Backstage with Sandy Kenyon: Chris Evans on Broadway
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Marvel blockbusters like the upcoming "Avengers: Infinity War" have given Chris Evans financial freedom, so he can appear on Broadway for a fraction of the salary he earns for movies.
But he is no stranger to the theater.
"As a kid, I certainly grew up on stage, but never in a professional set up," he said. "I did some Shakespeare, I did a lot of musicals, I was a theater kid," he said. "So you're doing three, four shows a year, and you're going to theater camp. You know, it was very popular."
"Lobby Hero" is about a murder investigation in New York City. His character is a veteran cop who's sexually harassing his partner Dawn, a rookie played by Bel Powley. The play was first staged Off-Broadway back in 2001, but it seems even more timely today.
"This is a play about the subversive tactics of misogyny and the patriarchy, the imbalance of power, sexual misconduct," he said. "It's a lot of very topical issues."
Picking up the New York accent was not easy.
"In Boston, which is where I'm from, you swap the Ws and the Hs a lot," he said. "In the play, I have to say, 'We're not going to charge 'em.' Now in Boston, we'd say 'not' with a 'w' and 'charge' with an 'h.' You guys say 'not' with a 'h' and 'charge' with a 'w.' It's a tough thing to flip."
"Lobby Hero" is open now for a limited run. It was written by Kenneth Lonergan, who was born in the Bronx and won an Oscar for his movie "Manchester By The Sea."
----------
