On the Town Stud Jay Armstrong Johnson on His Oatmeal Cream Pie Diet & New Bestie Alysha Umphress

Jay Armstrong Johnson’s prior Broadway stints didn’t exactly include box steps, jazz hands and kicklines: He’s played contest hopeful Greg Wilhote in Hands on a Hardbody, a tribe member in Hair and the standby for Frank Abagnale, Jr. (played by a very healthy Aaron Tveit—Armstrong never got the chance to go on) in Catch Me If You Can. But Johnson originally began his training as a dancer, and he’s putting those skills to good use in the new revival of On the Town, playing the map-toting, lovably goofy Chip, one of three World War II era sailors whose 24 hours of New York City shore leave quickly turns amorous. Broadway.com chatted with Johnson about his favorite opening night guest, day-off indulgences, and new bestie Alysha Umphress.

On the Town has so much history. What’s it like to bring a new spin to it?
It really starts with [director] John Rando. He infused such a passion into the piece, and he knew it could work for a modern-day audience, and so we took his lead. [The production at] Barrington Stage Company was a summer stock gig, and so it was just a bunch of artists all together in a room having fun. When I saw that Josh Bergasse from Smash was choreographing and John Rando, Tony winner for Urinetown, and Elizabeth Stanley and Tony Yazbeck, I looked at Alysha Umphress and said, “This could go to Broadway,” and she laughed in my face. And now I’m laughing back at her!

How did you and Alysha build such wonderful onstage chemistry?
Oh, she is my absolute favorite. We’ve become such quick friends. She’s so giving on stage. She’s so beautiful and sexy and ridiculously talented. She really has become one of my besties.

Is it fun to return to your dancing roots?
Absolutely. I had to stop dancing for a while so the business at large would look at me as a leading actor, as a singer, and as someone who can play roles and not just dance in the chorus. So it’s been so much fun to do what I’ve been training to do since I was a kid.

I heard your old dance teacher was there on opening night—what did she think of your performance?
She was on cloud nine. When I found out On the Town was going to Broadway, she was the first person I thought to invite. I would dance at the Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts and after school I would go to Dian West Studio to train even further. She gave me a scholarship because back home in Texas money was tight. She saw me in a production of West Side Story and she kind of stole me away. So I really do owe her a lot in terms of the technique that I learned while I was home. She couldn’t have been prouder and was excited that I pointed my feet [laughs].

This is your first starring role—what are the perks of playing a leading man?
I got a car to take me from the show to the opening night party! Of course, the money is a little better. Really what it comes down to is I have more offstage time than most of the ensemble. We’re all working really, really hard. I just happen to be a face of what we’re doing.

This cast is huge! Is it chaos in the wings?
Absolutely not. The Lyric Theatre is one of the biggest theaters I’ve ever been in. There’s plenty of breathing room. There’s lots of space to warm up, we have 30 cast members and everyone is doing splits and crunches and planks. It’s kind of nice to be in such a big theater, because that’s not been the case in my other Broadway shows.

You’re in your underwear in On the Town, but I know you’re a junk food aficionado. Have you had to lay off the snacks?
During the rehearsal process I absolutely laid off the junk food. Buzzfeed [published a fan article] about the 12 things to look forward to in On the Town. It wasn’t the sweeping score or the incredible dance moves—it was Jay Johnson’s gym results. So, I was like, “Oh great.” I cut out some gluten and I cut out some sweets. I love my junk food, so on my days off I absolutely let myself indulge.

What are your biggest indulgences?
Usually I sleep until my body doesn’t want me to sleep anymore. Then bacon, egg and cheese, of course. Oatmeal cream pies are the death of me, and I know they’re pumped with so many chemicals and artificial bullsh*t, but I love them too much. I’ve been trying to do more frozen yogurts lately, but Ben & Jerry’s just came out with those core things! There’s this peanut butter cup with a fudge core that’s just getting me good these days.

Wow! Then how are you keeping yourself in shape?
I make sure to do a half hour of yoga before every show, because Chip is a tense guy. He’s got 24 hours to get everything done, so I realized at the end of the show every muscle in my body is tense. When I get home every night, I have to do a little bit of a yoga cool down, and roll out my legs on my leg roller. If I don’t, things like rolled ankles and cricks in my neck start peeking up everywhere. It’s nice not to have to go to the gym every day. I’ve got the Lyric Theatre as my gym [laughs].

What’s your favorite thing about living in the city?
My favorite thing is knowing that I’m fulfilling my dreams. I set these dreams for myself when I was 12 years old, and I’m happy that I have the support of family and friends that are helping me attain them. The hardest part is being away from those friends and family that continue to support me. They’re 1,600 miles away.

You must be thrilled to have your family come up to see the show!
Oh, yeah, my mom got to come up to Barrington and see it last summer, so she had what a little taste of it. But she’s got no idea what’s in store for her!

See Jay Armstrong Johnson in On the Town at the Lyric Theatre.