INTERVIEW: ‘A Thousand Spotlights’ turn to Nick Cartell
Photo: Nick Cartell’s new album is called A Thousand Spotlights. Photo courtesy of the artist / Provided by Fortune Creative with permission.
As summer winds down, musical theater performer Nick Cartell, an ever-accomplished star of stage roles and symphony concerts, can look back at recent months and be proud of his productivity and professional dedication. While most people were taking breaks, he was staying busy, performing as Jean Valjean in the national tour of Les Misérables and releasing his new album, A Thousand Spotlights. Now, that’s a summer to remember.
Cartell has been a frequent presence in the theatrical world. New Yorkers likely saw him in Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour, the company’s first venture on Broadway; the actor was a standby, eventually performing all three male leads. He also appeared in Midtown Manhattan in Jesus Christ Superstar, taking over several roles during the musical’s run, everyone from Jesus to Judas.
A Thousand Spotlights turns the spotlight on Broadway standards like Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” which opens the album, and “Bring Him Home,” a classic from Les Misérables, which closes the album. Other tunes on the recording include “It All Fades Away,” a beautiful song from The Bridges of Madison County, and “Never Enough” from The Greatest Showman, which has plans for a theatrical adaptation. Other highlights come from The Phantom of the Opera, Tarzan and My Fair Lady. There are two Disney songs included, and that’s because Cartell loves what the Big Mouse has turned out over the years.
Recently Cartell exchanged emails with Hollywood Soapbox to talk about the new album, which is now available from Club44 Records, an outfit out of Nashville. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What inspired the recording of A Thousand Spotlights?
These are all songs that I love to sing and fell in love with the first time I heard them. I have been wanting to do an album for a while, and the stars finally aligned when I met the folks at Club44 Records. The original plan was to record an EP of all Disney tunes, but I do a “Travel Day Q&A” on my Instagram nearly every week, and people ask all kinds of questions about tour life and Les Misérables. Almost without exception, I would get asked weekly when I would record something from the show, namely “Bring Him Home.” My wife, Christine, was the one who told me it would be foolish not to have that song on the album. After that, things took a different shape, and I’m so proud of what we have released.
What was your reasoning behind selecting these particular songs?
These are all songs that not only tell a story, but tell a part of my story — my journey at the beginning of my career to life now and what I hope the future holds for me.
Do you have a particular love of Disney songs? Do you think they are underrated?
Disney is such a huge part of my life. I grew up watching the movies, singing along with the Disney cassette tapes in the car, going to the theme parks. I worked for Disney in Tokyo for three years and met my Disney princess wife while working there. We have of course introduced our daughter to all the classics and the newer movies and series, and she loves them. All this to say, I think that many Disney tunes are underrated, and say what you will about it being a “Disney” song, there is a reason why they have staying power and have been recorded a thousand times over.
How did you get connected to Club44 Records?
My former Les Misérables music director, Brian Eads (who is a producer on this album, as well as arranger and orchestrator), had a connection to Wayne Haun at Club44. Wayne had seen me as Jean Valjean in Les Mis, and we met afterwards and started talking. It was great to walk into this project feeling at ease from the beginning, and to work with both Brian and Wayne, who is a legend in the industry, was fantastic. He really knows his stuff both in and out of the studio and made this process incredibly enjoyable.
How important was it to have a full orchestra backing you up on this record?
Because I sing with a full orchestra every night in Les Mis, I knew I wanted to be sure to capture that on a few songs. It was an open discussion with Brian and Wayne about which numbers needed which specific orchestrations, and I am so thrilled with the final product. I just don’t think you would get the same rush you feel when listening to “Never Enough,” “Music of the Night” or “Bring Him Home” without it.
How is the Les Misérables tour going?
Fantastic, we are closing in on the end of year two of [the] tour at the end of September and looking forward to continuing on the barricade for at least another year. I’m so proud to say that I have performed the role of Jean Valjean over a thousand times and yet still learn new things from this character each and every night.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Nick Cartell’s new album is called A Thousand Spotlights, and it’s now available from Club44 Records. Click here for more information.
