Interview: Adam Pascal Brings His Solo Show Back to Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge

Adam Pascal has played some of the most iconic roles on Broadway in the past three decades. He originated the roles of Radames in AIDA and Roger in RENT. He’s played Shakespeare in SOMETHING ROTTEN, Huey Calhoun in MEMPHIS, Billy Flynn in CHICAGO, The Emcee in CABARET, and more. Audiences across the country have had the pleasure of seeing his Broadway-caliber performances when Pascal has led national tours. 

Pascal is returning to St. Louis and bringing his solo cabaret show back to Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge for three performances in October. Broadway World had the opportunity to sit down with him and talk about his career, his cabaret show, and his experiences in St. Louis.  

St. Louis audiences have been lucky to see Pascal perform at The Fabulous Fox in the First National Tours of SOMETHING ROTTEN and PRETTY WOMAN. Broadway World asked him about the differences between leading a show on Broadway versus taking the show on the road. He explained about touring that, “on stage you feel like you are at home, because the most consistent thing is the stage.” He noted that the marks on the floor, the set pieces, the props, and the costumes all remain the same. Outside of the theatre is where everything changes around you. “It is kind of an interesting concept when the workspace becomes home.” Pascal says how much he appreciates the differences in audiences, their generosity, and how they respond. He continued, “The physical layout of a theatre and the distance the audience is from the stage has an effect on how a show works in that specific theater.” As an example, he explained that when doing a comedy in a big house, like SOMEHTING ROTTEN, the jokes land differently and you must account for that as an actor.  

When talking about his acting career, Pascal discussed the roles that have had a significant impact on his life. He told Broadway World that playing the role of The Emcee in the revival of CABARET changed his life more than any other show. He said, “I was at a crossroads in my life when I had the opportunity to do CABARET, and the amount of work that I had to put in to make it good was like nothing I had ever done before.” He shared that having success in that role solidified his path as an actor doing musical theatre. “Without that show I might have been floundering in a sea of what-ifs,” said Pascal.  

He went on to say that the comedic shows expanded what he wanted to do as an actor. He talked about the difficulty of doing comedy and how much harder it is to make an audience laugh than cry. “I’ve really come to love the musical comedies like DISASTER, SOMETHING ROTTEN, PRETTY WOMAN and that’s what really excites me as I move forward, is to have the opportunity to make people laugh,” he explained.  

As Pascal moves into the second half of his career, he said that he wants to transition into offstage work. “I just directed my first production and I'm very passionate about directing,” he continued, “I have a couple of projects that I’ve been writing, and teaching has been a big part of my career. I’d like to open my own studio somewhere.”  

Pascal shared that he is looking forward to his return to St. Louis. He said that the last time he performed here the shows went particularly well. He told Blue Strawberry owner Jim Dolan that he needed to come back soon to perform again. Pascal gushed, “I want to come back because of the people. The audiences in St. Louis are so generous, responsive, and appreciative.” He mentioned that he is changing the show and adding a few different songs for the audience members who would like to come to see him perform again.  

He said that he has been doing this acoustic style of cabaret show for a long time. He recalled how early on he would do a set of rock covers and original music. He explained now it is much more musical theatre-themed. He shared that he has this vast amount of work from musical theatre and that is what his audiences want to hear him sing. He said, “I do an acoustic rearrangement of many of these songs, tell the story in a little different way that the audience hasn’t heard before, and still satisfy their desire to hear these songs.” 

Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge welcomes Adam Pascal for three shows on October 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Showtime is at 7:30pm and doors open at 6:00pm. Blue Strawberry is located at 364 N. Boyle in Midtown St. Louis. Visit the link below for more information and to purchase tickets.  

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