Interview: Red Concepcion Looks on 'Mr. Cellophane's' Bright Side

Red Concepcion, who just made his Broadway debut in Chicago, sprinkles a little sunshine in his character, Amos Hart, who’s often depicted as Roxie’s “scummy, crummy, dummy hubby.” In the show’s first few minutes, it’s made clear Roxie has been cheating on Amos, clinging to men who have promised her a shot at being a local celebrity. 

Amos stood by Roxie no matter what; Roxie just looked past him.

“Traditionally, Amos was played as an unfortunate character, a very mopey much put-upon character. However, while working on my Amos, we found a way to bring out more light from inside him. No matter how much he gets pushed around and knocked down in life, he can smile through all of it and push everything down and look at the bright side,” Concepcion told BroadwayWorld.

“Until, of course, everything comes tumbling out--everything that he’s repressed comes tumbling out in ‘Mr. Cellophane,’ then quickly puts on his mask of happiness again. It’s exciting to play around with,” he said.

Concepcion, a Philippine-born actor, has played many rather unconventional characters.  In Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, he played Adam/Felicia, the loud, at times annoying drag queen, who’s breaking inside.  He also got to play the repressed Alan Strang in Equus, who developed an obsession with gouging out horses’ eyes. Of course, he’s the most recent The Engineer, a scrappy trickster and nightclub owner, in the revival production of Miss Saigon, which toured the U.K. and U.S.

Concepcion-led Miss Saigon had to be cut short like any other touring production due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  He settled in Los Angeles until the urge to move to the Big Apple arose. This led to him auditioning for Chicago, the celebrated Kander and Ebb musical, whose revival production is Broadway’s longest-running American musical.

“Oh, I got this from an EPA (Equity Principal Audition), which I almost did not go to,” he recalled. “I had just moved from LA to NY a few months before, and that day, I was very much in my feelings and doubting whether or not the move was the right decision. So I was feeling depressed and just wanted to wrap at home.

“But I managed to pry myself out of bed and attend the audition. And thank God I did! So yeah, all in all, not bad for someone who moved to NY six months prior.”

But mind you, Concepcion’s career in the theater, or entertainment in general, wasn’t always like a bed of roses.  His is never without rejections or unmet expectations.  But he’s resilient, a true professional, and a real deal of talent.

Here is where he’s similar to Amos, whose selfless kindness is often misunderstood as a weakness.

 “There’s always a space for kindness. Be kind to everyone you work with, and more importantly, be kind to yourself. It can get tough out there. And it’s easy to beat yourself up about what you should and shouldn’t have done,” Concepcion said.

“Give yourself the space to breathe.”

Chicago, directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking and Bob Fosse, received the 1997 Tony Awards for Best Revival of A Musical. Its creatives include John Kander (music), Fred Ebb (lyrics), Ebb and Fosse (book), John Lee Beatty (set design), William Ivey Long (costume design), Ken Billington (lighting design), and Scott Lehrer (sound design).

It’s been inspired by Chicago Tribune reporter-playwright Maurine Dallas Watkins' 1927 play of the same name. Its story was about the real-life murder trials of acquitted celebrity criminals, Beulah Annan and Belva Gaertner, brought to life on stage by the cellblock rivals Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly.

In Chicago, playing at Broadway’s The Ambassadors Theatre, Concepcion is joined by Ariana Madix (Roxie Hart), Amra-Faye Wright (Velma Kelly), Max von Essen (Billy Flynn), Lili Thomas (Matron “Mama” Morton), and J. London (Mary Sunshine).

David Bushman, Max Clayton, Kristine Covillo, Jennnifer Dunne, Jessica Ernest, Jeff Gorti, Arian Keddell, Mary Claire King, Marty Lawson, Barrett Martin, Sharon Moore, Drew Nellessen, Kristen Faith Oei, Denny Paschall, Angel Reda, Jermaine R. Rembert, Michael Scirrotto, and Jayke Workman complete the cast.

Photos: Red Concepcion/Bruce Glikas