Grinch's Ross Welcomes Christmas on Broadway

The holiday season has always been a special magical time of the year for me. With great anticipation, I pull out all my DVD's of holiday movies like WHITE CHRISTMAS, RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.But one of my favorite shows was always HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS. So imagine, if you will, my joy at finding out that the stage version of the show is opening at the Hilton Theatre in Times Square for a limited engagement October 25^th through January 7^th! And not only that, but Broadway history is being made as for the first time in, the production will be offering 12 performances a week, providing families with even more chances to see THE GRINCH! 

DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL features some of your favorite hit songs including You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch and Welcome Christmas. This is the first time the show has been on a New York stage. Max the Dog is your narrator as the Grinch's fiendish plan to steal Christmas from the holiday-loving Whos unfolds. However, the Grinch soon discovers there's more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heart-warming holiday classic.  

The show is under the supervision of 2-time Tony Award® winning director Jack O'Brien and the team of GRINCH director Matt August, choreography by Oscar® winning John DeLuca, book by Timothy Mason and music by Mel Marvin.  

Now..here it is…..Bonus!!!I got to interview one of the cast members of this production. Feels like Christmas already!!Rusty Ross, who is playing Young Max in THE GRINCH. has been with the show playing this role, since it premiered in San Diego 8 years ago, and has gone back to San Diego every year since to do it. He is the only member of the original company to come to Broadway with the show. His New York credits include Robert Wilson's ALICE (Brooklyn Academy of Music), world premiere of N. Richard Nash's THE LOSS OF D-NATURAL (Lab Theatre), CHECKMATE (School of Visual Arts), THE HAIRCUT (Oasis Theatre). Regionally he has appeared in (Old Globe Theatre), THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAAN and PROPOSALS (Depot Theatre), BLIND DATE (Horton by the Stream), CRIMES OF THE HEART and ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN (Totem Pole Playhouse), SIX DEGRESS OF SEPARATION (Weston Playhouse), YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN(guest artist at East Carolina University), ROMEO AND JULIET (Count Basie Theatre) and BIG RIVER (Allenberry Playhouse).  

So, while Ross is currently getting ready for the opening of the show, we talked about the GRINCH and Ross' theatrical journey. 

TJ:Okay Rusty, how old are you? 

ROSS:I fall into the narrow age gap between our little "Cindy Lou Who" and the ever vital John Cullum. That pretty much nails it down, doesn't it? 

TJ:When did you know you wanted to be an actor? 

ROSS:When I was three years old, we sat in a circle in pre-school one day, and the teacher asked the class, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" One kid said he wanted to me a fireman, another wanted to be a pilot. When my turn came, I said, quite emphatically, "I want to be a stage manager!" Well, I am pretty sure that, at three, I didn't know quite what a stage manager did, but I knew that it was someone who worked on the stage, and that's what I wanted to do. 

TJ:Have you had any theatre training? 

ROSS:I did, as a kid in Houston TX, take some theatre clasess and work on a bunch of shows. Then later, I went to Northwestern University as a theatre major. There, I worked with some truly great teachers, and absolutely loved it. 

TJ:Describe an average day like for you now being in GRINCH? 

ROSS:Well, right now we are in technical rehearsals, in which we finally go onstage to integrate all of the technical elements of the production with the work we have been rehearsing in the studio. And even though this will be a relatively short evening of theatre, there is a TON of theatricality packed into each moment of this show, so the days are long and complicated. We are working twelve hour days, and the crew and stage managers are working even longer. Once we begin performances, we'll be doing twelve shows each week, with four performances on some days. My role is a really physically active one, and because my costume is complicated (I believe I have counted almost twenty separate pieces), I expect to be spending the bulk of the holiday season almost exclusively within the walls of the Hilton Theatre, either onstage, getting in and out of costume several times day, or munching energy bars! 

TJ:Are you ready to take New York by storm? 

ROSS:Absolutely. All of us are so excited about sharing this show with New York. It's such a great story, and as much theatricality and whimsy and magic as this show contains, there's somehow still a certain honesty and simplicity and innocence at its core that continually helps remind me what the holiday season is all about. 

TJ:You must be pretty excited about being on a Broadway stage.What has it been like for you so far? 

ROSS:Really excited! There was a moment in September when I snuck down onto the bare Hilton Theatre stage, and while standing downstage center and looking out at the beautiful house, I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't beat a little faster. 

TJ:How did you get involved with GRINCH? 

ROSS:Several years ago, when the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego was premiering its production of GRINCH, I auditioned in New York for the role of Young Max the Dog. (The stairs up to the audition room were particularly grungy, even for New York, and for some reason, I remember very clearly exactly how they looked.) Anyway, the next thing I knew, I was out in California working on the original incarnation of the production. We had a blast. It was really well received out there, and became almost an instant holiday tradition. 

It also became my own personal holiday tradition. I returned to do the show every Christmas after that, until this year, of course, in which I have stayed home to be a part of the Broadway production. And it has been just great. We workshopped the show in New York in March, and along with some new songs and other material, several elements have been expanded and clarified. It feels like working on a brand new project, and I love that. 

TJ:So do you have any dream roles that you would like to play down the line? 

ROSS:There are certainly a number of plays that I am fond of and would like to take a stab at if given the chance. And like almost all actors, there are some roles in Shakespeare and the American classics that I someday look forward to aging into. But the roles I am probably most excited about are the ones that haven't been written yet. There's a real joy, I think, in creating a new role, while working on material that's not been done before and is even possibly still evolving during the rehearsal process. 

TJ:How has it been working with the cast of GRINCH? 

ROSS:You know, I have to say that this cast is just about the most supportive company I have ever been a part of. Literally everyone is excited about everyone else's work, and that is a fantastic feeling to have when you walk through the stage door every day. 

TJ:How about your friends...what do they think about your success? 

ROSS:Aside from the gentle jabs about being paid to wear fur and a tail, they've been really supportive. Many of them have seen the show in San Diego, and are looking forward to seeing it in its expanded form here on Broadway. 

TJ: When you are not at the theatre, what type of things do you like to do for fun? 

ROSS:I love to explore New York. I have made a sort of hobby out of knowing the City. In fact, I have friends who joke that no matter where they are in the five boroughs, they can call me and I can tell them where they should eat, what they should do, or where to find what they are looking within a ten block radius at any time of day. Also, I love the beach, and was known to go body surfing from time to time in the chilly Pacific while in San Diego. I enjoy taking pictures. And I love great food, although I can't cook to save my life. Oh, and I have a bizarre affinity for train travel. I took a cross country Amtrak trip last year. 

TJ:So you will be in NYC for Christmas. What's Christmas in NY like for you? 

ROSS:For the last several Christmases, I have been in San Diego doing GRINCH. So I don't really have a whole lot of New York Christmas memories and traditions. But I am very much looking forward to changing that this year! I really need to buy a winter coat, though. 

TJ:Do you have anything coming up after GRINCH? 

ROSS:I hope that the upcoming year is a busy one, although I don't know specifically where that road leads as of yet. 

TJ:What has been the most exciting thing to happen to you in New York? 

ROSS:As I mentioned, I am simply fascinated by the City, and always have been. I think the most exciting things which happen in New York are the little dramas that happen every day on the streets. Where else can you hear a dozen different languages and see a thousand different sizes, shapes, and types of people? 

TJ:Have you met any famous people while doing the show? 

ROSS:Well, we are still in rehearsals for this show, but I will say that I see celebrities in New York all the time. The thing is, though, I am terrible at recognizing them. People with me always say, "Did you see So-and-So just pass by us?" and I always reply, "Well, I saw that lady, but I had no idea it was So-and-So." I sort of love that about New York, though. Even film stars walk down the street carrying their own groceries. 

TJ:So, let's find out more about you with my FAVORITE THINGS questions. Okay,  

ROSS:Ooh, favorites. My tastes are usually a little eclectic for "favorites", but I'll try. Maybe if I stick with a GRINCH theme... 

TJ:FAVORITE ACTOR 

ROSS:This may sound hokey (didn't I tell you I'm not so good with favorites?), but right now there are two:John Cullum and Patrick Page, the two

powerhouses with whom I spend most of my time onstage in GRINCH. Not only are both of these guys the real-deal: wonderful, inventive actors with far too much experience to name, they're also just really great people. 

TJ: FAVORITE MOVIE 

ROSS:Way too many. Can I say that I know it's not the movie of GRINCH?  

TJ:FAVORITE BOOK 

ROSS:Again, there are too many, but since we're doing Seuss, I'll tell you my favorite Dr. Seuss book of all time:THE SNEETCHES AND OTHER STORIES. The images from the four stories in that book will forever be burned into my brain. 

TJ:FAVORITE FOOD 

ROSS:Puppy chow. Or wait, is that taking my role a little too seriously? 

TJ: FAVORITE HOLIDAY 

ROSS:Somehow, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE PRESIDENTS' DAY just doesn't have the same ring... 

TJ:No it doesn't but that's OK!! Thanks, Rusty and break a leg!! 

So, again, DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL is having a special limited engagement from October 25 through January 7 at the Hilton Theatre,  213 West 42nd Street (between 7th & 8th Avenue). For tickets to the GRINCH, call (212) 307-4100 or visit their box office at the theatre. And don't forget to check out their fun website at http://www.thegrinchmusical.com.

Normally, I would end my interview with a little catch phrase like "Remember, theatre is the word." But I think that this would be much better served in the words of the inimitable Dr Seuss " Fah who for-aze! Dah who dor-aze! Welcome Christmas, Come this way!"Ciao for now!!!