It's no easy feat to take on a role originated by, not one, but two legendary divas of the stage, yet actor David Turner has taken on the challenge head on. He has masterfully slipped into the shoes of David Gamble--formerly Daisy Gamble--in the current Broadway revival of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, running through January 29th at the St. James Theatre (buy tickets here). In the original production, the part of ditzy Daisy--whose past life seduces her psychiatrist during a hypnosis session--was played by Barbara Harris, and by Barbara Streisand in the 1970 film adaptation. Now re-imagined with a book by Peter Parnell and under the direction of Michael Mayer, the story hinges on the quirky David, his boyfriend, and his therapist, Dr. Bruckner, who falls in love with David's female past life. We caught Turner, known for his work in Broadway productions of Arcadia, Sunday in the Park with George, and The Invention of Love, who spoke with us about how starring in a Broadway show is the best weight loss plan, what it's like to fill the shoes of these two iconic women, and the audiences' reactions to this new production.
How did this show come into your life?
As an actor, you can't really plan for anything. My agent called and said, "I have an audition for you." My dirty little secret is that I'm a little picky, because I hate them. I'm not bad at them, I just hate them. I'm a nervous person. But when I read it, I thought Oh, shit. I've got to do this.
