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Wednesday, 27 January, 2010 10:38 PM
Peter Gosik
to star as the Tin Man in the 'Wizard of Oz' at the Fisher Theatre
Photo
credit: media.knoxnews.com
Peter
Gosik will star as the Tin Man in the "Wizard of Oz" at
the Fox Theatre from Jan. 29 to Feb. 14, 2010.
DETROIT
-- Peter
Gosik is an actor in the upcoming "Wizard of Oz" musical
that opens at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit on Jan. 29 and runs
through Feb. 14. He attended the University of Michigan and received
a bachelor of fine arts degree. Gosik starred in musicals such as
"Little Shop of Horrors," "Forever Plaid," "Sweet
Charity," and "The Family." Now, he is touring the
country as one of the stars in the "Wizard of Oz" musical.
It will celebrate the iconic 1939 MGM film with all of the characters
including Dorothy, Toto, the Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow and the Tin
Man.
"In
short, I'm a gentleman made out of tin who meets Dorothy and follows
her along the yellow brick road," said Peter Gosik in a phone
interview. "I'm on a quest to find my heart."
The actor
said the "Wizard of Oz" musical is pretty similar to the
iconic film, but there are a few differences.
"I
think we keep all the best parts of the film and I really think
we stay true to the spirit of the movie and the original work,"
Gosik added. "I think we sort of add what we can only get in
one theatre. There are certainly parts in the show that are in the
movie. There's a fantastic dance troupe called the jitterbug, which
features the entire company of the show dancing our hearts out up
on stage. It's actually based on part of the movie that was cut
from the original film. It's something that even the most diehard
'Wizard of Oz' fans haven't seen before."
This will
be a homecoming engagement for Gosik who attended the University
of Michigan for theatre.
"I
am thrilled to be coming home to Michigan," the actor said.
"My four years at the university were probably the best four
years of my life. I do miss it. I'm thrilled to be coming back and
seeing my old friends who are still at the university. My parents
moved to Novi, Mich. this past spring. So I get to see my family
as well. It's going to be a wonderful homecoming I think."
He had to
go through four auditions to get the role of the Tin Man in the
musical.
"For
this show in particular, I had an audition in March of '08 where
I originally got called in for the scarecrow, but when I got the
audition, the director said he thought I was too tall to play the
scarecrow," Gosik said. "So he wanted me to read for the
Tin Man instead so I did that. I had a callback. This past June,
they called me again, I had another audition and callback."
The actor
has starred in several plays and musicals, but which did he enjoy
the most?
"My
favorite thing I got to do was when I played Franken Furter in the
'Rocky Horror Picture Show,' my senor year." Gosik responded.
"That was a whole lot of fun. A little bit different from the
'Wizard of Oz,' but it's nice to play all sorts of different parts
to stretch yourself I think."
He will
also star as a farm hand at the beginning and end of the performance.
"The
three friends as we call them, the scarecrow, the tin man and the
lion, at the beginning and end of the show, we also play farm hands
on the farm where Dorothy Gale lives with her aunt and uncle,"
Gosik added. "At the beginning of the show, I am Hickory the
Farm Hand and then when Dorothy goes to Oz, the three of us are
reincarnated as those other characters."
The
Actor has been touring the country with this musical in cities such
as Wister, Mass., Hershey, Penn., Lexington, Kent., Knoxville, Tenn.,
Memphis, Tenn., Ontario, Canada. "Despite going to the university,
we always wanted to take a road trip to Canada," he said. "But
never made it so I'm glad I did get to."
Gosik said
he would be interested in starring in a film that was shot in Michigan,
due to the state's 42 percent tax incentive for the film industry.
"If I had the opportunity to do a film, I'd certainly jump
at it, especially if I had a chance to go back to Michigan,"
the actor responded.
He offered
some advice to students who are graduating in theatre and may be
looking for their first job.
"It's
so important to stay positive first of all," the actor said.
"It's such a hard industry. One thing they always tell us 'I
think you have to live it before you can do it.' Whenever you don't
get something, it's not because of you, it's because you weren't
what they wanted at that particular time. You just have to always
have faith in yourself and know that you're doing what you want
to do. It's not going to be easy but you have to keep working for
it."
Gosik hasn't
made any plans for what he's doing to do after the musical ends.
"I'm
excited to go back to the city, although I'll definitely miss the
tour," he answered. "I don't have any solid plans in the
works, but you always have your fillers out there for the next big
thing."
The actor
said the "Wizard of Oz" musical is a fantastic show for
the young and the old. Gosik encouraged everyone to come out and
see it during its run.
Ticket
prices for the Detroit engagement of Wizard of Oz range from $24.00-$79.00
(inclusive of parking and facility fees) and are now on sale at
the Fisher Theatre box office and all Ticketmaster locations. Tickets
are also available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com
or www.BroadwayinDetroit.com,
and by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-982-2787. Limited premium seats
will be available at the box office only. For group sales (12 or
more) please call (313) 871-1132 or visit groupsales@nederlanderdetroit.com.
Click
here to visit the official website of the "Wizard
of Oz" musical in Detroit.
Photo
credit: www.broadwayindetroit.com
The
entire cast of the "Wizard of Oz" musical.
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