Interview: Brian d'Arcy James of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Replacing a Tony winner in a major Broadway musical is never an enviable task, but Brian d'Arcy James was up for a challenge. In fact, recent news that Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will end its Broadway run on September 3 shouldn't serve as commentary on James' winning turn as manic Freddy Benson in the tuner (having taken over the part from Norbert Leo Butz on July 21). James plunges headfirst into this, his first Broadway musical comedy role, conning the Riviera, getting the girl and losing none of the laughs along the way. It's the latest in a series of perception-shifting parts for the likable star, who's shone in musicals that take thrilling advantage of his baritone voice (Titanic, Sweet Smell of Success) as well as plays that show he's not just another pretty voice (The Good Thief, The Lieutenant of Inishmore). Interviewed before news of the Scoundrels closing, James talked with Broadway.com about his loose-limbed performance, his dreams of a White Christmas on Broadway and the eyebrows that ate Lake Michigan.
As Freddy Benson, you hump Keith Carradine, let your belly hang out, bare your ass…
Just one cheek.
OK, you bare one cheek, grab your testicles… Were you apprehensive about taking on an outrageous part like this?
Not at all. In the context of the role, it's all acceptable in terms of the language the character speaks. Anything and everything is an invitation to push the boundary. You're wrapped in a huge layer of protection when it's being done for comic effect because it takes away the literalness of it. It's not graphic, obviously.
Do you have a crazy, zany side like Freddy Benson in real life?
I think anyone given the chance to kind of unhinge and be literally allowed to stick their hand down their pants and chew on a goldfish… It's the most fun you could ever want to have on stage. So that's me—my sense of wanting have fun, wanting to find a joke, wanting to find humor. My younger sister's a comedian. She has a sketch comedy group in Chicago called Schadenfreude and I look at her with such admiration and envy because it's such an amazing thing to make someone laugh. I've always been a huge fan of Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, all the sketch comedy shows; there's something about that that I just gravitate to as a fan. And I feel like this is an opportunity for me to try to do it myself. I love it. I'm like a pig in shit.
What was your first meeting like with Keith Carradine? Did you immediately think, "I can hump this man every night in front of thousands of people"?
That was not my first reaction, I'm sorry to say! [Laughs.] I started rehearsals a few days after Keith. I was immediately drawn to him. He's such an open, talented guy who just wants to do the work and enjoy it. He's got incredible charisma. What's great about him in this role is he's able to play off the statuesque magnetism that this guy represents in terms of the stature and the cornerstone of this community. Knowing how to get what he wants—I think he brings that to this role in spades.
It's a workout actually. Thank god it's a song that you can get away with barking more than actually sounding lyrical on! There's so much activity. It's like one of those great old-fashioned song and dance numbers but with a twist.
Where does this role rate in terms of exhaustion with the other roles you've done?
You're asking me on a Thursday, which happens to be after a Wednesday… With 10 being the most exhausted, I'm at an 11 right now.
Are you a monk at home during the day?
I'm more like a lump at home these days. My poor wife has to do all the work with our daughter Grace. I'm so tired. More so than usual. Eight a week in a role like this is a tough schedule. On the other hand, the great thing about being an actor is that you get a lot of time with your family that you wouldn't necessarily get working a nine-to-five job. So as much of a lump as I say I am, at least I can be a lump that my daughter can crawl on at home, like a big jungle gym. That's the plus side of it.
Has Grace been backstage at all?
Oh yeah, she loves it.
Has she seen the show?
She won't see it. It's a little racy.
I guess, it's those David Yazbek lyrics. He's a sick genius.
[Laughs.] He is. He's a mad scientist. He is Freddy Benson. I think he's amazing.
I don't think I've ever heard the story about how you met your wife, Jennifer Prescott. Was it when you were in Carousel together?
Yep. She was a replacement in the show. The story I always tell is that she was forced to dance with me. She's a dancer and I'm not really a dancer…
But Norbert Leo Butz won an Astaire Award for playing Freddy Benson. That's a dancing role!
Apparently it is!
Then you're a dancer.
Clearly! I remember seeing Norbert in Thou Shalt Not and thinking, "That guy can dance!" He's a fantastic dancer. And yes, I was robbed of the Astaire Aware for my work in Carousel. Clearly when something shines so brightly, you almost have to look away!
You were in the ensemble?
And I covered the role of Mr. Snow.
You should play Billy Bigelow some day.
I auditioned for Billy back then. Michael Hayden left for a while and I requested to give it a shot. [Director] Nick Hytner was awesome. He said, "Yeah, come on in." But I wasn't ready to play it.
Would you want to play it now?
Yeah, I think I could give it a crack. But I couldn't then. I can honestly say I was just too young. Vocally, I wouldn't have been able to handle it and I would have been a little lost, a little light for it.
Are there any other classic theater roles you'd like to play?
I've always wanted to give Hamlet a shot. It's the big one, you know. I haven't done Shakespeare professionally, so I think it would be terrifying.
For the past two winters, you've played the stage version of White Christmas, in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Would that show work on Broadway?
Oh yeah! In a heartbeat. It's a Broadway show. The Irving Berlin score, with songs like "White Christmas," "Blue Skies," "I Love a Piano," "Let Yourself Go"… Come on. Does it get any better than that? The orchestrations are amazing. Randy Skinner's choreography is unbelievable—it gives it so much grandness, these huge tap numbers that you're not expecting to see in this particular story. It's an old-fashioned, spirited show of positivity and generosity. It's just great.
Yeah, I'm always hoping to see it come here. In terms of where and how it happens… I try to apply my own logic to it but it's like trying to figure out the tax codes, so good luck!
You star in a lot of readings and workshops of things. Is it best to just not get emotionally attached to something that may or may not turn into a job?
Most actors are very grateful for what is as opposed to what will be. You spend 98% of your time looking for a job, so when you get it, it's fantastic. To have a show like White Christmas have the life that it's already had in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Minneapolis and Detroit is great. It's up. It's happened. I'm not saying Broadway wouldn't be an amazing feather [IMG:R]in the cap of the production, but in a way, it doesn't really matter in terms of an actor's point of view of having the job because I did it. Would it be wonderful to take the C train to it as opposed to getting on JetBlue to do it? Of course. That's the practical advantage of a successful show. Actors are always hopeful that it can last longer than expected, but extremely grateful that it happens at all.
You recently got to record White Christmas for Ghostlight Records [The CD hits stores October 17.]. That must have been a treat.
Yes, I was happy to have the opportunity.
Do you like listening to your own voice? You've done a lot of cast albums, and your own jazzy Christmas music album, From Christmas Eve to Christmas Morn, a favorite in my collection.
Thanks for saying so. I have a hard time listening to things I've recorded. I don't necessarily go back and enjoy it. Occasionally I'll have the iPod on shuffle and something will come on. Nine times out of ten I'll wince and go on to the next one. But know what always blows me away? The Wild Party. Every time I hear anything on that album, I love that music. I can listen to it as a fan. I just love the way it was produced and I love the sound of it. Idina [Menzel], Taye [Diggs], Julia [Murney]…it's great. But as a rule, I don't.
You just did some recording for that new movie Enchanted, which Idina is featured in. Tell me about that.
It's a live action film. It's a fantastic concept—this animated princess vanishes from her fairy tale land to some place called New York. She crawls up out of a sewer as a cartoon character and when the sewer lid is lifted, she's a real person [played by Junebug star Amy Adams]. The songs are by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, who I worked with before on a workshop of Leap of Faith.
What did you do in the Leap of Faith musical?
I played the lead part, the Steve Martin role. Now that I think about it, Steve Martin's been good to me! I've read that Hugh Jackman wants to do the role now, though.
Hugh who?! I want to stage a sing-off in Times Square—you versus Hugh Jackman!
[Laughs] Ha. Yes. Me, Hugh and the Naked Cowboy.
I want to ask you about your eyebrows.
[Laughs.] You do?
They're so distinct. Has anyone ever told you…
Would you like to ask me if I want to wax my eyebrows for the sake of my career?
Oh no. Please don't wax them! Is it a family trait?
I don't think so. Well, my brother's got some brows on him, but somehow not the point-and-stare type that I have.
Do people point and stare?
Well, when people say, "Be careful that they don't go together in the middle of the night and crawl off and do bodily harm to people"…
Who said that?!
I've heard everything. "The eyebrows that ate Lake Michigan"… For my 21st birthday, there was a surprise party thrown for me and everybody pasted big black splotches on their eyebrows. My cake was a sheet cake with two huge eyebrows as candles in it. It was devastating! I had no idea until that day that I was a freak! [Laughs.] So, what would you like to know about them? [Pointing to one eyebrow.] I actually have a piggy bank in this one. [Pointing to other.] And I keep an assortment of different knives in this one.
No. There have been two professional incidents. One person said, just as a matter of course, "And we'll be doing your costume and we'll have rehearsal on Wednesday and, of course, we'll have to do something about your eyebrows…" And I was like, "What are you going to do?!" "Well, we're going to get rid of them." "What do you mean get rid of them?" And he was like, "Your eyebrows are huge." The second time was during a show here in New York. I had a very serious conversation with someone who was very committed to inspiring me to release the hounds. The point was, and it's a good point actually, that when you're onstage, you have to open up your eyes. If you have a big shelf of hair that extends about two and a half inches over your eye sockets, it tends to get in the way of light!
Clearly, you're your own man and you put your foot down both times.
I'm a hairy man. I've gone through a lot to be able to say that. I sit here as a very proud hairy man.
You're probably inspiring all sorts of young performers…
I call all young hairy people to come together! It's about time our voices—and hair—be heard! [Laughs.] Oh, I have one great story about this. I was doing summer stock and we had this thing called the "Joyed It Line." Audience members would wait in line and we'd shake their hands and they would all say, "'Joyed it, 'Joyed it." This one guy comes up to me, puts his thumb and forefinger on my eyebrow and tries to pull it off: "What keeps that on there? A little spirit glue?" True story!
Do you think your eyebrows helped you stand out of the crowd in terms of your career?
All I'll say is this: When I moved to New York and got NY1 and was able to see George Whipple, I thought, now that is something I can aspire to! There's hope for me!
Ever met him? You need to do a one-on-one.
No, I never have. His eyebrows can kick my eyebrows' ass. One of mine can put up a good fight for maybe 20 minutes, but after that it would just be ugly! That's going to be my first production as a producer: a Claymation short of my eyebrows in a ring with George Whipple's eyebrows.
That would be amazing.
It would be called "Brow Beating." I haven't talked to George yet, so maybe we put a shout out to him in this article.
Your eyebrows don't even seem that big to me anymore. I guess I'm used to them.
Hey, take that back! [Laughs.]
See Brian d'Arcy James in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels through Sunday, September 3. Click here for tickets and more information.
