backstage-2014-01-23

Actors share their stories—hear what they have to say at backstage.com/first-personActor 101▶▶Jonny Lee Millerwith Laura Benati on“Elementary”Quick Tip |“I feel so lucky that I get to go back and forth between television and theater, so if I can make people laugh by [bringing up mycanceled TV shows] I’m going to do that. Self-deprecating humor is my favorite thing to watch.” —LAURA BENANTI, BACKSTAGE.COM[ Inside Job ]JasonRobert BrownComposer-lyricist,“The Bridges of Madison County”B r ow n: C o u r t e sy Jason R o b e r t B r ow n; “ E l e m e n ta ry ”: M a r k S c h a f e r /C B SBy Suzy Evans1How involved were you in casting the show?I’m behind the table at all times and very interested in who’sgoing to be up there doing it. We were writing this for Kelli[O’Hara] from the beginning because I love the way that sheapproaches character and the way she approaches material.And it was just a blessing to be able to have that kind of instrumentto write for. Casting Robert Kincaid was much harderbecause we’re looking for a leading man of a certain age who’salso kind of a loner who can also sing the bejesus out of anything,and those guys are in very short supply. We’ve been verylucky to catch Steven Pasquale now.2What do you lookfor in actors?The first is that you have to becareful not to make too much ofthe song. There is intention inthe words and the words haveto lead the storytelling…. Thesecond thing, which is vaguelycontradictory, is you have toknow how to make music out ofwhat’s there. There are placeswhere the song suddenlyopens, and you have to really beable to act through a musicalphrase the same way you actthrough a line of dialogue.3This cast is mostlyestablished actors,but are you stillkeeping your eye outfor new talent?When I do the concerts that Ido in New York, I’m alwaystrying to include new actorsand younger actors and olderactors; I’m just trying to keepthe pool filled up. There areactors I have very strongchemical responses to, and Istrive always to figure outways to work with them andget them to sing my stuff.“Once the actors understand how the structure of the song supportstheir acting, then they get to add their own brilliance to it. It’s a gloriousprocess when you’ve got people who are as good as these.”Jasonrobert brownis a Tony Award–winningcomposer-lyricist,whose musicals include“The Last Five Years”and “Honeymoon inVegas.” “The Bridges ofMadison County” openson Broadway Feb. 20.backstage.comupstage News | actor 101 | center stage cover story | features | downstage casting | charts01.23.14 backstage 11