By Andrew Gans
Question: Do you have a favorite moment for the character?
Question: Is that fun?
Question: What do you think is the message of the show or what does it mean to you?
16 Apr 2010
Cass Morgan in Memphis
photo by Joan Marcus
Morgan: It has to be my revelation in the second act, when I share with [Huey] that I've been to the church, the black church that he's been going to . . . and that I've actually had my eyes opened, and it's through the music. The clever thing about what Joe and David did as they constructed this is that everything really does come through the music. It's very cool, and so it's through this gospel music and the music in the preacher's voice that she had her eyes opened. And so I get to sing a rock 'n' roll, R&B, gospel song.
Morgan: Oh, it's just a blast! It's so much fun to do. It's so much fun for me to feel the audience's shock and then the joy that they feel, both cheering her on and just being so tickled that that's who she's turned into.
Morgan: Well, the song that we finish with – the hook is, "Don't let anyone steal your rock 'n' roll. Never let anyone steal your rock 'n' roll." I think the metaphor of rock 'n' roll being your passion in life, or as Joseph Campbell used to say, "your bliss." Whatever that is that inspires you, that thrills you and makes you want to be creative, that makes you want to get up every day, you should do it. You need to have faith in your convictions and do what feels important and right to you.
Morgan: Well, they're both so talented, and they're both so nice and they're both so professional and hard-working. It's just been a joy. I just love being Chad's mother. I'd be proud to be his real mother! [Laughs.]
Question: You've done so much theatre. Do you have other favorite experiences?
Morgan: Oh, my. I do. I have a lot of favorite experiences, and there are so many different reasons why. I mean, way, way, way back, when we first created Pump Boys and Dinettes, there was such a marvelous surprise in that for all of us. We never really set out to write a Broadway show. It just kind of evolved into it, and that was such a great, joyful time. I think, in a completely different way than that, Floyd Collins has got to be one of my favorite experiences as an actress, because the music was so rich and glorious and the story was so unique, and Tina Landau created such a [wonderful environment]. The atmosphere that Tina creates in a rehearsal hall – there's nothing like it. She encourages everyone; you all feel equally collaborative. She loves to work with an improvisational technique called the Viewpoints, and so you learn a kind of a language, an unspoken language of how to work with other actors. It creates an instant kind of a feeling of ensemble that you only get by working with people a long time, but it kind of makes it happen really fast. So it was very, very fun [Laughs]. I loved it, and I got to listen to that gorgeous score every night. Yeah, but there have been so many. I've worked with so many great people. I'm a lucky old woman! [Laughs.]
[Memphis plays the Shubert Theatre, which is located at 225 West 44th Street; for reservations call (212) 239-6200 or visit Memphisthemusical.com.]
Well, that's all for now. Happy diva-watching! E-mail questions or comments to agans@playbill.com.
