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On a fifth-grade classmate’s promise that he’d be big one day, award-winning Broadway actor and singer Chester Gregory is chasing his passion.
As an actor, Gregory has had his shares of winning parts: originating the roles of Dupree in “Cry-Baby,” Terk in “Tarzan,” playing Seaweed in “Hairspray,” and, just prior to his most recent gig, James “Thunder” Early in “Dreamgirls.” And, he’s had a few parts pass him by.
“But I’ve always held on to that promise,” Gregory said, the young girl’s words still fresh in his mind – “You’re going to make it.” “I believed it, not knowing she didn’t know anymore than I did how my career path would turn out,” he said, laughing.
The Gary, Ind., native appears as Eddie “Sweaty” Souther, the introverted officer who comes to Deloris’s aid, in “Sister Act,” which runs Dec. 17-22 at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans.
“Sister Act,” made famous in film by Whoopi Goldberg – one of the Broadway show’s producers – is the story of struggling lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier who, after witnessing a crime, is hidden in the last place any self-respecting criminal would look: a convent. Under Mother Superior’s watchful eye, Deloris finds herself at the helm of the convent’s choir. There, she helps her fellow sisters find their voices and, along the way, rediscovers her own.
Set on Christmas Eve, 1977 – the era of disco – the play features original music by Tony- and eight-time Oscar-winner Alan Menken, the genius behind “Newsies,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and a number of Disney greats, including “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin,” along with lyrics by Glenn Slater, who first teamed with Menken on “The Little Mermaid.”
Gregory’s classmate could never have predicted the career ride he’d enjoy after that breakout performance of “Thriller” at the front of the classroom – much like his character Souther, Gregory is a self-professed introvert; he practiced Michael Jackson’s infamous moves in that video for months alone in the family’s basement, surprising everyone when he jumped up to lead the dance at an end-of-year party.
Ironically, in 2003, Gregory actually performed two songs – “Lonely Teardrops” and song of his own – in his hometown. Among the audience was the King of Pop himself. He’d earning a standing ovation from Jackson, and an opportunity to meet one-to-one with his boyhood idol.
“My job requires me to be out on the stage in front of thousands,” Gregory explained. “I just kind of look at it like a little kid duality of Clark Kent and Superman. I go into living that role without question or without doubt. On stage, I’m living within that one gift.”
That unassuming approach has helped him find his niche touring in Broadway shows, continuing to work on his own music as Chess Gregory and, when he’s free, doing dates with “Eve of Jackie,” the one-man tribute show to Jackie Wilson.
“‘Sister Act’ has a lot of heart to it. By the end, people find they’re up dancing to it,” he said. “To my New Orleans family, I would say come on out to the theater and enjoy the love, the laughs and the music.”
“Sister Act” runs Dec. 17-22 at Saenger Theater of New Orleans, 1111 Canal St. Tickets range from $26 to $86. For more information, visit www.neworleans.broadway.com.
Made popular in film by Whoopi Goldberg, the Broadway production “Sister Act” opens Dec. 17 at Saenger Theater of New Orleans.
Chester Gregory has been driven since childhood to make it big, still holding onto a classmate’s proclamation that he’d do so.
