NameEric Mann
Role
Mike Costa
Describe your favorite song / scene / moment in A Chorus Line.
My favorite dance number is the Fourth Montage – I love the funky '70s choreography, it’s just plain fun and exciting. As for my favorite moment, it is really brief, but I love when we charge forward with our pictures/resumes and the lights fade to black and then the lights come up immediately with our headshots right in front of our face. It is such a powerful moment.
Mike is one of the first people Zach pulls out of the line to talk about his life. What is it like kicking off the characters’ individual scenes each night with “I Can Do That”?
Ah, I would say it is definitely a mixture of anxiety and excitement. It’s nerve-racking because Mike is the FIRST and has to set the tone of show. But also it is a chance for the audience to relax into the show, which is fun because I get to help welcome the audience into this show that is about real people. The first part of A Chorus Line is this real intense audition setting, but then with “I Can Do That,” it helps the audience see that this still is a piece of theatre and they are here to be entertained. Luckily, I love doing the number and try to bring new excitement to it every night.
What are the parts of Mike’s character that you can relate to without even trying and what are the parts of his character that require a bit more imagination on your part?
I love Mike! I immediately relate to Mike’s passion and fiery spirit. I also love his “I Can Do That” attitude, with anything that you throw at him, he can do – and do it well! I strive to be like this in my life, onstage and off. As for the parts that require a bit more imagination, I would say that his outbursts are a little different from mine – his are more explosive and mine are more elongated. What’s funny is that as this tour continues I see myself more and more like Mike, or maybe it’s the other way around!
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you on or offstage on the tour?
Anytime Erica Cenci is at the bar.
Which past tour stop has been your favorite thus far and why?
I really have loved the cities on the west coast, but I also really loved Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is this incredibly beautiful city that captures the essence of the past – it’s really surreal. We rode bikes around the city and it was absolutely awesome.
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| Eric Mann as Mike in A CHORUS LINE Photo by Phil Martin |
My Kindle – I love to read.
If you could go back in time and catch any Broadway show what would it be and why?
Well, my favorite musical of all time is Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along (so I would love to go back and see the revival production), but as far as one that I would have to see, I would see the original production of Oklahoma!. This musical really changed how musical comedies were done and it was the beginning of all modern musicals. I think it would be awesome to see people’s reactions and what it was like to experience something so groundbreaking.
What is your favorite showtune and why?
Hmm… basically anything Jason Robert Brown or Sondheim. Their music is awesome!
What are the top five most listened to songs on your iPod?
1. “Fire and Rain” – James Taylor
2. “Don’t Stop the Music” – Jamie Cullum
3. “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – Frank Sinatra
4. “New York State of Mind” – Billy Joel
5. “Just the Way You Are” – Bruno Mars
Do you have any pop culture guilty pleasures?
Haha! I might have to say that I have a HUGE guilty pleasure with '90s sitcoms – Seinfeld, Home Improvement, That '70s Show, etc. I just love the writing.
If you had to pick just one, would you describe yourself as peripatetic, poetic or chic? Why?
Peripatetic (I had to look it up – it means traveling from place to place) – this is exactly me. I’m never in one place too long. Always on the go, especially now on tour!
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