'It's a wonderful marriage': Christopher Plummer on blending Shakespeare with classical music

Originally published on June 26, 2018

You know him from his award-winning films, but renowned Canadian actor Christopher Plummer joins Tom Power to discuss another love of his: classical music.

The Oscar and Tony-winning actor is in Toronto for a one night show on Tuesday, June 26 with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra called, Christopher Plummer's Symphonic Shakespeare.

Plummer will be narrating Shakespeare's Henry V overtop of the TSO's performance of some of the great musical compositions inspired by Shakespeare's work.

"I love classical music. I started with the piano when I was a kid," says Plummer. He explains that the marriage of Shakespeare and classical music just feels right to him.

In his early life, Plummer made the conscious decision to forego becoming a concert pianist and, instead, invested his time into becoming the actor we know today.

He says travelling around the world as a concert soloist is a very lonely life. "You just have a piano ... but you're not so much in contact with the audience as you are as an actor."

Plummer insists that in acting, you're partners with the audience. Perhaps that's the kind of experience that spectators can expect to enjoy during his TSO performance this week.

Download our podcast or click the 'Listen' link above to hear the full conversation with Christopher Plummer.

— Produced by Tyrone Callender