Sun Prairie Native Jamal Stone is Performing in Some Like It Hot at the Overture Center November 11-16: Striving and Thriving on the Weary Road
by Jonathan Gramling
When performers are out on the stage in productions like Some Like It Hot, which will be at Overture Center November 11-16, they see the polished product of professionals who have put years of hard work and uncertainty into their craft. Rarely do we peak behind the curtain.
“It’s one of many ups and downs like all of us have,” said Jamal Stone who appears in Some Like It Hot. Stone caught the acting bug while performing in high school and regional plays, winning several Jerry awards along the way.
“When I did my first musical, I was a junior,” Stone said. “It was the best feeling ever. I was like, ‘Yes, I want do more of this.’”
After high school, Stone auditioned for college theater programs and was admitted to the University of Cincinnati where he studied theater and dropping out because of the cost and his desire to act full-time.
“When I was without an agent, I would do regional theater,” Stone said. “We had a regional theater there. It’s in Covington, KY. It’s called The Carnegie. A lot of people who go to University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music frequent it. I did that. And then I thought I needed to get serious and get an agent. And so then I was acting and applying via email to many of an agent. I got an agent in the next two days. He put me in for three shows. I booked every show. But you know how life is like and so things fell through and I had to start over. And then I joined Mean Girls, the national tour and that was where it all began.”
Left: Jamal Stone (l) as a member of the ensemble in Some Like I*t Hot Right: Jamal Stone
Through his ups and downs, besides his own determination and talent, Stone had a good support system behind him.
“I always gotten a lot of help and guidance,” Stone said. “I’m young and so I am still hungry. I really had great people in my life to fall back on. When I needed them the most. It pushed me and projected me forward. I might be reluctant to accept certain love, certain pleasantries, they still loved me. They still showed me care and compassion. And really, really got me through it. I definitely wouldn’t have gotten where I am without anyone who has contributed to my life or has been in my life.”
For the past three theatrical seasons, Stone has been performing in Broadway touring companies. First it was Dream Girls, then Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations and now Some Like It Hot. He has loved performing in all three productions.
“Ain’t Too Proud was an absolute dream,” Stone said. “It was the first Broadway show I had ever seen. To be in it and have a eccentric role in it and a fun role and a hard role. It was an absolute dream come true. At that point, I was like, ‘I can do just about anything if I can do this.’ I played Dennis Edwards. He was the Temptation who had his own group as The Contours. David Ruffin from The Temptations got kicked out and they recruited Dennis Edwards to be the new Stand-in lead singer. It was so fun. It was a dream show for me.”
One gets the feeling that Stone would put up with anything as long as he can act and perform. Touring isn’t heaven, but it allows him to do what he loves.
“A lot of people love being a touring artist for many reasons,” Stone said. “A lot of people don’t. For me, I am on the side of not being the biggest fan, perhaps because this is my third tour. I’m a little tired of it. But it is a blessing and a joy to be able to see these different theaters, work with these different locals at these different venues. Sometimes a venue will throw parties for us. Our company will have an open bar for us or a celebration of some sort. That’s always nice. Touring is really hard. It’s hard on the mind and hard on the body. There are different atmospheres. You never know what can affect you until it affects you and then you have to perform. And then you’re like, ‘Well, hell or high water, let’s go. Let’s do it.’ But I will say overall, I have a really fine job that requires a lot of focus and a lot of rest and a lot of preservation. But every time I do it, it’s so rewarding. I really do enjoy it even though I might now enjoy touring the most. I still find so much joy in it, in touring and performing and living.”
In Some Like It Hot, Stone is primarily a member of the ensemble, which means he needs to be ready to fit into multiple roles and scenes.
“I’m like a gangster,” Stone said. “My name is Sonny. I’m also a bellhop and a Mexican Mariachi singer. When it comes to ensemble, especially on tour, everyone is doing a little bit of everything. It’s very involved for the ensemble, so you’re never just one thing unless you are a lead. It is difficult because you want to make it different. You want to do something with every character you have and feel like you are actually doing something. That presents some challenges. But the good thing about theater is — and performing in general — you get so many opportunities to do it. We perform eight shows a week. I have so much time to develop these different characters.”
As an understudy, Stone also has the time to develop Jerry/Daphne — one of the lead characters — which he will perform if given the chance.
“He’s this song and dance man who really lets his brother take the wheel,” Stone said. “He’s his brother not by blood, but everything else in between. He lets him take over and dictate everything they do and the next move. They struggle to find another gig. They witness a gangland killing and they are immediately on the run. So they pose as women for the majority of the show. He finds himself and discovers something that’s always moved within him, but he just couldn’t put a name to it. He couldn’t put words to how he felt. He just feels more like himself than he has in his entire life. That’s what his track is in the show, discovery, renaissance, reinvention and rediscovery.”
All of this can be pretty taxing, being on the road for three years and being prepared to play multiple roles, some with little notice. But Stone finds sources for renewal and inspiration.
“I’m grateful that my voice and body have held up,” Stone said. “I’m grateful that my mind is still intact and I have a head on my shoulders even though I feel it is spinning out of control sometimes. I’m tired, but I am grateful. And I always bring up this one video I saw on the Internet. This guy was like so grateful that he could be exhausted and tired and drained from doing the passion of his choosing. I think that is just so profound. We don’t think about stuff like that enough. I definitely don’t. ‘I’m tired Jesus. I don’t know what to do.’ It’s stuff like that that I have to remember to get in the groove sometimes, most of the time.”
Stone hopes that people come to see Some Like It Hot as much for the message it brings as the visual and sound extravaganza.
“When you come see the show, really pay attention,” Stone urged people. “It’s really funny. But it is also really important. Spoiler alert! One of the best lines in the show — and what I think the show is about — Jerry/Daphne at the time is posed with the question, ‘What should I call you? Do I call you Jerry or do I call you Daphne?’ And Daphne says, ‘Either is fine as long as you do it with love and respect.’ It’s the most important line in the show. I think that is what the whole show is about and the umbrella theme of the entire show. I really encourage audiences to pay attention. This is a busy show to be entertained by and busier to get lost in because it’s so flashy and big and grand. We are dancing all the time and singing so well. But there are really important messages in the show.”
While the week may leave you weary, Jamal Stone hopes you will come and get energized and inspired by Some Like It Hot. It’s an experience not to be missed.
Some Like It Hot will be presented November 11-16 at the Overture Center. Tickets are $38.40 - $183. Visit www.overture.org to buy tickets or get more information.
