STATS: Height: 5'8" | Weight: 150lbs | Hair: Medium brown | Eyes: Dark brown | Hometown: Perth Amboy, NJ
Helloooo Homo-Neurotic! Here we are, back for another Theatrical Tuesday with Great White Gay. So put on your opera glasses and let’s get started.
But first, a note – YES today they announced the Tony award nominations. Any self-respecting theater gay already knows them by heart and (like me on Facebook) has sworn to launch themselves in a rocketship off to outer space if Rock of Ages takes a SINGLE statuette this year. If you HAVEN’T seen the Tony noms, they’re right here.
But I’m not gonna talk Tonys today. This week I’ve got something better than a catty queen’s bellyaching about Billy Elliot.
Last week I showed you the audience-facing sexiness of the Broadway Beauty Pageant and its contestants -– dancers and actors you see every time you hit up a show. But, the studs on stage are just a fraction of what Broadway has to offer in the way of talent and looks.
This week I interview Jesse Vargas, a hot-to-trot musical director currently bringing the roller skating rapture of Xanadu to the fine people of Tokyo. Jesse is a hottie you may have seen, but only from behind (no bottom jokes, please), as he conducts the orchestra at tons of shows both here, across the country, and around the globe. I hope you enjoy! xoJR
So you’re in Japan right now… what in God’s name are you doing all the way out there?
I am the music director of the first national tour of Xanadu . We began the tour out in San Diego last fall, then played Chicago for 3 months earlier this year. After a month off, we will travel to Tokyo and perform the show there (in English) for a month.
Xanadu? How did you land this gig?
I had worked with one of the producers and mentioned in passing that I was interested in the tour when I found out another musical I was working on was not opening on Broadway last fall. I also established a relationship with John Miller, who is one of Broadway’s biggest orchestra contractors, and he called me in June and asked if I’d be interested in touring.
That’s awesome! Your travel schedule exhausts me… Where else have you been?
In addition to the traveling I just did with Xanadu, I also worked on Peep Show, a new burlesque show running in Las Vegas, directed by Jerry Mitchell. I was out there for two weeks in March.
My projects have taken me many places, as far as Athens, in the past few years. I also music direct for Headliners on gay cruises from time to time, and I’ve been lucky enough to travel (for free) on about 7 cruises, all gay- or gay family- oriented. While music directing for Clay Aiken, we traveled to a large number of cities in the US over the four years I worked with him.
