2006 Tony Awards Q&A: Manoel Felciano

Nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayl of Tobias in Sweeney Todd, Manoel Felciano's previous Broadway credits include Brooklyn, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cabaret. National tours include Saturday Night Fever, Whistle Down the Wind. Off-Broadway credits include: Shockheaded Peter, Much Ado… 

How are you feeling right now?

I'm thrilled, but I'm also a little overwhelmed, humbled and shocked…

How did you get the news about your nomination?

I was actually asleep, and got a text message from a friend that was just 5 exclamation points. I thought that was strange, and while I was contemplating that my phone started exploding.

So you weren't up early to watch the nominations?

Nope. I thought that I'd watch Grey's Anatomy last night, go to bed and whatever happens, happens. The last thing I wanted to do was to be sitting in front of the TV if my name wasn't called.

What has your day been like so far?

It's been insane. I was late for physical therapy, and was in the pouring rain walking towards Broadway with a shit-eating grin on my face. It was surreal and wonderful all at once. At physical therapy, these guys handle so many people on Broadway so they're very up on theatres news and they were the first people to congratulate me.

And since then?

I've been hearing from friends that I didn't even know followed theatre. They're all coming out of the woodwork. Right now I'm filled with pride for everyone else in the show that got nominated.

What are you most looking forward to about the awards?

What I'm most excited about is that everybody will be in whatever we do on the Tonys because we are the orchestra. That's very important to me, to have everyone up there.

 

Who's the first one that you called with the Tony nominations news?

The first one that I called was my Mom in San Francisco. I woke her up nice and early! It's her Birthday and left her a long Happy Birthday message on her answering machine and threw in my news at the end. She called me right back and said it was the best present she could have gotten. My Dad was thrilled too.

Have you connected with anyone in your cast?

Yes, Michael called me, and having been through it before he said that he'd shepherd me through it. Thankfully!

This revival's been a hit from day one, and it's just continuing now in awards season, how do you look at your whole Sweeney Todd experience?

You know, it doesn't get any better than this! There's so many things that have to line up in order to have a completely gratifying experience as an actor. You want it to be well written, bravely directed, and produced well so enough people come. Then people have to come see it, and it has to be commercially successful, and artistically viable, and critically acclaimed. It's so rare that anything comes up like that.

 

And you've had all of the above!

Exactly! Here we pulled the slot machine and came up with a jackpot and it may not ever be this good again, and I think that we all know that. It's a little bit less conventional, and more daring. Audiences are responding and are interested and tourists get it. Also young kids are enthralled by it, and a whole cross section of people seem to love it.

It's even harder to hit that jackpot these days when you're the exact opposite of a 'spectacle'
Yes and especially as actors in the show, because the onus is all on us. There's no spectacle, no chandelier. It gives you a real sense of ownership for the piece, it's great.

Any last thoughts for your fans and for the Broadway world?

I'm just excited that a guy with an unconventional name like mine can get recognition since I always thought about changing it!