Twenty-five years after Ghost dominated the box office, setting a high-water mark for modern romances and forever making pottery sexy, it’s back as a musical. Adapted to the stage by the film’s screenwriter Bruce Joel Ruben, Ghost: The Musical has racked up three Tony Award nominations and raucous reception from audiences during tours of Europe, America and South Korea. The show sets off an ambitious China tour that stops off at Shanghai Culture Square from May 31-June 7 with tickets already flying fast. We chatted with the show’s deputy director Paul Warwick Griffin and its stars Liam Doyle and Lucie Jones while they were in town.
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What were you looking for when casting the role of Sam Wheat?
PWG: When Bruce Joel Rubin wrote the movie, he also wrote a stage version. He worked very closely with us right from the beginning and one of those decisions were casting Sam and Molly.
When Liam and Lucie came to meet us, we put them on tape and sent it to Bruce. We had a little talk with him about it and what Bruce managed to distill for us was the essence of a character.
There is something that he felt Patrick [Swayze] brought along in the creation of the role, which was a wonderful combination of confidence, charm and yes, good looks. You need to believe that in real life, Sam Wheat was a winner, so that his sudden and cruel death is that much more traumatic. At the same time, he has to be very kind, compassionate and caring.
These are all characteristics that Bruce was very particular about. When you cast Sam Wheat, the actor has to speak for certain things. They have to be around 6 feet tall and play a little guitar. Fortunately, Liam ticks all those boxes. It’s not about Patrick Swayze, but everything that the character Patrick created that must be delivered to the audience. It is important to honor that.
What was the most challenging part in casting the role of Molly?
PWG: We only have Molly happy for 15 minutes. Most of the show, she is in an understandable mix of emotional extremes. The challenge for any actor is charting the course of grief and loss, otherwise it would be very possible to fall into a one-note performance, which stops being interesting for audiences very quickly.
She has to deliver her feelings while staying honest with this life experience. It becomes a very detailed, complicated and emotional journey and a roller coaster for the both of them. But Molly is the one who is alive, so she carries the responsibility of making it look real – to make sure that it’s something we could all connect with despite all of the extraordinary elements. I think that’s the power of the show.
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You’ve done a Korean version and one on Broadway. Are there any differences between those two and the version that will come to China?
PWG: None at all. There is a ‘blueprint version’ of the show that has been done around the world. The Korean version actually got the original London set when they started. The version we did there was the same we did in London and New York, but with a few technical differences. There will be differences in this version, but they are going to be subtle. There is no difference in the structure or content of the show.
Liam Doyle
A rising star on the West End, Liam Doyle has charmed audiences with roles in hits like Cinderella, Wicked and Mamma Mia! For his first major starring role in Asia, he has the difficult task of stepping into a character immortalized by Patrick Swayze.
Are you worried about being compared with Patrick Swayze?
LD: It’s impossible not to compare me with Patrick Swayze, just because of how iconic the film was and how well everybody knows him. But I think the great thing about our show is that you can get everything you see from the movie through a story told on stage, but all the singing and dancing make it kind of a separate entity at the same time. So people will compare, but there will also be a part of me that I bring to the character that makes it very different.
Apart from the comparison, what’s the most challenging part of this role?
LD: I think the whole show is quite challenging because you want to bring this beautiful story across well. Technically, this show is like nothing you have ever seen before. I’m really looking forward to learning all of the illusions and magic that happens in the show, like walking through doors – I can’t wait to do that! And the beauty of touring and changing from venue to venue is that you get to see different things. I would not call it a challenge but a privilege.
Lucie Jones
The Welsh songstress first caught people’s eyes and ears with her standout run in the 2009 edition of X-Factor. She’s stepping into the role that Demi Moore made famous, but Jones is no stranger to the limelight. For her West End debut, she co-starred alongside Nick Jonas in an adaptation of Les Miserables.
Your character is the only one in this relationship who is alive. Is that difficult to convey when performing?
LJ: Molly is not sure about the existence of Sam, and she has to feel it. But for me, I will just have this huge hulky man standing right next to me who I have to completely ignore.
The show will be touring across China. What are your expectations of the audience?
LJ: We are not here for very long and we are just going to give everything on the stage to win over audiences. Personally, I want the audience to come see the show and to like me and my performance. I just want to win you over.
// May 31-June 7, 7.15pm (plus weekend matinee shows at 2pm), RMB80-980, Shanghai Culture Square, tickets.
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