What is your role in The Music Man - A 50th Anniversary Tribute?

I play Marcellus Washburn. Marcellus used to be in the con business with Harold Hill, but he wasn't really that good at it and he decided it was time to live a simple honest life so he settled down in Iowa. Too bad, because if he kept going, maybe he could have been the title role of a musical too.

You are rehearsing this week at The Bushnell. What is a typical day at rehearsal?

Rehearsals are always nutty. Usually it takes a couple days to acclimate and get to know everybody, but we open in a week and Phil McKinley, our director, said there's no time to for any of that. He even warned me not to joke around too much, so I'm trying to be good. That's very difficult for me. This is a HUGE show - big cast, lots of wonderful songs and A LOT of dancing. In a week - It's CRAZY! Today, a lot of us were running back and forth between 3 rooms jumping from one scene to another. It was a frenzy not unlike Filene's Basement on Labor Day. I had to sing "Shipoopee" early this morning and I think I pulled an eyebrow it's so high.

What is your life like as an actor?

Oh it's a roller coaster! Except it doesn't make me throw up. Well, sometimes...

Why did you want to do this particular show?

The Bushnell Theatre BEGGED me to do this and when they said I 'd get more $$ than Patrick and Shirley put together, I agreed.

OK Not really- I just love this show and I have worked with Patrick Cassidy and Lisa Vroman and Shirley Jones and they are the absolute greatest. I worked with Shirley last summer in Oklahoma in Pittsburgh.Or was it Pittsburgh in Oklahoma? We had a ball. And Patrick and Lisa and I have done many things together, nothing that I can talk about here. I've also worked with the sassy Peg Hickey,our choreographer, and I've always WANTED to work with Phil McKinley our director, who I LOVE (Ihopehereadsthis). It's quite an emotional experience doing Music Man with Patrick and Shirley, who was so radiant in the film. Yesterday, Patrick and Lisa were singing "Till There Was You" and Shirley, Philip, me, oh heck EVERYBODY in the room was crying their eyes out. I'd love to write more but I'm late to rehearsal and I don't want to be yelled at. BYE!