Rob Houchen talks New York show, the digital age, and Adam Lambert

Rob Houchen. Photo Credit: Dan Gard Photography

British singer, actor, and West End performer Rob Houchen chatted about his upcoming show at The Green Room 42 in New York City.

Houchen will be accompanied by Brian Nash on piano and Will Shishmanian on guitar. “I am very excited,” he exclaimed.

“I had a Cabaret show before when I performed in New York, and now, I want to do it all again,” he said. “The last time I played at Chelsea Table and Stage, and now I will be performing at The Green Room 42; I am trying them all out.”

“This show will have a lot of different song choices,” he admitted.

Houchen on Eva Noblezada and Wesley Taylor

Joining his show as special guests are Tony nominee Eva Noblezada and Wesley Taylor.

“I absolutely love Eva. I met her 10 years ago when I was in ‘Les Misérables,’ where she was able to experience the West End stage before she went to do ‘Miss Saigon.’ Eva was in the ensemble of ‘Les Misérables,’ and we’ve stayed friends ever since. It is great to have her there on her night off. Eva can sing the phonebook, and she can sound amazing.”

“I’ve always wanted to sing with Wesley Taylor, and I am so thrilled he said ‘yes.’ We have a fun song to sing together,” Houchen hinted. “It will be such a fun night, and I might have some more guests joining. We are working it out.”

“I want the fans to have fun at this show because life is too short,” he noted.

Motivations

On his daily motivations as a performer, Houchen said, “I like to move people; I like to make them think and feel. That’s what I try and do when I perform. I make them relate and feel something and jog memories. I want to stir the heart and soul a little bit.”

The digital age

On being a part of the digital age, Houchen said, “I will admit that I am a millennial and I had to really adjust and get onboard with it. My younger sister, who works in social media management, had to help me with it.”

“I am happy to get involved with it and to put things out there on social media. I just enjoy performing, singing, and making videos. Social media is an inevitable part of our culture and our industry these days,” Houchen said.

“Social media has the power to change and influence casting, which is crazy. It is just a way of reaching out to people, which can be really effective,” he added.

Meeting Dame Judi Dench

Houchen opened up about meeting Academy Award winner Dame Judi Dench.

“Judi is the loveliest person ever,” he said. “Doing the ‘Sondheim’s Old Friends’ for one night was really special, and it was great to have her there. Talking to Judi was such a dream.”

Future plans

“I have a new show in London that I will be in that is going to be announced next week, so please keep your eyes and ears peeled.”

Rob Houchen on Vanessa Williams

Houchen had great words about Vanessa Williams who will is starring in “The Devil Wears Prada” in the West End. “Vanessa is just the loveliest person, and I can’t wait to see her now that she’s in town,” he said. “I am really happy for her!”

Stage of his life

On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Adulting.” “It’s fun, even though I need to get my stuff together,” he said with a sweet laugh.

Superpower of choice

He listed “telekinesis” as his superpower of choice, which would allow him to move things with his mind. “To fly would be pretty cool as well,” he said. “I would love to have that freedom.”

Dream duet choice: Adam Lambert

Houchen listed Adam Lambert as his dream duet choice in music. “I’ve always wanted to sing with Adam Lambert.” “Now, he is in the musical world,” Houchen said, noting that he is starring in “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club” on Broadway.

Success

Regarding his definition of success, he stated, “Success and happiness come hand in hand for me. Having a solid career and a foundation for me to create to make myself happy, and to write songs and live life to the fullest really, and traveling is success.”