Wicked's Josh Daniel Green on Going from 'Rhinestone Cowboy' to the Emerald City
(Matthew Murphy for Broadway.com)
Growing up in Lakeville, Minnesota, Josh Daniel Green was exposed to dance early in life thanks to his sister, but he didn't know how important it would eventually become to both his personal and professional life. "I followed my sister to dance class," he said. "I took my first class at five years old; it was a ballet and tap. I believe the song for the recital was 'Rhinestone Cowboy' and I wore a little cowboy vest." It didn't take long for Green to be bitten by the dance bug, which eventually led him to musical theater. "My first fall-in-love moment was seeing 42nd Street at Chanhassen dinner theaters," he said. "I had the cast album and listened to it all the time dreaming about doing something like that on stage one day." While he was always aware of Broadway, Green didn't necessarily think it was in his future. "I took a winding path to musical theater," he said. "I went to college at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and studied concert modern dance. I had a really fulfilling dance company career, but I wanted to do something with the the storytelling aspect of dance. That's where Broadway came in." Green has been an ensemble member in Wicked since December 2014, and finds new joys daily. "It's incredibly fulfilling to think that I started as a kid in a dance class at five years old and now I'm dancing on Broadway," he said. "We get to the Ozdust section and it's such a joyous celebration and that's when it always clicks for me. I'm doing this right now. I am dancing on Broadway making a living doing what I love and I get to share that with other people. It's an incredibly full-circle moment."
Watch the video below to hear Green talk about finding his space on Broadway and more!
Photo Credits: Photographs by Matthew Murphy | Styling: David Withrow | Grooming: Morgan Mabry | Assistant: Evan Zimmerman & Sydney Goodwin
Video Credits: Directed by Kyle Gaskell | Produced by Paul Wontorek & Caitlin Moynihan | Additional camera: Alexander Goyco | Location: FD Studios
