Blog By: Sydney Moody; Marketing Intern
What a fantastic season we’ve had so far! First, we got some insight from the cast of MATILDA, then we leaped over to CAROUSEL, finally, we’re taking a trip overseas for KINKY BOOTS! This show is about a son who has to give up his dream of living in London to go to Northampton to take over his father’s failing shoe business, only to come across a fabulous drag queen who helps him come up with a sexy boot that will get sales through the roof! KINKY BOOTS is a sassy, big-hearted musical that will get you feeling the sex in your heel and make everybody say “Yeah!” In our first blog, we will interview one of our leads, Jordan Jacobs, who plays the role of Charlie. Let’s get to know him a little bit, shall we?
Moody: “How did you get into theatre? How did you get into professional theatre?”
Jacobs: “I’ve been performing since I was a kid, but the most important parts of my theatrical development happened right here in Oklahoma City! I attended the Oklahoma City University Summer Music Program when I was in high school in 2012, and for the first time in my life, I found myself surrounded by other people my age who were SO passionate about theatre that they were considering pursuing it as a career. I played Javert in LES MIS that summer! HA! I also met my partner of seven years, Ryan, at that very camp. That experience led to me attending OCU and studying at the Bass School of Music and the OCU School of Theatre. I’m so lucky that during my time in OKC, I was able to work for CityRep, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, and Lyric. That time spent performing here in Oklahoma solidified that I knew that I wanted to move to New York to continue to make this life a reality.”
Wow! Keep your eyes out for this star in New York! We knew Jacobs had been in some other shows at Lyric, such as JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, so we asked some questions about that.
Jordan Jacobs and Justin Larman in Lyric’s 2017 production of JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, photo by K.O. Rinearson
Moody: “I heard that you were in Lyric’s production of JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH.. Can you give us a little bit of detail about your character in JAMES? How would you describe the jump from that show to this one?”
Lyric’s 2017 production of JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, photo by K.O. Rinearson
Jacobs: “WHEW! The Grasshopper in JAMES and Charlie in KINKY couldn’t possibly be more different. The Grasshopper was a showman – confident and performative! The Grasshopper said ‘a map is never better than drifting off without a plan’ – he relished in the unknown! When we meet Charlie, he is totally STUCK in the unknown. He has no direction, but it brings him no joy. Luckily, Lola comes along! The difference in scale of a show at the Plaza versus the Civic Center is astounding… there isn’t much room for subtlety. Ashley (Wells, the production’s director) is, of course, a pro when it comes to staging at the Civic Center. We’ve already discussed several moments where things have to be a little larger so we can make sure it will be seen in that enormous space.”
It is very impressive to pull off two very different characters, but Jacobs has not only pulled it off, he owned the stage! We did some research about the previous actors who played some of the roles and the show, and something caught our eye. Let’s work on over to the next question to see what it is!
Moody: “How does it feel knowing that Brendon Urie played the same role as you did back in 2017? Do you not care, or were you freaking out?”
Jacobs: “Okay, I am a HUGE Panic! at the Disco fan, so I definitely freaked! His new single, ‘Viva Las Vengeance’ is my jam right now. I can’t believe I missed him playing this role. HUGE regret. But, when I saw KINKY BOOTS on Broadway, I saw Andy Kelso play Charlie. He was actually the original Harry in the show.”
You know what would be a huge regret? Not seeing Jacobs play the role of Charlie! Don’t miss your chance to see him live! We would suggest preparing your strut in your thigh-high boots to prepare. Speaking of preparing, let’s learn how Jacobs prepares to embody the character of Charlie.
Moody: “How do you prepare for your roles in and out of rehearsal?”
Jacobs: “This role is by far the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. Doing a show this large on a timeframe this small is tough. Luckily, Ashley is masterful at quickly getting the big picture set so that we are able to fine-tune the more nuanced, human moments as soon as we can. The accent work adds in another layer as the regionalisms of this dialect are quite specific (shoutout to our incredible dialect coach, Kristen Cerelli)! Cyndi Lauper’s score is also no joke… this show is a scream of a sing! A lot of rest, steam, and tea are happening away from rehearsal to keep the voice up and running.”
We hope our theatre kids and adults took some notes for their next show! Let’s see what other advice Jacobs has to offer.
Moody: “Do you have any advice for those in theatre or trying to get into the professional world?”
Jacobs: “I think it’s crucial to learn to be an artist FIRST. Learn to sing, learn to dance, learn to act etc… before you start worrying about the expectations of the ‘industry.’ You have to be confident in your passion and ‘craft’ (I know… cliché) before you can subject yourself to a world of auditioning and sometimes a lot of rejection. Also, just be yourself. Seriously. Don’t worry so much about your ‘type’ or where you fit as an actor. Those things will fall into place organically if you are being authentic. These are lessons I feel like I’m still coming to terms with myself. I graduated from OCU in 2017 and felt like I was on a steady uphill climb, and then a pandemic hit and theatre went away for a while. I’ve had to teach myself these lessons again, and I feel as though, for the first time, I’m actually understanding them. You truly have no idea how grateful I am to be here performing here at Lyric.”
Phenomenal advice from Jacobs! We hope that we will see all of our readers strut to the Civic Center to see Jordan Jacobs in action. Don’t forget to visit our website and get your tickets to see Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma perform KINKY BOOTS from July 19-24!
