Fast chat: 'Follies' for Danny Burstein

Nope. Odds are you haven't heard of him.

Danny Burstein is one of those unsung Broadway actors, plugging away at classics ("The Seagull," "Saint Joan"), musicals ("Company," "Titanic"), even nabbing some Tony Award nominations (for best featured actor in a musical for his portrayal of Luther Billis in "South Pacific," and his outlandish Adolpho in "The Drowsy Chaperone"). And each night he catches the subway home.

"Follies" -- to his dismay -- might raise his profile. In this lush revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical, opening tomorrow, Burstein plays Buddy, an ignored husband accompanying his ex-showgirl wife (Bernadette Peters) to a reunion at an old theater. The women usually steal the show here, and this cast brims with pros (Peters, London's Elaine Paige, 80-ish opera diva Rosalind Elias, TV's "Good Wife" mom-in-law Mary Beth Peil). But Burstein's tender performance may have audience members asking, "Who's THAT guy?"

That guy is a Queens native, married to Broadway star Rebecca Luker, with two sons from his first marriage. And a recurring role on HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" (casino owner Lolly Steinman). He chatted with Newsday contributor Joseph V. Amodio at the Marquis Theatre.

What's it like to be in a show with so many show-biz vets?

The first day of rehearsal, it's "Oh, here a diva, there a diva," bumping into theater and opera royalty. But after that, you become peers, just trying to make it work.

Even Bernadette Peters?

She's the star . . . and her class carries the day. I've never heard her complain. She's the first one to the theater, and rehearses her tap number before each show. She's got this beauty . . . the maturity of a woman, but the innocence and imagination of a child. It's quite unique. Everyone's here working, ego in check, because Bernadette leads by example.

Has Sondheim been around?

He's very supportive. He's got lots of notes. It's great to see the creators come back and tweak. It's a special show.

With intense subject matter.

It can make you look back on life and realize what didn't work -- like being in a bad marriage, which I was. But ultimately for me it makes me appreciate what I have. I get to go home to a wife I'm madly in love with and I thank my lucky stars.

I guess life will change when your son Alex moves in.

Yeah -- we're thrilled. He's always spent time with us but now he'll be in the city 24/7, going to the School of Visual Arts to study cinematography. Since he was a little boy, he'd pick up the camera and make films -- Rebecca and I would act in them.

And your other son, Zach . . .

He's 15, a sophomore in high school upstate. He plays five different instruments, mostly the drums. He also draws. They're both great.

How's the old neighborhood?

Good. My parents still live in Flushing. And dad still teaches ancient Greek philosophy at Queens College.

Wow. Did he dole out wisdom of the ages at dinner?

Yeah, we'd have conversations about Plato, Socrates. It was an interesting way to grow up. Without a doubt.

Pressured?

Sometimes. But not in a bad way. My brothers and I were encouraged to go out and contribute to the world. I don't think most kids are given that directive.

Your resumé is diverse: musicals, dramas, Martin Scorsese's "Boardwalk Empire" . . .

Yeah. Cast by Scorsese. Crazy! It's the career I've always wanted, keeping people guessing. I just shot a film called "Nor'easter." I play a deaf, gay pedophile. Completely different from anything I've done before. I can't wait -- it comes out in 2012.

Maybe fame is just around the corner.

Honestly, I love it when I walk out the door and people don't recognize me.

You do? Really?

Yeah. Then I feel I've done my job. I don't mind being the guy people don't know, but after the show they go, "That guy surprised me."

Still, a little fame might . . . help you get work.

Would it? Really? I don't care about that stuff. For years I did show after show where I was the only guy in the cast I'd never heard of. My first Broadway show was a farce, "A Little Hotel on the Side," with Lynn Redgrave, Tony Randall -- when you're the kid who's the nobody in the room, you can learn so much.

And you still enjoy being that kid.

I do. I did a play with Sigourney Weaver and John Lithgow. Two of the greatest people I've ever worked with -- grounded, decent. They were such an example of how to be successful without . . .

. . . Letting it go to your head?

Yeah. Because fame doesn't really mean anything. My dad had a huge influence on me in this way. Would you rather be famous or do good work? For me . . . it's the work.