MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The hit musical Hamilton is back at the Overture Center. NBC15’s Gabriella Rusk had a chance to catch up with Bryson Bruce, who plays the dual role of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson.
Here is a transcript of the interview:
Gabriella Rusk: What do you and the cast members of Madison think so far? Have you already come to explore something of our city?
Bryson Bruce: I was able to get past, I think, James Madison Park for a bit. There was a lot of good vibes. There is so much open water. So far it has been good. It’s only been a couple days, but I’m still excited to get into the cheese curd lifestyle here.
G: We’re lucky enough in Madison to have Hamilton before, but I think you could tell that even in the theater last night there was still a lot of excitement. What is it like to be a part of this show? How did you start?
B: I started with Hamilton around 2018. I auditioned for Lafayette/Jefferson and somehow got in. I was very excited. I loved the show from the first time I heard it. I did that for about two years, COVID came along, so there’s a little bit of a break there, but then I finished those two years with Lafayette/Jefferson. I left for a second, but then they needed an understudy, who knew at least one part, so I knew Lafayette/Jefferson and then I learned Hamilton and Burr, so now I’m floating around for whatever it takes right now.
B: I would say for me no, no, no, no, no no. There is so much in the text, so much in the music, so much in the story and the characters that you can dive in at any angle, at any time, and there is something new.
G: What is it like for you to play so many characters or have the ability to step in as needed?
B: With each track come so many words, so many musical staves. You have to remember which one to sing on and so many different blocking pieces. You have to know exactly where you are at all times because it’s a moving train and it doesn’t stop.
G: Specifically in Lafeyette/Jefferson you are changing roles from Act I to Act II. How is your process?
B: Lafayette in the first act is this fiery Frenchman. You have to put a different physicality on a person so that every time you switch to another, you can show a different side of another coin. With Jefferson, it’s more relaxed. He believes he is where he needs to be at all times, and that is why when Hamilton goes up against them. He’s like, ‘Who’s this new guy?’ because I’m usually a good-looking guy and I don’t understand why he’s in my arena and he just got back from France, but I thought he still had it all figured out. to figure out how to dive into the character and what the core is and then go from there.
G: Do you have a favorite character or a favorite song?
B: I will say that as much as I love Lafayette/Jefferson, because I’ve been doing it for two years, I’ve always dreamed of what it would be like to be on stage and rap “My Shot” and bring that same raw, hungry, young energy that I always had. I’ve had when acting in a role that is also so ready to take on the world. It’s literally a dream come true to be on that stage and be able to sing and rap “My Shot” with a group of friends that I’ve played different roles with and see them shine and be able to tell the story whenever I can.
G: For people who are watching it, whether it’s the first time, the third time, or the fifth time, there’s still this emotion. What is it like to be a part of a show like this as an actor?
B: It always escapes you because we know it’s a great show, but it’s also a job. Sometimes, you can just forget. You may just be going through the motions and saying the lines, but then looking out at the audience, you see so many bright-eyed faces absorbing this masterpiece.
The audience is as much a part of the show as we are in every line, every beat. It bounces off the excitement of the audience. So all those people that walk in there are like, “Oh my gosh, this is what I’ve been waiting for.” That energy is not lost on us. In fact, it feeds us.
G: As a theater fan, I really missed seeing live performances during the pandemic. How is it for you to have left the stage and come back again? Do you have a new appreciation?
B: It’s been great to be able to perform in front of an audience again and really feel that energy we talked about. Because through Zoom or other different avenues, we still have the opportunity to tell a story. But, when it comes to live theater, there’s nothing like feeling like the warm white heat of applause, laughter, or just soulful silence. There’s something about a room full of like-minded people, listening to the same story. There’s so much charge there that I’m really glad we get to experience it again because that’s why I love what I do.
G: What do you think of the Overture Center when you see it from your perspective on stage?
B: I love it. Every theater is different. Each theater has a different energy. In this theater, there are three or four different levels, so there are layers and layers of people that we can connect with. Change the scale of the show every time a theater has seats that go up. So there are different angles that we can play at. It changes your mind a bit.
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