Spotlight On...PJ Adzima

Name: PJ Adzima

Hometown: Belchertown, Massachusetts

Education: Currently receiving a BFA with a Musical Theatre Minor from Marymount Manhattan College

Selected Credits: Volleygirls (Xavier Ives, NYMF); Hamlet (Hamlet, Hampshire Shakespeare Company); The Fantasticks (The Boy, The Majestic Theatre)

Why theater?: I love theatre because there is nothing like live performance. Nothing is like the tension of a crowed of people coming together for something. Feeling an entire room inhale or riding a perfect laugh, there is a heightened level of awareness that doesn't exist in any other medium.

Tell us about Very Bad Words: Very Bad Words is a show that takes a harsh and brutal look at the tragically flawed moralities and ambitions of America's next generation.

What's it like to be a part of Very Bad Words?: VBW is wonderfully fun because it's a chance to get dirty. I have the opportunity to play a character with extremely questionable morals, so I've really enjoyed exploring a part that's so far from the wholesome American persona. The play requires a lot of commitment in order to own some of the harsh dialogue, so finding that freedom has been a blast.

What kind of theatre speaks to you? What or who inspires you as an artist?: Good theatre is like a roller coaster. It picks you up and takes you for a ride. You're never bored on a roller coaster, and you shouldn't be at the theater. There's an old belief that you should never let them see you work, and I think that's the opposite. Let them see you work, and they will love you for it. Acting is hard, that's why it's rewarding. Go for it.

Any roles you're dying to play?: Freddy in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a big one for me. He's over the top, hilarious, callous, plotting, and full of endless comedic possibilities. It's a gold mine.

What's your favorite showtune?: "Betrayed" from The Producers was the first showtune I learned all the words to. I thought it was the funniest thing ever. I remember listening to it over and over again to get the long patter section right. It's too bad I'll never actually play the part.

If you could work with anyone you've yet to work with, who would it be?: I sat front row at Chaplin The Musical this past year and Rob McClure delivered a performance that I'll never forget. I've never seen someone perform like him. Comedy, drama, stunt work, dancing, everything. He is my favorite Broadway star.

Who would play you in a movie about yourself and what would it be called?: All my life I've been told that I remind people of Neal Patrick Harris. Seriously, a man in a van stopped me at a red light once just so he could let me know. In a recent review the Huffington Post said: "If someone is looking to cast The Neil Patrick Harris Story, you've just found your man." So I'm going with him. The title? "The Pajama Game"... wait that's taken. DJ PJ? I'm still workin on it.

What show have you recommended to your friends?: Have you heard of Very Bad Words? Come see Very Bad Words.

What's your biggest guilt pleasure?: "Doctor Who". I surrender fully to its nerdiness.

What's up next?: This fall I'll be playing Keith Burgess in Stage Door presented on the main stage at Marymount Manhattan College.