Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing another young actor form that show, Lyle Colby Mackston, who was nothing less than dazzling in his role. In his young life and growing career, he has already amassed an amazing resume - everything from concert appearances at Joe's Pub, to regional productions, including Spelling Bee, and workshops that have allowed him to work with no less than Bono, Julie Taymor, Brian Yorkey and Sting (see photo below)!
In this first part of our interview, Lyle talks about the process and rewards of doing an NYMF production, working with Ms. Balgord, and being there at the very beginning of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. Plus, he answers a few of your questions!
Jeff Kyler (JK): Hi, Lyle! Thanks so much for taking time out of your
busy schedule to talk with me. Congratulations
on your most recent success, the NYMF full production of Crossing Swords! It won several end of festival awards. What about the show do you think resonated so
much with audiences and critics alike?
Lyle Colby Mackston (LCM): I think the driving force of
the audiences' resonation stemmed from the musical's enormous heart. Crossing Swords has the unique ability
to speak to both the older and younger generations because of how relatable
each character is. I believe everyone can connect with at least one character
in the show or at least to one of the many situations the characters are put
through.
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| Jeremy and David are best friends in Crossing Swords |
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| Lyle Colby Mackston, Ali Gordon and Marrick Smith: NYMF 2013 |
JK: In the show, you played Jeremy,
a high school senior who is secretly in love with his best friend, David. Over the course of the drama, Jeremy becomes
involved in a love triangle, which eventually causes him not only to admit his
feelings to David, but come out of the closet completely. Though the show took place in 1969, clearly
it has relevance today. Do you think
that coming out stories like Crossing Swords might have lost some of
their impact, given the huge strides in gay rights and marriage equality of
late?
LCM: As much as I’d like to say that
coming out is not as hard as it used to be I’m afraid that is not the case
regardless of how far the gay community has come in the recent past. Yes, I
suppose it is more socially acceptable in specific locations, but I feel the
world is nowhere near where it should be when it comes to opening their hearts
and minds to their fellow man/woman’s true self. The fact that certain people
still firmly believe that homosexuality is a choice is down right mind boggling
to me. One day, this will not be an issue…hopefully that day comes sooner than
later.
JK: From audition to performance,
how long was the process of producing Crossing Swords? How is the overall process of doing a NYMF
show different than working on a full, more “permanent” production?
LCM: I believe I was the last piece
of the casting puzzle and was offered the role 2 weeks or so before the
rehearsal process began. Once rehearsals were underway, we had roughly 4 weeks
and not even a full day of tech before we opened for an audience. What makes a
NYMF production different from a more “permanent” production is that the book,
score and characters are constantly changing everyday being that it is a brand
new production, so it tends to keep you on your toes and forces your creative
juices to flow while simultaneously giving you plenty of homework. We also
didn’t have a “tech week,” which is pretty standard with a more permanent
production. I’ll be sure to let you know how our process goes when Crossing
Swords becomes a “permanent production”. ;)
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| Mackston (center) with Brian Yorkey and Sting at the reading/workshop of The Last Ship |
JK: Ever since I started my blog, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
has been a pretty constant source of material, so I was pleased to see that you
were a part of the long process in getting that mega-rock-musical to the
stage! Where in that whole process did
you get involved? Which part were you,
and what did this entail exactly? What
do you think the creative team and producers got from this step? What did you learn from this experience? Have you seen the show since it opened? If so, do you recognize any of it from when
you were involved? What do you think of
the end result?
LCM: I started Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark when I was 16, in the summer of ’06
with a 2-week workshop and reading. I played the role of Grim Hunter in the
“Geek Squad” alongside TV Carpio, Nick
Blaemire and Michael Wartella. The reading/workshop cast consisted of Evan Rachel Wood (MJ), Jim Sturgess (Peter) and some Original
Broadway Cast members of the current production. Post workshop, we recorded a
broken demo of the show for producers/backers/anyone interested in furthering
the show. My experience on that project was incredibly rewarding. I got to work
with a Tony Award-winning director, on top of working side by side with one of
the biggest rock bands in the world. I was fortunate enough to see both
versions of the Broadway show, pre/post Julie
Taymor, and it was what I always thought it would be: a dazzling spectacle.
It was pretty awesome to see some of the original material fully executed on
one of the biggest Broadway stages in NYC complete with areal fight
choreography and villainous costumes. All I had in the reading/workshop
rehearsals was my imagination. The show is an obvious success despite its
unfortunate injuries. They are sold out every night so they must be doing
something right.
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| The Cast of Crossing Swords Linda Balgord, far right |
JK: So, before we finish up this
first half of our interview, let’s go back to Crossing Swords. You co-starred with one of my favorite stage
actresses, Linda Balgord. (I’ll
show my age by saying I remember her as Broadway’s last Grizabella in Cats,
and as Norma Desmond in the National Tour of Sunset Boulevard) What did you learn from working with
her? What do you think she got from
working with three cast members of the “new generation”?
LCM: Linda Balgord is…the best and
was an absolute pleasure to work with! Linda, or Linder as I call her, was so
quick with the joy and comedy in and out of the script that it was almost
impossible not to learn from her. Every scene she did was like a master class
in ferociousness. She really knows how to demand a stage with the power of
stillness. I’m not sure of what to say when asked what Linda learned from us 20
somethings, she’s a pro, if anything we learned from her.
And now, Lyle answers some of YOUR questions:
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| A scene from Cyrano de Bergerac in Crossing Swords |
From
Jenna C. from New York, NY: I loved Crossing Swords, Lyle! I especially loved the scenes that included
my favorite classic play, Cyrano de Bergerac. Did you read the whole play to prepare for
those scenes? Would you rather play
Cyrano, Christian or Roxanne if a full production of the play and why?
LCM:
Jenna, I’m so
glad you enjoyed our show! I actually did not read the full script of Cyrano to prepare, but I did do my fair
share of research on the play. I wanted a fresh take on the material with a
brief understanding of its background. If I had the opportunity to take part in
a production of Cyrano de Bergerac I
would hands down prefer the role of Cyrano. Like Jeremy, Cyrano has so many
layers to play with and that’s where the fun begins for me. Good question!
(Left) Mackston and Ali Gordon
(Right) Mackston and Marrick Smith
And from your Crossing
Swords cast mate, Ali Gordon: On a scale from 1 – 10, how
beautifully distracting is it to work with Ali onstage? (Of course, you HAVE to explain!)
LCM: Ali and I have an incredibly
unique relationship where we talk to and about each other in opposites. With
that said, on a scale of 1-10 I’d have to give Ali a 1, because I hate her.
Translation: 10 because I LOVE her. One of the many benefits that’s come with
being a part of the Crossing Swords Team was the relationships that formed
within our cast. They all have a special place in my heart.
Look for Part Two of this interview next Monday, September 16!
(Photos of Crossing Swords from NYMF, others courtesy of Mr. Mackston.)
Jeff
5.007
I wish that Crossing Swords had been selected for the Encores program. But maybe it will find a new life elsewhere. so many of these shows just die right after the Fringe, few seem to have additional life, at least as far as I can find. I did find it exciting that Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party almost immediately found a new life at the University of Connecticut's CT Repertory Theater even before its off-Broadway engagement on Theater Row!
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