Michael Oberholtzer on His Tony Nomination- 'Whatever Happens Is a Win'

Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World. We're here at the legendary Sardis, and my guest is nominated for a Tony Award this year for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his electrifying performance in the hit revival of Take Me Out. Please say hello to Michael Oberholzer

I am so thrilled to be sitting with you here on the fourth floor of Sardis. That's right. Me too, me too

You've never been up here, have you? No, I have been. I've been up here a few times. I think we did a few. Yes, I've been up here

Of course you have. It's Sardis. It's Sardis. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You were here for other award shows. Sure. Hand to God

Yes. Luncheons. Yes. Award shows. Of course. I think we even did maybe an opening night toast here

Yeah. Yeah. You did. It's Sardis. Well, it is thrilling to have you back here today

You are giving one of the fiercest, most ferocious performance I have seen this season because I think I told you this before

I was a huge fan of the original production of Take Me Out. I saw Frederick Weller create it

I saw Paul Sparks take over. and then I watched you and I was like, wow, where you take this role of Shane

And I just want to say you are so brilliant at what you do. What have you enjoyed the most about playing Shane and being a part of Take Me Out

Well, first of all, those are two very, very good actors. I'm a fan of both of those actors

I had actually been in correspondence with Fred a little bit about this

At some point, I just had to reach out. I felt compelled to reach out to him. I knew he was at opening night

I didn't get a chance to talk to him. But we were corresponding through friends through an email

And, you know, he said, yeah, you know, after about eight months of doing Shane

I reached out to Richard, and I was like, wait a second. You've done this for eight months

He did it for longer than eight months. But I felt so much of Fred's contribution in that

I know that Richard really, really loves him, and they're longtime collaborators

and I've developed and workshopped plays with playwrights, and so I know how instrumental and important the actor is with the playwright

And so I just intuitively felt that Frederick Weller was in Shane

and the joy and the challenge of working this and understanding this

and figuring it out and doing it every night just was just â€

I felt this kinship in some very, very bizarre theatrical way to him

But to answer your question, what do I like the most about it? That's a really tough question. I mean, I love all of Richard Greenberg's plays

I love this one I think the most, not just because I'm in it. I'm sure that has something to do with it

But I just love listening to this play. I just – there's every scene, all the moments, everybody does such a good job

There's so many ideas in it. They're so relevant. They're so timely. I think that's one of the things I enjoy the most

And then I just love the challenge of being in a part in a play that people are resonating with

and knowing what's ahead, knowing what's coming, and knowing that the audience doesn't

and knowing that there will be, because we've done it now for a while, that there will be reactions

there will be visceral kind of feedback, not knowing what that will be for that given night

but having the excitement of knowing, you know, there's things that are going to come

There's things that are happening. We're going to continually tell the story and draw you in and continually, you know

play with how you feel about these people. And that's never as tiresome

That is always enjoyable when you hear the gasp of the, oh, that's the part of the story

You never get tired of that reaction. You just know that you're right on that high wire, right on that fine line

and you're just doing it ever so, you know, just gently. And they're right there with you

To be on a stage on Broadway and to have that kind of interaction with an audience on a nightly basis

there is nothing like it. Challenges of playing him. I mean, there has to be so many

I mean physically and emotionally and just vocally what you go through

because specifically I want to talk about the scene in the second act

I've never seen that scene played that way before with the three of you in that room

and I think you and I had a conversation about this explain that scene

you don't have to give anything away but you it's so visceral and so ferocious

of what you put out there eight times a week for that scene And I was wondering, you were working with Scott Ellis on this

What broke that scene up for you? What put you on the right track for that breakdown that your character has

You know, it was – well, most of the credit really should go to Richard Greenberg

I mean it really it a nearly perfectly constructed scene in terms of Shane point of view And it not linear and it difficult to kind of figure out the emotional truth and through line of it because it there so much unconscious things that are being revealed and coming out and there lots of misdirected anger and and you know so finding

that and giving that shape that's really what Scott was able to come in and use his mastery

and make sure that we are you know just telling exactly the story that we're telling each and

every single moment and making sure that we're building to something at the very, very end

And he's brilliant at that. I mean, for me, the secret has always been, it's not really a secret

at this point, but it's always been playing full out. You know, we've always, we always have

rehearsed that scene at a hundred percent, you know, and from start to finish. It was never

something that we kind of went in and we're tweaking like beats and moments. Like it's just, it just never seemed to make sense to work that way. And I was, you know, and we always were

finding things. You know, it's also important to note that like, you know, I'm not on stage alone

during that important scene. You know, Patrick Adams and Jesse Williams are incredible scene

partners and they have both, like myself, have evolved over the course of the run and they are

giving me so much behavior and so much feedback that they're really making my job easier in that

way because it's all really, really happening for all of us. And then just the vocal challenges, I mean, that's really a lot of what it comes down

to is working with Kate Wilson, who is, you know, she's one of our very, very best on

Broadway, and she really created a foundation, not only for me, but for the whole company

but for me specifically on how to kind of vocally warm up and prepare and really think

of the voice as is the body. The body is your voice

And I don't think that I ever had an opportunity with a role to even think of it that way

And so Shane is like the whole thing. It's not just the voice

So I spend a good amount of time just warming up the entire body in a way that I've never done with any other part

Because you're like a caged animal. That's right. You're like a caged animal. It's a fiery scene

I'm like, how does he do this on a Sunday? Oh, Sundays, I love Sundays. Sundays, I give everything every night, but Sundays are always a little special for me because it's the last show of the week, and whatever's in the tank, they're going to get it all

And I do try to prepare myself all week so that we can get to the end of the week because this scene requires everything

It is literally – I'm literally being pulled off stage. And Eduardo and Aram are doing an absolutely incredible job just pulling me and pulling me off of stage until vocally I'm just done for the day

And so whatever's left on Sunday, there's always a little extra sauce at the bottom, and I just throw that right on top

And, yeah, so, yeah. I read where you said Shane is like – he's hungry

Like you're always hungry. Tell me about that. What you meant by that? It wasn't really something that I consciously thought about

It's not a methodology that I have practiced, but it kind of just developed over the course of reading the play and rehearsing it

Part of it, too, is I never have liked to go on stage with full

I don't like to eat a lot before. I like to be hydrated and have a little bit in my stomach

But with this in particular, I really watch what I eat Because I just, there's something about, there's something that's so hungry about shame

And it makes sense. And I find that connecting that visceral hunger to the immediacy of what's the circumstances of what's happening

It just is whetted very, very seamlessly. And so that's just something that I decided early on

Like, I think this works. I think I'm just going to continue to do it, prepare this way

Oh, I love that. No, I think that's great. Because it's true

Talk about working with the finest group of actors. What's it like sharing the stage with all of them

You know, I really, because they get to say these beautiful words, you know, working on a beautifully constructed play, you know, watching each of them bring their artistry and their humanity to this and continually work it and try it and evolve it

And we laugh about these things and we, you know, we're always talking about little moments and it's a real pleasure, you know

And some of these guys, you know, this is their first, you know, rodeo on Broadway

And that's a really, really, it's a big deal. And to be able to be a part of that, to share that memory with them, you know, I'll never forget those moments in my life and who was there for that

And I hope that I am one of those people in their lives

And so yeah you know and Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jesse Williams and Patrick I mean they have I mean they the absolute best kind of quote unquote celebrities you could hope to work with I mean they exceptional actors and they even better human beings

You know, they really are. I just, I really respect them, and I enjoy them, and they're wildly entertaining

Jesse Tyler is, there is no one like him, as we all know. And Patrick is one of the best scene partners I could ask for

And, of course, Jesse Williams. I mean, what he's able to do on Broadway in this part with little to no stage experience is just – it's a real testament to his just innate talent and ability

So, yeah. You're a tight company backstage too, aren't you? I think so

I would say so, yeah. We all have – we all have our own relationships with each other

I was actually talking with Brandon Durden about this. You know, I think a lot of times other companies that we've been a part of, you know, you come in and you do so much work

And it's just it's all about the work that you don't ever really get a chance to feel like you get to know people

And so you always want to go out and have drinks and you always want to do stuff outside of the theater

And for us, it doesn't seem as compelling. Granted, there's COVID and all these restrictions, but we are so well formed as a unit

and we have such personal relationships with each other that there's not this incessant need to go spend time outside of the theater

because when we're at the theater, we all have individual time with each other

during the play, before the play, after the play. I've gotten to know each and every one of these guys

even some of the understudies, in very personal ways. Those are moments that the public might not be particularly interested in

but those are just as important in the longevity of a career

really getting to know people that you work with. You have a fascinating career

You can drink your water. Can I? Okay, thank you. This is all very casual. You have a really great career

I'm researching you all over again just following what you've done and everything

Where did your love for performing begin? Was there a defining moment for you

when you said, wow, I want to try to be an actor and try to make a living at this? I think, well, I mean

I mean, I've always been doing plays, and I've always enjoyed, you know, performing

And, you know, it's evolved over time, you see. But there's always been an interest in a, you know, there's nothing like, you know, being an eight-year-old and getting a room full of adults to laugh

I mean, it's just like, oh, my God, there's something, it's indescribable. So that's always kind of been a part of my story, but I think when I was in college, I didn't major in theater, but I did plays, and people were always asking me to do that stuff, and I always said yes, and I always enjoyed it

and then a teacher of mine, who's a contemporary of Kate, Kate Wilson

She's a voice instructor. Gigi Buffington, do you know who she is? Oh, you do. Oh, yeah

So she is a very instrumental part in my journey. She was the one who strongly suggested that I come to New York

and work with somebody that she recommended and really pursue it. And so I took her advice, and I did that

And then I think the maturity of understanding what this was all about, really, pursuing it and the demand and the rigor and what it really costs was really something that kind of began on my journey here in New York

And I very much enjoy that part of it. Do you know what I mean

I forget who I was talking to, but they said, Richard, everybody reads a playbill and says, oh my God, this star has done all these great things, but no one knows about the in-between

And I thought that was really fascinating. Like you could have like six major credits, but no one realizes there were all those in-between moments when they were like, am I going to work again

Right, right. You know, or, you know, you're a dad now. I mean, you're a dad. So, I mean, how do you like juggle both of those things

Because I love like, you know, your first check you got, I think it was some of Samuel French off-off Broadway, right

That's right. Short festival. I mean, but everybody like that must have been really a big deal to have that check and like, oh, my God, I'm an actor

Someone's paying me for this. That's right. You know, I think for I'm a very textbook actor in that way

You know, it's like when you're young and when you you you're hungry, you know, we are needy in the beginning

We're desperate. And we oftentimes are, you know, walking into rooms with that, not even being aware of it

You know, we'll work for free, you know, even to our detriment

And so the first time that somebody is willing to pay you, I mean, it's just a seismic shift

I mean, even if it's $25 or $50, it's like, oh, my God, you know, I've arrived

I mean, it is. And when you look back on those things, you can laugh. But in the moment, I mean, it is as real as anything

And I remember when I did my first play my first full production play it was Incident at Vichy with the tact and I was non and I got a check at the beginning stipend at the beginning

They had to hire two non-equities, and I was one of them. And then they gave you the check at the end

And I just remember calling my mom on the phone that day, and I'd made it

I'm a real actor. I'm a professional actor. And yeah, there's a lot of that

and developing plays and workshopping plays. Brandon Durden knows a lot about this

He's always working with playwrights. He's always doing readings. He's always helping push these plays forward

and I believe in that too. Plays need a lot of love and attention and massaging

They need to be mounted and remounted and rewritten. So a lot of us do stuff like that as well

and fortunately for me I find that to be quite interesting. Yeah. How has being a dad changed the way you look at your career

Well, you know, you really got to bring home the bacon, you know what I mean, in a lot of ways

But more so it's just, you know, that's a good question. It's hard

It's a hard question for me to answer. But, you know, children do something to all adults, even if you don't like children

I think in some way, like, they have certainly softened me and really made me see all of my shortcomings in all the best ways

And, I mean, they're just beautiful. They're just wildly fun. And watching them just start talking and having personalities and, you know, it's – there's an innocence and a playfulness that is necessary in the work that we do as adults

and when you get to be around children who are just living that

and being reminded how simple it is, you know, just peanut butter

It's like, oh my God. And you're like, yeah, that's what we do

And you forget that stuff as you get older. And so for me, my children have really

have kind of brought that back in the forefront among many other things

You know, my final question is, you're about to end the run of take me out

How are you going to be able to say, by to Shane and this company and Take Me Out in general

Because these kind of shows only come around once in a blue moon. Once in a lifetime

You're right. You're right. I don't know. As you know, this is in the

heart of Tony's season. There's just so much happening between now and the next

week and a half. You know, I am just maintaining what I've always maintained from the beginning, which is, you know, come to the theater and give this audience everything that you have

You know, make that the single most important thing. And everything else will just align as it will

Because I don't know what it's going to be like. I anticipate I'll be very, you know, depressed

I mean, you know, it's I've never had an opportunity quite like this to play a part like this

And you're right. These things just don't come around. So I have a lot of gratitude

And I found especially with hand to God, you know, I remember reminding myself over and over again, you know, just just take it all in

Enjoy all of this. And if you can, then it's very, very difficult to look back and think about all the things that didn't happen or all of the, you know

And all of my memories from that show were just absolutely wonderful. And so I'm hoping that applying that same way of thinking will leave me kind of with the same feeling

And as an addendum, what this Tony nomination means to you? It's kind of incomprehensible in a lot of ways, truthfully

you know it's not something I've ever really I've wanted to I've wanted to be a professional actor

I've wanted to be able to make a living as an actor and I've wanted to

play parts those are kind of the main things and I'd never thought

about it like I just you know those things happen to other people those things

happen to famous people quite frankly and so like I said I mean my

all the enjoyment is wrapped up in playing Shane and nothing can take away from the excitement

and the gratitude of being nominated and whatever happens is a win

and I'm so glad that our company is being recognized for this production because I think all of those gentlemen

deserve to be recognized and personally I just accept my nomination on behalf of all of them

Well, again, you're giving one of the finest performances of the season. Thank you so very much for saying that

Thank you for joining me today. Anytime. I love chatting with you. I love you