Nikolas Black 🇵🇸

Not exactly. I ad-libbed with Charlie from time to time for fun. It was easier to do that in Kinky Boots, especially the longer we were in the show.

It's more of a respite.

I'm taking time to do things for me and be home around my family and friends. I've used this time to do things more behind the scenes with music, and those things make me happy too.

That's kind of a difficult question. Charlie was like putting on a well worn jacket that fit perfectly, but I also knew it wasn't mine. Orpheus is more like I'm stripping myself bare and standing vulnerable before the audience.

I think the tragedy of Orpheus is more complicated than people realise. They get hung up on the fact that he failed in that last stretch and then don’t consider that the reason why is multi-faceted.

He loses Eurydice in the first place because he fails to see her wander into imminent danger… Whether you’re looking at the original myth or the story the musical takes… the result is the same. Orpheus loses sight of her because he’s too focused on something else, and he fails to save her in time.

So there you have the root for the fear he faces in not being allowed to see her. It’s a valid fear. 

But having spent the last several weeks inside of Orpheus’ head… here’s what I think. 

There is the fear, but it’s not necessarily just fear that she’s not there… it’s fear that she might not be safe. In one of the original tellings of the myth… Orpheus can hear the echos of her foot steps and at the finish line she stumbles and he turns around on instinct to help her… to protect her… to keep her safe. That instinct is rooted in a deep, unselfish love.

There is doubt… but it’s not necessarily just doubt that Hades isn’t tricking him, but also doubt that he’s going to be able to save her because he was too late the first time. That grief is rooted in a deep, unselfish love.

And then there’s the moment of relief and joy at seeing the finish line… in seeing the sun. And in that moment of joy, he turns to share it with her only to realise she hadn’t made it past the threshold. Wanting to share that moment with her is rooted in a deep, unselfish love. 

Orpheus turned around because he loved her, and that’s the whole point. 

It’s a sad song

But we sing it anyway

‘Cause here’s the thing

To know how it ends

And still to still begin to sing it again

As if it might turn out this time

Love is beautiful and complex, and simple and painful. You go into knowing full well that giving your heart to someone opens you up to all that beauty, but also all that pain. 

And even when it hurts, you do it again… 

At the start of these rehearsals I told my wife that I believed I wouldn’t have failed to save her from the underworld… and then I got to know Orpheus and the truth is. 

Reg won't use the buttons, but Auggie frequently uses the buttons to speak for Reg.

At this very moment? No, but I'm in this show until February... Possibly through June, that's a long ways out and I think after this I might need a bit of a break from the near every day stage deal.

But I suppose it depends on what comes my way and how it fits within my other commitments and family 🤷🏻

Because it feels like a complete number for a playlist 🤷🏻