INTERVIEW: Brandon James Ellis on the true meaning behind ‘Bandstand’ on Broadway

Bandstand, the new Tony-winning musical on Broadway, has all the right ingredients for a big hit in Midtown Manhattan. There’s a talented cast, catchy songs, and cracking direction and choreography from Andy Blankenbuehler. But what sets the show apart is that the entire project, from its inception to its nightly curtain at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, is centered on veterans.

The story of veterans — their sacrifice, their triumphs — is woven into the story of Bandstand, but it also inspires the cast and creative members of the musical on a personal level. The show follows a band of veterans coming home from World War II in 1945. They have had some difficult experiences overseas, and now they are turning toward music to help them thrive in a new United States.

At the center of the action is Brandon James Ellis’ character of Davy Zlatic, who plays bass in the band portrayed on stage. The Broadway actor has previously been seen in Company and Once, and actually joined Bandstand during its developmental stages many years ago.

“I was doing Once, and I auditioned for a lab, which is part of the developmental process,” Ellis said in a recent phone interview. “Initially, I was in for Johnny the drummer actually, and after the first audition, they switched me over and had me audition for Davy. And after three or four auditions and checking out our musicality, they cast us in that. And we had about five weeks to work on the script, and work on music and see if there was anything there, and it turns out there was. And that was the beginning.”

Ellis said it’s rare to be in such good company with his fellow actors on stage. One of the reasons the ensemble gets along so well is because they believe in the touching story they share each night. They recognize the importance of building a narrative based on accuracy and authenticity, and they realize that many active military personnel and veterans are in the audience watching them.

“Everybody wants to tell it right, and nobody is phoning it in,” Ellis said. “They’re all wonderful people, and they’re easy to get along with. I think there’s something like 30 or 40 people in the cast, and I like every one of them. We all have a great time together, and everyone is so committed to the work. … This is a testament to the casting directors and Andy for putting these people in the same room. If it wasn’t these people putting the show together, I don’t know if it would have worked. You needed people that believed in it as much.”

The musical demands a lot from Ellis and the performers over the course of an eight-show week. The stress comes mentally, emotionally and physically. “For me, not as much maybe as the dance ensemble, that dance is so athletic and physical,” he said. “They’re all there an hour and a half before, getting warmed up, making sure they don’t hurt themselves, but it’s also because of the subject matter. Obviously, it can be mentally and emotionally exhausting as well, but also really rewarding.”

Ellis grew up as a musician playing the cello. When he was 17 years old, he auditioned for his first play. He did not get the part, but the drama bug bit him pretty hard. He started auditioning more and landing some parts. He then moved to New York City, and within six months, he was cast in Company on Broadway.

His first curtain in the Stephen Sondheim musical was a whirlwind experience. “You just can’t believe it’s happening, and I still have moments like that,” he said. “I remember being in school and thinking, I’m going to go to New York, and I’m going to try to do this. And I know it’s hard, and I know it’s unlikely that I’m going to get there. But I’m going to go, and I’m going to put my nose to the grindstone and make it happen. When I got Company, I had only been in New York for six months, and I was prepared to be here for a lot longer without being in a Broadway show, that’s for sure. There’s a part of Bandstand where we say, ‘Breathe and enjoy your stay,’ and every night we walk downstage and kind of take in the whole Broadway theater. And every single night, I have this moment of, I’m here. How’d I get here? I can’t believe I’m here and how lucky I am to be here.”

To prepare for the role of Davy, Ellis read a lot of books on WWII. One book in particular, The Liberator: One World War II Soldier’s 500-Day Odyssey From the Beaches of Sicily to the Gates of Dachau by Alex Kershaw, served as great source of inspiration.

“It’s about his journey through the boot of Italy up to liberating Dachau concentration camp,” Ellis said. “[I] based a lot of Davy on that character or on that person because it was amazing when [co-star] Joe Carroll actually stumbled across that book and told me about it, and I went and got it. And I couldn’t believe the parallels, so that became a great resource for me.”

The actors also talked to representatives from Got Your 6, an organization that empowers veterans and supports the integration of their artistry into society and popular culture.

“They certified our script for authenticity, and they really have been involved in the development of this process to make sure that we were accurately portraying the veteran experience,” Ellis said. “We got to sit down with about 10 or 12 combat vets and have them in an ask-whatever-you-want situation just tell us what their experience is really, and that was probably hands down the most valuable dramaturgical experience I’ve ever had. … All of that, I draw on every night. I draw on it for Davy’s physicality, for the way he approaches problems and the mask that he wears.”

Ellis comes from a family of veterans, so the story of Bandstand resonates personally with him. He counts his father, grandfather, great-grandfather and uncle as veterans.

“Almost all the men in my family served, so I definitely wanted to embrace that very, very early,” he said. “Being honest and accurate in the way that we portray that and the way we honor those men and women has become probably the most important thing to us. I mean, if there’s a vet at the show, we always bring them back and share, so that they know that we’re thinking about them. And we dedicate every single show to a veteran or an active duty military officer.”

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Bandstand is currently playing at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre at 242 W. 45th St. in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.