Two mega stars are descending on The Subscription Rooms this month to premiere a brand new music show called ‘Roll the Dice’.
American award-winning actors Elizabeth McGovern and Ann Cusack, have collaborated for an evening of music, friendship, fun and anecdotes about the world of showbiz.
Elizabeth McGovern, who plays the graceful and charismatic Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham in the hit TV series ‘Downtown Abbey’, and Ann Cusack, who’s currently starring in the hit Netflix series ‘Ripley’, and has also starred in the likes of Frasier and Ally McBeal, are performing in Stroud on the 13th November. It’s part of a 3-date mini tour of the UK, before the show heads to the States.
The duo will combine original songs written by McGovern and her band ‘Sadie and the Hotheads’, and the classic Blues that Cusack performs with “The Generation Jones Band”.
Stroud Times’ Faye Hatcher sat down with Elizabeth and Ann to find out more about the show.
Faye: It’s great to meet you both and thank you for taking the time to talk to Stroud Times. First of all, how do you know each other?
Elizabeth: Well – you’ll have to come and see the show and find out! No, just kidding. We do tell this story in the show, but there was a kind of parallel life that we led, without being aware of it, because we were both born the same year in the same suburb of Chicago, and we went to the same primary school. But then we didn’t really realise that until years later, when we worked together on a David E Kelley series, and then it emerged that we’ve had this parallel start to life. And so that’s how this friendship began.
Faye: That’s incredible and a bit spooky! You’re both musicians in your own right. How did you know this combination was going to work?
Ann: We didn’t! It remains to be seen!
Elizabeth: So, we think it does! Our audiences can be the judge of that! I mean, it’s worked in the sense that we’ve always sung and played together whenever we’ve seen each other.
Ann: Elizabeth is a prolific singer-songwriter, R&B gal, so this is a super treat for me to be able to sing with her, on top of being such a great friend. It’s been a really great ride, so we hope everybody enjoys it, but we’re going to have a great time regardless!
Faye: What’s in the show and what sort of music can people expect to hear?
Ann: Original R&B!
Elizabeth: I would describe it as the story of a journey of two women, through a changing world – because we’ve both been around long enough to be able to say that. It’s a series of songs that have a lot of contrasting moods and colours. We have a real contrast in style. Us singing and playing together, offers up an evening of a lot of variety.
Faye: Elizabeth- you said ‘in a changing world’ – are you going to dig down into what it’s really like in the showbiz world?
A little bit. I don’t want to promise too much of that because it’s mostly a musical evening. We’ve decided not to do all that much talking. We do tell some stories and you do get a sense of what it’s like, but we let the songs speak for us.
Faye: How do you feel working with a live audience in front of you? Is there an interactive element to your performance?
Ann: Oh, it’s just so fun! Elizabeth and I come from a theatre live audience background. I think we’re both very comfortable in that arena. There’s something in us helping to create an experience for the audience, which if you’re on social media and zoom and all that, it’s not the same thing as being live or being in the presence of a group of people. It’s a whole ‘nother kind of dance.
Elizabeth: I feel like we’re becoming a world in which everyone is getting more and more isolated, and more and more locked into their screen. For me, the live experience is becoming, psychologically, even more important than it’s ever been. I think people need it. I feel like the discipline and ‘the ask’ of saying to an audience, “Sit here with me. We’re gonna turn the lights down and we’re gonna have this. We’re going to share this experience”.
Faye: We’re very lucky to have the Subscription Rooms in Stroud and it’s a fantastic venue for live entertainment. The Beatles famously played at the Sub Rooms, but it’s also where people begin their career. How important are independent entertainment venues like this?
Elizabeth: I think that’s in line with my feeling about live performances – that we’ve got to support and keep these organisations going. It’s just vital and a lifeblood of a culture. I know that they are really under threat – all the theatres across the England, as well as these multi-performance venues. So if it is the last thing I do, I’d like to support that ongoing tradition.
Ann: It’s really key for a community to have these venues to also help support and help develop local talent and storytelling. Having places to practice and connect. When you’re in smaller venues, it’s a different kind of experience. There’s a kind of intimacy and connection that you can have with the performers, as well as your fellow audience members.
Faye: I think you’ll get a warm welcome from us Stroudies, but who do you think will enjoy your show?
Ann: Everyone, really. We’re hoping everyone!
Elizabeth: I think that’s something we’ll find out as we go! Our hope is that there’ll be a feeling of real connection between us and the audience. It’s a fun show and it’s got a lot of music, which will make your toes tap! It’s exciting because the people of Stroud will be at the very, very start of something that might be a long journey!
Faye: You’re doing the show at the moment, and doing all this whilst juggling your acting careers. Can you give us a sneak preview of what’s next in the pipeline for you both?
Elizabeth: I’ve got the last ‘Downton Abbey’ movie coming out next year and then I’m also doing something which is in the Anne Rice universe – a TV series for AMC.
Ann: Right now, I’m in a series out on Netflix called ‘Ripley’. That’s with Andrew Scott. And in the meantime, Elizabeth and I are developing this show, so we’re setting up a tour for 2025 and we’re gonna take it to New York!
Roll the Dice at The Stroud Subscription Rooms
Wednesday 13th November from 7pm
Tickets are priced £19 Book your tickets here: https://thesubrooms.co.uk/whats-on/elizabeth-mcgovern-ann-cusack/
