Broadway veteran Jeffry Denman, best known for his roles in the revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, is dusting off his tap shoes this fall to join the Off-Broadway production of Cagney, currently playing at the Westside Theatre. This inspiring and captivating musical honors the life and career of James Cagney, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars that graced the screen and stage, and uncovers the man behind the fame and fortune. Denman plays a myriad of characters, including the renowned Bob Hope, bringing his essence to life each night on stage as the company sings and dances to the greatest George M. Cohan songs including “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “Give My Regards to Broadway.”

StageBuddy caught up with Denman as he reflects on the lives and careers of these great entertainers, how dance became a prominent part of his career, and the life lessons that Cagney instills in human beings everywhere.

In Cagney, you play a couple different characters, along with the legendary Bob Hope – what are those experiences like?

Well, with Cagney, I don’t look like or sound like Bob Hope – he has such a signature quality about him and I asked our director as well as Bobby Creighton if they were looking for an impression and they said, "No, we’re just looking for the essence of him." There’s a certain style to the movie stars of that era and I think with shows like Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and other productions that I’ve done, it’s helped prepare me for the role.

In your journey playing Bob, what’s been the most surprising thing that you learned about him?

I just learned maybe about three years [ago], thanks to YouTube, that he was an amazing dancer. I had no idea that he was the hoofer that he was and his style of dance was very old style. I always knew him as the guy who was basically the stand-up comedian and I knew he did a lot of work for the United Service Organization (USO) and was a huge supporter of the military and would host the Oscars, but didn’t know the dancer that he was.

The music of this production is so electrifying. What is the most thrilling part about the score for you each night?

Most of the score is a cappella which is so thrilling for us as well as the audience. It’s this moment of musical silence and we’re just talking to each other through the tap dancing, which is difficult, but extremely rewarding in the end. The USO section is always such a thrill because the audience gets such a charge out of it, and the big tap dance number at the end with the company is always fun – you never get tired of it.

Can you talk about your journey and career with dance?

I started late in terms of most people who are dancers from an early age. For me, I was almost in college and took dance lessons from the choreographer at my high school and she told me that I had an aptitude for dance and that I needed to take classes. From there, I went to the university where she taught – her name is Lynne Formato and she now teaches at Elon University in North Carolina. She was my mentor and got me on a track to make dancing a very prominent part of my talent set and that’s really where it all started and from there, I got introduced to Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly and the movie musicals. I really connected to those and by the time I came to New York, dance took this very prominent role in my search for jobs and the first job I got very early on was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying on Broadway.

How has Cagney differed from other experiences you’ve had on stage?

I love when a theater piece asks actors to do multiple roles. It’s so fun to watch because you get to see them do these kind of theatrical gymnastics while they are doing the show. This cast is full of people who can do that – all of my fellow cast mates are so talented in that area and can take on different roles and let them each have their own life.

Had you been very familiar with the Vaudeville era?

I am very familiar with the 1930s. I didn’t know a lot about James Cagney -- I had seen a couple of movies but now have watched so many more. I recently watched White Heat and The Public Enemy and have always been a fan of Yankee Doodle Dandy but am now hitting the ones that aren’t so well known. The West Point Story looks very interesting and fun. I did The Time of Your Life in college as a play and then remember getting the movie and watching it and noticing the contrast within the versions of the story. It was really cool to see Cagney take a love of that piece and want to put it on film.

What life lessons does Cagney leave audience members with?

As far as James Cagney is concerned, he fought for what he believed in and used his fame and success to help out people who were less fortunate. He was dedicated to his art and his craft. He knew that people knew him as a gangster and he desperately wanted to be seen as more than that. I see the full mosaic that he was bringing as an actor and a performer and love that he really tried to stay true to that. All of us have a lot more to us than just what is the easiest thing to see. All human beings are more complex and interesting than just one note.

Catch Jeffry Denman in Cagney at The Westside Theatre. For tickets and info, visit: https://www.cagneythemusical.com/