Left to right: Nicholas Barasch (Frederic), Ramin Karimloo (Pirate King), David Hyde Pierce (Gilbert/Major General Stanley) and the company of Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway production of Pirates! The Penzance Musical.Joan Marcus/Roundabout Theatre Company
Ramin Karimloo’s first paycheque from his debut musical theatre acting job came with a surprise bonus: printed on the pay stub were the words, “US Pirate King.” The confused young Canadian called his agent, and that’s how he found out he’d not only been cast as a swashbuckling ensemble member in Pirates of Penzance, he was also the understudy for the lead.
“I said, ‘Wait, that means they could put me on as Pirate King at any moment?’” Karimloo recalled. “I don’t want that pressure!”
Karimloo got the cheque for that Regent’s Park production of the classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta in 2001, shortly after moving to London.
“Ignorance was bliss. I didn’t realize what a prestigious job that was,” the actor said, a bit wistfully. Both director Ian Talbot and Pirate King actor Gary Wilmot have since been named to the Order of the British Empire. And Karimloo? He’s a big-name musical-theatre star. However, “I’ve always said I would love to do Pirate King again,” he said.
Karimloo, 46, finally has the opportunity to do so in a revamped version of the show, christened Pirates! The Penzance Musical, on Broadway this spring. On May 1, Pirates! received a Tony Award nomination for best Broadway revival.
The day the nominees were announced, Karimloo spoke with The Globe and Mail about acting opposite David Hyde Pierce, travelling as an Iranian-Canadian and how to stay fit when your job involves shirtless sword fighting.
You’re excellent in Pirates! So sorry to hear you didn’t earn your second Tony nomination for acting.
I don’t care about any of that stuff. When I was nominated before [for Jean Valjean in the revival of Les Misérables] I didn’t even know I was nominated until my friend told me, and I didn’t want to go to the Tony Awards.
Are you one of those anti-awards people?
I’m not anti–awards. I’m not anti–anything, but I grew up in Peterborough, Ont. When I dreamt of being an actor, I never thought about awards. It wasn’t part of my culture. It’s got to be about the work and nothing else. I’m only trying to be better than yesterday, every day.
In interviews, your colleagues have been talking about how special the cast of Pirates! is, and how well you work together. Is that accurate?
Some shows have highs and lows. This one doesn’t. It sounds cliché, but it’s the first time I’ve felt like everyone is a family, and everyone is having a blast. My kids [now 17 and 20] saw Pirates!, and they said they like it more than anything else I’ve ever done, because they were like, ‘It’s great to see you having so much fun.’
I saw Pirates! at the tail end of your opening week, and was amazed at the energy level.
The dancing is just phenomenal. I’m doing things I should not be doing at my age. It’s brilliant. I said to [choreographer Warren Carlyle], “If you had a magic wand to wave, what would you want me to do?”
And then he made you try doing a backflip off a plank.
Yeah. And every night I’m like, “Let’s see if this works.” I think back to my days in Peterborough. Just no fear of anything. We’d jump off bridges or do whatever. I was stupid and 16. Now I’m dumb and 46, but thankfully, it’s worked out.
Physical fitness is part of your brand, though, even if the backflip is new.
When I started Pirates! rehearsals, I knew quickly I had to up my endurance, so I would get up early and do my weights because I enjoy that, but I added a 10K running program. I didn’t want this show to wipe me out.
You’ve also played Gleb in Anastasia and Nicky Arnstein in Funny Girl. Do you worry at all about being typecast as rogue because of your ethnic background?
I don’t think of my ethnicity because I never have, and it’s funny how the world is now wanting to make being Iranian a talking point. What I do like is that I see more Iranians and Middle Easterns come up to me at stage door. They see a path for themselves, and that’s great.
Some Iranian-born Canadians have reported issues trying to enter the U.S. Have you run into any problems?
No. We’ve never had any issues, and my mom just came to America. Usually when I come through, they see my Green Card and say, “Welcome home.” I get more questions when I come back to Canada. But honestly, that stuff doesn’t bother me. My brother’s a Toronto cop. These people have to do their jobs.
What jobs are next for you after Pirates closes on July 27?
The day we finish our Sunday matinee, I go straight to the airport to do Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in Japan. And then I want to take a little break.
Any chance you’ll be back in Canada to do a show anytime soon?
I would love to, but I want it to be Canadian content. I don’t want to come back to Toronto as Jean Valjean again. I have a script right now that’s pretty great, but everything’s still under wraps. You’ll have to wait and see.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
