Interview: Juan Pablo Di Pace Gets Ready for His 54 Below Debut

On February 21st and 22nd, TV star Juan Pablo Di Pace will take the stage at New York's 54 Below with a his new show AN EVENING WITH Juan Pablo Di Pace, highlighting his song and dance skills, so far seen in London and Madrid. We talked with the actor about this show, his success with FULLER HOUSE on Netflix and this new chapter on his career.

Hi, Juan Pablo! At last, you're in New York and you're about to debut at 54 Below.

Yes! It's happening and it's great. I've been waiting for this for so long, and by chance my good friend Mark Sendroff knows the 54 Below team so he told me that if I wanted to be on Broadway I should do this first as this is the best way to make yourself known in the theatre community. Everything's gone well and I'm very happy.

You started in Argentina, then you worked in London and Madrid, where you did Musical Theatre, and off to USA where you are a star on one of the most successful TV sitcoms, and that helped you getting to a New York stage.

It's a good way to describe my career (laughs). It's really that way, as you know, I have artistic aspirations for theatre, TV and movies. It's a way of using what's happening to me on FULLER HOUSE. I've been doing TV in USA for 3 years and a half, and though I made a concert in LA last year, this is different.

Now I have this chance to do 54 Below, because in 2 weeks I'll start shooting FULLER HOUSE 3rd season, so I said go to this project, because I'm so excited to debut on a New York stage.

Tell us a little bit about this new show. What can the audience expect from it?

We're in rehearsals with my musical director, Charlie Alterman, who directed PIPPIN, GODSPELL and NEXT TO NORMAL. He's very good, and we're putting a quite an eclectic show. As you may remember, in PRIMER ACTO (FIRST ACT) in Madrid there was a little bit of everything, and in this one we have new songs. It's the same style, with songs and speeches, and we will have a great band: piano, cello, classical guitar, bass and percussion. An acoustic sound which is great.

It's been quite a long time since you premiered PRIMER ACTO in Madrid. How has that Juan Pablo Di Pace evolved as an artist?

I hope he has evolved! It's been 5 years from that. Quite a long time and... you taped that, right? My father still watches it sometimes when he misses me! He makes a lot of references to that show. It was a little naive.

It was the first time we saw Juan Pablo Di Pace as himself. No Tony Manero, no Nicolas Treviño, no Billy Flynn, just him... It was very honest.

Yes, and there have been new chapters in my life and new material for the show.

In PRIMER ACTO it was all about the career, and now this one is more reflective, about the people in my life: friends, family, teachers, strangers... My message in PRIMER ACTO was always to carry on, to follow your dreams and that if you keep it you can have the world in your hands.

In AN EVENING WITH Juan Pablo Di Pace I talk about those people, those moments, those conversations which by some reason I had and changed my life. Sometimes life brings you those moments and you have to listen to them. Sometimes you have to ignore them, but sometimes they're worth it and they change you for good. That's why this show in NY will be more introspective.

How are you living this moment in which Latinos are so strong in show business in USA?

It's great, because I remember when I came to this country 7 years ago to do pilot season, and all doors were closed. It was 'no, no, no' all the time, as they were looking for American people. Now it's the opposite. It was a very stressful moment, because I remember it was not cool to be Latino. My last performance of PRIMER ACTO was in March 2013, and October that same year I came here and it was the best I could've done because they cast me in DALLAS the week after.

The nice thing about being a Latino nowadays is that American people realized we are a large percentage in the country. And Latinos consume a lot of entertainment. For example, if you go to Universal Studios or Disneyland, you will see Mexican people, people from Ecuador...

Apart from that a lot of celebrities and exemplary citizens are latinos: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Rita Moreno,... they are having very important roles and they are very well-known artists, they have a voice and it's good to be part of that movement, because it's a country going through a hard time.

How are you living this Trump era from inside show business?

It's not nice, it's weird. Simply because what he has done in the last months as a President doesn't make sense. It's great to see how all the performers are trying to make it visible. It's great to be part of the moment in which artists take a stand and rebel agains the system at a very high level, with a lot of impact, because in this social media era someone like Sofia Vergara can have more power than a politician.

I've never been really interested in politics, but as a performer I'd like to think that if someone is having a bad day and they come to see my show they can escape for a moment.

You mentioned two very well-known Latin artists such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Gloria Estefan. Have you seen their musicals on Broadway, HAMILTON and ON YOUR FEET!?

Yes, they're great. I've seen both of them, actually I like them a lot. I've always been a great fan of Gloria. She's one of the biggest stars in International Pop Music. She has a lot of great ballads which are incredible and seeing ON YOUR FEET! you realize how many songs and how much she brought to global culture. I love that the show has its place and its audicence. I love that.

About HAMILTON, it's a lot more avant-garde. It's something new. Lin-Manuel had already done it with IN THE HEIGHTS, but this rap and poetry goes beyond. It's more mature. This is my first contact with his work and it's great. It talks to a new generation, it's a new style in the genre. It's a new wave, a rap musical, and it breaks the rules.

Also on Broadway there's an organization called REvolución Latina empowerment through arts and growth for the Latino community. Do you know it? What do you think of this kind of movements?

I didn't know them. It's great, everything that helps Latinos to access the Broadway community, to allow them to work in this industry, and to be an inspiration for them, I'm totally in favour of it.

What other musicals on Broadway would you like to see? If you could be cast on any of them, which one would you like it to be?

Wow... I'm so looking forward to seeing SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE with Jake Gyllenhaal. It would be cool to do a Sondheim musical, as I've always been in love with his work. I'll be happy the day I will be able to play Bobby in COMPANY (laughs). Also I'd like to see Glenn Close in SUNSET BOULEVARD. And maybe I'll also see MISS SAIGON, I'm a big fan, although I already saw it in London.

You're there for a great season. Also very soon Bette Midler will be playing HELLO DOLLY! and also Patti LuPone and Christine Ebersole playing WAR PAINT.

They're all here! I'm going to run out of money buying tickets to see them all! I saw Bette last year in concert in Los Ángeles, she's so charismatic, she's terrific!

I'm going to ask you the hard question... If suddenly they gave you your dream role in a TV series and also they offered you the role of Bobby in COMPANY on Broadway, what would you choose?

That's a very tough one! (laughs) It depends on the TV role... I've realized TV is very volatile. You can work very hard for months and the team and script can be great, but then it airs and the audience doesn't like it, or something is not OK and it's over. Cancelled, goodbye. That's the problem. I was lucky enough to do FULLER HOUSE which became number one on Netflix, and it's a HIT. That's great but it's not the rule. So if the TV show is a guaranteed success I'll think about it, but you said Bobby on Broadway, right? (laughs)

Yes, next to Glenn.

I would choose Bobby, without a doubut. Well, see, if I do it on Broadway, Sondheim would be involved for sure! That would make my childhood dream come true. An actor friend of mine did Little Night Music with Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch, can you image working with those idols? To that level?

After that you could retire, right?

Exactly, I do COMPANY and then I leave it all for a beach bar in Barcelona! (laughs)

Then, all our readers must go and see your first step to Broadway. Why is it a MUST for any Broadway lover?

Because my background is theatre, I'm not a newcomer. It's a very dinamic show, very eclectic, with a lot hope and with a great band.

And I'm do it right below THE legendary Studio 54, in New York. It's THE venue, nowadays, in New York. It's has an intimate touch and a beauty that make it unique. People will see Tony Manero at Studio 54... what else can they ask for? (laughs) Precisely I'm singing Night Fever and then I'll Make a turn from Brooklyn into Manhattan.

We're sure it will be a hit, and hope this will be the first step on your road to Broadway!

Thank you very much.

For tickets to Juan Pablo Di Pace's shows at Feinstein's/54 Below go here.