THE FRIDAY FIVE: Jason Ross from CCP's SCROOGE

Inspired by BroadwayWorld.com's Friday Six, welcome to BroadwayWorld Nashville's freshest installment of The Friday Five: five questions designed to help you learn more about the talented people you'll find onstage throughout the Volunteer state. This week's spotlight falls on Cumberland County Playhouse's legendary Jason Ross.

Legendary? You better believe it. You need only settle into your seat at the Crossville theater and await his entrance onstage...the excitement among the audience is palpable, the energy electric. And when he comes onstage, everyone in the audience gasps in delight, applauds with glee and welcomes him back home in every sense of the word. Make no mistake about it: Jason Ross is beloved by CCP audiences.

Tonight, his loyal following of fans will be treated to just the latest of his theatrical transformations as the critically acclaimed Ross becomes Ebenezer Scrooge in the Playhouse's 2014 Holiday Season offering of Scrooge, the musical that features music, book and lyrics by Leslie Briscusse, adapted from the Academy Award-nominated 1970 film.

Now's your opportunity to get to know more about Jason Ross in our latest installment of The Friday Five...

What was your first "live onstage" taste of theater? Well, my first role ever was Young Scrooge in Michel Legrande's musical version of Christmas Carol back in the early 1990s. So, I guess you could say that I have come full circle. And as for the first show that I ever saw, at the moment I can't remember because of this epic tech week.

Do you have a favorite pre-show ritual? These days it is driving around in the car warming up to a vocal CD that I bought on Amazon. And for some openings I like to buy myself a pair of new shoes. Don't ask me why...I've done it for years.

Have you ever had a really memorable "the show must go on" moment? In The Foreigner, one of many productions, I am supposed to rush to the telephone on the wall and call Froggy to come get me out of this place. So I rush over, and there is no phone on the wall! So I had to mime a "comedy phone" with my clinched fist, which stopped the show but did not stop me!

So what's you dream role? I would love to have a go at Sweeney Todd and also John Adams in 1776. I would also love to do any Noel Coward and any of the male roles in The Producers. And Deathtrap. I am also very curious about the new musical Little Dancer by Flaherty and Ahrens about Degas when he was painting The Ballerinas. I have always loved those paintings. It is brand new so I don't know much about it except that I would love to play Degas.

Who's your theatrical crush? Well...I have always had a thing for John Lithgow. LOL! I would love to see him and Glenn Close in the revival of A Delicate Balance right now. And as far as male crushes go, Bea Arthur will always have a place in my heart. Just kidding! It's Neil Patrick Harris. Oh, no, wait, Bradley Cooper! Oh, and Angela Lansbury. Oh, and Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors.

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