People know if you've got the goods, if you're easy to work with, and if you can get the job done.

I grew up listening to Joni Mitchell's version of "A Case of You." My mom was a huge Joni Mitchell fan.

I love Jane [Krakowski]. Jane's been a dear friend for maybe a dozen years. We've worked together on many shows and concerts and readings. We did 'Damn Yankees' together and then we did 'Xanadu.' Jane did all the workshops of 'Xanadu' before it moved to Broadway. She's hysterical and our voices blended. We had a similar sensibility.

People may have said, "The dude's gay; how are we going to market this?" But it's not an issue for me, because being out is very freeing.

A few years ago, when I was writing songs for my first album, I was staying with Michael Feinstein as I often did. I was working on a pilot. My grandma was very sick at the time. She died of complications from alcoholism. She always used to say [in his grandma's voice], "Red wine is good for my heart. That's what my doctor said." And we'd say, "Yeah, but not for breakfast." Unfortunately, it was the thing that killed her. I felt inspired to write a song about her and what that meant for her life and for all of us. I was writing it in Michael's house.

I think having a dog makes you more compassionate.

Theater dressing rooms are my home away from home - my second home, really.