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Posted:
November 11, 2010.
Sounds
like a sure-fire snoozefest, doesn’t it: a Broadway musical about the
life and times of President Andrew Jackson, in office from 1829 to 1837.
Not exactly the makings of a crowd pleaser.
But take
a smart, funny book, some amazing songs that literally rock da house,
and a sexy-pants actor named Benjamin Walker, and now you really have
something. And so, at last, does Broadway, with the hit musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.
In
fact, this sizzling show, which started downtown and slowly but surely
worked its way up to the big league, is now the hottest ticket in New
York. And that, in this economy, is not just whistling Dixie.
Walker,
born and raised in Georgia and educated at Juilliard, is the new face –
and voice and body – to be reckoned with on The Great White Way. His
performance as our hip-swiveling seventh president is garnering
double-takes, rave reviews, Tony talk and a growing legion of fans. He
has been with the show since its obscure little birth in LA in 2007, and
now his loyalty and multi-faceted talent are paying off big time.
In
addition, his New York comedy show, Find the Funny, in which he performs
stand-up along with some other stand-up-and-comers, is also becoming a
major draw. In just a few short years, the little boy from Georgia has
become “the man” in Manhattan.
Here, he
and I talk about all that’s good:
How does it feel to move the show uptown?
It's an
honor to be accepted into the Broadway community. The creative team has
done a wonderful job of maintaining the intimacy that we had downtown at
the Jacobs [theater].
The show has gone through quite an evolution since its
inception, and you've been loyal to the project from the very beginning.
Are there any further changes or alterations to the show now that it’s
on Broadway?
Not
particularly. As a cast we are enjoying the expanse of having such large
audiences. It's easier to tell the story of populism when there is a
roaring audience of 1,100.
Does the critical praise for you and the show surprise you
at all?
We've
been the underdogs for so long that we certainly appreciate any support
we can get.
Many people are saying that even though the story is set in
early American history, the show’s themes are more relevant now than
ever before. Would you agree?
It is
chilling to track through Jackson's life and see the parallels. We have
to examine the past in order to refrain from making the same mistakes.
What type of research (if at all) did you have to do to
prepare for the role of Andrew Jackson?
I read a
few wonderful books: American Lion by John Meacham and The
Life of Andrew Jackson by Robert Remini, to name a couple.
While growing up, who were your musical influences?
My mother
is a musician, a piano player, so I grew up in a very musical household,
where we learned to appreciate all forms of music.
What do you like to do when you are not performing?
This show
is so physically taxing that in my free time, I rest.
You've been in New York City at least since your Juilliard
days. How does a Southern boy like you enjoy living in New York?
I love
it. I have to say, the longer I live here, the more I consider it home.
You are involved with a comedy project called Find the
Funny. How is that show, and stand-up comedy, a passion for you?
I started
Find the Funny in college, as a way to perform and give other new comics
stage time, and it has grown into a wonderful community of comics,
writers, and performers. It is that community that inspires me, that
group of people continuing to learn and perfect their craft. Stand-up is
a passion for me because it is theater at its most basic: one person
stands up in front of the group and tells a story. The more isolated we
become as a generation, the more we need that type of interaction.
Do you have any plans or projects we can know about in the
coming year or so?
Right now
I'm focusing on Jackson, and telling his story to the best of my
ability, eight shows a week.
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