PLAYBILL.COM'S CUE & A: Newsies' "Crutchie," Andrew Keenan-Bolger

By Matthew Blank
25 Sep 2012

Andrew Keenan-Bolger
Andrew Keenan-Bolger

Andrew Keenan-Bolger, appearing in Disney's Newsies at the Nederlander Theatre, fills out Playbill.com's questionnaire of random facts, backstage trivia and pop-culture tidbits.

Keenan-Bolger received an Outer Critics Circle nomination for his work in Newsies. Other theatre work includes Seussical, Beauty and the Beast, A Christmas Carol, Leaf Coneybear in Spelling Bee, Max in The Grinch and Robertson Ay in Mary Poppins.

He has appeared on screen in "The Naked Brothers Band," "Marci X" and "One Life to Live." He is co-creator of the Broadway-themed web series “Submissions Only.” www.submissionsonly.com



 Continued...

Full given name: Andrew Ryan Keenan-Bolger
Where you were born/where you were raised: Detroit, proper.
Zodiac Sign:Taurus
What your parents did/do for a living:My mom was a kindergarten teacher. My dad is a city planner for Detroit.
Siblings:Both of my sisters, Maggie and Celia, are also in the business. Celia is starring in Peter and the Starcatcher. My sister Maggie is also a brilliant actress, playwright and educator.
Special skills: I taught myself how to skateboard a couple years ago when I was living in L.A. I apparently missed out on that when I was in middle school. Next up: hacky sack.
Something you're REALLY bad at: I have horrible handwriting. Everyone jokes that they have serial killer handwriting but I’d challenge John Wayne Gacy, Jr. to a write off.
First Broadway show you ever saw: Les Miserables
If you could go back in time and catch any show, what would it be? I’d see the original production of Company. It’s my favorite Sondheim score and I would have loved to see how the audience responded to such a game-changing musical.
Current show other than your own you have been recommending to friends: Peter and the Starcatcher. It can only be described as magical… not through million dollar special effects, but with a kind of DIY stagecraft that is breathtaking.
Favorite showtune(s) of all time: "The Riddle Song" from Floyd Collins, “Make Someone Happy” from Do Re Mi, “Our Time” from Merrily We Roll Along, “96,000” from In the Heights, “Paris Through the Window” from A Class Act
Some favorite modern musicals: Caroline, or Change
Violet
Anything by Michael John LaChiusa
Some favorite classic musicals: Gypsy
110 in the Shade
Oklahoma!
Your personal vocal idols, living or dead: Audra McDonald, Barbara Cook, Gavin Creel
The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: I caught the out-of-town tryout of Ragtime in Toronto when I was eleven and it changed my life. I had never been so affected by a performance and it made me understood the power of musical theatre as an art form.
Music that makes you cry, any genre: “The Babysitter’s Here,” “When I Was a Boy” and “February” by Dar Williams. They were the first songs my sister Maggie learned how to play on guitar, and I associate so much of my childhood with singing them with my sisters.
MAC or PC? MAC
Most played song on your iPod: Gavin Creel sent me the song “Break Me Out” by The Rescues last year when we were brainstorming ideas for his music video, “Noise.”

It has since become the song I can listen to anywhere: on the subway, at the gym, in the shower.

Most-visited websites: IndieRockCafe.com for new music, Flavorwire.com for trendy hipster stuff, Mint.com for doing my taxes
Favorite Tweeters: Tim Federle- @TimFederle
Randy Rainbow- @RandyRainbow
Billy Eichner- @BillyEichner
Must-see TV show(s): All of the Newsies are a little bit obsessed with "Dance Moms." So many of our boys are from the competitive dance world that it both hits close to home and provides unlimited campy entertainment. I hope they come see our show! I will personally give them a backstage tour.
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