Andrew Samonsky (‘Lempicka’) finds the complicated ‘truth’ of a ‘man stuck in time’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
The Broadway musical “Lempicka” will undoubtedly mark many audience members’ introduction to the personal life of Tamara De Lempicka. While wealth of information exists about the titular Art Deco painter, few concrete details can be found about her husband Tadeusz Lempicki. “I kind of get to add my own sense of him,” reveals Andrew Samonsky, who portrays Tadeusz in this new tuner. Charting the highs and lows of Tadeusz’s life and marriage was a thrill for the actor. “They were together for a long time considering the turbulence and chaotic history that they lived through,” says Samonsky. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
The musical covers many years of the Lempicki’s life. The couple begin their married life as Polish aristocrats, but are forced to flee to Paris when Tadeusz is imprisoned during the Russian Revolution. Tamara (Eden Espinosa) quickly falls into a new life as a painter, but Tadeusz struggles to find purpose. Additionally, his wife takes a female lover, which complicates his view of marriage. The couple tries to navigate new parameters of their relationship and gender roles, all while the threat of fascism breathes down their necks.
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“He’s a man stuck in time,” suggests Samonsky. “All of his identity is linked to his past, to his land, to his home where he grew up, to this aristocratic life that he knew, that he feels he deserved. And so when it’s all taken away from him, his identity is taken away from him, and he doesn’t know how to find a new one.” The actor sees his character’s dilemma as a heightened parallel to what most humans feel as they grow older: do we change alongside a rapidly moving world, or do we cement ourselves in the comfort of the past? Tadeusz’s internal struggle to embrace his wife’s new world of art and politics paves the way for an “incredible journey,” according to Samonsky.
The couple’s journey is brought to life courtesy of sweeping music from Matt Gould, which sends the singers’ voices soaring into the stratosphere. “It’s a cast of huge voices and big singing and exciting music, so it’s really thrilling,” says Samonsky, “But my job is to just stay in the truth of what we’re doing.” The actor admits that it’s easy to find said truth when he’s sharing a song with Espinosa. “She’s so easy to work with,” he exclaims, “she’s kind, she’s thoughtful, she’s generous, and a terrific actor and singer.” While he admits its a thrill to have the Broadway star “just sing in my face” with her infamous high belt, the most rewarding challenge lies in bringing this historic couple’s unique connection to life. It’s a bond that endured through impossibly difficult moments of individual change and political upheaval. “For us, it’s always just been the truth of the relationship,” notes Samonsky, “just finding the honesty and that complicated marriage.”
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