Alex Brightman on His 'Rip-Roaring' Time in School of Rock and Why He's Leaving

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. Alex Brightman originated the role of Dewey Finn in Broadway's School of Rock and garnered a Tony nomination for his performance. Brightman will leave his pint-sized bandmates at the Winter Garden Theatre on November 6. In his Broadway.com Exit Interview, Brightman shares why he's leaving, what he'll miss and how the role has changed him.

How did you feel when you first got this job?
This was the phone call that you don't even dream about. I stood on 23rd Street and Seventh Avenue. The phone to my ear. My eyes wide and beginning to water. I have had great successes over my short career, but this was just something that didn't seem tangible until it did. There are billions of people in the world and only one of them, in that moment, gets to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's brand new Broadway musical. It's still, to this day, indescribable. 

How do you feel now that you’re leaving?
As I write this, I have 13 performances left. We have done almost 400 performances, not including the workshop performances, and this has been a gigantic part of my life. My heart is full of School of Rock, and it will continue to be full for a long time because of it. As the end of this road comes closer, I feel proud and happy. I don't feel sad to be leaving. I'm thrilled to move on, knowing that I have done everything I could have ever done with this experience. On my final night in the show, there will be tears and frivolity and laughter. I can't wait to pass the torch to the new class. They're going to have a blast.

What are three words you would use to describe your experience?
Rip-roaring. Hard-won. Transformative.

What was the easiest thing about this job?
Showing up every day knowing that I was going to get to play pretend with my friends in one of the best playgrounds I have ever had the pleasure to help build.

What was the hardest thing?
Maintenance! Before this show, I was pretty sure that I was invincible, but I am thrilled to have been humbled by this monster of a role. This show/role is a full-time job. I wake up thinking about my voice and body. I go to sleep thinking about my voice and body. I am ready to be a little less selfish and give myself a bit of a break. The other hardest thing was saying goodbye to the wonderful young performers who graduated from the show. I would write them a little speech/poem/etc. after curtain call, and that never got easier. They are wonderful people and I will miss them dearly.

What was the highlight of your time at this job?
The one true highlight (and trust me, there are thousands) for me was simply being able to create a performance that was supremely me. I have never had so much encouragement to play and think and invent in the exact way I would want to play and think and invent. The other highlight I should mention was going to and performing at the Tony Awards. I had never been before, and it was quite the experience that I will never forget.

What skills do you think are required for future job applicants?
Each Dewey is going to be different. That's the beauty of the role. But the prerequisites are this in no particular order: stamina, ethics, absurdity, diligence, health and the willingness to leave part of yourself on stage every single night.

What advice would you give to future employees in your job position?
Bring your baggage in the door with you. This is a role that requires raw-nerve feelings and smash-cut emotions. If I have a bad day, I bring some of it to my performance that evening. Passion swings both ways and Dewey has the opportunity to access both nightly. My other piece of advice is to really get to know the young performers. The show hinges on the relationship between Dewey and the students. It's important to realize that these "kids" are people. They are interesting human beings with amazing stories and backgrounds. It's vital to have a friendship with them. It shows on stage.

How do you think you’ve grown?
Growing is incremental and relative. Through this experience, I have learned how to take care of myself better than ever. And I mean that on all levels. I have always been a "yes" man. I worried that the pressure and weight of this role would make me less of one. But I am proud to say that I have grown into someone who knows his limits. I am still a "yes" man. But I am also a smarter "yes" man. And having the great opportunity to carry and lead a show has given me the tools to do it again and again and again. I'm up for that task, and now I know that with confidence.

Why are you leaving?
I am leaving because I want a rich and varied career, and I can only do that if I continue to be artistically nomadic. I'm working on a ton of new things (writing, acting, etc.) and I can't wait to devote some more attention to those projects. It's important to risk things. I love not knowing what's in front of me.

What will you miss the most?
I will miss it all. This has been the most fun I have had in any show I have ever done...ever. I will miss the young performers. They make me better. I will miss my friends. They make me better. I will miss the audiences. They make me better. I will miss this experience. It has enlightened me. And it has made me better.