An Interview with Jesus Christ Superstar Director Danny Harvey

An interview with Director Danny Harvey (DH)
By Bobbie Flatt (BF)

JCS Director Danny Harvey

Jesus Christ Superstar - The Greatest Story Ever Told

The actors are on stage to present this magnificent story to you, behind the scenes is the presence of those who manage the production. The Producer, the Director, The Choreographer, The Musical Director, the Stage Manager and all of their Department Heads and Assistants. Together, they are all the complete essence of team work, collaboration and community.

Today we speak to the Director of Jesus Christ Superstar – Danny Harvey

BF - Tell us a little about your directing background.

DH - My first directing Gig was with GLOBE back in 2003 with Cabaret, I have had the pleasure of directing a few more with this company, including last season’s Man of La Mancha, other than that I work with The Rose Theatre Brampton as an Artistic Director

BF - What is Jesus Christ Superstar about?

DH – Jesus Christ Superstar, is the last 5 days of Jesus’ life as told from the point of view of Judas Iscariot

BF - What made you want to direct this show? Why is it your passion?

DH - When I was younger I used to listen to the concept album over and over until I nearly wore it out. Something about the rawness of emotion and humanity of the story appealed to me. It places the idea of Jesus being a regular human being with fear and doubt in our minds yet it still manages to avoid being blasphemous.

BF - What specifically are you attempting to demonstrate to the audience with this show?

DH - I always like to leave an audience thinking about what they believe. I want to show that every person can relate to this story.

BF - What do you want your audience to walk away with?

DH - My goal as a director is to make people feel, I want you to feel entertained first and foremost. Moreover I want the audience to be amazed that entertainment like this is happening in their own back yard.

BF - What is the style in which you intend to present this story? Will it be the classic version?

DH - Theatre evolves constantly that is what makes it interesting. I am trying to place this show in an “anytime” borrowing costumes and props from several eras.

BF - How much creative license will you take with this story?

DH - As much as you can take with the most famous story there is. The score already takes a creative license, I am simply here to humanize it and tell it.

BF - What is your overall goal with this production?

DH - Simply to entertain

BF - What size is your cast? How do you manage to move and create with that many people who all have their own ideas?

DH - Around 27, moving people and creating a scene is easy when everyone has the same goal, my job is to take all the ideas, opinions and facts and distil them into something palatable.

BF - What were you looking for to cast these intense roles such as Jesus and Judas?

DH - The talent to pull it off and the passion to commit to the work

BF - What were you looking for in casting in general?

DH -I wanted to show a cross section of people, all ages, and all looks. This is a story for everyday people

BF - Is this show for any ages and suggested for families?

DH - It’s not for little kids but I fell in love with it when I was 12. As far as recommending a specific age to attend, parent's know what their children are capable of handling or understanding so they are best to make the decision, but, 10 -12 and up is a good guideline to attend this show. It could inspire a discussion.

BF - This is a rock opera. How is that different to direct from a scripted show with music interjected?

DH - Very very different, a book show with music interjected often does not advance the story put speaks on an emotion or a single point. A rock opera uses song and dance to tell stories, it is important for the music director, choreographer and director to all communicate to tell the story in a clear and concise manner.

BF - How do you collaborate with the MD and choreographer in a production like this?

DH - Openly and constantly. Always frank but never rude. Always listening to what they have to say. It is important we all respect each other’s disciplines to do otherwise would be arrogant and unproductive.

BF - You have directed shows such as Cabaret, Blood Brothers, West Side Story, Man of La Mancha, Evita; your history in directing has drawn you more towards the darker, headier stories as opposed to the lighter fluffier musicals...Why?

DH - Its all about what entertains me; I like a story to be told. My diploma is in Comedy Writing and Performance, I am not afraid of light entertainment and I have done quite a bit of it. However feeling through the real human emotions is cathartic. It brings me closer to myself and my fellow travelers of the world. Dissecting tragedy and retelling it makes me a more empathetic and better person.

BF -How does directing professional theatre and community theatre differ?

DH - Greatly, professional shows are rehearsed across 2 or 3 very intense weeks. Community theatre is a much longer process allowing for friendships and relationships to develop, it’s a social club as much as anything else. Professional theatre is also social but it is also everyone’s “job” so there is a different energy. I find talent is rarely the difference; many professional actors still do community theatre because they simply love it. It really is the truest form of theatre.

BF - Community theatre is very much about family, family in the sense of Community and in the genealogy sense of the word.

I understand there are several family members husbands, wives, sons/daughters, brothers/sisters, grandparents in many of the Globe shows including Jesus Christ Superstar.

Can you talk about these two aspects of the family and the effects it has on the production?

DH - My fiancé and mother are both in this production, also many of my closest friends. It’s an incredible feeling to all build towards one common goal. Its like an old time barn raising, everyone has their skills, we communicate, argue, laugh cry and in the end we have created something tangible and real and we get to share it with other people.

BF - What's next for you?

DH - I am working on Cabaret and Romeo and Juliet at the Rose Theatre Brampton summer series.

Jesus Christ Superstar runs May 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 @ 8pm and May 8 @ 2pm
Christ the King Catholic High School, Guelph Street, Georgetown
For tickets call 906-877-3700
Or online www.haltonhills.ca/theatre

Mike Rainey Wins ACT-CO Lighting Award

As some of you know, the Act-Co Awards gala was held last night and Globe's production of "Into The Woods" was one of the record fourteen musicals competing for honours this season.

We'd like to send out our congratulations to Mike Rainey who took home the Thea for his amazing work in Lighting Design for "Into The Woods"! Anyone who's ever worked with Mike knows what a talented, professional, and all around great guy he is and we could not be prouder to have his work honoured in this way. Congratulations, Mike!!!

We also send out our congratulations to our friends at GLT for their many nominations and wins for "Wait Until Dark" and "Bedtime Stories" and to Globe member Elizabeth Bell for her nomination as Best Supporting Actress for her role as Miss Pennywise in MMT's "Urinetown".

Search for Joseph's Artistic Team

As announced, Globe is happy to present "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat" as its fall show for 2011!

We are looking for all those interested in

- Directing

- Music Directing

- Choreographing

- Producing

If you're interested, please have all submissions in to Lois Fraser lfraser@fraserdirect.ca no later than Tuesday April 26th. Interviews will take place May 9, 10, and 11th.

Globe's Upcoming 2011 - 2012 Season

Dear Globe Members,

Globe’s board has unanimously decided to put on two shows in Milton’s new theatre next season. While we certainly intend to produce “All Shook Up”, the show we had scheduled for Nov. 2011 (it’s a great show and lots of fun!), we all felt that we need to start next season with a bang. Since we are opening in a market that is not as familiar with Globe, we needed a heavy hitter… a show with instant recognition, which can be both a money-maker and a crowd-pleaser. The obvious choice for this was "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ", which had previously been recommended by Globe’s reading committee.

We have been able to obtain the rights to do Joseph Nov. 6 to 13, 2011. We will do four shows in Milton…Thursday, Friday, Sat and finishing on a Sunday matinee. We will do two school shows as well, offering tickets to both Georgetown and Milton schools. The exact days for the performances and school shows will be confirmed to you later.


While this may not appear to be as much fun for our members who enjoy doing a two week run, the primary reason is due to improve our finances and everyone agrees that this is a worthy goal. Since CtK does not allow us to do school shows, we simply have to go somewhere else. Since the Milton Theatre (which is slated to be finished this summer) has 500 seats, we will be able to sell more school tickets (1000 compared to the 500 we sell now), which guarantees that we will make more money.


We are also booked to do a Youth Company show in Milton May 6 to 13, 2012. We are also looking for a “big name show” for the Youth Group, and we will consider the reading committee’s, recommendation of Bye Bye Birdie in the mix. Again, we need a blockbuster for the first show, so the audience draw will be even more important than usual. Leann sent out a survey to parents and youth members after Seussical asking what shows they would like to see us do. We have the results and will be looking at them. Ironically, Joseph was the number two choice. Peter Pan was number one, but this one may be out, but since Milton has no flies (for newer members, these are the bars high above the stage, enabling scenery to be lowered onto the stage).

The Milton theatre manager, Rob McKay (who used to run Guelph’s River Run) is very friendly and accommodating and wants to do business with us. They have offered us free advertising in Milton's theatre brochure that is going to every household in Milton and we will be the only community theatre group in the first season. There are 70,000 people in Milton and it is the fastest growing town in Canada, with an expectation to grow to 90,000. Milton is a convenient and prosperous area with lots of potential for new audiences and members. In Milton, we will do business under the name "Globe Productions" (rather than Georgetown Globe Productions). This was also passed unanimously by the executive at our last meeting. Since they have no community musical theatre group at the present time, we hope to establish ourselves as the hometown group for Milton as well as Georgetown.


Globe needs to grow! We are getting 50 to 60% audiences at present. If we want to do more adventurous shows, continue to provide an honourarium to each of our artistic team members and orchestras and make improvements to the armoury, then we have to make more money. Choosing Milton over CtK is a "no brainer". When the JET reopens then we will decide whether (and if so how) we can take our shows to two locations. It is not ideal to do this, but again, financial survival is driving a lot of our decisions. The costs to do a show at the JET vs Milton costs are relatively the same, but the box office draw is bigger. We will make an effort to keep Georgetown as our "home" and priority. We will do all our rehearsing here at the Armoury and perform our first weekend in Gtown then travel with our show to Milton, for example. We will also do our cabaret style shows out of Georgetown as well.


Now that Jen Marshall has been able to secure the rights to Joseph (hurray!), we need to have our kids' show figured out ASAP so that we can get into Milton's brochure. We will be hiring the artistic team for Joseph in late April and holding auditions for Joseph in early June. If you are interested in applying, please email any executive member. Stay tuned for more news as we move along. Between putting on Jesus Christ Superstar (I went to rehearsal last week and it is AMAZING!), moving from Norval, starting phase 2 of the Armoury project (more on that another day) and starting up in Milton, we are run off our feet.


Lois Fraser