"I was very surprised by the insecurity of Paul Simon": the new casting for the character of Art Garfunkel | Israel today

Amusingly enough, Oliver Cave, newly cast to play Art Garfunkel in the West End musical about his and Paul Simon's iconic duo, wasn't really familiar with the duo's music until recently.

It can be assumed that the fact that he is only 25 years old has a direct connection to this, and also to the fact that the last time the two were able to put aside the sediments between them and performed together on the same stage, was when he was only 13 years old - that is, very far from understanding the historical significance of the occasion in which two musicians took part who were then approaching their eighth decade of life.

"Yes, I didn't know any of their songs when I went to the auditions," says Kyiv in a phone call from Sweden, where he appeared last week as part of the musical "The Story of Simon and Garfunkel", which unfolds the story of the friendship, success and conflict of the two and consists of their greatest songs.

As part of the tour, the musical also comes to Israel - not for the first time, but for the first time with Kiev in the role of Garfunkel.

"I only knew one of their lines: Hello darkness, My old friend (the opening words of the classic "Sound of Silence"; ref.).

That's all I knew.

Actually that's not true, because I also knew 'Mrs.

Robinson', but I thought it was a song by the Beatles during the 'Ko Ko Kacho' wave, but then I realized it was simply a reference to the Beatles."

"I thought it was a Beatles song."

Kyiv (right) from the musical, photo: Hamish Gill

So you actually had a lot to study to prepare yourself for the job.

"Before I knew which songs I was going to sing in the musical, I listened to a record of their famous reunion show in Central Park. I tried to know as many songs as I thought I would have to sing in the play, and then I got the list of songs we were going to sing, and I realized that I was quite wrong. It turned out that I didn't listen to the songs I was supposed to sing at all to sing in the musical, because they have so many hits - so they sent me a recording of the songs as they had sung them so far in the musical before I joined."

You had big shoes to step into.

Playing Art Garfunkel is a challenge, both acting and vocally.

"I would say that it actually helped that I didn't know who they were before. I learned the songs first and only then did my research on Simon and Garfunkel. So I wasn't worried at all about singing his singing roles. I suppose that the challenge was expressed in my concern to adapt myself to a show that was already running A few years before I joined him, but still manage to bring myself to the role. I really want to play this character in a way that everyone else is used to."

When you put together the details of the information he provides in what is undoubtedly considered one of the first interviews he gives in his career, it is easy to understand that for Kyiv this is a period of professional and personal flourishing.

He is a graduate of the London Royal Academy of Music and this is actually his first major role in a high-profile musical.

Israel, he says, is very interesting to him.

"I participated in a trivia game last week, and one of the questions asked what percentage of salt is in the Dead Sea," he says enthusiastically.

"I understand a little about water, so I thought and answered 'two percent'. And the answer was more than 30 and that really surprised me."

I visited there just before last week and even I, who know the concept, am still surprised by the whole floating thing.

"Yes, it's completely crazy."

The musical "The Story of Simon and Garfunkel", photo: Hamish Gill

By the way surprises and if we return to the play: as a person who really didn't know their story, what did you discover about the two that surprised you?

"I was very surprised by Paul Simon's insecurity. I did some research and somehow it turned out that I watched more interviews with Paul than with Art. He was a guest on the show of the American host Dick Cavett, and he was asked a rather complex question for rock and pop stars. Something like: 'Now that you're famous, it's hard Do you write more songs, after music has taken you to such amazing places?'. He answered: 'I don't know if music takes you to such amazing places'. I think only a huge lack of confidence can produce such an answer."

Art Garfunkel also had a tendency to take things to heart and get hurt, in a way that probably betrays quite a bit of his own insecurity.

"He is very sensitive, but I think intellectually he is more confident in himself. He has a very beautiful approach to art, he is a very beautiful person with a beautiful voice and I think that everything in him wanted to be beautiful all the time. And that is something you cannot be all the time."

"You can't be beautiful all the time."

"The story of Simon and Garfunkel", photo: Hamish Gill

Do you think that in today's popular music landscape, a duo based on vocal harmonies like Simon and Garfunkel would have been able to reach today the heights they reached in the seventies?

"I think that ten years ago it wouldn't have happened, but now it does. Everyone will always love singers and acoustic guitar. That won't change. I also think that rock is making its way back."

Not sure.

But interestingly, the decade of the early 2000s, i.e. your formative years, is considered a period of folk rock revival.

Bands like Kings of Convenience or Fleet Foxes were directly influenced by Simon and Garfunkel.

Certainly, and also Mumford & Sons.

But you know, I haven't listened to any of these bands.

I quite liked heavy music at the time.

I was more into Green Day and stuff like that.

If you ignore their sound, then Green Day also tell stories in their songs, so in a strange way Simon and Garfunkel have a lot in common with Green Day.

"Stories are something that people will always connect with. Simon and Garfunkel sang about a desire for social change, and this is something that speaks to people, especially young people, even today."

"The Story of Simon and Garfunkel"

January 31, February 1 - Gesher Theater, Tel Aviv, 8:30 p.m

February 2 - Gan Shmuel concert hall, 9:00 p.m

February 3 - Haifa Auditorium, 10:00 p.m

February 4 - Jerusalem Theater, 9:00 p.m

were we wrong

We will fix it!

If you found an error in the article, we would appreciate it if you shared it with us