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How
many incarnations of the Danny Kaye show have you done?
Well, since 2000 when Danny and Sylvia started I guess 4
total. There was the original Danny and
Sylvia in Washington D.C., The Kid
from Brooklyn which toured for over 2 years, Danny and Sylvia 2.0 Off Broadway for 3 years, which I like to call
it, and now An Evening with Danny Kaye.
Totaling 13 years on and off playing Danny Kaye.
Talk
about the trimmed down version at St. Luke's in New York. I know you had a lot
of success with it, because it ran for a long time.
After The Kid from Brooklyn closed in Chicago
and there were no further plans for the show, I was approached to bring Danny and Sylvia off Broadway. Feedback
over the years for Danny and Sylvia
was that there weren't enough of Danny'signature songs. So we did just that, we
went back and added songs like “The Malajusted Jester”, “Ballin the Jack”, “Melody
in 4 F”, and “Dinah”. We still kept the integrity of Bob Mcelwaine's book and
Bob Bain's score, but just inserting these moments is what I believe kept the
show running for three years at St. Luke's Theatre in NYC.
Is the concert you are doing on
the 31st based on that show or is it different? If yes, how so?
The show on the 31st is
basically just as the title says An
Evening with Danny Kaye. The idea behind this show is based on Danny's one
man concerts that he toured with for years. It is as if the audience is going
to see Danny perform at the Palace, or at the Palladium. It is a bit more
updated with some modern projections and video. The evening at its core is
Danny performing all of his greatest hits. Of course the classics will be
there: “Tchaikovsky”, “Minnie the Moocher”, “Ballin the Jack” but I get to
tackle songs I have always wanted to sing. Songs such as "The Gypsy
Drinking Song" from The Inspector
General, "The Lobby Number" from Up in Arms, and of course songs from White Christmas.
What has attracted you to Danny and his
material through the years?
I love the material. The
material is just brilliant and a sheer pleasure for any actor to perform. Also,
it's very rare when an actor can connect to a performer and his work so deeply.
I am privileged to have had Danny come into my life. He has certainly changed
it for the better.
Any
future plans for the concert or the Danny show in 2014?
I have performed the
show in Washington D.C., South Carolina, and now Los Angeles. My hope is that
this show goes all over the country. The show is basically myself and a piano
and can be performed in any venue. I also have this not so secret desire to
take the show to London where Danny was a hit at the Palladium. It would be a
dream.come.true.
What
else have you been up to since we last spoke? You did a concert at the
Hollywood Bowl. How was that? What else? What other shows have kept you busy?
Since I last saw you I
have been so fortunate. Of course Danny
and Sylvia ran for three years and that kept me busy. I did perform at the
Hollywood Bowl for three nights with the L.A. Philharmonic as part of the 50
year anniversary of the Dodgers Baseball Team. I performed two numbers and did
Danny Kaye's "The Dodger's Song". It was beyond thrilling. I actually
sang at Dodger's Stadium for a game. In New York I have been lucky enough to
have been a part of some new work and world premieres, concerts and cabarets. I
have been blessed to have been so busy.
Anything
else you care to add?
I am so excited to be
returning after 5 years to the EL Portal Theatre. I love Peggy (Forrest) and
Jay (Irwin) and in a way feel like I am coming back home.
The new show is directed
by Stephen Nachamie with music direction by Jeff Biering. I am thrilled to be
working with both as they are very respected in the New York community. Stephen
brings fresh eyes to something that I have been doing for so long. He makes me
look at Danny's performance with a renewed excitement.
At the link below, check out our interview from 2008:
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