By Seth Rudetsky
11 May 2009

I interviewed James at my Chatterbox, but we first met when I was a sub on Saturday Night Fever, and he was playing the lead. Let me simply say that it was not a fun time for both of us…and judging from the comments heard on the way out of the theatre, for the audience as well. James took dance when he was a kid but started feeling peer pressure to drop it when he reached tween-hood. He remembers trying to prevent his friends from seeing him by hiding on the floor of the family car's backseat as his mother drove him to class. He was so happy when he got the part of Tony Manero, but when he flew to London to see the show he felt completely overwhelmed at the amount of dancing. He trained for months before rehearsals began with the dance captain and also by taking Pilates, but the dancing in the show was so strenuous that when the cast did the first run-through of the show, he threw up right after Act One!

James talked about having the actor's nightmare right after he was on vacation. He went to Italy for a week and got to the show feeling super jet-lagged. The show would begin with him standing behind a giant silhouette of the signature Travolta pose and that night he suddenly thought, "I literally have no idea what I'm supposed to do." The music started ("Stayin' Alive"), and he began singing and dancing, but it was his muscle memory doing it, not him. He literally kept thinking, "I don't know what's next." Hmm…I wonder if that only occurs on stage. It's an amusing romp to hear about it happening to an actor, but not so great to hear about it happening to your surgeon; "Hi, it's Dr. Cohen. Cute story…I cut you open and I thought…'I literally have no idea what organ to take out!'" I guess it's funny to be missing a spleen.

Carpinello then created the role of Link in the Hairspray workshop. He loved the show, but Saturday Night Fever had made him dislike dancing, and he remembers doing the Pony during rehearsal and thinking, "I wonder if I got that movie I auditioned for…" Right before the show opened in Seattle (pre-Broadway), he found out that he got the film and….Matt Morrison took over his role! He's everywhere! I'm not saying Matt is Eve Harrington, but I once saw him push Bette Davis and Lauren Bacall down a staircase (That's right…I'm combining "All About Eve" with Applause and "Showgirls".)

James came back to Broadway playing Sonny in Xanadu and loved it! He's incredibly comfortable on skates…as opposed to Jackie Hoffman. He said that when she found out she didn't have to wear skates in the show, she started crying. I love that that's how deep her relief was. When they were staging the show, sometimes the cast would come to rehearsal and find out that some choreography was going to be changed. James remembered that Jackie would look devastated and quietly mutter, "Change? I finally just got the steps," and then she'd literally start crying. Apparently, Jackie sheds tears of joy andtears of sorrow.

Around a week before opening night, James was onstage between shows and commented that the stage felt a little slippery like it was just washed. Right after that statement, he slipped a little and felt himself slowly falling. When he landed he announced, "I just broke my leg." Everyone thought he was joking, but he had heard it snap! He went to the ER and was told he might not be able to walk normally again. They didn't know if he would be able to ever bend his ankle again. Cheyenne Jackson took over the role, but the producers told James he'd be back in the show when he healed. After two surgeries and tons of physical therapy, everyone realized how crazy it would be for him to come into a show that had found a new rhythm with a different leading man for three months, so James never returned. He would love to do it again…if it were with Kerry. There's been talk of a West End version, so he may be joining British Equity soon…aka in a fortnight (British talk).

James never thought he'd love a show as much as Xanadu, but now he's loving playing rock star, Stacey Jaxx, in Rock of Ages. The only devastating thing is he was talking to his friend Patrick Wilson on the phone, and Patrick casually mentioned that he was offered the role of Stacey in the upcoming film version! Ouch! I'm sure it was as fun a conversation as the one between Chita Rivera and Rita Moreno in the late fifties.

James is married with two kids, and his wife came to the see the show during previews. His first entrance is him reclining and shirtless and giving one of his female flunkies (played by Savannah Wise) a kiss. His wife's only note to him after seeing the show was that she didn't think the kiss worked. I, of course, thought, "Typical jealous spouse of an actor." Turns out, she told him that in order to make if more believable, he needed to fully make-out with Savannah! Note to my agent: Get me an audition for Savanna's track.

James said his favorite part of the show has been the same since the first preview. Every night, right before he sings "Dead Or Alive" he thinks, "I'm about to sing "Dead or Alive," there's an audience that paid to hear it, and it's not karaoke." Brava!

Okay, this week I'm doing Wayman Wong's "The Leading Men" concert at Birdland (go to www.Broadwaycares.org for tickets) and a comedy benefit for PS 87 at Caroline's with Judy Gold, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Caroline Rhea and Julia Murney (go to www.SethRudetsky.com for deets). Then I'm off to Virginia to visit my sister and nieces and see the national tour of Wicked. Peace out…and call your mother!

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(Seth Rudetsky is the host of "Seth's Big Fat Broadway" on SIRIUS Satellite Radio and the author of "The Q Guide to Broadway" and the novel "Broadway Nights." He has played piano in the orchestras of 15 Broadway musicals and hosts the BC/EFA benefit weekly interview show Seth's Broadway Chatterbox at Don't Tell Mama every Thursday at 6 PM. He can be contacted by visiting www.sethrudetsky.com.)

James Carpinello and Seth Rudetsky

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