By SHARON EBERSON
Christopher Jackson was asking about place to eat and things to do in Pittsburgh, and suddenly, an idea painted a vivid picture:
It was of the regal General George Washington, overlooking the Golden Triangle from Mount Washington.
A smile-inspiring thought, indeed, but not nearly as exciting as Hamilton’s original George Washington, In the Heights’ Benny and Simba in The Lion King on Broadway coming to the intimate Greer Cabaret Theater for a two-show Trust Cabaret night.
If you have never seen Hamilton on stage or streaming, you may have at least caught Jackson in one of the most stirring musical numbers in Kennedy Center Honors history, when he inspired goosebumps with the show’s song about the peaceful transfer of power, One Last Time.
And – get a hold of yourselves, Nation – the Illinois native “has a soft heart for the Steelers,” he said.
Turns out, his TV daughter on the CBS show Bull, actress Jazzy Williams, is the sister of Coach Mike Tomlin‘s niece, Brynn Williams.
Jackson is returning to Pittsburgh for the first time in more than 30 years, since he was a sophomore in high school and chosen as an ambassador for the state of Illinois, to represent the Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation and the Youth Leadership Foundation at a conference here.
This time, he is coming as a Tony nominee and Grammy winner for Hamilton, and the winner of a Daytime Emmy as co-writer of the Outstanding Original Song, What I Am, from Sesame Street.
You also may know Jackson as stylish ex-football player Chunk Palmer on Bull, or as Herbert Wexley on And Just Like That …, which returns to HBO Max later this year.
Is it possible that those fans don’t know him as Hamilton’s Washington?
“It’s a weird thing, right? When you’re in 15 million homes every week doing one thing, it’s really hard to scale that up. I mean, obviously Hamilton went a long way to do that, but it’s interesting. Growing up, Broadway stars generally found their way on a sitcom. I grew up watching Nell Carter [on Gimme a Break], never knowing she was on Broadway.”
In Pittsburgh on February 10, so close to Valentine’s Day, Jackson’s mind will be on love songs.
He knows patrons will want to hear something from the shows he is best known for, but he warns that Lin-Manuel Miranda hasn’t provided a lot in the way of cabaret material. Jackson was reminded of this the day before he was on the phone, when he went to see Miranda in the Broadway comedy All In.
“Of course, everyone wants to hear the Hamilton tunes … but the crazy thing is, I have only one solo in Hamilton. … Lin likes to write duets with us. Also, my experience on Broadway has been somewhat nontraditional, in that I haven’t really ever pursued the Rodgers and Hammerstein sort of classic canon. Most of my love of music came up through gospel music, through pop and R&B.”
It should also be noted that Jackson, besides being a Founding Father on Broadway, is a founding member of the hip-hop musical comedy group Freestyle Love Supreme, and he was a star of the short-lived Broadway show Holler If Ya Hear Me, featuring the music of Tupac Shakur.
Despite his nontraditional musical background, Jackson said, “I have a great affection for the classic American songbook of the Nat King Coles and the Cole Porters. But I have an equal love for Stevie Wonder, who in my mind brings a lot of the American songbook into [his early] music. So you’ll hear a little bit of Cole Porter, you’ll hear Stevie, you will hear some Harry Belafonte, who was just a personal hero of mine and someone that I got to know a little bit.”
Jackson, who is currently working on a studio album, said there might be new music as well, but overall, “I kind of look back and try to create a show that’s a 2025 version of what you might see at the Copa.”
His set was not yet finalized as he was speaking, because he was in the midst of workshops for a new show. In November of last year, he and his wife, actress Veronica Vazquez-Jackson, were part of what Playbill.com described as a “starry lineup” bringing Dominic Fallacaro and Andrea Daly’s new musical NEXT to Joe’s Pub for a one-night-only concert.
“I never have one thing going on, it’s always 15 things going on,” said the father of two sons. “My wife and I, we bought this house almost four years ago, and the first order of business was to build a studio so that I could finally have a space that I can lock a door behind. But we’ve been toiling away at an album. I’m hoping to have it done by the end of March. I haven’t been shooting [And Just Like That …] since October, so it’s really been the main thrust of my work.”
In Pittsburgh, Jackson will make time for some exploration. The last time he was here, Barry Bonds was the Pirates’ star, and he made it to Fallingwater, but not to Mount Washington.
“I just remember enjoying all of the touristy things to do in Pittsburgh,” Jackson said. “As I was reading about the [Downtown] cultural center, I was really excited about how involved the community is, and how active it is. I feel like this many years later, coming back to the city is just really exciting for me.”
In the song One Last Time, which Jackson has performed so brilliantly, he sings “If we get this right / We’re gonna teach ‘em how to say goodbye …”
However, when he takes the stage at the Greer Cabaret, a duet from The Lion King would seem to be more to the point:
“Can you feel the love tonight …“
TICKETS AND DETAILS
The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust‘s Trust Cabaret Series presents Christopher Jackson at the Greer Cabaret Theater, Downtown, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on February 10, 2025. Tickets: Visit https://trustarts.org/production/96451/christopher-jackson or call 412-456-6666.
Categories: Feature Stories, Our Posts, Show Previews, Venue
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