Broadway in Cincy subscribers, you may not realize when you call your Subscriber Hotline, you may be talking to the future stars of tomorrow! Many of our Broadway Across America Service Center staff are also working performers, and sometimes we get to say goodbye to them as they move on to exciting new roles. Meet Jonathan Hoover, an ensemble member in the National Tour of Mrs. Doubtfire. In addition to his ensemble role, Jonathan also covers Daniel Hillard, AKA Mrs. Doubtfire! Read our interview below to learn what it was like working at the service center while auditioning, favorite moments of Doubtfire and being on tour, advice for young performers and more.
Broadway in Cincinnati: How did you get introduced to theatre?
Jonathan Hoover: My mom was an opera singer and had a soft spot for musicals. Music was a big part of my childhood. She also led the choir at church. I can’t remember if I heard Phantom of the Opera first, or if I got cast in the church musical first… but at around 5 I remember realizing that these things I loved could be focused into stories. And I was hooked.
BIC: Before you had this job, you also worked at Broadway Across America’s Service Center! Can you tell us what it was like working in the service center during the day while continuing to audition and perform simultaneously?
JH: I did; it was my first job in NYC. It was just Broadway.com when I started there, before being acquired by Broadway Across America. My first job was the best. I made Fed-ex envelopes to mail people’s tickets. That was the whole job. And I loved it. I could come and go, and audition as long as everything went out on time. When I moved to the ticketing department, that got a little trickier because the call center had hours of operation. But our bosses were great about letting us take our lunch break whenever we needed if there were auditions. I left several times to work on various projects and they always had a job for me when I came back. I believe I worked there for just over a year. The best part was that we saw every Broadway show for free. I would go back for that perk alone.
BIC: What was your reaction when you found out you booked the national tour of Mrs. Doubtfire, as well as finding out you’d be understudying the titular character?
JH: I was thrilled. When I did the A Chorus Line tour, I only did the last month. So getting to really see the country excited me. And to be trusted with understudying such a fun yet demanding role thrills me. Not to mention stepping into the large shoes of Rob McClure. It’s an honor and a challenge I couldn’t wait to take on.
BIC: We hear you do some work inspired by a certain Broadway diva. Can you tell us more about that?
JH: Ah yes. I have managed to make a small name for myself imitating the great Patti LuPone on my instagram account @inappropriatepatti. It started as a little party trick I would do for my friends, then they encouraged me to put it on the internet. Long story short it has blown up and eventually lead to Ryan Murphy writing me a role on American Horror Story: NYC acting against Patti LuPone herself. It has been the gift that keeps on giving.
BIC: What’s been your favorite part so far about touring with this show?
JH: I love hearing the audiences laugh. The world is tough right now, and knowing that we are making people smile really brings me joy. I also have been enjoying finding the queer-owned businesses in every city so I can support my brothers and sisters creating safe havens all over the country.
BIC: Do you have a favorite moment in your track and when playing Mrs. Doubtfire?
JH: My favorite part of my track is the famous La Rosa dinner scene. It’s the only time we aren’t dancing and get to just be in the story as people and connect as actors. It’s fun to create a character that supports the insanity of that scene. And I love everything about being Mrs. Doubtfire. It’s a role of a lifetime. She taps, she strips, she breaks dances… She has these sassy one-liners that fly under the radar because she is a cute old lady. But truly I love that even though she is improving the lives of the kids… she is really improving Daniel. He learns to be a better person and human through her eyes. And I think there is something to be said for that in our world.
BIC: If you could tell audiences anything about Mrs. Doubtfire as a show, what would it be?
JH: It is a laugh riot. Rob McClure is a force of nature that has to be seen in this role. It’s also one of the few shows out there that really is for the whole family
BIC: What are you hoping audiences take away from this show?
JH: That love and family are the most important things we have. That our charge is to love one another. And a reminder that seeing the world through eyes of others – empathy – helps make this world better.
BIC: Do you have any advice for aspiring performers?
JH: More than I can say here. But be patient, work hard, don’t compare yourself to others, and remember at the end of the day it is PLAY. Oh, and follow your joy!
See Jonathan and the National Tour of Mrs. Doubtfire now through December 17 at the Aronoff Center. Tickets can be purchased at CincinnatiArts.org, as well as in person at the Aronoff Center Box Office.
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