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Are you still homesick for your "Next Generation" family?
I see them all the time because we really are best friends. Although I see them socially, working with them is a whole different ball of wax and I do miss seeing them every single day. The best part of "Next Gen" was the people I worked with, not just those in front of the camera but the producer and the writers and the crew. It was such an amazing experience that I really don't feel it will ever be repeated, and if it does, I will count myself as very, very fortunate.
What went into your decision to do "Hotel Suite"?
I don't get a chance to do a lot of comedy because they do a bit of typecasting in Hollywood and they tend to see me more in the dramatic roles. When you've done a TV show for seven years and had that kind of success, casting people tend to see you in those terms. The only real chance I got to do comedy was in the theater. I hadn't done a play in three years and I felt it was time to get back on stage. Theater is where I started and I really do miss it when I'm gone.
How have Philadelphia audiences been treating you?
They are amazing. The audiences have been absolutely and totally receptive. They totally "get it" and they are screaming with laughter. It's just wonderful.
Have many "Next Gen" fans come out to see the show?
The Walnut Street Theater has the largest subscription base in the world, so I was a little concerned with whether fans would be able to get in, actually. But they do have single tickets available, so fans are coming to see me -- they've been waiting for me before the show and waiting for me after the show. Some are people who have never been to the theater, but they have come and had such a wonderful time that I think they will become regular theatergoers, which is really wonderful to hear because that is always part of the goal.
Any inkling yet of what will happen after the run? Would you stay on if it went to New York?
(Laughs) If it went to New York I'd beg to be in it! I'd pay money to be in it. Trust me, they could get me at a very reasonable rate. It has been one of my dreams to work on Broadway and this would be a fantastic vehicle.
February 5, 1999