In December, Off-Broadway's DRAG: The Musical welcomed its new straight man, Rent star Adam Pascal, to the company at New World Stages.
Pascal succeeded Joey McIntyre as Tom Hutchinson in the Spencer Liff-directed and choreographed production, which follows two rival drag bars, each fighting for
survival while dealing with financial troubles. RuPaul's Drag Race winner Alaska Thunderf*ck, who will return to the cast February 8, penned the musical alongside collaborators Tomas Costanza and Ashley Gordon.
Pascal's DRAG engagement marks a rare Off-Broadway outing for the steely-voiced performer, who shot to fame in a Tony-nominated debut as Roger Davis in the original cast of the late Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize-winning Rent. Since that time, the gifted performer has appeared on Broadway as Radames in Aida, Billy Flynn in Chicago, the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret, Huey in Memphis, Shakespeare in Something Rotten!, Chad in Disaster!, and Edward Lewis in Pretty Woman: The Musical. On the other side of the Atlantic, he was seen as Ryuk in Death Note–In Concert and opposite Josh Groban and Idina Menzel in a concert staging of the Tim Rice/ABBA musical Chess.
Pascal's screen credits include the film adaptation of Rent, School of Rock, the indie film SLC Punk, and its recent sequel, Punk’s Not Dead: SLC Punk 2. He has also performed in concerts throughout the world, and will reteam with former Rent co-star Anthony Rapp for a series of concerts at 54 Below this summer titled Celebrating Friendship & History.
In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Pascal shares his gratitude: for his rock tenor sound, his lengthy friendship with Rapp, and his ongoing career.
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Where did you train/study?
Adam Pascal: I didn’t train or study in any traditional way. I grew up playing in rock bands, and developed my voice by trying to sound like my favorite singers.
Was there ever a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful?
I can only mention some of the singers that inspired me like Ronnie James Dio, Bruce Dickinson, Freddie Mercury, and Steve Perry, just to name a few.
How did your role in Drag come along?
I actually was asked by one of the producers, Scott [Prisand], if I would be interested in taking over for Joey [McIntyre]. Scott and I actually went to high school together, and so we’ve known each other for many years.
Do you have a favorite moment in the show for "Straight Man"?
My favorite moment in the show is my fight scene with Nick Adams. It’s a very intense scene, and I don’t say very many nice things. But he’s such a good actor, and it makes it a joy to experience every night.
Both Rent and now Drag are very queer-focused shows. What have those experiences taught you about being an ally?
Well, if an ally means somebody who cares about other people, regardless of what they are, then I suppose I’m an ally [for] the content of their character. I’m a firm believer in judging people solely on the content of their character.
You and Anthony Rapp have continued to perform together in concert. What is it like sharing the stage for so many years—is there a trust that comes from the years of performance?
I’m so grateful for the relationship that Anthony and I have, and have had, all of these years. We still love to perform together, and people seem to want to see us do that. I’m very grateful for him and for these shows that he and I have been able to do for all of these years. We're intimately familiar with each other’s performing style and how the alchemy of the two of us together works so well.
I've always thought you have the rock tenor by which all
other Broadway rock tenors are compared. Did you always have that sound
or was it something you worked toward?
I sort of always
had this sound. I definitely became a better singer as I’ve gotten older
and also understood what it was about my voice that people found
appealing. I never tried to do anything other than sound like my
favorite singers. I certainly didn’t have an intention of being a
Broadway rock tenor, but I suppose that’s what I am. I’m grateful.
What do you consider your big break?
Well, clearly, my big break was Rent, but maintaining a career over decades, you survive on a lot of small breaks, so I’ve been very lucky.
What is the most memorable day job you ever had?
I
was a janitor at an all-girls Catholic school. We came in after they
all went home, so it’s not like I was creeping around while they
were there [laughs]. But it was a lot of fun and really eerie and freaky
because the school was in an old convent.
Tell me about a job/opportunity you really wanted but didn’t get. How did you get over that disappointment?
Well, there was a particular job that I really needed and went to the producer, who is a friend, and essentially kissed the ring and asked for the job, auditioned, and then didn’t get it. It was actually very difficult, but it taught me a really great lesson, which is you really can’t rely on anybody other than yourself when it comes to business.
What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
Don’t take it personally, there’s nothing personal in this business. It’s not personal when it’s good, and it’s not personal when it’s bad. We’re all essentially expendable in someway, so if you rely on show business for validation, you will consistently be let down.
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