[Hannibal]

Five questions with One-Man 'Star Wars'

November 29, 2004






Canadian actor Charles Ross, 30, is a "Star Wars" fanatic. He has seen each film hundreds of times; he knows them line by line.

Some of those lines have made it into his solo tour de force, "The One-Man Star Wars Trilogy," in which Ross squeezes George Lucas' classic flicks into 55 minutes -- complete with character impressions, key dialogue, sound effects and battle re-enactments. Having enjoyed a successful run in Chicago last year, he's returning on Monday to begin a stint at the Apollo Theater. He spoke with us from his home near British Columbia.

Q: You're now an official spokesman for Lucasfilm and the upcoming "Episode III: Revenge of the Sith." How did that happen?


A: They heard about me for the first time when I was in Chicago last year and asked me to send a video. And we started talking. But it wasn't till around May of this last year that we figured out that I should come to Comic-Con in San Diego and do a little promo for myself. And things have just gotten better and better. I'm going to Celebration III [an Indianapolis-based "Star Wars" convention] in April and I'll be performing five times over four days.




'THE ONE-MAN STAR WARS TRILOGY'
When: Through Feb. 14; Fridays at 10:30 p.m., Sundays at 6 p.m.



Where: Apollo Theater, 2540 N. Lincoln



Tickets: $19, $15 for students



Call: (773) 935-6100










Q: You also have a one-man "Lord of the Rings" show in Canada. Is that going to be ready soon for U.S. consumption?


A: I'm hoping so. Right now, I'm working on a licensing agreement with Tolkien Enterprises. If you like my "Star Wars" show, I absolutely guarantee you will love "Rings." This stuff tends to go extremely slowly, but it's my hope that by the new year we'll be able to do it [in the States].


Q: Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf in the "Rings" films, came to see your staged version when you performed it in Vancouver.

A: It was great, man. We talked for about 30 minutes after the show, and he loved it. I had lunch with him two weeks later; he was up there working on a show. It was crazy awesome.


Q: Are there off-Broadway or Broadway possibilities for "One-Man Star Wars"?


A: I think we're possibly going to New York later in the year, but I'm not sure. I believe in building slowly. Instead of just going off and being a one-hit wonder type thing and disappearing, if I build a really strong base by touring, then when I do try New York or wherever, I've got a strong foundation.


Q: Have you met George Lucas?


A: No, I'm hoping to meet him at Celebration III. At some point, I might find myself before the king, and the king might take notice, and might go, 'Oh, interesting, very cool.' And that's totally cool with me, man. I'm not looking to become the jester, I'm not looking to become a member of that court. I'm just doing my thing.

Mike Thomas

[civilian_number_two]

Go Charles Ross! Local boy makes good!

The one-man SW show is really funny, and I couldn't say why, exactly. It's just lines and sound effects in succession, mostly out of context. But it's like reminiscing about a series of films that we all liked. One-man LOTR was just a gimmick, a sell-out. I'm pretty sure the one-man SW is the only thing that would work in ths format, although I wouldn't be surprised to see "One man GODFATHER saga" someday soon.

On my wish list: One-man PASSION OF THE CHRIST. That would rock!

[Despondent]

There's an actor that played our church last year who did a one-man show (with singing!) of the book of Mark, word for word. He's also memorized and presents the other Gospels, and the Revelation. (I didn't go.)



Follow-up production not up to the standard? Still popular though.

Much as I hate to say it, the sell-out of 3PO telling the sw tale in Jedi was wistfully nostalgic the first time I saw it. So it's easy to see where going to this could be a lot of fun.

And probably not a letdown