#BehindtheCurtain: Get to Know Jason Blitman
As we gear up for the second show of our 2023 season, we are so excited to introduce Jason Blitman who is making his San Diego Musical Theatre directorial debut for our upcoming production of Xanadu! Jason has worked on countless incredible shows both in and outside of San Diego, and he brings that wealth of knowledge to Xanadu. Keep reading below to get to know this amazingly talented individual before you get to see his work come to life in a month on the SDMT Stage!
What inspired you to get into musical theatre?
When I was 4 my mom took me to see Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan and from that moment on I was hooked–no pun intended. There was something about having Peter fly over the audience to take his curtain call–seeing him over my head with fairy dust on my shoulders, I knew that theatre is this shared experience and was something really special.
What made you want to direct Xanadu? Does the show have any special meaning to you?
XANADU has such a big heart, and at its core is really the story of an artist’s passion project. It’s an if-you-build-it-they-will-come story with high camp that is strangely relatable to those of us who have had big, weird dreams like Sonny Malone. Heart-filled camp is my love language.
I actually saw the original production on Broadway on my birthday in 2008, and now, 15 years later, I’ll be in rehearsal for this production, on my birthday and that’s really fun.
If you could tell the audience anything about the show, what would it be?
XANADU is so freakin’ fun. That’s all I got.
What’s one 80s trend that you’d love to see come back?
I’m a big jean jacket and graphic tee fan, but thankfully those haven’t really gone away. Since XANADU is a queer cult classic, I will also say that the 80’s was a time of great liberation and great fear for the LGBTQIA+ community and while there’s a bit of a queer liberation renaissance going on, it’s important to always remember the deep 80’s roots for the queer community.
What’s your favorite scene or number in the show?
I don’t have a favorite per se, but there’s something really special about “Dancin’” – I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a musical sequence that shows what can happen when generations combine and I think it’s really cool.
What’s your dream role or dream show to direct/choreograph/etc.?
There are some shows that I love, but what’s most important to me is a good story and characters that an audience can fall in love with.
If you were a muse, what would you be the muse of? (i.e. the muse of comedy, the muse of great haircuts, etc.)
Probably the Muse of Procrastination and Over-thinking, but I’m working on that. I aspire to be the Muse of Being a Good Person–there’s a lot going on in the world and remembering to be a little bit nicer goes a long way.
Do you have any epic roller skating stories? If not, what’s your favorite jam that you would love to roller skate to at the rink and why?
I loved roller blading when I was younger. My mom worked for an orthopedics practice and for an ad of theirs they wanted to show a multigenerational active family, so for a good part of my youth I was the kid on the cover of an orthopedist brochure in my rollerblades (and helmet and pads, of course!).
Xanadu Creative Team:
Director: Jason Blitman
Choreographer: Allison Bibicoff
Music Director: Richard Dueñez Morrison
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