Interview: Andreas Wyder of DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL at The National Theatre

I have never talked with anyone who is more excited to live a dog's life than when I caught up with Andreas Wyder last week. Andreas currently plays a puppy in the role of Young Max on the national tour of DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL, and we had a nice, long chat about what first got him into the world of theatre (I'll give you a hint-it wasn't a dog) and really, everything Grinch and Puppy. If you enjoy the holidays or share his desire to see someone's heart grow three sizes bigger - or you too just love puppies, then enjoy our interview and come out to see Andreas on stage in full-puppy-mode. While it could be just what I've gotten from watching his behind-THE-GRINCH-scenes vlog, Puppy Tales, (created the first time he played this role), I have a feeling it's going to be a great show!

What first brought you into the world of theater?

Oh, lets travel back in time to when I was literally three years old and my mom showed me a VHS of "Cats." I was immediately smitten-"I want to be a cat onstage someday," I told her. And of course, that's funny since now I'm a dog onstage! But my family was so supportive, and eventually I started training and acting. I was just bitten by the bug.

You played in THE GRINCH for several years sometime back. What happened there? Did you go off to try other things, but you just loved this show that much? What took you away and what brought you back?

Yes, I joined THE GRINCH family for the first time 3 years ago and I played Young Max for two consecutive years. It was so incredibly magical and family oriented. They just love family. I had the break because you just sign on for a year at a time, and sometimes it takes a while. So by the time they asked me to come back, I had signed on already for another national tour, PETER PAN - which meant I got to experience another incredible show and Production Company. But I was back in NYC in the Spring and I got the call asking me to come back to THE GRINCH, and I couldn't say yes quickly enough. Max is my favorite role of my whole life.

And you know, what is really neat about the year off is, I was really young before. I was just 19 when I first joined, and while it sounds a little cliché to say this, I did a lot of growing up in my year away from THE GRINCH, and I've had so much from that I can now bring back and infuse into Max.

Now, you're playing the Young Max in THE GRINCH. I didn't even know that there were two Max's! What is it like to split the character with someone else? Did you have to talk through your ideas of who Max is, of his habits and tics and reactions? How does that work for you two?

We really are the same dog. Old Max narrates - he's about to go and he wants to remember his favorite story and says how "This one 24-hour span of time is my favorite story to live," which is funny since it's my real life favorite story, too. But at the very beginning, we have a number together called "This Time of Year," and we sing harmony with each other. It's really one of the ways that our characters there connect for the audience to understand we are one dog, because we have similar choreography, and you can see it sort of paints a picture of the same character, just years apart. Sometimes I'm dancing happily and he stumbles, because he's playing Old Max, and Old Max can't do the same things he used to do. Matt August's direction here really helped make that happen, and I guess, in a way, I as the young dog really did learn from the "old dog." The man who plays him has done the show for seven years, so when I came on, I really tried to emulate him; to take on his Max.

We also have a fun and completely random connection not as dogs, because both of us have done national tours of TITANIC.

So tell me how you get into puppy character, and do you ever feel like you keep some of Max's tendencies at the end of a show?

Oh my gosh, yes, I definitely do keep some of Max's tendencies. Although actually, anyone who knows me will probably describe me as a puppy kind of guy. I'm young, energetic, loving life; the hopeful optimistic sidekick all the way. And I try to be everyone's friend. I always want to be kind and loving, even if it is with a stranger in a grocery store. I get to share loving and light and hope all around the country as Max and again, I know this sounds cliché, but that is so important to me.

And I love dogs. I have pictures of them and watch videos of puppies - and I honestly do try to observe and bring into Max the things I see. Like, um, my favorite one is really simple and I adopted it into my character: it's just that c*ckof the head-you know what I mean, how dogs just sort of tip their head at you when you're saying something, like they want to figure it out, to understand-and it's just that "Mmmh?" look.

You used to have a vlog called "Puppy Tales" your first time on the tour. What's up? Is that not a thing this time around?

Puppy Tales are coming back, yes! They were really simple, and I was amazed by how many people watched them. Very excited to see people enjoy these new ones-I've gotten lots of questions about them since I came back. I'm actually doing two, maybe three more special episodes and am working on them now. They will be hosted on THE GRINCH's social media page and also on BroadwayWorld.com.

What do you enjoy most about being part of THE GRINCH, and did you grow up with the story?

It truly is the family energy we see on tour-onstage and off. We do a lot of volunteer work with Broadway Serves. We try to give back to the communities we visit. And the company is like family away from family, which is especially important when we spend time like the holidays together instead of at home. It's definitely the story itself, too, since it is all about positivity and light and love. I mean, someone's heart grows three sizes. I want that to happen to everyone. And hopefully my performance even as a puppy can expand someone's heart.

I definitely grew up with the story-like, 110%. It was my favorite Christmas story, both the book and the cartoon. And really, everything by Dr. Seuss was incredibly important in my childhood and development. They were some of the first books I learned to read.

Will you be doing any volunteering like that while you are here in DC this month, and have you been to our city before?

Yes, I think we will be. We usually do a soup kitchen or do collections of things to donate near Christmastime. I personally will be teaching a master class to young, aspiring performers while I'm there. I have been to DC before, too-Peter Pan brought me here! My favorite DC memory was, after opening night of Peter Pan, a group of us took a cab straight to downtown at like, 2 a.m. It was that hot, sweaty time of summer but we just went to the Lincoln Memorial and all the ones around there in the dark, and then we laid down in the grass and looked up at the night sky and the monuments surrounding us, and I was just like, "Wow, this is my life. I am the most fortunate person in the world."

Special thanks to Center Stage Marketing's Deb Fiscella for her assistance in coordinating this interview.

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