Derrick Baskin Shows Off His "Little Apartment in Midtown" Backstage at Memphis

Derrick Baskin burst onto the Broadway scene as hilariously deadpan “comfort counselor” Mitch Mahoney in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He jumped to The Little Mermaid (as Jetsam) and is now giving a heartfelt performance as man-of-few-words Gator in the Tony-winning musical Memphis. Though he’s tucked into a tiny dressing room at the Shubert Theatre, Baskin has no complaints. “It’s like my little apartment in midtown," he says with a laugh. "I can come by and take a nap, drop something off or pick something up. And someone else is paying for it.” The friendly actor showed off five things that make his space extra-special.

Photo by Jenny Anderson for Broadway.com

“This poster makes me laugh so much. It’s basically like our [supporting] characters saying, ‘We don’t get no respect, so we’re going to make our own poster,’ because we’re not on the big poster out front. We literally took the Memphis poster and superimposed our faces on top and taped it so it looks…crafty. It’s hilarious.”


“I eat candy during every show, all show long, especially when I’m on stage. I kind of made it Gator’s quirk. I’m playing a mute, and then I have to try and find my voice. When that actually happens, I don’t want to sound crazy, so this keeps the juices flowing. I always have candy in my mouth. I think I’m good about hiding it!”


“This is the patchwork baby quilt that my grandma made for me when I was a newborn. She never got to see me on Broadway—she’s passed—so this keeps her close to me in spirit. I feel like she’s looking down and actually watching me on Broadway.”

“My mom gave me a 'wish box' for Christmas last year. I write down all my hopes and dreams and goals for the year and put them in this little keepsake box she made for me. Every once in a while I look at them, just to remind myself of my goals. Actually, a lot of them have been fulfilled, which makes me very happy.”


“I call this area my ‘zen garden.’ I have my bamboo and my grass, and pictures of very important people—this is my father and me as a newborn. If I’ve had a busy day, I come in here and just chill out for a second. On two-show days, I can look at my zen garden and calm down and relax.”