Saturday, January 24, 2015

A Conversation with Guy LeMonnier

At 6' 3", Guy LeMonnier often towers over those around him, and for seven years his smooth, powerful baritenor voice set the lofty tone for Trans-Siberian Orchestra's venture into theater-style vocal performances. Millions of TSO fans know Guy as a founding and long-time featured vocalist with their touring show and the voice of "Young Beethoven" from their Beethoven's Last Night rock opera. I caught up with Guy to talk about his TSO legacy as well as his time spent with The Kings of Christmas (the group made up of TSO alum) and his current involvement with Christmas-Prog-Rock sensations, The Wizards of Winter.  We also discussed his acting background and his time spent with theater luminaries Frank Wildhorn and Neil Berg, as well as his future in the film and televsion world.


Dan Roth:  I would like to start with Guy LeMonnier, circa:1999.  You are on the very first Trans-Siberian Orchestra tour as a featured vocalist. How did you connect with them?

Guy LeMonnier:  Those were the days where I was doing straight up theater, pounding the pavement, and I saw the open audition call. I was very, very ill; my voice was raspy. But, I got up at 6:30 in the evening, went into SIR Studios in the city and there were Paul O'Neill and Bob Kinkel.


DR:  Do you remember what you sang for the audition?

GL:  Great question. It may have been something from the musical Rent. I think I also did Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" too.  Depending on the audition, I would have some Broadway songs ready and usually something that rode the line between theater and rock.

But I went in there, was raspy as hell, and they loved me. They claimed that they had seen 2000 people that week, and I know I was the last one that they saw. They adored me until I got in to the studio with them when I was well. I didn't have the same rasp in my voice from being sick. I went into the studio with this clear Jekyll & Hyde theater tone and from there on it was a battle for them to try to get me to sound the way they wanted.

DR: You were the original "Angel" on their tours, singing "An Angel Came Down" and "The Angel Returned" that first tour and for many tours afterwards.  Did you know going in that that was the part they were looking for?

GL:  No. Had no idea. I just went in there, sang what I sung and found out later.

Guy with TSO 2003. Photo Courtesy of Charlie Gow

DR:  Did you sing any other songs on tour?  Or just those two?

GL:  I also sang "Christmas in the Air". If you listen to the original cut of "Christmas in the Air" on the album, it all sits in the basement. There's no dynamic to it, it doesn't climb, there's no high note, no big rock notes. So when they wanted to do it on tour, I sat down with Bob Kinkel and said, "Can we do anything with this song? Can we move and build it and gain some dynamic? Can we end on an up note?". And Bob, with his way, it took him like three seconds and he had the song totally rearranged with big high notes and it was great from there on out.


DR:  Did you know the original vocalist on that song, Jody Ashworth?

GL:  I did! At the same time that I was spending 90 hours a week in the studio with Bob and Paul as they were trying to get me to sound like what they wanted for the Beethoven songs, they got Jody Ashworth singing them in the end. That's gravel; it's like glass scraping and it's a cool sound - but nowhere near any sound that I was going to achieve for those songs. He has a beautiful voice; he even hit those high notes, which was incredible for as low as his voice was.


DR:  Can you tell me a little about that first TSO tour in '99? The vocalists then were you, Tommy Farese and Daryl Pediford?

GL:  Yeah, and John Margolis singing "Old City Bar". 

DR:  Had you done anything similar to this before?

GL:  It was definitely my first exposure to playing with folks working in the rock world, like Al Pitrelli playing with Alice Cooper and Tommy Farese singing in every rock club on Long Island, so playing with a rock band behind me was definitely new to me. Everything up until then had been musical theater. I remember it didn't pay very much that year, and they had all 14 of us packed on one bus.
I had been on tour before, but this was definitely a 'rock tour'. It wasn't very extravagant, but they made us feel important.

They treated us good; you felt like a rock star. You would don your leather jacket and your boots every October; I grew my hair out every year for that. [Laughs] That was ultimately a big issue for me in TSO, that I couldn't grow long hair. The hair is very, very important in TSO - make or break important. At this point, they wouldn't hire someone with a buzz cut or really short hair, unless they could grow it out; it's a big thing for Paul.

DR:  Did you know anyone on the tour before this?  Had you worked with anyone?

GL:  No.  I was a new hire. In fact, I was one of the first theater vocalists they hired.

 
Guy with TSO 2004. Photo Courtesy of Charlie Gow

DR:  Did you ever fill in for another vocalist and sing something different?

GL:  No, my bag was the musical theater bag. And by that rationale, they would never put me on to sing a song like "Music Box Blues" or any of the rock songs. Like many people in the industry, when they paint you in a corner and see you one way, that's what you are to them. They don't have a lot of vision to see what else you might be capable of. I was not the soul/blues guy, I was not the rock guy; I was the musical theater guy.

DR: So after that first tour, you were not on the TSO stage again until 2002. 

GL:  Correct. I kept on working and picking up other roles. I did Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll & Hyde tour for nine months. I then did his Dracula musical in  La Jolla, California.



DR:  Did you have to audition again to get back on the TSO tour in 2002?

GL:  No, they were great about that. I had gotten these other roles and couldn't make it out in 2000 and 2001 and they wanted me back. 

DR:  When you returned, the tour was now split into two touring troupes. You are one of a handful of performers that have played in both troupes.  Did you have a choice when they added you to the East cast?

GL: 
No.  But I liked being on the East tour because it was close to home. But then Rob Evan came in and I got bumped to the West tour the next year.


DR:  They used to include vocalists in their backup band. Were you involved in that at all during your time away? Or were you too busy?

GL:  I did the backup band for one year after I was fired, just for the paycheck.

DR:  So you were with TSO in 1999, then 2002 through 2006. You were there for the remarkable growth from theaters and smaller venues to the arenas. Now that the lights, stage, risers and effects have grown to as large as they are, many fans seem to long for those early tours when it was less about the spectacle.

GL:   There are some changes in the dynamics of a rising band that are hard to combat, unless you don't care about making money. If it were me, there would be at least three TSO tours going right now. There are cities that they toured for years and they are dumping them. They built fanbases in these cities and they left them. There are fans left that gave their time, money and devotion and now they don't come to their city anymore.

I thought the transition to the arenas was really cool. I had never performed on a stage where I could look up and see three tiers of people. The magic definitely left to some extent, just from the lack of intimacy. But it was necessary and inevitable. In the end, it's all about business.  

Even the whole "You've got a job for life" thing that I am sure you have heard from all of the original TSO cast. Was it said? Absolutely. Repeatedly and passionately. Did I ever actually believe that? Even at the tender age of 23 years old? No. This is a business, and absolute statements like that are never valuable in business.

DR:  For six years, you sang the same two songs at every show. Did it ever get old?

GL: 
Of course. When you consider that it's about ten minutes of your day that you are on stage. But it never got old when I was in the moment, as I stepped to the mic. I couldn't help but feel that emotion and immerse myself in it when I have a row full of children and families looking up at me. But outside of that time, it absolutely got old. And a big reason for that was because there was no real room for elaborating or creativity. I could stick a little grace note in there and get slapped down that night. I had a whole ending for the "Kyrie among nations" that didn't just sit in that same droll way that everyone was singing - I had an R&B line over top of that that went over big, even Pitrelli and the guys on stage loved it. But it had to be taken out immediately. That's what makes something stale. Do I blame Paul for that? No. Do I think his vision is a little limited? Yes, absolutely. 


You have to remember, the show is backlit for a reason. They would much rather have you see flowing hair and cardboard cutouts than actual people. No one has ever spun a solo career off of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. If you're playing 60 shows a year, twenty thousand people a night - don't you think you would get a following? Never. They don't nurture their own people. You're a tool and you're there for a reason.

DR:  Since you were the first one to sing these songs live on tour, did you spend much time trying to emulate the original vocalist?  Or did you get much direction on how to deliver them?

GL:  No. I just sang the songs. Here is the thing about those Angel songs though: They are in the basement. The top note is a D above Middle C - you had to have a real low end to your voice. And to be honest, I don't think they have found anyone yet that can hit the bass notes for those songs. They still pulled it off wonderfully, and I think Andrew [Ross] did an amazing job with them on the West tour, but they're not basses. It's not usually particularly useful to be a bass, but with these songs, it would have opened them up so much more.

Guy with TSO 2004. Photo Courtesy of Brian Reichow
When I sang them, I always had the 'wingspan'. I always did it with my arms outstretched. They used to tease me about it. [Laughs]. But the only direction I would get was to "take out that grace note" or "keep it in the basement and keep that drone going". I know it sounds impressive to the audience that way, but they could have done so much more with those songs. I tried but they didn't like it.

DR:  You would come out, sing "An Angel Came Down" to kick off the show and then, apart from some occasional chorus vocals, you weren't back out again until the last song, An Angel Returned".  How did you pass the time?

GL:  [Laughs] We had a straight-up pisser backstage. We were bored out of our minds! It wasn't about us, it was about the band. They thought it was about them and management thought it was about them. We were just extraneous, until the audience started identifying with us and we helped to grow the brand. But what did we do? We ate a lot! Lunch at 3:00.  Here comes dinner at 4:00. And here are the menus for the after-show meal. There were a couple years there where we just got fat! [Laughs].

DR:  You were one of the few performers that spent time with, not just the original, but both the East and West casts as well. Can you talk a little about the differences?
 
GL:  The East show was always more of the structured template. The West show was "The Wild West" and went very untouched for many years. When you look at the maps of the cities that the East and West troupes travel to, it's hilarious. The East tour would seemingly cover a handful of states, and the West did the rest of the country. [Laughs]
Nobody bothered them - they would travel 700 miles a night, through snow and ice storms - for us it was a rough tour. That alone built so much camaraderie - laying in a bunk in a bus, heading down the Pacific Coast Highway in an ice storm, you are scared for your life. So we built a real bond on those trips.

And the West show was so much more fun. It was much looser and not tied up in the bureaucratic nonsense.

DR:  That came along eventually though.

GL:  Yeah, that came later. Once they took a look out at the shows and said "Woah! What's going on out there? They're out their building tens of thousands of fans. We better go and change the shit!" [Laughs]

DR:  Do you keep up on their shows these days?

GL:  Not really. I hear enough from colleagues about the click tracks, the in-ears, the moving light trusses, the direction. If I had to sum the show up today, I would call it "plastic". "Plastic with moving parts". [Laughs] And I mean no offense to the performers, just the show today doesn't breathe like it used to. 

DR:  For those that didn't have the pleasure of seeing you perform live, all TSO fans certainly know you as the voice of Young Beethoven, since you sang "Vienna" on their Beethoven's Last Night album.

 
Trans-Siberian Orchestra - "Vienna" - Guy LeMonnier on Lead Vocals

GL: They were grooming me for a while, trying to get me to sound like a particular voice that they were looking for with the Beethoven character. Again, they wound up going for Jody Ashworth, who I think is wonderful. We have nowhere near the same sounding voices. They should have known what they had with me - a clean-sounding musical theater voice.  Instead I would be spending 90+ hours a week in the studio with them - unpaid hours - for them to realize that they needed Jody's voice for those songs. I was doing all of this with the hopes that I would get picked for the Beethoven role. I could have had four albums worth of material for as much time that I spent in the studio, but in the end, I wound up with the one song, "Vienna".

DR:  What else did you record while with them?

GL:  I recorded many of the songs for Romanov. I recorded "Who is this Child?", "This is Who You Are", and most of the Beethoven songs. Some of those songs were a right fit for me, many were not. They wrote those songs with a really deep low end and then they peak at the other end of the spectrum. Rob Evan would have been great from the beginning with these songs because he has that range.  But in the end, I think Jody did just a terrific job with the Beethoven songs.


DR:  After so many years touring and recording with TSO, are they any particular shows or moments that stand out to you?

GL:   I only have terrific memories of my time there. We all had just so much fun. With the core group of guys - Tommy Farese, Tony Gaynor and Michael Lanning - we built such wonderful friendships that will last a lifetime. It was a "rock tour" - it's as close to Aerosmith as someone like me is going to get.

DR:  One event that seems to have gone down in TSO lore is your appearance on stage in a cow costume. For years, TSO fans talked about this as one of the funniest things ever witnessed on the TSO stage. Tommy talked a bit about it in my interview with him.  Can you explain how you wound up on stage wearing a cow costume? [Laughs]
Guy & Tommy Farese with TSO 2003. Photo Courtesy of Charlie Gow

GL:   Well, I found a cow costume in my size and it was all over from there, Dan. [Laughs]  When you find an XXXL cow costume, you hang on to it!

Part of the reason that the audiences loved us so much is because we were always taking it to the next level and hamming it up. Audiences like to feel that they are being let in on something or they are part of a joke. During the introductions, we would really ham it up and show the charisma of this group. Those kinds of actions were very much frowned upon by the organization. 

Anyway, I had found this cow costume and I brought it with me to rehearsals as a joke for Halloween, but never used it.  So now, I had this costume in my luggage. We let Tommy know what was up, but we didn't tell him when. We get to Omaha for a show and I decided that I was going to get into this costume for the intros. I walked out on to stage in this head-to-toe cow costume, with a straight face as if nothing was wrong. Tommy basically spit water across the stage. [Laughs] He put a towel over the udders, which made it look like a bunch of erections. Everyone on stage and in the audience was cracking up - it went on forever. I just walked to the mic with a complete straight face and said "What?". The crowd roared. It was a lot of fun. Of course there was a phone call from the office waiting for us after the show.

I got gifts for years from fans: cowbells, cow statues, anything cow related. It was good times, a lot of fun.
Tony Gaynor, Tommy Farese,  Michael Lanning, Guy LeMonnier
on stage with TSO in 2004
(Photo courtesy of Brian Reichow)

DR:  Did you ever miss a show?

GL:  No.  There was a time where I got really bad food poisoning. Our Canadian crew was very big into mixing Clamato juice with beer. One day, I was hanging out on the crew bus and they offered me this drink. It turned out that the clamato had been sitting underneath a table in the back lounge of the bus for half a day and went bad. I was not in good shape after drinking that. [Laughs] I still went on though.

  
DR:  TSO has a mandatory signing line for their performers at the end of their shows. Did you enjoy those?

GL:  Absolutely! It was so much fun to connect with the fans. Of course, there were some nights where the line wrapped around the arena and it was a little daunting, but it was harder for the band. The band was up there for the whole show, while most of us singers only sang a song or two and then sat around. We had a great time with the fans. Tommy, Tony and I would have a riot with the fans in that line. [Laughs]

DR:  Can you talk about the circumstances that led to your separation from TSO in 2007?

GL: My ending was horrendous and life-changing, like many peoples were. All I want to say about it - and I do want to say this - is that I was fired over hearsay. And the hearsay came from an unreliable source, especially in light of the behavior that occurred afterwards. There was enough drama to fill a reality show.


I had just bought a house down the street from where Al Pitrelli owned a compound of six houses with Jane. I did this because I, along with the rest of the TSO cast, were all invited to stay up there and live there and contribute to and write the next TSO album.

DR:  They asked the cast for creative input?

GL:  That sweetens the pot a little bit, right? I was a single guy and didn't want to live in their house with the others, so I bought my own place down the street. I was working for this multi-million dollar organization and it was great to be brought even more so into the fold - and with the promise of helping to create the next album. Of course, that promise never came through, and I was let go.


DR:  The next time most TSO fans heard from you again was in 2011, when you were involved in The Kings of Christmas with other TSO alumni. Where were you from in the interim?
Guy with TSO 2004. Photo Courtesy of Brian Reichow

GL: The extrication from TSO was enough to make me start a new page. I had lost my girlfriend of four years, I was up to my eyeballs in debt after just buying this house, and I had lost my steady job. The whole ordeal was humiliating and devastating. So I left. I packed up the truck and I went out to Los Angeles to pursue TV and Film roles.

Everybody has his or her story - particularly with that organization. Michael Lanning was fired just after his son died and was wrongfully accused of drinking on the tour. If you can allow me to refute that on tape right now, that was bullshit. Absolute bullshit. We lived in tight quarters, together all the time; we knew what he was doing. In fact, we were the ones that would tease him about having a drink, and he refused every time. So that accusation was perhaps the most wrongful of all of TSO's many firings, in my opinion. It was a blatant lie, he didn't have a drop to drink, and that was the reason they used for getting rid of him. All of the firings - from Michael Lanning to Mark Wood to Tommy - were all done in such a tactless, cowardly, horrible way. 

The bottom line is that Paul decided that he wanted kids up there and that's what he has now. Leather-clad, long hair, the chain-wallet look. No offense to the folks who take the stage today, but that's the vision that Paul decided he wanted and older guys with tux tails on are not going to fit in that image. Young, blonde-haired kids with hair down to their butts does. I get why he wanted that image - that's what he thinks a rock show should look like. Never mind how successful it had gotten over the years with talented, experienced people that didn't quite fit his vision all of a sudden.

DR:  Andrew Ross took over your role on the shows after you were let go. In my interview with him, he mentioned that you and he met that next year.

GL: Yeah! We went to Disneyland together. Andrew is a great guy and did a wonderful job in the show. He was nowhere close to me, which was good. If you are trying to imitate the one who was there before, that's often not the way to go - you have to have your own take on it. I thought he was terrific. I feel bad that he had such a hard time from the audience and the cast when he first took over. I was well liked and had a lot of fun with everyone there, but I never felt like I was the Angel or someone that would have been that missed. But he was great in the show and if things were different and I was to do it again, I would take things from him and what he did with the role as well. We had a great time hanging out.  And he has beautiful hair. [Laughs]

DR:  I wanted to ask you about The Kings of Christmas record, 365 Days a Year.  How did you get involved with that?

GL:  The guys called me and said they wanted to write an album. So I packed up the car in LA and moved back to New York. Because of that, I had a lot at stake with this record, maybe more than everyone else. 

DR:  Tony Gaynor, Tommy Farese and Maxx Mann were involved with this. There were rumors of Bart Shatto being part of this as well?

GL:  Bart was at first, but his involvement was only as deep as the TSO leash would allow him to be. Once the news of our band reached TSO, he was out. I do understand where Bart was coming from - when TSO tells you that you are going to lose your job over this and that you can't do a Christmas album, some people are going to tell TSO to buzz off, and some are going to cling to them. I understand both positions.

Guy with TSO 2005. Photo Courtesy of Brian Reichow

DR:  Before you guys announced the The Kings of Christmas band name, there were two other names floated on the internet from your camp: "TxO" and "Bunk Alley Brothers".  Was either of those in real consideration?

GL:  TxO was never going to be used. It seemed cute, as in Ex-TSO guys, but Tommy, Tony and I never intended to use it, but suddenly it was out there [Laughs]. The Bunk Alley Brothers name was talked about a bit more and considered viable.


DR:  What was it like to work again with your former TSO cast members?

GL:  Tommy and Tony are in my heart of hearts. I love those guys. I grew up with them in a lot of ways. I was 23 years old when we all started the TSO live shows in 1999, so I have known them now 15 years. And we have transcended to that point where no matter whether we are fighting or kidding or whatever, it's all love. They're family. 


DR:  Each of your voices are pretty distinct and one can easily pick out who is singing what. I know you sing lead on five of the album's songs, and you share the lead on "Soldier's Song. Some of the songs on the album are pretty heavy, in terms of lyrics and topic. Can you talk about the writing process?  The credits aren't very specific.

GL:  For the unity of the band, we agreed to list the credits as everything having been written by The Kings of Christmas. First, let me say that most of the songs on that album would not have happened without the amazing Dave Silva on guitar.  He came up with so many riffs that we were able to run with.  But we all did contribute in various ways to various songs. I had a hand in writing "Henry the Horse", "Christmas Passed", "New York Christmas", "How's Your Life", and "How do you Feel?". "How's Your Life" is mine - I wrote that song front to back. Tommy helped with the lyrics and brought a new aspect to the song. That's really the way we worked. I am really proud of my work on this album; I had a real hand in the melodies in particular. Tommy is such a terrific lyricist and he really helped bang out the lyrics.
  
 
"How's Your Life"                                                                  "Christmas Passed"

DR: The Kings of Christmas project seemed steeped in TSO-inspired controversy. Tommy Farese was fired from TSO for participating. Tony Gaynor admitted that he took phone calls from TSO management where he was told that he couldn't be involved in another Christmas project. Did all of this cast a pall over your work as you were putting the album together?  Or did it create a bit of drive or motivation?

GL:  TSO were like hounds on our ass for a while there. There were cease and desist letters and lawyers involved. There was this ridiculous notion of "You cannot do anymore Christmas". But we took all of that and used it as a motivator to make the best album that we could. We still thanked the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in our credits, because the bottom line is that we would have never met if it weren't for them. 

DR:  The album certainly garnered rave reviews once it was released, though you ran into some difficulties in mounting the tour. Now that a couple years have passed, is there still a future for The Kings of Christmas?

GL:  Well, first, my apologies to the fans for that aborted tour situation in 2011. The fan response was overwhelming, but Tommy, Tony and I had decided that the live show wasn't ready.  Some others in the band and a promoter felt otherwise and they went out on tour without the rest of us, using the Kings name. We still stand by our decision; a canceled show can be forgiven, a bad show is never forgotten.

As for a future, I really don't know. I personally put a lot of time and effort into it. Not just the recording and writing, but looking for investors and building the interest. I'm not even 40 yet and I am trying to pursue a career of my own. It got to the point that I couldn't afford any more time out of my life to keep this project growing. Is there a future for it? There could be. The album was pretty well received, but we also heard from critics that it was a little too heavy and emotional, when in fact it's just a different take. We weren't trying to be TSO at all.

DR:  And that was something that you as a band were pushing to the fans - letting them know that you guys were writing these songs, not a producer or a behind-the-scenes person.

GL:  The only thing that was similar was the combination of songs and a story.  

DR:   In 2013, you, Tommy, Tony and Michael Lanning wound up collaborating with The Wizards of Winter on their tour. 

GL:  Yes!  They are an outstanding band, and they are inspiring because of their music.They used to be a TSO tribute band, but if they were still just a cover band, I wouldn't have been interested.  They are such authentic people. What attracts me to them are their personalities, what a wonderful family they are. At this point in my life, the quality of people that I am working with is more important than anything. Plus, their original music is so beautiful.

DR:  Did you four enjoy touring together once again? It seemed like the audiences really appreciated seeing and hearing you once again.
Guy with The Wizards of Winter 2014.  Photo Courtesy of Vicki Bender


GL:  Yeah, it was a good time. We all got to go out and do our thing again. Mikey would bring down the house every night like he always did with his "With a Little Help From My Friends". Tommy was out there singing his songs - he did "Ornament" the way he sang it for the early morning radio gigs. And Tony tells a story like no one else. 

DR:  You recently announced that you have officially joined the band. How come?

GL:  Because they asked. I like the path that they're on. They are exiting the mold of a cover band and are breaking out with their original music. I want to be there to help with that and to see that happen. Their music is brilliant.

DR:  And you are more involved in the tour?

GL:  Yes, I fill in where they need filling in. I help with the arrangements and in backing vocals throughout the show.


DR:  You sing lead on two songs on the new Wizards of Winter CD - can you tell me about them?

GL:  Yes! "Special Feeling" is a song that I sang with them on the 2013 tour and really fell in love with it. I was delighted when they asked me to sing it for their new album.  I also sing a duet called "Just Believe", which they had just written for the album. It's nice to be appreciated and I don't think I ever felt that way with TSO, for the many years that I was there. I kind of bled into the background, I did my job and hope I did it well, but it wasn't a real atmosphere full of appreciation if you know what I mean. 


 
"Special Feeling"                                                              "Just Believe"

I really enjoyed singing these two songs with the Wizards. I am so excited for the band's future. They have gold on their hands, whether they realize it or not and I am thrilled to be a part of the growth. Plus, having Tony there and hopefully Tommy again next year is great as well.  I am in love with their music.  Unlike most TSO songs, where they never fit right into vocalist's ranges and are in these weird keys, Scott Kelly writes for the singer. Every song has a sweet spot. I love singing with them.

DR:  We talked earlier about you doing some musical stage work. You toured with Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll and Hyde. What was your involvement in his Dracula production?

GL:  I was in his production of Dracula in La Jolla that was coming to Broadway.  I was Tom Hewitt's understudy and stunt double, so I was flying on wires for the show.  I also recorded the demos for the Broadway production.

 
Guy singing "The Longer I Live", Dracula The Musical


Frank writes amazing musicals. If you look at his body of work, it is absurd that they won't keep his musicals running on Broadway. He has taken his musicals to Korea and Japan and he is huge there because they love his shit, as well they should. He wrote this wonderful new musical of the story of Camelot, Excalibur, that went right to Switzerland. That's the kind of show we need back here on Broadway instead of all of these movie rip-offs and bullshit. You look up and down Broadway and wonder, "Where's the dramatic musicals that have always been around?". Musicals like Les Mis, Miss Saigon, Jekyll & Hyde, and Scarlet Pimpernel are all going away, and that's what I moved here to do!

DR:  And you also worked with Neil Berg in The Prince the Pauper?

GL: 
Yes!  I actually took over for Rob Evan in that one. I had met Rob when we were both doing Frank Wildhorn's Jekyll and Hyde. He was doing the alternate and understudy for the role on Broadway and I was out on tour doing the Second National tour. 

I would work with Neil again in a heartbeat. His musicals are fantastic! The Prince and the Pauper? It's a full-length Les Mes-style musical. It's beautiful and funny and dark and serious. The music is phenomenal! It was an amazing musical that was cut down to make it a kids show. His music is so pleasing to the ear. Rob Evan and I were in that together, and I eventually took over his role of Miles Hendon when he left. For the cast recording, I am on a song with other characters, performing "Father Andrew's Lesson / Thrill Of Adventure".

DR:  Most recently, you were seen in the off-Broadway show of Around the World in 80 Days here in New York, which was a very elaborate production for being off-Broadway.

GL:  I really came in on that to help with the theater transformation for that show. It had a 2½ million dollar budget and was top notch all the way.  Myself and two other guys rebuilt the theater and when some of the original cast started moving on, I took over in the lead role. It was very cool and a nice re-entry to theater here in New York.

Guy singing "Oh Holy Night", Flat Rock Playhouse 2013

DR:  And in 2014 you were the Production Manager for another Off-Broadway show that drew rave reviews, Ayn Rand's Anthem.

GL: Yeah, I enjoy being behind the scenes as well. I ran the production - I had a technical director, a lighting designer and a sound designer all under me. It was hellish, but it really came out well.

DR:  You seem equally comfortable whether you are swinging a hammer and building a set, singing in front of 20,000 fans or running the behind-the-scenes production of a play.

GL:   I gained a valuable skill set from my father growing up; he and I would build houses and I am thankful that I learned a lot from him. I like being a production manager because I think I am a good boss; I am not always the best with delegation but I am pretty fair with everyone.

DR: What is something that someone might not know about Guy LeMonnier?

GL: 
I love movie scores. I have a real fascination with movie soundtrack, from Forrest Gump to Bridges of Madison County

DR:  You have a somewhat unique last name. Did you ever think of going with a stage name?

GL:  So many people think that LeMonnier is already a stage name. [Laughs]

DR:  What is next for you?

GL: The further along in you get in life, the more you want those creature comforts - a family, a house and you want to make money.  Frankly, Off-Broadway theater is not the place to make money and the state of Broadway at the moment is not the most viable venue for me either. I'm in love with the film and television process. I got into the entertainment business to fulfill an obvious need for attention [Laughs] and I want to be wherever people are picking up the remote.


I've got a great manager now and I want to be involved in the most prolific screen venue I can, and right now that's Netflix, Hulu, and whatever else people are watching at home. the auditions are rolling in, we'll see what happens.


For more information:

Guy LeMonnier:

http://guy-lemonnier.com

Video Channels: 
http://www.youtube.com/user/guylemonnier/videos
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6MCl4gZO6moGy5jbyBdUWA/videos

The Wizards of Winter:
http://thewizardsofwinter.com
https://www.facebook.com/TheWizardsofWinter


The Kings of Christmas:
http://thekingsofchristmas.com
https://www.facebook.com/thekingsofchristmas



Special thanks to Charlie Gow for his help with photos for this interview. Charlie was a good friend and a big fan of TSO. He was also a big supporter of my series of interviews and frequently opened up his vaults and shared with me photos from his personal collection for use with the interviews. Charlie passed away before he could read this one, but I am pretty sure he would give his seal of approval.  R.I.P. Charlie.