Dracula & Lestat

[Acekicken]

Q&A: Sebastian Bach of Jesus Christ, Superstar




Interview by A.D. Amorosi

With his clarion voice, a crystal-shattering screech and one of metal's most raucously hedonistic demeanors, it may be hard to imagine Sebastian Bach playing Christ. But the former leader of Skid Row has not only remade himself into Broadway's hardest working leading man (with stints as the lead in Jekyll & Hyde and Rocky Horror Picture Show), he's successfully balanced a solo career with his Broadway work. Now, he's taken the lead in the new touring company of Jesus Christ Superstar (with Carl Anderson as Judas), a logical choice given the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical was the first of rock's forays onto the Great White Way. City Paper reached Bach by phone a week before the show's Philadelphia run.

City Paper: Since I had to ring you under an assumed name, "Bruce Banner," I'm guessing you're hiding from groupies. How do the Broadway groupies differ from the metal ones? Are the backstage screams more Liza-like?

Sebastian Bach: Now that I've done three different shows and made a name for myself, I find that not only do I get chicks who dye their hair blue, I get the chicks with actual blue hair. I get 'em from 8 to 80, the grannies who pinch my cheek, tell me I'm cute and want their picture taken with me. It rocks.

CP: How did you get to Broadway in the first place?

SB: The guy who signed Skid Row when I was 18 is now head of Lava/Atlantic, the same label who puts out Frank Wildhorn CDs -- the guy who wrote Jekyll. Frank came looking for a rock 'n' roller who'd show up on time, eight times a week. There's none. But he wanted someone with a clean voice and a dirty scream. I was his first call. I saw the show and was amazed by how propulsive the staging and technical aspects were. So I did that. We sold a shitload of tickets. Fast forward to 9/11. Broadway's in the dumps. I'm doing my second solo thing. But Equity calls and asks if I'd do Rocky Horror. They explained how it was a good time to help New York City. So that was a hit. We topped nearly all other sales, Mamma Mia! included. It felt good to kick ABBA's ass.

CP: Growing up, honestly, how did you feel about showtunes?

SB: To me, showtunes is Annie Get Your Gun and Flower Drum Song. I don't think Superstar fits that bill. Besides, Charles Mingus said it best, "There's two kinds of music -- good and bad." I was the lead soprano in my church choir when I was a kid, long before I got into Judas Priest. My only criteria is finding music that I can emotionally connect to 100 percent. That goes from "I Remember You" to God's power ballad, "Gethsemane."

CP: Where does the solo record stand? Where do you stand with music period?

SB: Right now, in limbo. But I can always go back. It's not often you get asked to play the Son of God. And you know what else? This is the biggest tour I've ever headlined in my life. No one ever paid $70 to see Skid Row. And we sold over 20 million albums. Look, the music business no longer allows artists to develop like they did in the '70s. The Ramones made their best records at the end of their career. No one knew. The last Skid Row record sold two million copies and was considered a failure because our first sold 10 million.

CP: So Broadway really is the last bastion for the musical aficionado.

SB: It is. You can't bump it into your mp3. You have to pay and see and listen in the moment. And when it's over, it's over. All you have is the experience, hopefully powerful. It's real, not virtual. Made by human beings. I love guys like Jeff Buckley. There's not enough of them. I no longer want to rely on a biz that thinks Madonna's a great singer. I'm outta here.

CP: You mentioned this being the biggest tour you've done. Do you find rocker brethren are jealous of the fact that you can rock out and sell tickets? That you don't need rock 'n' roll?

SB: That's exactly it. Slash and Duff from Guns N' Roses, the dudes in Korn, Peter Frampton, Weezer, they're fascinated by the fact that I've got a gig where I have five tractor trailers, doing eight shows a week and I don't need the rock industry. Jeff Tate, Tommy Lee and Vince Neil -- they're all asking how do they get a gig like this.

CP: Vince Neil? I pray you haven't started a trend?

SB: Guess what? [Tate] can wail. He could do Phantom. Have a few drinks, listen to him scream.

CP: How does one train to play Christ?

SB: The staging is crazy and cool. The costuming is wild. And, at least in the second act, I'm pretty much nude. So I had to cut back on the beer for those loincloth scenes. For real, I had to get myself together. Now I can rock the loincloth. I'm 35, not 19, snorting speed all day.

CP: How was working with acting coach Robin Phillips, being he's trained Olivier and Peter Ustinov?

SB: They knew I could scream. But could I act? Robin made sure of it through sheer old-school intense intimidation. He'd yell "amateur," [and] "unacceptable" at me in front of a whole cast, which knocked my big rock ego down to a puddle each and every time. I was too adrenalized all the time, too fidgety, too "let's kick this city's ass." Henry Jekyll isn't Iggy Pop. I had to be calmed. [When I was standing], my hands would jitter too much. Robin would run toward me and put my hands on his crotch -- spitting and screaming, eyes bulging -- telling me to imagine that very sensation. To think of his balls anytime I wanted to fidget. Holy fuck. Subsequently, I don't play with my hands anymore.

CP: Now that you've played Christ, any other role's gotta seem manageable. Anything else you're eyeballing?

SB: Yeah. Actually Frank Wildhorn's casting Dracula: The Musical as we speak. But he doesn't want a rock guy to be the first Dracula. So I'll get the shot as soon as the first guy runs out of steam. That's my forte -- being the pinch hitter of Broadway. Someone runs out of gas, I come in and pick the shit right up.

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Dracula would be Awsome I found this Read it thought
it would be a cool new thread even tho its an old interview.

Also the Question is after the 2006 CD & DVD what will
be Next & Will Sebastian Bach Star for the 5th time on Broadway?

If so I hope it goes to PPV
That is what I think Jekll "n" Hyde, JCS & Rocky were
missing Bach on PPV

[Bazerrk]

MMMM....interesting.

[Metalbrat]

I heard (rumored) that he was offered the part, but couldn't do it because of the cd, etc. He wants to get on with 'rocking'. But who knows. On the old board we said he would be great as Anne Rice's Lestat, the vampire. He did say he'd love to do that part if he was asked. He'd be perfect. (my words not his. )

[rocknrollmom]

metalbrat said:

I heard (rumored) that he was offered the part, but couldn't do it because of the cd, etc. He wants to get on with 'rocking'. But who knows. On the old board we said he would be great as Anne Rice's Lestat, the vampire. He did say he'd love to do that part if he was asked. He'd be perfect. (my words not his. )

werent' there rumors of Elton John planning a musical around Lestat? I think I read that some where about 3 years ago. And yes I think Baz would be awesome as Lestat.

[Acekicken]

rocknrollmom said:

metalbrat said:

I heard (rumored) that he was offered the part, but couldn't do it because of the cd, etc. He wants to get on with 'rocking'. But who knows. On the old board we said he would be great as Anne Rice's Lestat, the vampire. He did say he'd love to do that part if he was asked. He'd be perfect. (my words not his. )

werent' there rumors of Elton John planning a musical around Lestat? I think I read that some where about 3 years ago. And yes I think Baz would be awesome as Lestat.

Yes I read this as well The Elton was writing Lyrics
but it was for interview with the Vampire.

Baz would be perfect for the Dark Role.

Hopefully before he dose return to Broadway
he puts out his new CD

[MaM]

lestat is coming to broadway in march i believe. i read it on one of the broadway websites. i forgot which actor guy they have for it. i'll probably go see it.

and dracula didn't last long on broadway. only a few months in 2004 tom hewitt was dracula. i thought it was good. baz woulda been cool for it i thought.

michele

[jukeboxher]

LESTAT

* Palace Theatre
* First Preview: March 11, 2006
* Opening: April 13
* Director: Robert Jess Roth
* Choreographer: Matt West
* Cast: Hugh Panaro, Carolee Carmello, Jack Noseworthy
* Elton John and Bernie Taupin's new musical based on Anne Rice's vampire novels' lead character.

This must be what you read Michele. There is a ton of great stuff coming in 2006.

[MaM]

yeah that's what i read. i just hope it stays there more than 3 months.

lennon didn't even last that long
dracula neither

it sucks to cause if not a musical like cats, or hairspray, or the other typical happy, woo hoo, dancy schmancy musical you won't last.


michele

[jukeboxher]

Dracula was done in the 80's. Maybe there wasn't enough distance between the two. Frank Langella really made his mark on it.

Lennon should have done better, but it came at wrong time. It really needed to by hyped up before it reached B'way.

But - TARZAN is coming next year. Need I say more???

[jukeboxher]

I agree with you about the happy, hop around like a bunny type musical that sells. But alot of B'way goers come from the Island with blue hair. I'm not insulting Long Island!

I think we should send emails to Elton John about the best person for the show. Although Sebastian did say he wasn't going back to B'way. Maybe this will entice him.

Wanted: One Blood-sucking devilish guy. Long blonde hair. Screams. No one else need apply.

[MaM]

yoko should've worked harder to keep lennon going..lol. i read she was there everyday constantly changing it. that could've been a problem to i saw it twice before it ended. terrance mann was in it to which was also a big plus.

there's alot of tourists at the shows also, and young students.

[jukeboxher]

I'm so glad you saw it. Was it really good? I was not a major fan of JL though I did like Yoko. His music was innovative. Wouldn't be where we are today without him. But as a person, I was not impressed. Too childish.
Yoko wouldn't have been satisfied with anything except the man himself.

Love the Dakota. Watch Rosemary's Baby to get the full spectrum if you haven't already.

[MaM]

yeah it was good. woulda liked to see it some more but it closed.

michele

[rocknrollmom]

mam said:

yeah it was good. woulda liked to see it some more but it closed.

michele

I saw it when I was back in NY in Aug. I am a HUGE Lennon fan, and I found the show to be very confusing. Having 9 different people playing John was a big part of it, especially since at least 4 of them were women. In addition, although his life story was being told in roughly chronological order, the songs were not always in that order. And it seems that Terrance can't get out of high heels. lol

[MaM]

i know he must like the heels alot.

michele

[Agent]

:PTarzan? OMG! I thought I was getting excited about Baz playing Lestat.. but TARZAN? HOLY COW!

jukeboxher said:

Dracula was done in the 80's. Maybe there wasn't enough distance between the two. Frank Langella really made his mark on it.

Lennon should have done better, but it came at wrong time. It really needed to by hyped up before it reached B'way.

But - TARZAN is coming next year. Need I say more???

[Metalbrat]

agentrebel said:

:PTarzan? OMG! I thought I was getting excited about Baz playing Lestat.. but TARZAN? HOLY COW!

jukeboxher said:

Dracula was done in the 80's. Maybe there wasn't enough distance between the two. Frank Langella really made his mark on it.

Lennon should have done better, but it came at wrong time. It really needed to by hyped up before it reached B'way.

But - TARZAN is coming next year. Need I say more???

Tarzan?! Ok, I won't EVEN go there. LOL

[rocknrollmom]

I think I read or heard that Matthew Morrison, who played the lead in Hairspray and one of the Phantoms in RH has been cast as Tarzan.

[Agent]

Well.. I guess I won't need the Baz drooling bucket if I see it then right? Dracula... that would be AWESOME

[jukeboxher]

TARZAN

* Richard Rodgers Theatre
* First Preview: March 24, 2006
* Opening: May 10, 2006
* Director: Bob Crowley
* Choreographer: Meryl Tankard with aerial movement by Pichón Baldinu
* Cast: Shuler Hensley
* Disney's new musical based on the animated film featuring a score by Phil Collins and new book from David Henry Hwang.

Remember, Sebastian comes in as a second to continue the show. Don't rule him out yet!

[John, the voice]

i think Baz wud b a gud Dracula, he has that dark part of him. i saw him on strange frequency 3 where he plays the reaper and he was quite freaky n fair scary to, took me a while to recognise him. I also think that he could make that cape of dracula's wrap around him brilliantly, and da rest of the show too.

[Metalbrat]

I think Dracula is the WINNER, according to Baz on Eddie Trunk.

[jukeboxher]

I would love to see that, but i'm still hoping for Tarzan as well.

[Bazerrk]

I would want him to play Lestat. when I read the book, I thought she was describing him!

[Acekicken]

lilskidrow said:

I would want him to play Lestat. when I read the book, I thought she was describing him!

He did say he was interested in that role.
I think he is destine to play a Vampire sooner or later.

I hope if & when he ever returns to Broadway
it's after the new CD.

[jojo711]

vampire of lestat/dracula has came up more times than you can count and now he's even said he's very interested so it's a given i believe one day he will play that role and he will be awesome!
i'm hoping too it is AFTER the cd as well, you just never know about sebastian.

jojo

[jojo711]

tarzan? hmmm....interesting but it's not rock n roll enough for baz, i remember him saying that one time about broadway with the rock n roll being a big part of it as well as theater.

jojo

[Agent]

I have to agree.. if Baz is saying he's very interested.. given his determination and drive.. it's not a matter of "If" but "When"

jojo711 said:

vampire of lestat/dracula has came up more times than you can count and now he's even said he's very interested so it's a given i believe one day he will play that role and he will be awesome!
i'm hoping too it is AFTER the cd as well, you just never know about sebastian.

jojo

[jukeboxher]

Check this out:

www.zonalibre.org/blog/verdadesamargas/archives/LESTAT.JPG

[Acekicken]

jukeboxher said:

Check this out:

www.zonalibre.org/blog/verdadesamargas/archives/LESTAT.JPG

Cool pic