Hi Jeff, thanks for being the first subject of our new section. For those who aren’t familiar with your work, can you tell us about some of the shows you’ve done?

Thanks for asking. I'm honored to be the first. 

Here are my New York credits. 

Broadway: How To Succeed (Revival-OBC), Dream (OBC), Cats (Final Cast) and The Producers (OBC)

Encores!: Of Thee I Sing (2006), Face the Music (upcoming)

Off-Broadway: If Love Were All, Choreographer of Naked Boys Singing

Off-Off Broadway: Children of a Lesser God (Keen Company), Pvt. Wars (currently)

You just got off a tour of WHITE CHRISTMAS where you played Phil Davis (the part played by Danny Kaye in the film).  Any good stories from the road?

Just for clarity's sake, White Christmas is not a tour in the traditional sense. It's kind of its own animal. It's produced in the same vein as a national tour, the only difference is we only play it in one city from Thanksgiving to New Year's. There have been multiple companies the past two years but we don't "travel" the show per se. We sit down for the duration. 

As far as stories go, the main story about White Christmas is that it's just about as much fun as you can have during the holiday season as is possible. They continually assemble casts that are not only talented but truly embody the spirit of the show and of Christmas itself. I mean this very sincerely. The past three years have created a White Christmas family. I thought I would grow tired but I haven't. 

This year, my friend Kevin Worley and my girlfriend Erin Crouch helped me put together a surprise "gift" for the Detroit company. It's a music video spoof called Lazy Tuesday: I Love A Piano Style. We filmed it in St Paul, MN at the Ordway. It's up on YouTube. We wanted to start a tradition, hopefully, of the casts trading funny gags and whatnot. When you get theatre people involved in something like that, usually the results can be very entertaining. The Detroit company sent back a "reply" that was hysterical.

Essaying so many classic roles from the 30's, 40's and early 50's do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong era?

I used to. But then I started to see an opportunity to recall that time. I guess I like being a "throwback." 

Tell us about A YEAR WITH THE PRODUCERS.  Were you approached to write the book or did you pitch the idea to the publisher?

I pitched the idea to the publisher. I had been keeping a journal of high points in my life for a few years. While I was in Chicago trying out the show, a friend mentioned that I should turn that particular part of the journal into a book. When we got back to NY and the show hit, I started investigating how it could happen. It remains one of my proudest achievements. It has allowed me to connect to people - theatre students, audience members, other writers - that I never would have had the chance to meet. 

You also wrote two plays, DANCING IN THE DARK and CHANGE PARTNERS, neither of which has had an NYC run.  Any plans to produce either of them in NYC any time soon?

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a "thing" for Fred Astaire. I've been a "student" of his since I was about 16. I've studied his dancing, his choreography, everything. Dancing in the Dark and Change Partners are two different shows that I've written about Fred Astaire. They've had success regionally but trying to get a show to New York is one of the hardest tasks you can take on. The timing has to be just right, the creative team has to be just right and most importantly, the show has to be just right. When the show and the timing and the team are right, the show will come to NY. 

What were the special challenges in choreographing NAKED BOYS SINGING?

Making their penises all go the left on "5." 

I kid.

But that's the answer you were hoping for right?  Seriously, choreographing that show was enlightening to say the least. I quickly realized that the "members" were going to go wherever they were going to go. The one thing you couldn't entirely choreograph was the one thing everything was going to be focused on - at least for the first few scenes. That's the funny part about the show - after a while you forget that they're naked. I think it's what has made the show last. One thing we all have in common is our nakedness. 

If you could only focus one career aspect full time – either performing, writing, choreography or directing – which would it be?

Right now it's performing. It's the one aspect of the business that has always brought me the most bang for the buck. I feel strongly that I will transition into directing and choreographing as I get older. Writing, I always do. Whether people are reading it or seeing it is a different story, but I am always writing. 

Tell us about your upcoming concert, JAZZ TURNS, at Birdland on Feb. 19th.

Any other upcoming projects we should look out for?

Currently I'm doing an Off Off Broadway play called Pvt Wars (by James McLure) with the Incumbo Theatre Company, a burgeoning theatre company that I think has a very bright future. We're down at the Gene Frankel Theatre until Feb 18th.

I'm doing an evening of Kurt Weill Music with Isabella Rosselini, Simon Jones, Leah Hocking, John Jellison and Alison Blackwell. It's a benefit concert for the American Musicals Project. That's on February 5th at the NY Historical Society.

Then in March, I'll be doing Face The Music at City Center Encores. I'm playing Pat Mason opposite my original White Christmas co-star, Meredith Patterson. 

That's enough...for now.

Thank you so much for letting me a part of this. See you at Birdland!

Learn more about Jeffry at his website, www.jeffrydenman.com

Tickets to JAZZ TURNS at Birdland available at Instant Seats.com.