He plays Henry Higgins onstage,
but in real life, he’s all about Rick Steves
Actor Jonathan Grunert calls playing Henry Higgins in the national tour of “My Fair Lady,” coming to the Citizens Bank Opera House April 18-30, a “dream come true.” He said that “everyone has memories of this musical,” which is ripe with classic romantic songs such as “On the Street Where You Live” and “I Could Have Danced All Night.” During a phone call from Washington, D.C., where “My Fair Lady” was being performed, the Dallas native said that even the story lines, the songs … everything has remained true to the original show that debuted on Broadway in 1956 (the film, starring Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn, was released in 1964). “The audience is still so much on Eliza’s side from the very beginning,” he said. “She is brave and through her sheer force of will and determination demanded to be treated the way she deserved to be treated.” Grunert said that he had taken in a great deal of history while in Washington, D.C., and expected to do the same in Boston. “I’m definitely going to get a picture in front of the Old North Church,” he said. We caught up with Grunert, who lives in the Washington Heights section of New York City with his rescue dog, Penny, to talk about all things travel.
If you could travel anywhere right now, and money was no object, where would you go? Right now, there’s no place like home. I’d love to fly back to New York and see my dog, Penny.
Where was the first place you traveled to after COVID restrictions were lifted? I went to
Spain for a friend’s wedding. It was up in the hills outside Galicia and there was one bus going back [from the reception] at midnight, and the next one wasn’t until 6 in the morning. I missed the earlier bus, so I stayed until the morning and ended up dancing until dawn. It was a lot of fun.
Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own? I’ve always booked on my own.
Thoughts on an “unplugged” vacation?
Sounds great. I’d love to go somewhere without signal for a few days.
Do you use all of your vacation time or leave
some on the table? I use it. I did have some vacation days saved up with the tour, so I definitely used those. If you don’t, you lose it.
What has been your worst vacation experience? Unfortunately, my flights home to see my family at Christmas this year all got canceled, rebooked, then canceled again. So I never made it home. But luckily, the tour is going through Little Rock, where my family lives, next month, so we’ll celebrate Christmas in May.
Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all? Usually a little of everything.
What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation? “The Paris Apartment” by Lucy Foley. I love mysteries and thrillers and have heard great things about this book. And I loved her other books as well.
If you could travel with one famous person/
celebrity, who would it be? Rick Steves. I love his show on PBS. He has a friend in every little town he goes to and knows all of the off-the-beaten-path places to go to. It would be an easy way to get around and see exciting things with somebody with lots of stories to tell.
What is the best gift to give a traveler? A good camera.
What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip? Cashews — the lightly salted ones from Trader Joe’s.
What is the coolest souvenir you’ve picked up on a vacation? Vintage postcards from a Paris flea market.
What is your favorite app/website for travel?
I’m not married to any particular one. I look at all of them and go with whichever one has the best deal for whatever flight I’m trying to get.
What has travel taught you? Be ready to improvise.
What is your best travel tip? Rick Steves, from PBS, has a terrific app — called The Rick Steves Audio Europe app — that is full of audio walking tours, maps, and history — and all for free. His tour of the market at Rue Cler in Paris was probably my favorite. So many delicious foods and helpful shop owners. Always try the stinkiest cheese you can find!