BWW Interviews: Cody Scott Lancaster - A Canadian on Broadway

Most musical theatre performers dream of one day getting a chance to perform on Broadway, and for Canadians, getting to live the New York dream is something that many people aspire to.  For Cody Scott Lancaster, his big opportunity came when the Toronto production of Rock of Ages closed.  A few members of that production were able to go down to New York City as the show transferred from the Brooks-Atkinson to the Helen Hayes Theatre, and Cody got the chance to reprise his star-turn as Franz on the Great White Way.

The bubbly and energetic actor has been living and working in New York City ever since, and on a recent hot Sunday morning, he met up with me to take me through a day of the life of a Canadian on Broadway.  We chatted about how he landed the role in NYC, what he hopes to do next and what it’s like making the big move to NYC as he showed off some of his favourite hang-outs and gave BWW an inside look at what an average day is like for someone in a hit Broadway show.

We kicked off at Lennys, a local diner that is a favourite spot of Cody’s as well as many other Broadway stars.  Over a classic New York bagel (me) and a large meaty sandwich (Cody), we got to discussing his transition to Broadway as well as what he misses from back home in Toronto:

First of all, congratulations on Rock of Ages! You seem very at home here.  What do you miss most about Toronto?

To be honest I don’t miss that much, it’s mostly the people.  I think that’s common for a lot of Canadians who come to New York City, you find yourself missing the amazing community of people you left behind.  But the fact that there isn’t a ton of stuff to audition for back home compared to here makes this feel like the place I should be right now, and I’ve always wanted to be here.  There’s more work but I’ve also fallen in love with the city. There’s just something special about a street that has twenty theatres on it and watching people come out of theatres at 10:45PM and just fill the street – it’s awesome.

What has this journey been like for you so far? How did you come to be on Broadway?

Well when we closed in Toronto it was at the same time they closed the Brooks-Atkinson production so they could transfer to the Helen Hayes theatre.  That move it allowed the producers to pull together their dream cast, so they ended up taking people from the tour, the Broadway production and the Toronto production.  Tony LePage, Tessa Alves and Emily Williams all got their phone calls the day after we closed in Toronto but I didn’t hear anything for a few weeks.  So I was already doing another local workshop when I suddenly got a Facebook message from one of the producers.

He didn’t have your contact information?

*laughs* He was traveling in Australia and didn’t have his address book handy and knew he could reach me that way.  So he wrote me on Facebook and asked for my agent’s information to give me a part on Broadway.  I was basically sitting in this rehearsal space working on a workshop when I got the news that I was going to New York City.  It was pretty amazing.

So technically you didn’t have to audition?

Technically not for this production.  Once I got the official word, my Mom and I went to NYC and started looking at places! To start I went right to Times Square which was convenient but not really ideal.  The crowds and noise got to be a bit much after awhile and I ended up finding a place outside of the midtown core. 

How much time do you really spend in Times Square now?

Honestly, I’m pretty much only in Times Square at night when I’m working, or when I train because my gym is there.  Otherwise I’m anywhere else.  You learn very quickly when you move here what spots to avoid and what spots you love.  When I first moved here I would just sit outside in Times Square at night pinching myself thinking about the fact that I got to live here.  After awhile that wears off though and you start to want to explore everything else the city has to offer.

Does your desire to be in NYC have more to do with the work or have you fallen in love with the city?

It’s definitely both.  I love the fact that there are more work opportunities here, but the city is incredible as well.  It’s easy to fall in love with it.  Plus you’re always bumping into people you know which is really cool.  Basically if you’re in the theatre, you can’t walk down 8^th or 9^th Avenue without saying hi to someone you know.

What would you say has been the most noticeable difference between the Canadian and American theatre experience?

The audiences.  Canadian audiences are very reserved, they really listen and enjoy and take everything in.  Here, from the very first line the audience is vocal and letting you know whether you’re doing a good job or not.  It’s a different type of appreciation here, and we even get hecklers! The audience also gets a bit more rowdy down here than they did in Toronto.

Also, I find that theatre is looked at more as a job here compared to Toronto.  People come to do the show, but then they have their lives.  The show is what they do to make money, and their lives are separate from that world.  In Toronto I found that people generally spent most of their time outside of a show with people from the show.  So that’s a bit of a chance.

Do you think it might have something to do with the feeling in Toronto that whatever you’re doing could very quickly come to an end?

I think so.  We know that everything could be over so quickly so you approach it differently. The fact that there is so much more work in New York makes it feel like more of a job.

Has there been any animosity between the Canadians and Americans in the cast?

I thought there might be at first, I was worried they would hate me because people from another cast are coming onto their turf.  But from the first day of rehearsal people really welcomed us with open arms.  It’s very cool to join a cast when people who originated the roles are still in the cast.  You have this feeling of awe when you meet the person who truly made that character who it is – and I was almost star struck for the entire first week. 

How about the fans? Have you had any fans from Toronto see the show down here?

We had the reverse! When we were in Toronto there was a huge group that came up to see our first preview as part of a contest, but then they kept coming back. And now I see them at the show in NYC.  There’s also one fan who has seen every single company of Rock of Ages that’s ever been produced and I think he’s seen the show 400 times.  That’s pretty incredible and we really appreciate the dedication of our fans.  They want to see us succeed which is really wonderful.

Ok, so what’s typical day look like for you?

I like to sleep late, so I get up around 11:30 and then I have six scrambled eggs! Then I usually go to the gym for an hour and a half to work off the six eggs! Depending on the day I might see a movie, grab lunch with a friend, or lay out at Chelsea Piers.  Tessa Alves and I have made that one of our favourite spots to hang out.  Post-show I generally like to come home and watch TV, and I often stay up way too late.  I’m a night-owl, so I like to enjoy that time.

What do you want to do next?

I really want to get into film and TV.  I’m not giving up on Broadway but once I know I’m here to stay I would love to try and get into that world.  My dream would be to be part of an NBC Thursday night sitcom.  Theatre was my first love, and a year and a half ago I was very ‘theatre is the only thing I EVER want to do’.  But now that I’ve been in that world for awhile my perspective has changed a bit.  My roommate is in TV and I’ve seen more of the business side of that world and I really like it.  The hours are a bit better, and I love the thought of getting to develop a character over a long period of time, and working with a new script every week.  I would also love to do a Broadway show where I get to really sing my face off.

Finally, what would be your biggest piece of advice for young people trying to make it in this business?

I’m a big believer in going to school.  I wouldn’t have been able to do what I’m doing if I didn’t go to Sheridan.  My first few years I really didn’t take it very seriously, but in my last year I had two incredible teachers named Scot Denton and Mary Lu Zahalan who were the first people to outwardly compliment my abilities.  I really started paying attention and trying to excel.  That helped my career so much.  Also – take classes.  No matter what you’re doing you should always take classes and never stop learning.  I think you need to look at yourself as your own CEO – advocate for yourself and never give up.

Cody's Dressing Room

Applying his make-up

Rosie O'Donnell's tweet to Cody

With his 'Drew' Jacket

Josephine Rose Roberts and Cody pose with a picture of them taken during Toronto run

With the Toronto Star quote