JKTS Chat: GIDEON GLICK Awakening

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Like many of you, my first encounter with Gideon Glick was when he played timid and shy Ernst in Spring Awakening.  Since then, I've had the pleasure of seeing him in both plays and musicals, including Wild Animals You Should Know and a little show called Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.  In between shows, he's been super busy with movies, concerts, red carpets and a new Internet series.  And still, he has found the time to chat with JKTS!  Here, in the first of a four part series, Gideon talks about his first big hit, Spring Awakening.



Part I: Gideon Glick Awakening

Jeff: Thanks so much for taking time do this, Gideon! Let's start by going back to the beginning.  How did you know youwanted to make acting your career?  How supportive was your family withthis monumental decision?  What kind of training/experiences did you haveto get you started?
Gideon: I always had a hunch. Film and theatre were alarge part of my upbringing. I had a lot of hobbies growing up, but acting andsinging were the only activities that I not only never tired of, but alsoexcelled at. My family was always supportive. I started acting professionallyin the Philly theatre scene (which is where I’m from) at eleven. My mom wasinstrumental in finding acting and singing lessons for me, as well asschlepping me wherever I was needed (or not needed).   

Spring Awakening meets the press

Jeff:  I had the privilege of seeing SpringAwakening very early in previews off-Broadway, and I have to say there wasan energy in that theatre/church between the cast and the audience that Ihadn't felt since the first performances of RENT almost a decade earlier. I said to my friend who was with me after the show that we had just seensomething very special.  Did you, as an individual, and as a cast, haveany idea that the show was going to be the phenomenon that it became? Wasthe audience reaction that early in the genesis of the show pretty consistent? What effect, if any, did the audience ultimately have on the changes madebefore Broadway?
Gideon:  It’s hard to be objective about anything that one isassociated with, however, I think we were all aware that we were a part ofsomething special. The audience reaction was a positive one and it was integralin bringing us to Broadway. The size of the church and uniqueness of thearchitecture were essential in creating the intimacy that the audiences felt atthe Atlantic. The same intimacy could never be replicated, however, the showwas carefully modulated in order to develop a new intimacy that could reach alarger scale. But to be honest, only in the past couple years have I becomefully conscious of the magnitude of the experience. It’s hard at that age tounderstand an experience with so little to compare it to.


Jeff:  After the show opened on Broadway, the whole castseemed like rock stars!  You guys were everywhere, which is sayingsomething, considering it hit just when social media beyond simple websitesstarted really having an impact on Broadway.  What was that media scrutinylike for you?  How did the group keep it together?  I imagine sometook to it better than others...
Gideon: Our producers, Tom Hulce and Ira Pittelman, and ourdirector, Michael Mayer, are thoughtful people. They were very protective andcreated a safe environment for us. I can only speak for myself, but is veryeasy to get caught up in the message board frenzy and the “Googling”. It’s seductiveto read what people are writing about you, however, it is entirely destructive.That show was the first experience I’ve had where I could read what people weresaying about me. I’ve been learning ever since to NOT. Investing in suchscrutiny only lets it deter the actual experience of being lucky enough to dowhat you love to do.
Jeff:  I'll never forget the Tony Awards that year (as youprobably can't, either)!  What was that whole experience like for you? How exciting was it to have the show win so many awards?  Was itdifficult to be excited when not everyone nominated won?  
Gideon: It was terribly exciting. I had never been a part ofsomething so large and so loved by a community of people before. I haven’tsince! The roar of the crowd from that evening when we won each award wasshattering. People truly responded to the show and were excited by it. Thewhole cast was sitting together, celebrating together, and mostly screamingtogether. It was a delightful evening.


Jeff:  Since then, it seems as if Spring Awakening isthe standard against which all rock musicals, and especially musicals dealingwith high school students, are compared.  Do you think that it is a validbenchmark?  Surely, you've seen some more recent shows in that genre. Having been involved in the standard bearer, how do you feel about otherrock/teen musicals?
Gideon: Spring Awakening succeeded in a lot of levels, which iswhy I do think it is a paradigm of sorts. It was able to convey youthful angstand the beauty and pain of sexual discovery successfully. I think Michael Mayeralready succeeded in replicating a different sort of angst in AmericanIdiot. I love the musical art form. I always want it to innovate and succeed. Ididn’t create Spring Awakening, I was simply fortunate enough to be a partof it, and look forward to seeing anything that is exciting or done well.
Coming Soon: Part 2: Plays and OUT Magazine
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