Joe Barnard
Joe Barnard (Tulsa)
GYPSY
JUNE 24 — JULY 31
What excites you about Gyspy and the role you are playing?
There’s so much about this American classic that I love, but most of all I am just excited to be DOING live theatre! It is such a privilege to be able to perform on stage, and I never take that opportunity for granted because there are so many people who are unable to perform right now. I am so excited to use Gypsy’s big moments, small moments, and all its goofy moments in between to bring a little joy and laughter to the lives of those who are able to come see the show!
What’s your process like in preparing for a show like this, and how does that process change (if at all) from other shows?
Playing Tulsa definitely makes this show process more dance-centric for me, which is different from most of my previous roles! I have loved coming into rehearsals and dancing for hours on end (and working with Heather, she’s AMAZING)! It’s been so important, because I’m dancing so much, for me to rest, stretch, and reset my body on my days off so that I don’t overwork myself. It’s also been really cool to focus on not only my dance technique, but focus specifically on the motivation’s behind the way Tulsa moves, and how that incorporates into my own movement style. Because of this, rehearsal videos, mental roadmaps, and consistent practice have been my favorite tools for keeping everything locked in and fresh!
What’s your biggest challenge about taking on this role?
The biggest challenge for me is definitely going to be my show stopping secondary role in Gypsy as the butt of Caroline the cow! Not only will I be dancing as the butt, but I am dancing bent in half and unable to see where I’m going (which has been a surprisingly great trust exercise with Camryn)! In all seriousness though, the dancing in this show will definitely be my biggest challenge, but it’s also my favorite part! It’s such fun choreography while simultaneously being very sharp and precise, and I love that I am growing as a dancer because of it!
How did you get started performing?
I’ve technically been performing since I was very young, but didn’t start doing musical theatre until my senior year of high school, and I got into it because of choir! I had done choir since 7th grade, and my high school choir friends convinced me to try out for the musical. That show ended up laying the foundation for my focus on musical theatre during the second half of my college career!
Why do you still perform?
I perform because I love theatre’s ability to connect us to people. I love being able to step into the world of a musical and resonate with, or be exposed to, the experiences of a life that isn’t my own. The way theatre allows actors and audiences to journey through the intimacies of individuals experiences allows us to develop a deeper appreciation for the complexities of humanity and enrich our own perspectives.
What’s your dream role, and what do you feel you would bring to it?
It’s SO hard to pick just one dream role, but I think Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame would have to be one of my top picks! The score from Hunchback is one of my absolute favorites in terms of overall ensemble and solo quality. I feel like the biggest strength of my portrayal of Quasimodo would be my emotional resonance with his core struggles and my ability to express that musically. That and my posture’s already terrible, so I’m halfway there (haha)!
What’s a fun fact people may not know about you?
Although I’ve been singing since I was 13, I have only been training in musical theatre for 2 years, and this is my 5th show ever! I feel like the saying, “Better late than never” is most applicable to my theatre career because just 3 years ago I was on track to get an undergrad degree in Pre-Med with the intentions of going into Veterinary Medicine.
