“Going out in the '90s? You could have just said, 'I like men!'”
The plucky actor Nathan Lane, known for his roles in comedies and musicals, is considering Death of a Salesman as his last Broadway role. “It’s about 10 minutes. I go to the bathroom, have a cup of tea, put on my jacket and go out there and fight to the end,” he says, describing the break during the play – a reflection of his character’s struggles and his practical spirit, with a touch of subtle humor and irony.
Lane is in great shape, sitting at a corner table at Cafe Luxembourg on New York's Upper West Side. When asked if this is his first time performing at the Winter Garden Theatre, he replies without hesitation: "Yes, except when I was filling in for Mame."
His easy charisma has sustained five decades of award-winning performances, from his off-Broadway beginnings to his Tony nomination for Guys and Dolls in 1992. The grit and energy Lane brought to The Birdcage and The Producers, as well as performances on 30 Rock and Sex and the City, remain his enduring mark, even as he has moved on to dramatic roles.
The role of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman is a huge challenge: he has to reflect the disintegration of an average family and the catastrophic failure of the American dream. Lane, 70, says: “It took me so long to feel worthy of this role. I’m doing eight shows a week and I haven’t collapsed yet.” Even well-known actors such as Dustin Hoffman and Philip Seymour Hoffman have struggled to cope with the emotional and physical demands of the role.
Death of a Salesman has a personal meaning for Lane. He recalls watching Lee J Cobb on the 1966 television broadcast: “Others were watching Gilligan’s Island, I was more drawn to Miller’s indictment of capitalism.” A year later, the play of life took on an even more tragic meaning for him when, as he says, “my father practically committed suicide by drinking himself to death.”
Lane shines in the role, making Willy Loman a conscious reflection of his own life as an actor. He understands the essence of the character and leaves it up to the audience to decide what his performance adds to the legacy of the role, which includes Cobb, Dustin Hoffman and Brian Dennehy.
The role is the result of a long collaboration between Lane, director Joe Mantello and producer Scott Rudin, who returns to Broadway after a five-year absence. Lane admits that the role initially seemed challenging, both commercially and artistically: “I was afraid of the intimacy of the show and the fact that Laurie Metcalf and I would have to sell a lot of tickets.”
Lane is not afraid to speak openly about his private life and sexual orientation. He recalls the 90s: “Back then, you could have said, ‘I like men,’ but I wasn’t ready, I wasn’t brave. It was the first public profile for the Advocate in 1999 and the secrets were already out: ‘Yeah, we know.’ There was no winning there.”
For Lane, theater remains his main passion. He criticizes the heavy use of dust, smoke, and extreme lighting in Death of a Salesman: “It’s like having the Gestapo on your side and being arrested by the end of the scene.”
Regarding the pace of Broadway, he says: “Eight shows a week, it’s crazy. A role like this takes a lot out of you, but that’s why I do it.” He says this may be his last Broadway role, but even if a new role comes along that challenges him, the bold instinct that brought him to Iceman remains alive: “How do you think you survive in showbiz, being shy?” /GazetaExpress/
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