Interview: Daniel Rowan: Mute No More

People who attend a performance of Tom Jones and Harvey Schmitt's long-running musical, THE FANTASTICKS will often leave the theater commenting about how mysterious the El Gallo was or about the voices of the two lovers. Some may comment on the comic performance of Mortimer, the cockney Indian. They may share a laugh recalling the two fathers or wonder about the Shakespearean misquotes of Henry, the old actor. No one ever comments about The Mute, yet that is the character who has an enormous amount of stage time and requires musical skill, agility, a good sense of rhythm, excellent aim and an enormous amount of focus. In that sense, it's a very demanding role.

"It requires plenty of concentration," says Daniel Rowan who currently plays the part. Talking over lunch at the Edison Café, better known as the "Polish Tea Room," Rowan mused over his experience playing the silent character and understudying the role of Matt-a part he's had the opportunity to play many times in the past year or so.

Rowan is a tall fellow with bright blue eyes and brown hair-exactly the type Central Casting would send over for a role requiring the boy next door. He's also very thoughtful and articulate. A Texan by birth, his father was a professional bull rider and his mother played in a jazz and mariachi band. With lineage like that, it's no wonder that Rowan became a performer. He tells that he comes from a heritage that's Cherokee Indian, Creole and Scottish. "Both my father and brother are short and hirsute. I came out tall and hairless," Rowan explains with a laugh.

"I played trumpet for a very long time," the actor continues," and I sang when I was a kid-a bit. I also did a bit of roping because my Dad. I guess that was the first kind of performance I had. My Dad's bull riding led me to roping and tying up the calves and stuff. I'd also catch the calf. I guess I was a rodeo clown in the making. " All of this is an unusual route an actor would take to an EQUITY card "Oh, that's nothing," Rowan explains, "I went to church on horseback until I was seven There was a sunrise service at the rodeo and we'd show up on horseback. At around the age of seven I started feeling existentially complicated and thought that I didn't want to do that anymore. I was always a very verbal kid my parents always allowed me to be who I wanted to be even though I had two older brothers. They're very astute and religious but I wasn't about to continue going to church and tying my horse to a tree to watch a sunrise service."

"My brother Steven was always the singer," Rowan continues, "I remember being in band in my junior year in high school. I was in this computer graphics class and someone came in and said that they needed boys for the school's production of LES MIS, so I went in and I sang for them and the rest is history" He did so without any vocal training-something that soon changed.

"Singing has always been a part of my life," Rowan continues, " I used to describe myself as 'the 14 year old boy crying in the park listening to Edith Piaf. I had an immense love for Piaf, Maurice chevalier, and other French standard artists. However, my love for Edith Piaf was huge. I also grew up listening to a ton of jazz-especially foreign jazz. I like Brazilian music, too. I listened to a lot of country music as well."

Interestingly enough, Daniel Rowan didn't study anything related to the performing arts in college. "I studied South Asian Philosophy and Religion.," he says. My real studies began when I started song interpretation through meditation. That really was the beginning of my natural studies."

"It was in high school, though, that my eyes were opened to musical theater. As a kid I used to watch OKLAHOMA! over and over again. I can't tell you how many times I watched it. I also watched the old Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland films. I would watch the Judy Garland Christmas Special throughout the entire year."

While still in his teens, Rowan auditioned for the Casa Manana Playhouse's production of SWENEY TODD "I was in the middle of my studies at the University of North Texas. I didn't want to just perform: I wanted to study other peoples' truths to sort of find my own truth. I used my audition as an experiment to see if I could. You see, I'd just read some of Descartes essays. So I auditioned and they offered me the role of Anthony on the spot. Norm Lewis was Sweeney Todd. I was 19 and it was my first show out of school. I wound up doing Freddy Eyesford-Hill in MY FAIR LADY the Lyric Stage as well as Prince Charming in CINDERELLA at Casa Manana.

I was doing EVITA with Kevin Grey and Lauren Kennedy a couple of years back I had a big beautiful apartment-I say 'big' because in comparison to New York apartments it was much bigger-I remember coming back to my apartment and saying to myself, 'I don't NEED all of this. So right after EVITA ended, it was like March of 2010, I put all my things into storage and I couch surfed before coming to New York on a visit. I called my parents after a week of being here and asked them to sell all my belongings because I wasn't coming home." His parents were supportive and said, "We're glad you're finally going for it!" Rowan continues by explaining," I wanted much more-like Luisa in THE FANTASTICKS. I always knew that I was much more than Texas."

The first show that Rowan landed in New York was THE FANTASTICKS. after being in the city for 18 months. He was hired to play The Mute and to understudy the role of Matt. Someone who was in the audience during one of Rowan's very first performances as Matt found him to be a polished performer with enormous stage presence. His singing was lyrical and powerful as the score dictated. In fact, it was thought that he was one of the finest performers he had seen in the role. It was hard to believe he'd gone on in that role only once or twice previously.

"I think it's one thing to be an understudy for someone else at your level in the industry but it's something else to be an understudy to a pop star." The "pop star" here was Aaron Carter, who had been playing Matt for quite some time before leaving to do a concert tour. "I'd seen Aaron Carter on TV and he's one of the sweetest people imaginable. He's a very kind guy." It was even more daunting for Rowan to learn both parts in a matter of four days. "I had two days to learn The Mute and then went on. A couple of days later I went on as Matt. There you go..." Such is life upon the wicked stage.

When asked which role presents the greatest challenge to him, Rowan immediately replies, "The Mute. The Mute has taught me more about acting than any other role I've done. Mind you, I've only done 15 roles in my life, but this is the most difficult role I've ever done so far because it does require such focus. I've learned that EVERY role should require that level of focus. It's made me a better actor. It's taught me patience backstage as well as on stage. Being an understudy also teaches you patience. There's a certain beauty of a silent character and being able to sway an audience with one look like Norma Desmond. It's thrilling. I'm on stage for almost the whole show and I'm sort of the puppeteer of the action. I pull the strings on all the characters. I actually feel as though I'm in control. It's definitely taught me so much."

"It's funny," the actor continues, "After playing The Mute for about a month, my Matt became totally different. He's now more rounded and focused. I found that as The Mute I listen to my breathing a lot so I feel that I'm actually a living, breathing entity-so that's what I've brought into my singing roles. Finding myself breathing allows me to be more grounded and focused. It allows me to be more aware of the connections with my fellow actors and the audience. It also brings out the colors and textures of the songs. I'm really thankful for this role."

Daniel Rowan will be taking a hiatus from THE FANTASTICKS and head back to the Casa Manana, where he's been cast as Chris in their upcoming production of MISS SAIGON. "I'll be going from playing someone who is silent and in the background-- or playing a wall or tree, to standing on stage and singing "Why God?" in a show that has some of the most beautiful music written for musical theater. I'm really excited about being able to play this young man. I mean, I'll be going from playing a young boy in THE FANTASTICKS to a man with completely different emotions." There's no doubt about it: Daniel Rowan is up to the challenge.

It' s odd," Rowan muses, "I don't think I'd be able to play Chris were it not for playing The Mute. I thought The Mute might actually be a grown up version of The Boy. The Mute is quiet because he doesn't need to say anything anymore. He knows what happens and is more of an observer at the present. He's just watching this boy make mistakes. The Mute's already made mistakes and he doesn't need to go out there and boast or say things like 'I'll marry when I marry in my own particular way...' He doesn't have to prove anything to anyone. He's just THERE. He's the omni present, omnipotent character. It's possible he's creating this story as it takes place and in doing so will have to hurt them in order to teach them a lesson. The Mute has taught me so much, yet the character is one of the most underrated parts in musical theater. "

Perhaps that's true. In various discussions, people who have seen THE FANTASTICKS say that they focus on The Mute and follow as his eyes dart from character to character. It should be mentioned, though, that women have also played the part. In fact, when Rowan goes on as Matt, the role of The Mute is played by the young actress who also understudies Luisa.

Before he leaves for MISS SAIGON, Daniel Rowan will be playing Matt in THE FANTASTICKS from July 10-17. It'll be a pleasure to hear this gifted actor sing songs like "Soon It's Gonna Rain" , "I Can See It" and (what may be the loveliest number in the score) "They Were You." Tickets for THE FANTASTICKS may be purchased by going to: http://www.fantasticksonbroadway.com/tickets/

For more information about MISS SAIGON at the Casa Manana, go tohttp://www.ticketmaster.com/Casa-Manana-tickets-Fort-Worth/venue/98310

(After his engagement in MISS SAIGON, Daniel Rowan will be returning to the cast of THE FANTASTICKS):