There is an Argentine protagonist of the great musicals internationally and his name is Geronimo Rauch. He was in charge of “Les Miserables”, “Jesus Christ Superstar”, “Sunset Boulevard” and “Los Puentes de Madison” in places as demanding as London, Mexico and Madrid, where he has been based for some years. There, after his London experience, he will return to being Erik, the tortured Phantom of the Opera in the new production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic that will be released in October. He was also part of that boys band that marked a disillusioned generation after 2001. Yes, gentlemen, Rauch is the Gero of Mambrú and to much honor.
He likes to return to Argentina, visit his family, eat at the usual restaurant. He filled the Teatro Colón, recorded two albums and is on his third. This time he came to Buenos Aires to do “This is me”, a recital at the Teatro Avenida that covers more than two decades of his career and his enthusiasm is evident. It may be that this time fate beats his cards in this talk with NEWS.
News: In their networks there are many people commenting that they already have tickets to see “This is me”. Without repeating and without spoiling, what are they going to find?
Geronimo Rauch: I had planned this show to celebrate my 20-year career, which was completed three years ago. Unfortunately the pandemic came and the world fell. The good thing is that during this time more musicals have been added so I can have a more varied repertoire. We are going to celebrate, that is the excuse I need to return to Argentina, I will share the stage with several of my friends, but they are a surprise. It’s called “This is me” because of the song from the movie “The greatest showman”, which is going to be there, and also because this is me. Every night is going to be different and I’m very excited, as they say here in Spain (smiles).
News: His first solo album was a tribute to The Beatles. Her son Gael is already 10 years old, do you share that love or do you listen to other things together? I don’t know if she will come with him on this visit.
Rauch: Yes, I’m going with my son, I can’t go to Buenos Aires without taking him because he has his cousins there, he loves Argentina, he feels Argentine without ever having lived there. I take it everywhere, I like shows of all genres, so we see from the symphony to rock recitals and musicals. Plus we always have our moment in the car, singing together, I melt (he laughs).
News: A few days ago it was announced that you will star in the new production “The Phantom of the Opera” in Madrid, something you already did in London… I thought your case is very special because you headlined “The Phantom…” and “Les Miserables” in two languages different, English and Spanish. How is that experience?
Rauch: It is a challenge. English is obviously more difficult for me because it is not my mother tongue, people perhaps do not understand that changing languages is changing the whole world. Luckily both the Spanish adaptation of “Les Miserables” and “The Phantom of the Opera” make my life easy because they are very well done. I am lucky because doing these characters once in a lifetime is something unique and that That given twice is unmatched.
News: Is it difficult to face self-comparison?
Rauch: It is a risk, you have to continue studying, training and also decide to audition. I had to win the role, it’s not that they called me and said: “You already did it, ready”, it was the other way around. They bet on a new version. There are people who in my circumstances would not have gone to a casting, I do. Because I am interested in the project, I trust the team… there is a reality, time passes and you have to maintain yourself.
News: I remember that a few years ago you commented how difficult it was to be a leading man in musicals after 40. Does that situation persist or has it changed?
Rauch: The truth is that it did not change. I think the cast of “The Phantom of the Opera” is more adult because we are all above the ages of the script. For a few years, I felt that I was being left out of the projects that came to Spain, so during the pandemic it occurred to me to generate the production of “Los puentes de Madison”. It was the famous: “If Muhammad does not go to the mountain…”. Don’t you have a job? General (series). Don’t forget that there is something true, we we are elite athletes, we have to do eight shows a week where resistance is also rewarded, it’s not just reaching a certain level, you have to maintain it. They can’t choose someone who scores a goal from time to time, every night you have to score and score, the energy must be put at the service of the work. So I’m grateful to play roles like this at 45 years old, I’m fine, I still feel young, but you have to leave your body and soul behind.
News: Regarding “The Bridges of Madison”, you are much younger than the original character in that iconic film. How did Clint Eastwood become our?
Rauch: (He laughs) For me it was a beautiful process, I was in the production from the very beginning, I did the castings to summon the cast, I participated from the creation and it is true that the character of Robert, the one played by Clint Eastwood in the film, It has several of my things and others that don’t. He is a very lonely guy, he has no home, his only root is photography and he can take it anywhere, but he finds himself with an impossible love. And the interesting thing about the story is not even the outcome, but how these two people try to avoid the inevitable, that love that entered without asking for permission. It was very nice to tell that, because even if they don’t want to, there are two adults falling in love and they fall into the trap of that passion. Obviously I’m going to sing a song from “Los puentes de Madison” at the Teatro Avenida concert, it’s wonderful, it’s called “Ya no hay nada más”.
News: Let’s move from a fundamental figure like Eastwood to another like Banderas. Antonio is one of the producers of this new staging of “The Phantom of the Opera” that is going to premiere in October. Did you meet him?
Rauch: I didn’t meet him… I did the casting for him! (series). We had met before because he is producing many musicals, but now Antonio has partnered with Andrew Lloyd Webber with the idea of promoting his musicals in Spain, he is a partner in this project directed by Federico Bellone, a wonderful Italian. So Banderas was there during the auditions, having his input was great, he would come, give us directions, he was part of the search process for this new Ghost. He is a guy with a very intelligent vision of acting in general, I calculate that we will see each other again soon, he is now shooting a movie and will also produce “Gipsy” at his theater in Malaga.
News: I don’t know if Banderas is aware that he met a Mambrú. We’ve already given up hope of them coming back, but how does it feel to be a part of our pop culture?
Rauch: (laughs) I feel that Mambrú arrived at a time when post corralito, at a social level there was a lack of dreams. Both Mambrú and Bandana were the product of the first musical reality shows, the public felt that she was participating in the history of those 4,400 kids who showed up to fight for her illusion. It seems to me that beyond the fact that the music was very good commercially, that was what made a deep impression on the public, we were the dream come true of many people, to this day Mambrú is in all karaokes. See if it’s true about pop culture that a video of Homer Simpson singing “Sometimes” came to me through artificial intelligence.
News: He tried to study Medicine, Advertising, but his was something else. Is it necessary to risk it for what one wants despite the fear of not having a job?
Rauch: Yes of course! It happened to me that every time I moved away from my passion I felt enormous sadness. My part was simply to continue studying and working hard, but they gave me a gift that is not my own merit. I did not choose to be a singer, I am a singer, when I ignored that my body and my soul told me, “Where are you going? I’m back!” It was always clear to me that the voice governs my life somewhat and is what opened the doors to the world for me. You have to dream, but also create the path to make it come trueBecause no one is going to come knocking on your door. If you want your goals to become a reality, you have to look for them, there is nothing left to chance. To this day I’m still looking, I’m planning to record another album, generating projects to continue living on stage and just now I’m encouraged to have a plan B that is to start producing for myself but also for others.
News: The last. What is the first place you go to eat when you arrive in Buenos Aires, the one you use to catch up with friends?
Rauch: There is a restaurant, Rio Alba. It is the meeting place both with my friends because we have a tradition of going to dinner there, and with my old man who works next door at the Trinidad Sanatorium. Surely we will go there to eat a good chorizo steak.
