"Stratford Shakespeare Festival's production of Caesar and Cleopatra, starring Christopher Plummer, will be hitting the big and small screens.
"A film version of the stage production will premiere as one-night gala screenings at up to 80 Cineplex theatres across Canada, according to a report by the Globe and Mail on Saturday.
"The partnership with CTV-Bravo also means the production will eventually air on television.
"'It's lucid, it is very very funny [and] it's got a real sense of interplay between the audience and the players,' the festival's general director Antoni Cimolino told the Globe.
"The Stratford adaptation of the George Bernard Shaw play involves sumptuous costumes and a highly visual staging which should lend itself to a screening, according to Cimolino.
"Funding for the project has come from CTV and a private donor.
"The venture follows in the footsteps of New York's Metropolitan Opera, which has been broadcasting its productions, in real time, to cinemas across the world. The only difference is that the Stratford model isn't a live experience.
"'It's partly brand extension. It's putting bums in seats. It's making people embrace Stratford as a national institution,' said entertainment lawyer Michael Levine, who helped broker the deal.'"
Showing posts with label Christopher Plummer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christopher Plummer. Show all posts
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Meet Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer will be at the Indigo on Bay and Bloor in Toronto this Sunday, October 26, to promote his memoir In Spite of Myself. The event, which includes an interview, question-and-answer session, and book signing, begins at 3PM. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Christopher Plummer can be seen in Caesar and Cleopatra at the Festival Theatre until November 8.
Christopher Plummer can be seen in Caesar and Cleopatra at the Festival Theatre until November 8.
Monday, August 18, 2008
A History of Plummer at Stratford
From Richard Ouzounian at the Toronto Star:
"When the curtain rose on Caesar and Cleopatra’s opening performance at Stratford last night, it marked the 14th role that Christopher Plummer has created for the festival.
"Most of them took place within the years between 1956 and 1967. In fact, in the last 41 years, Julius Caesar is only the third role he has played at Stratford.
"'I know I don’t come back here often enough,' Plummer told me wistfully a few weeks ago, 'but I still think it’s home.'
"He certainly made one of the splashiest debuts in history, playing the title role in Henry V in 1956, when he was only 26, making an electric impression on everyone. The great American critic Brooks Atkinson called him 'magnificent' and Plummer recently called the production 'the defining event of my life.'
"He returned the next year to earn a similar triumph as Hamlet, directed by Michael Langham. But Plummer himself feels, 'I was too young to play Hamlet then. I’m ready now. But that’s the damnable thing about that role. When you’re smart enough to do it, you’re too old to play it.'
"But whereas in 1956 Plummer had only played one role, in 1957 he paired his tragic Hamlet with a broadly comic Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Tyrone Guthrie’s staging of Twelfth Night.
"By 1958, Plummer was a full member of the Stratford family and appeared in three shows: as the buffoonish Bardolph in Henry IV, Part I, as the witty Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing and as the tormented Leontes in The Winter’s Tale.
"His supporting players included his wife, Tammy Grimes, which made it easier to care for their daughter Amanda, who had just passed her first birthday. American star Jason Robards Jr. and British diva Eileen Herlie were also his co-stars that summer.
"The 1959 Stratford season was Plummer-less, because he was on Broadway, starring opposite fellow Canadian Raymond Massey in Archibald MacLeish’s Pulitzer Prize-winning modern verse adaptation of the Book of Job, J.B. Plummer was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Actor but did not win.
"He returned to Stratford in 1960 in two flashy but supporting roles, Phillip the Bastard in King John and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, with actors such as Julie Harris and Bruno Gerussi.
"He skipped the 1961 season, when Paul Scofield was the leading performer, only to return in 1962 to play a pair of giant parts: the title roles in Macbeth and Cyrano De Bergerac.
"The poorly received 'barbaric' Macbeth, directed by Peter Coe, was one of Plummer’s less happy experiences, despite the pleasure of working with Kate Reid as Lady Macbeth. 'I can trace the arthritis that haunts me to this day,' he moaned in an earlier interview, 'to all the time Peter (Coe) made us spend sitting on the cold damp floor.'
"But the opposite was the case with Cyrano. Once again working with Langham as director, Plummer found a role he would return to later in his career, winning a Tony Award in 1974 for playing the part in the musical version. 'I love Cyrano,' Plummer observed. 'He’s all the best parts of me and none of the worst.'
"The next five years found Plummer occupied on the stages of London and New York as well as in the movie that would make him a household name, The Sound of Music.
"When he finally returned to Stratford in 1967, it was a memorable experience. With Langham in charge, Plummer was joined by Zoe Caldwell in a production of Antony and Cleopatra that is still spoken of with awe.
"But despite the magic of that performance, nearly 30 years would pass before Plummer played a role on a Stratford stage again. His theatrical career flourished in the West End and on Broadway, his TV and film appearances were legion, but he was absent from this Ontario town.
"In 1993, he appeared for a special performance to celebrate the festival’s 40th anniversary, but it wasn’t until 1996 that he actually played a part again: the flamboyant, self-destructive American actor John Barrymore in William Luce’s Barrymore.
"Producer Garth Drabinsky, who had worked with Plummer onscreen, was the force behind this show, bringing it to Broadway, where it won Plummer another Tony. The 2002 production of King Lear, directed by Jonathan Miller, found Plummer in rare form playing the title role. It too transferred to New York, where Plummer earned one more Tony nomination.
"He shared his secret to the role. 'Everyone is so damned earnest when they play this guy. I believe that if you take care of the humour, then the tragedy will take care of itself.
"'Indeed, that’s how I’ve played my entire life.'
"And now Caesar and Cleopatra. Will it follow the path of Plummer’s last two Stratford shows and travel to Manhattan and Tony adulation? And after that, will there be yet another role to draw him to this stage that has been so much a part of his life?
"Or perhaps he’ll be thinking of several things when he looks at Cleopatra in the final scene and says, 'I do not think we shall meet again. Farewell.'"
"When the curtain rose on Caesar and Cleopatra’s opening performance at Stratford last night, it marked the 14th role that Christopher Plummer has created for the festival.
"Most of them took place within the years between 1956 and 1967. In fact, in the last 41 years, Julius Caesar is only the third role he has played at Stratford.
"'I know I don’t come back here often enough,' Plummer told me wistfully a few weeks ago, 'but I still think it’s home.'
"He certainly made one of the splashiest debuts in history, playing the title role in Henry V in 1956, when he was only 26, making an electric impression on everyone. The great American critic Brooks Atkinson called him 'magnificent' and Plummer recently called the production 'the defining event of my life.'
"He returned the next year to earn a similar triumph as Hamlet, directed by Michael Langham. But Plummer himself feels, 'I was too young to play Hamlet then. I’m ready now. But that’s the damnable thing about that role. When you’re smart enough to do it, you’re too old to play it.'
"But whereas in 1956 Plummer had only played one role, in 1957 he paired his tragic Hamlet with a broadly comic Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Tyrone Guthrie’s staging of Twelfth Night.
"By 1958, Plummer was a full member of the Stratford family and appeared in three shows: as the buffoonish Bardolph in Henry IV, Part I, as the witty Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing and as the tormented Leontes in The Winter’s Tale.
"His supporting players included his wife, Tammy Grimes, which made it easier to care for their daughter Amanda, who had just passed her first birthday. American star Jason Robards Jr. and British diva Eileen Herlie were also his co-stars that summer.
"The 1959 Stratford season was Plummer-less, because he was on Broadway, starring opposite fellow Canadian Raymond Massey in Archibald MacLeish’s Pulitzer Prize-winning modern verse adaptation of the Book of Job, J.B. Plummer was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Actor but did not win.
"He returned to Stratford in 1960 in two flashy but supporting roles, Phillip the Bastard in King John and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, with actors such as Julie Harris and Bruno Gerussi.
"He skipped the 1961 season, when Paul Scofield was the leading performer, only to return in 1962 to play a pair of giant parts: the title roles in Macbeth and Cyrano De Bergerac.
"The poorly received 'barbaric' Macbeth, directed by Peter Coe, was one of Plummer’s less happy experiences, despite the pleasure of working with Kate Reid as Lady Macbeth. 'I can trace the arthritis that haunts me to this day,' he moaned in an earlier interview, 'to all the time Peter (Coe) made us spend sitting on the cold damp floor.'
"But the opposite was the case with Cyrano. Once again working with Langham as director, Plummer found a role he would return to later in his career, winning a Tony Award in 1974 for playing the part in the musical version. 'I love Cyrano,' Plummer observed. 'He’s all the best parts of me and none of the worst.'
"The next five years found Plummer occupied on the stages of London and New York as well as in the movie that would make him a household name, The Sound of Music.
"When he finally returned to Stratford in 1967, it was a memorable experience. With Langham in charge, Plummer was joined by Zoe Caldwell in a production of Antony and Cleopatra that is still spoken of with awe.
"But despite the magic of that performance, nearly 30 years would pass before Plummer played a role on a Stratford stage again. His theatrical career flourished in the West End and on Broadway, his TV and film appearances were legion, but he was absent from this Ontario town.
"In 1993, he appeared for a special performance to celebrate the festival’s 40th anniversary, but it wasn’t until 1996 that he actually played a part again: the flamboyant, self-destructive American actor John Barrymore in William Luce’s Barrymore.
"Producer Garth Drabinsky, who had worked with Plummer onscreen, was the force behind this show, bringing it to Broadway, where it won Plummer another Tony. The 2002 production of King Lear, directed by Jonathan Miller, found Plummer in rare form playing the title role. It too transferred to New York, where Plummer earned one more Tony nomination.
"He shared his secret to the role. 'Everyone is so damned earnest when they play this guy. I believe that if you take care of the humour, then the tragedy will take care of itself.
"'Indeed, that’s how I’ve played my entire life.'
"And now Caesar and Cleopatra. Will it follow the path of Plummer’s last two Stratford shows and travel to Manhattan and Tony adulation? And after that, will there be yet another role to draw him to this stage that has been so much a part of his life?
"Or perhaps he’ll be thinking of several things when he looks at Cleopatra in the final scene and says, 'I do not think we shall meet again. Farewell.'"
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Christopher Plummer Reading
Christopher Plummer will read Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang on Saturday, August 23 at 11am. Tickets are available here.
Read more about the special at the Globe and Mail:
"The man who originally recorded the tales of Jacob Two-Two will crack the spine of Mordecai Richler's famous debut children's book for the first time in two decades next Saturday, as Christopher Plummer gives his first-ever live reading of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang on a Stratford stage.
"The Canadian veteran of stage and film, who recorded the first two instalments of Richler's trilogy for the CBC in the 1980s, will read an abridged version of the first book to raise funds to send underprivileged youth to Stratford.
"The reading will also serve as a reunion for the actor and Richler's widow, Florence, a friend and admirer of Plummer since their youth in Montreal. 'I met Florence when she was married to Stanley Mann, the writer, way back when she was the most beautiful model that Montreal had - but she was always very bright and clever, she had a terrific brain,' says Plummer, adding that he and Mordecai were also fond friends.
"Plummer is at Stratford first and foremost to play the lead role in the Des McAnuff production of Caesar and Cleopatra, which opens tomorrow, and is heading into a nearly sold-out run that ends Nov. 8. Last fall, Don Shipley, part of the now-defunct leadership triumvirate under Antoni Cimolino, proposed the reading. Plummer, thinking it 'a rather nice thing to do,' chose the charity, and agreed to participate pro bono.
"Plummer fondly recalls recording readings of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang and its sequel, Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur, in the 1980s, and recently dug up an old recording. 'I'm going to play it, just to see how I did, before I do the reading,' says Plummer. 'I do voices for most of them, and God knows what accents I use, but anything to be different from the narrative.'
"The Jacob Two-Two series was born 'by accident' of a charmingly simple paternal act. Florence recounts that she had her hands full with the couple's other children before hosting dinner guests one evening, and deposited Jacob, then about 5, on Mordecai's chest as he reclined on the sofa reading the paper. She asked Mordecai to tell their son a story. 'And while I was leaving the living room, I heard Mordecai say, "Well, there was once ..." and he went on to call this character, this little chap, Jacob Two-Two. I swear to you, it was spontaneous and wonderful.'
"She lingered, listening at the living-room door, and later urged Mordecai to write it down. He 'looked a little puzzled,' and said nothing more about it for some time. One night, she recalls, 'After dinner, he said, "When you have time, would you read this?" and that was the first Jacob Two-Two.'
"Jacob, now a journalist and in his late 30s, says he is eager to take his own children, age 8 and 10, to Plummer's reading, adding that when he was a child he 'was too young to know how unusual and special and exceptional it was to have your dad write a children's story more or less about you.'
"Florence says Jacob's siblings never seemed thrilled at their imaginative portrayals: Jacob, for example, never had his fictional alter ego's trademark habit of saying everything twice; and Florence notes that 'this was not a boisterous family by any means,' in contrast to the books' rollicking quintet.
"Says Plummer: 'I think it's irresistible. It's just a bunch of extraordinarily unattractive [characters] all thrown into one delicious little book picking fun at youth and old age and everything.'
"Having surpassed a three-quarters capacity audience in the 1,072-seat Avon Theatre two weeks in advance of the show's opening, with little advertising, the reading demonstrates the enduring appeal of the series for children and adults alike. 'The shock of this so-called difficult personality, Mordecai Richler, writing something as amusing and tender as a children's book, that in itself was most appealing,' says Florence.
"Plummer, meanwhile, hopes events such as this one can help keep the late author at the forefront of Canadian consciousness. 'I don't know who has replaced him in Canada,' says the actor. 'I don't think anyone yet. This country, more and more, needs to be able to laugh at itself. Particularly in these humourless times, we need Mordecai desperately. He's wonderfully naughty and disrespectful. He's just a great satirist.'"
Read more about the special at the Globe and Mail:
"The man who originally recorded the tales of Jacob Two-Two will crack the spine of Mordecai Richler's famous debut children's book for the first time in two decades next Saturday, as Christopher Plummer gives his first-ever live reading of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang on a Stratford stage.
"The Canadian veteran of stage and film, who recorded the first two instalments of Richler's trilogy for the CBC in the 1980s, will read an abridged version of the first book to raise funds to send underprivileged youth to Stratford.
"The reading will also serve as a reunion for the actor and Richler's widow, Florence, a friend and admirer of Plummer since their youth in Montreal. 'I met Florence when she was married to Stanley Mann, the writer, way back when she was the most beautiful model that Montreal had - but she was always very bright and clever, she had a terrific brain,' says Plummer, adding that he and Mordecai were also fond friends.
"Plummer is at Stratford first and foremost to play the lead role in the Des McAnuff production of Caesar and Cleopatra, which opens tomorrow, and is heading into a nearly sold-out run that ends Nov. 8. Last fall, Don Shipley, part of the now-defunct leadership triumvirate under Antoni Cimolino, proposed the reading. Plummer, thinking it 'a rather nice thing to do,' chose the charity, and agreed to participate pro bono.
"Plummer fondly recalls recording readings of Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang and its sequel, Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur, in the 1980s, and recently dug up an old recording. 'I'm going to play it, just to see how I did, before I do the reading,' says Plummer. 'I do voices for most of them, and God knows what accents I use, but anything to be different from the narrative.'
"The Jacob Two-Two series was born 'by accident' of a charmingly simple paternal act. Florence recounts that she had her hands full with the couple's other children before hosting dinner guests one evening, and deposited Jacob, then about 5, on Mordecai's chest as he reclined on the sofa reading the paper. She asked Mordecai to tell their son a story. 'And while I was leaving the living room, I heard Mordecai say, "Well, there was once ..." and he went on to call this character, this little chap, Jacob Two-Two. I swear to you, it was spontaneous and wonderful.'
"She lingered, listening at the living-room door, and later urged Mordecai to write it down. He 'looked a little puzzled,' and said nothing more about it for some time. One night, she recalls, 'After dinner, he said, "When you have time, would you read this?" and that was the first Jacob Two-Two.'
"Jacob, now a journalist and in his late 30s, says he is eager to take his own children, age 8 and 10, to Plummer's reading, adding that when he was a child he 'was too young to know how unusual and special and exceptional it was to have your dad write a children's story more or less about you.'
"Florence says Jacob's siblings never seemed thrilled at their imaginative portrayals: Jacob, for example, never had his fictional alter ego's trademark habit of saying everything twice; and Florence notes that 'this was not a boisterous family by any means,' in contrast to the books' rollicking quintet.
"Says Plummer: 'I think it's irresistible. It's just a bunch of extraordinarily unattractive [characters] all thrown into one delicious little book picking fun at youth and old age and everything.'
"Having surpassed a three-quarters capacity audience in the 1,072-seat Avon Theatre two weeks in advance of the show's opening, with little advertising, the reading demonstrates the enduring appeal of the series for children and adults alike. 'The shock of this so-called difficult personality, Mordecai Richler, writing something as amusing and tender as a children's book, that in itself was most appealing,' says Florence.
"Plummer, meanwhile, hopes events such as this one can help keep the late author at the forefront of Canadian consciousness. 'I don't know who has replaced him in Canada,' says the actor. 'I don't think anyone yet. This country, more and more, needs to be able to laugh at itself. Particularly in these humourless times, we need Mordecai desperately. He's wonderfully naughty and disrespectful. He's just a great satirist.'"
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Interview: Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer discusses Stratford, Caesar, and his career (including the perennial Sound of Music) with Martin Morrow:
"When interviewing Christopher Plummer, there is always an elephant in the room — a singing elephant, to be exact. You don’t want to mention it; you know that he’s referred to it disparagingly in the past as 'The Sound of Mucus' and 'S&M.' But readers are curious. After all, despite a vast and varied resume onstage and in film, Plummer’s most beloved role remains Capt. von Trapp in the treacly 1965 movie of The Sound of Music.
"Midway through our recent talk at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, I broached the subject. No sooner is the title out of my mouth, than Plummer quickly nods, ready to set the record straight. Whatever he may have said about the picture itself, he has fond recollections of the people involved with it.
"'I made a great lifelong friendship with Julie [Andrews], whom I adore,' he says. 'And I loved the director, [the late] Robert Wise; I spoke at his memorial in Los Angeles. I have terrific memories of making it.' But he doesn’t think much of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s forthcoming revival of the musical in Toronto, or the way its star was chosen via the CBC-TV series How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? 'At one point, Julie and I were approached to do the reality show,' Plummer says, laughing incredulously. 'No, thank you!'
"Plummer discusses the film, along with many other highlights in his remarkable 60-year career, in his memoir, In Spite of Myself, to be published in Canada this fall. It’s a career that is still in full swing. At 78, the great Canadian actor is headlining at Stratford once again, in an eagerly awaited production of George Bernard Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra that begins previews Aug. 7. He came straight to the festival from Berlin, where he was shooting The Last Station, a film about Tolstoy, with Helen Mirren and Atonement’s James McAvoy. Before that, he wrapped up his title performance in Terry Gilliam’s forthcoming fantasy, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, co-starring with the late Heath Ledger.
"That’s typical of Plummer’s whirlwind schedule in recent years, which has seen him appear in a succession of high-profile films while still taking on major stage roles – like the Clarence Darrow figure in last year’s Broadway revival of Inherit the Wind, which garnered him rave notices and a Tony nomination.
"'I haven’t stopped working for the last six years,' Plummer admits. 'It’s been bang-bang-bang, one thing after another.' The heavy workload is entirely intentional. 'You know, when you get to my exalted age, you have to work,' he says with a smile. 'The more you work, the younger you appear to be, I think, and the younger you feel.'
"Plummer does look youthful for a man near the end of his seventh decade. His grey hair is thinning, but his eyes are still a penetrating blue, and he retains that patrician elegance that has served him well in roles ranging from the Duke of Wellington to King Lear. Dapper even in his rehearsal togs – a black tracksuit topped with a black blazer – he leans back in his chair and toys with a pair of yellow wrap-around shades. It strikes you that he has the perfect air of regal amusement to play Shaw’s Julius Caesar – a part Plummer coveted in vain for years.
"'I could never get a director to be interested in this play,' he reveals. That is, until Des McAnuff, an old friend and Stratford’s new artistic director, agreed to stage it. 'It’s a tremendous director’s piece, as Des is proving.' It’s also a rare opportunity for Plummer to do a Shaw work. 'I think I have an ear for his rhythms,' he says, 'and I particularly like Caesar because the play not only is funny, but has a great deal of romance and an attempt at historical accuracy. It’s bigger than most of his other plays. Someone once said that it was the closest thing he got to a Shakespearean play in size.'
"But Shaw’s portrayal of the Roman general is very different from Shakespeare’s. 'Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play is merely a figurehead,' Plummer says. 'Shaw’s Caesar is huge in comparison and terribly funny, very witty. And then there are moments of great loneliness that happen to Caesar; you realize what a lonely person he must have been, because there were very few people in the world who could match him. He was so far ahead of the game and of the society surrounding him.'
"Shaw’s comedy focuses on the aging Caesar’s visit to Egypt, where he takes the teenage Cleopatra under his wing and teaches her to be a queen. Plummer points out its similarity to Shaw’s later, better-known Pygmalion – the source for the musical My Fair Lady. Caesar and Cleopatra here are mentor and protégée – with a hint of an underlying May-December romance.
"'There’s that hidden tease that Shaw is always giving us, that suggestion of a sexual relationship,' Plummer says, 'which, of course, they really had: he fathered her child. But it’s merely suggested in the play – subtly suggested.'
"Playing Cleo to Plummer’s Caesar is Nikki M. James, a protégée of director McAnuff’s and also the star of his Romeo and Juliet. 'She has such fire and energy and she’s absolutely delightful,' Plummer says of the 27-year-old actress. 'Never has there been a Cleopatra, in my memory, that suggested 16. She looks 16. So there’s an added sense of Caesar as a father-like tutor.'
"Plummer says he’s back at Stratford – in his first starring role there since 2002’s King Lear – partly to do this play, partly to throw his support behind McAnuff’s first season as artistic head. 'He’s probably the hottest director at the moment in the theatre, anywhere,' Plummer asserts. 'It’s wonderful that he’s here.' Plummer jokes that he’s even pushing McAnuff to cast him in Guys and Dolls, the director’s next Broadway musical. 'I keep auditioning for him all the time, just to tease him. I come in singing [he switches to the gravelly New York accent of Guys and Dolls’ Nathan Detroit] Serve a paper and sue me, sue me…'
"Plummer’s challenge would be to shoehorn another stage role into a calendar already overflowing with film work. He says he’s pleased with the kinds of films he’s being offered these days – movies like Syriana, Emotional Arithmetic and Closing the Ring. 'I haven’t always liked the films I’ve done,' he says. 'They have been a [financial] necessity, as they often are in most actors’ lives.'
Continue reading for more disucssion of Plummer's work in film.
"When interviewing Christopher Plummer, there is always an elephant in the room — a singing elephant, to be exact. You don’t want to mention it; you know that he’s referred to it disparagingly in the past as 'The Sound of Mucus' and 'S&M.' But readers are curious. After all, despite a vast and varied resume onstage and in film, Plummer’s most beloved role remains Capt. von Trapp in the treacly 1965 movie of The Sound of Music.
"Midway through our recent talk at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, I broached the subject. No sooner is the title out of my mouth, than Plummer quickly nods, ready to set the record straight. Whatever he may have said about the picture itself, he has fond recollections of the people involved with it.
"'I made a great lifelong friendship with Julie [Andrews], whom I adore,' he says. 'And I loved the director, [the late] Robert Wise; I spoke at his memorial in Los Angeles. I have terrific memories of making it.' But he doesn’t think much of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s forthcoming revival of the musical in Toronto, or the way its star was chosen via the CBC-TV series How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? 'At one point, Julie and I were approached to do the reality show,' Plummer says, laughing incredulously. 'No, thank you!'
"Plummer discusses the film, along with many other highlights in his remarkable 60-year career, in his memoir, In Spite of Myself, to be published in Canada this fall. It’s a career that is still in full swing. At 78, the great Canadian actor is headlining at Stratford once again, in an eagerly awaited production of George Bernard Shaw’s Caesar and Cleopatra that begins previews Aug. 7. He came straight to the festival from Berlin, where he was shooting The Last Station, a film about Tolstoy, with Helen Mirren and Atonement’s James McAvoy. Before that, he wrapped up his title performance in Terry Gilliam’s forthcoming fantasy, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, co-starring with the late Heath Ledger.
"That’s typical of Plummer’s whirlwind schedule in recent years, which has seen him appear in a succession of high-profile films while still taking on major stage roles – like the Clarence Darrow figure in last year’s Broadway revival of Inherit the Wind, which garnered him rave notices and a Tony nomination.
"'I haven’t stopped working for the last six years,' Plummer admits. 'It’s been bang-bang-bang, one thing after another.' The heavy workload is entirely intentional. 'You know, when you get to my exalted age, you have to work,' he says with a smile. 'The more you work, the younger you appear to be, I think, and the younger you feel.'
"Plummer does look youthful for a man near the end of his seventh decade. His grey hair is thinning, but his eyes are still a penetrating blue, and he retains that patrician elegance that has served him well in roles ranging from the Duke of Wellington to King Lear. Dapper even in his rehearsal togs – a black tracksuit topped with a black blazer – he leans back in his chair and toys with a pair of yellow wrap-around shades. It strikes you that he has the perfect air of regal amusement to play Shaw’s Julius Caesar – a part Plummer coveted in vain for years.
"'I could never get a director to be interested in this play,' he reveals. That is, until Des McAnuff, an old friend and Stratford’s new artistic director, agreed to stage it. 'It’s a tremendous director’s piece, as Des is proving.' It’s also a rare opportunity for Plummer to do a Shaw work. 'I think I have an ear for his rhythms,' he says, 'and I particularly like Caesar because the play not only is funny, but has a great deal of romance and an attempt at historical accuracy. It’s bigger than most of his other plays. Someone once said that it was the closest thing he got to a Shakespearean play in size.'
"But Shaw’s portrayal of the Roman general is very different from Shakespeare’s. 'Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play is merely a figurehead,' Plummer says. 'Shaw’s Caesar is huge in comparison and terribly funny, very witty. And then there are moments of great loneliness that happen to Caesar; you realize what a lonely person he must have been, because there were very few people in the world who could match him. He was so far ahead of the game and of the society surrounding him.'
"Shaw’s comedy focuses on the aging Caesar’s visit to Egypt, where he takes the teenage Cleopatra under his wing and teaches her to be a queen. Plummer points out its similarity to Shaw’s later, better-known Pygmalion – the source for the musical My Fair Lady. Caesar and Cleopatra here are mentor and protégée – with a hint of an underlying May-December romance.
"'There’s that hidden tease that Shaw is always giving us, that suggestion of a sexual relationship,' Plummer says, 'which, of course, they really had: he fathered her child. But it’s merely suggested in the play – subtly suggested.'
"Playing Cleo to Plummer’s Caesar is Nikki M. James, a protégée of director McAnuff’s and also the star of his Romeo and Juliet. 'She has such fire and energy and she’s absolutely delightful,' Plummer says of the 27-year-old actress. 'Never has there been a Cleopatra, in my memory, that suggested 16. She looks 16. So there’s an added sense of Caesar as a father-like tutor.'
"Plummer says he’s back at Stratford – in his first starring role there since 2002’s King Lear – partly to do this play, partly to throw his support behind McAnuff’s first season as artistic head. 'He’s probably the hottest director at the moment in the theatre, anywhere,' Plummer asserts. 'It’s wonderful that he’s here.' Plummer jokes that he’s even pushing McAnuff to cast him in Guys and Dolls, the director’s next Broadway musical. 'I keep auditioning for him all the time, just to tease him. I come in singing [he switches to the gravelly New York accent of Guys and Dolls’ Nathan Detroit] Serve a paper and sue me, sue me…'
"Plummer’s challenge would be to shoehorn another stage role into a calendar already overflowing with film work. He says he’s pleased with the kinds of films he’s being offered these days – movies like Syriana, Emotional Arithmetic and Closing the Ring. 'I haven’t always liked the films I’ve done,' he says. 'They have been a [financial] necessity, as they often are in most actors’ lives.'
Continue reading for more disucssion of Plummer's work in film.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Caesar Should go to New York: Chris Plummer
An interview with Christopher Plummer from Gary Smith at the Hamilton Spectator:
"'I don't feel old at all, you know.'
"Christopher Plummer leans back in a comfy leather chair and smiles.
"And there it is, up close and personal, that chiselled face, those liquid blue eyes, that handsome frame.
"Surely this is a real Canadian matinee idol. 'I'm not you know.' But when you tell him that at 78 he still looks like a million bucks, he turns pink, then he grins.
"A blue turtleneck hugs his neck and a white sweater dangles carelessly over broad shoulders giving him a tennis pro look.
"Playing with the yellow band of his designer watch he talks about life, love, booze and the pursuit of art.
"'I love my work,' he says, nodding. 'I'm not going to do anything stupid like retire. I promise you that. I'm going to drop dead on the stage.'
"'It's scary you know. These days you can almost live forever. And I don't really know what it means to feel 78. I walk, I exercise, I play tennis. And I have loads of energy. I feel fit. I credit my wife Elaine with much of that.'
"Married for 37 years, Plummer calls his wife his saving grace.
"'You could say she saved my life. I don't drink like I did -- and I was a big boozer. And I eat right. Elaine is a cordon bleu cook, only she knows how to limit the sauces and doo-dahs that clog up the arteries.'
"Born in Montreal, Plummer came to Toronto as a young lad. 'It was dull as horse muck,' he shrugs. 'I couldn't wait to get back to Montreal.'
"Referring to pals Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole and Richard Harris, he says: 'I'd like to think I was one of the bad boys.'
""Hard drinkers, they loved to laugh.'
"'In those days I was ashamed to be Canadian.' He shrugs. 'There was such a lack of love for the arts here then. And the life here initiated a sense of rebellion in me. You just wanted to break the rules, be rebellious, break out and take risks.
"'In some quarters it's still that way. There's this feeling, or attitude, you can't be Canadian and be any good. You certainly can't be a star. We're all too suspicious of that. I made my exit as fast as I could. I got the hell out.'
"In New York City, Plummer found his theatrical way. He also knew every bar on 9th Avenue as well as the Upper West Side.
"'In those days a real man had to drink a lot and still be able to go on word perfect as Hamlet.'
"'But I guess like all the others, I gave up drink with advancing years. It's hard to be 40, out of shape and still give a performance eight times a week. Know what I mean?'
"'I was never drunk on stage, you know. I always worked like a fiend in the theatre. I did my boozing after hours. In the 1970s, everyone was sobering up, or taking drugs. It wasn't politically correct to drink.'
"Always a risk taker, Plummer remains so in his career. He might have given in after The Sound Of Music, played leading men and slowly atrophied.
"'Oh I just couldn't bear that,' he says, scowling. 'Contrary to what people think, I don't hate The Sound Of Music. It's just it's such a goody-goody movie, that's all. Maybe I said things against it out of my own rebellious instinct. I mean, face it, I've done well over a hundred movies. Some of them very good. Others? Well, they made money.'
"'And those von Trapps,' he shrugs, 'They weren't exactly loved in Austria you know. The people had them up to here.
"'But the Austrians shouldn't complain, they brought millions of tourist dollars into the country, precisely because of The Sound Of Music.'
"Now it's time to talk turkey. Plummer gets down to the reasons he's back at Stratford after several years hiatus.
"'I've always wanted to do Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra... It's a very sexy play for that old tease Shaw to have written. I mean I don't think he knew anything about sex, but this play comes pretty close.'
"Plummer has no secrets about the way he'll play the part.
"'I'm not thinking of him as Napoleon or anything. I'm just going to do the play as truthfully and as amusingly as I can. And I'm hoping my Cleopatra is going to be very sexy, dressed in something revealing, very revealing. It's just that kind of play.'
"Plummer's at Stratford because he loves the place and the years he spent here starring with actors like Tony van Bridge, William Needles and Douglas Campbell.
"'I miss those old boys,' he says. 'There used to be this middle-age range of actors here. Now they're all so young. It's scary. But you know the place is in good hands. I am so in favour of this regime. Des McAnuff is the right man for this place. He has an international reputation and he can get good directors to work here.'
"Plummer hopes his Caesar will go on to London or New York after Stratford is through. 'Things shouldn't end here.'
"Plummer also has a couple of films coming out -- The Last Station with Helen Mirren and Doctor Parnassus with the late Heath Ledger.
"'That was just awful,' Plummer says of Ledger's death. 'I didn't get to know him well, but he was a happy young man. I think the journalists were appalling suggesting he took his own life. It was an accident -- that's all.'
"These days in Stratford, Plummer rents a big house close to the theatre.
"'At West Over Inn in St. Marys, where I used to stay, they have a plaque on the penthouse door that says Christopher Plummer Suite. Well, the damn thing is, I can't even get in there anymore. It's always booked. So much for being a star.'"
"'I don't feel old at all, you know.'
"Christopher Plummer leans back in a comfy leather chair and smiles.
"And there it is, up close and personal, that chiselled face, those liquid blue eyes, that handsome frame.
"Surely this is a real Canadian matinee idol. 'I'm not you know.' But when you tell him that at 78 he still looks like a million bucks, he turns pink, then he grins.
"A blue turtleneck hugs his neck and a white sweater dangles carelessly over broad shoulders giving him a tennis pro look.
"Playing with the yellow band of his designer watch he talks about life, love, booze and the pursuit of art.
"'I love my work,' he says, nodding. 'I'm not going to do anything stupid like retire. I promise you that. I'm going to drop dead on the stage.'
"'It's scary you know. These days you can almost live forever. And I don't really know what it means to feel 78. I walk, I exercise, I play tennis. And I have loads of energy. I feel fit. I credit my wife Elaine with much of that.'
"Married for 37 years, Plummer calls his wife his saving grace.
"'You could say she saved my life. I don't drink like I did -- and I was a big boozer. And I eat right. Elaine is a cordon bleu cook, only she knows how to limit the sauces and doo-dahs that clog up the arteries.'
"Born in Montreal, Plummer came to Toronto as a young lad. 'It was dull as horse muck,' he shrugs. 'I couldn't wait to get back to Montreal.'
"Referring to pals Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole and Richard Harris, he says: 'I'd like to think I was one of the bad boys.'
""Hard drinkers, they loved to laugh.'
"'In those days I was ashamed to be Canadian.' He shrugs. 'There was such a lack of love for the arts here then. And the life here initiated a sense of rebellion in me. You just wanted to break the rules, be rebellious, break out and take risks.
"'In some quarters it's still that way. There's this feeling, or attitude, you can't be Canadian and be any good. You certainly can't be a star. We're all too suspicious of that. I made my exit as fast as I could. I got the hell out.'
"In New York City, Plummer found his theatrical way. He also knew every bar on 9th Avenue as well as the Upper West Side.
"'In those days a real man had to drink a lot and still be able to go on word perfect as Hamlet.'
"'But I guess like all the others, I gave up drink with advancing years. It's hard to be 40, out of shape and still give a performance eight times a week. Know what I mean?'
"'I was never drunk on stage, you know. I always worked like a fiend in the theatre. I did my boozing after hours. In the 1970s, everyone was sobering up, or taking drugs. It wasn't politically correct to drink.'
"Always a risk taker, Plummer remains so in his career. He might have given in after The Sound Of Music, played leading men and slowly atrophied.
"'Oh I just couldn't bear that,' he says, scowling. 'Contrary to what people think, I don't hate The Sound Of Music. It's just it's such a goody-goody movie, that's all. Maybe I said things against it out of my own rebellious instinct. I mean, face it, I've done well over a hundred movies. Some of them very good. Others? Well, they made money.'
"'And those von Trapps,' he shrugs, 'They weren't exactly loved in Austria you know. The people had them up to here.
"'But the Austrians shouldn't complain, they brought millions of tourist dollars into the country, precisely because of The Sound Of Music.'
"Now it's time to talk turkey. Plummer gets down to the reasons he's back at Stratford after several years hiatus.
"'I've always wanted to do Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra... It's a very sexy play for that old tease Shaw to have written. I mean I don't think he knew anything about sex, but this play comes pretty close.'
"Plummer has no secrets about the way he'll play the part.
"'I'm not thinking of him as Napoleon or anything. I'm just going to do the play as truthfully and as amusingly as I can. And I'm hoping my Cleopatra is going to be very sexy, dressed in something revealing, very revealing. It's just that kind of play.'
"Plummer's at Stratford because he loves the place and the years he spent here starring with actors like Tony van Bridge, William Needles and Douglas Campbell.
"'I miss those old boys,' he says. 'There used to be this middle-age range of actors here. Now they're all so young. It's scary. But you know the place is in good hands. I am so in favour of this regime. Des McAnuff is the right man for this place. He has an international reputation and he can get good directors to work here.'
"Plummer hopes his Caesar will go on to London or New York after Stratford is through. 'Things shouldn't end here.'
"Plummer also has a couple of films coming out -- The Last Station with Helen Mirren and Doctor Parnassus with the late Heath Ledger.
"'That was just awful,' Plummer says of Ledger's death. 'I didn't get to know him well, but he was a happy young man. I think the journalists were appalling suggesting he took his own life. It was an accident -- that's all.'
"These days in Stratford, Plummer rents a big house close to the theatre.
"'At West Over Inn in St. Marys, where I used to stay, they have a plaque on the penthouse door that says Christopher Plummer Suite. Well, the damn thing is, I can't even get in there anymore. It's always booked. So much for being a star.'"
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Plummer Prepares for Caesar
From Richard Ouzounian at the Toronto Star:
"Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer walks into The Belfry Restaurant late on a summer's day.
"He pauses by one of the stained glass windows, splendidly backlit by the afternoon sun and looks about as regal as it's possible for a man to be without benefit of royal robes.
"At the age of 78, he still stands ramrod-straight, eternally tan, eyes flashing with mischief, as a slightly sardonic grin plays around his lips, making you feel he's just been told a joke that you couldn't possibly understand.
"We don't confer titles on our North American actors, but if we did, he would surely be Sir Christopher, if not Lord Plummer.
"Just the kind of man who should be playing Julius Caesar, which is a fortunate occurrence, because that's what he's here to do this summer.
"Not Shakespeare's Caesar, a dusty bore who dies before the show is half finished, but the one imagined by George Bernard Shaw in Caesar and Cleopatra, directed by Des McAnuff and starting previews on Aug. 7 at the Festival Theatre.
"Plummer sits down, orders a glass of red wine and relaxes. His jacket is stylishly cut, but the lack of a tie indicates that this man may be imperial, yet he's not imperious.
"Ask him why he wants to do this particular script and he cuts right to the chase.
"'Because it's very, very kinky. I feel like I'm playing Humbert in Lolita. A sexy, smart older man infatuated with a devilishly divine kitten of a much younger woman.'
"Having caused a shock wave with his daring opening line (as he knew he would) he instantly backpedals with grace, as the naughty but well-mannered Westmount boy that he was raised to be.
"'It's not quite as lascivious as Lolita,' he purrs, 'but there is that naughty frisson behind the relationship that keeps the audience on their toes without being filthy.
"'I've loved this play for a long, long time. It's not done very often because it's expensive to mount, but it's so fascinating because Shaw suddenly becomes a sexy writer, a sensual writer. My God! It's a romantic comedy up there on the stage.'
"Cleopatra isn't present this afternoon, but Plummer hastens to praise the actor playing the role, the 24-year-old Nikki M. James.
"'I'm so glad we've got someone truly young in the part,' exults Plummer, 'and I'm thrilled with what she's doing. She's got great energy and grace and youth...ah, youth!'
"But it takes more than a charming leading lady and a tempting script to get Plummer to commit his time and energy. He's still in demand for stage work in New York and London as well as for movies around the world.
"So what brought him back to Stratford this year?
"'I'm here because I wanted to come and support Des (McAnuff),' says Plummer simply, speaking of the Festival's Artistic Director. 'I thank God that he's here. He takes risks, he dares, he's got a wonderful theatrical sense. He's just the right kind of person to take over at the moment.'
"Although always proudly Canadian, Plummer has been a citizen of the world for 50 years, working anywhere and everywhere he chooses, which is why he applauds McAnuff's decisions to broaden the Festival's artistic horizons by bringing in first-rate talent from America, England and Europe.
"'Des has got such great antennae towards the right people in other lands,' observes Plummer, 'and he's not afraid to ask them to join us.
"'We used to do it here at Stratford all the time and there were always some people who bitched and said "They've all got to be Canadian." That's ridiculous! How can Canadian actors ever learn unless they pitch themselves against stars from other countries?'
"Plummer is positive about a lot of the transformations he sees happening in this first season, even though he knows that some discord and a certain amount of financial pain has emerged.
"'It's all good. It's all exciting. It doesn't matter if it's rocky or not. It's change and this place needed it.'
"Of course, he wouldn't be Plummer the Perfectionist if he didn't find some faults and he's ready to speak about them as well.
"'We've got to get all the genteel theatre out of the place, the kind of thing that people love to come to see because they know they can drop off and have a nice snooze.
"'I also feel there are too many plays being done here. Actors can't do their best work if they're constantly running madly from one show to another. It's like going to a restaurant with a menu that's so big you know the chef just can't prepare every dish well.'
"Plummer's passion for Stratford even surprises himself and he pauses to take a sip of wine, speaking more softly when he resumes.
"'I guess I have an unconscious desire to always be a part of Stratford because the defining event of my life took place here.
"'I was 26 years old, it was 1956 and I played Henry V here. It was glorious. The French were played by actors from Quebec and the whole concept of bringing this country together became something that actually seemed possible.'
"Ask him what he remembers about Stratford when he wakes up at four in the morning and he laughs.
"'Going to bed at four in the morning. No, really, that's what it was. A big party. We were all like that.
"'The company wanted to test me. They would keep me up drinking till all hours because they wanted to see if I was tough enough to carouse all night and then perform Henry V at a matinee the next day. And if you did, you were a man, my son.'
"The word 'retire' isn't in Plummer's vocabulary and he grows excited again as he talks about the kind of work he still wants to do.
"'I want to play characters who drive, who do, who make things happen.
"'Al Pacino and I talked about doing Volpone together, but the only trouble is that Al always wants to do 14 years of workshops first and by the time he got through them, I'd be dead.'
"Plummer drains his glass of wine and looks off in the distance where the sun is sinking ever lower in the sky.
"'I do want to play Prospero one day,' he says a bit wistfully, 'but it's always regarded as a farewell performance and I don't even want to think of that.
"'No, not yet.'"
"Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer walks into The Belfry Restaurant late on a summer's day.
"He pauses by one of the stained glass windows, splendidly backlit by the afternoon sun and looks about as regal as it's possible for a man to be without benefit of royal robes.
"At the age of 78, he still stands ramrod-straight, eternally tan, eyes flashing with mischief, as a slightly sardonic grin plays around his lips, making you feel he's just been told a joke that you couldn't possibly understand.
"We don't confer titles on our North American actors, but if we did, he would surely be Sir Christopher, if not Lord Plummer.
"Just the kind of man who should be playing Julius Caesar, which is a fortunate occurrence, because that's what he's here to do this summer.
"Not Shakespeare's Caesar, a dusty bore who dies before the show is half finished, but the one imagined by George Bernard Shaw in Caesar and Cleopatra, directed by Des McAnuff and starting previews on Aug. 7 at the Festival Theatre.
"Plummer sits down, orders a glass of red wine and relaxes. His jacket is stylishly cut, but the lack of a tie indicates that this man may be imperial, yet he's not imperious.
"Ask him why he wants to do this particular script and he cuts right to the chase.
"'Because it's very, very kinky. I feel like I'm playing Humbert in Lolita. A sexy, smart older man infatuated with a devilishly divine kitten of a much younger woman.'
"Having caused a shock wave with his daring opening line (as he knew he would) he instantly backpedals with grace, as the naughty but well-mannered Westmount boy that he was raised to be.
"'It's not quite as lascivious as Lolita,' he purrs, 'but there is that naughty frisson behind the relationship that keeps the audience on their toes without being filthy.
"'I've loved this play for a long, long time. It's not done very often because it's expensive to mount, but it's so fascinating because Shaw suddenly becomes a sexy writer, a sensual writer. My God! It's a romantic comedy up there on the stage.'
"Cleopatra isn't present this afternoon, but Plummer hastens to praise the actor playing the role, the 24-year-old Nikki M. James.
"'I'm so glad we've got someone truly young in the part,' exults Plummer, 'and I'm thrilled with what she's doing. She's got great energy and grace and youth...ah, youth!'
"But it takes more than a charming leading lady and a tempting script to get Plummer to commit his time and energy. He's still in demand for stage work in New York and London as well as for movies around the world.
"So what brought him back to Stratford this year?
"'I'm here because I wanted to come and support Des (McAnuff),' says Plummer simply, speaking of the Festival's Artistic Director. 'I thank God that he's here. He takes risks, he dares, he's got a wonderful theatrical sense. He's just the right kind of person to take over at the moment.'
"Although always proudly Canadian, Plummer has been a citizen of the world for 50 years, working anywhere and everywhere he chooses, which is why he applauds McAnuff's decisions to broaden the Festival's artistic horizons by bringing in first-rate talent from America, England and Europe.
"'Des has got such great antennae towards the right people in other lands,' observes Plummer, 'and he's not afraid to ask them to join us.
"'We used to do it here at Stratford all the time and there were always some people who bitched and said "They've all got to be Canadian." That's ridiculous! How can Canadian actors ever learn unless they pitch themselves against stars from other countries?'
"Plummer is positive about a lot of the transformations he sees happening in this first season, even though he knows that some discord and a certain amount of financial pain has emerged.
"'It's all good. It's all exciting. It doesn't matter if it's rocky or not. It's change and this place needed it.'
"Of course, he wouldn't be Plummer the Perfectionist if he didn't find some faults and he's ready to speak about them as well.
"'We've got to get all the genteel theatre out of the place, the kind of thing that people love to come to see because they know they can drop off and have a nice snooze.
"'I also feel there are too many plays being done here. Actors can't do their best work if they're constantly running madly from one show to another. It's like going to a restaurant with a menu that's so big you know the chef just can't prepare every dish well.'
"Plummer's passion for Stratford even surprises himself and he pauses to take a sip of wine, speaking more softly when he resumes.
"'I guess I have an unconscious desire to always be a part of Stratford because the defining event of my life took place here.
"'I was 26 years old, it was 1956 and I played Henry V here. It was glorious. The French were played by actors from Quebec and the whole concept of bringing this country together became something that actually seemed possible.'
"Ask him what he remembers about Stratford when he wakes up at four in the morning and he laughs.
"'Going to bed at four in the morning. No, really, that's what it was. A big party. We were all like that.
"'The company wanted to test me. They would keep me up drinking till all hours because they wanted to see if I was tough enough to carouse all night and then perform Henry V at a matinee the next day. And if you did, you were a man, my son.'
"The word 'retire' isn't in Plummer's vocabulary and he grows excited again as he talks about the kind of work he still wants to do.
"'I want to play characters who drive, who do, who make things happen.
"'Al Pacino and I talked about doing Volpone together, but the only trouble is that Al always wants to do 14 years of workshops first and by the time he got through them, I'd be dead.'
"Plummer drains his glass of wine and looks off in the distance where the sun is sinking ever lower in the sky.
"'I do want to play Prospero one day,' he says a bit wistfully, 'but it's always regarded as a farewell performance and I don't even want to think of that.
"'No, not yet.'"
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
McAnuff at Stratford
Martin Morrow writes a long piece, more on Artistic Director Des McAnuff than the season, for CBC.ca. Here's a snapshot:
"What brought him to the festival was the desire to direct Shakespeare and other classic plays on a scale comparable to the musicals that have made his name. 'The classics have definitely always been part of my menu as an artist,' he says, 'but it’s become more difficult to do large-canvas works at many theatres. That was one of my struggles at La Jolla. When we did do a classic, it would tend to be a smaller one, just due to resources. The chief reason that I’m here is to work with a company of actors on the classical repertory.'
"His multi-racial Romeo and Juliet (2008) pairs Canadian classical actor Gareth Potter as Romeo with a Juliet played by one of his musical-theatre protégées — U.S. singer-actress Nikki M. James. McAnuff directed James in a revival of The Wiz a couple of years ago, but he says he’s known her since she was a stage-struck kid.
"'She was actually a Stage Door Janie for a show I did on Broadway,' he recalls fondly, referring to his 1995 production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, starring Matthew Broderick and Megan Mullally. 'Nikki used to show up at the theatre as a fan. Megan took a real shine to her, and Nikki and her friend used to perform show tunes for the cast backstage.'
"McAnuff’s second production this season, opening in August, will be one of Stratford’s rare forays into Shaw country: a staging of George Bernard Shaw’s historical comedy Caesar and Cleopatra (2008), starring Christopher Plummer. McAnuff says the play was Plummer’s idea. 'We wanted to do a project together and [Julius Caesar] was a role he really wanted to play. Chris is really an exceptional actor who has a great sense of himself and what he should be doing. He was brilliant in Inherit the Wind on Broadway last year, as was Brian Dennehy.'
"Dennehy is also part of this year’s unusually starry season. Other notables making their Stratford debuts include Hamlet director Adrian Noble, the former head of Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company, and British actor-author Simon Callow, who will be premiering a new solo show based on Shakespeare’s sonnets. McAnuff hopes to bring more star power to Stratford in the future.'From the Alec Guinness days, there’s been a history of that here,' he points out. 'I definitely embrace that tradition. And when you talk of stars,' he adds, 'I’m hoping the projects themselves are going to be stars as well. That’s going to be extremely important.'
"Does McAnuff see Stratford as a potential springboard for commercial productions — perhaps the way the Royal Shakespeare Company under Trevor Nunn spawned West End-Broadway hits like Les Misérables and Nicholas Nickleby?
"'I’d love to do something like that at Stratford,' McAnuff replies. 'There are skills and talents here that could be brought to bear on projects like that, which have a classical association. And I would love to see that happen to the festival in terms of [providing] income streams, too. Royalty income is an awfully nice thing to have.'
"McAnuff doesn’t rule out Stratford as a home for more offbeat efforts, too. Like, say, that Flaming Lips musical. 'It certainly would be unusual,' he admits. But it would fit in with his belief that the festival should be doing more new work. 'I feel it’s critically important, when you’re doing the great plays in the history of theatre, that you put living writers and their works side by side with them,' he says. 'The new work informs the old plays, and keeps them from turning into relics.'"
"What brought him to the festival was the desire to direct Shakespeare and other classic plays on a scale comparable to the musicals that have made his name. 'The classics have definitely always been part of my menu as an artist,' he says, 'but it’s become more difficult to do large-canvas works at many theatres. That was one of my struggles at La Jolla. When we did do a classic, it would tend to be a smaller one, just due to resources. The chief reason that I’m here is to work with a company of actors on the classical repertory.'
"His multi-racial Romeo and Juliet (2008) pairs Canadian classical actor Gareth Potter as Romeo with a Juliet played by one of his musical-theatre protégées — U.S. singer-actress Nikki M. James. McAnuff directed James in a revival of The Wiz a couple of years ago, but he says he’s known her since she was a stage-struck kid.
"'She was actually a Stage Door Janie for a show I did on Broadway,' he recalls fondly, referring to his 1995 production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, starring Matthew Broderick and Megan Mullally. 'Nikki used to show up at the theatre as a fan. Megan took a real shine to her, and Nikki and her friend used to perform show tunes for the cast backstage.'
"McAnuff’s second production this season, opening in August, will be one of Stratford’s rare forays into Shaw country: a staging of George Bernard Shaw’s historical comedy Caesar and Cleopatra (2008), starring Christopher Plummer. McAnuff says the play was Plummer’s idea. 'We wanted to do a project together and [Julius Caesar] was a role he really wanted to play. Chris is really an exceptional actor who has a great sense of himself and what he should be doing. He was brilliant in Inherit the Wind on Broadway last year, as was Brian Dennehy.'
"Dennehy is also part of this year’s unusually starry season. Other notables making their Stratford debuts include Hamlet director Adrian Noble, the former head of Britain’s Royal Shakespeare Company, and British actor-author Simon Callow, who will be premiering a new solo show based on Shakespeare’s sonnets. McAnuff hopes to bring more star power to Stratford in the future.'From the Alec Guinness days, there’s been a history of that here,' he points out. 'I definitely embrace that tradition. And when you talk of stars,' he adds, 'I’m hoping the projects themselves are going to be stars as well. That’s going to be extremely important.'
"Does McAnuff see Stratford as a potential springboard for commercial productions — perhaps the way the Royal Shakespeare Company under Trevor Nunn spawned West End-Broadway hits like Les Misérables and Nicholas Nickleby?
"'I’d love to do something like that at Stratford,' McAnuff replies. 'There are skills and talents here that could be brought to bear on projects like that, which have a classical association. And I would love to see that happen to the festival in terms of [providing] income streams, too. Royalty income is an awfully nice thing to have.'
"McAnuff doesn’t rule out Stratford as a home for more offbeat efforts, too. Like, say, that Flaming Lips musical. 'It certainly would be unusual,' he admits. But it would fit in with his belief that the festival should be doing more new work. 'I feel it’s critically important, when you’re doing the great plays in the history of theatre, that you put living writers and their works side by side with them,' he says. 'The new work informs the old plays, and keeps them from turning into relics.'"
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