Helen Hayes Award-Winning Actor Kevin S. McAllister will direct Young Artists of America’s spring production of AIDA on April 3 at Strathmore’s Music Center (tickets on sale 3/14). We caught up with this Broadway (Come From Away, Caroline or Change) superstar to talk about his love for theatre, how he got started, and what he’s most excited about for this production.
Theatre is the culmination of so many people coming together to make, what appears to be, magic happen.
How did you become a theater director?
I’ve always been fascinated by how many people it takes to make one thing happen. Theatre is the culmination of so many people coming together to make, what appears to be, magic happen. As a young actor, I became really enthralled by the tech process when all the costumes, lights, sound, props, and choreography all come together for the first time. I remember sitting in the back of the house and watching Toby Orenstein and Daniel McDonald, Co-Directors of my first professional show, Ragtime, balancing all the questions coming their way. They made good decisions. They made bad decisions and then immediately changed them but all of it came together to make a most beautiful production that everyone who worked on it was so proud of.
After that production I went to Toby Orenstein and asked her to teach me everything she knew about directing. She agreed to be my mentor. She brought me on to teach at her Teen Professional Camp and I was her assistant on an original production of The Phantom of the Opera. It was great. I learned a lot. I did a lot. It changed my life. I was hired to direct on my own for the next five years and went on to direct many mainstage shows. From then on, I was hooked and many years later I find myself here with the amazing talent at YAA.
What's been your favorite thing you've directed?
This is a hard question to answer. I come away with favorite moments from every show I’ve directed. If I have to choose, I would have to say a production of Dreamgirls I directed with my company, ArtsCentric in Baltimore. It’s a true favorite because it was set in a blackbox space that should not have been able to handle a mammoth show like Dreamgirls. It was a huge challenge for me as a director but it was such a hit that it ran for almost two months. It really upped my belief in the idea that anything is possible and whenever I’m presented with something that seems almost impossible, I get really excited because I know our entire team will be super proud when we figure it out.
What made you decide to direct AIDA for YAA? What is it about the musical that interests you most?
What’s not to love about YAA? There’s years of commitment to the advancement of young artistry; true artists of all ages with a real commitment to learning and teaching the foundations of great artistry…It doesn’t get any better. Whatever the show offered, I would have said yes. It just so happens that it’s Aida, a show I’ve directed five other times.
Honestly, I’m a huge fan of the three humongously flawed characters that make up this narrative, Aida, Radames, and Amneris. They all want to be loved by the others in an extreme way. Each of them controls a nation and yet still battles with self and moral duty over commitment to their people. It’s an almost impossible decision for anyone to make and yet each of them owns their choices. They each love and lose with the whole heart. It’s epic. So, I come back to direct it time after time because there’s always something new to learn. There’s always a new layer to the piece that I, the director, can discover as well. It’s just really touching and I never grow tired of it.
What is it like working with YAA students and faculty compared with professionals?
There’s truly no difference between the work being done at YAA and working with professionals. If anything, there is more work and preparation and work being done here than by some professionals. YAA is filled with people excited to create. It is filled with young minds who are not doing this to pay their bills. It is filled with people who want to be there, who want to create something magical, and bring their best selves to every rehearsal. Don’t get me wrong, there are several professionals who do the same thing. I just think over time we professionals fall into the machine that is auditioning, getting hired, and then doing the work. If we are lucky that machine never stops but for most there are breaks and instead of refreshing and building on our skills during our downtime we relax or become complacent and hope that our previous work ethic is good enough to compete in an ever changing market. With YAA you meet young people who haven’t yet ventured into the world of full-time professional artistry so their commitment is because they want to be there. It is an institution that brings them joy so they choose to be there. They choose to work on their artistry in their downtime because it is an investment in their artistic future. I enjoy the atmosphere here so much. It’s refreshing. Working with so many amazing young talents reminds me that the highest standards of artistry will be maintained and pushed even higher once this class of young professionals take over.
Tell us more about the music of AIDA. What makes it different from other musicals you've done?
Aida is Pop/Rock musical with an eclectic mix of some of Elton John’s best musical theatre compositions. Easy As Life is an audition staple in the theatre community. Everyone knows it. When sung well it is a beautiful composite of great storytelling and melodies that kinda stay with you after the show is over.
I think this musical is different from other musicals because of the lyrics. Tim Rice, the lyricist, has written lyrics that require thought. There’s no easy answer to any of the songs. There’s no one way to sing them. They are layered pieces. Many musicals offer the easy when sining. I’m sad so I’l say I’m sad but this body of work asks the artist and the audience to understand that emotions are made of so many things. Anger can be made up of so many things like sadness, shock, embarassment or pride. Elton John and Tim Rice combine all of these ingredients to make a beautiful recipe book of songs.
What are you most looking forward to for the show?
I’m most looking forward to seeing the audience’s reaction to the pride and power of this amazing company. Nothing thrills me more than sitting in the back of the house watching a parent see their child do something for the first time; sing that first solo; tackle the choreography; make a confident acting choice. It’s unlike anything else when you see a group of people come together and celebrate the work of so many. Theatre is not something a director should create for himself. If done well it should be created with everyone aspect of the production. The actors, costumes, the lights, the props, the orchestra, the singing, the staging have all come together to create these two hours. There’s no greater thrill than sharing that with others. It just happens to be an even more exciting thing when it’s presented to a parent.
How has theater changed from COVID? Where did you see theater going from here?
I think is trying to be a little more responsible with stories that are being told and how they are being told. Theatre is trying to produce stories that they feel need to be told at this point in our society. COVID has caused everyone to ask themselves, “Do I really need to do that?”, if the answer is no, we stay home, we refund our ticket and we get under the covers. So, theatre is now meeting some people by only having partially full audiences. Some theatres are streaming shows on their website for those who just don’t feel comfortable leaving their home. It’s a new world and despite it’s many changes theatre has been here since the beginning of time. I don’t see it going anywhere. Storytellers will always find new and inventive ways to share their narratives. It’s a constant thread in the fabric of every culture. So, I don’t think much will change other than the expansion of how to reach those who do not feel safe coming indoors right now. Theatre will always find a way. Always has, always will.
Tickets available 3/14