Eric Anderson is inviting you to the grandest party on Broadway, old sport.
As Meyer Wolfsheim in the award-winning The Great Gatsby (now playing at the Broadway Theatre), Anderson plays a gangster that Jeremy Jordan’s Jay Gatsby gets entangled with. The glitzy new musical adaptation of the literary classic, Gatsby is a big and bold visual spectacle that transports audiences to the best flapper party in town.
Anderson and I discussed bringing the beloved book to the stage, expanding his character, the upcoming cast recording, tricks for maintaining health during an 8-show week, and more.
What was your relationship to The Great Gatsby prior to joining this cast?
I did most of the readings and workshops of the piece (before they went out of town). Therefore, I had a pretty good handle on who the character was. Although, I hadn’t really read the book. I think I attempted to read it around high school but just didn’t grasp it very well. Once I found out I was going to be joining this company as the show moved to Broadway, I picked up the book again and read it.
Speaking of the book, it was originally published 99 years ago. Why do you think the story has been adapted across so many mediums and has remained so relevant and beloved nearly a century later?
That’s a good question. I love the writing style. The way Fitzgerald writes is very poetic. He certainly created some real iconic characters and an iconic story. With it being in the public domain now and being such a classic, there’s a really nice platform to be able to spring off of artistically in many different ways. The fact that there are many different versions and takes on these characters and the book is quite remarkable. I love that there can be so many different interpretations of the same story from the same book.
Meyer only appears twice in the novel but takes a much larger role in this musical adaptation. What was the creative process like of fleshing out this character and what inspired your performance beyond the original text?
Yeah, in the book you don’t you don’t see a lot of him. The way that he’s portrayed in the book is not the kindest. He’s mentioned more than once as being this Jewish gangster and Fitzgerald really pushed him having a big nose and all the stereotypical terrible things like that. Instead of focusing on being Jewish, I just kind of lean more into being the gangster. Once I saw where our production was going and what our focus was going to be, it became easy to embrace that and to broaden that character from who he was initially.
I really leaned hard into what would make this a fun character. I put a lot of emphasis on where my voice was going to be and what visuals I was giving—like having sunglasses on the whole time to give the impression that I was a shark. The Broadway Theatre is such a big theater and I wanted to be able to reach the furthest seats with something that was really iconic. I’m having such a good time with it because it’s our take on Gatsby. Where we want to go from the book was a bit more celebratory, and certainly splashier in the musical theater sense to really give everybody their money’s worth.
How is Meyer different from any other character you’ve played before?
I like to pride myself as being a bit of a chameleon actor. I really strive to not do the same thing, especially back-to-back. I always start visually, and then the voice. Meyer is considered a “villain” but he really has a good handle on who he is and isn’t hiding much. I like that about him. Because there are so many characters that do have secrets in this show. He just knows when to talk and when not to talk. I enjoy that because I’m doing different stuff. I’m doing different things with my voice when I sing that I’ve never really done in the show before, like the growling I do. He’s just so untouchable and cool – until things aren’t running smoothly. Then he gives his two cents and finds another way to get what he needs. He’s a very fierce character in that way. And I like that you after you’ve met him, you kind of have an idea who he is in this world. Even when he’s not on stage, you can feel his presence.
The Great Gatsby won several Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards, including Favorite New Musical. Why do you think audiences are responding so well to the show?
I think it’s just got a lot of what people want in a Broadway show right now, which is pure escapism and stunning visuals. Plus the music has all the bells and whistles that you would want in a big Broadway musical. Having Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada lead our cast doesn’t really hurt either. It helps to have people of their caliber in those roles. Especially Jeremy, he’s really knocking it out of the park. When he first makes his appearance on stage, the screams from the audience make it clear that he’s very much an idol of the day and that’s very appropriate for Jay Gatsby.
What is your pre-show ritual to stay mentally and physically healthy while performing 8 shows a week?
Drink a lot of water! I keep a very tidy dressing room and listen to good music. But I don’t need to do much to prep, to be honest. This is a show that surprisingly I really don’t have to warm up for because I like having the grit in my voice. Knock on wood, that grit’s going to continue to be there.
Do you have a favorite song and/or scene in the show? Which is it and why?
I love “Shady.” That’s such a big number. What Dominique Kelley has done with the choreography is a lot of fun to pull off. As for my favorite to witness that I’m not in? I stand in the wings while the cast does “La Dee Dah With You,” which is a big tap number, and I like to watch that every night because our company is just so talented. They’re always throwing in little different things here and there and it’s a very cool moment for me to just be able to watch it every night.
What can fans expect from the cast recording, which will be released digitally by Sony Masterworks Broadway this Friday (June 28)?
Oh my god, it’s stunning! We’ve got an orchestra of over 20 pieces and the orchestrations are just so soaring. It’s a big Broadway cast recording. The show has a lot of earworms, too. I still hear “Roaring On” pretty much every time I wake up. I know that I’m not alone in that. Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen are really good at writing some catchy tunes. My daughter knows the whole score. It’s very digestible music but it’s also a lot of fun and definitely worth multiple listenings.
In addition to originating the role of Cal in Waitress, you reprised your performance for the film Waitress: Live on Broadway. Can you talk a little bit about the experience and process of filming a pro-shot? What might folks be surprised to learn about what goes into capturing a stage production on screen?
When we filmed it, we did it with cameras in front of a live audience a few times. Then we would go back during the day and we would cover some of the tight shots that they wanted for certain scenes. It was cool but it wasn’t much different than just doing the show live – other than, you know, you had all these cameras moving around you while you were doing it. Like with anything, you’ve just got to make sure that you don’t look directly at them.
It was also special in the fact that we were able to come back after the pandemic and actually have work. Coming out of the pandemic, I think our show was actually the first musical back on Broadway. That was amazing. Especially those first those first shows. Everybody being back and being able to finally exhale was something I’ll never forget. We definitely created some core memories and I was really grateful to be a part of it. The Waitress family is a great one. They’ve always been there for one another and still are.
You made your Broadway debut in 2009 in South Pacific and have since been in 9 different shows. What advice do you have for young performers who are hoping to see their names in Broadway Playbills one day?
I think it’s important to do work, no matter what it is. I grew up doing community theater. I did shows at all of my schools. I did shows at the Boys and Girls Club. I just continued to build my resume and get familiar with what the world of theater is, which essentially is a family business. Longevity comes from, I think, not only being a good performer but being a good member of the community. We need to be taking care of one another, lifting each other up, and looking out for one another—especially with an eight-show week. It’s our second home and oftentimes we see the actors that we work with more than we do our own families. In sticking together, people will want to continue to work with you and continue to give you opportunities. Longevity is a real thing and it’s a marathon. You have to take care of yourself and in the process take care of one another as well.
Before Gatsby, your most recent role was that of Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! What was the highlight of this experience? How is your creative process different when approaching the music in a jukebox vs. wholly original musical?
I don’t think my process is different. I’m always focused on whatever the part is. I was fortunate enough to do all the readings and workshops of Moulin Rouge!. Actually, for the past 10-ish years, I’ve been a part of developing every show that I’ve been in. My favorite part of it all is developing and being a part of the blueprint of whatever the show’s going be. There’s nothing more thrilling to know that I’m a part of the legacy of a show. Nothing tickles me more than to be able to see, for example, footage of a production of Kinky Boots in Japan, where the guy playing my character is doing my bits. I love seeing another production of Waitress and here’s somebody saying “Make that coffee strong enough to chew!” We give and add so much of ourselves when we’re able to develop, so to be able to have a bit of ourselves in the journey of the shows is the most special thing to me. With Moulin Rouge!, being able to develop or help in developing the blueprint of that character was a dream. I saw the movie when it came out and immediately knew I wanted to play that character. When Alex Timbers called me and asked if I could come and work on it, I jumped at the chance!
What was the first Broadway show that you ever saw?
The first Broadway show ever saw was The Phantom of the Opera with Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. I saw it when it was really at the height of its of its popularity as a new musical. My high school from California came out for a week of Broadway. It was my first time being to New York. I was obsessed with the show. I had it on vinyl. I read along with the libretto to the songs and wept with it. Being able to experience that was still one of the greatest highlights of my life. Also in that week, we saw Starlight Express, M. Butterfly, Sarafina!, and Les Miserables. It was a very incredible week of Broadway theater, especially for a first timer.
Is there anything you want to add/plug that we didn’t discuss?
Just support live theater! I think that that’s the most important thing that I could say right now. We’re living in an AI world. The fact that we’re able to create magic in real time, in front of real people and share an experience together, with phones in pocket, is really a sacred thing right now more than ever. To be able to share in life away from the screen for a minute and laugh together and look at each other is something that I don’t think any other art form can really parallel. So support live theater!
CLICK HERE to purchase tickets to The Great Gatsby, now playing at the Broadway Theatre (NY, NY).
PHOTOS | MATTHEW MURPHY & EVAN ZIMMERMAN