John Davidson as the Wizard of Oz
Actor John Davidson is running out the door for a matinee of "Wicked" in Atlanta. "We're setting records here," he says. "This week we're doing nine shows and well over 105,000 people will see 'Wicked' in Atlanta in the three weeks we're here," he says, beaming.
Davidson is currently touring – his second national tour of the Broadway smash – as The Wizard in the Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman musical, "Wicked," based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire. It comes to Miami's Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Thursday, March 12 to Sunday, March 29 as part of the Broadway in Miami subscription series.
The tour broke box office records and sold out in record time when it came to Miami in 2010.
"It's bringing a whole new generation to the theater, isn't it?" says Davidson.
The Pittsburgh-born actor, whose first role on Broadway was opposite Bert Lahr in the musical "Foxy" (it's an interesting connection as Lahr played the Cowardly Lion in the original film "The Wizard of Oz") really wanted the role of The Wizard in "Wicked."
John Davidson is The Wizard in Wicked
"I knew I could do it and it's a part I went after," says Davidson, adding that he auditioned three times for the role.
Davidson believes, however, that although he's a well-known name in show business, "Wicked" doesn't really need a name-brand star to sell the show.
"I think 'Wicked' is the star and we're all just players and it's certainly a great way to play," he says. He tells a story about Sally Field, with whom he starred opposite on television in the series "The Girl With Something Extra."
"Not to be a namedropper, but I remember Sally Field telling me years ago that it's important to realize that the star of the show is the show – she told me this just after she starred in "The Flying Nun." This show ('Wicked'), too, is bigger than any of the people in it."
Now 73, Davidson has had quite a storied career in television, movies and on Broadway. He also had a singing career with Columbia Records contract which led to 13 albums and led to performances at Las Vegas showrooms (Caesar's Palace, the Las Vegas Hilton, the MGM Grand, and the Desert Inn).
Alyssa Fox as Elphaba The Wicked Witch
He became known, too, as a game show host on television — "That's Incredible," "The New Hollywood Squares," "One Hundred Thousand Dollar Pyramid," and hosted his own talk show "The John Davidson Daytime Talk Show," and various prime time specials and beauty pageants.
He says his role of The Wizard reminds him of when he played Professor Harold Hill more than a few times in "The Music Man."
"I guess I accent The Wizard's showmanship. He was from the circus and he was a ventriloquist, known for throwing his voice – of course, this is all from the L. Frank Baum book. He has a bit of Harold Hill to him, too – the way he bamboozles, but The Wizard does it with great flair," he says.
Davidson says he loves his role and what he can contribute to the "strong story." He believes it's a universal story that everyone can relate to. "The story of friendship of these two witches and the fact that we have one girl who is a woman of color – in this case, her color is green. She's dealing with trying to be accepted and the idea, of course, is that we all have this little green girl inside of us. I think we can all relate to feeling left out. It's a very powerful story that seems to touch many generations."
When not touring in "Wicked" or in his own stage show, Davidson and his wife, Rhonda, live in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. "We like the New England mentality," he says.
Carrie St. Louis as Glinda The Good Witch
"We've been together 35 years; we've been married for 32 years. We have three children, five grandchildren. I'm a very lucky guy to have a partner who loves to travel because the trouble with being in show biz is that we are all gypsies." He and his wife and cat, Folly, travel in style in in a 36-foot Fleetwood Bounder RV.
"I was first married, my training marriage I call it, to a wonderful woman. We are still very close, but she had no interest in traveling, so we grew apart. But now I have a wife who enjoys being a gypsy," says Davidson.
"Wicked" opens Thursday, March 12 and runs through Sunday, March 29 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Ziff Ballet Opera House, 1300 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami. For tickets,www.arshtcenter.org or call the box office at 305 949 6722.
