INTERVIEW: Greg Hildreth grabs that cellophane and joins ‘Chicago’
Photo: Greg Hildreth, when he’s not performing in Urinetown, appears in Chicago as Amos Hart. Photo courtesy of the artist / Provided by BBB with permission.
Broadway alum Greg Hildreth, a performer who has appeared in everything from Company to The Rose Tattoo, has joined the company of the longest-running revival in Broadway history. That’s right, the actor is appearing in Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre, assuming the role of Amos Hart, husband to Roxie and someone who is ho-hum about his life and prospects. This depressed state leads to one of musical theater’s most iconic tunes: “Mr. Cellophane.”
“It’s been excellent,” Hildreth said in a recent phone interview. “It’s a whirlwind. I’ve never replaced in a show before, especially a show that’s been running as long as this one, so it was like six three-hour rehearsals. And then I was on.”
The actor, who has also appeared on Broadway in Frozen and Cinderella, has always been a fan of the musical, which is the brainchild of Bob Fosse, John Kander and Fred Ebb, with direction by Walter Bobbie and choreography by Ann Reinking.
“I’ve always been a gigantic fan of the show and had been really wanting to play this part probably since I moved to New York, and I think I’m finally old enough,” said Hildreth, who is actually taking a slight pause from his Chicago company to appear in the Encores! production of Urinetown at New York City Center. After portraying Officer Lockstock, he should be back to the Ambassador Theatre, with his engagement as Amos continuing into March.
“I try as much as I can to make myself blind and deaf to the versions that have come before me,” he said. “I think I have a pretty strong personal compass, and that sometimes finds its way on stage as well. So I usually just try to trust my compass and try to be as honest as I can on stage.”
Hildreth sees Amos as an ordinary guy. He’s not dumb, as so many people think. Instead, the actor portrays him as wanting a simple life. He’s happy with his wife, a hopeful baby on the way, his house, a good job and money in his pocket.
“He doesn’t have giant dreams or wishes,” Hildreth said. “He’s a pretty simple guy, but in rehearsal, the stage manager who was helping me learn the show said, ‘There are two honest people in the show, and one live and one dies.’ And so Hunyak is one of the female prisoners, the one who says, ‘Not guilty.’ And she’s telling the truth, and she dies. And by the end of the show, Amos lives and leaves Roxie, which is I think a hopeful ending for him, especially if the audience is looking through his eyes, too.”
Actors come and go at a fast pace in Chicago-land. Right now Erika Jayne portrays Roxie, and Sophie Carmen-Jones plays Velma Kelly. Filling in for Hildreth while he’s in Urinetown is Raymond Bokhour. This constantly changing cast speaks to the strength of the material. “It really is a testament to how good the show is,” Hildreth said. “The show itself is, I think, perfect material, and so it can withstand a revolving door of people coming in and taking their stab at it. And it can be done in an infinite amount of ways because the material is so, so good.”
He added: “I think the secret to the longevity is definitely what the original creators, Kander & Ebb and Fosse, brought to it. It’s a story of morals and being sucked into the idea of fame in America or celebrity and at what cost. I think those themes and motifs still ring true today, maybe more than ever.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Chicago the Musical, featuring Greg Hildreth as Amos Hart, continues at the Ambassador Theatre on Broadway. Click here for more information and tickets.
