By Tom Nondorf
21 Oct 2010
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| Bryan Batt |
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| Photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN |
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The 24th Flea Market and Grand Auction, held Sept. 26, raised $476,917 dollars for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, which is excellent. If you couldn't make it this year and would like to contribute, check out www.broadwaycares.org for ways to do just that.
BRYAN BATT
I bumped into Broadway and "Mad Men" veteran Bryan Batt (and other Leading Men) backstage at the Marquis Theatre, which was the photo area for the people signing at autograph tables. Turns out we were standing in a former dressing room of his.
It was Gary Beach's, and I went on for him a few times.
So the standby gets the star's dressing room?
You do, you do. And you receive people. I remember Tina Fey came to see me, because a friend of mine used to work with her on "Saturday Night Live." That was the big star that got to see me in La Cage. It's great when people come. I get a little nervous though.
You are such a positive guy. How do you keep an even keel in this business?
I look at it all as a gift. So many people want to do it, and you work so hard to get the jobs on Broadway, on film and television, it is such a random shot and such a gift that to ruin it, in my opinion, would be the biggest blasphemy around. I'm so grateful for "Mad Men." I mean, who knew that this pilot we shot in 2006 would become this huge thing? And from my first Broadway show, Starlight Express, I was in heaven, even though I can't walk because of that show. [Laughs.]
So, I have to ask, will you be back on "Mad Men"?
Ahhhh. They tell me I'm not dead, so that's good. In fact [show creator] Matt Weiner said that backstage at the Emmys to a CNN reporter who singled me out.
Does someone ask that every day?
Oh, God, yes! It's really lovely that so many people love the show and come up and compliment me on the character. I stopped counting, but the most times in one day is 32.
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| Denis O'Hare | ||
| photo by Joseph Marzullo/WENN |
DENIS O'HARE
Tony-winner Denis O'Hare (Take Me Out, Sweet Charity) has built himself a career on stage, screen and now HBO's "True Blood," which has given him a role that people love to loathe.
How do you like hanging out at an event like the Broadway Flea Market with your fellow theatre actors?
In Shubert Alley! It's historic. It's the center of the theatrical world, and they give you food afterward. I always tell directors, just give me food the first day and you've bought me for life. I'm like a dog.
You've done so much stage and film — and TV work now, with "True Blood." Are you ever surprised by what people recognize you for?
Yeah. You never want to denigrate what someone thinks was your best work, so you always want to ratify their choice and say, "Yeah, that's great!" But sometimes it is shocking. It's funny because I was playing Russell on "True Blood" and people really like this character a lot, which I think is great on one level. On another level I'm like, "You know he's really evil? So what is it you like about him?" They like the humor, the charm, the freedom and outrageousness, they identify with that.
I was watching "Michael Clayton" the other night. You have a brief but very cool scene in that. Any recollections?
"Michael Clayton" for me was one night. I showed up on set the night George Clooney had won his Oscar, and around ten at night we started shooting and he walked in with the statue in his hand and he held it aloft and passed it around so everyone in the crew could hold it for a second. Then we went into our scene, it was a little intimidating for me. [Laughs.]
Did you wish you'd had your Tony?
Yes, it was like, "Where's my Tony? I usually carry it." [Laughs.]
BOBBY STEGGERT
Rising star Steggert was much-feted for his work in Ragtime (Tony nomination), Yank and The Grand Manner, all in 2009-10.
So, you've had an eventful last year.
It was a weird year.
In a positive way?
Absolutely positive. I mean, all I want to do is work, so it was strange to get so much focus on me for a show [Ragtime] that ran a short amount of time, but I'm grateful because it gave me an opportunity and I just want to do more good work.
Did it kill you that Ragtime didn't last?
In the moment, yes, because I loved doing it, but everything that's happened since allowed me to play other interesting people and get involved in other interesting projects, so I see it as sort of a blessing in disguise, because I liked Ragtime so much that I'd still be doing it right now, but it was so emotionally demanding that I would probably be in therapy by now if I were still doing it. [Laughs.]
You grew up around Washington, DC. Did you come up and see Broadway shows as a kid?
My mom and I would come up. One of the first shows I saw was Damn Yankees in this theatre. I remember just loving every minute of it.



