Interview: Jay Armstrong Johnson Goes Back to Bernstein with CANDIDE

Star of both stage and screen, Jay Armstrong Johnson has had a busy year, between his 54 Below shows, his album, and his roles on QUANTICO and "My Gay Roommate." He's finally making his return to the stage after dancing his way into our hearts in ON THE TOWN, by starring as the titular role in New York City Opera's production of Leonard Berstein's CANDIDE.

To celebrate his return to the stage, BroadwayWorld had a chat with Jay about his dream roles and what it was like filming QUANTICO. Check out the interview, below!

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You will be playing the title role in New York City Opera's production of Leonard Bernstein's CANDIDE. Tell us about the show and the character you're playing.

CANDIDE is another Leonard Bernstein show, which, I've already done WEST SIDE STORY and ON THE TOWN, so this is my third Bernstein in my career. He's surely one of my favorite American composers. It's been a dream role of mine for quite some time. I actually found a journal of mine from about a year and a half/two years ago where I wrote that I hoped to play Candide in a world class production one day, and now the dream is coming coming true.

That's amazing!

Yeah, and now I'm making my New York City Opera debut in an opera that I've been dreaming about for a long time. It's based on the novel by Voltaire of the same name. It's very PIPPIN-like in nature. It's the story of a man named Candide and his sort of coming of age... coming of realization of lots of philosophical ideas. It's very satirical in nature, so it's a hilarious piece of theatre, but the brilliant thing about this particular production is, given the current political atmosphere, how we're really reeling in on the moments where we can feel deeply for these characters. We lose some of the satire and really make a point about life, war, how we treat each other, leaders, politics, and the grittiness that comes with life. I am very excited that they have entrusted me to play this role with such brilliant people. I mean, I'm working with legends and I just feel blessed to be in the room with them.

I was just about to ask! What is it like working alongside such an amazing cast?

It's unbelievable! Linda Lavin is a dream. Gregg Edelman is just the best. I've been watching his career my whole life. Meghan Picerno, who is an up and coming coloratura soprano in the Opera world, she's just delightful and just a fantastic actress on top of being a world-class vocalist. And, of course, Chip Zien, I have known as the Baker from INTO THE WOODS my entire life, and that's one of my dream roles as I get into my later years of my career that I hope to play one day. So, to just to share the room with him and give me a compliment on the fly, it brings tears to my eyes. And Brooks Ashmanskas is one of the funniest people that's ever walked the face of this planet. He keeps me laughing throughout the whole rehearsal process. I really am just beside myself with happiness.

And then there's Harold Prince and Patricia Birch as director and choreographer, who are Broadway's and TV's and film's best. Just to have the chance to be able to work with them on such an intimate level is really something I never thought I would be able to do.

Were you excited to hear that they added additional performances?

Oh hell yeah! The longer I can be with this company and the longer I can sing this score, I'll be happy. If they want to take it to Broadway, or anywhere else in the world, I'm on board. It should prove to be a really fantastic event.

Is this the first time you've ever done an opera?

Technically, yes? This is the first time I've ever worked with an opera company. I did SWEENEY TODD with The New York Philharmonic a few years back and that felt very operatic in nature, just because I was sharing the stage with someone like Audra McDonald and other names that are huge in the classical voice world. But this is the first time I've actually worked for an opera company. I've done operettas before. I guess this technically an operetta as well, because God knows I can't sing in a different language.

So, how does it feel to return back to the stage after ON THE TOWN?

It's really exciting! One, because it's Bernstein still, so I can feel Lenny's vibe in both the scores. But the craziest thing about ON THE TOWN was that it was mostly a dance role and it was a very physically demanding role and I didn't do much singing. To be able to do another one of Bernstein's classics as the lead vocalists and the titular role is really so exciting to be able to delve back into my voice lessons. It's a completely different approach to the material. I was in yoga and dance classes and physical therapy for ON THE TOWN, but now I'm in voice lessons and I'm steaming my throat every night and I'm trying to be as diligent as possible knowing that it's such a demanding vocal role as opposed to ON THE TOWN.

You also did QUANTICO in between. Was that transition from TV back to the stage a little harder?

No, I mean, the stage is where I live. It's where I've been my whole life and it's what I've studied the most. QUANTICO was kind of a pleasant surprise that came after ON THE TOWN happened because the writer/show runner of the show is a theatre fan. He had seen me in ON THE TOWN and other productions, so I was lucky enough to be in my first television show. QUANTICO was a new world for me, a complete education, because I had never studied what it means to be a film actor. I was really learning as I was going along. Priyanka Chopra, Aunjanue Ellis and the rest of the cast all really helped me and gave me pointers about how to read the camera, camera angles, and timing. It's totally different beats than being on the stage. So, when I get back in the room at rehearsals and it's a theatrical piece, I truly feel at home. This what I've done my whole life.

You also recently released your first album. What was that like?

It was so great! It was another dream coming to fruition. I had always wanted to a big solo concert type thing. I spent three years cultivating music and ideas and thoughts and how to create a solo show. So, after three years and I had my show in front of me, I only had three performances and I knew I wanted it to live on longer, so I looked into what it would mean to record it for a live album, so I went for it. I did an Indiegogo campaign and raised $26,000 via crowdsourcing. I brought in all of my best friends to be guest artists, so it was like a family ordeal and it was the music of my life.

It was truly one of the most exciting and stressful situations I've ever been though because I've never been a producer. I've never been the guy that had to put together a budget, schedule, or make sure all my artists were in tact. It was also a big learning experience for me to be on the other side of the table in terms of an artistic endeavor, but it really went off so well and we've gotten such a great response from it. And, of course, my family loves having an album to listen to whenever they miss my voice.

Would you ever want to do an album outside of a live show?

Yeah! I was literally just talking to my music supervisor about that! We have another concert coming in February at Birdland that hasn't been officially announced yet but it's in the works. I'm looking to have a studio album, even though it's a little more expensive, but I write a lot of poetry and I'm looking to turn my poetry into music. My best friend, Amanda, is also a singer/songwriter, so I'm trying to get some of her songs produced. It's definitely a goal of mine in the next year or two to do a studio album with original songs with maybe some covers as well.

Do you have any upcoming projects that you're excited about?

I'm shooting a pilot that was a web series back in the day that's now hoping to become a TV show, called MY GAY ROOMMATE. It was written by my friend Noam Ash, and he's been really working his tail off to raise the funds, working with the studios to produce it. We're shooting that at the end of January and that should be fun and exciting as I play the lead in a hopeful television show. I'm just really excited to see what that's all about, because it's really fun and hysterical. It flips the social norms on their backs. Noam's doing a really great job and he's cultivated such a great following that I really think it'll turn out to be something great.

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This January, the legendary Broadway visionary Harold Prince returns to New York City Opera to direct a new production of Leonard Bernstein's CANDIDE. The production, choreographed by Emmy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated choreographer Patricia Birch, brings together a versatile cast of Broadway veterans and rising opera stars to tell the story of Candide's adventures and tribulations in the "best of all possible worlds." Charles Prince will conduct the New York City Opera Orchestra in 10 performances at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater on January 6, 8, 11, 12, 13 and 15 with two performances each on Saturday, January 7 and Saturday, January 14.

For more information about CANDIDE, please visit nycopera.com. For more information on Jay's upcoming projects, check out his website, here!

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