Interview: Benjamin Eakeley Talks BROADWAY SWINGER, SHE LOVES ME, and Career

This past January, Broadway performer Benjamin Eakeley charmed audiences at Feinstein's/54 Below with Broadway Swinger. In anticipation of the encore performance, BroadwayWorld chatted with Eakeley about his solo cabaret show; She Loves Me, his current Broadway gig; and his 1960s musical heavy career.

What inspired you to create a solo cabaret show?

I grew up in New Jersey, and my parents would take me once or twice a year to see cabaret performances in New York. These were always special outings, and we were fortunate to see some legends in close quarters. My favorite cabarets were the shows I left knowing more about a composer or musical genre; I was particularly drawn to the programs by great storytellers, like Susannah McCorkle and Andrea Marcovicci. And then there were the extraordinary showmen like Bobby Short and Michael Feinstein-in fact, one of my exes used to constantly criticize me for having turned down tickets to see Alan Cumming and the original 1998 revival cast of CABARET because my family had tickets to see Michael Feinstein perform at Rainbow and Stars. I wound up getting the last laugh, though, since I performed with Alan Cumming as part of the original 2014 revival cast of CABARET, [Pauses] and I had a nice chat with Michael Feinstein backstage at my show!

I developed my first solo cabaret as an undergraduate at Yale. I double majored in Music and American Studies, and as part of my American Studies senior project I was supposed to write a 60-page paper on a topic of my choice. I wanted to research Gershwin, but I knew writing an academic paper that long might temper my enthusiasm for the material. So, I asked if I could write a 30-page paper on PORGY AND BESS and then do a lecture-recital on Gershwin's popular tunes to satisfy the requirement. The department said yes, and my cabaret career was born.

Broadway Swinger takes audiences on a journey through Broadway during the '60s. What came first, being cast in musicals written in the '60s or your love for shows and music from that era?

Um, [Pauses] the chicken. No, the egg!

Actually, sex came first-and last. My time onstage in the recent revival of CABARET taught me that sexuality is something that can-and should-be celebrated. And, the less inhibited, the better. I don't know how I made it this far in life without understanding that, but, hey, better late than never. Without this perspective, I could never have written a show like Broadway Swinger.

But, a more direct answer to your question is that casting directors saw a connection between me and this material long before I saw it in myself. Three of my four Broadway shows have been musicals from the 1960s (SHE LOVES ME, CABARET, and ON A CLEAR DAY, YOU CAN SEE FOREVER), which indicates that my voice probably lends itself well to music from this period. But, my time in these shows has directly informed the arrangements and vocal styling in Broadway Swinger. Harry Connick, Jr., was a great inspiration to me during CLEAR DAY and gave me one of the most valuable lessons of my life when he said to me: "Ben, you can't try to sing the way you think people expect you to sing! You just have to sing the way you sing, and, if they don't like it, then forget about them!"

How did your love for those shows and that music inform and shape your cabaret show initially?

CABARET was written in 1966 and represents a pivotal turning point in American musical theatre. The Emcee opens the door to a more liberated world when he proclaims at the top of the show: "We have no troubles here! Here, life is beautiful." This provided an immediate structure for Broadway Swinger-all we had to do was map out how the country got to this point, what happened afterward, and figure out how to have fun along the way.

In the process of shaping Broadway Swinger I'm sure certain songs you have a fondness for were ultimately cut. Are there any songs that make you wish the show could be just 5 or 10 minutes longer, so they could be included?

Yes! We have already added three of them to the upcoming show on May 9. Sorry, Mom, but one of your favorites is getting the axe. That's show business! But, there's still a trove of music I would love to add to the program-"Anyone Can Whistle" from you-know-what, "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This" from SWEET CHARITY, "I Want to Be with You" from GOLDEN BOY. And, I'm currently having fantasies about adding a song from Michel Legrand's LES DEMOISELLES DE ROCHEFORT [Pauses] in the original French.

Broadway Swinger is having its encore presentation on May 9. Will there be any surprises for fans who saw the show the first time?

Oh yes! I have several surprises up my sleeve for the repeat offenders. Some are naughty, all are nice. But you have to be there to catch them!

These concerts are happening while you're also involved in She Loves Me. How do you balance both shows?

It's sort of a right-brain/left-brain thing. SHE LOVES ME is beautiful, and it's also extremely clean. Broadway Swinger is pretty saucy, so let's say these two shows let me draw from different sides of myself.

If someone offered to produce a revival of a '60s musical with you in any role of your choice, what would that show and role be?

Fanny Brice from FUNNY GIRL. Duh! [Laughs] Her songs are awesome. But in all seriousness, I would kill to play the roles that Alan Alda originated in THE APPLE TREE. I think that show contains all the answers to life's secrets.

Catch Benjamin Eakeley in Broadway Swinger on May 9, 2016 at 7:00pm at Feinstein's/54 Below (254 West 54th Street, Cellar, New York, NY 10019). For tickets and more information, please visit http://54below.com. You can also see him in She Loves Me at Studio 54 (254 West 54th St, New York, NY 10019) through July 10, 2016. For tickets and more information, please visit http://www.roundabouttheatre.org/Shows-Events/She-Loves-Me.aspx.