Cue & A: Something Rotten! Star Brad Oscar on His Early Mentors, Dream Roles and Love of Baseball | Playbill

News Cue & A: Something Rotten! Star Brad Oscar on His Early Mentors, Dream Roles and Love of Baseball Brad Oscar, who stars as Nostradamus in the new Broadway musical Something Rotten!, fills out Playbill.com's questionnaire of random facts, backstage trivia and pop-culture tidbits.

//assets.playbill.com/editorial/e1c420f3ca9f9991a63fca200f22fc9c-bardcue.jpg
Brad Oscar Photo by Matthew Murphy

Oscar's Broadway work includes Big Fish, Nice Work if You Can Get It, The Producers (Tony Award nomination), The Addams Family, Spamalot, Jekyll & Hyde and Aspects of Love.
 

Full given name: Bradley Alan Oscar
Where you were born/where you were raised: Washington, DC; raised in Rockville, MD.

 

Zodiac sign: Virgo
What your parents did/do for a living: My dad is a retired civil engineer, and my mom is a retired conference coordinator.
Siblings: A fabulously talented sister, Victoria Oscar, also in the biz.
Who were you main mentors/inspirations when first starting out? I was blessed with several amazing teachers and mentors: Doris Anderson, the librarian at my elementary school, Bruce Silver, who ran the theatre department at the JCC in Rockville, and Ann Amenta, my voice teacher at the age of 14 and a constant and continuing source of guidance and inspiration.  

First Broadway show you ever saw: The original production of On the Twentieth Century at the St. James Theater.
If you could go back in time and catch any show, what would it be? Too many choices, but it would have to be the original production of Follies. My parents saw it, and although I've seen many subsequent productions, I'm sure it probably never worked better than in its original form.
Current show other than your own you have been recommending to friends: Curious Incident. Such great theatrical storytelling.
Favorite showtune(s) of all time: "It's Today" from Mame, "A Little Priest " from Sweeney and "A Little More Mascara" from La Cage.
Some favorite modern musicals: Sweeney Todd, The Scottsboro Boys
Some favorite classic musicals: Mame, Fiddler on the Roof
Broadway or screen stars of the past you would have most loved to perform with: Robert Preston
MAC or PC? MAC
Last book you read: Stephen King's “Mr. Mercedes”
Must-see TV show(s): “American Horror Story,” “Amazing Race”
Some films you consider classics: “The Ten Commandments,” “Willy Wonka,” “Heaven Can Wait”
Pop culture guilty pleasure: Some of the tasteful lineup on Bravo. God bless Andy Cohen!
Three favorite cities: New York; Washington, DC; New Orleans
Favorite sport/team/player: NY Mets, Washington Redskins  

First CD/Tape/LP you owned: It was probably the soundtrack to “Dr. Dolittle” by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse.
First stage kiss: Age 13, at the JCC, as Vandergelder to Dolly, and to this day she's still my oldest and dearest friend!
Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: Motel the Tailor, my first role in a musical at the age of 12.  

Moment you knew you wanted to perform for a living: I feel like I always knew. I was always putting on shows in the basement, recruiting my friends, dancing around to cast albums.
Favorite pre-/post- show meal: A burger at Joe Allen, after the show!
Favorite liquid refreshment: Ketel One on the rocks
Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: It really depends on the role. Currently I just try to keep Brooks, my dressing roommate, away from our dressing room bar until the curtain has fallen...
Most challenging role you have ever played: Tevye in “Fiddler”
What drew you to this new project and what has been the biggest challenge so far? I was asked to do a reading of SR in January of 2014 and knew immediately that my biggest challenge would be "the dance" involved in my number, specifically the tap!  

What has been the most fun or fulfilling part of this project? Actually mastering the dance! And getting to do a number that so celebrates everything I love about musicals.
Worst costume ever: Me as the Emcee in Cabaret dressed as Baby New Year, in a big diaper and baby bonnet. Need I say more?
Craziest audition story: Being asked to play the scene as if I were blind, for no reason whatsoever. And yet I still had to read from the script, as I hadn't been told to memorize it. Maddening.
Leading man role you've been dying to play: Albin (La Cage) and Sweeney
Leading lady role you wish you could play: Can you guess? Mame!
Something about you that surprises people: That I'm a big baseball and football fan.
Something you are incredibly proud of: My husband and my family, and the amazing support and love that binds us.
Three things you can't live without: My husband, coffee and candy corn.
"I'll never understand why…" … such horrible things are done in this world in the name of religion.
Words of advice for aspiring performers: See as much theatre as you can, anywhere and everywhere. It will make you a better and more discerning artist.

 
Today’s Most Popular News:
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!