INTERVIEW: Peter LaPrade ready for iconic ‘Technicolor Dreamcoat’ at Axelrod PAC
Photo: Peter LaPrade stars as the title character in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Axelrod PAC. Photo courtesy of Brandon Horwin / Provided by press rep with permission.
The Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal Park, New Jersey, is ready to have some musicalized fun — in stunning Technicolor, to boot.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the beloved Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical, will play the Jersey Shore venue July 11-28, and there is some serious theatrical and TV credibility attached to the production. There is director and choreographer Matthew Steffens, performer in Broadway’s Promises, Promises and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, plus Josh Canfield, of TV’s Survivor. The cast also features Peter LaPrade, of TV’s Mercy Street and off-Broadway’s This Ain’t No Disco, in the title role.
LaPrade has played a variety of roles throughout his years in the business. He understudied the title role in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical and also appeared in shows at La MaMa, Edinburgh Fringe and Lexington Theatre Company.
Joseph, which features music by Webber and lyrics by Rice, is based on the well-known story from the Book of Genesis in the Bible. It has easily become one of the most successful and recognizable musicals around the world.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with LaPrade about his new role. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What attracted to taking on the title role in this iconic musical? What do you like best about the show?
I had done the role before, five years ago, so when the opportunity came to revisit this world and this character, I was excited to jump back in because I know how truly fun it is. And I was excited to see how I had changed and grown as a performer in this material over the years.
How do you approach the character of Joseph? What kind of preparation have you done to bring him to life on stage?
As far as approaching the character of Joseph, our brilliant director Matt Steffens has worked extensively with the entire cast, making sure we are plugged into the emotional truth of the story. Under the dancing and glitz and fun tunes, there’s a tale with a lot of heart and universal themes of family, forgiveness and faith — faith in ourselves, our dreams and the world we’re a part of. Knowing the source material is important, of course, but this musical is a fantasy interpretation. So the best thing we can do to serve the material is lean into the silly moments 100 percent, treat the earnest moments with respect and tell a truthful story.
Have you always been a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music?
No, I haven’t always been! My personal foray into being a musical theatre fan came from early rock musicals like Rent, Hair, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, etc. I wasn’t exposed to a great deal of ALW music early on, but it’s definitely something I’ve acquired a taste for. His music spans about five decades (so far) and probably three times as many genres. The score of Joseph, in particular, is like musical candy to me and so wildly varied in styles. The melodies are infectious, the harmonies are dense, and the repeated motifs help to tie the vignette-like chapters of each song together.
Is performing as Joseph a challenge from a physical and emotional standpoint?
Performing Joseph is certainly challenging. I won’t posit for a second that my body is working harder than any of the remarkable dancers that I get to share the stage with, but the entire show is sung through — no spoken dialogue — which, of course, is a challenge in itself! This show is a shot-from-a-cannon, whirlwind of a piece. Joseph lives a huge chunk of his life over the course of this fast-paced show, so staying present to every moment around me helps keep that emotional rise/fall/rise again journey truthful.
When did you first become interested in theater? Is it a love that goes back to when you were a child?
My love of theatre does trace back to my childhood — I remember sitting in my carseat as a toddler, in the back of my mom’s red Volkswagen Jetta in the early ’90s, driving around listening to my A Child’s Celebration of Showtunes cassette tape. It’s always been a part of my life, but I developed my own personal interest in it later on in life, around high school.
It wasn’t until I’d already ended up at the University of Kentucky on a full academic scholarship that I realized I could actually do theatre as a career. The faculty and staff in the Department of Theatre & Dance there really fostered whatever raw talent they saw in me, helped me to make the most of every opportunity that came my way, and afforded me invaluable performance experiences both in and out of academia. As actors, our on-the-job training never really ends, but that’s certainly where it began for me.
What does the future hold for you beyond this production?
Part of the continued thrill of being an actor is having absolutely no clue what the future holds for yourself! In the meantime, though, I’m always making appearances in concerts at musical venues in New York City like Feinstein’s/54 Below and The Green Room 42, and folks can always watch @peterlaprade on Instagram for the latest updates of what I’m working on.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring Peter LaPrade, will play July 11-28 at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal Park, New Jersey. Click here for more information and tickets.
