Cast interview: Ron Anzalone

It's just one month until The Gondoliers opens - wow! We're so happy that this week's cast interview is with someone who has graced the stage with VLOC multiple times in the past, but never as a performer *in* one of our productions - until now. Learn all about one of our gondoliers, Ron Anzalone!

Name
Ron Anzalone

What's your role in The Gondoliers?
Chorus--a gondolier!

What made you decide to get involved with The Gondoliers?
This is my first real stage presence since college--sometimes you inch ahead, and occasionally you just have to make the leap! I had a music background, 25 years of choir singing, and a deep appreciation for witty lyrics and catchy tunes. I've also done a lot of historical reenacting, and got to know the folks at VLOC over the last decade while portraying 'March King' John Philip Sousa to help open four VLOC revivals of Sousa operettas. (Did you know he wrote successful operettas that played on Broadway and in the West End of London?) And I had sung a small role in Pirates of Penzance during the last two Gilbert and Sullivan "Sing Out" festivals. When I retired from my federal government job in historic preservation last spring, I told VLOC Music Director Joe Sorge that I finally thought I could make it to rehearsals for a full show. "Prove it,' he said. And here I am!

What are you enjoying most about working on The Gondoliers with VLOC?
I enjoy my talented fellow cast and production members. I also love being part of the creative process as rehearsals go ahead and the show starts to come together. I picked The Gondoliers in part because it was one G&S show that I didn't know. It turns out I really appreciate Sullivan's music, but also the word play and satire of Gilbert. While the story is (of course) silly and far-fetched in many ways as G&S tends to be--'topsy turvy,' the 19th century critics called their works--so are most operas! But the songs are witty and engaging. It's a treat to stand back occasionally and just watch what some excellent singer-actors can do with the material.

What is your dream role/job?
I enjoyed my many years as a professional archaeologist and historic preservationist, and I like to write song parodies and satirical verse. Not sure how good I am at it. As for dream roles, it's a toss up between the Pirate King from Pirates of Penzance, and Don Quixote from Man of La Mancha. 

What is the first musical/opera/play you ever saw and what effect did it have on you?
My mom and dad had many Broadway show recordings, and we listened a lot (and sang along) to Camelot, Fiddler on the Roof, and many others. I was in Brigadoon in high school. But the first full Broadway production I attended in NY was Man of La Mancha. Richard Kiley as Don Quixote was riveting, and although I had been a boy soprano he really made me want to sing bass-baritone parts. Eventually my voice changed!

How do you think 21st Century audiences can benefit from seeing Gilbert & Sullivan performed today?
Gilbert and Sullivan may be thought of as "old fashioned" or quaint by many, and I suppose they are. At the same time they're really fine, approachable ways to take in live musical performance in an entertaining and family friendly way. You can appreciate them on several levels, particularly as the operettas make fun of pompous characters, class distinctions, and related behavior that we can still appreciate today. There's a lot of great humor and satire, and of course some material (I am the very model of a modern Major General) has become part of modern culture even for many who know nothing else about Gilbert and Sullivan. The plays may not be Shakespeare, but let's face it, Will Shakespeare was also writing for the people and culture of of his time. 

When you're not performing in community theatre, what do you do? (job, hobby, family, etc.)
I sing in my church choir, am involved in history and preservation through two local city boards, and from time to time portray historical characters through living history programs. I also enjoy conducting research to plan travel for us, and assist my wife with her gardening projects. Our extended family is spread out across the west, and now that I'm retired my wife and I hope to have more time to visit them in Wyoming, Washington state, and California. Luckily, though, our two sons live nearby with their families, and we can spend more time with them and our toddler and older grand-kids. We'll gather everyone at the beach for a fun- and sun-filled week this summer, which sounds particularly good considering the mid-January snow on the ground.

Thanks, Ron! You can catch Ron and the rest of the Gondoliers cast on stage starting February 22nd. Come join us as we venture to far-off Venice and Barataria! Purchase tickets online HERE or call the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre box office at 240-314-8690. 

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