Jeff Ostermueller: Q&A

Role:
CHAIR OF ROCK!!

What is your favorite song/scene/moment in Spring Awakening?

When the music returns after the acapella section of “The Song of Purple Summer.”

What inspires you to play the role?

I think the simple truths that the play tells so effortlessly is sufficient inspiration for anybody to play any role in this show.

What is it like playing in a new venue almost every night?

Exciting—there's a completely different vibe in every theater that's fun to play off of. It helps keep the show fresh as well because if you're really listening everything sounds/reacts differently every night.

Do you have a great Guilty Ones moment/story you can share?

Not one in particular, but my mother keeps me updated and she probably wishes she could respond to every post but has somehow controlled herself.

Do you have a great Chair of Rock/Stage Seating experience you can share?

I've had a bunch of people try to talk to me during the show...one guy didn't know I was a part of the cast and so after “Touch Me” when we're revealed he kept saying, "You got me good. You f-ing got me so good," while a scene was going on. We also have trouble entering through the theater sometimes because some venues give us fake tickets that don't work and we have to convince the ushers we know what we're doing, even though we've never been to that theater before, have no idea where we're going, and have no forms of identification on us. It gets interesting.

What is the weirdest/coolest thing that happened to you or another cast member on stage/at the stage door?

In Lexington, KY and Dayton, OH we kept getting all of these baked goods as presents pre-show! It was really cool but we had to have our company manager test them to make sure they were ok because we have to be cautious when two people show up with dozens of cupcakes and personalized letters for a cast they've never met in a show they haven't seen yet.

Have you been able to watch the show when an understudy was on? What did you think? What was it like?

It's amazing and the best part about it is that the rest of the cast loves it more than the understudy performing. There is an enormous amount of respect and love for the understudies in the cast so when one goes on everybody tries to make it as fun as possible for the person and we all end up having a lot of fun ourselves in the process.

What was it like when you performed in front of Steven Sater/Michael Mayer during the rehearsals?

Amazing. Nerve-racking at first but they love this show and you can tell they were really rooting for us, so the energy was so positive and exciting.

What musical theater role/character outside of the one you are playing now would you most like to play? Why?

Although I'm not the slightest bit Jewish I would love to play Jamie in The Last 5 Years. Jason Robert Brown's story-telling is quite possibly unmatched and the character's journey through some extraordinary times in their lives. Plus Jamie is so likable yet certainly doesn't choose the righteous path... It would be an honor to explore a character with so much depth and humanity as Jamie.