THE FRIDAY SIX: Q&As with Your Favorite Broadway Stars- BEAUTIFUL's Jarrod Spector

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 Jarrod Spector, who is starring as 'Barry Mann' in Beautiful- currently playing at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre, with opening night set for January 12, 2014.

What is the first Broadway show you ever saw?

When I was nine years old I was cast to play 'Gavroche' in LES MISERABLES-- though I'd never seen the show, nor anything else on Broadway for that matter. The very night I was told I'd be in the show (by Richard Jay Alexander) we went to see it, and I have to say LES MIZ leaves quite the impression as a first experience in a Broadway theater. Of course everything appears a bit grander when you're a kid, so the theater was enormous, the show went on forever and 'Javert' was terrifying. Nonetheless, beings that I was a nine-year-old boy, the overwhelming feeling was excitement about the prospect of playing with guns and climbing on what seemed like the world's coolest (and filthiest) jungle gym.

What is your most unique pre-show ritual?

I do my vocal warm-up on the subway. I studied for six years with the great Katie Agresta (courtesy of playing 'Frankie' in JERSEY BOYS) so the exercises involve pulling on my tongue with a paper towel while singing--and although the singing is soft and likely only fellow passengers sitting directly next to me can hear anything, most look at me with the fleeting curiosity most New Yorkers have for anyone who might be crazy and/or headed to a hospital. Then they go back to reading their Kindles.

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

I have had my fair share of "incidents" onstage that required me to overcome pain, humiliation or some combination of both in order to finish the show. The first that pops into mind is a morning I woke up with a stiff neck that I assumed would get better as the day wore on (idiot). By the middle of the first act of the matinee of JERSEY BOYS I was completely unable to move my head from side to side so I had to pivot my entire torso left or right to talk to the other actors onstage. Not exactly Willis Reed in Game 7 but it is kind of excruciating to do that for two hours straight, especially when standing directly between two other people who are talking and being forced to turn your entire body from one to the other back and forth in order to look at them. Jeremy Kushnier, who was playing Tommy DeVito, continually muttered "Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto" to me whenever he had the chance, which only made me laugh and of course made my neck worse. I'm pretty sure I was out for three days after that fiasco.

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

If I continue my current trend of real-life musicians, my wish list includes Leonard Cohen and Bruce Springsteen--though I'd need plenty of notice and a team of instructors to achieve the level of skill on guitar necessary to even pretend to be Bruce. But I'd love the challenge.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I've always wanted to play 'Iago' in Othello.

Who is your Broadway crush?

Kelli Barrett. Lucky for me she's also my real-life crush and fiancee!

Where can people stalk you online?