Marcus Lovett Interview with Hello
ch0...@my-dejanews.com
Marcus Lovett tells us why he won't let the demands of his flourishing career
part him from his family.
Whistle Down the Wind is London's newest show - and Marcus Lovett, the West
End's newest star. The American singer is currently making his UK debut in
Andrew Llyod Webber's latest musical, and he's brought his family over from
New York to share his success. Marcus, 34, has the lead role of the Man in
Whistle Down the Wind, which opened at the Aldwych Theatre on July 1.
He has previously starred in the Broadway productions of two other Andrew
Lloyd Webber musicals, The Phantom of the Opera and Aspects of Love, as well
as taking part in the composer's recent 50th birthday spectacular at London's
Royal Albert Hall. He also appeared in the original American cast of Les
Miserables.
Handsome and charismatic, Marcus looks set to become a major heart-throb.
But he has actually been married for the past eight years to Christine, 39, a
dancer who has alos worked on Broadway. They have three children: Dylan,
six, Patrick, four, and two-year-old Cathryn.
The Lovett family has two homes in New York, but have moved to a smart
penthouse flat in north London while Marcus is appearing in Whistle down the
Wind.
There they posed for this exclusive photo shoot, and Marcus spoke
enthusiastically of the exciting new venture in his career.
Q: Marcus, how do you feel about having landed such a coveted role? A: "I
feel thrilled and privileged. Every night I go out there and think 'Wow!
Me?' It's a great show with a universal story and some truly great Lloyd
music combined with excellent lyrics by Jim Steinman."
Q: You seem to be Andrew Lloyd Webber's golden boy at the moment - why is it
you have done so much work with him? A: "His music seems to be verl well
suited to my voice. And judging by the amount of times that I've sung his
music, he must think so too. We also get on well. I've been to his home at
Sydmonton on two occasions, including his 50th birthday party. I would count
his wife Madeleine as a friend, but we're not close. My wife and I have been
out to dinner with them a few times in groups."
Q: What is the real Andrew Lloyd Webber like? A: "Andrew makes me laugh -
he's a very funny man. He's also a very shy, elusive guy. He's very
preoccupied with his music. When you're with him you have this impression
that his mind is elsewhere, and it is - it's in his music. And he hungers to
give people that music."
Q: Since he became Lord Lloyd Webber in January 1997, do you ever call him
by his title? A: "No, I call him Andrew. A long time ago I called him Sir
Andrew, and he asked me to just call him Andrew. I don't think he would ever
have it any other way. I believe he flourishes in the artistic environment
where everbody, himself included, is treated like everybody else."
Q: How do you rate Whistle Down the Wind in comparison to his other shows?
A: "I think it's the bravest show he's written by far. Because it's gritty,
dirty, scary, sexual, animal, and psychologically dangerous and nervy. That
makes it sound X-rated, but it's not. Those are just themes, but it is
provocative."
Q: Live snakes are used in the show - does that bother you? A: "They don't
bother me, no, but then fortunately I'm not on stage at the same time! There
was an incident where the actress Jean Reeve didn't have hold of a snake's
head properly and it went into her open mouth!"
Q: Tell us a bit about your background. A: "I was born the second of five
children on February 25, 1964, in Albany, New York. After three months we
moved to Connecticut, then later Illinois and Indiana, because my father's
work as a salesman. I have an aunt, Marjorie Lovett, who is an actress and
has also appeared on Broadway."
Q: What got you interested and involved in showbusiness? A: "As a child I
loved to sing along to records by the likes of David Cassidy, James Taylor,
and Neil Diamond, as well as the original recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber's
Jesus Christ Superstar. At school, I joined the chorus and even starred in a
production of Fiddler on The Roof. "Then at 17, I went on a university summer
programme and met Peter Hedges, who wrote What's Eating Gilbert Grape? and
who has become one of my dearest friends. He and a couple of guys I knew
went to drama school, and I duly followed them when I reached 18. "Funnily
enough, when I was about 13, I used to tell people that one day I'd be on
Broadway and, at 21, I made it there in the original cast of Les Miserables."
Q: Have you done any showbusiness work other than your musicals? A: "I've
done a total of about 2 years outside musicals. In America, I've been in
three different soap operas: One Life to Live, Another World and As the
World Turns. I also appeared on the last seris of The Johnny Carson Show,
and I've done a little bit of prime time television."
Q: You have already got quite a following of female fans - does that bother
your wife Christine?
A: "No, I usually get to kiss somebody in every show I do, but Christine's
never even mentioned it."
Q: Where and when did you meet Christine? A: "I met her in Pittsburgh 13
years ago. I was doing a series of shows for the Civic Light Opera of
Pittsburgh, and she was in the female dance corps of three of the shows.
Christine actually fell down some stairs backstage and landed on my knee!
She received an almighty bruise and wept through a whole number while I held
her up! "We already fancied each other but I don't think either of us thought
then that 13 years later we'd be married with three kids and be living in
London!"
Q: Do you think it was inevitable that you'd get involved with someone within
the world of showbusiness?
A: "Well, I wouldn't really know any other way in life. The people I've been
in relationships with have always been from this industry. Christine actually
stopped dancing professionally in 1991, but there was never any competition
between us even when she was in the business. She's always been very
supportive."
Q: What was it about Christine that you fell in love with? A: "Her sense of
humour, the way she gets crinkels on her nose when she laughs, and her
sneeze, which is very cute!"
Q: Has it ever been a problem that she is five years older than you? A:
"No, I've just felt blessed that I've had an adult woman in my life since I
met her. For a while I felt like the child in our relationship but, even
before we were married, it felt just right."
Q: Did you live together before you were married?
A: "Yes, in a part of New York known as Hell's Kitchen, which is very
appropriate because rats greeted us at the front of the building and there was
virtually no hot water."
Q: How and when did you propose to her? A: "At 2am on April 8, 1990, the
day I started in Aspects of Love. I woke up in the middle of the night and
said to her 'I want to get married - do you?' and she said 'Yeah!' IT was
great because, at the opening night party later that day, I could introduce
Christine as my fiancee."
Q: When and where did you get married?
A: "On July 14 that year in Glen Ellyn, a suburb of Chicago where my parents
then lived. There were only about 30 people present, but it was a lovely
occasion."
Q: At what stage in your relationship with Christine did you discuss having
children?
A: "We pretty much knew when we got married that we wanted to have children.
However, we're not huge in the planning department and we took it as it came.
We sort of planned the first one, but he still came quicker than we expected."
Q: Were you present at all three births? A: "Yes, all there were
Caesarians. Each one was simple, yet the most exciting thing."
Q: After two sons, you must have been pleased to have a daughter. A: "Very
pleased, yeah. Cathryn gives the boys a run for their money and she's her
own person."
Q: What can you tell us about the boys? A: "Dylan is musical. He's been
studying the cello for a couple of years, and is very melodic with a pretty
voice. Patrick is very well-adjusted, works with groups asnd is artistic.
He's good with his hands and says he wants to be a carpenter."
Q: Which of the children do you feel most resembles you?
A: "I suppose Dylan resembles a young me - how I was at his age."
Q: Would you like your children to follow you into showbusiness? A: "I
think the best way to ensure that they all become actors is to oppose that!
So I won't be opposing it! I would hope that they will follow what is
fulfilling and interesting to them and not go somewhere because their daddy
or mummy was there - or the opposite for that matter. I don't want what they
do to be a reaction to what I've decided to do with my life."
Q: How aware are your children of your success? A: "I think it's just part
of their lives. Without fishing for compliments, I recently asked Dylan who
his favourite singer is and he replied 'you mean other than you?' which was
really sweet. However, I intentionally don't talk about work when I'm at
home. I don't bring home press clippings either. "My professional life is so
consuming that if I brought it home it would be all I had. I won't even be
taking the children to see Whistle Down the Wind, but that's really just
because they're too young."
Q: Are you planning to have any more children? A: "I doubt it because we
don't know where to put them! At Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday
concert, I was talking to Donny Osmond, whose wife had just had their sixth
child. I asked Donny 'What car do you drive then?' and he recommended we get
a 19-ft-long Chevy Suburban! We actually got a utility vehicle which fits
the five of us, the dog in the back, and the luggage on the roof."
Q: How much of a hands-on dad are you? A: "I am not averse to emptying the
dishwater or changing a diaper or taking the kids to the park or school. But
the responsibility in our household has actually been divided in a fairly
patriarchal way, mainly because of the amount of work I do and the stress
involved in that. Christine has adjusted very well to the role of the
president in our family. We also have a nanny for the children, and I have a
wonderful personal assistant here in London called Tim Reed - I couldn't
imagine being here without him."
Q: Will Christine dance professionally again? A: "No, she's not interested
in doing that. However, she was back in class in New York and her teacher
wants her to get in show-shape. Even three babies later, she's still a good
dancer. But she's only doing it because it's a more interesting way of her
getting fit than cycling or working out in the gym."
Q: Tell us about your two homes in New York.
A: "For the past five years we've had a place on the Upper East Side, where
Paul Newman is one of our neighbours. And we bought a beautiful house in
Carmel, New York, a year and a half ago.
Q: Are you concerned that bringing your family here will disrupt their
lives? A: "No, actually, I feel it's a prelude to what will be coming up in
their lives. I intend to be a working father but I don't intend to be an
absentee father. So, if I have to go to North Carolina to do a film for
three months, if there's any possibility of having my family with me I will
work it out." "To me, it's not a marriage or a family if we're not here
together. I believe in us being as intertwined as possible. A lot of my
colleagues don't take their families with them, but half of the appeal of
this job was actually bringing my family to London with me. I don't feel
this is disruptive to their lives at all."
Q: Do you fancy taking your career into the Hollywood movie world? A: "I'd
be happy too, but I am also very happy doing what I'm doing right now.
Certainly this production is inspiring me to do even more musical theatre
work. I want to act and sing, and there's something really thrilling about
this show every time I do it. I'd like to record if there's a market, but
not otherwise, because I don't need CDs of myself lying around the house!"
Q: What are your ambitions for your family?
A: "I would like us to increase the amount of time we spend together and
maintain the lifestyle we're currently accustomed to. I would also like us to
have more diverse experiences, such as the one we're enjoying now living in
London."
Interview: Peter Robertson
Photos: Steve Shipman
Co-ordination: Marquesa de Varela International Ltd.
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