If you answer to the name John O’Hurley, actor, comedian, singer, author, game show host and television personality, you have been blessed with a resume any Hollywood personality would be proud of and rightly so. His smooth and distinguished voice, where he is noted for playing characters from villains to knights, doctors to politicians, captains to professors and kings to God, would be treasure enough to brag about endlessly. Don’t forget his roles as King Arthur in “Spamalot,” and as the fast talking lawyer Billy Flynn in “Chicago,” his stints on soap operas like “All My Children” and “The Young and the Restless,” his two dozen movies and numerous television shows, his decade doing commercials for Coors Light beer, and his controversial but ultimate win in the dance off on “Dancing with the Stars” in its first year winning for his sister Carol who at 17 lost her life to epileptic seizures as he played for the Epilepsy Foundation and the list rolls merrily along.
You have the unique opportunity to hear from John O’Hurley live and in person as he brings his one man show to two venues, with his band: Waterbury’s Palace Theater on Saturday, October 26 at 8 p.m. and West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park on Sunday, October 27 at 4 p.m. In a 90 minute retrospective of his fascinating life he will regale the audience with storytelling as he sings from the Great American Songbook “A Man with Standards.”
The idea for the show began seven years ago when his pianist and friend Michael Feinstein called John and asked if he had a one man cabaret show. Feinstein had a new hotel and he wanted John to open it for him in three weeks. John said he did and then began to write one and that was the impetus that pushed him over the edge to write the story of his life, with music from the 1950’s and 1960’s. The first iteration was two and a half hours but even John was sick of talking about himself for that long and a 90 year old gentleman who saw the first show commented in the best way possible when he said “I listened to your show and didn’t have to go to the bathroom once.” The show has been nominated twice by Broadway World as the “Best Celebrity Show."
Even though he was born in Kittery, Maine, he has ties to Connecticut and West Hartford where he moved to when he was 5 or 6 and in the second grade. He always loved being on stage and live theater was always his favorite. "The interaction with the audience where I need them as much as they need me always led to the applause, which I deemed time well spent.” At home, his mom hummed everything all day long so John always had a song in his head and a rock band in the garage. “My parents had a dinner/date every Saturday and went dancing which put the Great American Song Book as a constant memory in my head." He taught himself the piano and is a classically trained vocalist and started composing music as a teenager, with two albums that reached the Billboard charts and three books on the Amazon and New York Times Best Sellers list. Growing up in a house filled with music and melody influenced his life.
While his wife Lisa is a beautiful singer, his son William at 17 has been a pilot for the last two years and shows no sign of wanting a career in show business. He does, however, enjoy two week jaunts aboard the Regent Cruise line touring the world to twenty different countries to expand his “geographical dimensions” when his dad performs. His own childhood helping his parents entertain guests was great preparation for his stints hosting Family Feud and To Tell the Truth that he viewed as an extension of his West Hartford life talking to the adults who frequented their home. His job was “moving the party along” which he found “a wonderful experience.”
His interaction with people might have prepared him unintentionally for another gig when since 2002 and for the next 23 years he has hosted Purina’s National Dog Show following the Macy’s Parade on Thanksgiving, that he calls “the greatest piece of tv success.” This is even though a Great Dane once circled the arena. looked him right in the eye and stopped, squatted, and left a twelve pound editorial comment for his approval.
One of John O’Hurley’s most memorable achievements is his 20 episodes as J. Peterman, Elaine’s neurotic boss on ”Seinfeld,” as a catalog company entrepreneur. Ironically, a year after the show ended the real J. Peterman called John, and said the romantic clothing wear company was in financial trouble and asked him to buy it. As John relates,”It’s an odd transition. I liked the role so much I bought the company…(he said) let’s put the company back together again,,,So since 1999, I’ve owned the J. Peterman Company with the real J. Peterman.” Go to peterman.com to check out the great clothing line with Hemingway-like commentary and pastel drawings.
As to his dreams of the future, John O’Hurley would like to tackle the role of the idealistic but fumbling Don Quixote with its great musical score as well as the role of the elegantly overwhelming physician in the startling play “Equus,” the monologue from which he recites to warm up before going on stage.
For tickets, call the Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at palacetheaterct.org or call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860-523-5900, ext. 10 or online at playhouseonpark.org. A reception is available to meet John after the West Hartford show for an additional premium.
Of one thing that is absolutely assured, at both venues John O’Hurley will definitely razzle dazzle ‘em! After all, People Magazine did name him “sexiest man alive."
