INTERVIEW: Tony nominee Willy Falk sings ‘Mostly Love’ songs
Photo: Willy Falk will present his cabaret show, Mostly Love, at The Green Room 42. Photo courtesy of the artist / Provided by Fortune Creative with permission.
Willy Falk is perhaps best remembered for his Tony-nominated role in the original Miss Saigon, in which he starred opposite Lea Salonga and Jonathan Pryce. The Broadway veteran has built an impressive career over the past 35 years, including roles in Marilyn: An American Fable, Starlight Express, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webbber and Les Misérables.
Now the theater star will play to a more intimate crowd when he brings his one-man cabaret show to The Green Room 42. The performance, titled Mostly Love …, centers on love songs from throughout the years.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Falk about the upcoming cabaret engagement, which is set for Sunday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. The show has previously played New York City, London and Honolulu. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What can fans expect at your show Mostly Love …?
An evening of love, laughter and song. Most of the songs are about love — playful, passionate, heartbreaking, enduring — and these will be coupled with stories from a 35-year career in show business.
How did you select the songs for the show?
I think of my favorite songs like my ‘best friends.’ Some of the songs I have chosen are old friends, and some are new. But they are all unique and beautiful.
Will there be songs from the shows you appeared in on Broadway? Do these songs stay with you emotionally from year to year?
You never forget the first time you sing a song on Broadway … at that first preview with an audience. After all the rehearsing and all the time of wondering ‘will they like me?’ …hearing the applause is heavenly! I will be singing one of my songs from Broadway, but my show is not about the progress of my career from show to show. It is more about how there are as many different love songs as there are love stories.
How close are your interpretations to the originals? Do you make any radical changes?
I understand the reasons why an original Broadway talent might want to sing their original song and change it up for a cabaret setting. On the other hand, it can be a let-down for a fan who wants to re-live a moment in the theatre that meant something to them personally. I think it is important to honor their experience. So, I usually do my best to re-create the performance that I was lucky enough to have an audience enjoy. After all, it certainly worked for Carol Channing.
How difficult is it to perform a show that relies so much on your vocal stamina and power?
I am lucky that I love to sing and feel comfortable doing it. Having said that, it is important to stay healthy and pace yourself. But, with the support of a wonderful audience, nothing feels difficult!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Willy Falk presents Mostly Love … Sunday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at The Green Room 42 in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
