Video: Joey Fatone is Living His Best Broadway Life in & JULIET

Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World

Pop star Joey Fetone from InSink has returned to Broadway, stepping into the role of Lance in the hit musical End Juliet

now through March 16th, and I caught up with him at the Civilian Hotel. First of all, welcome back to Broadway

How does it feel? It feels amazing. It feels weird because it's been so many years now

I am definitely older. I'm not sure if I'm wiser, for that matter of fact

But it's been great. You know what? It's one of those things where you never, it feels like you never left

Seriously, you know, when you come back, obviously it's a different show, different time

but it's amazing to be back. The cast and crew and everybody has been amazing with open arms

Crazy enough, even the backstory as far as how, you know, even the show Anjuliate came about and how I know the people behind as far as producers

and Tim Hennington and Teresa Page and all these people that have actually started that rolling to get this show what it was from the get-go

So it's funny to see, it wasn't funny, but it's amazing to see how it has grown and

how big the show's gotten to where. Like, hey, we love for you to play a part of it. I'm like, sign me up, I'm down

So finally figured out a time to do it. And this was the perfect time. Obviously, I have a busy schedule

Always trying to do other things. We just wrapped up a tour myself with AJ from Backstreet Boys

And, you know, and then this was the kickoff to do Broadway. So back in Broadway, doing Ann Juliet playing Lance

And it's been great. It's been wonderful. So far. Let's talk about Lance. What's it like playing him

What do you love about him? You know what? Well, what I don't... Let's go what I don't like about him at first

is the accent because I can't do a French accent. It is awful. So if you want to see a fun..

And that's the part... I mean, the fun part about this character and about the show itself

is certain things are not taking too seriously. But there are very serious moments

at hand in the show as well, but in very dear and sincere. And I think that's what I love about the character

Lance is funny, quirky. You know, a very reprimandable dad in a sense

He's very stern with his son. He wants him to get married or, you know, you're going to join the army like your brothers kind of thing

So it's one of those, you know, turn of events where he's so wound up in it as far as a character

He's not really seeing his son and wanting him to be happy

And you know he always been scared to do something and always wanted you know his son to fight for whatever he believes in And that kind of what in that sense the character And I think that what so great about this character character is I come in you know a couple jokes couple laughs This is funny Then there a sweet and tender side of me like a love kind of scene kind of thing

And then there's the sweet and more tender side as far as, you know, singing with my son and talking and having this conversation of, you know

love is love and I love you no matter what kind of thing. So it's great. It's beautiful

Then there are the songs. And there are the songs where there are Backstreet Boys songs

I don't even sing an in-sink song. You know, but it's fun

I've sang many Backsheet Boys songs before, and I think it's always funny when people have never seen that

or don't even understand that. Again, you know, Max Martin wrote a bunch of our songs

and a bunch of Backshie Boys songs. They do sound kind of similar because he produced them. But it's great

You know, it's fun. I think it's great. And, you know, it's really the one I love is Shape of My Heart. It's such a sweet and wonderful song

And again, the two songs I actually do get to sing, ones with a mashup with Angelique

And then the other one, of course, like I said, shape of my heart, which, you know, again, it's a ballad. It's a beautiful song

Break Free is the other song I sing with Angelique. And that's a fun, that's a fun one

That's like just in love and kind of groove. I don't know. It's just such a great character

I love it. And again, I'm not on the stage a whole lot, which is even better, because I don't want to

screw up any more than I need to. But yeah, I had like 10 days or like almost a week and a half to rehearse and then you're in

You know, and not many people know how crazy of a grind Broadway really is. You know, you do it eight shows a week

And, you know, it's a commitment. You know, you literally have one day off. That's it. Let's talk about that first performance on stage with a full audience

What do you remember? Well, nothing. It was all a blur. I swear, I went off the first seat

I walked out. I was like, I walked off stage. I go, what just happened? Like, it went on automatic pilot

You know, there was one or two little flub ups, nothing too crazy. But everything went, went fairly well

You know, it's just a matter of, again, there's a lot of things in your brain that you're going into because, first of all, you haven't really rehearsed with the full cast

So you're getting thrown in. The band is really the first time you're playing with the full band

People are moving and going and that you're not used to seeing at all. And you kind of make sure you know where your space is

I'm trying to memorize my lines, the songs, where I'm standing. If I have a prop, what am I wearing

Do I do a quick change? Where is that happening? Okay, let's figure that out. So a lot of things really go through your mind very quickly

And, you know, again, I think that's what's fun about live theater. It always keeps you on your toes It always you know you always have to be present on stage no matter what and even offstage as well You always got to be present on there But this is such a fun show and it a free show So I sure you can walk off and be like you know what

I'll do it all tomorrow. Exactly. I'll do it again. And if I screw up, I screw up

Again, it's live. It's live. It happens. But, again, I think that's what's the most beautiful thing about that

You're seeing a, you know, for people that you normally are sitting at home watching a movie or some sort of musical on TV

It's amazing to see something live and the production and what good. goes on and how it goes on where not many people get a chance to see that stuff and the movements

that happen even backstage you know i think it would be amazing to do a show to where i'm sure

they have once before but where you do a show where you're seeing the backstage you're seeing everything that goes on backstage not everything up front you're always seeing the cue calls you're

always hearing and it's amazing hearing that stuff and what goes on in the person you know making those

cues of everything lights go up lights go out here we go this and that it's crazy everybody flies

from all over the world to see and juliet on broadway i mean what is it about this show

Again, I think it's everything about this show. It has a heart. It has comedy

It has great songs. I mean, these are hits after hits after hits from Max Martin

Again, like you said, it's from Celine Dion to Kelly Clarkson, Instinct, Backshue Boys, Britney Spears, you know, Bon Jovi even

It's my life. So I'm thinking of all the songs in my head going through all of them. And it's just a fun show

Also, it gives a little bit of history. Yeah, William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, not the actress, Anne Hathaway

It's really Anne Hathaway. It's a real, never mind. See the show. So it's one of those things where you're getting a play within a play

And that's, I think, the beauty of it, too. You know, they're talking about it. They're going to get ready to perform William Shakespeare's play

And then all of a sudden, you know, Shakespeare's wife is kind of like, well, you know what? I love you writing, but maybe a little different perspective, if you will

And that's kind of how the ball starts rolling, and she starts writing it with him

And all hell breaks loose when all of a sudden the characters are doing their own thing

because, you know, some confrontation happens with Will and Ann. and, you know, things turn awry

which is always a blast and fun to do when you start to see and start to watch the show

and what certain symbolizes and certain things are in the show that you've never seen before

That's why I love seeing shows two or three times because then you notice or see things

that you didn't notice before. Bringing your fan base who that have never seen a Broadway show

going to see something on Broadway for the first time, like, oh my gosh, they do plays live

Yeah. What that means to introducing a whole new audience to the theater? You know what that means a lot because you know it a whole other side of entertainment that maybe not many people have got a chance to see And that what I think is interesting too especially you know coming to New York and I think that what makes Broadway Broadway you know people come here

of course, they're tourists. They want to come see New York City itself, but you got to see New York City

you got to see a Broadway show. And like you said, there's people that I've been like, listen

I've been a fan of you from Insink, but I'm seeing a Broadway show for the first time. I've never

and I think this is a great show to ease into somebody that I've never seen a Broadway show before

because again, you're familiar with the music. You're familiar with these songs, and it ties into these scenarios in the script

But when you go down, if you go down the rhythm of going to, you know, seeing Sunset Boulevard

or going back and even seeing, you know, if you want to go even further Pirates of Panzance back in the day

we're talking about operettas now. We're going into deeper stuff where it's amazing to see younger kids spark the interest

What I think is truly amazing when they see the history of what Broadway, you know, back in the day was up until now

You know, it's amazing. Again, like I said, you know, from the simplest things back in the day

to now how much high tech and special effects that they have and things that they can do on stage

that they've never been able to do before. You know, you got a car going in the air flipping upside down

and back to the future on stage. It's amazing. It's great. And just being a part of the Broadway community

you made your Broadway debut in rent. It changed your life. What it means you're just doing this

Walking through a stage door, signing in every night. You know what? It means a lot. It just means as far as, you know

people, it means a lot of different things. You know, as far as, I have some sort of a name

so people enjoy and want to come see me, which is great. Thank goodness I don't suck and actually have the talent to do this

Let's be real, you know, not everybody has, you know, the mental capacity in the sense of being able to multitask like that

It's very, it is very demanding on certain levels. And, you know, it's just rewarding all around

You know, I just, again, I love being, for me, I love being able to tell a story

I love being on live stage. You get the instant gratification. right there as opposed to being on film, which film is great, but getting the instant

laughter, the instant, and you never know what's going to happen. And if something screws up

that is just show business, and the show must go on, and you just got to keep going with it and see what happens. That's finally what are you enjoying the most about being back on Broadway

Just being back and singing songs. Just lovely just doing the performances and being in New York City

Seriously, I mean, emerging from Brooklyn, you know, being back home and being here in the city

obviously not the warmest time to be out here, but you may do, and it's a blast