Spotlight on Native Theater: Jeff Barehand and Distant Thunder

1. We know you from our longtime partnership with the company you co-founded, Sky Bear Media. And we also know a little about some of your other talents, in particular your stirring vocal rendition of the National Anthem at RES Las Vegas. But we did not know your passion and talent in musical theater. Is this something new for you, or has it always been an interest?

There are not a lot of touring musicals through the reservations, so it was by accident I went to my first Broadway show in Tempe, AZ. In high school, I asked a girl to prom very late in the game and she had already bought tickets to see Les Miserables with her family.  They had an extra ticket, so our daytime prom fun was going to see this play. I was amazed by the story, the singing, the music, the lights, the revolving floor and the barricade that formed on stage. I immediately bought the Les Miserables soundtrack and began singing.

Once I moved to Olympia, WA, shortly before starting up Sky Bear Media, 15 years ago I saw the play RENT, at our local playhouse and was again amazed by the talent of the cast and decided to try out for the next show. I landed the role of Woof in Hair.  I got the bug when I felt the rush of performing live for an audience who react instantly to what you bring to them. Since then, I have been in the Full Monty, Buddy Holly, Man of La Mancha, Evita, and even Les Miserables, the one that started it all for me.  It’s great to come full circle, and to now come to off-Broadway to perform in New York City, that is a dream come true.

2. We’re chatting just as Distant Thunder is opening. How has the experience been so far – from casting, to rehearsal, to your debut off-Broadway?

Distant Thunder is the brainchild of son and mother creative team Shaun Taylor-Corbett and Lynn Taylor-Corbett, really a semi-auto-biographical story when Shaun went back to the Blackfeet tribe to reconnect with his Blackfeet father and the community there in Browning, Montana. His mother is a renowned choreographer in the dance world and Shaun was raised to be a performer. 

I answered a call from Randy Reinholz, the former director of Native Voices at the Autry in LA, that auditions were being held for a new play in development. I flew down to audition and met Lynn and Shaun for the first time.  They were extremely happy to find me, and hear me sing, “On the Street Where You Live,” from My Fair Lady, my audition song.

It wasn’t long before they asked me to come to Ashland, Oregon. That was the first time I got to be part of the team. Donna Trinkoff, Artistic Producer at Amas Musical Theatre has been such a champion of Distant Thunder. Amas Musical Theatre is devoted to the creation, development, and professional production of new American musicals and the celebration of equity and minority perspectives. It’s no wonder Trinkoff helped to produce Distant Thunder in association with the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, which would have been the first fully staged performance of Distant Thunder, but COVID-19 got in the way. Days before our first performance on the Lyric Theatre stage, like all public performances at that time, COVID-19 shut us down. 

Fortunately, we were able to return a year later to do an outdoor performance at the First Americans Museum, which was special in its own way. But for musicals the goal is always Broadway. And Amas Musical Theater and other funders and supporters, helped Distant Thunder to find its way back to New York City. Lynn Taylor-Corbett called me up, asking me to reprise my role as White Feather for the off-Broadway run. She pointedly said that I was the best actor for this role. Shaun proudly refers to me as “Dad.”

3. How did you prepare for your role in the musical?

I am a father, and although it’s the best thing that has happened to me, fatherhood is not without its challenges. Maintaining good relationships with your spouse and with your children and balancing home and work is a life skill, meaning you will be working at maintaining this all your life. 

But I am not White Feather. White Feather was raised in the tumultuous American Indian Movement, under societal pressures of racism, neglect, and fear, back when sovereignty for tribes had little consideration, and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) peoples had to fight for equality and civil rights. Taking into account the historical context of White Feather’s background and how difficult it was for him, it’s fortunate that I have an American Indian Studies background to understand how both a father and person in that historical context might react to his place in the world of Distant Thunder. 

The short end of it, is that I am channeling my relationship with my own father. My father and I are not the same type of person. In many ways, we are diametrically opposed. This has been helpful to understand my motivations for the character and relationships with Shaun, who plays my son in the musical. I am glad, however, that I have received so many compliments on my portrayal, and that the father-son dynamic of the story is emotionally reaching many in the audience. 

It should be said, however, that I have little training as an actor.  I have taken some classes in the past to understand the fundamentals of acting. But I’ve always been a proponent of learning by doing. I also have no musical training aside from singing along to showtunes, but I have been able to make it work, with some very patient musical directors. I am just very thankful for parents that sang to me as a child.

4. The musical is being put on by a company that was expressly founded to increase cultural equity in American musicals. Why is equity in theater – equity in art and entertainment in general – so important? Have you seen improvement in this area?

Equity has brought a renaissance to the theater. Allowing the non-traditional casting of BIPOC in varied roles across shows has allowed more BIPOC to participate, and visibility has been more apparent. This is certainly the case with Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda’s blockbuster that cast BIPOC as this country’s forefathers. Miranda and his father have been so supportive of Distant Thunder, providing funding and even attending the opening night show.

This support from BIPOC allies is key to continuing to bring more diverse stories to the “Great White Way,” a moniker attributed to the white lights of Broadway, but for many BIPOC actors meant something completely different. Equity is working and creating a more inclusive environment to include marginalized storytelling and diverse productions. This is good for up-and-coming BIPOC actors, who can now look forward to more opportunities.

5. The cast of Distant Thunder is all Indigenous. How important is it for you that Indigenous actors are telling an Indigenous story?

There is no more important Indigenous representation than raising up our next generations. It can’t be said enough that our young people need to see people like them succeeding in all areas – from business to science to the arts. We have always been storytellers, and no one can tell our stories better than us.

Distant Thunder is accomplishing this. Lynn and Shaun Taylor-Corbett went to the Blackfeet nation and found culture bearers, spiritual leaders, and knowledge keepers to immerse themselves in the Blackfeet tradition to tell an authentic story. They hired Brent Florendo (Warm Springs) as a cultural advisor and cast member, and it’s around the drum that the Distant Thunder cast begins each performance. Under Florendo’s direction we learn the sanctity of traditional and spiritual values and learn to incorporate respect in all we do and represent. Each of the cast is of Indigenous descent, and the drum binds us together, and we can feel our indigeneity shine outward, released from the songs and drumbeats, we practice daily. It’s been such a blessing to be part of this cast, as it has reinforced my own connection to my heritage. 

6. You were already a busy man. In addition to your family, you have a thriving production company back in Washington state. How do you balance it all?

It was easy and it was not an easy decision to join the cast of Distant Thunder. As CEO of a busy video production company, Sky Bear Media, I would have to be away from work and home for two months. Fortunately, I have a very supportive team, especially my business partner of 13 years, Riley Gibson, who would be taking over nearly all management operations in my absence.

I owe a lot to not only my work family, but my family at home too. My wife, Shana Greenberg Barehand, has always been supportive of my side passion. It’s so important to choose the right partners in life, and in Riley and Shana I found immensely patient and forgiving partners. I could not be where I am without them. They understand that passion drives creativity.  And creativity is necessary to run a production company. Luckily, the two passions I have, filmmaking and musical theater, I am now doing both with Sky Bear Media and Distant Thunder.

7. If you could play one role in any musical or theatrical production, what would it be?

I would love to play Inspector Javert in Les Miserables. I have always been inspired by his song “Stars.”  It’s a prayer to himself, a promise to keep moving forward and capture his nemesis, Jean Val Jean, not at all different than my pursuit of specific personal goals. It’s the musical that captured my imagination – and heart. It’s the role that fits my natural tone and range. Luckily, it’s a role for an older person, so I still have a shot. Two songs always fill me with hope – “Stars” and “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha. I sing them nearly daily, as a reminder that achievement is within reach.

8. What’s next for you? Is this a one-off, or is there more musical theater in your future?

As of now, I have no other gigs lined up, but I will always sing. As long as I have the opportunity and availability, I will always join another production. Even as I get older, I hope to be able to inspire young Natives to act, sing, and dance. That’s why I have always been an adamant supporter of Red Eagle Soaring, Seattle’s only Native Youth Theatre, because it instills confidence and clarity in our Native youth. This is important to raise the next generation of leaders, and that’s what Red Eagle Soaring does. To overcome fear of public speaking, you only have to get on stage and speak. It’s a great asset to have theatrical experience under your belt in any career you choose.