What would a great Cinderella story be without its leading lady and her prince charming? Paper Mill Playhouse's world premiere production of Ever After won the royal jackpot because they landed two gifted young actors with incredible voices and killer comic timing: James Snyder (the B'way hunk from If/Then & Cry-Baby) and Margo Seibert (who broke our hearts as Adrian in Rocky). Below BroadwayBox chats with the dynamic duo to get the scoop on their electrifying onstage pairing as Prince Henry and Danielle de Barbarac.
My first impression of my co-star was:
James:
She was quirky. It was at the audition for a chemistry read, and she brought such an interesting take on Cinderella. She was open, and listened, and, best of all, fun. I could tell she was someone who I would work well with. Her approach reminded me a bit of Idina's. She listened and brought such an authentic part of her into the room, I couldn't help but fall in love with her (in a professional sense ;-))
Margo:
Damn. James Snyder is a real live Prince!
I think our most memorable rehearsal had to have been:
James:
Our first stage combat "training" session. Rick and Christian Sordelet as fight choreographers and stunt coordinators gave us a little tutorial and a lot of it felt like a fun corporate retreat, we were lifting cast members into the sky and throwing each other about the rehearsal room in the safest and most fun ways. It was a great bonding experience. And true to her great nature Kathleen Marshall was even in the mix while we were rolling and running about the room!
Margo:
We had the opportunity to sing our act one finale duet, "Out of the Darkness" at Carnegie Hall to honor Kathleen and Rob Marshall. That is a rehearsal we shared that I will never forget.
The scene we have the most fun in now:
James:
Is the "Gypsy Queen" number. Our characters are thrown into such a crazy situation of mistaken identity, and we as actors are thrown into such a huge dance number! It was the most work to create, but now that we have it under our belts we can sit back and just let the momentum of the show carry us all the way into the big song at the end of act one!
Margo:
Selfishly I really enjoy the scene where I pelt his body with apples.
A performance of Ever After I’ll never forget is:
James:
Was our first preview. We got about 8 minutes into the show and a third of the power went out in the Theater. True to form, Julie Halston stepped up to the plate and did about 20 minutes of stand up and then Margo and I did "Out of the Darkness" with no mics and the orchestra playing quietly. The show must go on!
Margo:
James has given me some great adlibs when things go awry onstage. Usually I completely break and start laughing uncontrollably. Did I mention I'm very professional? I live for those moments of live theatre chaos. Thank you James.
I think our performances gel so well together because:
James:
Trust. I trust her implicitly and know the choices she makes are there to serve the story and ultimately serve this great journey we are taking together. Plus, we are both having lots of fun.
Margo:
James is an amazing listener. I feel fully supported and like my teammate has my back. That makes all the difference in the world.
Off-stage, my co-star and I bond over:
James:
I'm sure I talk waaaay too much about my kid. . . actually, I probably talk too much in general. . . but loquaciousness aside, during the van rides out to New Jersey Margo plays DJ and, I must say, has a great taste in music. I think we also bond about how tired we are during this process! It is not a small show and so much of it is resting on our shoulders, I think that alone is enough to bring two people together.
Margo:
James makes a mean dubsmash video! But seriously we tend of bond over stories about his beautiful family. He's a pretty stellar family man.
I’m in awe of my co-star’s ability to:
James:
Bring something so new and fresh and unique to a story that everyone knows, and despite that pressure have such grace and such a positive attitude.
Margo:
This man's voice is a force to be reckoned with. I joke with him that his sheer volume makes me go slightly deaf in my right ear, but everyone should be so lucky to witness his stunning singing voice. So get your butt over to Paper Mill!
If I had to describe my co-star in a song, it would be:
James:
IN ONE SONG?!?!? Unfair. . . I guess, “Killer Queen” by Queen. . . not sure why, or what the heck it means that "she's dynamite with a laser beam", but she does nothing short of blow my mind every time she steps on stage. . . I hope she doesn't read this.
Margo:
“More Than Words”- Extreme
You only have until June 21 to see this dynamic duo live in Ever After so as Margo said, “get your butt over to Paper Mill.”
