Leslie Odom Jr.'s time as Aaron Burr in '"Hamilton" may be over, but he is beginning a new chapter in his career with a CD of S Curve Records and a series of concerts at the McKittrick Hotel in Manhattan, all of which our Budd Mishkin discussed with him.
What a ride for Leslie Odom Jr. There's the Tony Award for his role as Aaron Burr in "Hamilton." And now he is launching a musical career with a CD on S Curve Records and a series of concerts at the McKittrick Hotel in Manhattan.
"I think I’m gonna get “Pardon me are you Aaron Burr, sir?” maybe for the rest of my life and that’s okay,” said the singer and actor about leaving the show that’s become his calling card to pursue another passion.
"When I met my producer, Joseph, it’s like, 'So what? Who is Leslie Odom, Jr.? What is the music that you would sing? Is it R&B? Is it soul? Is it – you know.' And so it took us a second to work our way through that identity crisis and find out what is the best – what is home? "
He's settled primarily on old standards from the Great American Songbook. One of the songs that truly resonates for Odom is the popular blues standard ‘Nobody Knows You When You’re down and Out’.
Frustrated by the uneven nature of show business while in his 20's in Los Angeles, Odom considered quitting the business not that long ago.
"You’re even going to apply at retail stores and y’know what? They’re looking at people who have worked in retail! So I’m lying on my resume about places that I’ve worked and it was horrifying,” Odom recounted.
Odom says his life changed thanks to advice from acting coach Stuart K. Robinson, who said, “Look I think you’re sitting at home and you’re waiting and for the phone to ring and when the phone rings you show up and do a great job, but what did you do today other than wait at home and sit on your couch waiting for the phone to ring?”
And he was completely right, according to Odom. Only a few years later, Odom landed his role in "Hamilton." And then everything changed. The timing was just right.
"I am more ready now then I have ever been,” said Odom. “I would have been a crazy person if this would have happened when I was 22 years old or 24 years old – I’d be out of my mind. I’d be sitting here talking to you with shades on and a cigarette y’know? "
NY1 spoke to Odom as his run in "Hamilton" was coming to an end. He was occasionally witness to the mania created by the show. He said, "People are kinda willing to push each other and step on each other and push a head down, “Leslie! Will you sign this!” Y’know, “Leslie! My kid-“ you know that kind of thing."
But the realities of Broadway allowed him to deflect much of the outside world's obsession." I have a show tonight, I had two yesterday,” Odom recounted. “I got knees that need to be iced, I got – I need a massage like you wouldn’t believe. That’s the really beauty part of eight shows a week that’ll keep your feet pinned down to the ground because you don't get to get carried away by it."
Leslie Odom Jr. was born in Queens and grew up in Philadelphia, where he was honored at City Hall.
He describes a home filled with the music of greats like Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye, and a mutual love with our Budd Mishkin, James Taylor.
He was busy, taking dance and acting classes all over Philadelphia with others who would also go on to succeed in the performing arts. He recalled them as “the most talented, intelligent, sophisticated band of misfits that you’d ever want to meet."
"There was something that also felt subversive about our interests,” he added. “That I was a 13, 14-year-old black kid in Philadelphia who loved "Rent" seemed odd to some. But it made sense to me."
Seeing Rent changed Odom's life, as it did for "Hamilton" creator Lin Manuel Miranda.
"It had never occurred to me that the theatre could be so vital; that the theatre could be so… sexy and young and important, right? And so yeah. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for that show," Odom said.
Odom was a 17-year-old high school senior in Philadelphia when he made his Broadway debut in "Rent" in 1998.
He lived with his grandmother in Jamaica, Queens. Two years later, he was studying at Carnegie Mellon University when he had a chance to be part of the original Broadway cast of "Aida."
"And my parents put their foot down and they said “no you’re not.” This was the promise. The promise was that you were gonna go to college. All this other stuff can wait," said Odom.
"Hamilton" presented another decision. Before the show became an international sensation, Odom had a choice:
For modest money at the Public Theater, stick with "Hamilton," which he already knew was the greatest piece of work he'd ever been offered or go with a previously arranged contract for a television show and much bigger money.
"I wanna buy my mom a house too,” Odom said. “Walter Lee says in "Raisin' in Sun": ‘Can’t my wife wear pearls?’"
"I have responsibilities at home in Philadelphia and here in New York City. $500 a week don’t cut it. But how can I walk away from this show? And how can I turn down a television contract too? So, but I listened to that crazy instinct. There was something that was keeping me up at night about Hamilton," Odom recalled of his decision.
With his wife, fellow actor Nicolette Robinson by his side, Odom sounds at peace with his decision to leave "Hamilton" and take a risk on something new.
"If I get comfortable and fall in love with this side of it, you know then fear can set in: “Oh well what if it all goes away?” What I have to remind myself is: what if it does all go away? I’ve been there. I survived that," he said.
"All of this is uncharted for me now. As the writer of sort of the story of my life, I’m turning the page and it’s blank. And so — is there doubt? There’s faith and there’s trust and there is — there’s the unknown,” said Odom.