Interview: Michael Corbett's REMEMBERING THE FUTURE & All His Many Blessings

Playwright Peter Lefcourt's Remembering the Future world premieres at the Odyssey Theatre July 16, 2022. Terri Hanauer directs the cast of Michael Corbett, Fatima El-Bashir, David Jahn, Andrew Neaves and Tarina Pouncy. I had a very enjoyable phoner with the multi-tasking, ever busy Michael.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Michael! It's been a while since we ran into each other.

It's been a long time since we've done anything in three years.

What did you do to keep yourself sane during the pandemic?

I was very fortunate in that I was still able to still host on Extra. I was able to do most of my stuff. It was all remote Zoom. And then I've been so blessed in that I've been executive producing a series for Netflix, which we were able to shoot during the pandemic - with massive restrictions - but was able to get it done. The whole pandemic I spent producing that series, which is now on Netflix right now called Life After Death With Tyler Henry.

Obviously, we weren't doing anything live and in person. I've been doing a couple of new pre-Broadway workshops for new musicals and stuff. Thank God, I stayed busy the entire time. Knock on wood!

So, getting to Remembering The Future, cosmic forces brought you together with this production?

The casting director called, Michael Donovan, who was amazing. He said, 'You know I have this play that I'd love you to read for. It's a wonderful playwright Peter Lefcourt and an amazing director.' Terri's just a terrific director. I read it. I thought, 'This is really fun, because it's very thought provoking, as we call it an esoteric play. My character is a wonderful character. I auditioned for it and fortunately got it.

What would your three-line pitch of Remembering be?

When two 58-year-olds, who were high school sweethearts, meet themselves again at 18 years old, they have to relook at if they lived the lives their original 18-year-old selves had planned and the changes they can or need to make or won't make.

So, how's it feel to play an older character at 58?

It's a real stretch for me to play 58. I got to really play old, really play. It's wonderful to just play somebody who has lived a very rich life, but then has the opportunity to look back on it and say, 'Would I have done things differently? Did I disappoint who I was when I was 18 years old? And can I Is it too late to make changes now?' That's been really great.

If you were to submit your character Greg on an online dating website, what qualities of his would you include?

Very attractive. Very successful lawyer. Funny, caring, dreams of artistic dreams. Looking for his next chapter.

If you were to submit your character on an online dating website, what qualities of his would you include?

What character flaws of Greg would you definitely omit?

Wow! That's good. I think Greg gave in. His character flaws would be that he succumbed to social and peer pressure and family pressure in his youth and did not follow his dreams. He wanted to be a musician and artist. And he had a girlfriend, who we will find out on the play is African American. Instead, he ended up succumbing to the cultural norms at the time. He ended up marrying a lovely Jewish girl (He has to be Jewish in his profile, by the way, because he's Jewish) and working for her family business.

Have you worked with any of Remembering's cast or creatives before?

Yes, I have worked with Michael Donovan, the casting director and I have worked with Fatima El-Bashir, who is just a delight and so talented. We are in the process of a new workshop for a new Broadway musical called Bitter Street. It's about a group of homeless people who have come together to help survive the streets of Los Angeles. It's a really great musical. So, we've been workshopping that.

Which job gives you the most gratification: actor, producer, host, author, real estate expert?

You know, I have to go back to my roots, my roots. I started in the business on Broadway and that never leaves you. It really never leaves you! I love musical theater. This one, there's no music, but it's a wonderful play. So, it's theater. Yeah, producing is great. I've produced now three television series. Four actually, and I host them. I travel all around the world for Extra. I just got back from shooting in Portugal for a couple of weeks which was amazing. Maybe it's a stereotypical thing, but it's theater once you've done it, once you started that way. That's never leaves you.

You graduated for the Boston Conservatory of Music. Did you also take real estate courses?

No, I did not. I learned everything in real estate by trial and error. It's funny. Sheryl Lee Ralph was in Dreamgirls and I was in my first TV series with Ryan's Hope. And I got that right when I first got to New York. I would save my money from that soap opera, and I started buying investment property. I learned everything by trial and error over the years. And that's how I started writing books about it and became more of an expert about real estate.

Wow! Good for you! Not booze and drugs and whatever else most spend their money on.

Yeah, I never really did. I was always very conservative about that. I invested well through real estate, on my own, investing and flipping properties, and buying investment properties since I was 21.

Before your sixteen years on three different soap operas, you started acting on Broadway. Was your first Broadway show Nefretiti with Andrea Marcoucci in the late 1970s?

Amazing, wonderful Andrea Marcovici. And Michael Nouri, Bobby LuPone. That was an amazing experience. That was my very first job... a quick side story. That first week when I was in New York, I auditioned for Gerry Ragni for the original revival company of Hair. And I got offered hair and Nefertiti, and I thought, 'Oh, I should do a new show.' So I picked Nefertiti.

What do you remember of your Broadway debut?

I do remember very vividly being on stage. The six of us were on stage as the curtain rises. And I believe we're on our knees and we're praying to the gods in the very first song. I just remember crying as the curtain went up. I'll never forget that one moment. It was for the very first night. So that was pretty exciting.

What fond memories do you have of working with Shirley Booth in Roundabout's Off-Broadway production of Come Back, Little Sheba in 1984?

She was soooo lovely! I remained in touch with her all these years along with her daughter, who was also in the production. She was so fascinating to watch. She was so present. I remember one night I had a prop that I had to bring in to show her and I ran on stage. I was so excited. I said, 'Oh, I can't wait to show you this. (Whatever her name was Mrs. Something). I realized that I didn't have the prop, the magazine with me. So, I said, 'Just wait here. I'll be right back.' She didn't flinch. She just was in her kitchen and she started cooking. I remember I ran back, 'I got it now.' We just pick right back up again. From that I just saw her level of professionalism and she was so sweet about it. She was like, 'Okay, honey. It happens.' Never broke character. But she was just lovely, and Phil Bosco was also in it. They were just amazing to watch them perform.

You have led such a charmed life.

I must say that it's amazing. I feel very, very blessed.

You've done a number of productions in the Los Angeles theatre community. What changes have you noticed in L.A. theatre scene?

In the L.A. theatre scene, there used to be some wonderful theaters over the years like Tiffany, which was an amazing venue. I've done a couple of shows there. At Beverly Hills Playhouse, I just did one last season. I just did something at Musical theater West. I would love to see more support and more money go towards the L.A. theatre scene for supporting and developing new works that move forward towards New York. I think there's a lot of talent. There's a lot that can be developed and a lot more focus can be put on the L.A. theatre scene. I'd love to see that expand and grow so having something like at a theater like the Odyssey, which is a really great what would you call it? Brewing? Somewhere where things do grow and develop.

An incubator?

Yeah! I'd love to see more of those kinds of theaters. Because I love doing theater and I'd love to have more opportunity to do it here in L.A.

What's in the near future for Michael Corbett? It's going to take 10 minutes to answer, right?

Yeah, there' a lot going on! Obviously, this play. Then I'm continuing on with Extra and hosting Extra's Mansions & Millionaires. I'm still continuing to executive produce the Netflix series. I'm hoping at least one of the musicals that I'm doing in workshop goes to New York and I'd love to do one more. One more big play in New York. I offered to take over for Beanie Feldstein; that didn't fly. Lea Michelle got it. We kind of knew that was going to happen. A very dear girlfriend I went to the Boston Conservatory with, is in that production, so I can't wait to see it. I have a lot of things that I'm doing and yes, 'Do I want to do one more?' I want to do another big New York show. Another Broadway show? Yes, for sure. So, there's a lot of good stuff going on.

I usually don't ask this because no one is as busy as you are; but do you want to have a vacation at any point?

Can you explain to me what a vacation would be? I don't know. When I take a vacation, it's usually like - I was in Portugal for two weeks. Going to some of the finest hotels and eating in the finest restaurants, along with a camera crew. So, for me, my vacations are usually that. And that's been okay. Because I travel like a king. I have to work, but it's still a pretty amazing experience. Then I'm really thrilled to be home. So, I don't really do much vacation. I have a home in Palm Springs that I'll go to for a few days here and there. I would be bored on a vacation.

Thank you again, Michael! I look forward to experiencing you Remembering.

You're so welcome. And thank you!

For tickets to the live performances of Remembering The Future through August 21, 2022; click on the button below:

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