Eight times a week, Alan Mingo Jr. can't wait to make an ass of himself.
The actor and singer, who spent his high school and college years in Maryland, landed the plum role of the wisecracking, hyperactive donkey in the national tour of "Shrek The Musical." The show about a grumpy green ogre and the feisty princess he sets out to rescue arrives at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center for two weeks starting Tuesday.
After graduating from Magruder High School in Rockville, Mingo received a free ride to the University of Maryland, College Park in the 1990s. He started getting high-profile performing gigs while attending graduate school in California, and soon compiled an impressive string of credits.
On Broadway, Mingo portrayed gay anarchist Tom Collins in "Rent" and Sebastian the crab in "The Little Mermaid." He also was cast as the feline monarch-in-training in the first national tour of "The Lion King" and as Seaweed J. Stubbs in a road production of "Hairspray."
Mingo, who has a much softer voice than his Donkey character but is nearly as voluble, took a few minutes to chat about his life and the latest incarnation of "Shrek."
Question: I hear that the national tour of "Shrek: the Musical" is different in some ways from the Broadway production.
Answer: We reshuffled some scenes, took out a song ["Donkey Pot Pie"] and added a new one ["Forever"], and changed the dragon.
The new dragon is the spitting image of the one in the movie, and it's managed by four puppeteers. It's purple, and it stretches from nearly one wing of the stage to the other. The audience gets to see it fly and chase my character.
"Donkey Pot Pie" was a song about the dragon making a meal out of me. It was clever and had a lot of food puns, but it didn't move the plot along. "Forever" gives the dragon's back story and explains why she feels so alone.
It's really kind of odd, because now, that song stops the whole show. We didn't know it could happen at that point in the story.
Q: In the 2001 film, the Donkey was played by Eddie Murphy. What's it like trying to fill his iron horseshoes?
A: It's a lot of pressure. I spent six weeks of rehearsal, and my directors, Jason Moore and Rob Ashford, were really clear that I not imitate Eddie Murphy because his voice is so iconic.
They told me to stick to the reality of the donkey and the way the donkey looks at the world, which was the smartest thing they could have said. The movie was 90 minutes long, and the musical is 21/2 hours long, so a lot of the material is new.
Q: You've put together an enviable career in musical theater, but a lot of it has been spent playing the second banana. Do you ever tire of being a sidekick?
A: That's true. Even Simba was a split starring role, because Scar, the villain, is the real lead. But I'm proud of my resume. There aren't a lot of leading roles for African-Americans on Broadway.
And I love playing the sidekicks. Usually they're funny, they have something sassy to say and are a teaching tool, not only for the main character but also for the audience.
Q: What's next for you?
After the tour ends July 31 in Los Angeles, I will direct a production of "Rent" for the University of Maryland.
I'm also one of the investors in [the Tony Award-winning musical] "Memphis." I don't think I can be a song-and-dance man forever, so I'm looking at other parts of the industry I love. Right now, I'm focused on producing.
I can't complain that there aren't enough roles for African-Americans if I don't have my hand in the game, and if I'm not doing what I can to help bring more musicals to Broadway.
Q: You still have family and friends in Maryland. Are any of them going to the Hippodrome to see you perform?
A: My mother lives in Bowie, and that's still where we go for Christmas and our other major holiday celebrations. Right now, about 10 people are flying in to attend the matinee and evening show on Saturday. But that number is growing.
I'm excited, because Michael D'Anna, my high school drama teacher at Magruder, and his wife are coming. Until I met Mr. D'Anna, I didn't even know college might be an option for me. If it hadn't been for him slowing me down and pointing me in the right direction, I wouldn't be where I am today.
If you go
"Shrek the Musical" runs March 22-April 3 at the Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, 12 N. Eutaw St. Tickets are $20-$75. Call 410-837-7400 or go to france-merrickpac.com.