Q&A & Ice Cream With Josh Kaufman

This morning, I joined the new star of Pippin and winner of the sixth season of The Voice, Josh Kaufman, for the unveiling of the new "High-Flying Sundae" at Serendipity 3. It consists of three scoops of Neapolitan ice cream, hot fudge, raspberry sauce, sour rainbow ribbon candy, whipped cream, a circus swirl lollipop, and dark chocolate covered popcorn. I was particularly a fan of the popcorn and ice cream together.

The sundae in all its glory (glory).

When he's not in the show or doing promotional events like this one, Kaufman is working on his first single. After trying the sundae, he was nice enough to sit down with me for a few minutes before his two shows to talk about the journey from The Voice to Broadway.

Q: How did you go from a show geared toward getting a recording contract to doing theater?

A: Honestly, it was kind of a freak thing after the show. I was on The Voice tour over the summer and the guy who runs my website got in contact with me while I was on the tour and said, "Hey. You just got this message through the website about a Broadway show. I looked it up and it looks like it's for real, so you might want to get in contact with them." And it just happened that Bernie Telsey from Telsey + Company was at one of the live shows of The Voice and saw me there and got the idea to get in contact with me about this. It's not an avenue that people probably expected me to go down, but it's something that I've always been interested in and enjoyed, so when the opportunity came up, I thought I at least have to give it a shot.

Josh Kaufman, now playing Pippin on Broadway.

Q: Are you still in touch with any of the coaches from The Voice?

A: There is a guy who works really closely with Usher on all of his albums. He has sort of a musical director role in everything Usher does. He actually worked with him on The Voice. I do keep in contact with him and let them know what is going on with me. Usher had me come out over the summer to a dinner he had with his non-profit organization, Usher's New Look, in Atlanta. It's focused on education. It's a really good organization. I sang a song there. So, I've kept some contact, but obviously the guy's ridiculously busy. He's on tour right now.

Q: When you were going to do this, did you have to run it by them? Did you have obligations with the show besides the tour?

A: I did have the obligation to do the tour and really beyond that, everything flips over to the record label. I signed with Universal Music Group Republic Records and so it's more them that I have obligations to now. NBC and The Voice, I'm kind of finished with that. Everything shifts over to the record label, so I did have to make sure that this would all work because obviously I've signed a contract, so I have to make sure that there are no conflicts, but we were able to work all that out.

Q: Did you get to work much with Diane Paulus [the director] when you were preparing?

A: I did a lot of working in the studio with the stage manager and him reading lines and going through things with him, just the two of us. The day before my put-in, I had time with all of the principal actors and with Diane. She was real intense and would give any notes she could think of to give me as we'd go along, so it was a really good session, very helpful. 

Q: Is Broadway what you expected it to be?

A: That's a hard question because I don't know how many expectations I really had. It was more just go into it and figure it out and see what it is as I go. I saw the show and I knew what I would have to prepare for. I knew it would be a lot of work and a lot of time to put in. But I went into it pretty open-minded.

Pippin starring Josh Kaufman runs through January 4 at the Music Box Theatre.

A Strong Start to The New Group's 20th Anniversary Season

The New Group kicks off its 20th anniversary season (in its new space at the Pershing Square Signature Center) with the first major New York revival of David Rabe's disturbing 1971 play Sticks and Bones. Director Scott Elliott, the company's artistic director, does perhaps his finest work here (at least that I've seen) and has assembled the right ensemble of actors, led by Bill Pullman, who should probably star in at least one of The New Group's productions per season.

From left: Ben Schnetzer, Raviv Ullman, Bill Pullman, Holly Hunter. Photo credit: Monique Carboni

Ozzie (Pullman) and Harriet (Holly Hunter) are a typical American couple--just like in the sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet--in a typical American home (rendered perfectly by Derek McLane). Their son Rick (Raviv Ullman) plays guitar, always greets his parents with a smile, and has a healthy appetite. However, their perfect world starts to fall apart when their oldest, David (Ben Schnetzer), comes home from Vietnam, blind. He is haunted by the memories of his lover Zung (Nadia Gan), but his family doesn't want to hear about her and they don't know how to deal with this new angry presence in their home. The characters are too prone to exhausting monologues, but surprisingly, this play still has the power to shock.

Perhaps it would feel more dated in less capable hands. Schnetzer caught my attention a few months ago in the film Pride and here he again proves that he is an actor to watch, giving David more dimensions than just an outlet for Rabe's anger. Hunter delivers a manic performance, but she could have reigned it in more at the beginning. While Pullman's Ozzie slowly unravels, she speaks in the same high-pitched, high-strung manner throughout. Ullman gives a layered performance, going from comic relief to creepy. When the play ends, it's a relief to be rid of this toxic atmosphere, but, especially as we're approaching Veterans Day, it's a reminder that not everyone has that luxury.

Tziporela Brings Its Quirky Brand of Comedy to the U.S.

Combining dance, music, comedy, and charming accents, Israeli theater troupe Tziporela is a welcome addition to the downtown theater scene. The company is making its U.S. debut with Odd Birdz at the Players Theatre. Most of the show is in English, though a lot of the sketches are wordless. And when they do speak in Hebrew, it is translated, usually adding to the comedy.

There are 24 scenes--enough to appeal to a variety of tastes. I enjoyed some sketches more than others and I'm sure everyone will have their own preferences based on individual sense of humor. I probably laughed the most at "A Real Date" starring Ben Perry and Tamara Klayngon (see video below), which addresses what people would say on dates if they were completely honest.


Another personal favorite is Perry and Dana Ivgy as a musical duo singing "Something Stupid" and changing the lyrics from "I love you" to actual stupid things a person might say. Ivgy is also a standout in "This Thing Called Love," in which she alternates lip syncing as a man and a woman, creating a dialogue in song lyrics. Gal Friedman and Tomer Nahir Petluck comment on some of the differences between Odd Birdz and a typical Off-Broadway show as a hilarious old couple arguing in the audience. The entire ensemble, which also includes Efrat Aviv, Danny Isserles, and Lotus Etrog, is effortlessly in sync with each other.

As we exited the theater, the cast shook our hands and thanked us for coming (they had also greeted us when we arrived with Hershey's Kisses) and then had a "Something Stupid" singalong, inviting audience members to suggest their own stupid lines. Odd Birdz closes on November 19, but Tziporela should feel free to come back any time.