Minister's
Secret
What's a nice Jewish boy doing
behind that Anglican collar?
SUZANNE CHESSLER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Star of David rests
beneath the Anglican
minister's collar
worn by Daniel
Marcus, part of the
touring company
of the rock musi-
cal Tommy.
Although it
will not be
seen while he
acts out his part at the Masonic
Temple from Jan. 19-Feb. 6, the
symbolic jewelry feels special for
more than religious reasons. It
was a gift from his wife, former
Michigan resident Laura
Stanczyk.
"It tickles me no end that the
one Jewish member of this cast
is playing Tommy's clergyman,"
said Mr. Marcus, who has been
with the production since it was
organized in September.
"I refer to myself as the Jew-
ish minister. When I sign my
name on posters, I draw a head
of curly hair, a white collar and
a dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot be-
low to show I have a little Star
of David."
Actress Laura Stanczyk also
gave her husband an apprecia-
tion for the state in which she
was raised. With her family still
living in the metro area, the cou-
ple decided to have their wed-
ding in the northern locale
where she regularly spent her
summers.
"We were married on Oden Is-
land, which is near Petoskey,"
said Mr. Marcus. "Her family
has had a cottage there, and she
considers it the most beautiful
place in the world."
Because of an acting commit-
ment in New York, Ms. Stanczyk
only can join her husband during
the last week of the run here.
However, Mr. Marcus plans on
staying with in-laws and enjoy-
ing some home-cooked meals
throughout his entire visit.
"This show has been selling
out every seat, and it's always
Daniel Marcus:
fun to be in something that
Playing clergyman.
everyone's talking about," said
the actor, 38, the oldest male in
the cast.
"Ws exciting to arrive at a the-
ater and see people waiting in
lines. I know we have a hit when
guys are out front trying to sell
me tickets to a show rm in."
A scene from Tommy.
Tommy, more for-
mally known as The
Who's Tommy, cap-
tures a boy's rise to.
fame as a pinball wiz
after being left trau-
matized and physical-
ly impaired because he
has witnessed a mur-
der. It is based on the
rock opera put togeth-
er in the 1960s by the
British rock group The
Who.
"My part is not very
large, but it is very vis-
ible," said Mr. Marcus,
previously performing
in Detroit as Old
Deuteronomy in Cats.
"The minister and his
wife are the only char-
"I fell in love with Gilbert and
acters outside the family seen
Sullivan when I was 7," recalled
throughout the entire play.
Mr. Marcus, whose interest ex-
"My character represents a
panded to Broadway musicals
generation different from the
and plays.
mostly young cast and shows
Two experiences at age 16
there is somebody standing by
clinched
his decision to make
the parents during all the tra-
theater his career — acting with
vails they experience with their
a counter-cultural theater col-
son.
lective operating near his home
"Because I never listened to
outside San Francisco and being
rock music as a teen-ager, it's
captivated by a touring produc-
very easy for me to perform in
tion of Stephen Sondheim's
this play using the parallel of be-
Company.
ing in the world but not quite un-
He went on to study acting at
derstanding it."
Boston University and earned a
While Mr. Marcus grew up
bachelor of fine arts degree.
preferring songs of the Ameri-
After performing with corn-
can musical theater, two of his
munity
theater groups in Cali-
brothers became very involved
fornia, Mr. Marcus moved to
with rock 'n' roll. Greil Marcus
New York. In his first year there,
is a rock music critic and author,
he was cast in The Pirates of
and Steve Marcus runs ticket op-
on Broadway and con-
Penzance
erations for the Grateful Dead.
tinued with that show for three
years.
Roles with regional theaters,
dinner theaters, stock ensem-
bles and national touring com-
panies followed.
"I've done a lot of Jewish-re-
lated stage work," Mr. Marcus
said. "I was in the original
Broadway cast of Kuni-Leml as
well as productions of Golem,
Bar Mitzvah Boy, The Chosen
and The Rothschilds.
"My favorite role has been
Nathan Rothschild because he
is closest to things that are in my
heart. I got to deal with a lot of
interesting things about being
Jewish. As an actor, I got to play
what I'd like to be — a very tal-
ented and attractive man."
Now portraying a Christian
minister, Mr. Marcus has found
a way to bring his Jewish back-
ground to the experience.
"Whenever I'm reading from
my Bible in the play, I secretly
have gone back to the Old Tes-
tament," he revealed. "I start-
ed by reading from the New
Testament because I knew that
what a minster would be doing."
With so much time required
to do touring shows, Mr. Marcus
and his wife do not have many
hours for special interests. They
like to see as many movies and
plays as they can, and he enjoys
reading about theater history.
"It's very exciting for me to be
part of Tommy because I am a
fairly good historian when it
comes to Broadway shows, and
I consider this one of the most
remarkable tours that has ever
gone across the country," he said.
"I don't think of my work as
just a job. In my head at every
performance are thoughts about
where we are in the continuum
of American theater develop-
ment and how it will go on from
here."
Tommy runs Jan. 19-Feb. 6
at the Masonic Temple. Evening
peiformances are at 8 p.m. Tues-
days-Saturdays and 7:30 p.m.
Sundays. Saturday and Sunday
matinees are at 2 p.m.. For in-
formation, call 832-2232. ❑
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