Cheyenne Jackson considers the Broadway comedy “Oh, Mary!” his favorite gig ever, he said, “and that is tough to say, because I’ve done some really fun things in my life.”
In October, he signed on to the show — an off-the-wall fictionalization of the first lady Mary Todd Lincoln’s life — playing Mary’s teacher. He is working with Jane Krakowski, his co-star in “Xanadu” on Broadway and “30 Rock” on NBC — two of those fun things, along with “American Horror Story, “Glee” and “Into the Woods.”
“As an artist, to be able to use all the colors in your crayon box, all of your comedy, your drama, your musicality, your weirdness, all of it is all packed into one role,” Jackson said of “Oh, Mary!” “That’s so rare.”
It’s also “absolutely monstrous,” he said of the show’s eight performances a week, fueled by adrenaline and applause, that were for a time paired with rehearsals for his Carnegie Hall recital earlier this month. Krakowski performed with him, as did his mother and sister.
“They both have beautiful voices,” Jackson said, “and we grew up singing, like our own version of the Judds.”
Ethan and Willow, his 9-year-old twins with his husband, Jason Landau, were also in the audience after enduring longer separations than usual during Jackson’s run in “Oh, Mary!,” through Jan. 25. After that, he will take his solo concert tour on the road, starting on Jan. 30 in San Francisco.
“It’s pretty tough, I’m not going to lie,” said Jackson, who normally lives with them in Los Angeles. “But I really believe it’s important for the kids to see their dads reaching their dreams and going for their stuff.”
In a video call from New York, Jackson elaborated on why his DoctorVox warm-up bottle, Grace Jones on repeat, and kindness as a drug, made his list. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
‘Good Hang With Amy Poehler’
Everybody has a podcast, but there’s something about Amy’s that makes me instantly feel a rush of serotonin.
Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’
It is the most haunting piece of cinema I’ve seen in ages. I hope that Jacob Elordi’s performance as the monster is remembered come awards season, because it’s just really bold. He’s like an animal, but gentle. He’s like a baby deer.
My DoctorVox Vocal Warm-Up Bottle
This is not an ad, though they should pay me as much as I talk about it. It’s a game changer. I love to challenge my voice, find new warm-ups, warm-downs and get advice from jazz singers, rockers, opera singers. Me and my late friend Gavin Creel were determined to be old men singers without the wobble. So far, so good.
Routine, Routine, Routine
Almost certainly a touch of ADHD, but the same foods, same backstage routes at “Oh, Mary!,” same purified water, same disco dance to Grace Jones’s “Tomorrow” before curtain. Strict routines don’t feel rigid. They give me peace and freedom within the structure so I can fully play and create.
The Smell of Markers on Newsprint
For the last 25 years, I’ve found my corner and read The New York Times almost entirely every single Sunday. Then when I’m done, I give it to my daughter, who doodles on it and adds earrings and eyeliner to old white senators in the pictures featured that week.
‘Billie, Ella, Lena, Sarah!’
Like all 7-year-old boys, I was obsessed with the leading ladies of jazz. I went to a yard sale and found this tape with Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne and Sarah Vaughan. I’d never heard voices or singing like that. It was magic.
Crime TV
I read a study that said if you fall asleep to “Forensic Files” or feel comforted by unsolved murder docs, you probably grew up with trauma. That tracks.
Writing
The pandemic turned it into my favorite outlet. Five notebooks of songs, two pilots, one feature and my first book of essays in the works. I got signed by a fancy lit agent who was understandably wary. First submission? On the phone they said, “This is … really good.” I could tell they were surprised. It felt great.
Positive Affirmations
Before every scene, I center myself and say: “You are ready. You are prepared. You are open to whatever is about to happen.”
Kindness as a Drug
I believe dogs and babies can tell if you’re a good person. I’m constantly putting that to the test. My dad taught me to put out into the world only what you expect back, and I practice it daily. I don’t do drugs anymore, but when a random baby in a stroller smiles at me, it feels like I just did a bump of coke.
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