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Interview: Musical ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ director Craig Bond

Interview: Musical ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ director Craig Bond

When Out Front discovered that the gay themed Kiss of the Spider Woman, winner of 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, was about to open at Vintage Theatre we got on the horn immediately to get an interview with director Craig Bond.

This production promises to be one of those unforgettable evenings of theatre harking back to Vintage Theatre’s Grey Gardens, Equus and Angels in America. If it’s anything like these sensational productions please be aware that it’s important to have tickets well in hand early on in order not to miss out!

Can you tell my readers at Out Front Colorado why this show is so important to the LGBT community?

This is one of the most beautiful stories of two men falling in love.  The musical was first produced about twenty years ago and became an award-winning hit.  To me the critical attention began to signal a shift in our society to allow for the LGBT community to have a voice as their stories were told.  Sure there were other works told around this time or sooner, but this is when Broadway started to turn its attention toward gay themed theatre; and at the time it was risky.  The more that people began to see that this story was about heart and humanity the less of a threat the gay culture was and the more accepting people became of our community.  The fact that hardly anyone has done this work in Colorado was a bit shocking to me and a reason to produce the musical.

Out Front Colorado: What was it that made you decide on this musical for this time slot in your season? Did it have anything to do with the upcoming elections? 

Megan VanDeHay in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’

Vintage Theatre has included a gay themed piece in our past seasons, such as Angels in AmericaLove! Valour! Compassion, and it was time to bring this under produced work back to hopefully capture the hearts and minds of Coloradans.  This Tony Award Winning Musical takes place in a prison and much of the Fall theatre line up usually go toward lighter offerings through November and December; this piece gives the patron a chance to escape the election ad bombardment and have a very enjoyable time with live performance.

Please talk a little bit about the casting of the show.

We have a very large ensemble of about nineteen actors. And to have Megan Van De Hey, Gabe Morales, Deb Persoff, Brian Merz-Hutchinson, and Brian Walker Smith leading this project is amazing.   The casting process has continued for months to secure the best vocalists and finest dancers from Colorado.  We have reached out to the Hispanic Community of actors to give this musical and story authenticity and I am proud of the diversity that will grace the Jeffrey Nickelson Auditorium.

What can one expect visually with this production in terms of choreography, scenic design, lighting and costumes?

Well I have hired the most fabulous of choreographers with Ron Marriott.  He is virtually unknown in Colorado, but has worked since age 16 in Las Vegas as a dancer.  He has literally worked with the giants of the stage and screen and his choreography is sure to stun.  Beyond the dance, the effects are important to the Technicolor aspect of the production as the main character Molina maneuvers in and out of the reality of the dinge of prison with the loveliness of his movie heroine Aurora.  As a team of designers they are challenged to execute the visions I have from the script and the creative process has been truly exciting.  The lights must heighten the visual desire of Aurora, while showcasing the dark bleakness of the prisoner’s reality they are all trying to escape.  Fun for all crew indeed!

Can you talk a little bit about the Tony Award winning book by Terrence McNally?

One of the gifts of McNally is his ability to capture the innocence and humanity of gay love for his characters.  Here again he doesn’t disappoint with the central relationship of Molina and Valentine.  The start out as rivals, enemies, and become friends, lovers, and the resounding take away is that there relationship was never about sex, more of exploring the love you feel toward another person.  McNally tears down the walls of fears about gay sexual desire and gives us the humanity of these men that is hard to look away from, even twenty years later.

What can “Spider Woman” virgins expect from the Kander and Ebb music and lyrics for this show?

Be prepared to feel haunted for a few days after experiencing this musical.  From the talent on stage to the gorgeous book and score this is truly a memorable experience for all that attend.  If you are a virgin to Kander and Ebb (and how could you ever be with the body of work from these two celebrated artist’s) you owe it to yourself to give this rarely seen musical a glance.  The glance will linger, and you will find yourself telling everyone about what you have just seen.

Who is the music director? Will the show have a live orchestra?

This show is being led by the talents of Mitch Samu, who reunites with Deb Persoff, Megan Van De Hey and myself after working on Grey Gardens.  If you missed that show and wanted to kick yourself, don’t miss the reunion of talent.  The entire score is played and tracked by Mr. Samu who is one of the finest artists that I have ever worked with on a musical.  You won’t be disappointed by the lack of live sound here.

Do you see this musical as having a wide appeal?

The appeal of this piece should be very similar to the feel of Grey Gardens a few years ago from Vintage, in that it relatively unknown story that deserves to be told. Those that know the book or have seen the movie will want to see it again; those that are unfamiliar with the piece might want to see something new and will leave feeling thrilled by it – after all it is a fabulous story that has layers and depth with heart and humanity.  After attending the LBGT community will leave feeling moved after experiencing a very entertaining and enriching evening.

The outstanding cast includes Gabe Morales as Molina, Brian Mertz Hutchinson as Valentin and Megan Van De Hey as Aurora with Julie Lemieux (Marta), Brian Walker-Smith (Warden), Deborah (Deb) Persoff (Molina’s Mother), Mark Ivan Brache (Observer), Preston Britton (Gabriel), Donovan Arterburn III (Esteban) and Brian Murray (Marcos). Ensemble members include Preston Britton, David Carrasco, Court Clark, James L. Crapes, Christian Munck, Zach Nick, Jeffrey Ellis Parizotto, Stephan Rangel and Alejandro Roldan.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is playing at Denver’s Vintage Theater through December 2. More info/tickets

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