Nominated for five Tony Awards and winner as Best Actor in a Musical for his unforgettable performance as “Barnum” in 1980, Jim Dale has been a star in his native Great Britain and in America for over six decades. From a kid performing in England’s famed Music Halls, Dale went on to a successful career as a popular recording artist and star of close to 30 British films including the wildly popular Carry On series. Segueing into Britain’s legitimate theatre, then crossing the pond, Dale wowed New York audiences in “Joe Egg,” “Candide,” “Me and My Girl,” and “The Road to Mecca.” Dale may be best known to American audiences as the “voice” of Harry Potter, having recorded all seven audio books in the Harry Potter series.
Dale premieres his one-man show, “Just Jim Dale,” at Club Helsinki on Sunday, April 6 at 7 pm, part of the Helsinki on Broadway series. The show is directed by Tony Award-winner Richard Maltby, Jr. (“Ain’t Misbehavin'”), and will have a 12-week run at the Roundabout Theater in New York City after the performance in Hudson. Tickets are $50 reserved table seating, $30 barstool. (518) 828-4800; Helsinkihudson.com.
As producer of Helsinki on Broadway, I am very happy and proud to be presenting you in this world premiere. Why “Just Jim Dale” and why just now?
Well, it is just me up on stage along with my pianist Mark York and it’s more than just a cabaret act; it’s truly a one-man show exploring through song and dance and story my seven decades in show business. We toyed around with lots of titles including “Jim Dale—Still Carrying On” as a nod to my Carry On films but “Just Jim Dale” seemed more to the point. And I have a great collaborator in Richard Maltby. I feel very safe in his hands, which is always so important. Great material to work from and a great director are the keys to a successful theatrical venture.
I am a very big fan of your work. And I especially loved “Barnum.” What a thrilling show. You looked like you were having such a good time up there.
That show was a lot of fun to do. In addition to a great cast that included Glenn Close, we had real life circus performers on stage every night. I remember walking through Central Park while we were holding auditions for “Barnum” and I came across a young chap with red hair, red beard, and a bloody (literally) red face. You know, a street performer trying to make a few bob—dollars. He had been practicing walking a wire between two trees while playing his fiddle and two thugs came by and beat him up a bit. I offered some help, nobody else was around and then asked if he’d like to come and audition his act. He did, he got the job, and every night at the St. James Theater at the finale of the show there was Bruce Robinson walking the tightrope in his tights while playing his fiddle at the top of the theater. I often wondered if those two hoodlums that roughed him up a bit were in the balcony watching him in a Broadway show saying, “Doesn’t that guy look familiar?”
The New York Times called you “The Toast of Broadway” after winning practically every award short of the Nobel Prize for “Barnum.”
I was quite flattered but a bit taken aback at the same time. It’s very unusual for a British actor. We just didn’t have these awards in England. I think the Tony was one of the first awards I ever won in my life. Now we have the Olivier Awards and the English Standard Awards but not back then. You see, in England if you succeed, you are called Sir somebody or Dame somebody, but here if you succeed you are called Tony Award winner or Academy Award winner from then on. That’s the American hierarchy in the awards world.
Speaking of the Academy Awards, I am not sure if everybody knows that you are an Academy Award nominee for writing the lyrics to the title song to Georgy Girl.
We lost that year to the title song to the film Born Free and I still can remember like it was yesterday sitting in the front row at the Oscar ceremony hosted by Bob Hope. At the end of the show Bob said, “The winners will now go on to the Beverly Hilton to celebrate,” and then he looked straight at me and said, “And the losers will follow me up the down ramp of the Los Angeles Freeway.” That’s how you feel when you’re a loser at the Academy Awards—you’ll follow anyone up the down ramp of the freeway. And by the way, it was quite a year for songs—the other Oscar-nominated song was “What’s It All About Alfie?”
So, Tony winner Jim Dale, you’ve made lots of films in Britain, written songs, recorded songs, and done so much great theatre work. Any secret for success and happiness in this “show” business?
Well, if you want to go into this business and earn a lot of money then go do a soap opera for ten years—if you’re lucky enough to get one. Look, when I came here I could have gone right to Los Angeles, pursued films and television like I had done in Britain. But I chose theatre and I think I chose wisely. I did it for the love of acting. For the joy of performing live on stage. If there are royalties at the end of the day or a large salary check, so be it. But a lot of us are willing to do it for nothing, just to get the experience so we can go out there and be proud of what we are doing.
After a seven-decade career on stage, film and television you have now conquered the audio book world narrating the seven-volume collection of Harry Potter, playing one hundred and thirty four different characters. How does it feel to be an “audiophile”?
J.K. Rowling had seen my work in film and on my TV series in England and she was terrific in describing the various voices I would do. I had no idea at the time there were that many characters to do—in fact I heard I made the Guinness Book of World Records. And it’s nice because now I attract a whole new generation of fans who if they don’t know my face at least know my voices!
I know you call New York City your home but I understand you have a place in this neck of the woods as well?
Yes, my beautiful wife and I dismantled a 1730 barn and bought about 80 acres of woodland in Carmel. And I shipped this old barn there and redid it outside and in. In fact, much of the furnishings we bought on Warren Street in Hudson. That’s our favorite place. So I am very familiar with the Hudson Valley. And I so look forward to playing there.
This article appears in April 2014.
