New Jersey Stage December 2014 | Page 18

fore they told you? Yes, it’s true. Apparently they were divorced when I was about three and a half. When I was five I found out my dad was married in 1955 to Shirley. There was a certain amount of shame to being divorced and being the son of a divorced couple. I grew up in a very blue-collar area. I got teased, so what? I got over it. I’ve been divorced myself so I understand the concept. But I have a strong bond with the shows I do all over New Jersey. I spent a lot of time with mom and my dad — in separate places, of course — when they were doing summer stock, which both did quite a lot of. New Jersey still claims you as one of its own on a lot of Internet lists, so it’s good that you still feel that connection. I do. I will always feel that. I was born in Manhattan and I often talk about being a guy from New York and I still feel a very strong connection to Manhattan, but I spent much more time and more of my formative years in Jersey. Between the ages of 5 and 11 you really form yourself as a person. I had a lot Miss An Issue? They’re only a click away! Stage NEW JERSEY October 2014 Vol. 1 Issue 4 www.NJArtsMag.com