BWW Interviews: Cabaret 'Nerd' Joshua Desjardins

"When we think of nerds, we think funny and over-the-top," suggests cabaret up-and-comer Joshua DesJardins. And, of course, he's right. But his show, "Nerds Among Us," which he's bringing back to Don't Tell Mama's on April 14th and 17th, is something else... something more. "It has its comedic moments, but it's also very sincere.

"My director, Eric Michael Gillett, says that what makes me stand out as a nerd is the fact that I embrace my nerdiness," continues the 26-year-old, a native of Andover, Mass. "I just want everyone else to do the same."

A tall order, sure, yet Desjardins - as appealing a personality as you could dare hope to meet - is undaunted. He isn't even afraid that by devoting his show to our fellow dorks, he might turn off his potential cool-kid audience. "Not at all! If that was the case," he argues, "then I would already be alienating the 'straight crowd' by being gay.

"I've been called a nerd since middle school," he adds, "and I'm proud to be one. Deep down, I think we can all relate to something 'nerdy,' and that's what I like to think this show is all about. It's a shame the phrase 'Once you go nerd, you never go back' doesn't rhyme... "

So what, exactly, can we expect from "Nerds Among Us"? Citing as an inspiration Elaine Stritch, with whom he once was lucky enough to work, the complicated cut-up teases, "The way she can make you pee your pants from laughter one second and then cry the next motivates me to try and do the same in my own show."

He'll also try to make us feel the way a particular friend made him feel. "Rob died while I was in my senior year of college, and I like to think that part of this show is for him," he says. "He always accepted me for who I was, whether it was because I was a nerd, or gay, or an actor. He always made me feel included. And what nerd doesn't want to feel included?"

Next up for Desjardins: He's taking "Nerds Among Us" to his old stomping grounds in Boston and Pittsburgh. "But," he's quick to add, "I wouldn't object to an Off-Broadway run, either. Hint, hint, Mel Brooks... "

For more on Desjardins and "Nerds Among Us," visit www.nerdsamongus.com. And to reserve seats for his shows at Don't Tell Mama's, visit http://www.donttellmamanyc.com/reservations.php.

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