Victor Garber Talks Beginnings, His Big Break, and PRESENT LAUGHTER

Victor Garber, who is currently starring in the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of 'Present Laughter' on Broadway, spoke recently to the Toronto Star about his artistic beginnings on Canadian soil, his rather eclectic compilation of roles that he's amassed over the years, and what his future plans may hold.

A native of London, Ontario, Garber recalls that the arts were in his blood. His mother, Hope Garber, was a popular TV and stage personality. Garber recalls that the family acted together in theatre performances at London's The Grand Theatre. From a young age, he had an instant inclination to the arts, "I gravitated to it instantly. I was always a hambone. Wanted people's attention. I loved performing and, fortunately, I had that outlet," he says.

Garber's big break came with a production of 'Godspell' which ran at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in 1972. Garber played the lead, amidst a cast of now-known film and stage actors, AndRea Martin, Martin Short, Gilda Radner, Paul Shaffer and Eugene Levy. "That show changed everything for me," Garber says. "It was a magical thing and the wonderful thing is that we all appreciated how special the experience was."

To read the rest of the interview with the Toronto Star, please click here. 

Present Laughter will open officially on January 21st, 2010 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway (227 West 42nd Street). This is a limited engagement through March 21, 2010.

The cast also includes Harriet Harris (Monica Reed), Brooks Ashmanskas (Roland Maule), Lisa Banes (Liz Essendine), Nancy E. Carroll (Miss Erickson), Alice Duffy (Lady Saltburn), Holley Fain (Daphne Stillington), Pamela Jane Gray (Joanna Lypiatt), James Joseph O'Neil (Fred), Richard Poe (Henry Lypiatt), Marc Vietor (Morris Dixon).

In Noël Coward's classic comedy, matinee idol Garry Essendine (Garber) sits at the center of his own universe. While Garry struggles to plan his upcoming trip to Africa, his elegant London flat is invaded by a love struck ingenue, an adulterous producer and a married seductress, not to mention Garry's estranged wife and a crazed young playwright. Just before Garry escapes, the full extent of his misdemeanors is discovered and all hell breaks loose.

Tickets are available by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212)719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the American Airlines Box Office (227 West 42nd Street). Ticket prices range from $66.50 to $116.50.