JIM DALE DARES TO BE YOUNG IN THREE PENNY OPERA BARNUM

(VIDEO) Three Penny Opera star Jim Dale feels young at heart.

Tony nominee Jim Dale whose vying for best supporting actor in the musical 3 Penny Opera is challenged by his role, the feisty Mr. Peachum because he says the character is considerably younger than himself.

Jim won the Tony for best actor in Barnum where he played the famous circus ring leader. Even though youth was on his side back then he admitted he couldn’t master the tight rope.

“It was such a challenge to play somebody younger than I am and to be so physical. I’m thrilled to bits I can still do it. You think young. The other kids on that stage are about 22, 23 and they make me feel young. You can’t help it. You just go out there and do the part the way that you feel inside which I feel about 23 years old.”

Jim Dale’s secret for staying so young is he’s gotten a foot rub every night for the past 25 years from his wife Julie when he comes home from the theater. Three Penny Opera is currently playing at Studio 54 also starring Alan Cumming as MacHeath and Cyndi Lauper as Jenny.rn

“Barnum was a long time ago. Barnum was 1979, 80, 26 years ago. If you saw Barnum you saw the old type of Jim Dale but I couldn’t walk a tight rope. I better explain. There used to be a tight rope walker 38 feet, 8 feet high. I couldn’t walk the floor some of these mornings let alone the tightrope! But that show should be revived because it’s got great songs in it and great things in it and can give wonderful experience to these young circus performers. They’re the ones we used all those years ago and they’re so much older now. They’re all teaching.”