It’s going to be ‘yuge’
Fueled by frustration, local youth create musical based on the politics of Donald Trump
Playing U.S. President Donald Trump — or at least a character inspired by him — comes down in part to the hand gestures, says performer Taylor Aucoin.
He elaborates: there are at least five distinct gestures the U.S. president is known for, starting with the point (“That’s the ‘You’re fired’ move”), then moving into the cautionary palms out move, the “We’ve got to do something” two-hand slice, the precise L-shape and pinch, and the shaking jazz hands. Aucoin demonstrates as he explains, and his gestures are spot-on imitations of Trump’s.
Facial expressions are another thing, Aucoin says, and those come more naturally to him. Instead of studying Youtube videos, all Aucoin has to do is think of Trump.
“He’s always scowling. I just think about him and it makes me so angry, my face just goes like that,” Aucoin explains.
Aucoin is playing the title role in Peter Macdonald Productions’ original show “Trummp, the Musical” (two Ms are correct, not fake news), opening Thursday night at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre. He never intended to read for that role, he says, coming into the audition singing a love ballad.
Unbeknownst to him, show creators Peter A. Macdonald and Spencer Fitzgerald had decided he was Trummp as soon as he walked in.
“They were like, ‘Do you see yourself as Trummp? Do you want to read for the part of Trummp?’ I said, No! Not at all!” Aucoin says. “But then I thought, OK, as an actor, it would be stupid for me to say no. I took the sides, went into the hallway, watched videos of him on Youtube and then screwed up my face and said, you know what? I’m going to give this my best shot.
“At first, when I saw my name (as having gotten the part), I was like, Yes! I got it! But wait, I have to spend the better part of a year watching videos of this man.”
“Trummp, the Musical” was borne out of anger and frustration, Macdonald, 21, explains. He had been at a friend’s house, discussing the state of the world and the negative direction things seem to have taken, and was so riled up, he did what came natural to him, having grown up in a musical theatre company. He sat down at the piano and wrote a song about it.
Macdonald says his parents — Peter Macdonald Sr. and Ronalda Hutton Macdonald, who have been producing largescale musicals like “Hairspray” and “Oliver” in St. John’s for years — heard the song and told him to put it online to see if he could make it go viral.
“I said, screw that, I’m going to do a musical,” Macdonald says.
He partnered with his longtime collaborator, Fitzgerald, and the result is “Trummp, the Musical,” a 90-minute (or so) show with 19 musical numbers and a cast of about 70.
Macdonald and his sister, Miranda Macdonald, play White House interns Max and Suzie. They quickly realize there are some serious problems with the way things are happening under Trummp, and decide to take a stand.
“It was so important for us to make the interns be the ones bringing about change,” Macdonald explains, adding he and Fitzgerald were inspired by the American youths who lobbied for tighter gun control measures after a school shooting in Florida last February.
Suzie, who leads the movement for change, is meant to represent the worldwide women’s march that happened last January, Macdonald says.
“When I sing that final song, it just feels so powerful,” Miranda Macdonald says. “Just to be in front of an audience and to get everyone to come together and be the leader of that is an incredible experience. Suzie can be a representative of everyone, not just women. Everybody can stand up against this. Suzie says it in the show: as long as we work together, we can do this.”
The show doesn’t come out and criticize Trump, but presents a president who reflects his words and actions, letting audience members laugh or grow enraged as they see fit.
The musical features a full cast of Trump governmentinspired characters, from Vicepresident Phence (played by Kyle Mcdavid) to Milania (Heather Reardigan) to the head of the CIA (played by Peter Macdonald Sr.). Justin Nurse stars as Trummp’s secretary of defence (“He feels he was too quiet before the election and missed an opportunity to prevent all this from happening,” Nurse says) and Jordan Coaker of local musical groups Waterfront Fire and Quote the Raven plays an intern. There’s also a 26-member youth choir, and a five-piece pit band, featuring Fitzgerald on bass.
The cast members acknowledge audience members may not know what to expect from the show, or may feel they already see enough of the real Trump in the news. They are encouraging people to find laughter, lightheartedness and entertainment in the production, but to recognize the importance of youth coming together to present a political musical about a country that’s not their own but certainly affects it.
“Everyone says the younger generation isn’t into politics and doesn’t know what’s going on in the world,” Macdonald says. “But you can’t shut us down any longer. We’re here staring you in the face.”
“Trummp, the Musical” opens for a preview Thursday night, and continues Friday and Saturday night. Tickets are available at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre box office and online at www.artsandculturecentre.com.