By Harry Haun
14 Oct 2010

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Seasoned comedienne Kristine Nielsen, who was also in Les Liaisons Dangereuses with Walker, is one of a handful in the mostly young cast not making a Broadway debut. Her cameo of a wheel-chaired storyteller consists almost entirely of some screamingly funny entrances and exits, and she says she's having the time of her life: "I like the irreverence and the relevance it has right now. I look around, and I wonder what the next generation of theatregoers will be — and this gives me a lot of hope. I look out there, and I see young people flocking to this. It just makes me so happy. We need to have that, or what will happen to theatre? It needs to be relevant."

Another riotous turn is delivered by Jeff Hiller as an acutely quirky John Quincy Adams. Having done his homework, he attempted to clarify his hilarious handiwork: "Of course, the real John Quincy Adams was a brilliant statesman, but I get to play him like he was kicked in the head by a horse. So I really love that." If there was one word for his performance, he said that that word would be "Stupid."

Maria Elena Ramirez, who plays Jackson's wife, Rachel, did her research but spared herself from seeing how others played the role — a bizarre gamut that runs from Susan Hayward to Beulah Bondi. That gives her a lot of leeway.

Her favorite scene is the blood-bonding with her husband. "I have to say, although I'm not fond of the blood, I do enjoy that moment. There's a sense of abandon in pouring blood on one's self and on Ben Walker. That's a pretty fun moment. He's a sweet guy. He's a great leader in terms of taking this ensemble and really pulling everyone together. You don't know he's doing that. He's a wonderful guy that way."

Nadia Quinn, who plays a variety of roles, likes that job: "I like that from each character to each character — even if it's so quick — you change moods so dramatically. One time you're being sexy and scary, and the next moment you're being coy and demur."

Kate Cullen Roberts endures her share of slings and arrows — arrows, mostly — during the course of the evening. There is, she said, an art to falling down: "Make it look like it hurts, and make it not hurt." She credited fight director Jacob Grigolia-Rosenbaum with most of the success of her performance.

Another member of the ensemble, Emily Young, is fueled by the response the show has been getting. "The audience's reactions make it fun. All ages love the show. What's so neat is we get a lot of people like my grandparents' age who come up to us afterward and say, 'It moved me. I really loved it so much.' That's unexpected, but that's what's so great about the show, I think."

Justin Levine, who not only doubles on piano and guitar but also conducts the other boys in the band (Charlie Rosen on bass and Kevin Garcia on drums), admitted that he hits the same musical zenith every performance — a number called "Rock Star." "It's a chance for everyone to sorta rock out and really bring it to the table. Everyone's got something to bring to it."

Same with Rosen: "It's a chance to really be a band — just kick-ass on Broadway."

The show is a particularly good fit for Levine. "I actually have a theatre background. I studied at NYU, and it's a great opportunity for me both to do music, which is a big part of my life, and to do theatre as well."

Andrew Hamingson, who is (after Oskar Eustis) No. 2 man at The Public where BBAJ began, was positively beaming with paternal pride. "What meant a lot to us," he said, "was the fact that it started at a 99-seat house, then went to a 299 and now a thousand-seat — and it looks beautiful. It really fills the space. We couldn't be happier with Alex and Michael's work. It's all the same team that started way back when. They went the whole way."

Essentially, it's the same show they started out with, he said — with a noted exception. "Because Alex and Michael try and have it be very current to what's happening, there are always tweaks that go on, but virtually it's the same show."

The Post's Cindy Adams, The Met's Renee Fleming and the month-old marrieds, Celia Keenan-Bolger of Spelling Bee and John Ellison Conlee of The Full Monty, all put in their first Broadway appearance of the season.

Pianist extraordinaire Michael Feinstein had circles coming out of his eyes from a radio newbie's red-carpet question: What's your favorite note? "Do people really listen to your program?" Feinstein shot back.

Twice-Tonyed Katie Finneran, two days out of Promises, Promises and six months pregnant, came — radiant with pride and child — as Mrs. Goldstein (as in Darren Goldstein, who plays Calhoun in the show). "Alex Timbers introduced us two years ago when he cast us in Beyond Therapy in Williamstown, so we owe him everything, including our first-born child."

Also drawn by the new noise in town: The Half-Brothers Schreiber, Pablo and Liev, the latter with wife Naomi Watts; another Meryl Streep-spawned actress, Grace Gummer; South Pacific's Kelli O'Hara, bound for Feinstein's on Oct. 19 with a show called Beyond the Ingenue; Walker's co-star from Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Jessica Collins, now filming the AMC "Rubicon" series in New York; Pia Lindstrom with hubby Jack Carley; Andrew McCarthy with wife Dolores Rice; Tony winner Kelly Bishop of "Gossip Girl"; Tony nominee Eve Best of "Nurse Jackie"; Emily Bergl; director David Cromer; Margaret Colin; Milena Govich; Alison Pill; puppeteer Basil Twist, who snagged a Drama Desk Award for The Addams Family and is now toiling over The Pee Wee Herman Show ; Zoe Lister-Jones and Daryl Wein from the film, "Breaking Upwards"; Bob Stillman; Newsweek critic Jeremy McCarter; and Christian Campbell.