TIME OUT WITH STEPHEN CARLILE

By David A. Porter Photo by Joan Marcus

Fresh from performing in The Go-Between in the West End and as Nick in Eoin Colfer’s Noël at the National Opera House in Wexford, Ireland, Stephen Carlile joined us here in January 2017 to play Scar in The Lion King for the production’s 20th year and just recently signed on for another year.

An accomplished tenor, he sang “Springtime for Hitler” as a member of the original London cast of The Producers and played Freddy Eynsford-Hill in a National Theater production of My Fair Lady, which gave him a chance to sing “On the Street Where You Live.” Married and living with his rescued Shih Tzu mix, Sugar (she joined us at our interview), he loves tooling around town on a CitiBike and Circle Line cruises. As for living in New York, he says, “you feel like everything’s possible, don’t you?” But he hasn’t yet found a great curry.

How was your first year living in New York?
I love everything about living here—even the extreme weather. I found the recent cold snap exciting. It was invigorating, wasn’t it? I enjoyed walking my dog down along the Hudson and seeing these chunks of ice floating downstream. I looked pretty eccentric during that time because I resorted to wearing two coats and two scarves—one kind of wrapped around my head—but no one batted an eyelid. My dog’s coat was more expensive than mine. She was nice and toasty—and looked very chic. My neighborhood, Hell’s Kitchen, is very dog-friendly. There are also lots of theater people kicking around. It feels like home now.

Apparently, you enjoyed your first year playing Scar, and congratulate you on yet another year on Broadway.
I was the only person who joined the company in 2017 last year—they are such a talented, welcoming group of people. Being part of the 20th Anniversary was very special—singing onstage with Elton John was a real highlight of my time here. I still love doing the show. I think it’s because of the response we get from the audience. One of my favorite moments is just before I make my first entrance—I can hear squeals and delight and wonder as these animals surround everyone in the auditorium. Julie Taymor is a genius.

How do you manage the physical demands of the role, which includes performing in a rather heavy costume?
I do have to go to the gym quite a lot, and the chiropractor as often as I can. Yoga helps. It’s all worth it because it’s a beautiful costume. I’m also pretty addicted to my voice steamer, which is one of those ceramic ones by Dr. Nelson. I’ve used it for years, and now I’ve got everyone in the cast using one.

Do you see a lot of shows?
Whenever we don’t have a Wednesday matinee, I’m at the theater. Seeing an inspiring production can fuel your work for the rest of the week. Laurie Metcalf in A Doll’s House, Part 2 was the best performance I saw last year. I was also lucky enough to see Bette Midler’s last performance in Hello, Dolly! As soon as she came on stage, there was a standing ovation. It was a true Broadway moment.

What surprises you the most about living here?
Brunch surprises me. It’s a big deal here, isn’t it? I find it confusing that a meal is still called brunch even if it’s at 4 PM on a Sunday. Brunch in London very much centers on breakfast-type foods. Here you could be eating pasta for brunch. I’ve embraced it.

What do you miss the most about the UK?
I miss my family a lot. And I miss lots of food-based things. Like a Sunday roast in a proper pub. I’m also still on the hunt for a good curry in New York...

We heard you play both tennis and squash.
My mom was a coach and a tennis teacher, so I grew up playing tennis. I love Wimbledon. Those two weeks of my life are closed off, and I’m either in front of the telly or I’m there! I’m hoping to be back this year to go. I love squash, too, I remember I was at a dinner party and met with someone who also played the sport. I said, ‘I must warn you, I am actually quite good.’ We met up to play a game and well, it turned out he’d been taught by the sixth-best squash person in the world. He slaughtered me!

A proud native son of New Jersey, David A. Porter is a freelance writer, journalist, and editor. A graduate of Rutgers University, he earned an MA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing at San Francisco State University. David provides content to a number of clients in New York and abroad, including advertising copy, blog posts, brochures, bylined articles, case studies, op-eds, speeches and website text. He also edits full-length works by academics and novelists. David is working on his first collection of short stories, Protracted Adolescence; a collection of poems, Ghost Season; and a non-fiction book about music, 20,000 Things I Love. He lives on the Upper West Side with his wife, interior designer Antigone Michaelides, and his son, Leontios, a rambunctious yet unbearably adorable second-grader.