Jim Brochu and Piper Laurie on Zero Mostel

Jim Brochu has won raves from all our local critics and audiences for his powerful, hysterical, and astounding performance as Broadway veteran and painter Zero Mostel in Zero Hour, now at Theater J.

Joel Markowitz had his own Zero Hour when he sat down with actor Jim Brochu and director Piper Laurie at Theater J. They schmoozed about creating and fine-tuning the Theater J production, the Off-Broadway run which opens November 14^th at the Theatre of St. Clement’s Church, their careers in film and theatre, and the DC audiences who are applauding Jim’s performance.

Piper was smitten the first time she saw Zero Mostel, and, for Jim, who, at 14, literally ran into the man backstage at A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, it marked the beginning of a long friendship. Who better, then, to create Zero Hour? “He was such a force of nature, and such a good actor, and so committed to what he was doing. He could make you laugh one minute, and cry the next minute.”

Listen in while Jim and Piper talk about all things Zero in Part One of this revealing chat with Jim Brochu and Piper Laurie.

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Part Two, coming soon, will share more stories from the careers of these theatre treasures.

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Have you ever wished you could see one of Joel’s podcasts? Steve Schalchlin, Jim’s wonderful partner was there videotaping, and cut together this video of one of the many funny moments in the show. As many of you may know, Steve is Jim’s life partner and co-wrote and performed The Big Voice: God or Merman? with him in LA and New York. This is truly a man that it can be said ‘To know him is to love him.’ His website Living in the Bonus Round, is one of my favorite sites.