 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Review excerpt: "Trevor Kimball is magnetic as the handsome U.S. Marine Lt. Joseph Cable." |
|
To be honest, I am rarely satisfied with my work onstage. As such, I am always looking for ways to improve my performances — right through closing night. That being said, I can also tell you I am incredibly proud of my work as "Lt. Joseph Cable." Though he's the secondary romantic lead and a complex character, it's quite common that "Joe" is played in a wooden and bland way. I'm not quite sure why. I worked diligently to mold the character in my own way, to make "Joe Cable" come to life, and to "fill in the gaps" of what wasn't on the page. It was important to me that the audience see a part of everything that was inside him — his strength, immaturity, conceit, humor, self-hate, uninhibited love, despair and so much more.
On top of all that, I was privileged to sing two of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most incredible songs. "Younger than Springtime" is the ultimate love song — full of innocence, passion and sincerity. I never tired of it. I've read that, during the original Broadway production, Mary Martin made a point of being in the wings each night to hear that song being sung. I can understand why. If I had the chance, I would have been right next to her. "You've Got to Be Carefully Taught" is one of the most powerful songs R&H ever wrote. Written 50 years ago, it's a timeless song about bigotry and how it's "taught" to us at an early age. For a 65-second uptempo song, it's one of the most memorable in the show. I've read that, when R&H were getting pressure to cut the song from the original production, they said "if you cut that song, you might as well cut the whole play." It's also commonly viewed as the main reason South Pacific was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950.
Because of the way the play is constructed, my onstage interaction with the rest of the large cast was pretty limited. I was however fortunate enough to be partnered with several very talented people — some old friends, some new. I was particularly blessed to be partnered with Lauren Angeles ("Liat"). Lauren had the challenge of having few lines (all French), while still having to react completely in character. Not an easy task but, quite honestly, I couldn't have asked for a better "Liat" onstage. It was very easy to sing "Younger than Springtime" and to simply focus on the beauty of her doe-like brown eyes. In case you haven't guessed, this role was a stand-out acting experience for me.
|
