There is a reason that Montego Glover feels exceptionally close to Felicia Farrell, the nightclub singer at the heart of “Memphis.”
Glover, a Macon native, originated the character, playing Farrell in Beverly, Mass., San Diego and Seattle before thundering onto Broadway in October 2009.
Last year, she was nominated for a Tony Award for best performance by a leading actress in a musical. She lost to Catherine Zeta-Jones, but the musical, about one of the first white DJs to play black music in the 1950s, won four awards, including the coveted best musical.
If you haven’t caught the spirited, thought-provoking show live onstage, you can see it on screen April 28, 30 and May 3, when it plays in 530 movie theaters nationwide, including 13 in the Atlanta area.
Glover said five performances were filmed in January, shows that were specifically set up for shooting in HD with different lighting and multiple cameras situated around the Shubert Theatre. Additionally, interviews with the cast and glimpses of life backstage will be included in the movie theater showings.
“There is definitely stuff that a paying [Broadway] audience might not see. Somebody sitting in Row D, Seat 5 might not get to see me putting on my makeup. Even if you’ve seen the Broadway show, you’ll want to see this,” Glover said last week, calling shortly before an evening performance.
She acknowledged that acting in front of a live audience while being filmed was a bit disorienting and joked that the other eyes in the room – the cameras – were much different than the “1,460 pair that you’re used to watching you.”
This is the first time that a current Tony-winning musical will be presented in movie theaters while still running on Broadway and it’s a concept that Glover sees from two perspectives.
“It’s a great way to get the show out there, past New York, which is wonderful. But on the other hand, the beauty of live theater is meant to be experienced in real time and space,” she said. “So there’s this odd disconnect between what you might get in the actual space experiencing with us that you might not catch on film. But there are so many wonderful devices you can use with film; you can cut to reaction shots and guide the eye.”
Glover, whose resume includes a regional stint in “Aida” and an understudy role in “The Color Purple” on Broadway, is relishing playing Farrell and has no intention of departing “Memphis” anytime soon.
“I’ve been given the great privilege of having this role written for me and I've poured so much of my artistry into it. I’m good at knowing when to leave, when to move on. But now is not that time,” she said.
Though born in Macon, Glover grew up primarily in Chattanooga. But every summer until she turned 13 was spent in Macon with her grandmother and extended family. After her parents divorced, her father relocated to Atlanta, where he, her stepmother and her sisters – University of Georgia graduates -- currently live.
“Memphis,” is set to begin a national tour in October and will play the Fox Theatre for a series of shows starting late January.
But Glover is content in her New York habitat, especially now that her caricature has made the famed wall at Sardi’s, the theater district restaurant renowned for its connection to Broadway.
When asked where, among the hundreds of drawings, hers was posted, Glover broke into a laugh.
“Believe it or not, if you happen to walk in the front door, smack in front of your face is my portrait, right at the host stand,” she said in a tone of disbelief. “I was so overwhelmed when I saw it. But pleasantly so.”
Event preview
“Memphis”
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Saturday and May 3; 12:30 p.m. May 1. $20. Showing at 13 theaters in the Atlanta area. Check www.fathomevents.com for complete theater listing.
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