Addams Family

Roger has now joined the cast of "The Addams Family" on Broadway. A photo gallery of the production is at: Broadway.com.

Wall Street Journal on Rees and Gomez

Roger talks to Joanne Kaufman at the Wall Street Journal about his career and about taking over from Nathan Lane as Gomez in "The Addams Family".

"I told Nathan: 'I'm going to step into your shoes. Will you leave them by the armoire?'

"He's my hero," Mr. Rees deadpanned. "I write to him and he refuses to answer. I'm like his worst fan."

The tango-crazed ghoul Gomez "is a big old part," he continued. "It's like Toby Belch in 'Twelfth Night.' You drive the whole play. As I'm rehearsing I go: 'That was a big scene. Oh, my God, there's another big scene.' But it's like Nike. Just do it."

For the full interview see: Wall Street Journal.

More Thoughts on Gomez

Q: "Is it tough to step into a role that’s been done by somebody else?"

A: "I’ve played Hamlet, and that’s been done before, too. You always steal something from someone else. I did a bit of business in my Hamlet that John Gielgud did. Actors have been doing that since cavemen were performing in caves."

Roger talks to Frank Scheck at the New York Post about taking over as Gomez.

Full interview at: New York Post.

The New Gomez

Roger will take over from Nathan Lane in "The Addams Family" at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway next week. He plays opposite Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia. The sign is now up at the theatre.

How the Starcatcher Came About

Robert Simonson at Playbill.com has written an article giving some more information on how "Peter and the Starcatcher" came about. Roger and Rick Elice get to tell their side of the story, and there is a link to a rehearsal picture gallery.


See the article at Playbill.com.

What You Will in Stratford

Roger will bring his one man Shakespeare show "What You Will" to the RSC in Stratford in December. He will appear in the Swan Theatre on 14 and 15 December. Tickets are available from the RSC.

Addams Family on Broadway

Roger is set to take over from Nathan Lane in the Broadway musical "The Addams Family" on 22 March 2011. Roger will play Gomez, opposite Bebe Neuwirth's Morticia.

For more details see Variety.

Radio Interview Godot

There is a radio interview with Roger available on the Radio New Zealand website. The interview was broadcast last Sunday and is now available as an mp3 file. Godot is heading for New Zealand, and Roger talks about his work with the RSC too.

Radio New Zealand

Godot in Melbourne

The actors have started their series of performances of "Waiting for Godot" in Australia. The dates for the play are:

Melbourne Comedy Theatre 06 May – 22 May (season extended) Ticketek 132-849
Perth His Majesty’s Theatre 28 May – 06 June (season extended) BOCS (08) 9484-1133
Adelaide Her Majesty’s Theatre 09 June – 12 June (season extended) BASS 131-246
Sydney Opera House from 15 June (season extended) SOH (02) 9250-7777

The Herald Sun has a story on Ian McKellen being mistaken for a real tramp in Melbourne at: Herald Sun

There also is a picture gallery there at: Gallery.

Happy Birthday!

Today Roger celebrates his 66th birthday, down under!

Down Under

Ian McKellen and Roger have arrived down under with the other members of the "Waiting for Godot" cast to start their performances in Melbourne. Pictures of the media call are at: aapimage.

Peter and the Starcatcher

Next spring Roger will co-direct "Peter and the Starcatcher", a new play by Rick Elice, based on the novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. The production will run in February and March.

For more information: New York Theater Workshop

"Waiting for Godot" down under

Now that the production has finished its run in London it is heading south for a short tour of Australia and New Zealand from 6 May onwards. For dates and places, and to book tickets you can check the website: Waiting for Godot

Return of the Native

The TimesOnline has a nice interview with Roger on TimesOnline

The piece mentions Roger might be bringing his one-man show "What You Will" to the UK.

Waiting for Godot Dates

Waiting for Godot is to open at the Haymarket Theatre on 21 January 2010 and will run for 9 weeks, until 3 April. Booking is open at the play's new website: Waiting for Godot

Return to the London Stage

During last night's Evening Standard Theatre Awards Sir Ian McKellen announced that Roger is to appear in his production of "Waiting for Godot" at the Haymarket Theatre early next year. Roger will play Vladimir ot McKellen's Estragon. The dates are to be announced.

More information on the What's On Stage website.

A Jubilant Song

Roger will host the Collegiate Chorale gala concert and benefit "A Jubilant Song" at Carnegie Hall on Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 7pm

On the programme are:
Beethoven: Choral Fantasy
Bernstein Suite from A White House Cantata
Gabrieli: In Ecclesiis
Kopylov: Heavenly Light
Dello Joio: A Jubilant Song
Shaw/Parker: Set Down Servant
Meyerbeer: O Beau Pays, from Les Huguenots
Verdi: Excerpts from Forza, Ballo and La Traviata

For more information and tickets: Collegiat Chorale Website

Warehouse 13

This summer Roger will appear as a guest on sci fi series "Warehouse 13". The series starts with a two-hour pilot on Tuesday, July 7 at 9 p.m.. It follows the adventures of two Secret Service agents Pete (Eddie McClintock) and Myka (Joanne Kelly) as they control and retrieve objects with supernatural properties that are housed in the remote South Dakota Warehouse 13, headed by caretaker Artie (Saul Rubinek).

More information at: Prime Time Pulse

Small Gods

Roger will star with Christian Camargo, Veanne Cox and Gareth Saxe in a staged reading of Kevin Christopher Snipes' Small Gods. The reading will be held May 12th at 3:00 PM at the Paradise Factory in New York City. Based on the lives of England and America's leading Shakespearean actors in the nineteenth century, Small Gods examines the notorious and fatal feud between William Charles Macready and Edwin Forrest, whose off-stage rivalry resulted in one of the bloodiest tragedies in the American theater.

Roger Rees will play the dying British actor William Charles Macready. Christian Camargo will play Macready's younger counterpart Charlie. Gareth Saxe will take on the role of Edwin Forrest, his American rival. Veanne Cox, will play Death.

The reading is free and will be followed by a brief talk-back with the playwright. The Paradise Factory is located on the 4th Floor of 64 East 4th Street, New York City. To RSVP for the event, please contact the Public by email at intern-ap2@publictheater.org.

More at the playwright´s weblog.

Thanks to Lori!

Happy Birthday!

Roger turns 65 today, so "Happy Birthday!"