Part of the original cast of the universally beloved modern musical “Jersey Boys” and now an in-demand performer on both grand and intimate stages, Daniel Reichard is bringing a whole bag of talent to Fire Island this summer for an exclusive showcase!
Thotyssey: Hello Daniel! How are you doing, where are you, and what were you doing five minutes before you saw these questions, lol?
Daniel Reichard: Hey there Jim. I’m in New York City where I live, but I just got home five minutes ago from doing a concert with my fellow original Jersey Boys co-stars in front of 18,000 people in Long Island. We are still going after all these years.
You’ve had a busy summer so far for sure, including a show at the iconic Cafe Carlyle for their Pride series of shows! What was that experience like?
Thank you for asking. Playing the Carlyle was a New York City dream come true. When I graduated from high school, my drama teacher gave me a Bobby Short album, Late Night at the Café Carlyle. I wore it out over the years because I’d listened to it so many times. I’ve played most of the great nightclubs here in New York, but not the Carlyle. So finally to write a show specifically for that space was a very exciting creative process, and I enjoyed playing it out in front of the crowd. Also, I got a suite at the Carlyle and had a party for family and friends afterwards… and it was just so swanky and fun.
I was wondering if you’ve gotten to see anything on Broadway recently that you enjoyed, or is there a show that you’re looking forward to?
I must admit that I don’t make the effort to see that much, but they’re definitely are some ones that I’m interested in: Maybe Happy Ending and John Proctor Is The Villain. I saw Oh, Mary!—it was spectacular.
You are a well-known and much celebrated musical theater star! I was wondering if you could share a bit of your origin story. Where are you originally from, were you always into music and performance, and when did you come to NYC?
I’m from Cleveland, Ohio originally, and then I did my training at the University of Michigan School of Music in the musical theater department. I was definitely always into performing. Growing up the eighth of nine children, I saw that it was a way for me to get a reaction out of people. I was the type of young person, and still am the kind of person, that likes to get a reaction. I’m just naturally built that way. I moved to New York in 2000, and my career started pretty quickly. Within just a couple years, I was making my mark in the world of off-Broadway, and within five years, I was playing Bob Gaudio in the original Jersey Boys.
Before that, I believe your breakthrough role here was in the 20th anniversary production of Gerard Alessandrini’s Forbidden Broadway back in 2002, which lovingly satirized a number of popular shows.
Oh, that was fabulous way to make a debut in New York. I had been cast in this reading of a new musical that was directed by a man named Philip George who co-directed and choreographed several major iterations of the show with Gerard, and the show featured lots of actresses that were legendary Forbidden Broadway gals. Then the auditions for the 20th anniversary production of Forbidden Broadway began, and everybody knew me from that reading. I was also good at imitations, like Mandy Patinkin and Colm Wilkinson from Les Miserables. Gerard really contributed hugely to my career, as he became my one and only reference when I was up for my next big show afterwards; I’m very proud of my association with that show.
As you mentioned earlier, you’re likely best known in musical theater circles today for your role as Bob Gaudio of the Four Seasons in that original epic run of Jersey Boys! Is it a magical experience to be a part of something so beloved? The strain of doing a show like that where you really have to pull off a specific sound every single time must’ve been huge.
Well, I could write a book about doing that show — and I probably should, because it was such an interesting journey. I didn’t even want the part when I auditioned for it, because I didn’t want to leave New York City to mount the first production in California. I wanted to stay in NYC. Just the same, I got the role and accepted, and boy, was I lucky to have gotten it and smart to have accepted it. Donna Summer was the first person to knock on my dressing room door, congratulating me. Every day, it was someone spectacular like that. Also, we were doing special performances at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall, and on all the biggest television shows. It was a full whirlwind… a rocket ride, as they say. It was very grueling, and the pressure was very high, but I also knew I was lucky to be in something that was making its mark.
Does anything else pop into your mind regarding a really memorable, surprising moment during the Jersey Boys run: an onstage goof, a surprising audience reaction, other encounters with famous audience members, etc.?
Well, I always idolized Steve Martin when I was a child. That’s who I wanted to be as a performer. When he finally came to see the show, I told him so on the stage… and he was very humble and shy and quiet about it, but said thank you. I was overjoyed to have had this intersection. After I left the show, I was sitting in my living room watching The Daily Show a few days later. Steve Martin was on talking about his new autobiography and how he saw Jersey Boys, and that motivated him to write this book. I was cheering in the room with nobody around me.
Cacophony Daniels and Evita Loca are two Jersey Boys alums that are now NYC Drag Girls; they were both Frankie Vallis! How come there are no Bob Gaudio queens, lol?
Well, I can’t say for certain that there aren’t any. Let’s let each other know if one emerges, lol!
Totally! The real Bob Gaudio must have given you feedback about your performance, right?
Bob produced the Original Broadway Cast soundtrack, and did so pretty incredibly. One of the great moments was recording his songs with him, instructing me from the booth. He is a very talented person, a music business great, and I feel grateful for the association with him. When we first met years ago, in La Jolla, California after a performance, I said. “Oh hi, Bob!” and he said, “Hi Bob!”
You still perform with The Midtown Men, a singing group that covers the Four Seasons and other 60s acts, alongside fellow Jersey Boys alums Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria and J. Robert Spencer. You all must have a great time doing that.
Being in this group has been a huge part of my career. Because of our work and chemistry and just a lot of good decisions, we have played over one thousand concerts together over the years in some of the most prestigious venues in our country. We’ve sung with the best symphonies, played small towns, big cities, and everything in between it’s been a life experience more than anything. We had to run a business on our own, have people that work for us, have lawyers, make decisions as a quartet. It wasn’t always easy, but it was a hell of a ride. We’re doing a few outdoor concerts this summer, and a private show at Radio City Music Hall. So we are still going after twenty years.
What are some thoughts on the state of Broadway today, as far as what is working and exciting versus what poses a threat to its future?
First of all, I applaud the people that are keeping the passion alive for Broadway. Not just the writers and the performers and the directors and the choreographers, but the fanbase. Without the people who believe in live theater, there is no Broadway. I think we actually have to just keep telling great stories, and hope that they can captivate the public’s interest and attention and passion. That’s how Jersey Boys became such a huge success. It was telling a really good story that people enjoyed experiencing over and over. It’s not luck that something like that happens. There is an ingredient, or multiple ingredients, that go into a hit. I always like the theater that really tries to explore deep parts about the human experience.
On August 31st (7pm), you will be performing a solo showcase at Fire Island’s legendary venue, the Ice Palace!
I’m incredibly excited and incredibly honored. Daniel Nardicio and his fellow owners of the club (Taylor Shubert, Samuel Benedict and Adam Klesh) have presented an enormous amount of talented performing artists over the past few years at the Ice Palace, and they should be commended for it. It’s not always easy to put on shows when you can just have parties. I’m bringing a full band to my show because I want the audience to experience what one of my shows really is like. We are singing everything from Gershwin to Gaga. And lots of crazy things in between.
What else is coming up for you?
On October 18 and 19th, in New York City I’m going to premiere a one-man concert experience that I have written called Hello Neighbor!—Songs We Grew Up To For A Grown-Up World. It’s an evening of storytelling and music, featuring nostalgic childhood songs, but through an adult context. It’s going to be very special. That’s gonna be at the newly-refurbished Laurie Beechman Theatre on 42nd St.
Finally: do you have a dream role that you haven’t played yet?
I would like to play Georg in She Loves Me. I love that score.
Thanks, Daniel!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Daniel Reichard’s upcoming appearances, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and his website.
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