INTERVIEW: Zero Mostel, through Jim Brochu’s eyes
Photo: Zero Hour was written by and stars Jim Brochu. The play details the life and career of Zero Mostel. Photo courtesy of Zero Hour press site / Provided by PR agent with permission.
Award-winning actor Jim Brochu has played many parts throughout his illustrious career, and none could be as rewarding as his unique take on the comedian Zero Mostel. Brochu’s one-man show detailing the life and legacy of Mostel is called Zero Hour and will be presented in a special one-night engagement Monday, Nov. 5 at The Actor’s Temple in Midtown Manhattan.
Zero Hour, directed by Piper Laurie, has played off-Broadway before, running for several months and delighting audiences with a madcap biography of Mostel, a comedian known for The Producers, Fiddler on the Roof and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
The 2018 performance will serve as a benefit for The Actors’ Temple, and tickets are priced at $100.
Recently, Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Brochu, an actor known for Broadway’s Brigadoon and Oliver! Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What inspired you to tell Zero Mostel’s life in a theatrical setting?
Not sure what you mean by a theatrical setting? If you mean why did I write the play, it’s because I thought Zero had a very compelling story to tell. He had so many obstacles to overcome in his life, and that’s what drama is about. He was ostracized by his family. He was attacked by the American government during the blacklist, and he almost lost his leg in a bus accident. That’s the stuff of high drama. He was also very funny, and when you add drama and comedy together, you get a pretty good play.
Since high school I was always compared to Zero. I met him when I was 12 years old after I had seen A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He was a force of nature, and he influenced me deeply. He both exhilarated me and scared the hell out of me, so being an actor and playwright, it seemed like a good idea.
You performed this play a few years ago in New York City. Is each performance a little different because of the changing audience?
Yes. There are audiences who knew all about Zero’s life and some who never even heard of the blacklist, so every performance is different. I’ve now done the play over 650 times, and each time is a wonderful surprise for me … finding laughs and drama where it didn’t exist before. And that’s thanks to the audience.
How did you connect with Piper Laurie to direct the play?
Piper is an old friend of mine, and when I first started doing the readings of the show, she came to every one. She was very helpful in shaping the play into what it was, and so when it was apparent that it would become a production, I asked her to take on the role as the full-fledged director of the peace.
She also knew Zero and his quirks, strains and weaknesses, so it seemed like another perfect fit.
At what age did you realize you had a talent for acting and singing?
I was 12 years old when I saw a production of Gypsy with Ethel Merman and thought that’s the way I want to make a living on the stage, so I got all the kids in the neighborhood together and put on a show. As soon as I heard the applause I knew I was in the right business. Now I’ve been doing it for 50 years, and it seems like a few minutes.
What’s on the horizon for you after this special performance of Zero Hour?
I will be taking Zero Hour to Arizona in January for a few performances, and I’m also doing readings of new musicals. I’ve also written a few new plays that I’m working on and am currently doing [a] production of Jekyll and Hyde in Boston, directed by the original star Robert Cuccioli. So I’m still busy. Thank God.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Zero Hour, written by and starring Jim Brochu, will be presented Monday, Nov. 5 at The Actors’ Temple in Midtown Manhattan. The performance is presented by Carol Ostrow, Joan Finkelstein and The Actors’ Temple Board of Directors. Click here for more information and tickets.
