Actor Christopher Fitzgerlad
Bruce Glikas
Noël Coward’s Fallen Angels is one of the funniest shows in as long as I can remember. The show centers on two wealthy wives in London, who are longtime friends and were both intimate with the same man in their pre-married lives. With their husbands away for the day, they go back in time and recalled their dalliances.
The laugh out loud production features a starry cast including Rose Byrne, Kelli O’Hara, Marc Consuelos, who plays the former flame at the center of the story, Aasif Mandvi, and Christopher Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, who portrays one of the husbands, is a seasoned actor with an extensive list of credits including Company and Waitress on Broadway, along with a recurring role on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
I caught up with Fitzgerald to discuss his favorite New York theaters, the best part about starring in Fallen Angels, and where he grabs a bite before and after a performance.
Where do you live in the city?
I live in the Windsor Terrace neighborhood of Brooklyn. It’s this quiet little five-block strip of land tucked between Green-Wood Cemetery and Prospect Park. It somehow manages to feel both deeply New York and oddly peaceful at the same time.
What is your favorite neighborhood in NYC and why?
I think mine! I really love Windsor Terrace. Jessica and I lived on the Upper West Side for a while before moving to Brooklyn, and I still love the Upper West Side too. Both neighborhoods have this lovely balance of urban energy and grit mixed with the slightly slower pace of a traditional suburban neighborhood. You can have a great park, a great hot dog spot, and a subway station all within a couple of blocks.
Can you share some of your favorite spots in the Theater District and what makes them so great?
When the line is short, I love Los Tacos No. 1 on 43rd Street. But you have to understand the system. You wait in one line to pay, then you take your receipt to another line where they actually make the tacos. Once you learn the choreography, it’s one of the great Midtown meals. So fresh. So good.
My new favorite is Mixue on 8th Avenue. It’s a Chinese chain specializing in ice cream and tea drinks. They have this fresh strawberry sundae that costs about three dollars and has become my Saturday between-shows treat.
What’s the best place for a pre- or post-theater meal, and what should people order?
I really love the little park area in Worldwide Plaza between 51st and 52nd and Eighth Avenue. When the weather’s nice, it’s this perfect little Midtown pocket to hang out before a show or between shows. There are all these little tables and chairs, and you can catch the last bit of sun before heading back into the theater. My ideal version is bringing a book and eating my Mixue ice cream out there for twenty minutes before heading back into the madness.
Best watering hole near your theater — and what should people drink?
My friends Greg Hildreth and Steven Pasquale came to see the show recently and told me about the revolving bar at the top of the Marriott Marquis. They said it was incredible — not too crowded, amazing views, and it felt like you were floating over the city in a blimp.
Any insider tips for enjoying a show like yours?
Definitely hit the bathroom before the show starts because it’s 90 minutes with no intermission, and Noël Coward does not slow down for anybody.
Also, really listen. Coward’s language is so fast and full of juicy little turns of phrase. Rose Byrne and Kelli O’Hara are doing masterful physical comedy, but it’s all held up by Coward’s brilliant language underneath it. There’s a lot to catch.
What New York City theater do you love and why?
I love the Music Box Theatre on 45th Street. It’s just a jewel box of a Broadway theater — packed with architectural details and old Broadway spirit.
It’s especially meaningful to me because it was the first Broadway theater I ever worked in as an usher. I loved the smell and spirit of the theater every night and I could just sit in the back and dream. Years later, the first Broadway show I ever performed in ended up being in that same theater, which still kind of blows my mind.
What other shows are on your radar right now?
Death of a Salesman, especially because of Joe, Nathan, and Laurie. I’m also excited about Mexodus, Kenrex, and Becky Shaw.
What’s the best part about being in Fallen Angels?
The people. Scott Ellis creates these incredibly warm, playful rooms where a small group of people can really come together and tell a story. I adore being with this group every night.
We’ve had such a delightful time being silly with each other, talking about the play, talking about our lives, tossing around ideas, and cracking up onstage together.
The biggest challenge?
The commute. On the F train it can take me close to 50 minutes to get to work, which can feel very long at the end of a two-show day.
But I figured out a little hack. Now I Citi Bike across Prospect Park and catch an express train into Manhattan. It cuts the trip down to more like 35 minutes, and as a bonus I get this beautiful ride through the park every day.
Share your insider New York gems.
There’s a hot dog place a block from my apartment in Windsor Terrace called Dog Day Afternoon. The movie Dog Day Afternoon was actually filmed on that same block, which feels very New York to me. The place has this retro neighborhood vibe, and the Chicago dog is off the charts.
Can you share your favorite theaters around the world and why?
I tend to love theaters that feel connected to the environment around them.
I’ve loved working at Williamstown Theatre Festival because the Berkshires become a part of the experience. The mountains and the energy of the place inject this kind of mystical majesty into the work.
A few years ago I was working on a TV project in New Mexico and went to see an opera at the Santa Fe Opera House. At one point the back wall of the theater opened onto this incredible vista of mountains and desert while the performance continued. Storm clouds were slowly moving toward us as the opera went on. It was one of the most beautiful and overwhelming theater experiences I’ve ever had.