Rock Stars

Some actors have to spend hours upon hours reading biographies, studying films, and mastering foreign accents to get ready for a stage role. But Asa Somers and Maya Days, the stars of the new musical Once Around the Sun, need look no further than themselves for sheer authenticity.

Somers plays Kevin, the front man of a struggling rock band, who unexpectedly gets his shot at fame and fortune. It’s an experience the actor can (mostly) relate to. “I pursued rock music as a professional career for eight years,” he says. “For the last three, I had this band called Money Shot. We even played some of the same places the band in the show does, like the Mercury Lounge and Arlene’s Grocery. The only big difference is that the band in the show plays weddings to make money, and the only time I ever sang at a wedding was for my friends. But the guys who wrote this show — Robert and Steven Morris and Joe Shane — do play weddings to make money, and I’ve learned a lot from them. There are all these hand signals; one means ‘play in the key of D,’ another means ‘let’s take a break.’ It’s like watching a baseball manager.”

Does Somers — who has appeared on Broadway in The Rocky Horror Show, Dance of the Vampires, and Taboo — regret giving up his rock-star aspirations? “No,” he replies, “but I do miss it. We tried to make it happen and it just didn’t. Music is really a cutthroat business. When I finally went back to acting a few years ago, my parents were thrilled that I had decided to do something more stable! The reason Kevin is such a dream role for me to play is that it draws on all the things I’m good at and like to do, such as playing instruments on stage. And, as an actor, it allows me to go on an incredible journey.”

During that journey, Kevin meets up with Nona Blue, a singing superstar turned record mogul played by Days — who knows what it’s like to stand in the spotlight in front of thousands of screaming fans, having starred on Broadway in the title role of Aida, as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar, and Mimi in Rent. (While she did an audition tape for the film version of Rent, she wasn’t surprised to have lost the role to actress Rosario Dawson. “I don’t look 16 anymore and my boobs are too big,” she says.)

“My three Broadway shows were like rock concerts,” she remarks, “so I’m a bit spoiled by audiences. At Jesus Christ Superstar, we had standing ovations every single night, and priests in the audience crying at the end of the show. But it doesn’t matter to me if I’m performing for 200 people or 10,000, as long as I get to sing music that moves me.”

Although she hasn’t owned a record label, Days certainly knows the business side of her business: “For most of my career, I haven’t had a manager; I’ve always made my own decisions. I’m the type of person who observes everything and misses nothing. I was even like that as a child, and it’s been a bit of a burden.” But it wasn’t Days’ similarities to Nona Blue that led her to audition for the role; it was the character’s name. Days worked with Nona Hendryx, a real-life singer turned record mogul. “I just adore her,” she says, “so when I saw that the character was named Nona, I just had to go for it.”

If there is one major difference between these actors’ real lives and their alter egos, it’s parenthood. Somers is the doting dad of a six-month-old son, and Days is the proud mom of a 14-month-old boy. “Nothing compares to motherhood, and nothing is more important to me than my son Boston,” says Days. “The reason I am doing this show is that I can without compromising my commitment to him, which is something I will never do for any reason.”

Somers and Days share the stage with four extremely talented performers: John Hickok, Jesse Lenat, Caren Lyn Manuel, and Kevin Mambo. And both stars stress the importance of the show’s ensemble. “I want to be around a cast that’s this talented; in fact, I was delighted when I heard who else was in the show,” says Days (who worked with Hickok on Aida.) “I am a little egotistical, but not so much that I want other people to be bad so I can shine. With this group you really have to step up to the plate, or you will fall behind. On the other hand, if you are Aida, you can be horrible and everyone else around you can be so-so, but you’re still the star.”

Both stars credit director Jace Alexander (the son of legendary actress Jane Alexander) for making the right decisions in terms of casting. “I believe we were all cast before we even opened our mouths to say hello, because Jace and the rest of the team saw that we are the characters,” says Days. “For example, Caren is really Skye; she’s laid-back, sure of herself, and really kind. So if Jace or Kellie [Overbey, who wrote the book of the musical] want to know what a character might say at any moment, all they have to do is ask the actor.” Adds Somers: “He’s directing this more like a film, so there’s no room for melodramatics. This show is allowing me to be honest, and that’s really important.”

In some ways, Alexander is taking a chance on having the show being carried on Somers’ slender shoulders. “It’s my first time in New York originating a lead role, but I’m trying not to think about that kind of pressure,” Somers says. “I have enough to worry about, since playing an instrument onstage adds a whole level of complexity — just playing in key and singing on pitch. But, when I get nervous, I remember that I’ve done this a million times before as a musician. It’s just rock and roll.”