A Conversation with Andrew Samonsky -- May 2006

Interview by Jo Fox

Introduction
by Sharon Major & Donna Dickenson

This summer, Andrew returns to Los Angeles to repeat his starring role as Jon in Jonathan Larson’s tick…tick…BOOM!  During his first run in tick…tick…BOOM! in 2005, the Ventura County Reporter named Andrew as one of their “People to Watch”; calling his performance “inspired” and “built on a foundation of solid-gold talent.”

Andrew has also appeared in Disney’s On the Record tour, Into the Woods, Forever Plaid, and Smokey Joe’s Café. On television, Andrew was seen in Guiding Light.

tick…tick…BOOM! runs from June 10 to July 16 at the Coronet Theatre.  For ticket information, go to http://www.coronet-theatrela.com or phone 310.657.7377.

[Webmaster's note:  tick…tick…BOOM! has been extended through August 20! Read about this and Andrew's great reviews here.]

You can find information about tick…tick…BOOM! at its website http://www.ticktickboomthemusical.com.

Jo:  Andrew, what was it like working with Scott Bakula in Shenandoah?

Andrew:  You’re always curious to meet someone of fame or celebrity – how they might be different from ordinary people. I had already heard [from] a friend who had done something with Scott, that he was a great person to work with, and it was the truth.

Scott showed up and everyone took to him immediately. He was just so friendly and so generous, so down-to-earth and so professional. After awhile he was just one of the guys. Very quickly we were all joking and chit-chatting. I can honestly say I’ve never known an easier person to work with. His professionalism, generosity and really just his compassion – he always asked how everyone was doing, knew everyone’s first name. It’s a real treat. Actually, it was quite an example to me, and hopefully to everyone else, of how to be. It’s obvious that he’s the same guy he was when growing up. As far as Scott’s work is concerned and the way he deals with people, it was wonderful to watch him and learn how to be a good person and an excellent actor.

Jo:  If you had a chance to appear again with Scott, is there any particular play you’d like to do with him and if so, why that play?

Andrew:  I thought about that and it’s a hard question because this show and the way Scott and I were cast in it just seems so appropriate, it’s hard to think of another show. If I could think of doing another show with Scott, I thought I’d want to do this show (Shenandoah) in New York with him. I got pictures back of the two of us standing next to each other. I had let my hair grow out and of course, Scott had his hair grown out and you know what? We do kind of look alike with our hair long.

Jo:  You do. You were perfectly cast.

Andrew:  In the show, James is definitely his father’s son and the most like his father. It was a real treat, looking up to him the way I did while I was there, and then to have that situation on stage as well, that was great. The father/son relationship – I would spend time watching him on stage and maybe picking up some little traits and characteristics he did as Charlie Anderson – I’d work them in to James. There was a likeness between James and Charlie and it was such a treat to be able to have the chance to fill this out.

Jo:  Did doing Shenandoah under the Lincoln box at Ford’s Theatre hold an special meaning for you?

Andrew:  Oh, of course. I mean obviously it’s a show that deals with the Civil War and we were in the theatre where Abraham Lincoln was shot. To [director] Jeff Calhoun’s credit, in the opening sequence where we are all union and confederate soldiers, we have a moment where we sing the confederate song (“Raise the Flag of Dixie”) straight at the Lincoln box. It was an eerie feeling to be acting out this contempt for the union army as a confederate soldier and directing it right at the Lincoln box. There’s something wonderful and eerie about it.

The complete interview with Andrew Samonsky will be in the next issue of The Observer.  To find out more about Andrew, we encourage you to visit his My Space profile at http://www.myspace.com/samonsky.

-Donna Dickenson