It’s not an act! Just five years ago, Broadway star Adam Pascal had zero theater experience.
But it didn’t take long for Pascal to make a name for himself. By 1996, he was starring in “Rent”; by 1998, he was on the cover of Newsweek. Now Pascal’s in Disney’s “Aida” and revisiting his first love, rock music (with a new album, “Model Prisoner,” available at www.adampascal.net).
KidNews recently chatted with Pascal about his life on stage.
KidNews: You started as a rock musician. “Rent” was your first play AND your first audition! How did you land the role of Roger?
Pascal: “I left my band in September of ’95. In December, I got a call from a friend who said there was this musical and they were looking for some rock ‘n’ roll guy. And I said, `Are you kidding? I’ve never acted before.’ He said, `All you gotta do is play a couple of songs.’ Then I got to the audition and said, `Hey, I’m not nervous. I can do this.’ And I got it.”
KidNews: “Rent” started in a 150-seat theater. When could you tell the show was going to be huge?
Pascal: “It was amazing to have all of those celebrities in the audience. It was like these people were in your living room, just a few feet away people like Steven Spielberg and Al Pacino.”
KidNews: How is “Aida” different from “Rent”?
Pascal: “With this show, I find it more challenging as an actor. Ramades is very, very different from me. He’s a captain of the army, an explorer, a romantic. But he’s also a conqueror so he starts out as a pretty bad guy who, through the course of the play, falls in love with Aida.”
KidNews: You’ve got a strong following among kids. Why should kids see Broadway shows?
Pascal: “It’s a fun form of entertainment. Kids need to see the true beauty in this kind of environment. It’s great.”
