Q&A with Hardy Weaver

If George Hamilton could be a movie star, then Hardy Weaver could be… well, one of the comedic highlights of A Chorus Line. As the wonderfully droll Bobby, Weaver has epitomized wit and mischief every night for the past seven months thanks in no small part to the side-splitting monologue he has perfected for his character. In this blog entry, Hardy gives us a glimpse of what goes into making that scene so formulaically funny and also shares how he and Bobby were kindred troublemaking spirits as children.

Name

Matthew Hardy Weaver (the First)

Role

Bobby

Describe your favorite song / scene / moment in A Chorus Line.

I love being a part of the final kick line. The first time we did it, I was boo-hooing with a goofy smile on my face. It’s an amazing feeling being part of such an iconic and recognizable moment in musical theatre history.

Monologues are tricky to pull off for any actor, but many people might be surprised to know there’s just as much work that goes into comedic monologues as in dramatic monologues. What were your secrets for keeping Bobby’s monologue fresh over the course of the tour?

Comedy is such a delicate thing. People think you can get up and say a funny line and people will automatically laugh. Not the case. Timing is so important and if you deliver a punch line a second too early or too late, it bombs. My biggest “secret” is studying comedic geniuses. Since the age of 10 I’ve watched shows such as I Love Lucy and Golden Girls. Yes, I do watch them for entertainment, but I really do study these amazing actors and how they set up, deliver, and play comedy. My cast-mates sometimes catch me on the bus mouthing a scene between Lucy and Ethel or Dorothy and Rose. When it comes to monologues, comedic or dramatic, I always think of it like jazz music: you start in one place and you never know where you will end up. You have to be willing to go with the flow and embrace the fact that new reactions and intentions might come out of nowhere. I love it.

As a child, were you ever as outlandish as Bobby?

Oh yes! Before we started rehearsals, I was trying to figure out Bobby and I made a list of all the weird things I did as a child. I went through a phase where I wanted my Doritos toasted, so I would individually burn them to a crisp with a lighter. I tried to make a lizard into a paratrooper by tying a mini parachute to it and having it float down from my clubhouse. And, like Bobby, I had many staged productions. There’s many a photo of me and my childhood friends putting on an original production of “The G.I. and the Olympic Swimmer Attack Boppo, the Defenseless Clown”.

What was the funniest thing that happened to you on or offstage on the tour?

Julia Freyer. She is the funniest thing that has happened to me on tour. It’s tough to make me truly laugh out loud, but she is able to have me in stitches at the drop of a hat. Curse you, Judy Turner.

Which was your favorite stop on the tour and why?

Our recent stop in Baton Rouge was wonderful, because I had so many family and friends from New Orleans up to see the show (in a fancy limo bus, mind you). Kayaking on the Pacific in Santa Barbara and visiting Lincoln’s home and museum in Springfield, Illinois also top my list.

Hardy Weaver as Bobby in A CHORUS LINE
Photo by Phil Martin

Name one item you could not have lived without while on the road.

My iPod. Singing is the one thing I cannot go a day without doing. Before every show I need to vocally warm up, but I also need to sing and lose myself in some other moment.

If you could go back in time and catch any Broadway show what would it be and why?

Ay Chihuahua, this is tough. I would kill to have been at any premiere of a Sondheim show (namely Sunday in the Park with George and Sweeney Todd). I would love to have seen the original production and cast of Ragtime. What a show.

What is your favorite showtune and why?

“How Glory Goes” from Floyd Collins. I did the show and played Floyd my senior year of high school and didn’t realize fully, at the time, what a magical opportunity I was given. It is a big dream of mine to revisit this show and that song.

What are the top five most listened to songs on your iPod?

1. “Therapy” by India.Arie
2. “Glitter in the Air” by P!nk
3. “Up the Ladder to the Roof” sung by Sherie Rene Scott
4. “Hang With Me” by Robyn
5. “Shark in the Water” by V.V. Brown

Do you have any pop culture guilty pleasures?

America’s Next Top Model. My college friends and I still do photo shoots. You wanna be on top?

The world is dying to know… what are your plans for after A Chorus Line?

My plan is to stay in New York for a week or two and visit with friends and then head back to my beautiful home city of New Orleans and take some time to enjoy home, family, and friends. There is no city like it and I encourage everyone to take a trip down to the Crescent City. I’m planning on spending most of the summer there and then moving back up to New York. Back to a life of auditioning!

Q&A with Suzanna Dupree

We at the On the Line blog felt things have been a little heavy on the guys lately. Accordingly, we felt like you out there in cyberland needed to hear from another of our lovely female cast members… not just any gal but the alpha-female, one Ms. Sheila Bryant played with spunk and sass every night by the charming Suzanna Dupree. It’s takes a lot of grace to pull off Sheila’s true grit (as she explains below) and a good sense of humor at that to ad lib through some of the stage’s more… unexpected mishaps.

Name

Suzanna Dupree

Role

Sheila Bryant

Describe your favorite song / scene / moment in A Chorus Line.

My favorite moment?? Hmm... I think I’ll have to go with the charge line at the end of the opening number, also known as “the audition.” The amount of determination present in every character is overwhelming and I get excited to meet all of the other characters on stage with me all over again. I get excited to see what the others will bring to the table each night and I like learning the stories, past trials and tribulations of these people I am sharing the stage with and how their paths of life differ from mine. Of course, I always love cracking those sassy Sheila jokes on the line every night with Bobby (Hardy Weaver). We try to change it up to keep it interesting!

Sheila is known primarily as a sassy gal, but there are many shades to her character. What is something interesting about her that you have learned in playing her?

Sassy, yes! She does love to throw out a zinger whenever possible. However, I’ve learned that there is a fine line between playing her as a jaded has-been versus a vulnerable person who has been through a lot in her lifetime and uses humor as an escape from the harsh reality that the longevity of her career as a dancer is slowly dwindling. I truly love getting to play such a multi-faceted character every night, I feel so lucky!

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you on or offstage on the tour?

Oh god, I’m still so embarrassed and scarred to this day from this moment. A few weeks ago in Phoenix in the middle of my scene with Zach, I start with my hair up in a bun and then he asks me to “let it down.” Weeeelllllllllll, that proved to be an impossible task this particular evening! I normally have a few measures of music and my line “that’s what I’ve been trying to do.” After numerous tries of trying to untangle it from my curls, I proceeded to yank it, hoping I could just lose a few chunks of hair in the process but still successfully take it OUT of my hair. No such luck. Finally realizing that the rubber band wasn’t going to budge, and hearing everybody else on the line cracking up (thanks again, guys) I resigned myself to leaving it in my hair for the rest of the time I was onstage, just tucked under the rest of my hair. Luckily it was a blonde rubber band!!

Which past tour stop has been your favorite thus far and why?

Every stop in California has been a dream, but if I had to pick just one, I think it’d be Santa Barbara. I mean, State Street shopping, the beach and 75-degree weather. Need I say more??

Suzanna Dupree as Sheila in A CHORUS LINE

Photo by Phil Martin

Name one item you can’t live without while on the road.

PANDORA on my iPod! I swear to you I truly could not live without it! And if you’re looking for a good station, try the Bruno Mars station. It will change your life, I promise!

What is your favorite Broadway show and why?

I have always been terrible at answering this question. Although my answer will probably be different tomorrow, today my answer is Promises, Promises. Partly because I just got the soundtrack from a friend so it’s fresh on my brain, and partly because I have a littttlleeee inside joke with some friends back in NY involving this show…

What is your dream role to play and why?

AH!! Another tough one. Honestly, I’d LOVE to play Inga in Young Frankenstein because she gets to dance, sing and act. Charity in Sweet Charity is up there too! Any triple threat role would be a dream come true for me!

What are the top five most listened to songs on your iPod?

1. “Just the Way You Are” – Bruno Mars
2. “The Story” – Brandi Carlile (download it, NOW!)
3. “Hold My Hand” – Duet with Michael Jackson & Akon
4. “Haven’t Met You Yet” - Michael Buble
5. “Glitter In the Air” - Pink

Do you have any pop culture guilty pleasures?

I have to say, spending hours upon hours on the bus has made me even more addicted to Facebook and Twitter than I ever thought possible. I think after tour, I might need to take a little hiatus from both of them to feel sane again!!

If you had to pick just one, would you describe yourself as peripatetic, poetic or chic? Why?

Well, chic, of course. Did you even have to ask?? ;);)

Q&A with David Grindrod

It’s hard standing on stage every night and talking about gonorrhea. Scratch that… it would be hard if you didn’t have an incredible sense of humor like A Chorus Line cast member David Grindrod. As the impressionable Mark, David has to feign immaturity and insecurity every night on the road. The real deal is anything but, as this thoroughly hysterical blog post shows. After you’ve finished reading, make sure to check out his own blog (complete with video and tour shenanigans) at http://www.dgrin63.blog.com/!

Name

David Grindrod

Role

Mark Anthony (Really Mark Philip Lawrence Tabori)


Describe your favorite song / scene / moment in A Chorus Line.

After doing the show 75 times I know every word of the show. I know when the audience is going to laugh. I know when my body is going to start complaining. I also know standing next to Jessi Trauth (Val) makes life on the line so wonderful. We keep each other smiling and giggling through the show. My favorite part of the show is whenever that cutie pie is looking my way!

Mark is a guy who goes through a lot of changes in his life. We know the tour is only half over, but how do you think you've changed since being on the road with A Chorus Line?

My mom told me that before she went to college she was very shy and quiet. When she left she decided that she was going to throw her shyness in the trash and be “chatty cathy.” This was a success for her! She asked me if I was planning on changing anything about myself as I headed off to college. I was kind of insulted. I thought I was pretty perfect. I asked if she had any suggestions. She said, "You might what to stop with the hugging random people." HOW RUDE! Unfortunately or fortunately this trait has not left me! So, if you come see the show, stay after and I will be overjoyed to say hello and I will be glad to give you a huge hug! As I headed out on tour, my mother knew not to ask me this question again, but I did think about it…

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you on or offstage on the tour?

In Richmond, VA it was about ten minutes until places and I am getting dressed. I put on my costume pants and the bottom of the pants go all the way up to my shins. The “ready for a flood” look is not attractive. Backstage in this theatre had probably 68 flights of stairs. I go running down the stairs looking for wardrobe. After 5 minutes I finally found it! The wardrobe lady says, "Take them off." She irons them to stretch them out. I am standing there with no pants. It’s not a cute look for me. I won't get too descriptive, but my legs haven't seen the sun in about 4 years. Then I hear "Ladies and Gentlemen, break a leg, and places please, places please." CRAP! I am still standing there with no pants! I quickly put my pants back on and run up 68 flights of stairs. I just made it in time for "step, kick, kick, leap, step, touch." Phew!

Near the end of the song, “What I Did for Love”, the music drops out and we just sing "What I did for.....(breath) loooooooovvvvvvveeee! In Pueblo, Colorado, we get to this point and its “What I did for (SNEEZE) looooooooovvvvveeeeeee!” Someone in the audience had a perfectly placed sneeze. It was hysterical!

A little birdie told us that Baayork Lee is obsessed with your sense of humor. If you two were to star in a sitcom, what would the name of it be and how many seasons would it run?

My life would be so wonderful if Baayork and I had show! It would be called "I'm Trying to Get a 6-pack, and You Keep Feeding Me Cookies!" Here’s the reality. Baayork told us she wanted us to look great in the very tight costumes. She expected us all to have 6-packs. She made us do this hour-long warm-up before every rehearsal and every show. The warm-up includes approximately 64 million crunches, 97 thousand sit ups, and 78 hours of these weird pelvis thrust things. We were all feeling good about our abs. Then about halfway through rehearsal Baayork would pull out these huge trays of cookies! Some people thought it was a test. If it was a test, I failed. I can't turn down a cookie (it was the Pepperidge Farm variety tray!). On our sitcom there would be an invited guest. On one side of the set, I would be laying on my yoga mat doing sit ups. On the other side, Baayork would be sitting with a tray of Pepperidge Farm Cookies. The guest would have to choose to do sit-ups with me or eat cookies with Baayork. It would be a huge hit for seven seasons and bring us success for the rest of our lives so we will finally be able to get off our diets, get in the car with our husbands, drive up to our 50 acres in Vermont, dance around our kitchen cooking, (making our own cookies) and enjoy getting fat!

Which past tour stop has been your favorite thus far and why?

I loved Charleston, SC. My sister goes to school there, lucky girl! We had a great time walking around the beautiful historic town. Okay I just said that to make myself sound smart. Historic towns aren't really my cup of tea, but I loved the pralines. What's a praline, you ask! It's some yummy candy and there are always free samples. Let's be honest, what's better than free candy!

David Grindrod as Mark in A CHORUS LINE
Photo by Phil Martin.

Name one item you can't live without while on the road.

Hardy! Well, he's not an item, he's my bus buddy. Hardy plays Bobby, who is very mean to my character, Mark, onstage. Offstage Hardy keeps me laughing. He is also very well-educated. We have a “word of the day.” He teaches me a big word and I will use it, or attempt to use it throughout the day. He also encourages me to read, which I don't do, but he is trying. We spend hours and hours and hours sitting next to each other and not once has he ever smelled stinky. Granted we are only half way done, but so far so good. (I'll keep you posted!)

What is your favorite Broadway show and why?

Ugh! Why this question? So much stress! "Who's your favorite child?" Okay, okay, okay. I love West Side Story, tick, tick, BOOM, and A Chorus Line. I am not just saying that either! It's true! I really loved this show. Often, when I see a show, I can list things I didn't like. I saw A Chorus Line the first time and I said "I have to be in that show." The show is just perfect. Love it!

What are the top five most listened to song on your iPod?

- The entire soundtrack from the film "UP" (Great music to listen to when you just need something pretty lingering in your ears.)
- “Free Fallin'” - John Mayer (This is my sister’s favorite song. Whenever we drive anywhere together, we open the window and belt this out!)
- “Seize the Day” from Newsies (This is my pre-show song for the 8th show of the week, the 5th city, and I am in need for some kind of inspiration!)
- “Sunday Morning” - Maroon 5 (Just a great song.)
- “Umbrella Beach” - Owl City (For spontaneous dance parties...which are not so rare in my life!)

Do you have any pop culture guilty pleasures?

Ugh twitter. I love it, but hate it. I find it so weird, but I have one and I love it. (http://twitter.com/DGrin63)


If you had to pick just one, would you describe yourself as peripatetic, poetic or chic? Why?

Chic, because I am not poetic at all. Words are not my specialty. I'm not peripatetic, well I don't think I am, I don't have a clue what that means, So chic is my only option, as I sit on the bus in sweat pants and bright orange sweatshirt... oh so chic!

I have my own blog! Follow my experiences on tour! http://www.dgrin63.blog.com/