Tony Nominee Jarrod Spector on Never Losing That Lovin' Feeling for His Time in Beautiful

In the corporate world, employees leaving a job are often asked to sit through an exit interview with HR about their time at the company. That concept doesn’t exist for Broadway performers, but we love checking in with stars as they finish up a successful run. Broadway’s Sexiest Man Alive Jarrod Spector was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Beautiful as Barry Mann, the real-life hitmaker who—with his wife, Cynthia Weil—is behind dozens of hits. Spector will play his final performance in the role on February 28. We asked the actor to take Broadway.com’s Exit Interview and tell us all about what he’ll miss, what he learned and more about his time in the show.

How did you feel when you first got this job?
Full disclosure: When I was offered the role of Barry in Beautiful, I was in contention for another job which I thought would be a big deal for my career. I had done a reading of Beautiful, and while I knew the music was very special, I could not have predicted that the show itself would become what it has become nor could I have known the impact Barry would have on my life. When the other job went "in another direction"—classic producer and casting director language for "you're not getting the role"—I was grateful to have Beautiful—but, I admit, I was disappointed. In short, I am an idiot. The other project, which shall remain nameless, by all accounts came nowhere close to living up to expectations, while Beautiful, both as a show and in terms of my experience, got better and better with every day of rehearsal. My wife, Kelli [Barrett], told me when this all of this transpired back in the summer of 2013 that this was the best possible outcome. She's always right.

How do you feel now that you’re leaving?
I'm not sure exactly how I am meant to put into words how I feel about the last two and half years right now as they're coming to an end. I'm extremely proud of the show that we created—and I really do mean the "we" part. Not every creative team is (forgive me) created equal and ours was truly collaborative, from our producers, our brilliant director Marc Bruni to our writer Doug McGrath on down. I'm humbled every time I see someone in the house who is weeping during the curtain call, or when someone comes to the stage door and tells us how moved they were or that they were transported back to a specific and wonderful moment in their lives, or who had no idea the scope of the impact Carole, Gerry, Barry and Cynthia had on the musical world outside of the Tapestry record but had learned so much watching the show. I'm sad to leave. The nostalgia is kicking in hardcore.


What are three words you would use to describe your experience?
It's been an astonishing, joyful blessing.

What was the easiest thing about this job?
Learning and loving the music. It's impossibly good, song after song.

What was the hardest thing?
Without question the decision to leave was the most difficult part of my Beautiful experience. I'm in denial that I'm answering these questions right now.


What was the highlight of your time at this job?
There is an embarrassment of riches from which to choose. I think the high point for me was the night Barry Mann himself came onstage with me at 54 Below. We did two duets and as a bonus I got to sit and listen to him play and sing "Somewhere Out There"—one of my very favorite Mann/Weil compositions. Cynthia and many of our cast were in the audience and I distinctly remember thinking to myself that life just doesn't get much better than that.

What skills do you think are required for future job applicants?
More than anything: a respect for the real-life people on the stage. Do your utmost to honor their talents and tell their story and the show will continue to touch audiences in a way that has been a continual surprise since our first preview.


What advice would you give to future employees in your job position?
Barry's comedy is not slapstick. After what will have been nearly 1,000 shows, I can tell you that the moment you play for the laughs, they're gone. Just play the scene, don't try to get the laughs. But also...get the laughs.


How do you think you’ve grown?
In all seriousness I learned on the job the bit of advice I just gave in the previous answer. Coming into Beautiful I did not have much comedic experience—after all, the stage version of Frankie Valli is not terribly funny—so while I gleaned as much as I could from my memory of growing up watching Woody Allen, Paul Reiser et al., I definitely went through stretches of not understanding why certain jokes weren't landing. Then I realized it was because I was thinking of them as jokes—they aren't. They’re just words spoken by my character as he tries to get what he wants.


Why are you leaving?
I asked this same question of a wise co-star when she left our show at a time that seemed premature. She said that she wanted to leave before getting to a place where she felt that she wasn't good at playing the role anymore, that she owed it to herself, to her castmates and to the show to know when to move on. Before the jokes aren't funny anymore, while I still love the role, the show and the people in it, it's time to go find a new adventure.


What will you miss the most?
I am aware how slim the chances are of having the opportunity to play a role with which you connect in a show that not only makes you proud, but actually draws in nightly audiences that love it AND that just happens to be on Broadway...it's a miracle. I will so deeply miss being a part of it.