Hi Everyone,
So a few of you suggested I do a new BLOG but just literally answer questions that have been tweeted to me recently.
So here goes:
@MarkHEvans: Would you consider doing your album tour in schools and if so would you come to mine?
I would consider it! ….and yes, should I get on official invitation I would come to your school. Can't see a schools tour happening anytime soon though to be honest.
@MarkHEvans: How do you travel from one venue to another around America?
The crew will leave almost immediately after they have done the load out of whatever city we've just finished in and then they'll get to the new city as soon as possible to do the load in! They work a lot harder than us actors! Ha.
We, the cast, will be picked up from a central hotel location on our travel day (usual a Monday) and either be driven to the next city if it's within reasonable driving distance or we'll be driven to the airport where we'll fly. Yes, all of us, on the same flight! I too feel sorry for the other passengers! It gets quite loud and obnoxious! But we love it! We're very well looked after by our management company!
@MarkHEvans: What made you decide to go to America? (Come back to the UK soon, our theatres miss you)
That's sweet, thanks. I miss the UK too.
My decision to head to America was because I have wanted to work over here for a long time. I wanted to experience any differences between the work ethic and how shows are run here, I wanted to work with more American people and wanted to travel the US. This is the perfect show to travel with because I'm getting to experience amazing US audiences, the cast and company are fantastic and this show is an absolute pleasure to perform 8 times a week!
Fear not though, the UK, and Wales in particular will always be my home and I shall be there again performing before you know it.
@MarkHEvans: Are you planning on doing another CD after being in BOM? :) x
I'm going to release a 'Songs of America' album and duet with, Dolly Parton, Kelly Clarkson and Lorna Luft. ok?
I jest of course! - There are plans for more recording work to be done in the future but not for a little while yet.
@MarkHEvans: Who's your favourite friend's friend? Sophie/Laura/Nick?
This was sent in by Nick who is a friend of my mate Callum. The answer is - anyone but Nick!
@MarkHEvans: Have you ever felt like giving up? How did you recover? I'd love to be on the west end some day, but sometimes it seems impossible.
WOW, Ok well I could write a novel as a response to this. There have been MANY times I have felt up against it in life and my career.
The only song on my album that I wrote the lyrics to explains all of that perfectly - 'Keep On Believing' (you can listen to it for free on my website www.markevansonline.co.uk).
All you have to do is find a way of switching your brain into a more positive mode. You have to focus on everything that makes you feel good about yourself and not dwell on the things that get you down. You have to have faith in yourself and if you have the talent and ambition you WILL succeed, even if it doesn't happen as rapidly or quickly as you like.
All people see in a professional actor's biography, CV or resume is all the amazing jobs they have done - you never get to see the list of amazing jobs they wanted to do but didn't get after auditioning for them! We all suffer rejection, it's part of life, part of this industry and it's what makes us strong and grateful when the good stuff happens! KEEP ON BELIEVING!!! Good luck!
@MarkHEvans: What are you missing most about the UK?!! x ps Hope your well xx
Thanks for your well wishes. I am very well thanks. I of course miss my family and friends immensely, but this morning I had a real craving for pasta from one of my favourite restaurants Vapianos just off Oxford Street and it made me homesick! AND REALLY FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT PASTA!!!!!!!
@MarkHEvans: Any funny bloopers on stage since you've been in the USA?
Oh yes of course. We're talking about ME here!!! I have made up some script - cos apparently in those moments I didn't think the award winning writers of this show Trey, Matt & Bobby had done a good enough job!
I also sang one of the funniest lyrics in my biggest song 'I Believe' TWICE!…..and that, my friends is how to ruin a punchline!!! Cut to audience member in seat H17 "….ha ha ha oh no wait, he already said that, right? It's not funny enough to be sang twice!' ……I KNOW - I HAD A MENTAL BLANK ALRIGHT??????? JEEZ!
@MarkHEvans: Out of every role you've played who do you think is most like you?
Good question. I suppose they've all been quite similar because they've all been tall!
I'm hard working and disciplined like Elder Price!
On a five show weekend I sometimes feel as dead as Sam Wheat!
In the cold weather I wear what sometimes look like Fiyero's jodhpurs under my jeans.
And I can sometimes be caught spontaneously riding an invisible horse like Curly Mclain in the Oklahoma dream ballet around the cities of America.
I have a deep affection for every charter i've played and am grateful to have had a real variety in my career thus far!!!
@MarkHEvans: Keep up the awesome smiles! They truly reach the crowd!
That's not a question, but thanks! (said with a smile)
@MarkHEvans: Since joining BoM, what's happened that u didn't expect? Like aud reaction, weird Qs from press, changes in ur performance, etc?
Well one unexpected thing was that the audiences seem to like what I'm doing! I had the classic actor anxiety before joining this show thinking "this show is hugely successful but I'm going to go into it, there won't be any laughs, the audience will throw things and I'll close the show two weeks after my opening night!"
I had a chat with Gavin Creel who I took over from - one of the most gracious, kind and generous leading men I have the pleasure of knowing! - and he said he felt the same way (well slightly anxious, not quite as specific as my description.)
The amazing thing about this show is how well it's written. I could go on that stage and deliver the lines in any way I felt appropriate - hanging upside-down whilst trying to can-can on a pogo stick? - and as long as whatever I say is sincere and meant with complete truth then the audience will get it and appreciate it. I don't have to be funny, what I'm saying is funny which makes my job a lot easier!!!
I do find that the audiences react differently as a collective in every new city we go to which is really interesting and really fun. Some places might find a certain line really hilarious but somewhere else might find the same line really offensive and you just hear "oooooooooh" before they laugh and that's really exciting and enjoyable!
@MarkHEvans: What made you decide to do theatre as a career? Did you go to college for it?
I never knew I could do it professionally, it was always a hobby from when I was 10 but then I found myself auditioning for a college in Preston, Lancashire when I was leaving high school, where I studied dance for a year before training for three years at the musical theatre college Laine Theatre Arts near London. There's a lot more of my background info on my new wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Evans_(actor) if you want to check it out.
@MarkHEvans: How long are you going to be a Mormon, will you come to London once you've finished ;)
Despite rumours and people's assumptions I am currently playing Elder Price here until the summer and that is all I'm doing at this stage. Ask the internet, and I'm dong it all over the world for the next 27 years of my life. Who do YOU believe? Me or the internet?
@MarkHEvans: What's it been like touring the US? What's been your favourite city so far? and where are you looking forward to going?
I love touring the US. This company really look after us all as well so it's an absolute pleasure to do this job. I think my favourite place we've been so far was Seattle. I loved it there. San Fran was great but it was a busy time with rehearsals etc. I'm excited for Boston and we're in Toronto for 6 weeks too and I have lots of people coming to visit me there from home which'll be great! Everywhere we're going is exciting for me though as I've never been to any of these cities before!
@MarkHEvans: I just finished drama school in Holland + 2 years at LAMDA in London. Any advice how to proceed now in acting?
Yes. Get a job! Ha.
I'm just kidding. You just need to go down the usual avenues, get an agent who will submit you for auditions. You'll need headshot photographs, possibly an acting showreel, a voiceover demo. Agents will advise you best.
I find the book 'The Golden Rules Of Acting' by Andy Nyman is perfect for an actor starting out. it doesn't teach you how to act, it teaches you how to be an actor in this industry. It's helpful and fun! I always highly recommend it to aspiring performers.
@MarkHEvans: Are you enjoying seeing the states and living out of a suitcase?
Yes I am enjoying the states, no I'm not enjoying the suitcase. They just keep breaking! I'm on my fourth suitcase already! Boo!
@MarkHEvans: Is it different working with a mostly American cast compared to what you're used to in London?
Yes - they all talk with weird accents! ;)
@MarkHEvans: If you weren't on the US tour of Book Of Mormon, would you have considered joining the Wicked UK as Fiyero?
Been There, done that, got the Jodhpurs!
@MarkHEvans: Is it more exciting to go on tour or be in a show in a resident theatre?
There are good and bad points to both. What I love about this tour is that we can never really settle or feel frustrated or bored in anyway. Each city offers a new theatre, new audience and new touristy things to do which keeps us busy and means time is flying past us. I'm not far off 2 months into my run now which has gone so quickly!
@MarkHEvans: What's your 'essential things to take on tour'?!?! Hope you are still having loads of fun.
Thanks, I am having loads of fun. My essential things? Erm….tea bags from the UK, a humidifier for my hotel room and my ipad, laptop and iphone with Skype and FaceTime to keep me in touch with my family and friends at home!
@MarkHEvans: When you come to STL, you should go to CJ Muggs. Not a question, just a suggestion. The fries are gooooood.
OK. Thanks
@MarkHEvans: Who is your favourite actor?
I'd probably say Ryan Gosling at the moment.
@MarkHEvans: I pulled my ass funky monkeying … what did I do wrong?!
This is from a huge fan of mine called JR Bruno. He spends most hours of each day watching clips of me on YouTube. He is also in the ensemble of The Book Of Mormon 8 times a week on the First National Tour of America.
Dearest JR, it takes talent to funky monkey, and unfortunately you posses very little, so give your ass a break and just quit trying!
@MarkHEvans: How many reps of the Glinda Glide must I do to look like you? #wickedworkoutchallenge
This happens to be from another fan of mine who is also in the cast of The Book Of Mormon named Marisha Wallace.
Well Marisha, I do 4 reps before my morning 10K run. Then after my third visit to the gym each day I do another 4. So you need to do 8 reps in total. Hope that helps.
@MarkHEvans: can you show me how to do some Chistery Chin-ups or Melichinamen mixed martial arts? #wickedworkoutchallenge
OK! OK! OK! - So for those of you who are NOT in the cast of The Book Of Mormon, you may have cottoned on to the fact that my colleagues recently found the YouTube clip of me teaching the Wicked Summer Workout online and have posted it on our company Facebook page and will occasionally start doing moves of the workout for me in the theatre! However, Kevin Michael Murphy, the question above, as you know is not part of the strict fitness regime that is the Mark Evans Wicked Summer Workout, now stop using that clever imagination of yours and give me a Gravity Defyer 4 times on each side! GO!
@MarkHEvans: how about……When are you free for dinner? Lol
Now?
@MarkHEvans: How awesome is being Elder Price?! Better than being Ceridwen Price?!
Are you his mother?
@MarkHEvans: What's it like to put on an American accent & do you have any slip-up stories? #bookofmormon
I like to think my American Accent is pretty accurate. There have been a couple of times when i say "spreading the word?" and I sound like I'm from an episode of Eastenders with the broadest cockney accent ever. But what you might find entertaining is listening the cast of our show attempting their British Accents, ….and believe me that happens a lot! - especially under the influence of alcohol!
"DO ARE SEND LOYK ARRY POTTA?"
@MarkHEvans: America must b brill for u but when r u comin home??? (",)
Summer time!
@MarkHEvans: When did you first know that being a performer is what you wanted to do with your life? And what convinced you to go for it?
I knew from an early age that I loved it. I learned aged 15 that it was a possibility and then nothing was gonna stand in my way and I've never lost that focus or determination since!
@MarkHEvans: favourite disney movie? :)
Old school, I'd say The Lion King, but recently I'd say 'Tangled' cos my nieces love it and I have a video on my phone of one of my nieces in a long blonde wig singing the healing song that Rapunzel sings from it and she's full on in character with her eyes closed and everything! I watch it most minutes of most hours of most days of most…..you get the picture!!! PROUD!
@MarkHEvans: Had you practiced and American accent prior to BOM? Did you know much about Mormonism b4 or how did you research for Elder Price.
Yes!
I'm sorry I just thought that was a good question and thought it would be funny to give a really crap answer!
I have had to do an american accent on many jobs in the past so it's no big deal to do it for this show. I'm a little more aware of it here as I'm performing to Americans obviously but no-one ever seems to be able to tell that I'm British which is good.
As with every role I have ever auditioned for, I did A LOT of research for this show. Thank goodness for wikipedia and the internet. I read copious amount of literature, really researched the show and it's background as much as possible, listed all the notes I was given at each audition, downloaded Mormon movies and watched YouTube clips. Basically the only thing I didn't do was read actual The Book Of Mormon itself because……well just because…….!!!
@MarkHEvans: What do you miss most about Ghost? ;/
I miss telling that amazing, touching story the most I think.
I miss Siobhan (my bunny) and the rest of the cast. I miss my guitar. I miss the script. I miss the songs and I miss my Sam Wheat shoes (I don't really cos I stole them on the last night mwahahaha).
Thanks for all your questions everyone, even the ones that weren't questions.
Sending you all super smiley Mormon love (predictive text corrected that to MORON but I had too much self-respect not to change it back) from the US. Thanks as always for your continued support.
Keep On Believing!
Mark
