Busy Dad Christopher Fitzgerald Shares His Bare Bones Backstage Space at Merchant

“Most people make their dressing room like a second home,” says Christopher Fitzgerald, who is currently winning laughs as Launcelot Gobbo in the much-lauded Broadway production of The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino. “I've had the time and energy to do that in the past, but not now—I have a one-year-old and a three-year-old at home, and I do a three-hour Shakespeare play at night!” The Tony-nominated actor may have had more well-stocked digs during his stints in Broadway’s Wicked, Young Frankenstein and Finian’s Rainbow, but he’s certainly equipped his space backstage at the Broadhurst Theatre with all the necessities. Take a look at Fitzgerald’s favorite things below.

Photo by Jenny Anderson for Broadway.com


“This is a wonderful thing that the Merchant producers gave us for opening night, a box that says 'who chooseth me.' It’s great because it’s reminiscent of [Portia's] three boxes in the show, and it’s practical. My wife [Broadway vet Jessica Stone] can put some jewelry in it or something.”


“My dressing room mate Peter Francis James gave me this really cool book [Shakespeare: The World as Stage] by Bill Bryson, and it’s a consistent pleasure, both accessible and intelligent. There’s a lot of information about who he is as a person, and this is a really fun yarn about that.”


“My iPhone 4 is my window back into the world. In my downtime I can look at pictures of my kids, I can play a couple of games, I read books on it, all that good stuff. I’ve actually edited movies in my dressing room. It’s a very important tool now. Pretty soon it’s going to put my makeup on for me.”


“This is from one of my favorite books growing up, Where the Wild Things Are. It’s like my spirit is personified in that picture of a crazy boy wearing pajamas and running around.”


“This is the hat I wear in the show. It’s kind of Newsies, but it’s cool because Brad Pitt wears a hat like this now. The head is kind of disturbing, but sometimes when I’m here alone and I need someone to talk to, he’s here. Some people put their [costume hats] on hooks, some people put them on the table. I put mine on a head.”