Spotlight On: Duane Campbell
Connecticut Theatre Company’s “Spotlight On…” series continues with a look into our talented cast and crew of Sondheim on Sondheim. Get to know Duane Campbell!
Introduce Yourself to Our Audience:
What has been your favorite role so far in your career?
My favorite role so far has been Edna in Hairspray. It was super challenging, but so much fun and I have many wonderful memories from the production.
If you had a magic wand, what show would you do next?
I’d love to do Sunday in the Park with George (either directing or joining in the fun on stage).
When did you first perform?
I played the role of Grumpy in an elementary school production of “Adventures in Storybookland”. While I always enjoyed theatre, I didn’t get involved after that until my 20s when I was encouraged to audition for “The Christmas Schooner” in Phoenix, AZ.
What’s going to surprise people about this production?
I think it’s a surprise how candid Sondheim is about his personal life in the interview clips.
Who’s the funniest person in the cast in real life?
Michael! He’ll surprise me with a quick quip that always makes me chuckle!
What is your favorite Stephen Sondheim show and why?
“Into the Woods”. It could just be because it was the first of his shows I was exposed to, but it’s always held a special place in my heart. I watched the PBS recording of the show so many times and grew up with the show, finding more and more to relate with as I aged and began to truly understand the lyrics.
How has Stephen Sondheim inspired you?
Sondheim has just been so present in my life. From watching his shows when I was younger to acting in several of them and directing them as well I feel like I’ve gotten to know him through his shows. Sondheim talks about the importance of teachers in the show and the people who inspired/taught him and I think of Sondheim himself in that way. He teaches us all a little more about ourselves through the power of his shows.
Sondheim on Sondheim opens on August 30th and runs through September 15th at Connecticut Theatre Company. Tickets on sale now!
“Sondheim’s words and music are, for all their intelligence and sophistication, most striking for their emotional fidelity to his characters and the universal struggles and joys informing their disparate journeys. Thus the frustrations driving Sweeney Todd’s demon barber and the gunslingers in Assassins are as eerily accessible as the romantic obsession captured in the songs Losing My Mind and Not a Day Goes By.” – Elysa Gardner, USA Today
“One sometimes wonders what the notoriously exacting Sondheim privately thinks of the many revues and revivals of his work that come along. No worry here; ‘Sondheim on Sondheim’ is engrossingly entertaining and thoroughly captivating. An enchanting, warm and provocative opportunity to hear not only Sondheim’s songs but — literally — the master’s voice.” – Steven Suskin, Variety
