Zachary Levi stars in a revival of She Loves Me, considered by many to be the most charming musical ever written. (Photo: AP)
To one day get to Broadway, Zachary Levi made the calculated choice to not initially go to Broadway.
The southern California native grew up as a passionate fan of theater, but knew he had to play a long game to make those dreams happen.
First up, he had to become a TV star.
“I knew that people who win Tony Awards have a hard time getting arrested in Hollywood, but if you could get on some schmucko sitcom in L.A., Broadway comes a-knocking, saying, ‘Hey, come and be in our show,'” Levi said, laughing.
Broadway has indeed come knocking for the former star of Chuck and Heroes Reborn, who is starring in a revival of She Loves Me, considered by many to be one the most charming musicals ever written. The show opens Thursday at the Roundabout Theatre.
Levi, who made his Broadway debut in 2013 in a small summer show, now finds himself among a Broadway All-Star team: Laura Benanti, Jane Krakowski, Gavin Creel, Byron Jennings, Michael McGrath and Peter Bartlett.
The 6-foot-4 Levi hopes he doesn’t stand out for the wrong reasons. “I don’t want people walking away going, ‘You know, for a Hollywood guy, not bad.’ I would hope that people walk away going, ‘I didn’t even think about it.’”
Levi plays a clerk of a perfume store who exchanges love letters with a pen pal only to discover she works alongside him. The story has been adapted into the films The Shop Around the Corner with James Stewart and You've Got Mail with Tom Hanks.
Levi, an actor with a self-effacing manner, solid moral compass, flawless comic timing and leading-man looks, is a worthy successor to Stewart and Hanks. “They’re major influences,” he said.
“I’ve always kind of found myself fitting into the Everyman role. As much as I'd like to feel like I can compete with the Brad Pitts of the world, that's like Adonis-y, leading-man stuff and I’m just a little goofier than that, I guess.”
Tony-nominated director Scott Ellis said Levi belongs alongside his veteran and celebrated cast mates —calling him a rare find — a leading man who is also funny.
“He brings a beautiful, beautiful soulfulness, humor, truth to this role,” Ellis said. “He has stepped up in a major way. No one is going to be able to walk away after seeing him and not go, ‘That's a guy who’s not only a terrific actor but that’s someone who can carry a musical.’ And there are not a lot of them out there.”
