Michael Strassen: "Sondheim´s material is like a bottomless pit, like all good writing"

As part of the ongoing celebrations of Sondheim’s 80th birthday this year, the Union Theatre will revive Sondheim’s 1990 musical for a run scheduled from 30 June to 24 July 2010. Michael Strassen will direct and stage this new production of the show. This will be his second Sondheim at the Union following last year critically acclaimed and sell out production of COMPANY. Other Strassen theatre credits as a director are FROM WEST END TO BROADWAY featuring six leading West End artists in concert, THE ATTIC and the controversial play `The Pitchfork Disney´.

Strassen West End credits as a performer include MISS SAIGON, LES MISERABLES (Marius), JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Simon Zeolotes), and ´Oscar´ at the Shaw Theatre (Robert Ross). He appeared in concert with Ruthie Henshall and Bernadette Peters at the Royal Festival Hall. Michael directed Ruthie Henshall´s one woman show at the Royal Festival Hall and subsequent UK Tour. Michael also appears in ´Hey, Mr Producer!´, (DVD/Video) celebrating Cameron Mackintosh’s contribution to world theatre, and has released two solo albums.

Michael Strassen talks us about the revival of ASSASINS at the Union Theatre, about his artistic career and express his opinion about nowadays musical theatre.

‘ASSASSINS’ HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL SONDHEIM SHOWS. WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THIS SHOW TO DECIDE TO BRING IT TO THE STAGE?
Basically it was an election year and I felt half the audience probably wanted to shoot a politician, plus its Sondheim’s 80th year

THIS NEW PRODUCTION OF ‘ASSASSINS’ WILL BE THE FIRST BRITISH REVIVAL OF THE SHOW, FOLLOWING ITS PREMIERE IN LONDON IN 1992. WHAT INNOVATIONS WITH THE PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS WILL BE ON YOUR VERSION OF THE SHOW?
I wanted to have an Obama type play the balladeer and set the whole thing around presidential security, having him re count the story…I think too that we have grown up a bit since it was written.

THE UNION IS A VERY INTIMATE THEATRE, WHERE THE AUDIENCE IS SO CLOSE TO THE PERFORMERS. WHAT IS THE BEST AND THE WORST OF WOKING IN THIS KIND OF SPACE?
There is nowhere for the actors to hide so it has to live without pretention, the space works well for off beat settings, middle worlds, I can´t think of a down side, the space half directs the show.

WHAT WOULD YOU HIGHLIGHT OF THE SONGS WRITTEN BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM FOR THE SHOW? DO YOU THINK IT IS A DIFFICULT SCORE FOR PERFORMERS?
The songs flow, are tuneful, ironic but they do have rhythms that test the actors. I love "Unworthy of your love", few people know that but Charles Manson recorded 2 albums, mainly hippie rambling full of over used metaphor. I think Sondheim has parodied this amazingly.

‘ASSASSINS’ WILL BE YOUR SECOND SONDHEIM AT THE UNION THEATRE AFTER ‘COMPANY’. ACTUALLY, YOU WORKED WITH STEPHEN SONDHEIM AT OXFORD UNIVERSITY DURING SONDHEIM´S PROFESSORSHIP THERE. WHAT APPEALS MOST TO YOU OF SONDHEIM´S WORK?
Sondheim is a lovely man, he is calming to be around, his genius is evident and unpretentious…What appeals, the material is like a bottomless pit, like all good writing.

COULD YOU COMMENT ON THE CAST OF THE UNION THEATRE PRODUCTION OF ‘ASSASSINS’? HOW ARE GOING THE REHEARSALS SO FAR?
It’s all horrribly going to plan! Lol, We have a short time to do it so I have cast actors who know how to work, who don´t need carrying through a mine field of meaningful conversations, they simply ‘get it’. I find watching them grow in the scenes very moving, this production is all about truth, ironically it’s funnier, sadder.

ALONG WITH YOUR WORK AS A DIRECTOR, YOU´VE ALSO PERFORMED AS AN ACTOR IN MUSICALS SUCH AS ‘MISS SAIGON’, ‘LES MISERABLES’ OR ‘JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’. DID ANY THEM HAVE A SPECIAL MEANING FOR YOU? DO YOU FEEL SPECIALLY PROUD OF ANY OF YOUR MUSICAL ROLES?
Well I loved doing PACIFIC OVERTURES at Leicester, in many ways I learned a great deal from its director Paul Kerryson. I also asked if I could sit in on all rehearsals for MISS SAIGON to watch the genius that is Nick Hytner, somewhere was aware I’d direct at some point…. Favorite role?... Rock In ROCK HARD. I was in bike leathers and drove a Harley and had cod lines that got big laughs... what more is there!

YOU ALSO DIRECTED RUTHIE HENSHALL´S ONE WOMAN SHOW AT THE ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL AND SUBSEQUEN UK TOUR, AND PRODUCED HER SOLO CD ‘PILGRIM’. HOW IS IT WORKING WITH  RUTHIE?
Ruthie is wonderful, she is like a sponge and with less ego, she has an amazing capacity for truth and gives everything colour… She needs to be playing Desiree on Broadway... she would be devastating in the role… plus she really is the last true star musical theatre created. I love her very much.

YOU HAVE RELEASED TWO SOLO ALBUMS. DO YOU HAVE PLANS FOR ANOTHER CD IN THE FUTURE?
Luckily i love ‘croon toons’, so yes I could get away with another CD without looking like an arse…when I make Money I will do it as a tax Dodge, and of course now I am on iTunes you don´t have to keep ploughing out hard copies.

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION OF MUSICAL THEATRE IN THE UK?
I am very excited about PASSION at the Donmar. No one seems to want top put money into anything fresh or new. I am not against pop tune shows like MAMMA MIA! etc, they have their place and basically a certain percentage of our audience just want a ‘hen night experience’ which is fine, but we do need to remember theatre makes people grow, builds empathy so it’s about balance. I see society as on a terrible destructive curve and at the moment theatre is reflecting that back, as is TV… Everything is aimed at the lowest common denominator, which is sad as when people are exposed to brilliance they love it and become so charismatic.

IS THERE ANY SHOW THAT YOU LIKE SPECIALLY?
If Chekhov could write music he would have written PASSION, I think the definitive production is about to come, it resonates with me on a very primal level. I would like to direct NINE, CABARET and GYPSY when Ruthie is 50.