The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Bon Jovi’s David Bryan on Broadway again, livin’ on a prayer
He looks like a rock star — rail-thin with long flowing hair. But rock stars aren’t supposed to be on time, rip up their songs without a fuss or eat salad. David Bryan is a different kind of rock star.
The keyboardist for Bon Jovi is embarking on a busy 2020, with a new album and tour with one of America’s favorite rock bands as well as opening his second Broadway musical, “Diana.”
“This used to be moonlighting,” Bryan laughs about his side hustle on Broadway. “Now I have two full-time jobs? What am I doing to myself ?” The one thing that’s definitely still rock star about him is his view on the hours: Working early mornings, he says, is like “getting waterboarded.”
Bryan, 58, has been faithfully attending rehearsals for his musical about the life of Princess Diana, which opens March 31. He’s one of the first to arrive and is happy to sit through hours of tweaking to get it ready. “It is my fault if it’s good,” he says. “It’s also my fault if it’s bad.”
He has teamed up with longtime collaborator, playwright Joe DiPietro, to tell the tragic and yet inspiring story of a young woman learning to break free of the confines of the British royal family. It arrives at a time when Diana’s youngest son is also pushing royal boundaries.
“We got good luck in the timing world,” Bryan jokes.
Stage musicals — with all their moving pieces and the need to do it live — offer a delicious challenge to Bryan. “It’s the hardest algorithm anybody can ever solve,” he says. “I love all those moving pieces. To me, I want to figure it out.”
He’s juggling his new musical at the same time his other job is also requesting his talents. The album “Bon Jovi 2020” is set for release in May, and the band goes on tour this summer.
Whether it’s on a concert stage or a Broadway one, Bryan has the same target: “The goal is always exceeding people’s expectations,” he says.