Check out Steve Gouveia’s Great Interview on PlaybackSTL.com!
May 11th, 2011
The JB national tour Four Seasons: Steve Gouveia, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Quinn VanAntwerp and Matt Bailey (Photo Credit: Joan Marcus)
Steve Gouveia has been with the Tony-winning smash hit Jersey Boys off and on since it began in San Diego at the La Jolla Playhouse in 2004. After his time with the show on Broadway, he played the Nick Massi role first in San Francisco, then with the JB national tour. In his interview with PlaybackSTL.com, Steve shares some very interesting stories about playing the Nick role for so long, life on the road, and more! Here’s a preview:
Q: How do you keep a performance fresh when you’ve been in a show for so long? What do you do to get ready for it every day? Sometimes do you just want to stay home and, oh, watch American Idol or something?
A: Sure, I’d like to stay home sometimes. For example, when we do a show at one o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon, we’re just doing it on Starbuck’s coffee. But that’s being a professional about it. And because we know this show so well, and this company has been together for a while, we know exactly how each person works. And it just becomes this big well-oiled machine, so you don’t really think about the lines or the dance steps anymore, you just think about keeping it honest, which is really kind of fun. I had my drama teacher from high school ask me about that a few years ago, and I honestly don’t know how to answer. Once you’re in the situation and you hear the audience reacting and listening and laughing and gasping and all that stuff, then you know they’re really listening and that makes you want to be honest—to be telling the story. And I’m going to tell this story the best I can. And you know, it’s like any other job. Everybody’s glad when it’s Friday afternoon. For us, we’re tired Sunday night at 10. Monday’s the greatest day of the week for people in theatre.
Q: I’m amazed at the level of enthusiasm you still have.
A: It’s just fun. I think the main thing is that we’ve all done crappy shows, but this? You don’t have to sell this. If you’re going to tell a joke in Jersey Boys, it’s so well written you know it’s funny. The music? You don’t even have to think about that because you know it’s going to get people excited and happy. For me it’s just a fun job. When I get tired and think oh, I can’t do this anymore, then I remember how great it really is. I could be working at Starbuck’s every morning at 6 a.m., but instead I get to go out there every night and make people laugh and smile.
Visit PlaybackSTL.com to read the full interview with Steve.
