Hold on to your dream
all you A1 fans!
Ben Adams stars in
Flashdance –The Musical
Flashdance
Sunderland Empire
Monday 11th - Saturday 16th September 2017
LONG before he became a pin-up as a member of 90’s boyband pop sensation
A1 and was voted ‘Smash Hits Most Fanciable Male’, Ben
Adams was head chorister at Westminster prep school. By
the time his voice broke, he’d toured Europe, recorded two
classical albums and sang for, among others, the Queen and the Pope. Fast
forward 20 years and things are no less busy for Ben who is starring in his
first stage show as Nick, the male
lead in Flashdance - The Musical.
Jude Riley talks to Ben about growing up in the public eye, preparing to
play Nick and his most embarrassing moment ever on stage.
Did
you imagine, when you were growing up, that you’d make a career for yourself in
showbiz?
It was all I ever wanted to do. I only ever wanted to be a singer; to be
a pop star, an entertainer. And the great thing about that was all the vocal
technique training, the discipline and the concerts. It trained me without me
knowing it. And thank goodness it worked out because I haven’t ever had any
other dream.
Flashdance The Musical - Photo: Brian Hartley |
Yeah, I mean I grew up in the public eye really. As soon as I’d done my
GCSEs I was launched into this massive world – and it was massive from the get-go. I think I missed out on growing up, if
I’m honest. I haven’t actually mentally progressed since I was 16; I’m a 35
year old man with a 16 year old mind! Essentially I do what I like every day.
I’ve never had a proper job, no kids, no marriage, so I’ve never had the need
to grow up. I think I’ve missed out on growing up but I’ve had a more fun life
because of it.
If
you could have a word with him, what would you say to your 17 year old self
now?
Flashdance The Musical - Photo: Brian Hartley |
Not
only did you do a stadium tour with A1 last year but you’re also a successful
music producer; your classical album, One Beautiful Mourning, went to No.1 in
the itunes charts and you’ve got a solo album coming out soon. On top of that
you’ve written a musical, Eugenius! What’s Eugenius! about?
Flashdance The Musical - Photo: Brian Hartley |
Appearing
nightly onstage in a musical can be hard work. How do you warm up before a
show?
Flashdance The Musical - Photo: Brian Hartley |
How
do you make your dressing room your ‘home from home’ when you’re on tour?
This will be the first musical theatre tour that I’ve done so I don’t
know yet. In the pop world you can put whatever you want on the rider and a
lovely person from the production team goes out and decorates your room how you
want it, gets you whatever it is you want… I don’t think it’s going to be quite
the same. I’ve been sweet-talking some of the staff but I still don’t think
it’s going to go my way! I’ll probably put my Playstation in there, some music
but I’ll probably spend as little time as possible in there. Go in, do the
show, go out and meet people at the stage door and then go home.
What
has been your most embarrassing moment onstage?
Flashdance The Musical - Photo: Brian Hartley |
What
makes you nervous, generally speaking?
Do you know what, I actually don’t get nervous. I can’t remember the
last time I was nervous. It’s absolutely fine performing in front of hundreds
of thousands of people but the thing I hate the most is when I have small
family gatherings like when my mum asks me to play the piano and sing for my
family. I absolutely hate that, I go red and I can’t bear it. It’s the worst
thing I can think of. And the other thing is that I did Strictly Come Dancing
over in Norway and I got to the
final. Now, at weddings, everybody says ‘Come on Ben, do a bit of dancing!’ and
I’m like, ‘I really can’t!!’ I only know that particular routine with that
particular dance partner for that particular song. So yeah, anything with small
numbers of people and family members, I shy away from.
Flashdance The Musical - Photo: Brian Hartley |
What’s
your favourite food?
This is really boring; it’s really generic boring American burgers.
What
are you looking forward to about playing the part of Nick?
It’s a great part, he’s the leading man, he’s got some great, well-known
songs like Maniac and What a Feeling and I Love Rock and Roll, but I get to
sing some really amazing original more Musical Theatre type songs and a lot of
ballads so I’m really looking forward to that. It’s not actually that tricky
for me to play this part because he isn’t that far away from my own
personality. I think of him like an American version of me that owns a steel
works factory – well, that’s a challenge, imagining owning a steel works
factory - but apart from that I’m just playing myself.
It’s fine. I watch as much American TV as the next person and I’ve spent
a lot of time in America. The accent I have
is very generic but I had a tutor teaching me how to pronounce some words that
Americans say and it’s more difficult than you think
because they use different parts of their mouths on certain letters, like the
‘l’s and ‘r’s. I’ve been driving my family mad talking in an accent. They say
‘Can you just be Ben now?’ and I say, ‘no, I can’t’ but it’s fun.
Can
you describe the show in three words?
It is: energetic, sexy and fun. I’d go and see that show!
And
finally, do you get to dance in Flashdance?
It’s quite sad really, there aren’t any routines for me whatsoever. This
is a really dance heavy show but I don’t get to do any routines at all. I love
dancing ever since I did the Strictly Come Dancing thing and my new album is
quite dance-orientated. But I guess I’ll just have to save my dancing for the
after parties.
Tickets available
from the Box Office on High Street West, via the ticket centre 0844 871 3022* or online from our affiliate ATG Tickets using
the banner below *calls cost up to 7p
per minute plus standard network charges. Booking and transaction fees may
apply to telephone and online bookings.
No comments:
Post a Comment