Huey Lewis is back with Broadway musical "The Heart of Rock 'n' Roll"
NEW YORK -- Huey Lewis has done it all -- rock 'n' roll with his band Huey Lewis and the News, plus acting, including on Broadway.
Lewis was not hip to Broadway, at first. But now he's collaborating on a new musical, "The Heart of Rock and Roll," featuring his top hits.
"I was a rock 'n' roller. I listened to soul music, and blues, and rhythm and blues," Lewis said.
Musical theater only became his jam after his band repeatedly hit the Top 10 with some of the most memorable hits of the 1980s and '90s.
It was in the early 2000s when he went to his first Broadway show.
"A neighbor took me to see 'Mamma Mia'," Lewis said. "And I thought, 'I don't want to go see Mamma Mia. I'm a rocker, I'm not Broadway,' but I went to see 'Mamma Mia' and I loved it. I just was knocked out."
"I was offered the part of Billy Flynn in 'Chicago.' I was Billy Flynn number 31 and I fell in love with all that is Broadway. It's collaborative like crazy," he added.
His songs drive the new musical.
It's about Bobby, who works in corporate America while trying to get a music career off the ground. While it's not about Lewis, there are moments in the plot that parallel what he was going through.
"Our star, Bobby, is the same age I was when I started my band and in a lot of ways it was my last shot. I was no spring chicken and I had a day job at the same time," Lewis said.
Lewis said he had a natural foods distribution company, adding, "I'd get up at 5 in the morning, I'd get the trucks on their way and then take a nap, and work at night."
Then came 1983, his big year professionally. He appeared on the legendary track "We Are The World" two years later.
"Imagine realizing that this is going to be the career event of your life," Lewis said. "It wasn't difficult in any sense, except that you're having to do it in front of Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. Other than that it's no problem."
In 2018, he revealed devastating personal news.
"I have this thing called Ménière's disease," Lewis said, referring to a disease of the inner ear that can cause a person to get dizzy and have trouble hearing.
When asked if it gets in the way of anything he wants to do, Lewis said, "It gets in the way of everything I want do. It was devastating to me. I lost my hearing six years ago. I can't hear music or perform. I spent six months in bed worrying about it."
"Very depressing for a long time, but you gotta get on with life. This musical has really been my salvation because it gives me something creative, something to keep trying for," he added.
Lewis was and continues to be a fan favorite. He said he enjoys the interaction with and adoration from fans.
"Anybody who does what I do has got to like the attention a little bit or they wouldn't have done it to begin with," Lewis said.
On the hugs he receives, Lewis said, "I should probably change that, right? Get a little more credibility, be a little more distant."
His fans would certainly agree that he shouldn't change a thing.
"The Heart of Rock 'n' Roll" is in previews at the James Earl Jones Theatre. Opening night is April 22.
