BWW Interviews: Brian Shepard Talks TUTS' SPAMALOT and His Career

Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is bringing SPAMALOT back to Houston stages. This locally produced production of the smash hit comedic musical is being directed by Marc Robin. The cast features performers that have previously been in productions of SPAMALOT before and some new to the show altogether. During his Tuesday night dinner break, I got the opportunity to chat with Brian Shepard, who was a member of SPAMALOT's Original Broadway Company, about his career and his experiences with SPAMALOT in New York City and with TUTS.

Me: How did you first get involved in acting?

Brian Shepard: (Laughs) Well, I came to it as a dancer. I danced in high school, and I went to college for dance at Oklahoma City University. I always loved MGM style musicals, like [the movies with] Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. I was always like, "I want to do that." So, I went to school at Oklahoma City University and was lucky enough to do Summer Stock and get involved. I booked a national tour of PETER PAN. That was like my first equity job, and that brought me to Broadway. I moved to New York, and I've been going ever since.

Me: You said you studied in dance first, so when did you know that you wanted acting to be your profession?

Brian Shepard: I kind of learned on the job. I started sort of understudying things. I was fortunate enough to learn as I went, and here I am.

Me: You stated you've been on tour before, but is this your first time to perform in Houston?

Brian Shepard: I believe I have toured through this theatre before. I think with that tour, my first job, PETER PAN, I think I toured through Houston and played this stage. But, other than that, this is my first time at TUTS and my first time sort of starting something from scratch here.

Me: What are you most looking forward to about being on stage in Houston?

Brian Shepard: (Laughs) I'm excited to see how Houston responds to SPAMALOT. Hopefully, they think it's funny. I was in the Original Broadway Company of SPAMALOT, but it's been about seven or eight years since I've been on stage doing this. So, I'm just really excited to do it, and hopefully Houston audiences will respond to it as much as we are sort of loving putting it together.

Me: As you mentioned, you are a proud member of the Original Broadway Company of SPAMALOT. What was that experience like?

Brian Shepard: It was really just kind of like a magical, once-in-a-lifetime [job], and one of the highlights of my personal and professional life. It was that rare experience where everyone was-it was just made with love-everyone was putting their hearts and soul into it. And then it was that rare time where it was a huge success as well. So, I just have amazing memories of being part of that cast and putting it together. All the false starts, all the experiments, and all the collaboration that went into it. Really, really fond memories of it. I love this show. It's the first time I've returned to it since doing it on Broadway, so I'm really, really excited to be in it again. And it's all kind of fresh hearing these jokes and seeing these numbers. It's really fun. It's really fun, so far. I can't wait to get in front of the audience.

Me: It was a popular hit last time it was in town. In fact the TUTS marketing says, "Back by popular demand." I have a feeling the Huston audience is going to be very excited for the show to be back.

Brian Shepard: (Laughs) Good!

Me: How long were you with SPAMALOT at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway?

Brian Shepard: I opened the show with the original company, and then I stayed with the show for, I believe, at least two years before moving on. We all stayed a really long time because we were having so much fun. I think I was actually one of the first of the-there was a handful that left before me, but I think I was one of the first to leave the original cast.

Me: What is your favorite memory from doing SPAMALOT on Broadway?

Brian Shepard: Oh my gosh! I mean, it would be hard to...(Pauses). I think. You know what, I was going to say it would be hard, but what popped in my head when you asked that was we took it out of town to Chicago first. So, the first audience that ever saw it was in Chicago. We had, by that time, put, I think, six weeks rehearing in New York into it. We took it to Chicago, and we teched it. We had done all this work, but we really didn't know-nobody really knew-if it was funny or if people would like it. So, my favorite memory is that first audience in Chicago actually because it was funny, and they did respond the way that we hoped. It was really just a magical night. We killed. And we had no idea, so it was kind of like leaping off a cliff and seeing if this kind of Monty Python humor would translate to the stage and if people would want to take in all this silliness, laugh, and still enjoy the fully staged musical production numbers. And it worked! So the night that we found out it worked, I guess, is my favorite memory.

Me: This production of SPAMALOT is locally produced by TUTS. Since you did the show on Broadway, what insights can you give us about any differences that exist between the two productions?

Brian Shepard: I think Marc Robin, our fearless leader, has a couple more dancers than we had, which is fun. It's fun to see him have that to play with, kind of fill out the stage a little more. So, that is one difference. And then, I would say, it's fun to hear other actors sort of interpret this very, very funny material. It's really brilliantly put together, and so it really stands out. It's fun to hear because I did hear the same actors essentially do it for two years, so its fun to hear a fresh take on it. It's really neat to see other people-to see these guys-what they've got and what they're bringing to the table. That has been really fun so far.

Me: I got to see SPAMALOT late in its run on Broadway, and my favorite moment was when Rick Holmes as the Knight of Ni adlibbed so well that Jonathan Hadary as King Arthur broke character, which in turn caused Rick Holmes to break character. The show stopped for about 5 minutes as everyone on stage and the audience rolled with laughter. So, what is your favorite moment in the show?

Brian Shepard: Oh my gosh. My favorite moment in the show? I don't know if I can say. I love that scene. Because you said that, I'm going to say that scene, but...(Pauses). My favorite moment in the show...(Pauses). It's really hard. I love the whole show. (Laughs) I truly love the whole show with every fiber of my being. But that is great. It's really fun too. Unlike a lot of musicals, there's a lot of room for shenanigans and seeing how far you can take something. It's really fun to see (Laughing) if you can break up another actor, so, hopefully, I can do that in Houston. (We both laugh.)

Me: Also, when my wife and I saw the show on Broadway, the Lady of the Lake was played by Hannah Waddingham, an actress from England. When performing "Diva's Lament (Whatever Happened to My Part?)," instead of singing "I'm constantly replaced by Britney Spears," she sang that she was replaced by Posh Spice and went into a riff of "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls. It was hilarious!

Brian Shepard: (Laughs) There's a lot of opportunity for that, and, hopefully, as we go we'll make sure to put some surprises in.

Me: Yeah. I think that's the most fun aspect of this show. SPAMALOT is truly a show where you'll never see the same show twice.

Brian Shepard: Very true! Very true!

Me: Audiences love SPAMALOT. In your opinion, what makes the show so popular?

Brian Shepard: I think that the show is really funny, but, I think, what makes it's really popular is that it manages to kind of-it's parodying music theater and it's sort of making fun of music theatre a lot of the time. But, I think, what actually makes the show soar is that it also manages to actually deliver that music theater magic at the same time. It pulls off that tightrope walk of parodying it and also delivering a soaring ballad, a huge production number with all the whistles, or a sweet, quiet moment. So, I think that's why. It secretly is a big, old-fashioned musical, and making fun of it the whole time, as well. It ends with a big, old-fashioned wedding, and, yes, it's making fun of that trope, but it's also delivering that trope, that big wedding, and that feel good ending. So, I think that's why it works so well. I think that's why people love it.

Me: From what you've seen in rehearsals so far, why should Houston audiences be excited to see this particular production of SPAMALOT?

Brian Shepard: I can tell already that we have an amazing cast of really funny guys. Several of them have never done SPAMALOT before, so it's like a brand new experience. And I can't speak highly enough of Marc Robin. He's an amazing director, a fantastic choreographer, and he's got some really great numbers put together already. Just amazing dancers kicking their faces. It's going to be really fun.

Me: I'm sure it will be. (Brian Shepard laughs.) It's SPAMALOT, it has to be fun.

Brian Shepard: It does have to be fun.

Me: It's kind of innately fun. To me, it seems like one of those shows that if the cast gets along and can have fun together, it's perfect. It's made.

Brian Shepard: Yeah. So far we've got that going for us.

Me: As an artist, what inspires you?

Brian Shepard: I love storytelling. I love just old-fashioned storytelling, so I'm inspired by good storytellers and good stories across all kinds of mediums. Across television, theatre. I love that experience and that form of communication. That timed honored, "Now, let me tell you a story." I guess that sounds kind of grand when you're talking about something as silly and ridiculous as SPAMALOT, but it's still in there. It's still characters with stories to tell, with an arc and a journey to go on. That's what I love to do, to try and tell stories. Even if it's really, really silly. (Laughs)

Me: What advice do you offer to others who want to make a career in the arts?

Brian Shepard: I would say that you just keep trying. You just have to love it. And you have to keep trying and keep doing. Persevere, I guess, is my one word answer. Preserve. Bob obstacles.

Houston audiences won't want to miss all of the laughs and all of the fun that will be flowing off of the stage in Sarofim Hall at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts while TUTS is producing SPAMALOT! SPAMALOT runs from May 14 - 26, 2013. For more information and tickets, please visit http://www.tuts.com or call (713) 558 - 8887.

Production Photos courtesy of Phoenix Entertainment. Headshot courtesy of Theatre Under the Stars.

Headshot of Brian Shepard.

SPAMALOT Poster.