For 15 years from the mid 1980s to the late 1990s, Charles Shaughnessy was a staple on TV screens across the country. He played Shane Donovan on the hit soap opera Days of Our Lives and immediately followed that with his popular portrayal of British Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield who hires Fran Drescher's Fran Fine to watch over his three children in the hit comedy The Nanny.
While Shaughnessy may be best known for his TV appearances, and he also won an Emmy for the animated TV show Stanley, he's got plenty of stage experience as well. The London born Shaughnessy not only appeared in shows when he was a youth as well as when he was at Cambridge, but he's also appeared in well known leading man roles, including Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady and King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot.
He will next appear in another classic musical comedy role when he plays Julian Marsh, the director of the show within a show in 42nd Street, for Scottsdale Musical Theater Company's upcoming production.
As he prepares for his trip to start rehearsals in Phoenix, Shaughnessy sat down to answer some questions about the show and what he's looking forward to in his time in Phoenix.
For someone who doesn’t know the show, what would you tell them 42nd Street is about?
"42nd Street is, perhaps, the most iconic 'backstage musical' of all. Originally a 1933 movie about the mounting of a Busby Berkeley type stage musical, where the ingenue chorus girl takes over from the injured star at the last minute and not only saves the show but becomes an over-night sensation, it has been revived as a stage show itself many times since."
How would you describe the character you play, Julian Marsh?
"Julian Marsh is the director of Pretty Lady ( the show within the show.) He is a legendary Broadway director who needs a 'hit' to offset the financial 'hit' he took in the Wall Street crash of ’29. He is tough and demanding, but we come to see that, despite his cynical exterior, he is as much a child of Broadway and it’s magic as anyone else."
What are you looking forward to most about performing in Arizona? Have you performed here before or have any connection to the Valley?
"Probably not the temperature! Seriously though, I do actually like the desert environment and enjoyed the short amount of time I have spent in Phoenix previously. I am also looking forward to working at the Scottsdale Musical Theatre with its blend of Equity and non-Equity talent. There is a freshness and enthusiasm that thrills through these kinds of companies that is so exciting and perfectly suited to a show like 42nd Street. And, no, I have no connection to the area just a couple of celebrity tennis tournaments back in the day."
Any favorite moment in the show?
"I’ll let you know!"
What do you need with you when you're on the road or performing out-of-town?
"My Magic Bullet mini-mixer for my protein shakes. Heavy meals are a no no on show days, especially two-show days, and a protein shake is the perfect answer to an energy gap without bloating! Also access to soccer on a TV somewhere…it’s the World Cup, you know!"
You've tackled all sorts of performances, including appearing in several long running TV hit shows, are an Emmy winner, and have done not only TV but film and theater - which is your favorite medium?
"The real truth is…all of them. As an actor one has to patch together a career in all the different media and they each have their own upside and down. There is no thrill like live Theatre and I would always want to be doing that somewhere, sometime. But TV exposes you to the bigger audience and can support you financially, and it is also exciting to see your work up on a big screen in a movie theatre. "
42nd Street glorifies the golden age of Broadway. What connection to the time period or songs do you have?
"My dad played the piano by ear and sang all the old standards at the drop of a hat. Growing up, it could be any time of day or night and you’d suddenly hear 'Where or When,' ' Falling in Love with Love,' or 'If I Loved You,' floating up from the living room downstairs."
What is it about your character in 42nd Street that you connect with most?
"A deep connection to the 'community' of the theatre. It all comes down to the people and 'showfolk' are just my, and Julian’s, kind of people."
What do you hope audiences will take away from seeing 42nd Street?
"My exquisite, and hitherto utterly undiscovered, talents as a Tap Dancer!"
CLICK HERE for more information on 42ND STREET at Scottsdale Musical Theater Company, which plays July 6 to July 15
Hello Mr. Shaughnessy. And it is true that for these 20 years of absence, a nanny would make her reparations with the same actors. Thanks to you You are my idol is you are also my friend D school but our roads have taken paths differently friendly .Katy
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