Brian Charles Rooney Discusses Finding Their Identity & Promoting Yourself in a Smart Way

Brian Charles Rooney is not only one of my favorite performers in the industry, but he is also one of my favorite people in general.  Brian made their Broadway debut as Lucy Brown in The Threepenny Opera for The Roundabout Theatre Company, co-starring with Alan Cumming, Cyndi Lauper, Jim Dale, Ana Gasteyer, and Nellie McKay.  They also joined Kristin Chenoweth and composer Andrew Lippa at Lincoln Center in I Am Harvey Milk, an oratorio celebrating the life of the famous activist.  Brian has appeared as a soloist in Martin Charnin's new theatrical revue, Rodgers &..., a retrospective of Richard Rodgers' monumental body of work at The Emelin Theatre and in the Carnegie Hall Concert Production of Guys & Dolls, starring Nathan Lane & Megan Mullally. Brian has been a featured soloist with UK Pop legend Petula Clark on the North America Tour of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. They received a Carbonell Award Nomination for their performance as Homer Collins in Floyd Collins at The Actors' Playhouse, in Coral Gables, FL; as well as a Metro-Carolina Award Nomination as Jinx in Forever Plaid at The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte, NC.  They played the title role in "Bat Boy! The Musical at Charleston Stage Co., in Charleston, SC. Brian's TV credits include: Camelot, Live from Lincoln Center and Sondheim! The Birthday Concert, both directed by Lonny Price for PBS at Lincoln Center. 

They have also appeared in numerous sold-out concert engagements at Feinstein's / 54 Below and Joe's Pub, and as a soloist with the Oregon, Seattle, and Albany Symphony Orchestras. Having the chance to work with them in an original play I wrote, Birdie and Tim, I can strongly attest that Brian is truly someone you want on your team. They will always leave a show or a process better than where it was when they came on board. I am so unbelievably thankful to have the chance to feature the one and only Brian Charles Rooney! 

How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a performer?  

Well, the idea of becoming a professional performer was not something permitted when I was a child (insert laugh-track here). I was going to be a doctor whether I liked it or not! To be fair, I probably would have enjoyed being a doctor because it’s a profession that is rooted in human interaction and service. However, being an actor, a singer, a storyteller was something I knew I wanted to be, professionally, once I started acting in plays in high school.  

Helping to create a character and to tell a story while working with other performing artists was, and still is, such a thrill. There are selfish reasons for that, but there are as many or more altruistic reasons. Being a storyteller has given me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people, and it has given me the opportunity to, perhaps, ask people to think in a different way than they might normally. I’ve been able to make people laugh, to escape from their troubles for a time, and hopefully, to feel differently about other people, social issues, or themselves in a proactive and enlightened way.  

I don’t mean to sound self-important, but I do believe that actors, directors, writers, and the designers and producers who help make theatrical art can and should encourage their audience to not only have a good time but to evolve. When I was in high school, I knew that I wanted to be a performer, but it wasn’t until college while playing John Wilkes Booth in a production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical “Assassins,” that I realized this was the profession I should and would definitely pursue. I didn’t realize, at that point, but I’d evolved into an artist.  

Are there any teachers or mentors in your life who truly helped you become the amazing artist you are today? 

There have been quite a few. Some of them were professional, official teachers. Some of them were not. What I mean to say is that I have learned quite a bit from my peers, and from actors and performing artists who have been in the business far longer than I.  

I firmly believe that you learn by doing when it comes to theater/performance art.  I believe that’s true because you learn the most by watching and listening to other performers in action, as well as to an audience.  As your sensitivity grows as a performer and as you become more acutely aware of how an audience responds to a piece of theatrical art, you also become more acutely aware of the excellence that so many practiced and wise performers exhibit and how they have cultivated that excellence over the course of their careers. That can be incredibly inspiring.  

However, specifically, I would point to my college advisor, John M. Clum, who is a noted playwright and author of numerous, celebrated books on modern/contemporary drama, and my college acting teachers, Jeff Storer and Jeffrey West, both accomplished actors in their own right, but also masterful teachers who helped me find and gain confidence in myself as an artist and as a collaborator.  

It is a breath of fresh air to see the light at the end of this tunnel which has left all artists wondering when things will get back to normal. What are some things you have done to keep your spirits up during these times?  

I have tried to maintain my connection to the outdoors.  The simple pleasures derived from flowers, trees, a clear sky, heavy rain are good salves for my heart and soul. I have focused on my family, and the love they show me, as well as the love I am fortunately able to show them. I’ve also tried to stay connected with friends and followers over social media. We all know that social media can be stressful, but if you exercise some discipline, you can connect with wonderful friends on a regular basis even when they aren’t nearby, and avoid the bots.  

In addition, I have worked on my skills as a baker. Over the course of the pandemic, I have found many new recipes, and have experimented with them. That has been so much fun because it has been an opportunity not only to be creative but also to share that creativity with some friends and family. 

4.) Are there any roles, shows, or moments in your career that stick out and will always be near and dear to your heart?

I think it goes without saying that my Broadway debut as Lucy Brown in The Threepenny Opera, with Alan Cumming and Cyndi Lauper, will always be near and dear to my heart.  Though I think the most artistically fulfilling role has been as Candy Darling in the musical Pop! Who Shot Andy Warhol?  

Pop!... was written by Anna Jacobs and Maggie Kate Coleman, both graduates of The NYU/Tisch Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program, and I worked on it there, while it was their thesis project. Broadway director Mark Brokaw took over the development of the show for the Yale Musical Theater Institute, and I was able to continue on with the show.  It was then part of Yale Rep’s season, and my cast-mates were bonkers-talented: Randy Harrison (Queer As Folk) as Andy Warhol, Leslie Kritzer (Beetlejuice) as Valerie Solanas, Emily Swallow (Star Wars: The Mandalorian) as Viva.  Later, I reprised the role in the production in Pittsburgh, with Anthony Rapp (Rent) as Warhol. I have never been so challenged and so excited, or so stimulated as an artist by that process and that work. Each and every person involved in the development, creation, and execution of that show was/is a force of nature. I learned so much about Theater and even more about myself being in that show and playing Candy.   

I have always known that I am not the typical human being when it comes to identity. I don’t think it has ever been a secret to anyone who really knows me that I am a non-binary human being. Some people are surprised when I tell them, but then we have only been using a proper term in recent years because before a short time ago, there really was no proper term for people who identify as non-binary.  I think it’s fantastic that more and more people are coming to understand what that means, and that more and more non-binary people are coming out and telling their stories.  Living with the development of Candy Darling as a character in a musical helped me progress on my journey to understanding a lot about myself and my identity. I also tend to fall in love with any piece of theater that deals with historical figures. I’m so grateful to have been a part of that show. I’m sad that it didn’t transfer to New York, because it really was a beautiful, exciting, and excellent piece of theater. 

5.) What advice would you give any young aspiring artists who want a career in theatre? 

It’s a business. Remember that. Be in the best shape you can be physically, inside, and out. Producers, directors, and casting offices know what they like, and agents are even more particular. I remember interviewing with an agent earlier in my career, and during the interview, someone dropped off a headshot. The agent asked the receptionist about the person, and she said the resume was rather impressive. He asked the receptionist, “Was he hot?“ I looked at him and I repeated the question with surprise: “Was he hot??“ He looked back at me, shrugged, and said “Yeah, that’s all that really matters." I did not sign with that office. As sour as that experience, and a few others, left me, I will say that it’s not all gloom and doom or jaded superficiality!!! 

A commitment to improving your skills as an actor is key. Always vet the teachers with whom you decide to work. Ask your friends, ask elders in the business with whom they would work when looking for a coach or voice lessons (Michael Pesce is a great one). Diversify what you do. If your voice is particularly unique and/or flexible, look into developing a demo for voiceover work. Always be mindful that you should grow and maintain a healthy social network, away from parties and bars, into which you can safely wrap yourself when things are stressful. You’ll need real friends, away from the business, especially if family members are not available.  

Promote your friends. Promote the people you admire. When someone you know and/or respect is doing a show, or promoting a piece of art of any sort, post about it on social media, tag them, and tell everyone just how highly you think of them and/or their work. This business is about creating little families of coworkers and colleagues.… It truly takes a village in this case, and “going it alone” is never a good idea.  

Promote yourself. Be smart about it though, invest in the right website, and the right photographer for your headshots and publicity/social media photos.  DO NOT RUSH when vetting a photographer (or an agent).

Be prepared. As is often said, luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Know your material. Don’t use an audition to experiment with a new song or monologue that you don’t know inside out and backwards (Unless of course you’ve been handed sides to learn overnight LOL). Develop a point of view. Lastly, but certainly not least, never say a negative word about anyone to anyone in the business unless you would say it in a public forum without fear of the consequence.  I don’t care if it’s your mother. If she’s in the business, keep the negativity to yourself and your therapist!