THE FRIDAY SIX: Q&As with Your Favorite Broadway Stars- NOISES OFF's Daniel Davis

By: Feb. 05, 2016
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Welcome to THE FRIDAY SIX: Q&As with your favorite Broadway stars. Want to know what hooked them to a career in the theater? Their dream roles? Their Broadway crushes? Read on!

In this week's edition, we caught up with Daniel Davis, who stars as 'Selsdon Mowbray' in Noises Off, playing at the American Airlines Theatre.


What is the first Broadway show you ever saw?

My first trip to New York was the Summer of 1964. I came to try and get a job at the World's Fair. No luck. I spent most of my money on theatre tickets and meat ball sandwiches. It was an amazing season on Broadway. My first play was Alec Guiness and Kate Reid in Dylan, five years later I worked with Ms Reid at Stratford, Connecticut. Next was Richard Burton in Hamlet, Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward in Baby Want a Kiss, Channing in Dolly and Streisand in Funny Girl. It was a hell of a summer, I still have the Playbills.

What is your most unique pre-show ritual?

More of a routine than a ritual because I've known people who freak out if something interferes with their rituals and are literally thrown for the rest of the evening. I always get to the theatre at least an hour before the half. I find a spot where I won't disturb anyone and do a little vocal and physical warmup. Then visit with other company members who get there early. Then get into costume when the half is called and at the fifteen call, I have my quiet spot to go over my Acting 101 list to remind myself why I'm going onstage and what I'm supposed to do when I get there. Wait, all that sounds like a ritual, yikes!

What is your most memorable "show must go on" moment?

In the early 80's, I was doing a B&T tour of Amadeus in the role of Salieri. We traveled with a well designed, near replica of the Broadway set. A few months into the tour the raked polyurethane coated floor was beginning to show some wear and tear. So, it was recoated with a product that produced a surface like glass. The actors were warned that it was a "little slippery". I came onstage at the fifteen minute call to take a seat in the upstage wheelchair which is how the play began. I sat down and the chair slid downstage to within an inch of falling off the stage. I tried to stand and put the chair in order and my feet went out from under me. There was no way to warn the actors, so for the rest of the evening we looked like a company of really bad skaters in the Ice Capades. The next night, stage management had the bright idea to mop the floor with Coca Cola to make it sticky. None of us could lift our feet off the floor without it sounding like ripping Velcro. Show must go on, folks!

What is the one role you want to play before you die?

My bucket list is about directors I hope to work with before I leave the building. And there are lots of names. The majority of my work has been in Regional Theatre and I've been very fortunate in the variety of roles I've been able to do. If I had to pick one, I'd like to revisit Lear.

Who is your Broadway crush?

At the risk of sounding like a commercial for the Roundabout, I'm totally crushing on the Noises Off cast. We all grumble about how hard the show can be to do sometimes, but once we're doing it, the waves of laughter that come at us all evening make it wonderfully worthwhile. I haven't been with such a talented, amiable company in a long time and our crew is amazing. My next crush will be She Loves Me, one of my favorite musicals and lots of dear friends in the cast.

Where can people follow you online!

I'm not on social media, maybe I'll get around to it someday!



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