Even in scaled-back production, Crawford comfortable with his Pop

Friday, Sept. 23, 2005 | 9:40 a.m.

When: 2 p.m and 8:30 p.m. Sundays; 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays and Fridays and Saturdays. Beginning Oct. 2: 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays and Fridays. Dark Thursdays.

Where: Le Theatre des Arts at Paris Las Vegas.

Tickets: $64 for 2 p.m. Sunday shows and $80.50 through $124.50 for other performances.

Information: 946-7000.

Douglas Crawford plays the somewhat brain-damaged old rocker Pop in "We Will Rock You," the Queen-based musical that has been at Paris Las Vegas for over a year.

The last time the actor performed in Vegas was five years ago in the ill-fated "Notre Dame de Paris," also at the Paris Las Vegas.

In the earlier production, which barely lasted seven months, Crawford played two roles on alternating nights -- Quasimodo (the deformed bell ringer) and Phoebus, the handsome captain of the guards.

He didn't feel overworked. In fact, he says he's an actor and savors the time onstage.

And so he may have been the most disappointed cast member of "We Will Rock You" when the decision was made to whack 30 minutes off the two-hour production, keeping in step with the traditional length of a Las Vegas show.

Most of the cuts were in the dialogue, which means the ax hit him harder than others because all of his time is speaking dialogue.

It's important dialogue -- exposition about the story -- so when it was lopped, it may have left the audience somewhat in the dark.

"Now, there are moments in the show I am aware that the audience is not privy to the same information we onstage are, having done the original script," Crawford said.

The result has been characters that are not as fully developed and a loss of some of the comedy.

"Everything is going well, but I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say I was concerned when I first was told they were cutting it down."

Crawford said that at 90 minutes, there isn't much time to breathe.

"Before you know it, we're at the rock concert finale," he said.

Even with the cuts, Crawford says he loves the show.

"I have always enjoyed it," he said.

Crawford has always been a fan of Queen.

"When the show opened in London I made my agent aware that I was interested in it," he said. "And when the plans were announced for a Las Vegas production, I really campaigned hard for it."

He auditioned six times, for several different roles, and finally ended up as Pop.

Crawford is 36. No one knows how hold Pop is. Some play him in his mid-50s.

But Crawford plays him more weathered than old.

"Growing up in Oklahoma, I knew who this man was," he said. "I had seen this guy -- you can't go anywhere and not find a Pop, an old guy who loves rock 'n' roll and drives a Harley."

Pop was one of the most popular characters in the show. It remains to be seen how he will holdup under the dialogue cuts.

"I enjoy the role," Crawford siad. "Being someone the fans know or recognize -- the fabulous thing about Pop is that he's the fatal optimist of the show. In my opinion he represents the spirit of rock 'n' roll."

He enjoys his part so much that his understudies get frustrated. They rarely get a chance to stand in for him.

"I've only missed six shows," Crawford said. "I can be pretty ill, and I'll still do the show."

Crawford said the production team tried to be fair in the cuts, not intentionally singling out anyone.

"The cuts started at the top of the script and worked their way through it," he said. "I hoped by the time they got to me they would already have been able to shave 30 minutes."

But that wasn't the case.

"If I'm answering honestly, I would rather have the two-hour version," Crawford said.

Meanwhile, in his time off he and fellow cast members Jason Wooten (Galileo) and Ty Taylor (Britney Spears) have penned a musical, "The Existents," which they hope to take to Los Angeles in November for a reading and possibly production.