Lia Chang Photos: In Rehearsal with BD Wong at Dixon Place for Live Concert Recording of Herringbone

For 30 years, BD Wong has been obsessed with the one-man musical Herringbone, which features a book by Tom Cone, music by Skip Kennon and lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh, and was first produced in New York at Playwright’s Horizons in a memorable 1982 production starring David Rounds.

BD Wong, star of Herringbone, in rehearsal at Dixon Place in New York on May 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

BD Wong, star of Herringbone, in rehearsal at Dixon Place in New York on May 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang


Wong has headlined four critically-acclaimed productions of the ambitious musical – in which he enacts, sings and dances at least 11 characters – at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (2007), McCarter Theatre (2008), and La Jolla Playhouse (2010), all directed by Tony Award-winner Roger Rees (Nicholas Nickleby, Peter And The Starcatcher). Wong also starred in another earlier production at the American Musical Theatre Festival in 1994.

Dixon Place is presenting BD Wong’s tour-de-force performance in this difficult-to-perform musical, which is rarely revived.

 BD Wong, star of Herringbone, in rehearsal at Dixon Place in New York on May 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

BD Wong, star of Herringbone, in rehearsal at Dixon Place in New York on May 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang


Wong, best known for his Tony Award winning performance in M. Butterfly and his role in the long running hit series “Law & Order: SVU,” will appear in Herringbone to benefit Dixon Place for two performances only: Monday May 21, and Tuesday May 22, at 7:00pm. The production, which will be recorded live for a future CD release, will be Wong’s first appearance in New York of the material, timed with the 30th anniversary of the original New York production. Dixon Place is at 161A Chrystie St. (between Rivington and Delancey). Tickets and more information are available at dixonplace.org and at 212 219-0736.
Backstage at Dixon Place in New York with BD Wong, star of Herringbone on May 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Backstage at Dixon Place in New York with BD Wong, star of Herringbone on May 20, 2012. Photo by Lia Chang

Last night, before the first performance, Wong received notification that he had reached his $35,000 Kickstarter campaign goal, which will help fund the live recording of the CD. Click below to see BD Wong’s very personal message.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/484701422/bd-wong-live-concert-recording-of-the-musical-herr
I documented Wong’s astonishing performance in 2008 at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ. Do consider donating to this historical project, you’ll be glad you did.
BD Wong in Herringbone. Photo by Lia Chang

BD Wong in Herringbone. Photo by Lia Chang


Herringbone is written as a traditional two-act musical with a score of more than 14 songs and 11 characters. The conceit of a single performer enacting all of the characters underlines its theme of the human struggle to negotiate the light and dark sides within.

In the musical, set in Alabama during the Great Depression, 8-year-old George Nookin is possessed by the vengeful spirit of Lou, a jaded hoofer who was murdered by Lou’s partner in a Vaudeville act, Chicken Mosely. George’s parents, Arthur and Louise, are torn asunder by George’s astonishing new ability to sing and dance, shlepping across the country as Lou seduces them into believing that exploiting George’s newfound talent is the family’s ticket on the train out of hard times. Wong plays George, Lou, Mosely, Arthur, Louise, as well as George’s Grandmother, a floozie hotel clerk, and a host of other supporting characters.

Reprising their work on this project from the Williamstown Theatre Festival, McCarter Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse productions are Darren Lee (choreography), Dan Lipton (music direction), Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg (sound design), and William Ivey Long (costumes).

BD Wong won the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Clarence Derwent, Theater World and Tony Awards for his performance in M. BUTTERFLY. He has appeared in more than 20 films and on television in six seasons of HBO’s “OZ,” eleven seasons of “LAW & ORDER: SVU,” and the inaugural season of the critically-acclaimed NBC drama “AWAKE”.

ABOUT DIXON PLACE
Dixon Place is a non-profit organization founded in 1986 to provide a space for literary and performing artists to create and develop new works in front of a live audience. While other venues of its kind have since died off, or now only present established artists, Dixon Place remains at the heart of the New York experimental performance scene. Taking risks is crucial to the life of Dixon Place, its artists and audiences. Dixon Place’s primary commitments are to bring artists and audiences together through live performance in
order to expand the understanding of the creative process and its final product, and to provide a supportive environment for emerging artists to present new work. Over the last twenty-five years, Dixon Place has successfully maintained its intimate atmosphere and unique environment while increasing its programming to fulfill the need for performance opportunities for the New York community of performing and literary artists.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
BD Wong Creates Kickstarter Campaign for his Live Concert Recording of HERRINGBONE, to be performed May 21-22 as a Benefit for Dixon Place
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
BD Wong to Star in Live Concert Recording of HERRINGBONE for Two Nights Only as a Benefit for Dixon Place, May 21-22
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Oskar Eustis, BD Wong, Brian d’Arcy James, Francis Jue, Jennifer Lim and Leigh Silverman at WNYC’s The Greene Space

Photos: BD Wong, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Tom Viola at “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Tony award-winning actor BD Wong stars in NBC’s Awake; video preview and interview
Herringbone is BD Wong’s Tour de Force
Click here for more BD Wong articles.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

BD Wong Creates Kickstarter Campaign for his Live Concert Recording of HERRINGBONE, to be performed May 21-22 as a Benefit for Dixon Place

For 30 years, BD Wong has been obsessed with the one-man musical Herringbone, which features a book by Tom Cone, music by Skip Kennon and lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh, and was first produced in New York at Playwright’s Horizons in a memorable 1982 production starring David Rounds.

BD Wong (photo by Lia Chang)

BD Wong (photo by Lia Chang)

Wong has headlined four critically-acclaimed productions of the ambitious musical – in which he enacts, sings and dances at least 11 characters – at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (2007), McCarter Theatre (2008), and La Jolla Playhouse (2010), all directed by Tony Award-winner Roger Rees (Nicholas Nickleby, Peter And The Starcatcher). Wong also starred in another earlier production at the American Musical Theatre Festival in 1994.

Dixon Place is presenting BD Wong’s tour-de-force performance in this difficult-to-perform musical, which is rarely revived.

BD Wong in Herringbone. Photo by Lia Chang

BD Wong in Herringbone. Photo by Lia Chang


Wong, best known for his Tony Award winning performance in M. Butterfly and his role in the long running hit series “Law & Order: SVU,” will appear in Herringbone to benefit Dixon Place for two performances only: Monday May 21, and Tuesday May 22, at 7:00pm. The production, which will be recorded live for a future CD release, will be Wong’s first appearance in New York of the material, timed with the 30th anniversary of the original New York production. Dixon Place is at 161A Chrystie St. (between Rivington and Delancey). Tickets and more information are available at dixonplace.org and at 212 219-0736.

Wong has also created a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the live recording of the CD. His goal for funding is $35.000, and to date he has received over $11,000 in pledges. This project will only be funded if at least $35,000 is pledged by Tuesday, May 22, 7:00 pm EDT. Click below to see BD Wong’s very personal message.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/484701422/bd-wong-live-concert-recording-of-the-musical-herr
I documented Wong’s astonishing performance in 2008 at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ. Do consider donating to this historical project, you’ll be glad you did.

BD Wong stars in Herringbone at Dixon Place in New York on May 21 and May 22. Photo by Lia Chang


Herringbone is written as a traditional two-act musical with a score of more than 14 songs and 11 characters. The conceit of a single performer enacting all of the characters underlines its theme of the human struggle to negotiate the light and dark sides within.

In the musical, set in Alabama during the Great Depression, 8-year-old George Nookin is possessed by the vengeful spirit of Lou, a jaded hoofer who was murdered by Lou’s partner in a Vaudeville act, Chicken Mosely. George’s parents, Arthur and Louise, are torn asunder by George’s astonishing new ability to sing and dance, shlepping across the country as Lou seduces them into believing that exploiting George’s newfound talent is the family’s ticket on the train out of hard times. Wong plays George, Lou, Mosely, Arthur, Louise, as well as George’s Grandmother, a floozie hotel clerk, and a host of other supporting characters.

Reprising their work on this project from the Williamstown Theatre Festival, McCarter Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse productions are Darren Lee (choreography), Dan Lipton (music direction), Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg (sound design), and William Ivey Long (costumes).

BD Wong stars in Herringbone at Dixon Place in New York on May 21 and May 22. Photo by Lia Chang


BD Wong won the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Clarence Derwent, Theater World and Tony Awards for his performance in M. BUTTERFLY. He has appeared in more than 20 films and on television in six seasons of HBO’s “OZ,” eleven seasons of “LAW & ORDER: SVU,” and the inaugural season of the critically-acclaimed NBC drama “AWAKE” (currently airing).

ABOUT DIXON PLACE
Dixon Place is a non-profit organization founded in 1986 to provide a space for literary and performing artists to create and develop new works in front of a live audience. While other venues of its kind have since died off, or now only present established artists, Dixon Place remains at the heart of the New York experimental performance scene. Taking risks is crucial to the life of Dixon Place, its artists and audiences. Dixon Place’s primary commitments are to bring artists and audiences together through live performance in
order to expand the understanding of the creative process and its final product, and to provide a supportive environment for emerging artists to present new work. Over the last twenty-five years, Dixon Place has successfully maintained its intimate atmosphere and unique environment while increasing its programming to fulfill the need for performance opportunities for the New York community of performing and literary artists.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Performing Arts Images from the Asian American Pacific Islander Collection on Display at the Library of Congress to Celebrate APA Heritage Month
BD Wong to Star in Live Concert Recording of HERRINGBONE for Two Nights Only as a Benefit for Dixon Place, May 21-22
Photos: David Henry Hwang, Oskar Eustis, BD Wong, Brian d’Arcy James, Francis Jue, Jennifer Lim and Leigh Silverman at WNYC’s The Greene Space

Photos: BD Wong, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Tom Viola at “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Tony award-winning actor BD Wong stars in NBC’s Awake; video preview and interview
Herringbone is BD Wong’s Tour de Force
Click here for more BD Wong articles.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Gwynne Chow Tuan, Ben and Emily Huh of Cheezburger Network, Aasif Mandvi of The Daily Show, Chad Troutwine of Veritas Prep and Dr. Alexander Tsui to receive 2012 APEX Inspiration Awards in New York on May 2, 2012

Gwynne Chow Tuan

Gwynne Chow Tuan

On Wednesday, May 2, 2012, MSNBC anchor Richard Lui and actor BD Wong (“Awake”, “Law & Order SVU”) will co-emcee APEX’s 20th Anniversary Inspiration Awards Gala Dinner celebrating role models in the Asian-American community and APEX’s crucial work with underserved, inner-city youth, at Capitale, 130 Bowery in New York City from 6:30pm – 10pm.

The 2012 Inspiration Awards will be presented to Ben and Emily Huh of Cheezburger Network, Aasif Mandvi of “The Daily Show,” Chad Troutwine of Veritas Prep, Dr. Alexander Tsui, and fundraiser Gwynne Chow Tuan.

APEX enables underserved children from Asian American communities in New York City to become well-rounded, productive members of society through programs that meet their academic, social and personal needs. The honorees for the evening have demonstrated an equal commitment to serving the Asian American community.

APEX was founded in 1992 and today serves more than 200 youth from almost 50 public schools, and provides over 6,000 hours of volunteer service a year within New York City’s five boroughs. The youth can participate in a variety of after-school programs that build academic skills to help them overcome achievement gaps, engage them in a larger community, and instill a lifelong commitment to volunteerism and service. These programs address a population that is often assumed to be well positioned for success. However, one in four Asian American youths live in poverty, one out of three do not graduate high school on time or graduate at all, and 65 percent in high-need areas are not college or career-ready upon graduation. Despite these statistics, only one percent of New York City’s social service budget and foundation grants to New York charities go toward organizations focused on Asian American communities. APEX’s programs fill the void of the underserved in this community and young people who complete its programs have a 99% college attendance rate. After 20 years, APEX’s youth alumni number in the thousands..

2012 Inspiration Award Honorees

Gwynne Chow Tuan, Fundraiser
Born in Shanghai, Gwynne moved to Washington, D.C., in 1949 with her family. During her 30-year professional career, she was a development executive for Regional Plan Association, St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center, Asian American Federation and China Institute in America and the development director for the Committee of 100′s. Additionally, Gwynne volunteered extensively in the Asian American community through the Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Renwen Society and helped to raise critical millions that enabled the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), a small, grassroots community museum in Chinatown that tells the vital story of the Chinese diaspora and more than 160-year history of the Chinese in America.

Ben and Emily Huh, Co-founders of Cheezburger Network
In 2007, Ben and Emily Huh started Cheezburger, one of the largest online humor publishers in the world where millions of people come every month to get their 5-minutes of happiness. Cheezburger counts a passionate fan base of 25 million people who upload more than 500,000 pictures and videos as well as view 500 million pages and 110 million videos each month.

Aasif Mandvi, Actor, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”
Aasif Mandvi is an Indian-American actor who is currently a correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Aasif’s other television credits include “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Sex and the City,” “Sleeper Cell,” “The Sopranos,” and “OZ,” among others. His film credits include The Proposal, Spiderman 2, Analyze This, It’s Kind of a Funny Story, and M. Night Shyamalan’s The Last Airbender. Aasif received the 1999 OBIE award for his critically acclaimed play, Sakina’s Restaurant, which was performed and conceived by Aasif as a one man show and inspired his feature film, Today’s Special, which he co-wrote and stars.

Chad Troutwine, Co-founder and CEO of Veritas Prep, Producer, “Freakonomics”
Chad Troutwine is a decorated entrepreneur, trained attorney, and education pioneer. He is the co- founder and CEO of Veritas Prep, the largest privately-owned GMAT preparation and graduate school admissions consulting company in the world. Chad is also the co- founder of Spectrum Station, one of the Midwest’s largest early childhood education centers. Since 2003, Chad has produced ten feature films starring more than a dozen Academy Award winning actors and directors. He is also the co-founder of Freakonomics Media, a digital partnership with author Stephen Dubner and economist Steven Levitt.

Alexander Tsui, DMD, Founder of APEX
Dr. Alexander Tsui served as Founding President of APEX from 1992 through 2007. Along with four others, Alex laid the groundwork to start the organization that would become APEX in 1991. Alex maintains a private practice in New York City with an emphasis on restorative and cosmetic dentistry. His professional career has included teaching positions, extensive continuing education, and published articles. Continuing to dedicate much of his time to the community that he works and lives in, Alex has been recognized over the years for his work by the media and community organizations. He is currently a member of the Multicultural Advisory Committee at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Visiting Faculty at Spear Education, a continuing dental education center.

For more information about the Inspiration Awards Gala Dinner or APEX’s work with undeserved youth please visit www.apex-ny.org.

Other articles by Lia Chang:
BD Wong to Star in Live Concert Recording of HERRINGBONE for Two Nights Only as a Benefit for Dixon Place, May 21-22
WNYC’s The Greene Space presents “An Evening with David Henry Hwang” featuring Oskar Eustis, Brian d’Arcy James, BD Wong, Jennifer Lim, Francis Jue on May 7, 2012
Filmmaker Justin Lin Acquires Film Rights to David Henry Hwang’s Critically Acclaimed Broadway Comedy Chinglish
Emmy Award Winner Richard Thomas Hosts Give Kids a Shot! National Meningitis Association Gala 2012 at the New York Athletic Club
Photos: BD Wong, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Tom Viola at “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
David Henry Hwang Set as Signature Theatre’s Residency One Playwright for the 2012-2013 Season
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (3pm) with Andre Bishop, Mary Beth Hurt, Jennifer Lim, Angela Lin, Philip Kan Gotanda, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Richard Thomas, Jay O. Sanders, and more
Photos: Highlights of Shinsai: Theaters for Japan (8pm) with Oskar Eustis, Patti LuPone, Lisa Emery, Ann Harada, Paolo Montalban, Thom Sesma, Sab Shimono, Henry Stram, Richard Thomas, John Weidman and more
Photos: Yellow Fever Playwright Rick Shiomi Explores New Territory with An All-Female Cast
Photos: AALDEF 2012 Justice in Action Honorees Parkin Lee, Jean Koh Peters and Fareed Zakaria
Photos: David Henry Hwang, John C. Whitehead, Mayor Michael Bloomberg at Asia Society Awards Dinner in New York
OCA Awards Gala Photos: David Henry Hwang, Tamlyn Tomita, BD Wong, Dr. Bobby Fong & Tammy Duckworth
Photos: “How To Succeed” stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Hemingway and John Larroquette at Lord & Taylor for Windows Unveiling
Multimedia: Promises, Promises’ Stars Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes at Lord & Taylor Fifth Ave
Broadwayworld.com Photo Flash: Library of Congress’ IN REHEARSAL Exhibit
Photos: David Duchovny, John Earl Jelks, Amanda Peet, Tracee Chimo at Opening Night Party of Neil LaBute’s Break of Noon
Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang (Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography)

Lia Chang (Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography)

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

BD Wong to Star in Live Concert Recording of HERRINGBONE for Two Nights Only as a Benefit for Dixon Place, May 21-22


Dixon Place is proud to present BD Wong’s tour-de-force performance in the one-man musical Herringbone. Wong, best known for his Tony Award winning performance in M. Butterfly and his role in the long running hit series “Law & Order: SVU,” will appear in Herringbone to benefit Dixon Place for two performances only: Monday May 21, and Tuesday May 22, at 7:00pm. Dixon Place is at 161A Chrystie St. (between Rivington and Delancey). The production will be recorded live for a future CD release. Tickets and more information are available at dixonplace.org and at 212 219-0736.

BD Wong

BD Wong


BD Wong in Herringbone. Photo by Lia Chang

BD Wong in Herringbone. Photo by Lia Chang


Wong has headlined four critically-acclaimed productions of the ambitious musical – in which he enacts, sings and dances at least 11 characters – at the Williamstown Theatre Festival (2007), McCarter Theatre (2009), and La Jolla Playhouse (2010), all directed by Tony Award-winner Roger Rees (Nicholas Nickleby, Peter And The Starcatcher). Wong also starred in another earlier production at the American Musical Theatre Festival in 1994.

Herringbone, with a book by Tom Cone, music by Skip Kennon and lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh, was first produced in New York at Playwright’s Horizons in a memorable 1982 production starring David Rounds. The difficult-to-perform musical is rarely revived, and this concert (to be recorded live for future release as a CD), will be BD Wong’s first appearance in New York of the material, timed with the 30th Anniversary of the original New York production.

BD Wong stars in Herringbone at Dixon Place in New York on May 21 and May 22. Photo by Lia Chang


Herringbone is written as a traditional two-act musical with a score of more than 14 songs and 11 characters. The conceit of a single performer enacting all of the characters underlines its theme of the human struggle to negotiate the light and dark sides within.

In the musical, set in Alabama during the Great Depression, 8-year-old George Nookin is possessed by the vengeful spirit of Lou, a jaded hoofer who was murdered by Lou’s partner in a Vaudeville act, Chicken Mosely. George’s parents, Arthur and Louise, are torn asunder by George’s astonishing new ability to sing and dance, shlepping across the country as Lou seduces them into believing that exploiting George’s newfound talent is the family’s ticket on the train out of hard times. Wong plays George, Lou, Mosely, Arthur, Louise, as well as George’s Grandmother, a floozie hotel clerk, and a host of other supporting characters.

Reprising their work on this project from the Williamstown Theatre Festival, McCarter Theatre and La Jolla Playhouse productions are Darren Lee (choreography), Dan Lipton (music direction), Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg (sound design), and William Ivey Long (costumes).

BD Wong stars in Herringbone at Dixon Place in New York on May 21 and May 22. Photo by Lia Chang


BD Wong won the Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Clarence Derwent, Theater World and Tony Awards for his performance in M. BUTTERFLY. He has appeared in more than 20 films and on television in six seasons of HBO’s “OZ,” eleven seasons of “LAW & ORDER: SVU,” and the inaugural season of the critically-acclaimed NBC drama “AWAKE” (currently airing).

ABOUT DIXON PLACE
Dixon Place is a non-profit organization founded in 1986 to provide a space for literary and performing artists to create and develop new works in front of a live audience. While other venues of its kind have since died off, or now only present established artists, Dixon Place remains at the heart of the New York experimental performance scene. Taking risks is crucial to the life of Dixon Place, its artists and audiences. Dixon Place’s primary commitments are to bring artists and audiences together through live performance in
order to expand the understanding of the creative process and its final product, and to provide a supportive environment for emerging artists to present new work. Over the last twenty-five years, Dixon Place has successfully maintained its intimate atmosphere and unique environment while increasing its programming to fulfill the need for performance opportunities for the New York community of performing and literary artists.

Other Articles by Lia Chang:
Photos: BD Wong, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Tom Viola at “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Photos: BD Wong in Rehearsal for “Passing It On: An Evening of Mentorship to Benefit Rosie’s Theater Kids”
Tony award-winning actor BD Wong stars in NBC’s Awake; video preview and interview
Herringbone is BD Wong’s Tour de Force
Click here for more BD Wong articles.

Click here for the Lia Chang Articles Archive and here for the Lia Chang Photography Website.

Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.
All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2012 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com

Lia Chang: Up Close and Personal with Darren Pettie, Star of The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore

Darren Pettie Photo by Lia Chang

Darren Pettie Photo by Lia Chang

“The early Sixties have been good to me lately,” said Darren Pettie, whose diverse roles circa 1960′s include his turn as Lucky Strike scion Lee Garner, Jr. in several episodes of the AMC TV series “Mad Men”; as James in Atlantic Theater Company’s Off-Broadway production of Harold Pinter’s The Collection penned in 1961; and as Christopher Flanders in the Roundabout Theatre Company’s current production of Tennessee Williams’ The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore, with Olympia Dukakis, set in 1962.

Erik Haagensen of Backstage.com describes Christopher Flanders as a “former poet, aging pretty boy, and professional houseguest,” and notes, “as Chris, Darren Pettie is properly fraying at the edges, an intriguing mix of calculation, sympathy, arrogance, and sexual magnetism.”

Williams’ haunting drama takes place in Flora Goforth’s picturesque Italian mountaintop home, where the wealthy American widow, in denial over her impending demise, has sequestered herself from the world in order to write her memoirs. Pettie’s character is a handsome and mysterious young poet who arrives without warning to keep Flora company in her final hours. It is a dreamlike play that blossoms into a fascinating meditation on life and death.

Maggie Lacey as Blackie and Darren Pettie as Christopher Flanders in The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore. Photo by Joan Marcus

Maggie Lacey as Blackie and Darren Pettie as Christopher Flanders in The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore. Photo by Joan Marcus

For Pettie, everything about Chris is a contradiction.

“Those are the things I love to play, opposing sides, he said. “Chris has a creative side, he makes mobiles, and he was a poet. He had this one book published. With Mrs. Ferguson, he was introduced to this jet set world. He comes from a humble background, has been a gigolo and a ski instructor, and is just trying to survive.”

Director Michael Wilson suggested that Pettie play against the mystical aspect.

Pettie shared, “Chris had the experience where he walked to Baja, connected with a Hindu teacher and helped him die out of a sense of compassion. He walks this line: Am I good? Am I an opportunist? Every time he hears the ocean crash, the boom is like this ohm, the sound of the universe. He’s being reminded of the spiritual nature of the work that he’s there to do. She keeps dragging him back into the physical world, because of his hunger, tempting him with the food, the sex. He’s willing to do all of these things at different points, but the sounds of the ocean keep dragging him back. In his experience with Mrs. Goforth, he finally does realize that he is here to help her with dignity and acceptance. Tennessee does this with all of his characters, he shows their humanity. We’re full of light and darkness, yin and yang. There’s a little bit of that in all of us.”

The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore began performances on January 7th at the Laura Pels Theatre, at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, 111. W. 46th St in New York and has been extended until April 10th. Maggie Lacey, Edward Hibbert, Curtis Billings and Amanda Tudor round out the cast of this production of Milk Train, which is actually a compilation of different drafts woven together by director Michael Wilson.

“That’s been thrilling because it’s been like working on a new Tennessee Williams play,” said Pettie. “Yesterday was Tennessee Williams birthday. Milk Train is a play he loved. I’m glad to be doing this play because I feel he would be happy to know that not only are they still doing the plays that were his greatest hits, that even these plays that didn’t do so well are being produced. It ‘s like when you are working on a new play and writers come in with new pages. That’s what was happening during our rehearsal process.”

Atlantic Theater Companys production of Harold Pinter’s The Collection. (l-r) Matt McGrath, Darren Pettie and Larry Bryggman Photo by Ari Mintz

Atlantic Theater Company's production of Harold Pinter’s The Collection. (l-r) Matt McGrath, Darren Pettie and Larry Bryggman Photo by Ari Mintz


I caught up with the Alabama native after his Sunday matinee of Milk Train, to talk about his path to becoming an actor, what it’s like to play with Olympia Dukakis, and the phenomenon of “Mad Men”.

From Desert Storm to Juilliard
Pettie joined the Navy fresh out of high school and was stationed in Norfolk, VA, aboard the USS Guam. For someone who had never ventured out of the South – the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm, Yugoslavia, Bosnia, the Adriatic Sea, the Mediterranean -were parts of the world that he traversed during his tour of duty from 1989-1993.

“It was while I was in the Navy that I started thinking about being an actor,” he said. “In Alabama, we had no arts programs. We had a teacher who came from a bigger town who started a drama class that I took and I really liked it. But I had no clue as to what you did. I figured you went to New York or LA.”

He was living in LA and taking acting courses at Santa Monica College when his teacher suggested he audition for Juilliard, to be classically trained. He auditioned in San Francisco and got in.

“I was a little older than the other students who were auditioning, I was lucky,” he recalled. “I turned 27 the month before class started.”

Darren Pettie and Mia Barron as Bill and Hillary Clinton in New Georges' production of Wendy Weiner's "Hillary: A Modern Greek Tragedy With a (Somewhat) Happy Ending," directed by Julie Kramer at The Living Theater in New York.  Photo credit: Jim Baldassare

Darren Pettie and Mia Barron as Bill and Hillary Clinton in New Georges' production of Wendy Weiner's "Hillary: A Modern Greek Tragedy With a (Somewhat) Happy Ending," directed by Julie Kramer at The Living Theater in New York. Photo credit: Jim Baldassare

Since graduating in 1996 from Juilliard, Pettie has kept busy with film, television and theater projects. He made his Broadway debut as Reg Nuttall in Simon Gray’s Butley opposite Nathan Lane. Off-Broadway, he appeared in This and Spatter Pattern at Playwrights Horizons, Hillary, A Modern Greek Tragedy with a Somewhat Happy Ending at New Georges, Terrence McNally’s Dedication or the Stuff of Dreams at Primary Stages, Hobson’s Choice at the Atlantic Theater, Unwrap Your Candy at the Vineyard Theater, Measure for Measure at NYSF. Regionally, he’s worked on How the Other Half Loves (Westport), Don’t Dress for Dinner (Royal George), The Cry of the Reed (Huntington), The Taming of the Shrew (Commonwealth Shakespeare Co.), Dedication or the Stuff of Dreams (WTF), The Shatter Hand Massacre (Berliner Festspiele).

In Ang Lee’s indie film Taking Woodstock, he plays a carpenter named Paul, a sweet guy who is easy with his sexuality, but not gay in his demeanor. Other film credits include The International, Four Single Fathers, and Ghost Town. He has guest starred on the TV shows “Numb3rs,” “CSI,” “Crossing Jordan,” “Brothers and Sisters,” “Line of Fire,” “Charmed,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Without a Trace,” and “Gossip Girl.”

Roundabout Theatre Company’s The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore (l-r) Olympia Dukakis and Darren Pettie Photo credit: Joan Marcus, 2011

Roundabout Theatre Company’s The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore (l-r) Olympia Dukakis and Darren Pettie Photo credit: Joan Marcus, 2011

It has been an amazing ride on this Milk Train for Pettie.

“Working with Olympia is great,” he shared. “As actors, we’re always trying to feel validated in some way, that we are meant to be doing this. Olympia and I have scenes where we really go at it. When you get to work with someone of that nature, it makes you feel like you belong. I love to do it, and not just with her, but also with Gordana (Rashovich), with Maggie (Lacey), with Edward (Hibbert). Olympia is there to play. If you are having an inspired night, and you’re amped, she takes it and responds in kind. She does the same thing to you and if you are ready, it’s a thrilling experience. I am up here with her and we’re feeding off each other. We had a really good week this week, where we felt the show took a turn. She said this to me an hour ago, after the scene when she dies. That’s the best.”

When Pettie first read the play, he zeroed in on the Beat poets, as the poets that Chris Flanders would be influenced by.

“They were the first American poets that I really knew of – Jack Kerouac, Gary Snyder, Alan Ginsberg - who started to study Hinduism and Buddhism,” he said. “Later on, when the Beatles did it, it became very trendy, but this is 1962. Jack Kerouac was writing The Dharma Bums and talking about Eastern philosophies. Gary Snyder lived in Japan. Those guys were not ethereal, they were flesh and blood men, dusty, and on the road. That was the book that young men went crazy for. I read all of those guys when I was in my early 20’s. That’s how I pictured him. In the opening of one of the versions of this play (there’s a few different drafts that Tennessee wrote), he describes Chris as a prize fighter, like he’s fought one too many rounds, weary, almost deranged looking. These guys were poets.”

The “Mad Men” Season 4 DVD just came out, with Lucky Strike scion Lee Garner, Jr. figuring prominently in the “Christmas Comes But Once A Year” and the “Hands and Knees” episodes. As portrayed by Pettie, Lee Garner, Jr. is a character that viewers love, and love to hate.

“I’m surprised that I’m so associated with this show,” he said. “I’ve only done four episodes for a show that has been running for four years. The character is pretty central to what is going on. I went in to audition for the pilot, which was just a one day thing and got the part. All I’d read was the one scene. I didn’t know anything else about it.”

“This is what is so funny about acting to me,” he mused. “I’ve done more work on Chris Flanders than I ever did on Lee Garner, Jr., but Lee Garner, Jr. is a character that people have really responded to. Since I’m from the South, I put in that old school North Carolina accent. With “Mad Men,” the writing is so good, the wardrobe department and the design element is incredible. They put you in those clothes, which are so specific. They gave me a lighter that they thought Lee Garner would use, because it is a very expensive lighter. The cuff links, the rings, certain tie clips, the hair. And you don’t have to do any work. I gave him a little swagger. They wanted to bring me back for another episode that first season, but I had already planned my trip to China. The show aired while I was in China. I came back and it was a hit. I met some of the writers when they brought me back for the third season, who told me how much they loved writing for my character.”

Even with his hectic acting career, Pettie manages to have a new cultural experience every year. In 2008, he visited China for the first time.

“I got a sense of living in Beijing for a few weeks while staying at my friend’s place, whom I have known since I was 13 years old,” he said. “He was working during the day, so I hung out with him at night. I’d take off and go to The Forbidden City. My favorite thing to do was to go to the Hutong. I could spend time in those Hutong areas for days and never get bored. That was magic to me. There’s a street, lined with cherry blossoms, that borders the Forbidden City. I would go into the tea shop and people would talk to me. It’s fascinating, because being there with my buddy that lived there, I got to meet a lot of Chinese people that I would not have met if I was just a tourist. They were very open. You get the sense of what’s happening- the global shift and the creative burst that’s going on in cities like Beijing and Shanghai. People are coming from other parts of the world to live there. I was amazed to go out at night and see all of those restaurants packed. It had the same buzz as New York.”

TICKET INFORMATION:
The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore has performances at the Laura Pels Theatre, at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre, 111. W. 46th St in New York through April 10th. Tickets are $71.00 – $81.00, and are available by calling Roundabout Ticket Services at (212)719-1300, online at www.roundabouttheatre.org or at the Laura Pels Box Office (111 West 46th St.).

Through April 3, 2011
Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30pm, Wed, Sat & Sun Matinees at 2pm
Ms. Dukakis will not be performing Wednesday evening performances through 3/30/11. For these performances, Gordana Rashovich will perform the role of Flora Goforth.

April 5 – 10, 2011
Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30pm
Sun Matinee at 2pm

Laura Pels Theatre
Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center for Theatre
111. W. 46th St.
New York

Click below to see Darren Pettie in Voll-Damm 2010, a beer commercial he shot in Barcelona for Spanish TV.


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All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at liachangpr@gmail.com.

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Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography

Lia Chang. Photo by Brianne Michelle Photography


Lia Chang is an actor, a performance and fine art botanical photographer, and an award-winning multi-platform journalist.

All text, graphics, articles & photographs: © 2000-2011 Lia Chang Multimedia. All rights reserved. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Lia Chang. You may not alter or remove any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content. For permission, please contact Lia at lia@backstagepasswithliachang.com.

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