Brian d'Arcy James http://briandarcyjames.com The Official Site Thu, 03 May 2012 20:18:36 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 briandarcyjames/XPxuhttp://feedburner.google.comSpecial Skills: Olympian?http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/05/special-skills-olympian/ http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/05/special-skills-olympian/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 20:18:36 +0000 Brian http://briandarcyjames.com/?p=1140 Last Wednesday I found myself in the middle of Times Square ankle deep in sand. Next thing I knew I was perched atop a 25 foot makeshift ramp, astride a BMX dirt bike, donning a shiny helmet and fully goggled. Then I’m standing nose to nose with a horse named My Boy Bobby. Weird dream you say? Not so much. It was all very real. 

The Olympics take place this summer in London. However, before they start up across the pond, New York City decided ... ]]> Last Wednesday I found myself in the middle of Times Square ankle deep in sand. Next thing I knew I was perched atop a 25 foot makeshift ramp, astride a BMX dirt bike, donning a shiny helmet and fully goggled. Then I’m standing nose to nose with a horse named My Boy Bobby. Weird dream you say? Not so much. It was all very real. 

The Olympics take place this summer in London. However, before they start up across the pond, New York City decided to get the ball rolling with an Olympics event in Times Square signaling 100 days until the opening ceremonies. I was lucky enough to be asked to join in the fun to get people excited.

Olympics Times Square

It was an honor to get to play volleyball on 46th street with the Women’s Beach Volleyball team. They were very nice, extremely patient and very tall. Special thanks to Jess Gysin, Whitney Pavlik, Christal Engle and Jennifer Fopma and the whole team for their time and generosity. Here’s a quick video shot of the event:

 

I also got to meet medal winners with both the U.S. Equestrian Team as well as the Arielle Martin, Mike Day and Nic Long, all BMX Rider Olympic hopefuls.   

These are the best of the best. Dedicated, talented, driven athletes (and equally generous and interesting people) who are truly inspiring.  I’m a bigger fan now than I was before, and I’ll have some new friends to root for in a few months. 

]]> http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/05/special-skills-olympian/feed/ 0 Wondering what I’m up to?http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/04/wondering-what-i%e2%80%99m-up-to/ http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/04/wondering-what-i%e2%80%99m-up-to/#comments Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:25:34 +0000 Brian http://briandarcyjames.com/?p=1111 Yeah, I’ll be busy the next few months. Check it out:

April 18, 2012: Attending the Broadway opening night of the hit British stage comedy “One Man, Two Guvnors,” directed by my good friend, Nicholas Hytner (of War Horse, The History Boys, and my personal favorites (of course) Sweet Smell of Success and Carousel). How could I not be excited to see “Falling trousers, flying fish heads, star-crossed lovers, cross-dressing mobsters and a fabulous on-stage band”? Check out the ... ]]> Yeah, I’ll be busy the next few months. Check it out:

April 18, 2012: Attending the Broadway opening night of the hit British stage comedy “One Man, Two Guvnors,” directed by my good friend, Nicholas Hytner (of War Horse, The History Boys, and my personal favorites (of course) Sweet Smell of Success and Carousel). How could I not be excited to see “Falling trousers, flying fish heads, star-crossed lovers, cross-dressing mobsters and a fabulous on-stage band”? Check out the show’s hilarious website here.

April 23, 2012: 4th Annual Greenhouse Project Event at the Top of the Standard Hotel in Manhattan. The Greenhouse Project is a program of NY Sun Works that builds sustainable urban greenhouse farms on the rooftops of public schools. Funds raised from the event will produce sustainable science education operations. I’m performing on behalf of my daughter Grace’s school, and the event’s committee includes Lauren Bacall, Cameron Diaz, and Sam Robards. For more info on the event, which also includes a live auction and music by celebrity DJ Mia Moretti, visit: http://nysunworks.org/support/events.

April 25, 2012: I couldn’t miss the opening night of “The Columnist,” starring John Lithgow, my great co-star from Sweet Smell of Success, as the beloved/feared powerful political columnist Joseph Alsop. David Auburn and Daniel Sullivan who collaborated on Proof are behind this fascinating new play, set in the 1960s when secrets about the lofty Alsop’s life began to emerge. Read this Daily Beast essay by John about playing Alsop, and see the play’s website for a lot more info.

April 27, 2012: Donna Murphy and I will announce the nominations for the 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards April 27 at 9:30 AM at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency. More info on Playbill.com.

April 27, 2012: For the second year in a row, I am emceeing the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow.” This year I will be joined in the hosting duties by none other than Ana Gasteyer of SNL fame. This event is an amazing evening where new dancers and choreographers get to really show their stuff and be discovered. The event begins at 7 pm at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. For more info on who’s performing and tickets, visit http://www.YAGP.org.

April 30, 2012: 29th Birthday Gala for the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally is hosting the gala, which will honor the Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once On This Island, etc). The event, entitled Journey On, starts with a concert at Carnegie Hall, where a host of Broadway singers are appearing, including me. Find out more here.

May 3, 2012: A Broader Way benefit performance. A Broader Way Foundation, founded by Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs, my good friends from The Wild Party, offers girls from underserved communities an outlet for self-expression and creativity through arts-centered programs. The emphasis is on building self-esteem, developing leadership qualities and striving for personal and social achievement. I’m really looking forward to being part of this special night. For more info on this organization, check out http://www.abroaderway.org/

May 14, 2012: Performing at the non-profit Keen Company‘s Annual Benefit “The Understudy Evening,” at The Manhattan Penthouse. This company is near and dear to my heart as it’s the company that produced The Good Thief, a one-man play I did with them a decade ago. Visit here for more info about the benefit.

May 26, 2012 (Memorial Day weekend): I’m appearing with Ana Gasteyer in an evening of song called “One Night, Two Voices, Three Cheers” at the Bay Street Theatre, a not-for-profit 299-seat professional regional theatre in Sag Harbor, NY. To find out more about our show click here.

*SPECIAL EVENT*

June 26–30, 2012: A great-sounding new nightclub & restaurant called 54Below (located below Studio 54 on 254 W 54th Street) opens in style in early June by featuring Patti Lupone for an unprecedented 13-show cabaret stint, then followed by me, appearing for 7 consecutive shows, June 26-30. I’m calling my show “Under the Influence,” where I revisit formative pop music standards from the 1970s and ’80s.  Read this excellent article in the NYTimes about the creative team bent on bringing back “a place where Justin Vivian Bond and Ben Vereen can live under the same roof.” For ticket info, click here. Hope to see you there! 

 

 

]]> http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/04/wondering-what-i%e2%80%99m-up-to/feed/ 0 Taste Above All Else—doing voiceovers for Jameson Whiskeyhttp://briandarcyjames.com/2012/03/taste-above-all-else/ http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/03/taste-above-all-else/#comments Fri, 09 Mar 2012 17:09:40 +0000 Brian http://briandarcyjames.com/?p=621 Some time ago I got a call from my voiceover agent about an audition for Jameson Whiskey. I’ve auditioned for many voiceovers over the years and you quickly learn that there’s a small circle of actors who do A LOT of the work out there in this field. I am not one of these actors. For some reason, despite constant attempts, I hadn’t been able to crack the nut.

All the same, undaunted, in I go, into a small unassuming booth to read the copy ... ]]> Some time ago I got a call from my voiceover agent about an audition for Jameson Whiskey. I’ve auditioned for many voiceovers over the years and you quickly learn that there’s a small circle of actors who do A LOT of the work out there in this field. I am not one of these actors. For some reason, despite constant attempts, I hadn’t been able to crack the nut.

All the same, undaunted, in I go, into a small unassuming booth to read the copy for this new spot. I do it, I leave, I think nothing of it (after a while, with auditions, you can sometimes forget that you can actually get the job). A few days later I get word that I got the gig. My first real foot in the door in this world (and I’ve been doing this for a while!). One of the things that worked in my favor was the necessity to use a slight Irish accent. I’ve worked on many versions of the Irish accent from Belfast to Dublin with some tweaks in between, so I felt fairly comfortable doing it. Served me well in this case.

When you start doing voiceovers for a particular product, it’s usually a one-time thing.  I didn’t realize that Jamesons was starting up a new, grand ad campaign—incredible mini-movies that are quite beautiful and humorous as well (they’ve gone on to become award winners). See for yourself with their first spot, “The Great Storm”:

Two spots later, I’m lucky to still be heard on these incredible ads. Now, I’m Irish so perhaps I’m biased, but I’m pretty sure there’s not a better whiskey out there. (See my Voiceover page to watch all the ads (via YouTube) on my site.)

And while this isn’t Jameson related per se, I feel compelled to include this song in honor of the alcohol that gives me voice.

Rye Whiskey by Punch Brothers

]]> http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/03/taste-above-all-else/feed/ 0 Doing a Southern Drawl for Elmore Leonardhttp://briandarcyjames.com/2012/03/doing-a-southern-drawl-for-elmore-leonard/ http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/03/doing-a-southern-drawl-for-elmore-leonard/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:31:54 +0000 Brian http://briandarcyjames.com/?p=1098 One of my sidelines is occasionally performing as the narrator for an audiobook. I narrated a Jonathan Franzen collection of essays a few years ago, and recently was thrilled to be chosen to voice perform Elmore Leonard’s latest, Raylan (based on the character from the TV series “Justified”). It’s a fun book and was really fun to play all the characters. And apparently I passed muster with the audiophiles: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/dbsearch/showreview.cfm?Num=69493

]]> One of my sidelines is occasionally performing as the narrator for an audiobook. I narrated a Jonathan Franzen collection of essays a few years ago, and recently was thrilled to be chosen to voice perform Elmore Leonard’s latest, Raylan (based on the character from the TV series “Justified”). It’s a fun book and was really fun to play all the characters. And apparently I passed muster with the audiophiles: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/dbsearch/showreview.cfm?Num=69493

]]> http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/03/doing-a-southern-drawl-for-elmore-leonard/feed/ 0 My Part in March Madnesshttp://briandarcyjames.com/2012/03/my-part-in-march-madness/ http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/03/my-part-in-march-madness/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:03:36 +0000 Brian http://briandarcyjames.com/?p=1089 Two great projects that I had fun working on last year are both coming out in early this month, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss them. The first hits movie screens on March 9, and is a great ensemble comedy by Jennifer Westfeldt called “Friends with Kids.”  It stars Adam Scott and Jennifer Westfeldt as a couple, Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig as another couple, Maya Rudolph and Christ O’Dowd from Bridesmaids, Ed Burns, and Megan Fox. See the trailer ... ]]> Two great projects that I had fun working on last year are both coming out in early this month, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss them. The first hits movie screens on March 9, and is a great ensemble comedy by Jennifer Westfeldt called “Friends with Kids.”  It stars Adam Scott and Jennifer Westfeldt as a couple, Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig as another couple, Maya Rudolph and Christ O’Dowd from Bridesmaids, Ed Burns, and Megan Fox. See the trailer below.

 

The second project is HBO’s screen version of the bestselling political book “Game Change,” which airs on Saturday, March 10. As you’ll see in the below trailer, Ed Harris and Julianne Moore are dead ringers for John McCain and Sarah Palin. I play one of the lawyers who vets Palin for the McCain campaign. They have a great trailer for it with The Guess Who’s “American Woman” as the soundtrack:

]]> http://briandarcyjames.com/2012/03/my-part-in-march-madness/feed/ 0 Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite, Mr. Freedman and Mr. Hamlisch!http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/11/being-for-the-benefit-of-mr-kite-mr-freedman-and-mr-hamlisch/ http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/11/being-for-the-benefit-of-mr-kite-mr-freedman-and-mr-hamlisch/#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:34:44 +0000 Brian http://briandarcyjames.com/?p=1019 This past week I was honored to participate in two benefit evenings for two different theater companies in New York City.  On any given Sunday or Monday evening in the city you can find an event like this—a gala or benefit of some sort that honors a theatrical luminary in an effort to bring attention to the organization that sponsors the evening.  Oftentimes, actors will be invited to sing a song or say a few words in recognition of the honoree. I was asked to do just this for Gerald Freedman who was being honored by Sonnet Rep and for Marvin Hamlisch being honored by Encompass New Opera Theater.

For the Sonnet Rep benefit I was asked to sing a beautiful rendition of a Shakespeare Sonnet set to music by the wonderful Scott Frankel in a duet with Sierra Boggess. The evening was quite an event, with the likes of Patti LuPone, Kevin Kline, Mandy Patinkin and Austin Pendleton all present to sing their praises, as it were, to their esteemed colleague and teacher Gerald Freedman. 

I have never met Gerald Freedman. I’m embarrassed to say the only thing I knew about him was that he ran the Great Lakes Theater Festival for some time in Cleveland, Ohio. His list of accomplishments and contributions to the theater is overwhelming. So it was a stunning education for me as one by one, Ms. LuPone, Mssrs. Kline, Patinkin and Pendleton (among many others) all got up to speak, quite beautifully and personally, on how this one man had changed their lives and taught them volumes if not everything they knew about the theater. 

Marvin Hamlisch, I am lucky to say, I do know.  I worked with him on the Broadway musical Sweet Smell of Success.  At last evening’s benefit, the one and only Sheldon Harnick described Marvin as American Theatrical Royalty (even though, as Marvin described as only he could, with 3 Oscars and a Pulitzer it’s still impossible to hail a cab on a rainy Saturday evening, royalty and all). This is not an exaggeration. Marvin is possibly the most gifted musician I have ever met, and his contribution to the American stage is invaluable and undeniable.

But what stands out from these two experiences for me is something that Marvin said last night as he accepted his lifetime achievement award.  To paraphrase: to be able to have a career and accomplish something in your field is one thing, but to do it and maintain and foster friendships over the years is the only thing that really matters.

Gerald Freedman and Marvin Hamlisch were lauded by true friends this past week, by friends that have gone on to make names for themselves in the theater.  And to hear them speak in such glowing terms about Marvin and Gerald, not only about their remarkable creative contributions but also their character, generosity and kindness as individuals is a great lesson.

While Sonnet Rep and Encompass New Opera Theater no doubt achieved their goal of honoring great individuals in the form of a benefit evening, I’m happy to conclude that from what I learned from these two theater titans, the benefit was all mine.

]]> http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/11/being-for-the-benefit-of-mr-kite-mr-freedman-and-mr-hamlisch/feed/ 0 Wherein I discuss “Shrek,” “Smash,” sisters, and other things not beginning with the letter “s”http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/11/wherein-i-discuss-shrek-smash-sisters-and-other-things-not-beginning-with-the-letter-s/ http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/11/wherein-i-discuss-shrek-smash-sisters-and-other-things-not-beginning-with-the-letter-s/#comments Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:12:58 +0000 Brian http://briandarcyjames.com/?p=945 Had fun doing this recent interview with the great Mark Bazer of “The Interview Show” in Brooklyn. My sister Kate James flew in from Chicago to chime in about being naked on stage. I also perform Billy Joel’s “Vienna,” accompanied by the amazing Dan Lipton (currently working on a musical with Sting).

]]> Had fun doing this recent interview with the great Mark Bazer of “The Interview Show” in Brooklyn. My sister Kate James flew in from Chicago to chime in about being naked on stage. I also perform Billy Joel’s “Vienna,” accompanied by the amazing Dan Lipton (currently working on a musical with Sting).

Click here to view the embedded video.

]]> http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/11/wherein-i-discuss-shrek-smash-sisters-and-other-things-not-beginning-with-the-letter-s/feed/ 0 The early days of SMASHhttp://briandarcyjames.com/2011/10/the-early-days-of-smash/ http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/10/the-early-days-of-smash/#comments Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:19:20 +0000 Brian http://briandarcyjames.com/?p=503 We’ve started shooting the much-anticipated SMASH, here in NYC. I’m playing Debra Messing’s husband. The NBC/Dreamworks TV series also stars Angelica Houston and Katharine McPhee. And great guest stars like Bernadette Peters and Nick Jonas are being announced every week.

What’s SMASH about? From the NBC website: “Executive producers Steven Spielberg and Craig Zadan & Neil Meron, and songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, bring you the blood, sweat, and tears of the making ... ]]> We’ve started shooting the much-anticipated SMASH, here in NYC. I’m playing Debra Messing’s husband. The NBC/Dreamworks TV series also stars Angelica Houston and Katharine McPhee. And great guest stars like Bernadette Peters and Nick Jonas are being announced every week.

What’s SMASH about? From the NBC website: “Executive producers Steven Spielberg and Craig Zadan & Neil Meron, and songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, bring you the blood, sweat, and tears of the making of a Broadway musical” about Marilyn Monroe. The director of the first two episodes is Michael Mayer (“Spring Awakening”). The series premieres February 6, Mondays at 10/9c. Click here for updates re: NBC’s website page on SMASH, and I’ll be writing about it here on this blog, too.

]]> http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/10/the-early-days-of-smash/feed/ 1 I’m on a lawyer roll (or is it role?)http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/10/i%e2%80%99m-on-a-lawyer-roll-or-is-it-role/ http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/10/i%e2%80%99m-on-a-lawyer-roll-or-is-it-role/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:59:45 +0000 Brian http://briandarcyjames.com/?p=496 I played a lawyer in the CBS pilot for PERSON OF INTEREST, and I’ll be playing another lawyer in HBO’s GAME CHANGE based on the bestselling book by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, and starring Julianne Moore (at right) and Ed Harris as Sarah Palin and Senator John McCain respectively. I’m playing Ted Frank, one of the lawyers who vetted Palin for the McCain camp. I’ve had some fun getting to know the real Ted Frank via Twitter (@tedfrank). The airdate for this HBO special event is still to be determined; will keep you posted.

]]> http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/10/i%e2%80%99m-on-a-lawyer-roll-or-is-it-role/feed/ 0 Friend of FRIENDS WITH KIDShttp://briandarcyjames.com/2011/10/friend-of-friends-with-kids/ http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/10/friend-of-friends-with-kids/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:47:09 +0000 Brian http://briandarcyjames.com/?p=492 I’ll be in the upcoming movie FRIENDS WITH KIDS, directed by Jennifer Westfeldt (of KISSING JESSICA STEIN) and starring Jon Hamm, Kristin Wiig, Adam Scott, and Megan Fox. The film got a great reception at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

See this NY mag interview with Jennifer about the film.

]]> I’ll be in the upcoming movie FRIENDS WITH KIDS, directed by Jennifer Westfeldt (of KISSING JESSICA STEIN) and starring Jon Hamm, Kristin Wiig, Adam Scott, and Megan Fox. The film got a great reception at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.

See this NY mag interview with Jennifer about the film.

]]> http://briandarcyjames.com/2011/10/friend-of-friends-with-kids/feed/ 0