Kyle Dean Massey stole our (and tons of fans’) hearts as Gabe in Next To Normal and Fiyero in Wicked, but, gosh, has he ever been more charming than he is in Pippin? As the title character, Massey mixes humor, truth and killer vocals to give Broadway audiences a performance that goes beyond the corner of the sky and into the stratosphere. Below, Massey talks to BroadwayBox about his favorite parts of the Tony-winning revival, his relationship with his dog and the Stephen Schwartz songs that really get him.
1. If I could do the “On the Right Track” dance with any legendary hoofer from Broadway’s yesteryear:
“I'd have to pick Gwen Verdon. I can't imagine anyone dancing it better.”
2. The biggest obstacle I faced creating my own corner of the sky was:
“Learning to do a back flip in this show was and is the most difficult thing I've had to master. Considering I couldn't even do a proper somersault … a back flip is a triumph for me.”
3. My character Pippin can be pretty goofy; the goofiest thing about me is:
“I have a pretty bad habit of speaking for my dog in the first person (or first-dog should I say?), and using an incredibly strange ‘dog voice.’ Is that goofy or does everyone do that?”
4. When I have to find myself some simple joys, I look to:
“Coffee. A good cup of coffee makes everything better.”
5. My favorite all-time love song duet is:
“I love Stephen’s ‘As Long As You're Mine’ from Wicked. I never got tired of singing that song.”
6. If I could switch big numbers with one of Pippin’s leading ladies, I would take ____ and I’d want to see her do my number __:
“‘Spread A Little Sunshine.’ I love a good song and dance number. I'd like to hear her sing ‘Extraordinary’ and see just how extraordinary her dancing would be in that number.”
7. The Pippin lyric I most connect with is:
“‘I wanted such a little thing from life. I wanted so much.’ – This insightful lyric perfectly sums up how our wants, goals and dreams seem like a simple thing at first, when in reality we risk and sacrifice so much to achieve them. It gets me every night.”
See the extraordinary Kyle Dean Massey in 'Pippin' at Broadway's Music Box Theatre.
