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| D. Scott Withers (right), with Phillip Arran (left), and Kyle Sorrell (center) photo by Reg Madison Photography |
by Jennifer Haaland
'Taking a
Chance' with D. Scott Withers, currently at Phoenix Theatre (PT) in Mamma
Mia, involves zero risk. He's billed as one of the 'hot dads' in a
cheesy but lovable musical built around the chart-topping music of the '70s
rock group ABBA. Before a performance
last week, he gave PHX Stages some personal takes and highlights in the production.
"This
show is a party. When I saw it on
Broadway, everyone leapt to their feet," Withers, who has toured with
Broadway shows himself, said. "It's carefree fun from a time when life was
a little gentler."
Cast as Bill
Austin, one of ingénue Sophie's three
possible fathers, Withers is embracing a character different from most Bill
Austins fans have probably seen. Often played
as a burly, big-game hunter type role, Withers-as-Austin paused when the PT
creative team suggested he grow his hair out and sport a sort of sloppy look.
"A lot
of times the Mamma Mia dads sort of meld together, feel like the same
animal. But here, we've worked hard to
differentiate them. Each dad plays an
individual stereotype rooted in reality,"
said Withers. "It hit me that this unkempt world traveler isn't
there to rekindle anything with Donna [Sophie's mom]. He's just the same surfer dude guy he was
when he met Donna, looking for the next adventure. He never grew out of
it."
Withers
laughed at the absurd idea of being typecast, but also reflected that his
character is the only one that gets a legitimate bonding opportunity with
Sophie. According to Withers, Austin
gets "caught up in the whole thing of, 'Oh my god! This girl might be my daughter!"
"I'm
not that tough guy. I'm not the stoner
surfer guy. What does fit most naturally with me is Bill's deep, personal
connection to Sophie. That real,
vulnerable state is natural for me."
The
opportunity to walk Sophie down the aisle is set on a Greek isle in Mamma
Mia. Having traveled to Mykonos and Santorini, Withers is struck by how
realistically the PT stage creates crystalline ocean blues and white cobbled
stone appearances of Greece with dreamy lighting and impressive, balconied set
structures. The realism was a little
tougher to handle when it came to learning the show's music.
"One of
the biggest challenges--especially for us of a certain age--is what we call
'radio memory," he laughed. "We all think we know the lyrics from
years of singing along with the radio.
And we are wrong!"
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| the cast of Mamma Mia! at Phoenix Theatre photo by Reg Madison Photography |
Along with a
potential walk down the aisle, Withers said he's loving the opportunity to
stroll down memory lane. His acting and
directing career is well-known and respected in the Valley. In fact, he'll be presented the AriZoni Awards 2017 Outstanding Contribution honor
later this month. Having worked more than 30 years with Phoenix
as his home base, Mamma Mia gives him the chance to play off of real-life, long
term relationships he's developed with several of his cast mates.
"Katie
McFadden is Rosie, who my character plays off of. She and I met at ASU in a production of Snoopy!
We've been fast friends ever since, and of course have played at Childsplay together for more than 20 years."
After
relaying connections to other cast members that make the role more enjoyable
and poignant, Withers circled back to McFadden to share his favorite Mamma
Mia giggle. It happens in and
around McFadden's number--between just the two of them, "Take a Chance on
Me, " near the end of the show.
"I
need, seriously, to gird my loins in order to be ready because she is so
frigging funny," Withers said. "Watch that opening; it's never the
same twice. We're just riffing off of
each other. I have to be ready for anything and we so easily bounce things off
each other."
The Phoenix
Theatre production may be the first time these ABBA songs seem to serve the characters in a convincing
story. So often with Mamma
Mia, the cheesy story serves ever so barely the iconic songs
instead. To 'Take a Chance' on this
show and the crew that includes D. Scott Withers will be, delightfully, anything
but risky.
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