Archive
Billy Bishop Goes To War:
Andrew Crowe
What’s your name and where are you from?
My name is Andrew Crowe. Where I'm from is tricky. I was born in North Carolina, grew up in Portugal, and I travel for a living. Last year I worked in six different States. I have an RV that holds all my things - my bed, my kitchen, and my toilet. Wherever the RV is parked is home, but wherever I'm working is also home. For anyone in need of a more tidy answer - Fine... I'm from North Carolina.
Is this your first time working at the Old Creamery Theatre?
Yes! This is my first time at the Old Creamery, and I'm enjoying it immensely. Not only am I sharing the stage with a dear friend, Vaughn Irving, but the Old Creamery is a "family" of delightful people with whom it's a pleasure to work.
So you play the piano in Billy Bishop Goes To War, tell us about your journey as a musician.
I started violin lessons when I was 8 years old and added piano a couple years after that. I received a Bachelor of Music degree from Taylor University in 2002. In my career as an actor I have most often played characters who play instruments. Professionally I consider myself equal parts actor and musician.
Do you play any other instruments?
Yes, I do. I have played over a dozen different instruments in professional theatre productions - violin, piano, guitar, mandolin, harmonica, electric and upright bass, saxophone, clarinet, ukulele, Bodhran, djembe, cabasa, recorder, and musical saw, to name a few.
What do you like about your role as narrator/pianist in Billy Bishop Goes To War?
What I like best about being the pianist for Billy Bishop Goes to War is that I get front-row seats to Vaughn Irving's spectacular performance as Billy Bishop. Furthermore it has been a great opportunity to put in some long hours at the piano and grow as a musician.
Why should people come see Billy Bishop Goes To War?
The story of Billy Bishop is very funny, very inspiring, and very moving. But there's something far beyond that. These stories are important. They need to be told, and retold, again and again, or we will lose something invaluable and irreplaceable. War is part of our cultural identity, part of the fabric of our social consciousness. It brings out the best and worst in Mankind. By revisiting the great wars through the eyes of a real individual like Billy Bishop, we take a hard look in the mirror and get to know ourselves a little better.
Did you and Vaughn Irving know each other before starting to work on Billy Bishop Goes To War?
We did. Vaughn and I met in 2008, doing a production of Smoke On The Mountain at Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse in Illinois. We became good friends, stayed in touch off and on, and at one point even formed a two-man band called Killer Paisley. Vaughn is a close friend and it is an absolute honor to share the stage with him again.
I hear you’re thinking of unicycling from the coast to coast, what makes you want to do that?
Yes... yes, I am. I want to do it because I believe in attempting the impossible. I believe in dreaming the way we did when we were children. I believe in doing outrageous things just so we can say we did them. Life is altogether too short not to take a giant swing at something extraordinary. If we whiff and lose our footing we may land in the dirt but we are sure to come up laughing. I want to find my limits and shove them out of the way, just so I can find them again. I want to earn my stories. I want to sharpen my character and strengthen my resolve. Also... it's silly. Very, very silly. And I like silly things.
Why do I want to unicycle across the country?? Well... I just think somebody should do it, don't you? If you agree, and want to support me on the journey of a lifetime, then please visit www.DoYouDareMe.com