Jeremy Jordan has had a varied, steady and successful career for the past decade, with lead roles in Broadway musicals, TV movies and films, and supporting roles in hit TV shows. The NY Times called him "charismatic" and "a natural star" and his crowd-pleasing performances, gorgeous singing voice, and kind demeanor have earned him a legion of fans.
Jordan was raised in Corpus Christi, Texas, and went to Ithaca College before making his Broadway debut in Rock of Ages. He also appeared in the 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story, but in the 2011/2012 Broadway season, he rose to fame with back to back lead roles in the Broadway productions of Bonnie & Clyde and Newsies. He won a Theatre World Award for playing Clyde in the first show and a Tony nomination for Leading Actor in a Musical for his performance of Jack in Newsies. His performance in Newsies, along with other members of the original Broadway cast, was filmed and can be viewed on Disney+.
He also appeared in the tv show Smash, made his film debut in Joyful Noise, which starred Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah, was a regular on Supergirl, co-starred in the film version of The Last Five Years, and also reopened the Off Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors as Seymour last Fall.
Jordan comes to Scottsdale on Saturday, February 19th for a concert with Sirius XM "On Broadway" host Seth Rudetsky where he'll perform songs from shows he loves and, between songs, sit down in informal interview segments to answer questions from Rudetsky about his past and the musical roles he's performed.
But before he comes to town, and just after appearing in the Bonnie & Clyde concert in London a few weeks ago, I asked Jordan to sit down to answer some questions of my own.
Before we talk about your theatre, tv and film credits, and your experience at Ithaca College or growing up in Texas, let's go back two years ago. In March 2020, you were about to take over the role of Seymour in the Off Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors when COVID shut everything down. What was that time like for you and what was the experience like when you were finally able to take on the role when the show finally reopened?
Jordan - "I think like everyone else, I thought this was going to be a temporary thing. We would be out for a few weeks as the virus ran its course. When that wasn't the case, it became increasingly clear as things were pushed further and further back, that this was going to last a long time. I think after a few months, I had pretty much given up hope that theatre was coming back soon and I let go of any notion of doing Little Shop, and frankly, I was ok with it. I had made my peace with it. I went on to shoot a number of films during the pandemic, and I had put it out of my mind. Then, eventually when they came back with the offer to return to the show when everything finally reopened, it came almost as a surprise, and I was unprepared for the emotions that came along with it when I finally stepped onto the stage again after almost two years. It was really something unexpectedly special."
You grew up in Corpus Cristi, Texas. What was the high school and local theatre community like there and what experiences with either did you have?
"I grew up doing community theatre. My Nana was the director of the children's theatre program and so she had put me and my brother in things. I wasn't any good, in fact, I'm sure I was probably pretty bad. Most video evidence has been destroyed. But I still did shows here and there growing up. It wasn't until I started joining the choir and gaining more confidence in my voice that I started to open myself up to the potential of actually being talented, and eventually that transferred over to theatre, maybe by osmosis? I dunno. It just clicked one day. I did a little bit of high school theatre before I graduated once I realized that is what I wanted to do with my life, but most of my time was spent with the community theatre and the choir."
You have a musical degree from Ithaca College. What were some of your favorite classes, shows, or experiences like at Ithaca?
"I actually didn't play a true leading role until I got to college. Which was unique considering I went to one of the best schools for musical theatre where all my classmates were stars in their respective communities before going there. So I had a lot of work to do. A lot of catching up. I dove into all my classes. I particularly loved the scene study work and movement classes. I was very much out of touch with my body, so learning to control it and to embody other characters was really gratifying to me. In terms of shows, I got to play Bobby Strong in Urinetown, which I think was my favorite experience there."
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| Jeremy Jordan in Newsies (left) and in Bonnie & Clyde (right) Photographs by Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times |
You made your Broadway debut in Rock of Ages and also were an alternate Tony in the West Side Story revival, but the 2011/2012 Broadway season is when you really exploded on the scene. After starring in Newsies at the Paper Mill Playhouse, you co-starred in the new musical Bonnie and Clyde on Broadway. However, if that show was a hit you most likely wouldn't have been able to play Jack in Newsies when that show came to Broadway later that season. What was that year like - going from a hit regional musical production with Broadway potential, to making your Broadway lead debut in Bonnie and Clyde, that then flopped, but then going on to receive a Theatre World award for that show and a Tony nomination for Newsies?
"It was a wild year, for sure. I was actually rehearsing Bonnie and Clyde in New York City by day while performing Newsies in New Jersey by night. Thank goodness I was young, because I certainly wouldn't be able to pull that off today. But there was a lot of gratitude that year, for sure. I don't think I really understood what was happening to me, I was just showing up to do the work. Which was helpful, because I didn't get too caught up in the sudden stardom and everything that came along with it. In fact, there was a lot more going on than even that. I was planning a wedding and a few months after Newises opened, I booked Smash and started filming that during the day while performing Newsies at nights and on weekends. Luckily I had had practice with double duty earlier on that season. And then a couple months into that madness, I got married, which was just the pinnacle of everything, and once that happened, I left Newsies and things finally settled down to a normal pace."
In between those two shows opening on Broadway, you made your feature film debut in Joyful Noise. What was it like making your film debut in this musical comedy and what was the experience like working with Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, who played your grandmother in the film?
"I had no idea what I was doing. I had hardly been behind a camera at all at that point, and it’s tough for me to watch it, because I see my younger self making so many rookie mistakes, but I certainly learned a lot and I had a blast working on the film. You can't really complain when you get to sing a duet with Dolly Parton. And was really lucky to get to work with two women who were superstars, but also so kind and humble all the time. They were great examples to me for how one should act when fame is thrust upon them."
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| Jeremy Jordan with Tammy Blanchard in Little Shop of Horrors photo by Emilio Madrid |
In addition to your Tony nominated role in Newsies, you've appeared in several other Broadway and Off Broadway musicals and plays, including originating roles and also taking over parts in such shows as Waitress and Little Shop of Horrors. How differently do you approach a role you originate versus when you're replacing someone in a role?
"Well, to be honest, it's humbling going in to replace someone in a project that's already running. I am always very hands on with my projects and I love to play and tweak and try new things, so fitting yourself into an already established box is a little difficult for me, but it's always a good exercise in humility. And also gratitude, because sometimes it's easy to forget how lucky I am to be in the position I am when so many people are still struggling to achieve their dreams."
You've also appeared in several tv series, including Smash, and Supergirl and even starred in some Hallmark Channel movies. What were some of your favorite memories of working on those TV productions and what are some of the differences you've found between performing live on stage in a musical or play versus acting in a tv show or film?
"Oh, usually the things I remember the most are goofing off on set. You get a lot of downtime in TV and film, and in particular with Supergirl, we would pull pranks and sing and dance and make fools of ourselves constantly. That happens pretty consistently in the productions I've been a part of, so I'm sure it's partly my fault that the actors tend to get a bit rowdy when I'm around. As for differences in performance, I don't think there are a lot of differences, to be honest. It's all a matter of scale. Bigger for stage, smaller for TV. Stage uses your body and voice to tell the story, TV and film use your eyes and the camera. Everything else is just trying to tell the truth."
What was the best piece of career advice you were given?
"For me, it's probably to take risks. A teacher of mine in college really instilled this in me. I tend to think outside of the box in real life, but for some reason, I always used to play it safe. I didn't want to push the envelope too much in fear that I'd be rejected or criticized. But my teacher ended up criticizing me for playing it too safe. So, in my career so far, I have tried to make the unsafe choice, or at least the non-obvious choice as often as possible. And sometimes, it goes terribly wrong, but many times, it can lead to really great discoveries."
What can audiences expect from your upcoming concert with Seth Rudetsky at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts?
"Oh, mostly hits from my career as a performer. And we often will have fun chats about my life and career. It's usually pretty fun and light, with the occasional tearful moment haha."
What do you hope Scottsdale audiences will take away from your concert?
"I just want to make people smile and enjoy themselves. I realize that I've been given a gift that in turn is a gift to others when I share it with them. And if I can be the highlight of your week, or even just your day, if I can help you feel better leaving than you did coming in, then that just brings me such joy. I just hope people can be inspired to move forward in their own lives with a bit more pep in their step, and also, a continued appreciation for the power of live performance. It feels like it's been devalued over the past couple years. People think, 'Do we really need theatre? We get plenty of entertainment right here on our couch,' but dammit, I will travel to your town and entertain you in person to prove that there is nothing else like it!"
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