and I've been asked

to talk a little about my musical career

and somethings I've learned.

I've been given five minutes,

which I think is plenty of time

to tell you all I know.

♫ Memories are precious and priceless ♫

A quick reference point

is that I started out

in Grease on Broadway as an understudy.

Left it to do a musical

with "The Andrew Sisters" called "Over Here!".

Came back and did Grease

as Danny Zuko the lead

and

remained as Danny Zuko the lead in Grease

for about three years.

♫ Music ♫

The rehearsal process,

the process of shooting them

has not changed particularly.

But the time to rehearse,

the time to get the songs right,

the time to get the dancing right,

has condensed.

I think the thing you need to do

is to be aware that you should

beg, ask, anything you can

to get rehearsal time.

So you're comfortable with the number,

comfortable with the style of the show,

get a chance to see what everybody else is doing

so you know what movie you're in.

♫ Music ♫

The difference between a song and a scene...

again I don't really think

there's much of a difference.

I think that you are...

A song is basically

a monologue,

a song between two people

is a dialogue

and a song

with a group of people is a Woody Allen movie.

♫ Christmas On The Square ♫

♫ all without a care. ♫

Lovely day!

♫ Gifts exchanged and carolers sing ♫

But the one thing I would say to younger actors

is that

be concerned with what you're doing,

not how you're doing.

I think if you're worried about how you're doing,

am I hitting the notes properly,

did I crack on that note?

You're going to become self-concious

and you sort of lose your thread.

If you're very focused on what you have to say,

or what you're trying to tell the other person,

or what you're sharing with the audience.

You're gonna be a lot more comfortable

and I think truthful.

♫ Music ♫

Everybody's got their own way.

I started with a method called Vaccai.

You can go on YouTube.

There are plenty of people explaining that method.

It's a booklet

and what he did was he wrote songs,

the gaps between notes

where wider and wider

to get your voice to expand.

♫ I've walked that lonesome valley ♫

♫ Topped the mountains, saw the sky ♫

♫ I've laughed and I have cried, ♫

♫ but I have always tried. ♫

It's very important also to have your body warmed up

because

you don't sing from here, you sing from your core,

down in here.

That's how we all got through colds, sickness

and everything else on Broadway,

where you did eight a week.

You had to be able learn to sing from the gut,

from here or you where going to be in trouble vocally.

♫ Music ♫

My favorite role?

Gotta be Danny Zuko in Grease.

I'm sorry,

but

that taught me everything

I knew about stage acting and musicals.

Then I went on to

to do Hair with Miloš Forman.

and Pirates of Penzance

Captains Courageous, the Musical

The Randy Newman Musical.

So it was great to have that

first training ground of Grease.

But I would have to say

it would be Danny Zuko, Berger.

♫ Music ♫

My favorite Christmas songs, there are two.

Old school.

One is...

The Christmas Song

which is written by Mel Tormé

on a hot day in LA.

The next one

would be White Christmas

sung beautifully by Bing Crosby

and many many other people.

My favorite Christmas album of all time

which we always trim the tree to is

A Jolly Christmas, Frank Sinatra.

It's killer good,

It's the best.

♫ Loving one another ♫

This is the toughest one,

my favorite Dolly Parton song,

all of them.

But...

if I had to pick two.

My favorite

"up song" would be

Nine to Five

and my favorite

ballad is

I Will Always Love You

it is an exquisite song

and I get very emotional every time I hear it.

And Dolly I will always love you

for giving me this part in

Christmas On The Square.

♫ And I will ♫

♫ forever be grateful ♫

♫ it's all been intrusted to me ♫

♫ what is and what's been ♫

♫ the now and the then ♫

♫ I treasure these memories ♫