Alex Brightman, a two-time Tony nominee for his performances in Beetlejuice and School of Rock, is headed back to Broadway later this summer. And he's playing a real, still-living person.
Brightman will play Oscar winner Richard Dreyfuss in the Broadway debut of the Edinburgh Fringe and London West end hit The Shark Is Broken, beginning July 25 at the John Golden Theatre. Directed by Guy Masterson, the cast also features Colin Donnell (Anything Goes) as Roy Scheider and Ian Shaw in his Main Stem debut portraying his father Robert Shaw. Co-written by the younger Shaw and Joseph Nixon, the comedy, set to officially open August 10, imagines what happened on board The Orca when the cameras stopped rolling during the filming of the Steven Spielberg blockbuster Jaws.
It's a busy time for Brightman, who can also be seen on the final season of NBC's The Blacklist and heard on Broadway Records' original cast recording of Lewberger: The Wizard of Friendship—the new musical by Hughie Stone Fish, Keith Habersberger, and Alex Lewis, now available on all digital platforms.
The actor and writer—whose screen credits also include Law & Order: SVU, Documentary Now!, The Good Fight, Blue Bloods, and Important Things w/ Demetri Martin—is also currently developing Cleaners, an animated musical comedy, with his writing partner Nik Walker, and the romantic comedy Singular with 20th Century Studios.
In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Brightman explains how School of Rock changed his life, the lengths he went to land his upcoming role in The Shark Is Broken, and why his proudest achievement may not be what you think.
Where did you train/study?
I was accepted into New York
University's Tisch School of the Arts. I attended the CAP21 studio for
two years before taking an academic leave to do my first professional
job. I believe I'm still on that academic leave.
Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
I
am such a stage actor. I have the hardest time being subtle and
nuanced. So a very important instructor/mentor/now friend to me is Marci
Phillips. Marci is a casting director who also taught a six-week
on-camera intensive that I enrolled in. Over a month and a half, she
gave me an arsenal of tools that I still use to this day. I have
successfully done television and film work because of the things she
instilled in me. Many things stand out about the wonderful Marci
Phillips. But one thing I appreciated is that she is able to balance
encouragement with firmness. I don't like when teachers are so sweet it
hurts. But I also don't want to feel discouraged. Marci is able to
strike a serious work-meets-playful-inventive environment for her
actors. And she truly cares. And I love her for it.
Tell me about a time you almost gave up but didn’t.
I was cast in the Broadway production of Matilda, and I had to
dance quite a bit in the show. I am not a dancer by trade, and my body
doesn't love it when I try. I had just come off of a severe ankle injury,
which had caused me to gain weight. I was not in great shape, and I felt
it. My rehearsal process was short (two weeks max), and every single day
was a physical gauntlet that almost always felt impossible.
After a few days, I remember calling my parents and sobbing: "They're going to realize they cast the wrong person." But after some encouragement and some soul investigating, I realized that the reason these people cast me was because they saw my potential. It wasn't a charity. They knew I could do it. So I didn't want to prove them wrong. I learned how to pace myself. And ultimately I was able to not only do the steps, but look pretty good doing them.
What do you consider your big break?
I would say that School of Rock changed the course of my life
indefinitely.
Doing that show and having a showcase of my talents on stage every
night allowed so many people to be privy to what I do—my unique style
and brand of whatever it is I do. And that turned into more
opportunities later. I was taken more seriously as a professional, I was
taken more seriously as a writer, and more people thought of me for
projects. I am grateful for that moment. I worked hard to get it, but I
still consider myself extremely lucky.
What is the most memorable day job you ever had?
I answered phones at the front desk for a Masonic lodge. I worked
there for about one hour before being fired because I "talked too
casually to the grand master of the lodge." It was a short tenure, but a
memorable one. I definitely didn't get paid. And I'm fine with that.
Is there a person or people you most respect in your field and why?
The people I respect most in this field are the ones who are
busting their ass every single day at open calls. The people that get up
at the crack of dawn to get in line with hundreds of other hopefuls
because this is
the thing that they love and want to do. The people who work four day
jobs so they can save enough money to take some time off to do a student
film for the experience of it all. I love the people in this business
who love it. I respect the hell out of people who say "yes, and." Hope,
optimism, and drive are qualities that these people exude, and I'm always
inspired by it.
What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
This is an easy and short answer. Sorry, it's not very exciting. But it's important. Save your money.
What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now?
I wish that I
knew that the people behind the table at your audition are people. They
are not deities or gate-keeping trolls. They are scared, anxious,
vulnerable people who just want their show/movie/project to be good. I
used to be so petrified to walk in and say the wrong things or do
something they didn't like. But knowing what I know now, the thing they
are looking for the most is your true authentic self. And the more you
show them of yourself, the more they will feel confident in casting you.
How did your role in The Shark Is Broken come about?
The day the show announced the Broadway transfer, I contacted my reps about it. I had heard about the play when it premiered and thought it was such a cool idea. When I found out that they were actively casting the role of Richard Dreyfuss, I knew that I wanted to get myself in front of them as a possible choice. When they agreed to let me read the script and do an audition/callback, I was thrilled.
There was one problem...I was in D.C. doing Spamalot [at the Kennedy Center], and we were already in performances. So I did what any normal rational actor would do in this situation. I took a 5 AM train to New York City, did the callback, got back on a train to D.C., and did Spamalot that night. I really wanted this role, and I was willing to do the work and show them just how much I wanted it.
A day or two later, I found out that they were going to put their faith in me to open the show on Broadway. I am never casual or lazy about the roles that I want. I know that it's always a long shot to get anything in this business, so I figure why not be tenacious anyway?
What can audiences expect from this West End hit?
If you love Jaws, you will very much enjoy this play. But it is
certainly not a requirement or prerequisite to have a really raucously
fun time at the theatre. Audiences can expect to laugh hard and often. It's a very funny and cutting play, written with no soft focus. It's a gritty look at three very different and very big egos shoved into a tiny little boat set that might as well be a powder keg. Audiences can expect to learn some inside, behind-the-scenes drama and hilarity as the three stars of Jaws try
(and fail) to entertain themselves with nothing but booze, playing
cards, and a few bent coins while waiting for their mechanical shark
co-star to start working again.
I love stories like this: The ones where the camera just pans right or left enough to show you the things you could never have been privy to if you just watched the movie. Also, if you want to see me throw up, have a panic attack, get choked, cry, and laugh maniacally...this is the show for you.
What is your proudest achievement as an actor?
I have done a lot of very cool things in my career thus far.
There are a lot of obvious things to point to (Beetlejuice, Tony
nominations, The Blacklist, etc.). But I would say my proudest achievement is being able to pay my rent and bills with the thing that I
love to do. I've always wanted to do that. And I am even more proud
that I've been able to do that for the last 15 years. That, to me, is an
achievement.
