BWW Interviews: Wade McCollum Stars in ERNEST SHACKLETON LOVES ME at GSP

Ernest Shackleton Loves Me is currently on the George Street Playhouse stage through May 17th. This final show of the season is directed by Lisa Peterson, the book is by Joe Di Pietro with music and lyrics by Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda. The play stars Wade McCollum and Valerie Vigoda. Broadwayworld.com had the opportunity to interview McCollum about his career and his part as Ernest Shackleton in the show.

Wade McCollum appeared on Broadway in Wicked as the witch's father. He was in the first national tour of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert as Tick/Mitzi and in Jersey Boys as Norm. Other favorite roles include: The Velociraptor of Faith in the off-Broadway musical Triassic Parq, Prior in Angels in America, Dracula in Steven Dietz's Dracula, Puck in Midsummer Night's Dream, Crumpet in The Santaland Diaries, the Emcee in Cabaret for which he won the Dallas Fort Worth Critics Circle Award for Best Actor. He also appeared as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch for which he garnered Backstage's Garland Award and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Actor and Ovation award for best musical. While in Los Angeles, Wade originated the role of Woody in Milburn/Vigoda's Toy Story the Musical in several workshops for Disney. Wade can currently be seen on the popular BroadwayWorld.com Web series Submissions Only!!

What was your earliest interest in the performing arts?

Well, my father is a drummer and when I was born they were on tour performing rock-n-roll and I came along for the ride, so for a while I knew no world outside the performing arts. I thought everyone traveled around and played music. I still kinda think that, I think. So I guess you could say I inherited an interest from the beginning. So grateful to have been born into music!

What performers and performances have inspired you?

SO MANY! I am inspired much of the time. One performance that is really haunting me right now is Cate Blanchette in "Blue Jasmine." I was coming back home from a TV gig in LA and watched it on the plane. It bowled me over.

I'm also currently VERY inspired by my co-star Valerie Vigoda's performance in "Ernest Shackleton Loves Me!" She is profoundly gifted. To see her masterfully play a six string violin in multiple time signatures to her own looped piano and vocal parts while moving, acting and singing often contrapuntal melodies/harmonies is like watching, well, a polyphonic unicorn.

A few years ago I was lucky enough to see Dan Donahue's Hamlet at OSF Dir. by Bill Raudebush. It was friggin' AMAZING. So kinetic.
A few weeks ago I was mesmerized by the divine John Cameron Mitchell's performance in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." GENIOUS.

I am also really enjoying a ton of television performances right now: Mark Duplass, Melenie Lynsky, Lena Dunham, Ellie Kemper, Clive Owen... I could keep going.

Who have been some of your mentors?

Many wise and trusted counselors have appeared in pivotal moments throughout my life. I am so grateful for my early mentors in the theatre; Kirk Boyd, Aldo Billingslea, and Kathy Olsen. These people helped me navigate the stormy transition out of high-school and into a professional actor training program. They instilled a confidence in me so I could leave high school early to pursue the goal of being a professional actor. It was a leap of faith and the adventure is still unfolding!! I love it!! I left Ashland Oregon in 1995 to join the circus of theatre and I'm still enjoying the ride!

Tell us a little about your roles in the GSP production and how performing in this show compares to your other performances.

Ernest is one of the roles I play in this show, though I play many different characters. I have done several shows where I played multiple characters such as "I Am My Own Wife," "Santaland Diaries," and "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," all of which are very different. I love playing many people in one piece. I love transformation and in a show where one plays many parts one gets to transform a lot. It's really fun. Ernest as a singular role is hyper unique because he actually made the harrowing journey we portray exactly 100 years ago in the Antarctic. His story is so powerful and unbelievable, it is thrilling to re-enact this epic tale of optimism and the indomitable human spirit despite the most treacherous circumstances imaginable.

What challenges has Ernest Shackleton Loves Me presented?

Well, there is a ton of technology used in this show, really cool and inventive stuff. In the beginning of the show I do live voice overs playing several different people calling Valerie's character "Kat." Eventually I skype onto the stage live, I am backstage in a green screen booth performing for the camera which is projected into Kat's apartment. That is a first for me! It's really fun. It's kinda like three different shows for me, a voice over show, a short film and a live musical. I also had to learn to play the banjo for this role which was/is challenging and so awesome! I love the banjo.

Tell us a little about working at GSP, the cast and creative team.

GSP is Dreamy McDreamerson! The whole team is just really gifted and generous and kind. I have never worked at GSP and I am so impressed and grateful to be working on "Shackleton" with them! Joe DiPietro, Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda have created something really special and Lisa Peterson is a really exceptional director. I am in artist heaven.

What are some of your plans for the future?

YES!! I have grand visions of utopia. It's in my nature.

Ernest Shackleton Loves Me is now on stage at George Street Playhouse through May 17th. The theatre is located at 9 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901 in the heart of the city's vibrant arts district with convenient nearby parking. For ticketing please call (732) 246-7717 or visit www.georgestreetplayhouse.org.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Wade McCollum

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