Thereās something about the decades well before his birth that keep hovering over Cheyenne Jackson. He first came to fame in All Shook Up, a musical using Elvis Presleyās songs. He later appeared in a revival of Finianās Rainbow, a show that first appeared on Broadway in the late 1940s. This Saturday heāll be singing Music of the Mad Men Era in his solo concert debut at Disney Hall.Ā
This throwback approach was the first we thing discussed. āI think it started in high school when my teacher said āYou were born in the wrong era because your voice was suited for the American songbook of the 1950s,'ā Jackson says. āI was obsessed with Chet Baker and that vibe. My dad always had Elvis and Roy Orbison playing.Ā I just related to it.ā
Since Mad Men isnāt a musical, Jackson had to put together the show based on both his own passion for the material and his desire to create a memorable production that reveals more of who he is. āI like to give the audience some of what they want, but Iām a firm believer in giving them what they needāeven if they donāt know they need it,ā he says. āI donāt like to go to concerts, even if they are really talented people I look up to, if it becomes just a recital. I want to hear from you. I want to get to know you. I keep all these things in mind when I put together a show.ā
How much does he reveal about himself in his shows? āItās difficult for me, because Iām very, very open. Some would say to a fault. Itās gotten me in trouble talking too much about my personal life. I feel like in a show setting, there isnāt really anything thatās off limits. Itās a struggle every day how much to say and how much not to say. Each situation is different.ā
In spite of the title, Jacksonās show promises to be eclectic. āIām doing an Amy Winehouse song, which isnāt of the period but has that vibe,ā he says. āāAngel Eyes,ā I love the melody and the melancholy feel. Iām also doing a song called āRed Wine Is Good for My Heart,ā which is something my grandma used to say. Itās a personal song, but it has a Chet Baker/Billie Holiday feel and itās about pain and longing.ā
Heās also performing a song written by his music director, Ben Toth, based on a poem by Sylvia Plath. āBen is my heterosexual musical life partner,ā Jackson exclaims.Ā āThat song, āMad Girlās Love Songā that he wrote the music to is, I think, and Michael Feinstein said it first, destined to be something. Itās such a powerful song. It talks about deep sadness and pain and he has married it to this jazzy melody that is infused withā¦āĀ Jackson trails off then adds, āEverybody afterwards talks about it.ā
After years in New York Jackson now calls Los Angeles home, putting him in close proximity to his parents and siblings. āThis is the first time in our adult lives weāve all lived in the same state as our parents. In getting sober, I want to be near family. The man I fell in love with is here too, which helps. What Iāve done to make it feel like home is get a house, a car, a washer and dryer. I live in a neighborhood. I have neighbors.ā
As for the future, Jackson recently finished shooting an HBO pilot, his ninth, he reveals. And thereās the hope of a new show on Broadway. He has yet to originate a role in a completely new musical though he has come close; he was involved with The Book of Mormon and Altar Boyz during the development of those shows. He was also up for The Light in the Piazza, a role that went to Glee star Matthew Morrison. āWhen people ask me whatās my dream role, it hasnāt been written yet. Xanadu was the closest. Because of my sense of humor and what I look like, all these factor into what I can be cast in. If it doesnāt get written, Iāll have to write it myself.ā