Matthew MurphyDavid Cook returned to the Broadway stage Tuesday night to reprise his role as Charlie Price in Kinky Boots. The season seven American Idol winner takes over the role through September 9, before hitting the road for a fall acoustic tour.
This time around, David tells Billboard he’s learned not to “overthink” his performance. He says during his own shows, he uses a teleprompter as a safety net – but there’s no teleprompter on Broadway.
“The first night on Kinky Boots, there’s no teleprompter and I’m standing by the stage before my character’s first big number and I’m thinking ahead — which is the exact wrong thing to do,” he says. “The rest of the show was this two-and-a-half-hour-long panic attack. I remember that because it taught me to stay in the moment, stay present.”
David adds that when his first run on Kinky Boots ended in May, he felt like he was finally getting into the groove of the character. “So I feel very fortunate that I get to return and continue to explore this character,” he says.
He anticipates his upcoming acoustic tour to be a change of pace from the collaborative nature of Broadway.
“It’s a completely different beast,” he says of the tour. “At the same time, with both, you’re operating on a tightrope without a net a little bit. I guess the difference is with live theater there’s other people on the rope with you.”
David’s new tour dates kick off October 25 in St. Louis.
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