David Perlman stars as Roland, a career-driven lawyer who gets a dog in hopes of finding love and a more successful career, in the adorable new musical comedy A Dog Story
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BroadwayBox caught up with Perlman to talk about the new show, his own pup, and Sandy vs. Toto.
1. Roland gets a dog to attract a potential mate. What’s the craziest thing you’ve done to get a date?
Straight up persuasion and reasoning, haha. On more than one occasion, I’d be placed in someone’s “friend zone” and I’d have to try to persuade them to see me in a different light. With Trey (my husband), however, I didn’t need to persuade him. He was very interested right away, even though I had placed him in my friend zone. We figured it out pretty quickly though.
2. Toto from The Wizard of Oz or Sandy from Annie?
Sandy!! I love both, but I actually watched Annie every single day, sometimes twice, when I was about 2-4 years old.
3. What’s your favorite musical romance?
I love Little Shop of Horrors. Yes, it’s about a man-eating plant, but the heart of it is a beautiful love story, one in which a man will do anything for the woman he loves. There’s a bit of desperation and miscommunication, but hey, it’s a musical comedy.
4. How has having Winnie Travid changed your life for the better?
It’s pretty incredible to have a bundle of pure love running around the apartment. No matter what kind of mood I’m in, she just loves me and wants to express it; that is pretty amazing. I also love seeing how happy she makes Trey.
5. What fictional character or real-life actor do you attribute Winnie’s personality to? Who is she serving in your mind?
Interesting…I would say JLo. Winnie can be a total diva, but she’s also just really, really sweet. She has a really great smize, is always camera-ready, but is also totally ready to get dirty rolling around in the sand. She only eats human-grade food, but she’s still Winnie from the block.
6. What’s your best traveling Europe as Woof in Hair story?!
Wow. Well, we were twenty-somethings in Europe, so I think it’s best that what happens on the European tour of Hair stays on the European tour of Hair. I will say that I remember running around Berlin completely naked with half the cast…and that was a press event!
7. What’s been the most rewarding part of being attached to a production as long as you have with this one?
I’ve watched the show grow so much over the past 3+ years; it’s amazing how much stronger and tighter it has become. It’s also so cool to see how bits of myself have made it into the script, whether it’s a line here or a piece of business there. I do so many readings of new shows, and it’s rare and exhilarating when they actually get fully produced in New York City.
Don't miss David Perlman in A Dog Story at off-Broadway's Loft at the Davenport Theatre.
