An Interview with Broadway's Jason Danieley & Marin Mazzie

They play together and stay together on stage and off. This lovely, lively couple have made their mark as one of the few husband and wife Broadway performers and they are having the time of their lives!

Pati Buehler: While there are several couples that work in the entertainment business together as a team, few today are husband and wife performers onstage together...

Marin Mazzie: That's true, we are really fortunate to get to work together a lot and some of that is due to luck and some of that is because we have consciously made the choice to do that.

Jason Danieley: We definitely planned it this way, because there are so many couples in the business that are constantly apart, in different regions or coasts. We make it a point so that if there isn't work for us, we generate our own plans to work in symphonic settings or in cabaret settings in different venues around the country.

PB: Where and when did you meet?

MM: We met in a show off-Broadway called The Trojan Women: A Love Story which was produced in 1996 by a theater company called En Garde Arts that did shows all around New York. This particular show was at the East River Park Amiptheater. Tina Landau directed this two act show where we found ourselves playing opposite one another in the second act, and it was love at first sight. I think we decided to be together for the rest of our lives in about 5 days.

JD: (laughing) It was pretty quick! It was a 4 week run and it took place in an outside theater. Actually, Act One was played indoors and Act Two outdoors. Fortunate for us that summer, it rained a lot and the show was cancelled a few nights. There was a hot tub built in the middle of the set so we got to run our lines in a hot tub. That was sort of a bonding for us. (Both laughing).

MM: What really got us together was in rehearsal when I kissed Jason. I had a crush on him, so I really laid one on him, and then he couldn't remember his line!

PB: What a great story! What about working together, collaborating on new projects, how does that work for you?

MM: I think it's great. We did 110 in the Shade together at the Pasadena Playhouse and although we're not exactly similar in style I think we compliment each and understand each other. That relationship in a working situation saves a lot of time and makes it so comfortable for us.

JS: Along those same lines, we have a sort of shorthand between us. We worked together in Brigadoon and we just cut to the chase because we know all nuances between us. Working with someone you don't know puts you in a position to have to use politeness to get to what you ultimately want to say. But, we can just say " I don't like that" or "no, let's try this" without hurting each others feelings.

MM: This trust level is really high...

JS: Sometimes as an actor you have to create different scenarios in your mind to get to a certain emotion, say if you have to cry or be ecstatic with joy, this can be a challenge. When you are playing opposite your real life partner though saying "you can't live without her" you don't have to do all the tricks of the trade emotionally.

MM: I had never been involved with Brigadoon, so didn't really know the show. When Fiona leaves Tommy, I could barely say the lines and I was utterly sobbing. The thought of being apart forever, well I was just a mess. (laughing)