NR: How often do you get to step in to understudy the other Bounders?

JH: Hardly ever.

NR: I was wondering about that, since like you said, there are so many personalities. That must be tricky to do.

JH: I find Dewhurst to be the hardest. Not the hardest to play, because actually, he can be a lot of fun. But, it's hard because (I shouldn't say this - poor Ken), but I find it harder to find a character flaw. He's already overcome his character flaw. He's already "on the boat" with Percy. He's already ready to go. The other ones...so I can't imitate them. I have to do what I think if I were them, what would my character flaw be.

NR: You know what James Judy told me? Dewhurst feels guilty because he's the one who brought Percy the news. So, that's the thing over his head. He feels like he started this whole thing.

JH: Oh. Well, you know what? Then I just learned something. Now I know what to play. I'm going to use that. Thank you.

NR: (laughing) Well, thank James. Do you have a favorite part of the show to do?

JH: I think "Into the Fire." The whole "Into the Fire" bit, but especially the new part when we're fighting and pretending with the swords. Up until the boat ...that whole part. I think that's the most fun because that's the most heartfelt with all of us. Then the boat becomes a little bit more about changing your costume.

NR: You must look out and see faces of people who are just amazed by the way this boat appears.

JH: Yeah, and that's fun, knowing that you're doing that to people.

NR: Now, is there anything that you just really have "had it" - you've done it too many times and you just have to get through it?

JH: Yeah. I think the seascape is probably the hardest - standing there so long. That's a tough one.

NR: Tell me about your other shows now. I know about I Love New York which, I have to tell you, is one of my favorite CDs. I've worn it out. I would buy one for everyone I know if I could afford it. I really love it.

JH: Thank you.

NR: It's great voices and a great collection of songs. There are some beautiful ballads, and then there are several songs that are very funny. I wish you could do it again so I could see it live.

JH: They may tour it. I can't remember what it's called, but they're going to be doing a tour of it, hopefully in the fall, across the country. They're going to be doing the I Love New York show, plus a little section about Broadway. That was such a highlight of my life.

NR: It must be. Bryan Batt told me about the CD and he talked me into getting it. Now I play it constantly.

JH: I looked all over for those songs, every day, all night because we had two weeks to put it together - my collaborator, Ray (Roderick) and John Glaudini. Then a friend of mine said, "Do you know the song (singing) `Goodbye My Coney Island Baby'?" I said, "What's it called?" and she said, "I don't know. I guess `Goodbye My Coney Island Baby'" and that's all she knew. And she's a New Yorker! So, we went to the library and found it. It was so small, just sixteen bars. That's all that was written. It was nothing. I was standing by in 1776 at the time. I would run backstage...the Gershwin is huge so I had my own private work place, and I said, "A roller coaster. They're on a roller coaster ride." I gave it to John Glaudini and he arranged it. Ray Roderick directed it and had them on stools doing all this great stuff.

NR: You know, I didn't see it, but I can picture what he probably did through a lot of it. Did you have a video projection or something behind them?

JH: No. What was behind us at Rainbow and Stars is ...(oh boy, that's a great idea!) At Rainbow and Stars you have the city as the backdrop. It's huge panes of glass so you see the skyline of the city. It's a cabaret space.

NR: I thought maybe you had a video behind them because you really could do that as if they were on the ride. You can picture it as you listen to the song.

JH: It got great reviews.

NR: I'm wondering how the rest of the country will receive all of this "I Love New York" stuff. Maybe they don't love New York as much as we do.

JH: Right, but I think they're going to love it because we're going to make it I Love New York and the Lights of Broadway. It will be about a lot more. We may take out a couple of the numbers that got too specific. And we are looking for a place in New York to reopen it. It was supposed to a couple of times, but we're waiting.

NR: Pete 'n' Keely. I didn't see that either but I've heard it's terrific. Rumor has it that you might be doing it.

JH: We're doing a little private reading next week. It's going to be done at Penn State College for a fund-raiser next weekend. Then, this theater called Cap 21...it got chosen to be part of their new theater group. We start rehearsals in January and we open in February for three weeks. It will perform there as a showcase and then hopefully we're going to move it.

NR: Is that in New York?

JH: Yeah. It's at 15 West 28th Street.

NR: That's excellent. I've heard nothing but wonderful things about it.

JH: It's really great. It's so adorable. It just needs some more work. We did the readings with George Dvorsky and Sally Mayes and we're still trying to finalize the cast for this run.

Interview conducted and photographs by Nancy Rosati.