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THE LEADING MEN: ‘Jersey’ Joys
By Wayman Wong
05 Dec 2005
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Daniel Reichard
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| photo by Ben Strothmann | Even in the chill of December, these guys are always hot: Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys), Aaron Lazar (The Light in the Piazza) and Jim Newman (Almost Heaven).
A DAN FOR ALL SEASONS
Jersey Boys is the backstage story of the harmony and disharmony that gave birth to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. And, Daniel Reichard is pitch-perfect as Bob Gaudio, the band’s principal songwriter ("Sherry"); he always strikes the right chord, musically and emotionally. The sensitive six foot actor from Rocky River, OH, says, "This is more thrilling than anything I’ve ever done." John Lloyd Young, who sets the tenor for the show as Valli, adds, "Daniel’s a young bucko with a lot of energy, and it’s fun to tear up the stage with him." And what’s Gaudio think? "Daniel looks better than me, he sings better than me, and he dances better than me. What’s not to like?"
Reichard’s appeared in Forbidden Broadway, but it was his tour de force as Keith Haring in Radiant Baby (2003) that electrified audiences at the Public. It depicted Haring’s halcyon and harrowing days as a gay pop artist felled by AIDS, and George C. Wolfe directed the show at a pace "Faster Than the Speed of Life." Debra Barsha, its incredible composer co-lyricist, recalls, "It was hard to find someone who could play a sexy geek and pull that off, but Daniel did it. And now that I’ve seen him in Jersey Boys, he doesn’t have any of that, which proves he’s a great actor."
Reichard, 27, will include tunes from Radiant Baby in his concert, The Glory Daze, on Dec. 5 at 8 PM at the Ars Nova, 511 West 54th Street. Backed by the Red Dirt Band, he will recount the wild partying he did after that musical closed.
Reichard grew up the eighth child in a Catholic family of nine kids, and says, "Steve Martin was/is my hero. I wanted to be a character guy, so I made radio mix tapes and did wacky voices and impressions, like Morton Downey Jr. and Joan Rivers. I also made funny film parodies with my camcorder, like ‘It’s a Crappy Life.’"
Question: What a way to make a Broadway debut. Congrats!
Daniel Reichard: Thanks. I can’t believe it. This is really how I wanted to make my debut: in an intelligent show that’s beautifully written and beautifully directed, with incredible talent all around me, in a fantastic role. It’s a show with integrity, and that’s the coolest thing. I believe in this story and I love telling it.
Q: What do you have in common with Bob Gaudio?
Reichard: A love of music and a natural flair for it. I love so many of his songs: "Dawn, Go Away," "Rag Doll," "Bye Bye Baby." The relationship between Bob and Frankie is the most important one in Jersey Boys, and it’s so clear what this man did for this band. It’s a huge honor to play him, and it was something I could really sink my teeth into. Bob is such a gentleman and he’s got such an ease about him. I’ve sat with him and his kids and his wife, Judy, whom I love. She wrote "Oh, What a Night" and "Who Loves You" with him. We have a bond. And when you listen to our cast album, which Bob produced, his work just shines. His ears are so right-on.
Q: What can you tell us about your fellow Jersey boys?
Reichard: John is a total pro. He does everything with such incredible professionalism. J. Robert Spencer [who plays Nick Massi] is so f****** funny. It’s amazing to see him get such a well-deserved opportunity. And Christian Hoff [who plays Tommy DeVito] is a great friend. I love playing opposite him.
Q: When did you first audition for Jersey Boys?
Reichard: Spring 2004. I first read for Tommy, which is the worst part in the show for me, but then Des [McAnuff] said I should read for Bob. Des was a big fan of Radiant Baby, and the first thing he said to me was: ‘You were so incredible in that show. I loved you in it.’ That’s why I’m here: Radiant Baby.
Q: What was it like having a nervous breakdown as Keith Haring?
Reichard: Painful. It literally hurt my body, my legs, my arms and my rib cage. I sweated buckets. And it’s the luckiest thing I ever did. It changed my life. I got to meet Keith’s parents, who were so brave to come. Keith’s mom said, ‘How did you do that? You were Keith,’ which was pretty intense. Doing Radiant Baby also inspired me to do more original work. I loved the cast, the music and everything about it, so it was very sad when we didn’t move [to Broadway]. The critics didn’t get it. But there should’ve been a cast album; people ask me about it all the time.
Q: So tell me about your Glory Daze show at the Ars Nova.
Reichard: It takes place in the three months after Radiant Baby. It was a wild, mind-blowing time. I was having a whole lot of crazy fun, getting drunk and high all the time. My brother and I would download all these fun hippie songs and a lot of 1960s rock and folk: Paul Simon, the Monkees, Herman’s Hermits. "I’m Into Something Good," "Up, Up and Away," "Daydream Believer." So I’m gonna sing all these party songs at the Ars Nova. I’d like to think of this as Elaine Stritch’s At Liberty show, but without the profound life experience or the celebrities or the interesting anecdotes. It’ll be a lotta fun, thoughtful and really silly.
Q: Glory Daze is a show that you’re developing for the future. Why were you compelled to do a piece about those three months?
Reichard: After Radiant Baby, I hit rock bottom. When I was struggling, I daydreamed about doing a show about it, to keep myself going. This was my way of staying creative and igniting my own artistry. I was supposed to do this Ars Nova concert earlier, but then I got Jersey Boys. It’s amazing how everything’s so connected. Radiant Baby was one disappointment, but if you keep going, something hopefully comes along. I had one callback for Jersey Boys, read again and sang "Oh, What a Night." They went, "That’s great, Daniel." I was walking out, and I turned around and said, "I play piano, too. Do you want to hear me?" So I played "Oh, What a Night," and I got the part. That was it. When it’s right, it’s right.
For more information, visit www.jerseyboysbroadway.com. Continued...
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