One Actor’s Reflections on ‘Closer Than Ever’
July 28, 2009
By Erin Quill
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble, the critically-acclaimed Asian American theater based in Los Angeles, continues its “Beginnings & Endings” tenth and final season with an all-Asian American production of the classic 1989 musical revue “Closer Than Ever”. Cast member Erin Quill writes about her experiences working on the show.
I have been in love with the Maltby & Shire “bookless book” musical, “Closer Than Ever,” since I heard the recording. The writing team that brought Broadway musicals like “Baby and Big” to the stage, have written some of my favorite theater songs of all time in this show. I was thrilled that Lodestone chose to make it part of their final season.
The challenges of Closer Than Ever are manifold - first of all, it does not have what we in Los Angeles call a “Q” rating. Your “Q” is a term that denotes a things marketability based on the average person’s awareness of it’s content.
“Closer Than Ever” is known, largely, only to theater professionals and theater geeks. Low “Q”. However, if I told you that Richard Maltby, Jr. was also the co-lyricist on a little show called Miss Saigon, perhaps you might be more willing to give this show a listen? David Shire won an Oscar for the song “It Goes Like It Goes’ from the film Norma Rae. Together for writing the musical Baby, they garnered seven Tony nominations. In this show, they have written poignant, smart, funny and life-changing songs…that none of you might know. But trust me - this show totally rocks!
Second - the music. This score is very complex, as behooves the pedigree of its creators. Melodically it is in four parts and they intertwine beautifully, if maddeningly for those who are trying to learn it as fast as they can. We are very fortunate that we have experienced performers in our production who have appeared on Broadway and in London’s West End, as well on the larger stages in Los Angeles. There is something about Closer that speaks to people on a personal level - for example, our Music Director, Akira Nakano, practically demanded to work on the show. He had loved the score for years and was dying to play it. It’s that kind of commitment that allows such a musically challenging score to be learned and perfected. Bravo to my fellow artists.
Third - adapting the message of “Closer Than Ever” to the closing of Lodestone after a decade of bringing Asian American faces to the Los Angeles theater scene. That was director Chil Kong’s challenge, and watching him interweave Asian elements into a musical that is “usually” done in a stark, cabaret style has been fascinating. Closer’s songs show you life’s challenges with humor, resignation and amazement.
This last theme has struck a chord on two levels: first, what will happen to all those Asian American talents that we have been seeing on stage for the past decade - actors, writers, directors, designers? Where are they going to go?
My hope, is that by exposing audiences to different perceptions of Asian Americans and how they fit into the theatrical landscape, audiences will demand to see these multi-faceted performers on their television and movie screens. Or behind them. Lodestone has shown you where they are, now come and follow them.
The show’s lyrics like “I’ll get up tomorrow morning, take a deep breath and go on” also hit home with me because my father has been very ill. I am torn between feeling the need to rush immediately home and help care for him, and realizing I have made a commitment to this production. But I conferred with my parents, and they want me to open the show. They are of the “show must go on” school of thought, for which I thank them.
In addition, during our rehearsal period, my friend of many years, and our choreographer on the show, Samuel RedRunningbear Savage, passed away on July 13 while on a family visit home in Florida.
I met Red socially and we were friends long before I was able to tour with him in a production of The King and I. I was Lady Thiang, Debby Boone was Mrs. Anna, Ronald M. Banks (who appeared in the Lodestone’s The Mikado Project) was the King. In “The Small House of Uncle Thomas” ballet, Red played “Uncle Thomas.” We carpooled to rehearsal and toured the west coast. I do find it difficult to go to rehearsal and not hear his sassy voice telling me to “kick ball change and get it done, Miss Erin Quill,” but I get up every morning, take a deep breath and…
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Erin Quill is an actor and singer whose musical theater credits include the original Broadway company of Avenue Q as well as The King And I, Flower Drum Song and The Mikado Project.
Lodestone Theatre Ensemble’s production of Closer Than Ever runs August 8-30, Thursday-Saturday 8 PM and Sunday 2 PM, at GTC Burbank, 1111-B W, Olive Ave, Burbank, CA 91506. Tickets are $20 with discounts. For more info: www.lodestonetheatre.org. To RSVP: (323) 993-7245.
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