Eighteen years after falling in love on the Bristol Riverside Theatre stage, Brad Little and Barbara McCulloh return in ‘Baby.’
By: Jillian Kalonick
Despite its title, the 1983 musical Baby is really more about marriage than having children. For Brad Little and Barbara McCulloh, who play one of three couples struggling with the idea of being parents, the themes ring especially true they actually are a married couple, who met on the Bristol Riverside Theatre stage in 1988.
"Many of our scenes take place in bed," says Ms. McCulloh, who will star with Mr. Little in Baby at BRT May 2 to 21. "There’s this comfort factor you’re in bed with your husband, but it’s in front of an audience. It’s a little weird."
The three couples in Baby are in three different stages of their lives, each being forced to face the possibility of bringing a child into the world. Tim Ewing and Leslie Becker play recent empty nesters Alan and Arlene; Steven Goldsmith and Betsy Morgan are Danny and Lizzie, who are trying to finish their last year in college; and Mr. Little and Ms. McCulloh play Nick and Pam, a couple struggling to conceive. Although all three pairs are focused on the baby, the play focuses on the ups and downs of married life.
"Eighty percent of the audience is going to relate in some way to one of these three couples," says Mr. Little. "It’s amazing how difficult it is to do these very real numbers and then look at my leading lady and know that it’s my wife. It makes it a lot deeper than I’m used to. In some ways you don’t need to do much acting, as long as you can be honest and real."
Ms. McCulloh says they may have to fight back the tears during some numbers "that’s one of the rules of musical theater, you can’t sing and cry at the same time." But for the actors, having the chance to spend more than a month together is a luxury. They are both on the road for much of the year Mr. Little celebrated his 2,000th performance of playing the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera last March, and this summer he’ll head to Hong Kong to continue his Asian tour of the musical.
The couple has an apartment in New York City, but Mr. Little and Ms. McCulloh spend much of their time just a few miles from BRT, at a house on the water they bought a few years ago.
"It really fell into our laps we were looking to buy a house on the water, and since we’d both been on Broadway and on tour, we saved our pennies," says Ms. McCulloh.
"Bristol used to be our home away from home," adds Mr. Little. "Now it’s just our home."
When Ms. McCulloh and Mr. Little met on the Bristol stage, it was during the theater’s first season, in The Robber Bridegroom. They later returned for Irma La Douce, and Ms. McCulloh starred in Holiday last season. Though they are enjoying the opportunity to work at Bristol again, there are a few challenges of being a couple playing a couple.
"We spend so much time apart because of our careers that when we are together, it’s time to play it’s not time to work," says Ms. McCulloh. "So what we find after rehearsal is that all we want to do is go to our house and be in the garden."
"We will run lines, and we don’t know if we’re doing it quite right," adds Mr. Little "We will coach each other more when one of us is not in that show. We can’t do that with this show, since it’s relevant to both of us. We’re both thinking, ‘This is really strange’ it’s a work in progress for us."
To Mr. Little, who has been on Broadway and on stages around the world, the approach to acting at Bristol is the same as anywhere else, though the performances do hold a special meaning.
"Bristol is a different thing for us because we love it so much," he says. "We take great pride in this theater and what it means to us and the people who work here. You always want success here. At Bristol, we’re not only working actors but cheerleaders."
Baby will play at Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol, Pa., May 2-21. Performances: Wed.-Fri. 8 p.m.; Sat. 2, 8 p.m.; Sun. 3 p.m.; May 2, 8 p.m.; May 10, 17, 2 p.m. Tickets cost $34-$42. For information, call (215) 785-0100. Brunch with Baby: May 20, noon, $44 brunch/show. Brad Little and Barbara McCulloh will perform in a concert celebrating the 325th anniversary of the town of Bristol at the theater, May 27, 8 p.m. For tickets, call (215) 785-3243. On the Web: www.brtstage.org. Brad Little and Barbara McCulloh on the Web: www.bradlittle.com

