Jason Tam does high kicks, and soap operas too

Local boy and actor, singer, Broadway performer Jason Tam is starring in the new documentary "Every Little Step," which follows the audition and casting process for the 2006 Broadway revival of "A Chorus Line." Tam is featured in the film as he goes through the audition process (with 3,000 other people), and then eventually lands the role of Paul. The film opens today at Kahala Mall.

After doing "A Chorus Line," Tam landed the role of Markko Rivera on "One Life to Live," which is his current permanent gig. Last week, I sent Tam a few questions via e-mail about the new film. Here's what he had to say:

I have to ask: Where you wen' grad?
I graduated from Punahou.

When was the first time you performed in Hawai'i?
Well, the first time I EVER performed was at home doing skits and stuff. But the first musical I ever did was "Bye Bye Birdie" at Army Community Theatre. I was in the third grade and I played Randolph.

You were Paul in the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line and now you're Markko Rivera on One Life To Live — from musical theater to soap operas. Was it challenging to make that transition?
It was an exciting challenge to jump into the world of the soap opera at first because it moves so quickly, and unlike most theater there's hardly any time to rehearse. But now that I've been there for a while, it's like the past two years have been one long rehearsal, and I get more and more familiar with my character with each passing day.

Are you still doing theater work while doing television?
I am. I've been having a lot of fun doing a lot of workshops and projects that are in the developmental phase, like a new musical by Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater ("Spring Awakening") called "The Nightingale," a rock musical about a garage band called The Black Suits, a Peter Gabriel musical called "US" and most recently a new piece called "Give It Up" by Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flynn (who were responsible for the recent Broadway adaptation of "Xanadu").

Let's say you had to give up doing theater in order to be a successful television or movie star, would you do it?
That's tough. It depends on the kind of TV and film I'd get to do. I'd give up theater for a few years to be able to do an Aaron Sorkin TV series, like "The West Wing." But I don't think I'd be able to ever completely give up theater. It's part of who I am.

The new film, Every Little Step, is about the casting of" A Chorus Line," and you're one of the stars. Did you know the casting process was being committed to film?
I did. We were all told about it and had to sign waivers in order to audition. And it was pretty hard to miss all the cameras buzzing around.

Is "Every Little Step" an accurate depiction of the audition process? It looks painful and grueling and overwhelming!
It's pretty accurate. I'd say the only difference is that most casting processes don't take quite as long as the one for "A Chorus Line" (I think it was about eight months), but you can always expect lines of people and lots of call backs, no matter what you're auditioning for.

Three thousand people auditioned for the 2006 revival of "A Chorus Line," and you were one of the few who made the final cut. What went through your head when you found out you'd made it?
I felt like I'd been holding my breath for months and that I could finally breathe! I was so excited to be making my adult Broadway debut, especially with such a great show, and one that I'd watched over and over as a kid.

What will you remember most about doing "A Chorus Line"?
Two things: one is my cast. I saw them every single day for over a year, and they became like family. Some of my best memories are of us all warming up and goofing off together on the stage before they opened the house. The other thing is getting to open the Tony Awards. First we got to do the opening combination on the street outside of Radio City Music Hall. They shut down traffic on Sixth Avenue and everything, it was so cool! Then we got to come up via hydrolic lift from underneath the stage and perform the "One" combination to a packed, cheering Radio City. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about it!

What's your dream role?
This is gonna sound a little crazy but I've always wanted to play Sweeny Todd someday. He's such a complex character — fun to play as an actor — and the music is ingenious! And a close second is Hamlet.

Fast forward to the year 2020. What are you doing? What new challenges are you facing?
Ten years from now I'll be able to choose what I want to do next, and will work in all mediums of entertainment — a Broadway show on to a feature film, while on hiatus from a great TV series! I hope to be writing, developing and producing many of those projects. 

Are you coming home anytime soon?
Yes, I'll be visitng soon, but never soon enough!