Blackout: Michael De Rose on 'sing out Louise' at High Park

27 - July 2021 - photos by Dahlia Katz

"It's a funny feeling," says Michael De Rose of getting back onstage for Blackout at the High Park Amphitheatre. "It feels exciting, emotional, and hopeful. Honestly it's a bit surreal, especially knowing how many artists aren't back on stage yet, I feel very lucky, and very privileged to be working." De Rose has a stellar history as a musical theatre artist - Lil' Red Robin Hood, Reprint, The Wizard of Oz, Parade, Merrily We Roll Along, Grease - and the excitement we all feel about finally getting back to live theatre, is only amplified by knowing we will be in his capable hands and witnessing his powerful pipes.

Blackout began as a third of Reprint a cycle of three musicals based on Globe and Mail reporting. Then titled Cygnus, it was a tale of a romantic encounter between two men during the 2003 blackout. Now it is, still titled Cygnus, a third of Blackout with De Rose explaining, "This show now takes place at three separate times in the blackout of 2003, late afternoon, 2am and 5am, and I think there's something fascinating about watching three different sets of characters adapt to the situation, and reveal truths that might not have been revealed had the power not gone out. In a way the themes of this show are now more relevant than ever."

De Rose's foil in Cygnus, Brandon Antonio, returns and De Rose couldn't be happier. "Brandon and I are usually on the same page about the work, so really we fell right back into our rhythm immediately. We were thrilled to see each other and to work on this, revisiting these characters was like reconnecting to an old friend. So I think we enjoyed the opportunity to go deeper this time, and that journey started on day one when we just dove in as if no time had passed." They are joined by a cast of musical veterans Chilina Kennedy (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Rami Khan, Germaine Konji, Yemi Sonuga, Jonathan Winsby and Synthia Yusuf. "I'm more than happy to share the spotlight," says De Rose, "In fact the spotlight should really be on Steven Gallagher and Anton Lipovetsky who created the piece, they're the real stars for constructing something so honest, funny, and deeply moving. Plus the rest of the cast is brilliant, honest and extremely kind, so there's space for us all to shine."

Gallagher was, in an interview pre-Reprint, as complimentary about De Rose, saying that he is "so versatile as an actor, and anyone who has seen him flex his comic muscles in the past will be surprised, and moved, by his performance." De Rose, modestly ignoring his extraordinary work in My Dinner with Casey Donovan, shifts the praise to the role. "I think Blackout reacquainted me with what I set out to do as an actor in the first place. I get hired for comedic roles a lot, but really that's only one dimension of me as an artist. So having an opportunity to tap into some darker themes and emotions that are centered in the queer experience has stretched me in the sense that I got to bring different aspects of my lived experience to the table, not just the funny bits."

Being the first live production rising from the ashes of the dark days of covid, means a few restrictions on the audience, but that doesn't compare with the rehearsal process. "It certainly was strange," says De Rose. "But The Musical Stage Company has a really detailed set of protective measures in place. But singing into a face shield, getting tested every other day, and staging intimacy scenes in face masks definitely presented challenges. It felt like every day we rehearsed there was a massive storm, and when you're rehearsing outside that presents challenges in itself! But it is what it is, once we started creating and working again, adapting to the new rules became second nature. I think eventually we forgot the PPE was even there because we were all so happy to be working on this piece."

Of course an outdoor venue presents other challenges beyond unruly weather. "There's no protection from unruly children, it's their world and we're just living in it. But sunscreen and bug spray are mandatory in this space," says De Rose. "We have a little tent village backstage that protects us from the rain." Nothing seems to faze De Rose's upbeat assessment claiming that even "bats are good! They eat the mosquitoes and their sonar means they don't bump into you. In fact if you look up during Cygnus, you might see a bat making a guest appearance." 

The challenges are vastly outweighed by the rewards. "There are so many highlights, watching everyone's work has been really exciting," says De Rose. "But honestly, my favourite moment is walking out into the open air to sing "Shine Again" and looking at real stars in the sky, hearing the wind, and the sounds of the park, it blurs the line between reality and performance in a really profound way for me." Even the mandated social distancing is not going to be a barrier. "The only big difference is the audience is much further away than usual, so we have to 'sing out Louise!'" 

With Kennedy having incarnated Carole King, I wonder idly who De Rose would love to tackle in a Broadway jukebox spectacle. "I think I'd love to play Freddie Mercury, Liberace, or Elton John, huge talents who aren't afraid of a little camp. That's my kind of musical star." And what about Antonio? "Brandon could portray anyone, his voice and his look evoke huge star wattage! But honestly he loves Britney Spears and Ariana Grande so I'm gonna say that he should perform their music in his style because singing their tunes would probably be a dream for him. But he could do anything from perform as a member of a boy band, or an '80s hair rock maven or a '50s crooner. The world is his oyster," says De Rose, once again downplaying his own right to claim the earth, and certainly the High Park Amphitheatre as his own bivalve mollusc.

Photos of the Reprint production of Cygnus by Dahlia Katz