It’s not surprising that Max Pinson didn’t have categorical knowledge of the Simon and Garfunkel song catalog. After all, the singer, actor and recent college graduate is a full 60 years younger than the famous duo, who are both 82.
But in 2022, when he was cast as Art Garfunkel in the touring tribute-concert, “The Simon and Garfunkel Story,” Pinson had to take a deep dive into the classic hits of the late 1960s. He found the lyrics of two songs particularly resonant.
“My favorite song is probably ‘America,’ which I didn’t know before I started doing the show,” says Pinson on a call from New York. “Both ‘America’ and ‘Homeward Bound’ evoke that mentality of being all over the place but having somewhere to return to. It’s reflective of exactly what’s happening while we’re on the road.”
The joys and challenges of the road have become all too familiar for Pinson as he spent most of 2023 on tour, traveling with “The Simon and Garfunkel Story” the first half of the year and “Dirty Dancing in Concert” at the end of the year. “I have not been in the same place for more than three months consecutively since May of 2022,” he says.
“The Simon and Garfunkel Story” rolls into Richmond on Jan. 30, the second stop in 2024 for a tour that has been a sleeper success story since its London debut in 2014. Originally developed as a one-time, three-month production, the show has toured annually since it opened and now has three tours running simultaneously, one each in the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America.
The show augments its songs with narrative segments where the two actors playing Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel relate the story of the duo’s rise to fame and eventual falling out. Starting with “Wednesday Morning, 3AM,” in 1964, the pair released five albums over six years, with songs like “The Sound of Silence” and “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” becoming huge hits. Then, at the peak of their fame, they broke up.
Portraying such an iconic duo known for their tight harmonies has specific challenges, says Pinson. “Together, they had almost this twin telepathy thing where you watch them and they are just so in sync,” he says. “Trying to find that as performers is really important.”
For the most part, there are two pairs of actors on each tour that work with each other but scheduling and circumstances can disrupt that rhythm. At the time of this interview, Pinson hadn’t met his “Paul Simon” partner yet.
“In 2023, I did the show with three different Paul Simons throughout the run,” he says. “Compared to a more Broadway-style show where you can kind of slot [a replacement actor] in, there is a different kind of precision with this show.”
“I need to sort of rewire my brain when I’m working with someone new,” he adds. “It’s not quite as cut-and-paste as something else might be.”
Pinson has to dye his curly hair blonde to match Garfunkel’s iconic look, but he has a naturally flexible voice that lets him reach the soaring highs needed for songs like “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” He shares something else less expected with the performer he’s portraying: a collegiate interest in mathematics.
Garfunkel earned a master’s degree in math education back in 1967; Pinson’s bachelor’s degree from Otterbein University is in mathematics and he has worked as a math tutor. He finds his left brain skills are complementary to his right brain work as a performer.
“There is an analytical side [to math] but, when you’re working with kids, you do have to put on a little bit of a performance and find creative ways to engage them,” he says. “And, with a show like ‘Simon and Garfunkel’ with all the important harmonies, there are really specific things to keep track of.”
“You definitely use more of each side of your brain than you’d expect.”
“The Simon and Garfunkel Story” will appear at the Carpenter Theatre at the Dominion Energy Center for one night, Jan. 30. Tickets and information available at https://broadwayinrichmond.com/show/simon-garfunkel-story/.
