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TagsBY JERRY MILANI
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Dan Lauria, best known for his portrayal of Jack Arnold, young protagonist Kevin's father in the popular 1980s and 90s television series "The Wonder Years," will tackle another paternal role when he stars as Vince Lombardi in the Broadway play "Lombardi," opening on Oct. 21 at the Circle in the Square Theatre.
The six-character production is based on the recent best-selling David Maraniss biography of the Green Bay Packers mentor who got his coaching start at St. Cecilia High School in Englewood.
Lauria's own New Jersey connections include a former residence in Ridgewood and work at numerous New Jersey theatres. He has headlined plays like "A Stone Carver" in Trenton and "A Winning Streak" at the George Street Theatre in New Brunswick. The 63-year-old also brings a football background, more than 50 plays and nearly 100 film and television credits to the part.
Lauria, who now resides in California, recently took a few minutes to speak with NJNR about his career and "Lombardi."NJNR: How did you first learn that they were doing a Broadway version of Lombardi's life, and were you immediately interested?
DL: Well, of course I was interested. It was in the papers that Tony Ponturo, who retired from Budweiser and was a big player in sports advertising, was putting together a play about Lombardi. I was on the original short list to play Lombardi, then I was dropped. But then they hired Tommy Kail, director of "In The Heights" – he and I have been friends for many years. I was back in the mix. They even had a public vote and I came in number one, so I had a reading, first for Tony, then for the NFL and theatre owners, maybe 80 people, and it worked out.
NJNR: What did you know about Lombardi before learning of the role and what have you learned since?
DL: I played high school ball in the 60s and, especially on Long Island, Vince was a God. We knew everything that was in the books, seen documentaries, the Maraniss book had the most details. Once I got to play a round of golf with [former Green Bay linebacker] Ray Nitschke at an outing, so I heard some good Lombardi stories. Some other things I'm finding out talking to a few of his former players. I will be sitting down with Bart Starr, as the quarterback he spent a lot of time alone with Lombardi. His players loved him and he cared so much about them. I think the reason he didn't go back to Green Bay and left for Washington at the end of his career was that it killed him to let go of [halfback Paul] Hornung [a Lombardi favorite and a character in the play]. In this play, it's at end of Hornung's career. It hurts me to see Lombardi this way, and it affects how I look at him.
NJNR: Do you think you will channel some of the Jimmy Hoffa role you played recently off-Broadway, to great reviews, in your portrayal of Lombardi?
DL: There is a similarity. My father was Teamster, so when I hear all those gangster stories of Hoffa, I remember what my father said, about how Hoffa helped make it possible for us to have three meals a day and a roof over our heads. It's easy to play him as just a hard-nosed guy. I want to get that other side. Hornung said he would never play for anyone else. I want to bring that side out too – to show the dedication. I played Hoffa as a dedicated guy. These are men who were both very dedicated to what they wanted to do.
NJNR: How will your football background help you in this role?
DL: To start, it helped a lot with the audition. There is a scene where I have to describe the Packer sweep. I even corrected something in the script that was wrong about it. Having the [knowledge of] Xs and Os and knowing what I'm talking about really helps. We have Lombardi on tape diagramming that play as well.
NJNR: How did you decide between coaching and acting?
DL: When I came out of the service, I coached on Long Island. Bernie Wyatt, the head coach at Lindenhurst, became a coach at Iowa, and set it up for me to go Iowa, and they had a great school for playwriting, which is what I wanted to do. But I knew if I went I'd coach and never go back, so I ended up in Connecticut, and that's where the choice really came. I initially was going to play ball and become a history teacher and coach, that was the original plan.
NJNR: Do you have a preference between TV, movies and theatre?
DL: I have never gone a year without doing a play. If it were up to me I would only do theatre. But in order to sell tickets you have to keep your face out there. Also, it's hard to get a new play on Broadway. I think if not for the NFL and Tony Ponturo, we might have gone off-Broadway, or it were 10 years ago we would have had to go that way.
NJNR: There have been hundreds of movies about sports, some excellent, some not so good, but plays with a sports theme are rare. Why do you think that is, and how can "Lombardi" succeed?
DL: I can't answer as to why they haven't done more plays. They may feel that the guy who likes sports won't buy a ticket for a play. I disagree. A truck driver might not normally want to go to the theatre, but when he learns we're doing Lombardi, he might change his mind. And if we do our job right, people who see "Lombardi" will be more passionate about what they love, whether they are a writer, a teacher, whatever. You'll have Lombardi's inspiring words. That's what the message of our play is. It's a chance to get both audiences, a broad spectrum of people who can enjoy it.
Resources: Lombardi: A New American Play
