Cheyenne Jackson
Currently: Hunka hunka burnin' his way across the Palace stage as Chad, a hip-swivelin' roustabout who may or may not bear a certain resemblance to an uber-famous rock icon in the Broadway tuner All Shook Up.
Hometown: Newport, Washington. "It's a beautiful place, though it's only about 45 miles from the Aryan Nation compound," Jackson notes. And yes, his name really is Cheyenne, about which he simply says, "Hey, my parents were hippies."
Blue Suede Shoes to Fill: Jackson, who served as a standby for Radames in Aida and understudied both male leads in Thoroughly Modern Millie, is the third actor attached to the role of Chad. Manley Pope Rent played the role during the show's Goodspeed run, and Tony winner Jarrod Emick The Rocky Horror Show also spent some time in the character's signature leather jacket. Did Jackson feel stressed about taking on the starring role, which is based on one of the indisputable pop icons of the 20th century? "Of course, I felt some pressure," Jackson says. "My whole life, people have told me that I looked like Elvis, or embodied the spirit of Elvis, and, of course, I was a big Elvis fan growing up. I know that people have expectations--I mean, Elvis is so iconic. I have to give the people what they want, in a way. They're going to be expecting certain characteristics--to look and sound a move a certain way. I'm definitely aware of the responsibility."
Keeping The Faith: Many theater fans first came to recognize Jackson for his role as Matthew, the smoldering lead singer, in the New York Musical Theatre Festival bow of Altar Boyz. The show is currently carrying on at Dodger Stages, but Jackson departed for the bright lights of Broadway. When asked if it was hard for him to choose between the Boyz and All Shook Up, Jackson says, "Once I got the call for Chad, it was a no-brainer," but then wistfully adds, "I was really emotionally attached to Altar Boyz, because it was the first reading I did in New York. It was the first thing I ever created from scratch. I love the story, I love the songs, and I love the boys. I went to see it [at Dodger Stages], and it was bittersweet, but it was also very cathartic. [Replacement] Scott Porter is awesome. He's perfectly cast, and actually, I think he's a little better than I was."
Hard Work & Dedication: "It's exhausting," Jackson says of his role. "I sing at least part of 17 songs, and I rarely leave the stage. Even though I have one costume, I have it six times, because I sweat so much. Vocally, it challenges me more than anything. I have to go as low as I can and as high as I can, because [musical orchestrator] Stephen Oremus loves freakin' high arrangements. Also, the emotional arc of the character is demanding. It's a lot to go through each night. I haven't been able to see my friends in four months. I go home, eat, drink water and go to sleep. I think my body's rounding the corner. I feel like an athlete who's trained, and now I'm just ready to go, you know?"
Spreading The Love: Jackson is quick to praise the rest of the All Shook Up company "I'm amazed by the depth of talent. They thrill me every day.", and in particular, director Christopher Ashley, whose eccentric, offbeat sensibility enlivens the whole show. "Christopher is so interesting!" Jackson enthuses. "He's really charismatic and focused. And he's specific about what he wants, which I like. He's also very hard to read. He's not emotional, and I'm very emotional. Christopher will give feedback, but he's not overly sappy or gooey, and he's not a hugger. I always tease him about it. I mean, who doesn't hug?! Once I learned his personality, it's been great. I think he's awesome. He likes extremes. If you're going to give him choices, he's going to like the choice that's out of the ordinary. As an actor, you tend to want to go right down the middle, and hit the joke and hit the payoff. Christopher is willing to sacrifice that in order to make the story more interesting. I like that a lot."
Follow That Dream: "It's fun to play the heartthrob, but it's more fun to be funny," Jackson says, and he should know. The role of Chad gives him a star-making opportunity to dazzle with his comic chops, as he shows every facet of this charmingly self-involved character. "This is the first chance I've gotten to really show this industry what I can do. I'm not really a leading man type; I'm quirky. It's fun to slap the audience, and give them something other than what they were expecting. It's tiring to be the heartthrob. If I'm feeling kind of bloated and skeezy, you have to just get up and do it. That's a pain." As for future plans, Jackson's not worrying about them for now; he's just enjoying the All Shook Up ride. "I'm not really that ambitious. I feel that when it's my time, it's my time. And now, with this show, I feel like it is my time."