What made you realize you wanted to be a performer?
-I made the decision to pursue the performing arts a little later in the game. I’d just finished my first year of law school after only taking a year off from college, and was terribly unhappy and unsure of that future. I lay across the desk of where I’d just taken my final Final Exam in Civil Procedure, and thought, “This isn’t for me.” I took a couple of months, made a few changes and started down the long road that has brought me here. Singing in bars with my guitar, community theatre gigs, then a few auditions and some years later, I found myself in NYC working in Hal Prince’s revival of “Show Boat”.
Whats the biggest blooper you've made on stage?
-I’ve forgotten lyrics or lines any number of times, but the most memorable onstage glitch I had was going on for Norbert Leo Butz in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Our props team had a little plate of scrambled eggs and fries for Freddy to be eating in the Act I finale scene. I took a bite, but it got stuck halfway down my pipes. I had to do the whole scene and song basically while choking. Sherri Scott was half laughing, half terrified for me and kept suggesting ways for me to clear my throat during the scene. Harrowing, but in the end, pretty funny. I also popped a calf muscle mid-performance once going on for Norbert in DRS another night, and they had to stop to put the other u/s, the awesome Jason Gillman, right in the middle of the show. Not fun.
What are your dream roles and favorite roles you played?
-Valjean was a career highlight. But my favorite role was Dan in what became “Next To Normal”. I’d been a part of its earliest iterations, but they went another way when it finally went to full production. Still love that team and that piece, and am glad to say I got to do a regional production not too long ago with an incredible team and cast. As for the dream role yet to be played: I may not get a chance to do it as I’m getting a little long in the tooth, but I still would love to play George in Sunday in the Park…
What's your favorite musical?
-Sunday in the Park with George.
If you could play any role as a female who would it be?
-I’ve never been asked that… I've my hands full with the male roles. I'll have to mull that.
What was it like being an understudy and swing?
-To be fair, I’ve never officially been a Swing, but I have understudied multiple roles in a show. But, either is a challenge. Their job is infinitely harder and, sadly, often under-appreciated for its true value and of the skills it requires. I always say, an understudy’s job is not to make an audience stay, but to make them happy that they did. Plainly and simply put: you are a disappointment to a sizable portion of the crowd. They’ve paid big money to see the name on the marquee, so when they’re stuck with an u/s, I get it, it’s disappointing, to say the least. While I know some people left unhappy after seeing me, I’m proud to say that I’ve also gotten wonderful responses when I’ve gone on as an understudy. You can only do your best and hope it resonates with the crowd.
What was your favorite costume in all of the shows you've done?
-It didn’t make to the final production, and it was more the wig than the costume. But in concert with the costume, I felt like a rockstar. It was in the out-of-town tryout for “A Tale of Two Cities” at the Asolo Theatre in FL where I played Ernest Defarge. My original wig made me look like Gregg Allman and I had this awesome leather jacket that went with it. I was bummed that they cut it, but it was a little too luxuriant and distracting.
Tell me about your first audition and how it felt when you got cast for the first time?
-My first audition was for a high school musical and I hadn’t a clue what I was doing. I went to an all-male high school, and it was one of the only co-ed activities. To calm our nerves, my meathead friends and I snuck a shot of schnapps in the parking lot of the all-girl school for which we were auditioning, and then “sang” for the MD. I got the job basically for showing up, I’m guessing. My first NYC audition was a callback for Hal Prince for that revival of “Show Boat”. It was at the Majestic, onstage with a ghost light, and Mr. Prince and crew were WAY out in the darkness of the house. I was really excited and am grateful for that experience, as it almost NEVER happens that way anymore. Auditions are held almost exclusively in studios today. After I finished, Mr. Prince said, “Well, you’re very good young man. We’ll get back to you.” I didn’t book that leg of the gig (they opened in Toronto for several months prior to coming to B’way). But, they kept my name on file, and brought me back a year later and I joined the company for the big B’way opening.
What was your debut for all the roles you've understudied like?
-It’s never ideal. You’re almost always underrehearsed. Although, I was the second cover for Ravenal in “Show Boat” and my most recent gig, Stephen us/ in “If/Then”, so I’d been rehearsing for months prior. Even then, it’s still scary. Lots of moving parts that you’re seeing for the first time in that way, especially if you’ve come from an existing track in the show. It can be surreal. Every other time I’ve gone on as an u/s, it was an emergent or late-notice situation, so there was little time to rehearse and it was always kind of an out of body experience. You just try and stay focused and do your job. It helps when you’ve a supportive cast, which I’m happy to report I’ve always had.
What advice to you have for people like me who want to be musical theatre performers?
-Go to as much theater as you can. Get into Acting class, work on your voice in Voice class as well as coachings, and if you’re not a great dancer, get into Dance class. These days, you can’t be like I was - a smart, but green actor with strong voice(I’d had YEARS of training in this dept) , and a terrible dancer. EVERYBODY has to do everything. I’m almost 50 and I can’t believe how much I’m still asked to do in the Ensembles of shows. I don’t know exactly how old you are, but if you’re not yet in college, look into all the great programs and prep as best you can to get in one. You can make it without going to one of them - I did. But, it’s a HUGE help to have that on your resume when or if you arrive here in NYC.
ALSO - and this is HUGEST: Have another life outside of it all. As an actor/performer, the more real life experience you have, the better you will be. Have a solid group of friends that lift and support you. Be a good friend, support them. Another person’s victory is not your failure, even if they get the job ahead of you. If you’ve got body issues or emotional blocks due to something that’s happened in your life, get a good therapist you trust and/or a good nutritionist with whom you can consult and work trough those issues sooner rather than later. This business is HARD - a CAREER in it is different than just loving doing it. Among many requirements, a full-time career as a performer requires that one take a lot of hits to the ego. It’s hard not to take that personally. Try not to. Don’t participate in petty social network bickering, or shady, snarky talk, nor dwell on other peoples’ humble-brags about the latest audition they went on, or job they’ve booked and are “soy blessed” to be doing. Your journey is YOURS.
If you weren't a performer what would you be?
-A translator - I would go back to school and learn as many languages as I could. It’s an invaluable skill to have: you’ll always be able to find a job, and it makes you a more well-rounded person, and good citizen of the world.
How long did it take you to get an agent,equity card, and to get cast?
-Everyone’s path is different on this. Solid preparation prior to going to as many auditions as you can will introduce you to the people that need to see you, when you’re ready. It requires early mornings, repeated rejections (all those famous names you know in the world of Theatre have endured something humiliating or at least hard to swallow in their audition stories, I promise you. I’ve known or worked with most all of them). As for getting your Equity Card: times have changed. There’s no reason to take your card right away. I believe you should aim for doing it as soon as possible, but it can be a long process, and once you get it, there’s no guarantee that you’ll work. You will have access to many more casting folks as an Equity member, but again, there’s a LOT of non-union work that, early in one’s career, is good prep for a lifelong career as a performer. If you are able to get work as an Equity member, the long-term benefits are unmatched by anything non-union. All told, I started working non-union at 24, and by 27 I’d gotten my first Equity offer. Some people jump right into AEA after college. For others it can be years later. Again, the timeline is yours and yours alone - you have to decide if it’s what you want more than anything in the world, and then throw yourself at it, wholeheartedly, and see where it takes you. It’s a lot of unknowns, but you’ll never know if you don’t do it…Good luck!!
