Adam Pascal is a man who needs little introduction—his work speaks for itself. His latest Broadway musical, his sixth, is the disco comedy Disaster!
, which brings Pascal back to the Nederlander Theatre 20 years after catapulting to stardom in Rent.1. When you walked in the Nederlander the first time for Disaster!, what did your mind flash to?
That alley way. I walk in now and it’s empty—there’s nothing on the wall. Having everyone sign the wall became such an iconic thing about that theatre and that alley. It’s such a shame that they painted over it because there were so many amazing signatures and notes from celebrities, fans, and celebrity fans. It was really, really great. One of my favorite ones was Meg Ryan who wrote a really sweet congratulatory message but she misspelled something, so she crossed it out and rewrote it.
2. Your Disaster! character Chad is the hero audiences are rooting for to survive and to get the girl. Who were badass heroes that rocked your world when you were growing up?
My favorite movie heroes growing up were Mel Gibson in Mad Max—he was probably one of my favorites, if not my most favorite—and I loved the Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfus characters in Jaws. That’s one of my favorite movies of all time, and there was something so real and human about the portrayal of those two characters. Ironically enough, despite how fake the shark was, the movie was so real.
3. What's been the best day of your career and the hardest?
It would be hard to pinpoint one particular day. I’ve had best and worst days in my life, but in my career the bad days are the days you feel like giving up. You feel like you’re never going to get another job and your career is over and people have forgotten about you—those are the really bad days. Then the next day you get a job and that becomes the best day. It reignites you and refuels you, and you remember why you do it and why you love it. It’s a very painful existence because of that cycle of the best days and the worst days. It’s filled with such emotional highs and lows.
4. How is this cast different than other shows you've done? What's it like backstage when nearly everyone is a Tony winner or Tony nominee?
It’s not different and that’s the strange thing. If it’s done right and the show is casted well, everyone is a family—everyone is having a good time. We know and respect the hard work everyone is putting in, and we operate as a group and not as individuals. That’s how you get successful holding onto that group mentality.
5. Do you see yourself joining Twitter in the foreseeable future?
No, I don’t. I’ve gotten myself into trouble several times on Facebook over the years being very impetuous and saying things I shouldn’t say; and I feel Twitter would be another medium in which I could get myself into trouble, and I don’t need another one of those in my life.
See Adam Pascal back at Broadway's Nederlander Theatre in 'Disaster!'
