Live Chat with Marc Kudisch

Fynsworth Alley

By Robert Armin

December 23, 2002

[MarcKudisch] hello, just testing this to see that i am doing it right

[RobertArmin] You certainly are.

[MarcKudisch] about to go onstage

[RobertArmin] I'll kill time

[MarcKudisch] hey robert!

[RobertArmin] Yes?

[MarcKudisch] so it seems i am doing this right

[RobertArmin] Absolutely

[MarcKudisch] ok, gotta run

[RobertArmin] How long before you're back?

[MarcKudisch] be back in 15

[RobertArmin] ok

[RobertArmin] For those who have tuned in early, Marc is actually performing in Thoroughly Modern Millie tonight.

[RobertArmin] He is about to go onstage!

[RobertArmin] But will be joining us in about fifteen minutes for the rest of the act (during which he is offstage)

[RobertArmin] I will be happy to accept questions from readers now so I can prepare them for Marc when he returns.

[RobertArmin] Good evening and welcome to Fynsworth Alley's chat room.

[RobertArmin] A funny thing happened on the way to Fynsworth Alley...

[RobertArmin] Marc Kudisch discovered only yesterday that Thoroughly Modern Millie had changed its performance schedule for this week.

[RobertArmin] Instead of having the night off -- he is actually onstage performing as I write this,

[RobertArmin] but never fear!

[RobertArmin] Marc is only on stage for about 15 minutes in Act 1 and he will be joining us at about 8:45.

[RobertArmin] I will be happy to accept any questions you may have for Marc now, and will save them for his return.

[RobertArmin] Or, if you have anything you would like to ask me, please feel free.

[RobertArmin] Welcome fionasdad

[RobertArmin] Marc is onstage in Thoroughly Modern Millie but will be here in about 9 minutes (give or take...)

[RobertArmin] To help kill a bit of time while we wait for Marc to get back to his dressing room let me tell you about how I met Marc.

[RobertArmin] My wife, Kristine Nevins, played the Mayor's Wife in Bye Bye Birdie starring Tommy Tune

[RobertArmin] And, of course, Marc played Conrad Birdie in the production.

[RobertArmin] One of the funniest things I ever saw was Kristine fainting dead-away when Marc sang "Honestly Sincere."

[RobertArmin] Marc was born to play Conrad! As anyone can tell who saw the TV movie version.

[RobertArmin] FreakyMartian has a question?

[RobertArmin] I will pass your question on to Marc in a few minutes.

[RobertArmin] He is currently onstage in Act One of Thoroughly Modern Millie, but will be returning to his dressing room in just a couple of minutes.

[RobertArmin] He didn't know until last night that they had changed the performance schedule this week for Christmas.

[RobertArmin] So stick with us just a few more minutes and Marc will be here -- live from the Marriott Marquis Theatre on Broadway!

[RobertArmin] Marc should be back in a minute from his brief appearance in Act One of Thoroughly Modern Millie.

[RobertArmin] Then, we have him for the rest of the Act

[RobertArmin] Ah hah, I think he is here!

[MarcKudisch] ok, i am back

[RobertArmin] Welcome, Marc Kudisch to Fynsworth Alley!

[MarcKudisch] helllooooo

[RobertArmin] Terrific.

[MarcKudisch] i am scaring them out

[RobertArmin] Let me pass on a couple of questions that have been left for you.

[MarcKudisch] cool

[RobertArmin] mousey asks: You can clearly spit out words quick and speedy, yet still be understood! Have you ever considered playing Harold Hill in "The Music Man"?

[MarcKudisch] no

[MarcKudisch] quick enough?

[RobertArmin] You've never even considered it?

[MarcKudisch] no, well

[MarcKudisch] when they were bantering around the revival

[MarcKudisch] there was talk for a minute

[RobertArmin] bevi28 asks: How much longer do you think you will be in Thoroughly Modern Millie? I haven't had a chance to see it yet.

[MarcKudisch] will be in Millie till end of January

[RobertArmin] bevi28 asks: Hi, Marc, I saw you in Bells are Ringing and thought you did a wonderful job! I had hoped Kristin Chenowith would get to be Ella if it was ever revived, but I guess that wasn't to be!

[MarcKudisch] she would have been great

[MarcKudisch] but there are other roles for her

[MarcKudisch] twentieth century i would like to do with her

[RobertArmin] I was starting to talk about you in Bye Bye Birdie.

[RobertArmin] I think it's interesting that you almost weren't seen for the show.

[RobertArmin] And yet it is your breakthrough role

[MarcKudisch] that’s how it usually is

[MarcKudisch] when they don't want to see you

[MarcKudisch] you are the person for the job

[MarcKudisch] now we are intimate

[RobertArmin] How many times did you have to audition for the TV movie?

[RobertArmin] They wanted a star for that didn't they?

[MarcKudisch] i didn't audition

[RobertArmin] Really?

[MarcKudisch] i did a reading of it for them with tommy tune and others

[RobertArmin] That's terrific.

[MarcKudisch] they were thinking of harry connick jr

[MarcKudisch] and the

[RobertArmin] They talked a lot about hiring a real rock star, but when it came down to it, you were the only one for the role!

[MarcKudisch] producer robert halmi liked what i did so much

[MarcKudisch] they decided he didn’t need a star

[MarcKudisch] that the actor would be birdie to the public

[RobertArmin] You have participated in a lot of workshops for new works. What do you think is the most interesting project?

[MarcKudisch] well wild party was out there

[MarcKudisch] just did one called the thing about men written

[MarcKudisch] by the guys behind i love you you’re perfect now change

[MarcKudisch] it is great

[MarcKudisch] might be a next job

[RobertArmin] You have a reputation for playing vain, self-centered men and yet you’re really so self-effacing in real life.

[MarcKudisch] hmmmm

[MarcKudisch] i guess i do play those men

[RobertArmin] FreakyMartian asks: Oh yeah, sorry...I wanted to ask Marc what the status of Joe!: The Musical is, and if he did the role Danny Gurwin is doing now in Let Me Sing in the workshop last summer.

[MarcKudisch] still early with joe

[MarcKudisch] and yeah danny is doing the part i did in workshop

[MarcKudisch] still early in talks

[MarcKudisch] for joe

[RobertArmin] fionasdad agrees that you did a fantastic job in Birdie.

[MarcKudisch] thank you

[MarcKudisch] love that show

[RobertArmin] But let's move on to A Little Night Music

[MarcKudisch] ok

[RobertArmin] You've done it twice

[MarcKudisch] in concert

[RobertArmin] and are planning a third?

[MarcKudisch] at city opera

[RobertArmin] With Kate Burton?

[MarcKudisch] playing a vain self centered man

[RobertArmin] You too will make a great pair

[MarcKudisch] surprise!

[MarcKudisch] oh yeah

[RobertArmin] You vain?

[RobertArmin] Naahhh!

[MarcKudisch] i love kate burton

[MarcKudisch] but you see

[RobertArmin] As do we all

[MarcKudisch] to play those kind of guys

[MarcKudisch] one really must be in touch with their own humility

[MarcKudisch] to find the humor and humanity

[MarcKudisch] underneath the peacock

[RobertArmin] Sounds like you

[MarcKudisch] yeah

[MarcKudisch] that's me

[RobertArmin] You are really quite a down-to-earth guy in real life

[MarcKudisch] i don't take MYSELF seriously

[MarcKudisch] only the work

[MarcKudisch] and that is very serious to me

[MarcKudisch] even the funny stuff

[RobertArmin] When you earned a Tony nomination last year, I remember how highly you spoke about the other performers in Millie.

[RobertArmin] I liked that.

[MarcKudisch] the cast is amazing

[MarcKudisch] they are why it lives so vividly on stage

[MarcKudisch] to replace will be hard

[RobertArmin] How much work did it take to learn the Gilbert and Sullivan number? Wow!

[MarcKudisch] not much

[MarcKudisch] although now its harder than ever

[MarcKudisch] because everyone is trying to decipher what makes it funny

[MarcKudisch] instead of just letting me do the damn thing

[RobertArmin] Do you find yourself losing concentration

[MarcKudisch] at times i lose concentration

[MarcKudisch] i have worked on the piece for years

[MarcKudisch] so i find i need new stimulation

[RobertArmin] That's true, you were in the workshop

[MarcKudisch] oh yeah

[MarcKudisch] and before that

[RobertArmin] What has changed in your role since the beginning?

[MarcKudisch] not much

[MarcKudisch] except that i have found deeper comedy

[MarcKudisch] with a deeper sense of truth in who Trevor is

[RobertArmin] dolly64 asks: Can you talk about the changes MILLIE went through from La Jolla to Broadway.

[MarcKudisch] mostly the first act

[MarcKudisch] they were having trouble finding tension for the first act

[MarcKudisch] in la jolla

[MarcKudisch] and have found more of it here

[MarcKudisch] but i find

[MarcKudisch] a lot of the time

[MarcKudisch] people try to force their story

[MarcKudisch] instead of just letting it tell itself

[RobertArmin] Good advice

[MarcKudisch] 101

[MarcKudisch] it is always good to go back to the ballet bar

[RobertArmin] What new show are you most looking forward to working on?

[MarcKudisch] well night music

[MarcKudisch] but new

[MarcKudisch] the thing about men

[RobertArmin] Tell us about that one

[MarcKudisch] its by joe dipietro and jimmy roberts

[MarcKudisch] i love you you’re perfect

[MarcKudisch] and i just presented it with michele pawk and chris sieber

[MarcKudisch] great show

[RobertArmin] Michele will be doing a chat in February.

[RobertArmin] She's brilliant in Hollywood Arms

[MarcKudisch] about an advertising exec who while cheating on his wife

[RobertArmin] Have you had a chance to see her on an off-night?

[MarcKudisch] finds out she is cheating on him

[MarcKudisch] haven't seen the show

[RobertArmin] Didn't mean to cut you off.

[RobertArmin] You play the advertising exec.

[MarcKudisch] same schedule as us

[MarcKudisch] yea

[MarcKudisch] so he hunts down the guy who is screwing his wife

[MarcKudisch] seiber

[MarcKudisch] finds out he is looking for a roommate

[MarcKudisch] and moves in with him under a different name

[RobertArmin] Getting interesting...

[MarcKudisch] lots of fun

[RobertArmin] I'm assuming this is comedy...

[MarcKudisch] oh yeah

[RobertArmin] FreakyMartian says he saw you in Millie: Marc - when i saw it last week you still nailed it and were awesome... just wondering whether you know if Cheyenne Jackson or someone else will replace you when you are in Night Music

[MarcKudisch] but its really heartfelt too

[MarcKudisch] don’t know the answer to that

[MarcKudisch] eating cashews, yum

[RobertArmin] mousey asks: what’s your favorite character that you've played?

[MarcKudisch] i loved them all

[MarcKudisch] been really lucky to play such vivid characters

[MarcKudisch] i guess birdie is really close to my heart

[RobertArmin] dolly64 asks: Is there a starring role in a past Broadway musical that you'd like to play in a full Broadway revival or an Encore!?

[MarcKudisch] twentieth century

[RobertArmin] Oscar?

[MarcKudisch] or camelot, but arthur

[MarcKudisch] yes oscar

[RobertArmin] I'd love to hear you sing The Legacy

[MarcKudisch] too old to be doing granite anymore

[MarcKudisch] been there done that

[RobertArmin] Did you ever do it?

[RobertArmin] Granite?

[MarcKudisch] the legacy?

[MarcKudisch] bruce granite

[RobertArmin] Yeah

[MarcKudisch] or

[MarcKudisch] the firebird of florence

[MarcKudisch] its an old Weill piece

[RobertArmin] Did you do that show?

[MarcKudisch] real tour de force

[MarcKudisch] or operetta

[MarcKudisch] like desert song

[RobertArmin] If you could play something completely against "type," what might you choose?

[MarcKudisch] charlie in flowers for algernon

[RobertArmin] That would be an interesting choice.

[MarcKudisch] but i have already played against type so much

[MarcKudisch] the type keeps changing

[RobertArmin] Charles Strouse's show deserves a second look

[MarcKudisch] like wild party

[MarcKudisch] or bells

[RobertArmin] You're right. Very different roles.

[MarcKudisch] yes

[MarcKudisch] or

[MarcKudisch] fun

[MarcKudisch] some like it hot/ sugar

[MarcKudisch] would love to do the drag thing

[RobertArmin] It's a shame you're not doing the tour

[MarcKudisch] no its not

[RobertArmin] You'd be great in the Josephine role

[MarcKudisch] not from what i have heard

[MarcKudisch] yeah

[RobertArmin] Well, okay, you can wait till it comes back to Broadway

[RobertArmin] It was wonderful with Tony Roberts and Robert Morse.

[RobertArmin] I don't know about the current version...

[MarcKudisch] could be wonderful again with me and brian darcy

[MarcKudisch] and kristin

[RobertArmin] Other than Sex in the City (on which you were very funny), have you been doing any other TV?

[RobertArmin] Yes, Kristin would be delightful

[MarcKudisch] no tv

[MarcKudisch] its not really a goal

[MarcKudisch] i love the stage

[RobertArmin] How about movies?

[MarcKudisch] if film comes along then ok

[MarcKudisch] but not really pursuing it

[MarcKudisch] i love the stage

[RobertArmin] Would you go back into any of the roles you've played -- other than Night Music, of course?

[MarcKudisch] no

[RobertArmin] For example, Birdie?

[MarcKudisch] no

[MarcKudisch] well

[RobertArmin] Interesting...

[MarcKudisch] to do albert yeah

[RobertArmin] That would be a good idea.

[MarcKudisch] yeah

[MarcKudisch] i have done birdie

[MarcKudisch] i was the birdie of the 90's

[MarcKudisch] doesn't get better than that

[RobertArmin] dolly64 reminds us: You would be great in Fade Out, Fade In, too

[RobertArmin] In the Jack Cassidy role

[RobertArmin] or his role in She Loves Me

[MarcKudisch] yeah

[RobertArmin] If they ever film that

[MarcKudisch] did a PRESENTATION OF THAT WITH FAITH

[RobertArmin] Where?

[MarcKudisch] THAT WOULD BE A GREAT ENCORES JOB TOO

[MarcKudisch] FOR COMDEN AND GREEN

[MarcKudisch] YEARS AGO

[RobertArmin] Fade Out, Fade In

[RobertArmin] Yes

[MarcKudisch] YEA

[MarcKudisch] GREAT MUSIC

[RobertArmin] I once talked to them about rewriting the book of that one

[MarcKudisch] MY FORTUNE IS MY FACE

[MarcKudisch] IT NEEDS IT

[RobertArmin] The show is too focused on the Carol Burnett role.

[RobertArmin] It needs more balance.

[MarcKudisch] WELL

[MarcKudisch] YEA

[RobertArmin] It is a great score.

[RobertArmin] When do you have to go back on stage?

[MarcKudisch] CHANGING COSTUME NOW

[MarcKudisch] KEEP TALKING

[RobertArmin] Wow. So exciting.

[RobertArmin] Do you enjoy the role of Trevor Graydon? You've played him for quite a while now.

[MarcKudisch] NO

[RobertArmin] Mousey wants to know that.

[RobertArmin] No what?

[MarcKudisch] LOVE GRAYDON

[RobertArmin] exciting or Trevor?

[MarcKudisch] GREAT ROLE

[RobertArmin] Oh, not exciting changing your costume!

[MarcKudisch] AND THERE ISN'T ANOTHER QUITE LIKE IT

[RobertArmin] I really don't know who can follow you in it?

[RobertArmin] Burke Moses, maybe.

[MarcKudisch] SOMEONE WILL

[RobertArmin] But not many...

[MarcKudisch] MMMM

[MarcKudisch] DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS FOR BURKE

[RobertArmin] You were terrific in Beauty and the Beast following Burke.

[MarcKudisch] THANKS

[RobertArmin] It's time for him to return the favor.

[MarcKudisch] BUT THERE IS A SWEET BOYISHNESS TO TREVOR

[RobertArmin] Kristine wants to know if you did a show at the Armory before Birdie. Is that true?

[MarcKudisch] I DON’T KNOW IF THAT IS BURKE

[MarcKudisch] YEA

[RobertArmin] What was the show?

[MarcKudisch] TAMARA

[RobertArmin] Ah, yes. The audience goes from room to room.

[MarcKudisch] YEP

[MarcKudisch] FUN

[MarcKudisch] BUT TIRING

[RobertArmin] That was the grandmammy of Tony and Tina

[RobertArmin] etc.

[MarcKudisch] YEAH

[MarcKudisch] BUT OURS WAS A REAL PLAY

[MarcKudisch] DRAMATIC

[RobertArmin] Of course.

[MarcKudisch] AND PEOPLE WOULD COME EXPECTING TONY AND TINA

[RobertArmin] FreakyMartian wants to point out that she is a she. I think I referred to her as him before.

[RobertArmin] Mustn’t do that.

[MarcKudisch] NO

[RobertArmin] fionasdad writes: Marc: any thoughts you can share regarding WILD PARTY. I thought you were terrific as Jackie -- and had to look three times at the Playbill to realize it was the same actor I saw onstage in BIRDIE and BEAUTY/BEAST

[MarcKudisch] IT WAS WILD

[MarcKudisch] TOTALLY THE KIND OF THEATRE YOU HOPE TO DO WHEN YOU ARE IN COLLEGE

[MarcKudisch] AND COMPLETELY DRAINING

[MarcKudisch] PLUS

[MarcKudisch] MY EX FIANCEE AND I WERE GOING OUR SEPARATE WAYS

[MarcKudisch] SO I WAS FEELING LIKE A LOSER ON AND OFF THE STAGE

[RobertArmin] Sorry to hear that.

[RobertArmin] But, you are still friends?

[MarcKudisch] THAT'S LIFE

[MarcKudisch] YEA

[RobertArmin] And now you are catching up to her!

[MarcKudisch] LIFE HAS ITS CYCLES YKNOW

[RobertArmin] Professionally, that it.

[MarcKudisch] I AM ON MY OWN PATH

[MarcKudisch] AS IS SHE

[RobertArmin] You have nothing to feel bad about at this point in your life

[MarcKudisch] NO

[RobertArmin] In fact, you have much to be proud of.

[MarcKudisch] NO BAD FEELINGS ABOUT ANYTHING

[MarcKudisch] I AM

[MarcKudisch] AND I AM SORRY

[MarcKudisch] BUT I GOTTA GO DANCE NOW

[RobertArmin] OK, thanks for joining us!

[MarcKudisch] I CAN COME BACK IN A WHILE IF YOU LIKE

[MarcKudisch] LET ME KNOW

[RobertArmin] How long?

[MarcKudisch] THANKS ROBERT

[MarcKudisch] 25 MINUTES

[RobertArmin] No, that's too late. Have a great Act Two!

[RobertArmin] Marc has been writing to us from his dressing room at Thoroughly Modern Millie. He has a second act to do now.

[RobertArmin] So he has had to dash!

[RobertArmin] Thank you everyone for joining us tonight.

[RobertArmin] Next week, I will have a very rare interview with the great Marilyn Cooper, best remembered for her Tony winning role in Woman of the Year

[RobertArmin] But she was also in the original West Side Story and Gypsy!

[RobertArmin] Yes, the original productions.

[RobertArmin] So, please join us next Monday at 8:30 to learn more about these classic musicals

[RobertArmin] along with Two By Two, I Can Get It For You Wholesale, and many more.

[RobertArmin] See you next week.