In ‘dream come true,’ Elliot Lazar brings music of Paul Simon to life in ‘The Simon and Garfunkel Story’

The Fox Theater is set to become a musical time machine as “The Simon and Garfunkel Story” takes its audience back to the most iconic moments in the legendary duo’s history.

Elliot Lazar, who assumes the role and music of Paul Simon, grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he earned a degree in music. He spent a few years in local theater, music, film and opera before making the move to the United States. Lazar earned his master’s degree at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee before moving to New York City just prior to the pandemic.

Afterward, Lazar landed a role in the national tour of the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” and spent two years on the road. While on tour, he sent in a video audition for the role of Paul Simon on the internationally traveling “Simon and Garfunkel Story,” a program that uses a full live band and visuals to tell the story of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

Although the initial callback didn’t result in the job, partially due to Simon’s style of guitar picking that Lazar had yet to master, a year later they reached out to say he landed the role. He learned much of the show on his own before spending four days rehearsing with the band. Now, Lazar is three years into the role of Paul Simon.

“It really is like a ‘dream come true’ of a show to be doing music that I grew up really loving,” Lazar said. “It was kind of like a crazy, very fast process initially, but ever since it’s been smooth sailing and a really cool experience.”

Lazar doesn’t take the task of performing Simon’s music and telling his story lightly. He views the man behind songs such as “The Sound of Silence” and “Mrs. Robinson” as one of the greatest musicians and lyricists of all time.

“He’s one of the most brilliant living songwriters we have, maybe ever,” Lazar said. “I’ll still make a realization about a lyric that I’ve been singing at this point for three years and be like, ‘Oh man, that’s so deep and that’s so beautiful.’”

The role has an ounce of extra meaning as Lazar’s own father was present for the massive 1981 benefit and reunion concert in Central Park. Using the same models of guitar, precise musical moments, projected photos and film footage, the performance’s fourth and final set culminates in a recreation of the concert attended by half a million people. The end goal for Lazar, the band and the rest of the people behind the program is not to sound like a copy, but to sound as close to the event as possible.

“It’s special because (my dad) would tell me about it and he had his own stories of that day,” Lazar said. “It helps me remember, whenever we go into that set, that it’s very likely that at any performance we’re giving, someone in that room was there for the real thing.”