round two." I have two "halfs" from "round one" and two "steps" from "round three."

My sister Barbara, with whom I was raised, works in nursing and hospital management. (something like that!) She is gorgeous and totally kick-ass, and has two beautiful children who now are almost grown up now - my tall, handsome nephew Ryder and my beautiful niece, Leigh.

Special skills: Aside from things theatre and music (I've written a couple of musicals that have been professionally produced - I love to compose and "noodle"), I knit and I love trying to learn languages. Am working on a new sweater, and both Cantonese and Mandarin. Growing up on the west coast, all my friends from high school are either Chinese or Jewish. Made for good eating.
Something you're REALLY bad at: I am terrible at anything involving eye-hand coordination. I was tested as a kid and am technically ambidextrous. For most people this would mean they should be able to use both hands with equal ability. In my case, it means I can't use either hand much at all.
First Broadway show you ever saw: Play: Indiscretions - an adaptation/translation of a Cocteau piece - with Eileen Atkins, Roger Rees, Kathleen Turner, Jude Law and Cynthia Nixon. TOTAL SCORE!!! It was wonderful.

Musical: How to Succeed, Des's production with Matthew Broderick, Megan Mullally and Victoria Clark, and an all 'round amazing company. ANOTHER TOTAL SCORE!!! So great.

If you could go back in time and catch any show, what would it be? I can't pick just one. I am a total theatre history geek.

Plays: The Glass Menagerie with Laurette Taylor; The Rose Tattoo with Maureen Stapleton; David Belasco's original drama of Madame Butterfly, which inspired the Puccini opera.

Musicals: Kurt Weill and Elmer Rice's Street Scene. It's my favourite score. A mad blending of opera, Broadway and jazz.

Current show you have been recommending to friends: Porgy and Bess and Gore Vidal's The Best Man
Favorite showtunes of all time: "Lonely House" from Street Scene
"As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard
"Rose's Turn" from Gypsy

... that's today's list. It's always changing. That's the beauty of a showtune - you can always find a perfect song to fit any mood at any given time.

Some favorite musicals: Jesus Christ Superstar! I know, I know. But, it's true. It's one of the few scores from my youth that, for me, has stood up to the test of time. A lot of my formerly favourite scores, just don't excite me as much any more.

Other faves include Light in the Piazza, Pacific Overtures, Adding Machine, Cabaret

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