Thank You, Five: Post Show Chat with Blake Hammond
Performer: Blake Hammond
Production: Something Rotten!
Role: Nostradamus
What has been the best part of this experience?
My favorite thing about this tour so far is the cast. It’s a bunch of funny, nice people, and I think that shows on the stage. I think it shows that we get along.
Blake Hammond and Rob McClure (Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel)
Your character is rather eccentric when compared to the other characters in the show.
He’s one of my favorite characters I’ve ever played, and I’ve played a lot of really great characters. I’ve been Edna Turnblad in Hairspray on Broadway, Uncle Fester in Addams Family, but this, he’s just another play all together. He’s in his own little world, and I love the fact that he’s confident in what he’s doing, but he’s not really right. That’s pretty funny to me! And it comes out of nowhere. No one expects this character to be here, but then it’s just like I’m such a part of the actual night.
Your character has several sound effects as he’s spouting his visions. Were you given creative freedom with this or were you given specific directions?
In the script, it says he clears his throat and coughs before he goes into a trance. I was like I don’t want to cough, so the sounds sorta came out of me. I thought they were kind of fun and they stuck. And then the foot started happening and it’s just become my thing.
Blake Hammond, Rob McClure, and the cast of Something Rotten! (Photo Credit: Jeremy Daniel)
Can you talk about your costume? You wear a rather large wig.
Heavy costume, very heavy. The wig is fantastic and it really transforms who I am. I don’t look anything like myself out of costume, but that’s thanks to the hair department.
Obviously a huge part of any show is the crew and the orchestra. Do they travel with you or are they different in each city?
We have a great crew that travels with us, and then we pick up local crew people everywhere we go. But it’s hard, because tonight [opening night] is their first night even getting direction for the very first time. They load the show in here today, and those guys have been in here since 6:00 this morning. Same thing with the band. The first time the band has played the music is tonight…we travel with three people, four people. We have a guitarist, a drummer, and two keyboardists. The rest they pick up in every city.
How are the band members chosen?
There’s a man called a contractor that contacts the locals at all these different cities we go to, and then he contracts it out. They say this person is available, this is their credits, and they chose the people to play.