Jefferson Mays is a star on "The Music Man"
In the latest article that’s part of my series where actors from Broadway’s hottest shows share what they love about New York, I’m profiling Jefferson Mays. Currently playing “Mayor Shinn” in the Broadway hit revival of THE MUSIC MAN, Mays is a Tony Award-winning actor of stage, film and television — and a veteran New Yorker of over three decades.
Below are edited excerpts from a recent interview.
Where do you live in New York?
Morningside Heights, between the shadow of Riverside Church and the rattle of the elevated train.
What’s your favorite neighborhood in the city and why?
Morningside Heights. We love it’s heady atmosphere, its bookstores and outdoor cafés full of scholars reading and discussing interesting things; the best coffee in the world at Kuro Kuma. We love walking our dog “Maud” in its green spaces, the peals of the Riverside church bells and chiming carillon on a Sunday morning, brilliant autumn foliage along the banks of the Hudson, spring snow drops and crocuses poking up in the Riverside Park Bird Sanctuary, the cherry blossoms in Sakura Park.
Can you share some of your favorite spots in the Theater District and what makes them so great?
The perfect place to restore between shows on a Wednesday or Saturday afternoon is Bryant Park. Get a cup of coffee and sit at a green, sun-dappled cafe table along one of the gravel paths. Watch the passing pageant to the music from the carousel, the splash of the fountain, and the “pock” of pétanque and ping pong balls as you gaze out over the emerald-green lawn. Heaven!
Tell us the best place for a pre- or post- theatre meal. What are the dishes to order?
The perfect pre-performance meal (for actor, or audience) is at Pure Thai Cookhouse in Hell’s Kitchen — I am convinced the soups with hand-made egg noodles not only have special curative properties, but are also “timed-release,” designed to get you through Acts I and II without so much as an emergency bar of chocolate at intermission.
When it reopens, try Chez Napoleon — a French restaurant from the Eisenhower administration with a menu to match. Old school “Julia Child” French cuisine at its finest with beaucoup de beurre. Where else can you get a glass of Sauterne these days? Try the Lapin Marguerite, Filet De Sole, or Bouillabaisse. Finish with a house soufflé or Crepe au Grand Marnier.
Now to imbibing: what’s the best Theatre District watering hole and the drink to get?
Shhhh…don’t tell anybody, but go to Bar Centrale; a discreet, unmarked door on the parlor floor of a Hell’s Kitchen brownstone. I love its cozy, speakeasy atmosphere, and it’s a perfect spot for a quiet post-show chat over cocktails (a Manhattan in Winter, and a Martini in the Spring.) Make a late-night feast of deviled eggs, fish tacos, and oysters — and the toasted cheese sandwich with bacon and Gruyère is sublime.
Tell us your insider tips for enjoying a Broadway show. What can make the experience better?
Before the show starts, always stand up and take in the majesty of the house, its architectural ornamentation, chandeliers, and its murals. Read the house history in your program and imagine all the actors who have played there on that stage — and know you are a part of its history!
What’s the the New York theater you love to go to and why?
The Lyceum, built in 1903, is one of Broadway’s oldest playhouses. She’s both a delight to play in, and in which to be played to. The old Frohman apartment still sits above the balcony, and there’s a secret panel in the wainscoting with a perfect view of the stage through which Daniel Frohman could keep an eye on his wife Mrs. Illington, waving his dinner napkin whenever she was in danger of overacting — my wife always threatened to steal upstairs and do the same for me.
What other Broadway shows are on your radar right now?
Moises Kaufman’s production of PARADISE SQUARE.
Share your insider New York gems.
McSorley’s Ale House has not changed much since the artist John Sloan immortalized it 1912. The floorboards are sawdust-strewn, the fire in the stove crackles, pops and hisses, and dusty wishbones left by neighborhood WWI doughboys, on their way to the fields of France, hang from the chandelier. Have the liverwurst sandwich and a mug of house ale (light or dark.)
Please share your favorite theaters around the world.
The Duke of York’s in London’s West End. The wooden stage machinery from the original 1904 production of PETER PAN is still in the trap room, covered in a fine layer of fairy dust.
The Theatre Royal, in Hobart, Tasmania. Opened in 1836, it’s the oldest continually operating theatre in Australia. Nöel Coward called it, “A dream of a theatre,” with good reason. Certainly the most exquisite, Georgian jewel of a playhouse I’ve ever been — all the more precious for its remoteness.
