Interview: Building the Wonderland Stage with Jonathan Betchtel
When you attend a Can Can performance, you’re not just sipping cocktails and watching a show. No, no, no. Before you've even settled in your seats, you’re already and absolutely transported. From eerie hotel lobbies covered in spider webs to a glittering, snowlike scape, the Can Can stage contains countless worlds in one, all brought to life by the hands and minds of our fabulous creative team.
Two of those hands belong to Jonathan Betchtel, a performer by night and an engineer by day. You read that right, my friends. Betchtel, who Can Can audiences will most likely recognize spinning from a chandelier, is a man of many talents from landing laughs as our principal emcee, building Can Can’s awe-inspiring stage elements by hand, and, of course, making us ask, “Is it hot in here or is it just Jonny?”
“If I hadn't gotten into performing,” says Betchtel of having fallen in love with constructing. “I think I would have loved to have been an engineer.”
Dying to hear more about the “labor of love” that is building a Can Can show? Read on.
Jonathan Betchtel spinning a snowflake apparatus in Wonderland (2022) | Photo by Nate Watters
THECANCAN.COM: Before we dive in, please tell us a bit more about your journey as a performer. Have you always spun gracefully from chandeliers or was this a newer discovery in your career?
Jonathan Betchtel: It’s been a hodgepodge throughout my life. My mom forced me into boy’s choir when I was a kid, probably in third grade. I wouldn't say I'm a good singer, by any means. But, coming from a pretty quiet household and growing up around music, I realized that I liked singing because of how it made me want to dance a little bit. So, I started dancing when I was in high school, and then I was lucky enough to get a scholarship to go to Cornish for dance. Can Can fell into my life right when I was graduating from college.
THECANCAN.COM: Many long-time audiences fondly remember the Wonderland apparatus from our previous location. How different are the show’s gravity-defying dances now at Can Can’s new theater?
Jonathan Betchtel: It's definitely a whole new ballgame. It's funny what adding about three to four feet of ceiling height does to the physics of it all. I'm continually learning as we develop new ideas for new apparatus. It opens a whole new world for us. I'm attempting to build giant snowflakes this year. I've got about a week to make that all happen, but I'm excited to see what comes about with that. Even today was spent building some new staircase-like platforms that'll be on either side of the stage. It’s a whole new kind of area for us to perform on within the space as well. Strangely, it was harder in the old space because we were limited by the ceiling’s height, so it's fun to start scratching the surface of what we can do now with this expanded stage area. It's more liberating now, while also providing the physical challenges of, “Can we do it?”
Zoë Magno: It really does sound like a whole construction project from show to show.
Jonathan Betchtel: It is. The hard part is having to do that construction project outside of Can Can’s space, and, within a couple of days, then having to bring everything in and transform the stage for a new show.
THECANCAN.COM: What’s something you wish the audience knew about this behind-the-scenes process of transforming the stage for every new show?
Jonathan Betchtel: It still very much feels like a mom-and-pop store when it comes to show creation. I don't think anyone quite understands the hours put in; it’s fun work, but it's a lot of work. Prior to going to the show tonight, I spent about five to six hours in a cold workshop. Between the hours that Shadou puts in with costumes, Chris in the studio making music with Pezzner, and Fae putting choreography together–it's a labor of love for all of us. Outside of the performing part of it, there is an additional 30 hours a week of just labor, which is wild. But I think the entire creative process is really fun where, within the team, someone will come up with a pretty wacky idea. And then it's seeing who's crazy enough to be like, “Oh, yeah, let's see if we can make that work.” That's where a lot of the joy comes from, that pure challenge of making a pretty insane-sounding idea come to life.
Jonathan Betchtel and Shadou Mintrone using the moon apparatus from Wonderland (2019) in old theatre | Photo by Nate Watters
THECANCAN.COM: So, what happens when one of those insane-sounding ideas fails?
Jonathan Betchtel: There have been different levels of failure. I venture to call myself a bit of a dreamer, so sometimes I’ll bite off more than I could chew. Halfway through the process, you're like, “You know what? This is going to take me so much more time and a skill set that I don't even have to make this happen the way I imagined.” So, you have to scratch that idea and start something new. There's a pretty natural progression at times where the big idea you have actually ends up not being the right idea. Sometimes, the more simple and more elegant version of it ends up being the right choice. It's either humbling or, at times, more of an epiphany when the right evolution happens, especially with the apparatus.
THECANCAN.COM: You don’t have to reveal any ideas, but is there a dream apparatus you’re dying to bring to life on stage?
Jonathan Betchtel: I look at these massively successful theaters and circus companies around the world and their technology and use of the stage is so exquisite. I strive to be on that level, someday. Some of it is just a lack of knowledge at this point in my career, but I'm excited to keep learning and push those extremes. But, the dream is to create a world within a theater that people will never forget. I just want to keep striving for that. I know so much more now than I did five years ago when it comes to apparatus design and stage construction. I can't wait to see where we're at five years from now.
Jonathan Betchtel and Shadou Mintrone using the second version of the moon apparatus for Wonderland (2021) in the new theatre | Photo by Nate Watters
THECANCAN.COM: Can you share how the gasp-inspiring elements of apparatus enhance, transform, or accentuate the overall storytelling taking place on stage? Especially in Wonderland?
Jonathan Betchtel: All of the elements that our team brings to a show, whether it's the music, the story, the costuming, the choreography–each one of those is an element that further develops the experience. The apparatus part is just another way to intrigue the audience and adds the next layer to it all, whether it's someone hanging from the ceiling and spinning around or even just stepping from one step to another. I'm strangely very excited about these platforms for the upcoming performances of Wonderland. It makes the stage even more three-dimensional and deeper into the audience's perspective. I'm excited for that.
THECANCAN.COM: Finally, what has been your favorite apparatus element you’ve used thus far?
Jonathan Betchtel: To be completely honest, I don't really have a favorite. What I love is the challenge of both the simple and the super complex. There's some apparatus that involve putting my third-grade geometry skills to use. I often get to push my engineering skills and welding skills to a certain extreme, and it's fun to see those projects come to life. Then, there's also this joy of just using a rope onstage. One of my solos this last year was just a rope and a pulley. Overall, I wouldn't trade it for anything. We're wildly fortunate to have guests keep coming back. There is something about the holiday season and that connection with the audience. Sometimes it's overwhelming how genuine and caring and loving it gets between where they sit and the stage. So, I'm pretty excited for Wonderland this year.
You must be quite excited now, too! Join in on the joy with Can Can’s special Wonderland showings this Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day! We cannot wait to celebrate with you. Details and more at thecancan.com.