November 7, 2024 • 11 mins
Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale opens at the Civic next week, so Tracey caught up with Michael Kurowski who plays Samwise and Spencer Davis Milford who plays Frodo.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Gold a sides podcast The Stories behind Just Great Rock.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
I mean, I would love to start by saying, welcome
to Middle Earth. But how many times have you heard that?
Since you've been here?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
I never get tired of it. Yeah, we.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
Spent too much time together.
Speaker 5 (00:23):
Now, Michael, you were an American idiot the Green Day
musical came to New Zealand. Did you come with him?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I was not in the American Idiot that came to
New Zealand. I was in a storefront musical.
Speaker 6 (00:35):
It was incredible, though.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
We all played on our own instruments. I played a
ton of drums and an electric guitar. And I'm a
little Green Day fan at heart. As a little kid,
my brother and I would just blast that going down
the road to school every day.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And I've been looking at your guys Instagram, and I
see you guys since you've been here.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
Have been to mc gieddon, Yes we have. Have you
been to Hobbit and yet?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Yes? We just we just got back yesterday.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Yeah, we were in habiton at that place. I could
have spent all day there. I feel like I just
want to live there. I want to do the show.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
They were beautiful. They let us take all of the
picture her sing songs under the Party Tree with Bilbo's
hobbiton Hole in the background.
Speaker 7 (01:10):
It was just sobbing.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
We sing a pub song in the Green Dragon and
did a little flash mob dance and musical number. It
was amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, was open to the public use today as well,
because it must have just freaing to them out.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Whoa yeah, oh yeah, they were freaked out, but hopefully
in a good way. Of course they did. They did
ask us like who we were, and we were like, oh,
we're doing Lord of the Rings of Musical. You have
to come see it. So hopefully they come. Hopefully everybody comes.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
Yeah, there's a base advertising.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Have you been able to travel to any of the
other locations around the country yet or not just yet?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
We've have most of our time in the theater, so
that's where we're going right after this honestly eleven hour day.
A lot of us are going to head to where
they filmed Mount Doom in a couple of weeks. The
name of the mountain is escaping me right now. But
we're going to make that giant six hour hike.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
And the Wellington and Queenstown like later in the trip.
But we have we have eight performances a week, so
there's not a whole lot of time to travel. We're
in Middle Earth every day.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Well, obviously, the show opened in Chicago and one of
you the lovely videos saying you want the people of
New Zealand to know how much you guys were speak
in honor the Lord of the Rings legacye that you're
gonna have to guess it up when you're es to
New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
What does that entail?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I think we have it already in Chicago. We're bringing
just as much energy and just as much excitement and
just as much love and compassion for this story as
we did in Chicago, if not more considering we now
have been just surrounded by the beautiful country side and
we've been.
Speaker 6 (02:37):
To the Shire and the Shire.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
It's just incredible. These books, the movies, this musical now
means so much to so many people. And when we
see fans come in cosplay, and when we see fans
after the show that are just elated to be able
to breathe along with these characters and like meet them
in real life, we take great pride in that. So
it's it's just been such an honor to be able
to portray these iconic characters, and to seeing this beautiful
(03:03):
score that I think really it connects with what Tolkien's
There's so much music written into the books, and so
I think our musical does a really good job of
putting you there in Middle Earth and really gives you
the sense that you're in this fantasy world. It's it's
amazing the.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Best after the show when you meet the super fans
who have come to see the show, who we've never
met before, but we've all gone on this incredible, massive journey,
and by the end, the audience and the cast all
feel like we just went through a massive ordeal, and
it's just amazing to see everyone after feel like you're
(03:39):
best friends.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Speaking of best friends, all the reviews I've read of
the show say you too. Guys in particular have an
incredible chemistry. Is on stage chemistry something that actors can
sort of practice and perfect or does it have to
happen organically?
Speaker 5 (03:54):
Is it an off stage friendship?
Speaker 4 (03:56):
We kind of hit it off right from that, I
think so, from the audition.
Speaker 5 (03:59):
From the audition, I mean, you look like brothers kind of.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Yeah. We met in the audition room. He was reading
for proto I was for Sam. We both did a
little practice read together and then he went off and
I went, oh, I do hope he gets this.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
He's really good.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Oh wow, thanks buddy.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
And I think our director Paul has a knack forecasting that.
As soon as all of us got into the room
of the first day, we all went, oh, yeah, that
makes sense. You're Orlin. Yeah, you're definitely Rosie. Yeah, you're
definitely a pet, definitely a Mary.
Speaker 8 (04:26):
So lovely.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
The tears after the first read through, I'll never forget.
I'll never forget that.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
We were all sobbing, and he went and I think
we'd love to have you all come to New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Magical, because in the films the Hobbits have a really
distinctive way of moving done that. What kind of instruction
did your choreographer or movement director have.
Speaker 6 (04:46):
To give you?
Speaker 5 (04:47):
I mean, what's the challenge as actors to be able
to do that?
Speaker 4 (04:50):
Angelie does an amazing job. She's the choreographer and the
movement director. And because Middle Earth obviously is a fantasy world,
so it's not one particular place, but there's lots of
different dance styles all mixed into the show to kind
of compass all the different worlds. So the elves move
like really gracefully, and the Orcs of course is like
(05:11):
really intense and like into the ground. And then the
Hobbits are super.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Jovial, always jumping for a lot, twitchy species. It's a
three hour cardio.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Yeah, it really is.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Actually, you just mentioned Angelia and I saw that she
was nominated for Best Choreography at the Broadway Theater Awards,
So wow, another reason.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
To come and see your show it and she's incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
There is amazing, I mean, so much of the impact
of Lord of the Rings, you know, the books, especially
the movies though, was the landscape. I mean it was
almost a character itself, you know, the beautiful backdrop. Your
seat designers also must be immensely talented.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yes, the set itself blew me away the first time
I saw it because it's so simple yet very complex.
Everything is wood in it. It follows the particular wood
grain of a particular tree from New Zealand. And there's
ladders you can climb up, and.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
You can climb on almost everything. Yeah, ladders everywhere. There's
little like rock climbing things that are built into the
set that you can't see from the audience. But our
gollum is climbing all over the set like it's so creepy,
but it's so cool.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
And there's a giant wood not at the very center
of the state. It looks like it would not, but
we also use it as the eye of sauron many
many times. Wow, it's beautiful, efficient use of stagecraft. I'm
so honored to be on that stage.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Yeah, but we're excited, I mean to do it here
like in Middle Earth. It's been such a part of
New Zealand's history of the last like twenty years, right,
so this is the place to do it. Yeah, this
is the This is the exact right place.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
Now, are we gonna get a song while you're here
as well?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Whoa I mean if there was a gud Oh wow,
there's a guitar here.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
No wait wait, that looks just like your guitar that
you play.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
What a coincidence?
Speaker 8 (06:50):
Sure?
Speaker 9 (06:50):
Why not sing me the story?
Speaker 6 (07:01):
A hero was at the shop muddleing' through, brave.
Speaker 10 (07:12):
And true, stubborn as binewed, and.
Speaker 6 (07:19):
Tough as old briar, never too showy or grand. Year
after year they persevere now and for alllays.
Speaker 10 (07:38):
Are footsoo planted and store folk who plowed bread to endure,
slow but sure fallow hide blood in your veins makes
you proud, sturdy and steady.
Speaker 6 (07:59):
They stand.
Speaker 10 (08:02):
True to their aim to stay the same.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Now and for all always sit.
Speaker 8 (08:12):
By the fun.
Speaker 7 (08:15):
Let's glow. Tell usano tale we know, tell of.
Speaker 11 (08:23):
Even strange shade, rare, never to change ever to share stories.
Speaker 9 (08:34):
Sweet tell we'll cross their spell.
Speaker 10 (08:39):
Now and for all always.
Speaker 9 (08:47):
Sing me the story A froto and the ring, fearless
and bold, the tired and cold sword at his side,
an elf blade, cold sting crossing a miserable lad.
Speaker 6 (09:09):
Wouldn't retreat, just followed his feet.
Speaker 9 (09:14):
Now and for all always see it.
Speaker 10 (09:19):
By the far.
Speaker 9 (09:22):
Globe, tell arsina.
Speaker 8 (09:27):
Tale we know, tell of aventure.
Speaker 7 (09:32):
Strange and rare, never to change ever to share stories.
We tell, we'll cast their spell now and for always.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
Sing me the tale of the bravest of them all,
the comrade and guide at my side, stout hearted Sam,
who wouldn't let me fall, holding my life in his hand,
(10:16):
true to the end. No finer friend, no, And for.
Speaker 9 (10:23):
Allays see it.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
By the fall.
Speaker 9 (10:29):
Slow, tell us.
Speaker 8 (10:32):
Signa till we know, tell eventure strange and rare, never
to change.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
Ever to share stories we tell will cast their spell
now and for.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Imagine singing that in Bilbo's House is right byk.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
I just fell in love with both. That is the
sound of Lord of the Rings selling out. Honestly, that
is just incredible. Beautiful guys, Michael Spencer, Samwuiz and Farodo,
thank you so much for coming in and you're performing
that song honestly. Lord of the Rings playing at the Pacific.
(11:26):
Those tickets on sale now through Ticketmaster. So nice to
have you guys here in YOURBA.
Speaker 7 (11:31):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Gold Asides Podcast The Stories behind Just Great Rock. If
you enjoyed this podcast, click to share with family or friends.
For Just Great Rock, listen to gold FM anytime anywhere
on iHeartRadio
Gold a sides podcast The Stories behind Just Great Rock.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
I mean, I would love to start by saying, welcome
to Middle Earth. But how many times have you heard that?
Since you've been here?
Speaker 3 (00:14):
I never get tired of it. Yeah, we.
Speaker 4 (00:20):
Spent too much time together.
Speaker 5 (00:23):
Now, Michael, you were an American idiot the Green Day
musical came to New Zealand. Did you come with him?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
I was not in the American Idiot that came to
New Zealand. I was in a storefront musical.
Speaker 6 (00:35):
It was incredible, though.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
We all played on our own instruments. I played a
ton of drums and an electric guitar. And I'm a
little Green Day fan at heart. As a little kid,
my brother and I would just blast that going down
the road to school every day.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
And I've been looking at your guys Instagram, and I
see you guys since you've been here.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
Have been to mc gieddon, Yes we have. Have you
been to Hobbit and yet?
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Yes? We just we just got back yesterday.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
Yeah, we were in habiton at that place. I could
have spent all day there. I feel like I just
want to live there. I want to do the show.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
They were beautiful. They let us take all of the
picture her sing songs under the Party Tree with Bilbo's
hobbiton Hole in the background.
Speaker 7 (01:10):
It was just sobbing.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
We sing a pub song in the Green Dragon and
did a little flash mob dance and musical number. It
was amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, was open to the public use today as well,
because it must have just freaing to them out.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
Whoa yeah, oh yeah, they were freaked out, but hopefully
in a good way. Of course they did. They did
ask us like who we were, and we were like, oh,
we're doing Lord of the Rings of Musical. You have
to come see it. So hopefully they come. Hopefully everybody comes.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
Yeah, there's a base advertising.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Have you been able to travel to any of the
other locations around the country yet or not just yet?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
We've have most of our time in the theater, so
that's where we're going right after this honestly eleven hour day.
A lot of us are going to head to where
they filmed Mount Doom in a couple of weeks. The
name of the mountain is escaping me right now. But
we're going to make that giant six hour hike.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
And the Wellington and Queenstown like later in the trip.
But we have we have eight performances a week, so
there's not a whole lot of time to travel. We're
in Middle Earth every day.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Well, obviously, the show opened in Chicago and one of
you the lovely videos saying you want the people of
New Zealand to know how much you guys were speak
in honor the Lord of the Rings legacye that you're
gonna have to guess it up when you're es to
New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
What does that entail?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
I think we have it already in Chicago. We're bringing
just as much energy and just as much excitement and
just as much love and compassion for this story as
we did in Chicago, if not more considering we now
have been just surrounded by the beautiful country side and
we've been.
Speaker 6 (02:37):
To the Shire and the Shire.
Speaker 4 (02:40):
It's just incredible. These books, the movies, this musical now
means so much to so many people. And when we
see fans come in cosplay, and when we see fans
after the show that are just elated to be able
to breathe along with these characters and like meet them
in real life, we take great pride in that. So
it's it's just been such an honor to be able
to portray these iconic characters, and to seeing this beautiful
(03:03):
score that I think really it connects with what Tolkien's
There's so much music written into the books, and so
I think our musical does a really good job of
putting you there in Middle Earth and really gives you
the sense that you're in this fantasy world. It's it's
amazing the.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Best after the show when you meet the super fans
who have come to see the show, who we've never
met before, but we've all gone on this incredible, massive journey,
and by the end, the audience and the cast all
feel like we just went through a massive ordeal, and
it's just amazing to see everyone after feel like you're
(03:39):
best friends.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Speaking of best friends, all the reviews I've read of
the show say you too. Guys in particular have an
incredible chemistry. Is on stage chemistry something that actors can
sort of practice and perfect or does it have to
happen organically?
Speaker 5 (03:54):
Is it an off stage friendship?
Speaker 4 (03:56):
We kind of hit it off right from that, I
think so, from the audition.
Speaker 5 (03:59):
From the audition, I mean, you look like brothers kind of.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Yeah. We met in the audition room. He was reading
for proto I was for Sam. We both did a
little practice read together and then he went off and
I went, oh, I do hope he gets this.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
He's really good.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
Oh wow, thanks buddy.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
And I think our director Paul has a knack forecasting that.
As soon as all of us got into the room
of the first day, we all went, oh, yeah, that
makes sense. You're Orlin. Yeah, you're definitely Rosie. Yeah, you're
definitely a pet, definitely a Mary.
Speaker 8 (04:26):
So lovely.
Speaker 4 (04:27):
The tears after the first read through, I'll never forget.
I'll never forget that.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
We were all sobbing, and he went and I think
we'd love to have you all come to New Zealand.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Magical, because in the films the Hobbits have a really
distinctive way of moving done that. What kind of instruction
did your choreographer or movement director have.
Speaker 6 (04:46):
To give you?
Speaker 5 (04:47):
I mean, what's the challenge as actors to be able
to do that?
Speaker 4 (04:50):
Angelie does an amazing job. She's the choreographer and the
movement director. And because Middle Earth obviously is a fantasy world,
so it's not one particular place, but there's lots of
different dance styles all mixed into the show to kind
of compass all the different worlds. So the elves move
like really gracefully, and the Orcs of course is like
(05:11):
really intense and like into the ground. And then the
Hobbits are super.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
Jovial, always jumping for a lot, twitchy species. It's a
three hour cardio.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Yeah, it really is.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
Actually, you just mentioned Angelia and I saw that she
was nominated for Best Choreography at the Broadway Theater Awards,
So wow, another reason.
Speaker 5 (05:28):
To come and see your show it and she's incredible.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
There is amazing, I mean, so much of the impact
of Lord of the Rings, you know, the books, especially
the movies though, was the landscape. I mean it was
almost a character itself, you know, the beautiful backdrop. Your
seat designers also must be immensely talented.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Yes, the set itself blew me away the first time
I saw it because it's so simple yet very complex.
Everything is wood in it. It follows the particular wood
grain of a particular tree from New Zealand. And there's
ladders you can climb up, and.
Speaker 4 (05:58):
You can climb on almost everything. Yeah, ladders everywhere. There's
little like rock climbing things that are built into the
set that you can't see from the audience. But our
gollum is climbing all over the set like it's so creepy,
but it's so cool.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
And there's a giant wood not at the very center
of the state. It looks like it would not, but
we also use it as the eye of sauron many
many times. Wow, it's beautiful, efficient use of stagecraft. I'm
so honored to be on that stage.
Speaker 4 (06:27):
Yeah, but we're excited, I mean to do it here
like in Middle Earth. It's been such a part of
New Zealand's history of the last like twenty years, right,
so this is the place to do it. Yeah, this
is the This is the exact right place.
Speaker 5 (06:37):
Now, are we gonna get a song while you're here
as well?
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Whoa I mean if there was a gud Oh wow,
there's a guitar here.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
No wait wait, that looks just like your guitar that
you play.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
What a coincidence?
Speaker 8 (06:50):
Sure?
Speaker 9 (06:50):
Why not sing me the story?
Speaker 6 (07:01):
A hero was at the shop muddleing' through, brave.
Speaker 10 (07:12):
And true, stubborn as binewed, and.
Speaker 6 (07:19):
Tough as old briar, never too showy or grand. Year
after year they persevere now and for alllays.
Speaker 10 (07:38):
Are footsoo planted and store folk who plowed bread to endure,
slow but sure fallow hide blood in your veins makes
you proud, sturdy and steady.
Speaker 6 (07:59):
They stand.
Speaker 10 (08:02):
True to their aim to stay the same.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Now and for all always sit.
Speaker 8 (08:12):
By the fun.
Speaker 7 (08:15):
Let's glow. Tell usano tale we know, tell of.
Speaker 11 (08:23):
Even strange shade, rare, never to change ever to share stories.
Speaker 9 (08:34):
Sweet tell we'll cross their spell.
Speaker 10 (08:39):
Now and for all always.
Speaker 9 (08:47):
Sing me the story A froto and the ring, fearless
and bold, the tired and cold sword at his side,
an elf blade, cold sting crossing a miserable lad.
Speaker 6 (09:09):
Wouldn't retreat, just followed his feet.
Speaker 9 (09:14):
Now and for all always see it.
Speaker 10 (09:19):
By the far.
Speaker 9 (09:22):
Globe, tell arsina.
Speaker 8 (09:27):
Tale we know, tell of aventure.
Speaker 7 (09:32):
Strange and rare, never to change ever to share stories.
We tell, we'll cast their spell now and for always.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
Sing me the tale of the bravest of them all,
the comrade and guide at my side, stout hearted Sam,
who wouldn't let me fall, holding my life in his hand,
(10:16):
true to the end. No finer friend, no, And for.
Speaker 9 (10:23):
Allays see it.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
By the fall.
Speaker 9 (10:29):
Slow, tell us.
Speaker 8 (10:32):
Signa till we know, tell eventure strange and rare, never
to change.
Speaker 7 (10:45):
Ever to share stories we tell will cast their spell
now and for.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Imagine singing that in Bilbo's House is right byk.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
I just fell in love with both. That is the
sound of Lord of the Rings selling out. Honestly, that
is just incredible. Beautiful guys, Michael Spencer, Samwuiz and Farodo,
thank you so much for coming in and you're performing
that song honestly. Lord of the Rings playing at the Pacific.
(11:26):
Those tickets on sale now through Ticketmaster. So nice to
have you guys here in YOURBA.
Speaker 7 (11:31):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
Gold Asides Podcast The Stories behind Just Great Rock. If
you enjoyed this podcast, click to share with family or friends.
For Just Great Rock, listen to gold FM anytime anywhere
on iHeartRadio
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