Voice-over star has swapped L.A. for Ashland life

By Jim Flint

Rick Wasserman is having a blast being bad.

In the musical spoof “Disaster!” at Ashland’s Oregon Cabaret Theatre now through Sept. 7, he plays Tony Delvecchio, a slick and shady casino owner with more ego than ethics — and he’s loving every minute of it.

“I think it’s always fun to play the amoral baddie,” Wasserman said. “Tony’s slick, smarmy, and wildly fun to play. I’d never behave like him, but I won’t lie — playing a pompous, arrogant jackass is cathartic. It’s like a socially acceptable way to unleash my inner mischief.”

Wasserman’s voice may be familiar to many. He has spent much of the past 30 years behind a mic as a voice-over artist. Known for his distinctive deep voice, his best-known roles include Thor and Hulk for Marvel Animation. He also was the 12-year signature voice of AMC Network and can be heard on popular video games such as Call of Duty, StarCraft, Batman Arkham City and others.

“When we had kids, I wanted to be fully present,” Wasserman said. “No touring, no late-night shows. Voice-over allowed me to do that. I’ve never missed a moment with my family and am deeply grateful for that.”

Disaster done right

Packing the house night after night, the Cabaret’s summer show has drawn enthusiastic reviews from critics and set social media abuzz, with audiences reveling in its deliciously over-the-top mashup of camp, nostalgia and calamity.

Set in 1979 at the grand opening of a floating casino on New York’s Pier 54, the story follows a colorful cast of characters as they navigate a string of increasingly outrageous disasters — earthquakes, tidal waves, infernos and more. Packed with hit songs from the ’70s, the musical blends humor, romance, and sheer survival in a gleeful send-up of catastrophe.

For more information on the play and to purchase tickets, visit oregoncabaret.com.

Wasserman recently moved to Ashland after 20 years in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Tamara, ready for a change, decided that since their two sons were in between schools it was the perfect time to relocate.

ChatGPT says go

“We plugged our wish list into ChatGPT and it came back with ‘Ashland, Oregon,’” he said.

They had never set foot in Oregon before.

The family visited Ashland during the boys’ spring break and instantly fell in love with the area. They bought a house and made the move.

“We often ask ourselves why we didn’t do this sooner,” he said.

Wasserman, 51, has had a prolific stage and television career.

He made his Broadway debut in Disney’s “The Lion King.” He played Irving Berlin in the Wilma Theater’s 2000 production of “The Tin Pan Alley Rag” in Philadelphia, earning critical acclaim and a John Barrymore Award nomination for his performance.

His favorite television performances include roles on “24,” “The District,” “House MD,” “Law & Order,” and “Without a Trace.”

He said he had fun doing TV work, but learned it isn’t his favorite medium.

“There’s very little rehearsal, it’s shot out of sequence, and you get only a couple takes,” he said. “Theater still has my heart — it’s where I feel most in control and most alive as a storyteller.”

Behind the mic

Wasserman has been involved in voice-over work for 30 years — mostly from his home studio, with occasional sessions at commercial studios like Disney. He has been the voice of TNA Wrestling for many years and currently voices for NBC’s Meet the Press, providing promotional spots for the program. He continues to record, now in his Ashland home studio.

What do his sons think about their dad’s voice work?

“Max (15) and Sam (13) grew up with a dad who walked into a sound booth every morning instead of an office,” he said. “For them, my job was just … normal. I think it’s only just hitting them: ‘Wait, not every dad is an Avenger?’ ‘Disaster’ will be the first time they see me on stage, which is surreal and exciting.”

It has been eight years since Wasserman last worked in live theater.

“Getting back into it has been humbling,” he said. “But our director, Valerie (Rachelle), and cast have been patient and lovely.”

Wasserman has to belt out a few ’70s classic hits in “Disaster!” What’s it like using his voice in song, compared to his voice-over work?

“I’ve never had to sing like this!” he said. “I have a history of ‘schmaltzing’ my way through a song, but in ‘Disaster’ I just have to sing it, try to hit the notes, figure out the harmonies. It’s new territory for me.”

He’s wowed every time certain cast members open their mouths to sing. “It’s dazzling and inspiring,” he said, “and regularly fueling my feelings of imposter syndrome.”

Wasserman was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and raised just outside Philadelphia. He earned a BA at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and an MFA in acting from the University of Missouri, Kansas City.

First theater spark

One of his most memorable childhood experiences was seeing his first live show — a Broadway production of “Cats.”

“It blew my little mind,” he said. “It felt like I’d landed on another planet. Years later, while performing in ‘The Lion King,’ I’d look out at the kids in the audience and know they were feeling what I felt those many years earlier.”

It was when he saw Robert Preston as Harold Hill in “The Music Man” film that he really got hooked. He soon knew all the lyrics and most of the dialogue, and realized it was not because he had studied and memorized it, but because he loved it.

“I began performing in school productions, and was thrilled to learn my school was going to produce ‘The Music Man.’ This was my moment!”

He didn’t get the Harold Hill part. As crushing as that was, it lit a fire in him.

Chasing characters

Is there a role or two still on his bucket list?

“There is a touching and hysterical play called ‘Annapurna’ by Sharr White that I’ve been wanting to do for nearly a decade,” he said. “With only two actors and one set, this play has a rich emotional and relatable journey that for me has no equal.”

As time goes by, he wonders if he’ll age out of the “Annapurna” character, hoping a production comes his way sooner than later.

“And I’d still like a shot at Harold Hill — before I am over the hill,” he added with a laugh.

For now, he finds delight in simply walking through the beautiful neighborhoods of Ashland. In addition to the Cabaret gig, he will teach a voice-over class for OLLI and is helping build home studios for others.

“I’ll keep auditioning,” he said, “and — if I’m lucky — find myself another production with a team as talented and generous as the one at Oregon Cabaret Theatre.”

Until then, he’s happily at home — creatively and otherwise — right where he is.

Jim Flint’s Curtain Call column publishes on the second and fourth Mondays of the month. Email Jim at [email protected].