Two weeks ago, Patrick Stewart tied the knot with singer-songwriter Sunny Ozell, but now is not the time for a honeymoon. After all, the Star Trek: The Next Generation favorite is about to take on not one, but two roles on Broadway in Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land, playing in repertory at the Cort Theatre beginning October 26. Best of all, he’s starring opposite his best friend Ian McKellen, who officiated his wedding! Broadway.com caught up with Stewart to chat about juggling two shows and how he’s enjoying his new life as a newlywed.
“Ian McKellen and I grew up doing repertory,” says Stewart, who frequently performed at the Royal Shakespeare Company. “It’s what we’ve been accustomed to for decades, and then it faded away. So it’s not unusual for us.” In fact, Stewart, who last appeared on the Great White Way in A Life in the Theatre in 2010, admits he would rather star in two Broadway productions than one. “I love the diversity of doing more than one show,” he says. “Even with the best shows, night after night and month after month, it can get tiring. Instead, we’re going to be switching it up every four performances, including two different shows on Wednesday and Saturday.”
Stewart’s new schedule doesn’t leave much time for a romantic getaway with Ozell, whom he married in an intimate ceremony on September 7 in Lake Tahoe. “I’ve been in a rehearsal room from the day after we were married, so it’s not quite the honeymoon that most people would anticipate, but it will happen in time,” Stewart says with a laugh. “With eight shows a week, there are no vacations!”