Der junge Schwede hat nach diversen Engagements in Deutschland und auch Österreich den Sprung ans Londoner West End gewagt und dafür ELISABETH und Wien bereits vor Beginn der Sommerpause verlassen, um in Les Misèrables die Rolle des Studentenanführers Enjolras zu übernehmen. Grund genug um mit dem Ausreißer ein wenig zu plaudern.
Q.: After TARZAN, WICKED, TANZ DER VAMPIRE and ELISABETH now LES MIS. All of them big Musicals, and every one in a different city, how exciting is that?
A.Z.: It is very exciting, I have been really lucky. But it is also tuff to move from city to city and I had to sacrifice a lot to be where I am.
Q.: Talking about Les Mis, its the worlds longest running musical, how is it to take over a part, which was created such a long time ago? Is there even space to bring something new into your performance?
A.Z.: I actually got a lot of freedom to find my own stuff but of course a few things has to be in a certain way.
Q.: ELISABETH was your first show in Vienna and hopefully not the last one, whats the difference, in your opinion, between musicals in germany, austria and london?
A.Z.: Hopefully not the last, in Vienna you get treated very well. The company is strong and I loved the fact that we only played 6 shows. Then we could „give it all“ every night. I also loved the fact to sing with a full orchestra every night. London is tough, we play 8 shows a week and a few colleagues has an extra job just to make it work with the high rent they pay. West End has a great reputation and I am very proud to be here but Germany and Austria treats you much better.
Q.: You re playing Enjolras, a young and ambitous opinion leader, who has to die every single show. Is there a difference to other shows to get ready for it, to slip into the character?
A.Z.: For every show you find your routines, in Tarzan I obviously needed a long physical warm up. For this one I need to just save a lot of energy during the day because Enjolras need all of that energy for every show. He is a great character!!
Q.: People are talking more and more about click tracks in the theatre, according to the upcoming TARZAN production in Stuttgart, people mistrust whats really a live performance and whats from the computer! How hard is it as a performer to stand out and show the audience that you’re giving a live performance?
A.Z.: Everything we do is live and I love that. I think theater should be live and music should be played live to, but it is really expensive to produce a show and I understand the producers cutting down what ever they can.
Q.: Its the time of jukebox musicals and to quote the press: „playback shows“. In your opinion, are those jukebox musicals healthy for the business, or are they going to change audiences?
A.Z.: Musicals is a very wide genre. You can find rock musicals, hip hop musicals, pop musicals and very classic musicals. I think its hard to compare any of these ones. Its hard to write a musical with 15 big hits, Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You are maybe easier to promote than the classic musical. But I think it is still possible, every song in Les Mis is a hit.
Q.: If there would be a soundtrack of your life, whats the signature song?
A.Z.: Right now I am listening to the soundtrack of Forrest Gump, it is so beautiful and that would work good in my life =)
Wer Anton Zetterholm auf den Barrikaden kämpfen sehen und die Reise ins britische Empire auf sich nehmen möchte, aber nicht unbedingt ein Vermögen für Tickets ausgeben will, auf www.theatremonkey.com gibt es neben Beschreibungen der verschiedenen Theater (wo man besser nicht sitzen sollte etwa) auch nützliche Tipps, um günstig an Tickets zu kommen.
Weltweit sollen mehr als 65 Millionen Menschen in 42 verschiedenen Ländern Les Misèrables in 22 verschiedenen Sprachen gesehen haben, das Musical Phänomen setzt seinen Siegeszug unaufhaltbar fort. Die Londoner Produktion nähert sich mit großen Schritten dem 30jährigen Jubiläum der Show und Cameron Mackintosh wird sich diesbezüglich mit Sicherheit wieder etwas Besonderes einfallen lassen, um das einst von Kritikern verrissene Stück hochleben zu lassen.
Mehr Infos zu Anton Zetterholm auf seiner Homepage: www.antonzetterholm.com
Anton Zetterholm auf facebook: Anton-Zetterholm-fanclub
Les Misèrables in London: lesmis.com
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