David’s latest email  Question and Answer session, 4th July 2006

Janet asks:

You could ask David if there's any message he'd like to send to Geraint? A friend and I will be in Washington July 18-20 to see his performance in Love's Labours Lost. We usually get to have coffee or a drink with him after a performance. Actually I think David would really like the Washington Shakespeare Theatre....they're doing world class productions and he'd fit in so beautifully.....and besides, I want to see him in Shakespeare again!

David :Wish him the best. I haven't seen him since New York. Sure I'll work in Washington. If you know the Artistic Director throw in a good word for me.

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Shirley asks:


Something I've been wondering for awhile: It seems that most actors
did all sorts of interesting odd jobs prior to their acting
careers 'taking off'. What sorts of things did David have to do to
support himself and to 'keep from starving' before he was able to
give his acting career his full attention?



David : I was night manager, 12-8 of a 24 hour restaurant in Vancouver. That was pretty wild. It was on Davie street and Davie was very 'colourful' back then. Prostitutes, drug addicts, fist fights and the occasional bacon and egg sandwich. I also worked in dietary at a hospital while I was still in school. Manufactured printing ink. Dirtiest job ever.

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Linda asks:

I'm all about the music (which I listen to all the time, singing along
at the top of my lungs) so these are some of the things I've wondered.
Feel free to skip them if they've been asked before and I missed them.

All the songs on your two CDs with Paul Gross have joint "written by"
credit. Did you write all of the songs together, or were some or all of
them written by each of you individually?

If/when you co-write a song, how do you go about it? Does one person
write lyrics and the other music? Do you get together to write, or do
it long distance (and if so, how does that work)?

If you write individually, do you always each sing your own songs, or do
you sometimes sing each other's tunes based on whose voice is better suited?

Who does your arrangements and vocal harmonies (they're gorgeous)?

Any word on when we might expect more of your music, either with or
without Paul? Any chance you could slip us an .mp3 file of a work in
progress some time? (I realize that there might be copyright issues
that would make this problematic, but hey, never hurts to ask, right?)

Thanks!

David : The songs were credited to both of us because we felt that we would never have done the cd's without the other. Having said that, yes some songs were written by just one of us while others were hammered out over a beer in a kitchen. There really wasn't a strict format. Sometimes Paul would bring half a song to the table and we would finish it or vice versa or I would have a lyric and he would come up with the music. I have sung Paul's songs. For instance Cherry Beach is totally Paul's piece but I sing the lead. I've always loved that song. It just really connects with me. Jack Lenz has done all of our arrangements. Most of the harmonies are mine. I just make them up on the spot. We continue to talk about more music but alas none has come to us yet. Time of course is the enemy. I hope we do again.

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Shirochan  asks:

I'd like to ask David what movie he likes. :)

David : There are so many. I just rented City of God. It is quite a devastating film. When I was a kid I would watch Cat Ballou every time it was on tv. Lee Marvin is just fantastic in it. He won the best supporting actor Oscar for it. Well deserved.

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Hayley asks:

Jill, I may be a little late now, but I have a couple of questions.

1) Do you think the Leafs can win some honours in the first few years with Paul Maurice?

2) What kind of impact will Pavel Kubina and Hal Gill have in our D, enough to get us to the Stanley Cup finals?

Thanks

Hayley

David :Wow. The Leafs, the Leafs, the Leafs. I love the new NHL, it's really a game of youth now so they better do some cleaning. I think they're off to a good start with these new guys and although I liked Domi, his time was up. Go Leafs Go. 

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 Molly asks:

Hi everyone and many thanks indeed for a lovely warm welcome... This
may be far too late and I haven't had time to check the archives so
unsure if it's been asked already, but I was wondering if he ever gets
stagefright these days, or is he too much of a "seasoned pro"?

I play the violin in my spare time and even after after years of
getting up on stage it still scares the hell out of me!! I wonder if
he's ever 'lost the plot' onstage too !

David : I forgot my line when I was doing Mamma Mia in New York. Louise saved my butt but it took me about a month to get over it. Heart races, face pales, it's terrifying. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I had been in the show for almost three years at that point. You tend to get lulled into an auto pilot kind of syndrome. Boy, but dropping that line sure shocked me back into a very  profound reality. 

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Jill:
Thank you David.All the very best,

David: You're welcome Jill. No problemo. It's my pleasure to answers any and all queries. Well, I reserve the right to answer any and all. You know what I mean. Have a great holiday yourself. David