For today's On The Road interview, I am so excited to introduce you to my new friend, Andrew Eckert! Andrew is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Wagner College with a Bachelor of Arts in theatre and speech and a minor in dance. He is currently traveling across the country in the First National Tour of the gorgeous Broadway show An American in Paris. Click here to follow his adventures, and if you get the chance to meet him, please give him a hug from me!

How long have you been a performer?

As long as I can remember! My parents have home videos of me performing INTO THE WOODS in our living room in its entirety! I eventually went to dance class around age 8 and acting lessons. Voice lessons happened a little later. Performing has always something I’ve been passionate about. I remember getting paid for my first summer stock job while I was in high school (I think it was $100 a week) but I remember being so excited. My passion for performing only grew stronger and then I knew then I had to make it my vocation!

What is your favorite show you've ever worked on?

My favorite show is usually the one I am currently working one. There are special memories and special moments in time attached with each, but I truly love whatever show I'm in at the moment…so right now, AN AMERICAN IN PARIS!

Have you ever been on a national tour before?

I toured with MARY POPPINS for a year and a half! I actually wasn't a swing on that show, I had my own ensemble track. Schedule wise it was actually pretty similar. We typically did 1 week/2 week sit downs with the occasional month long stay. I love touring…it's a wonderful way to reconnect with friends in other cities, see museums all over the country, eat at different restaurants, and in the case of AAIP, take ballet class all over America!

What is your favorite memory from the Mary Poppins tour?

Wow, there are so many. I think I might have to say playing the Hershey Theatre, the theatre where I grew up seeing the national tours perform. It was a very full circle moment. Also, there was a moment at the Ahmanson Theatre in LA where Richard Sherman (of the Sherman brothers who wrote the music and lyrics of MARY POPPINS) met us onstage before the show and sang and played “Feed the Birds” for us…it was magical.

What are some major ways your time in Mary Poppins have been different than performing in An American in Paris?

The major and most obvious one is being a swing now vs. having my own ensemble track then. Now, as a swing, I am called to rehearsal a lot more than I was. There's a different sense of responsibility as a swing versus doing the show every night. Each has its challenges and each has its perks. I will say I think I've become a much more aware, smarter, performer being a swing. It has forced me to look at the WHOLE picture of the show. When I was in POPPINS every night it was easier to get caught up with your bits you do 8 times a week on stage left and not knowing what they're doing over there on stage right. Now, in AAIP, I've watched the show SO many times that I now see how interconnected everything is onstage and how invaluable that knowledge is when I go on. I will say, offstage, my time with AAIP has been a lot more Air BnB’s and POPPINS was much more hotel oriented. Just a sign of how times have changed slightly, and when I toured with POPPINS, being close to the venue was much more important because Ubers and Lyfts weren't a major thing then. It's only been 4 years but I guess a lot can change in 4 years!

What are some items you absolutely can't live without backstage?

Well, there are the hygiene items that are essential…toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, and Bert’s Bees chapstick. Then I'd say my swing note cards for sure, clothes to warm up and stretch in, my Dorinda Medley coffee mug (I'm a huge Housewives of New York fan…check out my Housewives Dubsmashes on my instagram-@andrewreckert. I get the cast involved and they're fun) and snacks! (Especially if I'm on!). With week long stays I'm not much of a station decorator, though I'd love to get into that sometime soon.

What is the most interesting day at work you've ever had?

I have to say AAIP is such a well oiled machine and we are so well prepared by our dance captains and resident director/choreographer that I never really feel blind sided by anything. If we're not having a put in, we have rehearsals for just the swings called Swings and Things where we literally just move set pieces and occasionally space dance numbers. I fortunately (knock on wood) have not had a mid show swing on like some of my fellow swings have but THAT is always interesting. I'd say for me, it gets interesting when we rehearse during the day a certain track and then at nighttime do another track. That's always really tricky for the brain, but a welcome challenge.

Who is the coolest celebrity you’ve ever met at work?

Well I’m a huge New York City Ballet fan, so getting to meet Christopher Wheeldon and be a small part of bringing his vision to life has been pretty amazing.

What has been your most memorable moment on tour so far?

Most memorable moment is definitely taking a walk through the Kennedy Center for the first time. It was the holidays and it was magical. It was amazing to feel the history of the Kennedy Center and think about all the amazing artists who have graced that stage.

What is your favorite thing about your job?

Getting to be a part of such a beautiful show with beautiful artists. I also love the variety of characters I get to play as a swing. Swinging this show is unlike any other show because each track is VASTLY different from the other. It's not just about standing on a different number and reversing the choreography…it's much deeper than that. You're a completely different character doing completely different choreography. It makes it exciting and keeps it interesting.

What is the most challenging part of being an actor on tour?

Well, fortunately my family and my husband (I just got married in February!!!) come out and visit relatively frequently. They love it because it gives them an excuse to travel and explore a new city. And with FaceTime and everything , you definitely miss people and it's obviously hard being away, but at least technology makes THAT aspect of tour easier. I definitely think the one week sit downs, when you have a lot of them in a row, are challenging. You're adjusting to a new place, to a new routine, to a new everything week to week. That gets hard simply because it's easier to have a regimented schedule - like ballet class, gym, sight seeing, rehearsal, show - when you're somewhere for longer than a week. When you're in a city for a week you're constantly on google maps or yelp looking up where the gym is, where's the grocery store, what museums to see, etc. Plus you travel on your day off. Time just gets away from you with the week long schedule, so mastering how to make the most of that time is a challenge. Also, learning how to pack efficiently and effectively.

What is your favorite fun fact about An American in Paris?

If you look closely, there starts to be more color added to the show as it progresses. It starts very gray and drab with the opening ballet since the people of Paris are just coming out of World War II and food and electricity are scarce and there is danger abounding. As the show continues, the war becomes more of a memory and we see the people of Paris coming out of that fear, heaviness, and darkness. Costume pieces slowly start to get more colorful throughout the show until finally we end with the American in Paris ballet where the costumes are inspired by Piet Mondrian and the colors are bold, stunning, and inspiring. By the time we're doing the American in Paris ballet and wearing these strong colors, the opening ballet seems like a distant memory, much like the war does for the characters in the show. The audience feels hopeful, as Adam says in the show “life is already so dark, if you've got the talent to make it brighter, give people joy and hope, why would you withhold that?” and the ballet is a celebration of life.

What is your favorite number to perform in your show?

I LOVE “I Got Rhythm”… talk about an ensemble piece, where literally EVERYONE onstage has a story line. It's sweet and heart felt. Also the opening ballet and the “American in Paris” ballet are STUNNING as well (both visually and musically). The sunrise moment at the end of the opening ballet (when the entire ensemble runs onstage and freezes and then there's a flowy port de bras as the Paris backdrop changes from gray to this beautiful sunny color) is breathtaking…every time I watch my eyes fill up with tears. I also love “Fidgety Feet”. The choreography with the chair is fun and inventive.

How long were you in rehearsals before going out on the road?

Well I joined the tour when they were playing Chicago. They had already been out 10 months at that point, so I rehearsed in Chicago, Atlanta, and San Francisco and had my first show in week 3 of San Francisco. So it was about 5/6 weeks of rehearsal before I hit the stage. There's a lot more than just choreography that goes into rehearsal with this show since the ensemble moves all the set pieces too, so the rehearsal process tends to be a little longer than some other shows.

What is your favorite part about telling this story every night?

The sophistication and beauty of the piece. As I said, I am a huge New York City Ballet fan and the fact that I get to say Christopher Wheeldon’s name in the same breath of the show is so exciting for me. #fangirl :) The show is a beautifully crafted jewel box of a show.

What is it about this job that makes you come back each day?

I have to say the people make this job particularly special. This is a rare group, and I'm not sure if it’s because we have people from a lot of different backgrounds (the ballet world, the straight acting world, the musical theatre world, etc) but there is such support of one another and that feeling of comraderie and support is especially noticeable when you're a swing. Also, even if I'm not on, getting to listen to the amazing Gershwin music or watch the Wheeldon choreography is always a treat.

What is the best advice you've ever been given?

Don't think about something in Act II in the middle of Act I. Be present and take it moment by moment - advice that particularly resonates with me as a swing.

What piece of advice would you give your 18 year old self?

It's not going to be EXACTLY how you pictured it, but that's okay. Trust the journey and enjoy the ride.

What advice would you give to a young person who wants to pursue a career in the arts?

Work hard. Be kind and humble and never stop being passionate and wanting to learn. Go to class. Don't compare yourself to other people. The right jobs will come along, just do the work and surround yourself with people who love you, because then you can do anything.

FUN FACTS:

What was the first Broadway show you ever saw?

SHOWBOAT! The 1994 Hal Prince revival. It was at the Gershwin Theatre and I went on a bus trip with my grandparents. I remember they were collecting for BCEFA and I still have the red ribbon the woman from the cast (in costume) gave me for putting money in her bucket! I love that show so much because it is such a trailblazer of a musical and is a truly epic story.

What is your favorite Broadway show you've ever seen?

I'm so bad at this because I usually find something I love in everything I see. Recently, CAROUSEL…my husband and I are huge fans of Justin Peck’s work (again, City Ballet fans) and to see his choreography in a musical was a major delight. I also loved seeing WICKED with my parents…they have always loved the music (as have I) and I was fun to see it with them.

What is your favorite restaurant or bar that you've found on tour?

It either has to be Gusto 101 in a Toronto or Cavan in New Orleans. I also JUST went to wine country on our most recent day off…that was magical.

What is your favorite city you've visited on tour so far?

I like a few cities for different reasons. I loved San Francisco, D.C., Toronto, New Orleans and Albuquerque.

What is your favorite costume in An American in Paris?

It depends on what role I'm on for, but I think I would have to say my Mondrian costume for the “American in Paris” ballet. These costumes are tailor made for us and each one is unique. If not that then the Mr. Z Act 1 costume. It's this beautiful black long sleeved collar shirt with beige pants, amazing shoes, and a red ascot. Very distinguished.

What is your favorite costume you've ever worn?

Ever? Hmmmm, probably the Mr. Z rehearsal costume. It's something I'd ACTUALLY wear, so it's easier to connect with the character in that sense.

Images by Christian Francisco

Sacramento, California

On The Road: Andrew Eckert