In the business we call “show,” Marc Kudisch is as well known for his intelligence and volubility as for his talent, charisma, and sex appeal. Get this guy started on just about any subject and he’ll offer you an earful, but his opinions are always well reasoned — even when you don’t agree with him.
The world at large knows Kudisch as the “TV Guy” spokesman for Toyota, but his credits range from Gaston in Beauty and the Beast to Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel to the title role in the TV movie of Bye Bye Birdie. Having emerged smelling like a rose from the Broadway flops High Society and The Wild Party, not to mention the short-lived revival of Bells Are Ringing, Kudisch received a 2002 Tony Award nomination for his hilarious turn as Trevor Graydon in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Now he’s playing the comically pompous, male chauvinist pig Carl-Magnus Malcolm in the New York City Opera’s revival of Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. Directed by Scott Ellis and choreographed by Susan Stroman, the production co-stars Jeremy Irons, Juliet Stevenson, Michele Pawk, and Claire Bloom.
For our TheaterMania interview earlier this week, I was supposed to hook up with Kudisch at Lincoln Center, but his rehearsal schedule changed at the last minute. So he met me at Ralph’s restaurant on Ninth Avenue, where we indulged in dinner and conversation.
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THEATERMANIA: This is your first fully staged Night Music after two concert productions, isn’t that right?
MARC KUDISCH: Yes. The first one, in Philadelphia, was truly a concert; we were holding books. At the Ravinia Festival, we were off-book, but it was still a concert; we put it up in a week and then we did three performances of it. I loved working with the people at Ravinia and I had a blast with George [Hearn] and Patti [LuPone], but I kind of felt like we were shot out of a cannon. The fun thing at City Opera is not only that we’re in full costume with full sets, but we also get a month to explore the material. With these actors, it’s not going to feel typically Broadway, typically “musical.” What Jeremy and Juliet bring to the piece is very subtle. It’s a different kind of energy.
TM: Are you adjusting your own performance to the dimensions of the New York State Theater? That’s a really big place.
MARC: The size of the house doesn’t mean anything. Everybody gets so flummoxed when they see a lot of seats. You can be performing in a theater that seats 400 or 1,000 or 2,500 — it doesn’t matter. If you’re projecting the right energy, you can do it the same in every venue and it will read equally well. I absolutely believe that. I’m not going to perform at the opera house any differently than if I were on Broadway or even Off-Broadway with this piece. Sometimes, subtlety can be bigger than big. I think some of my best moments in Millie are very subtle; I’m standing still, I’m not moving, and it’s funny! Sometimes, the most powerful thing that you can do on a stage is nothing.
TM: Is your characterization of Carl-Magnus different now than it was in Philadelphia or at the Ravinia Festival?
MARC: Some people thought that, in Ravinia, I played the role almost like one of the princes from Into the Woods, because I kind of leapt around a bit. There were platforms on stage and there was a moment when I had to get off as quickly as I could, so I did these leaps as opposed to taking steps.
TM: Have you ever seen Smiles of a Summer Night, the Ingmar Bergman film that Night Music is based on?
MARC: No, but I want to. We did an event at the Guggenheim Museum and they showed little clips from the movie. I thought, “Ooh, I want to see that,” but I want to get into performance first. I didn’t watch the Millie movie before I started working on it. If you’re doing a period piece, you certainly want to study the period to get a sense of what was taboo or what was acceptable in society at that time — why they behaved the way they behaved. But ultimately, in terms of the character, I think it should all be in the script. I’ve actually never seen a production of A Little Night Music.
TM: The one that they did at the Kennedy Center last summer as part of the Sondheim Celebration was wonderful.
MARC: Oh, I’m sure. Why not? A great company. I think it’s a big compliment to the piece that there are a thousand ways to play it. Because it’ s so well written, you can’t lose. It’s one of the best-written musicals ever. The book is brilliant, the music is brilliant, and one supports the other. We did the sitzprobe this morning with 50 pieces in the orchestra. How can you go wrong? It’s glorious music. Jonathan Tunick was there and Sondheim was there…
TM: I was just going to ask if you’ve been dealing directly with Sondheim.
MARC: Yes, he’s been around. We’ve sung for him, we’ve gone through the music, he’s given us notes. That man hears everything! I felt really good today, and then he said: “Okay, be careful in ‘It Would Have Been Wonderful.’ You’re going a little sharp.” I was, like, “Really?” He said, “Yeah. I’ve never heard you do that before, so maybe it’s just the orchestra and the room today.” I walked away going, “Damn!” Our liebeslieders are all from City Opera and I asked them, “Guys, did I sing sharp?” They said they didn’t hear it. Of course, Paul Gemignani [who is conducting Night Music] won’t tell you until you ask him. Gemignani’s like, “Well, actually — yeah, Marc. It wasn’t anywhere except in ‘It Would Have Been Wonderful’ and it’s not a big deal. The only people that are going to know are me and Steve.” And I said, “Yeah, but he’s kind of the most important person!”
TM: Tunick must be thrilled to have Night Music back at City Opera. There’s been so much bad stuff going on lately with his original orchestrations being drastically reduced for revivals of various shows.
MARC: Yes. He said, “God, to hear it sung like this is so wonderful, and I have this orchestra.” He’s a very sweet man. The rehearsal was exciting. And then Jeremy and I drove the cars around on stage! He’s crazy — a wonderful actor, but mischievous as hell.
TM: I was wondering: Now that you will have done Night Music three times with symphony-size orchestras, have you been thinking about venturing into opera and/or operetta?
MARC: I would love to. That’s part of the reason I wanted to work at City Opera; I’m hoping that maybe they’ll start doing operetta again. I know that they’re going to be doing Sweeney Todd next year, and then they want to do Candide again. Maybe they’ll ask me to come back. I would love to do Desert Song, New Moon, Naughty Marietta, and really be able to sing that way. Some people think operettas are dated or the books are shabby, but the truth is that they’re very sincere. They were written at a time when people spoke from the heart and didn’t beat around the bush. It’s a fantastic art form. Another thing is that people are writing a lot of new operas in English: Dead Man Walking, Little Women…
TM: …A View From the Bridge…
MARC: …and The Postman Always Rings Twice. It’s exciting, man! There’s a lot of great stuff out there, and there’s a lot of good ideas yet to be written. It’d be nice to be a part of that, because there’s a crossover that’s really starting to happen now. I think we’re going to see more operas in English that have spoken dialogue, and more musicals that are operatic in their nature.
TM: What’s next on your agenda?
MARC: I’m taking the month of April off and then I’m doing No Strings for Encores! I’m supposed to go back to Millie after that, but I’m also negotiating for a new piece Off-Broadway. It’s by Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts, and it’s called The Thing About Men. It’s a wicked cool story! Michele Pawk and Chris Sieber and I did a workshop reading of it in the winter. So I’ll probably go back to Millie but only for a limited time. It’s been really great working on Night Music. The best thing about the piece is that Sondheim writes so specifically for the characters.
TM: It’s too bad that they screwed up the movie version.
MARC: I know. Even Sondheim is like, “Ugh, that movie!” I mean, why even do a film of this show? No need. Go see it on stage.
TM: Do you dislike musical films in general?
MARC: I love musical films when they make sense, like Chicago. There was a period when musicals were “in” and people knew how to film them, but that was a different time. If you’re going to do a movie musical now, you’ve got to have a new vision, even if it’s a period piece. You know, Sondheim has said that his original idea for Night Music was that everything that happens would be seen through the eyes of Fredrika: Every musical number would start with her at the piano and would go on from there as her imagination took over. That I could see working on film.
TM: Well, everyone I know is really excited about the City Opera production.
MARC: Jeremy was saying today that it’s lovely and sad, in a way, that we’re performing it just for the month of March. But the gem of it is, we’re practically sold out. I’m not kidding. Our covers are in a bit of a quandary: They won’t be able to view the show on a regular basis because there’s even a waiting list for the viewing room. I’ve had so many people call me for tickets! Ultimately, this is the New York revival of A Little Night Music, which probably means that it won’t be seen here again for another 12 years or so. We’ll do the show for 15 performances, and it’s not about what the reviewers say — it really is just about the experience and, hopefully, the joy that it will bring to the audience.
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[For more on Marc Kudisch, click here to visit his website.]