Dark of the Moon - Glenn Adamson Interview

In our latest Lifting The Curtain interview, Mark sat down with actor Glenn Adamson to discuss his upcoming role as John, the Witch Boy in the musical Dark of the Moon, which is set to run at the Charing Cross Theatre.

Here is a breakdown of the key points from the conversation:

The Role and Story

• The Character: John is a "witch boy" from the Appalachian Mountains who straddles the supernatural and human worlds [00:19]. He becomes infatuated with a human girl, Barbara Allen, and makes a deal to become human to be with her [00:34].
• The Struggle: The role explores the "suffering of being human" and the pain of love [01:06]. Adamson notes that the character faces immense societal pressure to conform to stereotypical masculinity [01:54], a theme that resonates with his own experiences [03:10].
• Origins: The show is based on a play from the 1930s/40s, which recently saw a resurgence in popularity after being featured in Stranger Things [04:53].

The Music

• Genre Clash: The score is a unique blend of "country folk" for the human characters and "punk rock" for the witches [07:46].
• Influences: Adamson describes the sound as reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, Green Day, and American Idiot [02:37], [08:23].
• Vocal Demand: The show is incredibly demanding; Adamson mentions that he and his co-star, Lauren Jones, have over 100 pages of music just for their two characters [14:12].

Personal Reflections

• Career Path: Adamson reflects on his history with shows like Bat Out of Hell and American Idiot [00:02]. He admits he didn't initially find his place in traditional "Golden Age" musical theatre but felt he belonged in the "rock" side of the industry after seeing Rock of Ages [15:51].
• Preparation: To prepare for the role, he has been researching old folk songs and focusing on the "physical language" of a supernatural being learning to be human [02:48].
• Connection: He values the intimacy of the Charing Cross Theatre, noting that larger venues can sometimes cause the acting to lose focus and the audience to feel disconnected [10:11].

The Message

• Escapism: Adamson hopes the show offers a sense of community for "misfits and outcasts" [18:47].
• Final Word: He describes it as a great love story that allows the audience to "hang up their worries" and escape the chaos of the world for a few hours [19:22].

Video Link: Glenn Adamson - Dark Of The Moon Interview