David Yazbek
On the couch this week is David Yazbek, whose latest work, Dead Outlaw—about a very real, very dead outlaw—is one of the final musicals to open this Broadway season, and features what might be the most hauntingly catchy songs ever written for a corpse. Yazbek is the Tony Award-winning composer, lyricist, and arranger behind Broadway hits like The Full Monty, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Tootsie and The Band’s Visit.
What do you consider to be your best asset?
Casual relationship with death.
What was your proudest moment?
I don’t tend toward pride. Most exciting showbiz moment: learning I got the job as a staff writer for The Letterman Show.
What is your favorite drink?
Lately, a double cortado I make for myself and my wife every morning.
What is your favorite food?
Oh, come on.
What is your favorite condiment?
Vegan Caesar salad dressing that my wife makes with tofu.
What is your current obsession?
Current positive obsession: revisiting prog rock from the seventies.
Negative obsession: the news.
If you could give up one of your vices, what would it be?
Sweet tooth and iPhone usage—which are almost the same thing.
What is the one professional accomplishment you long for most?
I’ve gotten what I wanted.
What is the one thing you waste too much money on?
Art. Though it may prove to have been profitable.
What is the one activity you waste too much time doing?
Scrolling. Blech.
What do you consider to be the single greatest threat to your health?
My recklessness.
What’s the single best trait you inherited or learned from your parents?
My mother used to say, “You need a broad frame of reference.”
I’ve cultivated that—and it pays off daily.
What’s the single worst trait you inherited or learned from your parents?
Sweet tooth.
What in the world most thrills you?
Great, original art of any kind. Though music has a lead.
What current trend in popular culture most irritates you?
Influencers.
What was the most embarrassing moment you’ve ever experienced on the job?
My performance in front of 12 million viewers on Late Night. I sucked.
What is your favorite place in the world?
Lately, Kyoto.
Do you prefer the company of dogs or cats?
Dogs!
What would have to happen to make today the best day of your life?
Death of authoritarianism.
What are your personal mottos?
Take it easy, man.