The Berkeley Beacon

Issue date: 4/6/06 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Media Credit: theatre-musical.com

Adam Pascal doesn't look like a rock star who would be besieged by screaming fans every time he takes the stage. After a performance on Friday night, when the audience constantly yelled for him to remove his clothing, he appeared completely relaxed and calm-and fully clothed.

Decked out in faded jeans, a pinstripe button-down and Velcro sneakers, his hair close-cropped, Pascal seemed more like the boy next door than a rock and Broadway star. Sitting on a couch in the Boston University Central Green Room, he discussed his life and his work, both as a musician and actor.

Boston University was the first stop on Pascal's two-week tour of college campuses, where he plays acoustic shows for small audiences. He said these shows allow him the opportunity to perform for his fans in the kinds of settings that he prefers.

"I wanted to try and do a fairly small, somewhat intimate setting," Pascal said. "I wanted to play venues where I had a little more control over the sound … I'm not a fan of clubs … you're at the whim of the manager and the sound director … and I didn't want to play places where kids who weren't 18 or 21 couldn't get in."

Pascal, who has released two rock albums, Model Prisoner and Civilian, is known for his roles on Broadway as Roger in Rent and Radames in Aida. He has also performed as the Emcee in Cabaret.

His lineup for the evening included songs from both of his albums, as well as a few songs from Broadway. The latter drew the most cheers from the audience, to which Pascal responded, "So it's all girls and gay guys in here, right?"

Pascal performed on an acoustic guitar and bass and was accompanied on the piano by Larry Edoff, receiving a standing ovation from the audience as well as calls for two encores.

However, Pascal said he is always skeptical of audience's reactions.

"I'm always questioning the legitimacy and validity of people's reactions," he said. "I got so used to playing empty clubs. You know, just our friends were watching us playing. I spent so many years doing that, as opposed to doing this, that I still have a hard time actually believing they are actually cheering for me."

Pascal said performing his own work feels the most risky to him.

"Doing this kind of thing is certainly the most concentration and work," he said. "I feel so much more exposed. I sort of feel like when you're doing a movie or a play, you get to hide in the character and the material. But this kind of thing, there's none of that. It's very exposed and has the most payoff."

Continued...

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