Can you tell us a little bit about your character?
Gordy is a (hopefully) loveable conman who comes to town to take advantage of Cobb County's resources when their corn dies. He is a fella down on his luck trying to pull off one last great con to get him out of the big trouble he has found himself in. But as he gets to know the residents of Cobb County and their disarming rural charm, he struggles to live up to his family legacy. He's just bad at being bad.
How was the rehearsal process?
I have had the pleasure of being a part of Shucked for almost 3 years now. It was the first job I got when theatre came back post covid and the first show I have had the pleasure of being a part of from the beginning. Getting to create with such an incredible creative team has been one of the highlights of my career. Each day we got to all come in trying to make each other laugh. What you see on stage every night is just a fraction of the laughs we got to create over the years. Only the very best. I think the spirit of those early years lives on in the community that Shucked has become and hopefully audiences see that joy and creativity onstage each night.
How is life on the road? Any favorite spots you’ve visited so far / that you’re looking forward to?
I actually travel with my wife and daughter on the road. My wife Mackenzie Bell is one of our swings and understudies and our daughter was actually born during previews on Broadway before opening. She truly is a Shucked baby. The first of the "children of the corn" if you will. But getting to work and travel together with a show that means so much to our family has been an incredible experience for us. My wife and I actually MET right here in Cleveland in 2011 when I was at Playhouse Square with the 1st National of Jersey Boys, and she was doing a show called Fat Camp at Cleveland Playhouse. So, Cleveland has a very special place in our hearts.
What is your pre-show warmup?
I actually have the first 25 minutes of the show off but I don't like for the show to start without me. So everyday I come down in my shorts and undershirt (and my iconic blue back massager) and I make sure I am side stage to greet everyone before the opening number. This show is all about community and even though I am the slick city outsider I always think it's important to have connected with everyone before the show begins and I head up to my dressing room to warm up.
Do you have a favorite moment / song in the show?
There are so many incredible songs in this show. The opening number, the boys number in act 2... but my favorite song by far has always been Best Friends. It's a song I have always connected with. We all hope for a relationship like that in our lives that transcends circumstance. A friend you truly can't lose regardless of what life may throw at you.
Where are you from originally and where did you train as a performer?
I am originally from a little country town above San Francisco called Ukiah, CA. I grew up in a very artistic family. My mother runs a children's performing arts program there and the rest of my family is filled with artists (I never stood a chance at being a doctor). Three of aunts/uncles ran theatres in the Bay Area growing up and my other aunt is folk singer Holly Near. I grew up at those theatres and Holly gave me my first real gig singing backup for her across the country in high school. After graduation I went off to theatre school at the University of California, Irvine and got my start doing LA theatre before moving to NYC.
Can you tell us about how you got into performing arts?
As I mentioned I grew up in a family of performers and directors but my first role was as Oliver in Oliver at a small community theatre in my hometown when I was 8 years old. But one of my favorite memories is going to my first Broadway show in NYC. My aunt took me to see Annie Get Your Gun starring Reba McIntyre and I remember waiting at the stage door for her. Years later after college I got my union card doing South Pacific with her at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and I got to show her that signed playbill from so many years ago. When Reba came and saw Shucked on Broadway and decided to become our official "stalks person" it felt like another full circle moment.
What piece of advice would you give to young aspiring performers?
Don't put off the work of figuring out who YOU are. For so much of our lives in this business we spend time trying to be the people other people want us to be. But the sooner you go in search of you are the sooner you will become the performer you are hoping to be. Nothing books you work better than authenticity.
Is this your first time performing at Playhouse Square?
This is my THIRD stay at Playhouse Square. I came two different times with the tour of Jersey Boys (first in 2010/2011 season). I spent 8 years playing Bob Gaudio in Jersey Boys with stints in the Broadway, Toronto & 1st National Tour companies of the show. As I mentioned above I also met my wife here around the corner at a bar called Becky's but it's always fun to come to Cleveland because of the audiences. It really is one of the great theatre towns because of all the great work that comes to and is produced by Playhouse Square and the theatres downtown.
Why should audiences come and see SHUCKED?
THE LAUGHTER and THE MUSIC! Sorry I had to yell! But it's just that good. In these times where there is so much that divides us Shucked is a magical night at the theatre that invites us to all laugh together. To have that elusive community experience together. Nothing brings us closer than laughter and Shucked has it in bushels. But besides those two things (who needs more) it also is that rarest of things... A NEW musical. It is so rare for a show to succeed that isn't based on a book or a movie and Cleveland gets the chance to see something that most people haven't got to see yet.