I’m not going to lie, I spent all day fan-guy’ing over Adam Pascal before interviewing him. Pascal is one of Broadway’s biggest stars and a proud member of the Jewish community. He played the original Roger Davis in the smash hit “Rent” and also starred in “Aida,” “Cabaret,” “Memphis,” “Chicago” and as William Shakespeare on Broadway in “Something Rotten!”
I first saw Rent on Broadway in 1998 for my 30th birthday. By that time, Pascal had moved on from the show, but I did get the chance to see him reprise his role in 2010 when he and fellow actor Anthony Rapp toured with the National Company of “Rent.”
This past June, I was in the audience when Pascal returned to St. Louis to play two solo shows at the Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge. I guess things went well because Pascal is coming back for three more shows, October 6-8, at the same venue.
Adam Pascal In Concert
Where: Blue Strawberry, 64 N Boyle Avenue, 63108
When: October 6,7 and 8
How Much: Tickets range from $45 to $65
More Info: Visit Blue Strawberry Online.
One on One With Adam Pascal
Adam Pascal Bio
Adam Pascal was born in the Bronx and raised on Long Island. He started singing in various rock bands when he was 12, playing the local New York club scene for many years, and has been singing in bands, as a solo artist, in movies, or on the Broadway stage ever since.
In 1996, Adam tried out for the then unknown, off-Broadway production of Rent. He landed the role of Roger Davis. Adam was nominated for a 1996 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) and won a Drama League and Obie award for his performance as Roger.
The Show went on to become a worldwide success and one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. In 1997 He reprised the role of Roger (the first of several times he would do so) for the West End Premiere of Rent.
In 1998, Adam’s career expanded to the big screen in the independent film SLC Punk! In 2000, Adam was cast as Radames in Elton John and Tim Rice’s new Broadway musical Aida, for which he received a Drama League award. In May of 2000, his debut solo album, Model Prisoner, was released. Also in 2000, Adam co-produced the hit off-Broadway play Fully Committed with fellow former Rent cast member, Jesse L. Martin. The show went on to garner many awards and played to sold-out houses in New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and London.
In October 2003, Adam once again visited the Broadway stage, this time, asked to be the final Emcee in the Sam Mendes/Rob Marshall production of Cabaret at Studio 54, as part of the closing cast. Also, during that time Adam starred alongside Jack Black, as Theo, the lead singer of “No Vacancy” in 2003’s School of Rock. Finally, in 2004, Adam’s second CD, Civilian, was released in November, again on Sh-k-boom records.
In 2005, Adam reprised the role of Roger in the movie version of Rent. Adam’s journey with Rent finally came to a conclusion when in 2009, he reprised the role one last time alongside Anthony Rapp, in “Rent the Broadway Tour” which traveled all over the U.S. as well as Japan and South Korea.
In 2010/11 Adam starred as Huey Calhoun in Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical Memphis and in 2013 Adam starred as Billy Flynn in Broadway’s long-running hit Chicago. In 2015 Adam originated the role of Chad in Broadway’s Disaster.
In 2017 Adam starred as Shakespeare on Broadway and in the first national tour of the Musical Something Rotten. Most recently, onstage, he starred as Edward Lewis on Broadway in Pretty Woman and on the first National tour.
Offstage, Adam just finished directing his first production of Rent.
