Late last year, a few months after graduating from the University of Michigan, Joaquin Consuelos got a call from his agent: A starry Broadway revival of “Death of a Salesman” wanted him to play a young version of the salesman’s eldest son.
At almost exactly the same time, Joaquin’s father, Mark Consuelos, got his own call: A starry Broadway revival of a century-old Noël Coward comedy, “Fallen Angels,” wanted him to play that show’s alluring philanderer.
Neither father nor son had ever worked on Broadway. Dad, 55, is a screen actor (“All My Children,” “Riverdale”) and talk-show host (“Live With Kelly and Mark”). Son, 23, managed the rare feat of majoring in theater performance while also wrestling for the Wolverines. Both shows opened in April, and now the Consueloses are having a singular shared experience, making simultaneous Broadway debuts eight blocks apart.
They also, of course, share a family — Kelly Ripa, the talk-show host, is Mark’s wife and Joaquin’s mother, and in addition to Joaquin, Mark and Kelly also have an older son, Michael, and daughter, Lola. Mark and Joaquin now share a dialect coach: Mark needed help with a French accent (“Sometimes I feel it sounds a little like Borat-meets-a-French-person, but overall it works”), while Joaquin had to learn a bit of Brooklynese (“I try to sprinkle that in”).
And now they have their own secret society of sorts. They are swapping stories, sharing tips, and engaging in a bit of smack talk — their two shows are competing for a Tony Award for best play revival. And even as it draws to a close, they still marvel at the situation they have found themselves in. (“Fallen Angels” ends Sunday; “Salesman” is on sale until Aug. 9.)
Both roles are modest. Mark, playing a seductive charmer named Maurice Duclos, estimates that he has 12 minutes of stage time, including the curtain call. Joaquin, playing a popular high school football player named Biff Loman in his adolescent years (Christopher Abbott plays the role as an adult), has more onstage time, but not a ton of lines.
We met on a two-show day, while both Consueloses were on break between their matinee and evening performances, in Mark’s favorite booth at Bar Centrale, the unmarked theater district hangout frequented by Broadway regulars. Mark, a longtime theatergoer with a few Off Broadway credits, loves the bar as a place to connect with peers; Joaquin, a self-described “gym bro,” seemed only dimly aware of the place’s lore, and after our interview he dragged his father to Shake Shack.
Here are edited excerpts from the conversation.
I’m interested in how this is, or isn’t, a father-son experience. Do you see this as something you’re going through together, or separately?
MARK It took a couple weeks for us to actually realize we were going to be onstage at the same time, and that it was interesting, and odd, and cool. He started rehearsals before me, so I leaned on him a little bit. In many ways, he was letting me know how the process worked. And he’d joke around, every step of the way, saying, “You don’t need to be nervous, dad. It’s going to be OK!”
JOAQUIN It’s definitely a father-son experience — it’s something we both wanted to do, and we’re super lucky to be doing it at the same time. When we were doing tech rehearsals, that’s a notorious thing, super-complicated and everyone’s stressed, and we both took comfort in the fact that we were doing it at the same time.
MARK Once we started performances, I would get home, I’d be eating dinner, and you would come home an hour later. Your adrenaline is still pumping from the performance. “How did it go?” “Did you mess up?” “I messed this up!” We knew we weren’t going to sleep any time soon, and that was the hardest discipline to learn — how to wind down from a performance. So were both in the kitchen at the same time, talking.
JOAQUIN We also run into each other at the gym. “How’s the show?” And, “What are you hitting today?” I’m going to miss it. It is cool — we have so much to talk about.
You’re both working with actors who are at the top of their games: Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf in “Salesman,” Kelli O’Hara and Rose Byrne in “Fallen Angels.”
JOAQUIN Honestly, at first I was super intimidated. This particular production had been planned for like 30 years between Nathan Lane and Joe Mantello [the director] — before I was even born. But I’m learning a lot.
MARK My strategy was just not to say anything and keep my head down, and just try to know all my lines and stay out of the way. I sat in the rehearsal hall and watched how they worked, and what their process was. I also learned a tremendous amount.
How are you like, or not like, your character?
MARK I’m not breaking up marriages. I have no interest in doing that. But I am a lover — I love people — and we share that. Maurice loves everyone, and he’s a good guy, and he loves life. And he likes to wear nice clothes. I like nice clothes.
JOAQUIN I relate to my character a lot. He’s this athlete who wants to use sports to get his father’s approval. I can relate to that.
Have you seen each other’s shows?
MARK I’ve seen it three and a half times, and I can’t wait to see it again, to see how he’s grown into the role. I snuck in to his first preview. I must have been the only person that was smiling throughout a whole “Death of a Salesman” — smiling and crying. And then for his opening night, we were in previews, but they started early, so I was able to go in and stand at the back row and watch all the way through to intermission, and then run to my theater.
JOAQUIN We had a Tuesday off, so I saw his. It was awesome. Just knowing how hard he worked on it. And the reveal when he comes out, and the ovation. They’re such different plays, with a different vibe, and I loved it.
What are your days like?
MARK So today I got up at 6, I walked into the studio at 8, taped two shows, got done at noon, got up to the theater by 12:45, the director was giving us notes, and then I did a matinee. I came to see you, and then I’m going back for another show. Pure adrenaline. I have felt tired, but I know this is such a special opportunity.
JOAQUIN My schedule is so light compared to his. I just work out and watch TV.
Is there anything you’ve seen, watching each other, that you hadn’t noticed before?
MARK I’m blown away by his confidence, his stage presence.
JOAQUIN I watch his extremities. They’re always relaxed and chill. You can tell if there’s tenseness, and I started to notice that in myself. You can control your body temperature from your hands.
Have you met anyone exciting who has come backstage after your show?
JOAQUIN Oscar Isaac, which was crazy. I’m a big fan of his, and I didn’t know what to say. I got star-struck. I was like, “Uh, thank you for coming?”
MARK We had Tom Hanks, Spielberg and Bryan Cranston within a week.
Was this just a lark, or is this a pivot?
MARK I love this. I absolutely love doing this. And as long as I’m here in New York, I would definitely do it again.
JOAQUIN I really enjoyed this, and I’m already mourning it — I’m already sad that it’s going to be over. And now I want to do everything. I don’t want to limit myself.
What are you guys going to do when this is over and you have your nights free again?
MARK I’m going to catch up on sleep. Maybe read a book. Play some golf.
JOAQUIN Just stare at the wall, probably. I don’t idle well.
And what are you going to do for Father’s Day?
MARK I may come to your play again.
JOAQUIN Don’t do that! Go play golf!
Michael Paulson is the theater reporter for The Times.
The post Like Father, Like Son: Mark and Joaquin Consuelos Tackle Broadway appeared first on New York Times.
