"Jekyll & Hyde" star David Hasselhoff

Thrilled to be part of the world television premiere of the musical, David Hasselhoff takes to the stage for a special PPV presentation of Jekyll & Hyde on March 10.... But first -- You'll be able to talk with him here live on Yahoo! Chat on Tuesday, March 6 at 9pET/6pPT!

The show was a Broadway sensation, breaking box office records at the Plymouth Theatre and spawning the fandom of "Jekkies," hardcore audience members who've seen the show hundreds of times. Hasselhoff made his broadway debut in the roles of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. Known worldwide for his roles on Baywatch and Knight Rider, Hasselhoff enjoys an international music career -- his song Looking for Freedom became an anthem to the German people at the end of the Cold War and Hasselhoff performed the song atop the Berlin Wall during the German reunification celebration. His role on Broadway has proven "Dreams do come true!"

keystud_23 asks: "This is the Moment" weve all been waitig for, David Hasselhoff everyone!!!!!!!
david_hasselhoff_live: Very cute. Hello.

y_chat_diva: The question was.. will you publish an album of Jekyll & Hyde and will it be available in Hungary :)
david_hasselhoff_live: LOL! Yes! Well, there has not been any discussion of me doing the album. However, I will be putting "This is the Moment" on my next album, a bilingual album. English and Spanish. In Spanish, it will be called "Hoy Es El Dia".

aquagirly1986 asks: Okay, I start asking questions: Were you very nervous before every performance in Jekyll & Hyde, because you thought something could go wrong?
david_hasselhoff_live: No, I was not nervous on opening. It was more a matter of survival. It was something that I waited 40 years to do and was not about to let myself down, nor any of the people, especially my parents, who believed in me.

barrman34 asks: hey david whats it like being in jekyll and hyde?
david_hasselhoff_live: It is, in a word, GLORIOUS ... being onstage ... and I miss it terribly. It is a fantastic challenge and for anyone who has ever wanted to do any kind of theatre, it is the ultimate. Very difficult, very challenging ... but very moving and very rewarding.

ftse_100_index asks: Will David attempt any more performances on stage, ie..an Andrew Llyod Webber performance...?
david_hasselhoff_live: I am looking at a new project even as we speak. I'm working with Leslie Bricusse, who wrote Jekyll & Hyde as well as classics like Willy Wonka and Dr. Doolittle, and talking about devloping a new musical. But if something came along tomorrow that had me return to New York, I would be on the next plane.

jade4749 asks: What actor in J&H was the most helpful to you while you were in the musical?
david_hasselhoff_live: George Merrit. Who plays Utterson. He plays my confidant and my attorney, and was a guiding light who led me through every performance with a prayer and a spiritual belief that we are all here for a reason. And gave me the confidence to conquer my anxieties.

vega414 asks: Hi David, I saw you twice in NY. the way back was my favorite sone, what is yours .. you were great!!
david_hasselhoff_live: Oh! The Way Back! That was a terrific challenge because I get to hit high E. My favorite was The Confrontation, where i sang 2 songs and got to play 2 characters at once.

barrman34 asks: hey david can you tell us about the ppv special and what we are going to see?
david_hasselhoff_live: What you're going to see is Broadway live. Not only will you be in the audience, you will be onstage with the actors. You will be behind the scenes to see what it's like to be in the make-up room. And you will get to see Broadway live from the best seat in the house. For a fraction of the cost. I'm telling everyone that if you invite 20 of your friends, it will only cost you .

diamondaddy asks: Do you find the duality of the role grueling
david_hasselhoff_live: Absolutely incredibly grueling. It was like playing in the Superbowl every night. I still have bruises from the show. The challenge was enormous, but that's what life's about. Conquering your fears. When I first went skydiving, i thought that was scary and crazy. Nothing compares to playing this role. I would do it tomorrow in a heartbeat ... now that I know it! LOL! But in the beginning, it was very scary.

Mr_Brown_Eyes asks: Do you sometimes wonder if you're actually related to Mr. Hyde?
david_hasselhoff_live: My wife thinks I am. I think there's a Mr. Hyde in all of us. Every time you want to tell your boss your true feelings, that's Mr. Hyde. Every time someone insults you and you walk away thinking "I wish I said something," Mr. Hyde would have not only said something, but also done something. There's a dark side of all of us. That's a part of life and sometimes very interesting.

acedude90 asks: hey when will you come to california?
david_hasselhoff_live: I don't know. From here, I'm going to Miami to finish my album in Spanish with Rudy Perez. And then I'm off to Los Angeles, too, because after all, my family is there.

viagra6fan asks: his pay-per-view will be when??
david_hasselhoff_live: March 10th. This Saturday. I believe at 8pm.

jade4749 asks: David, what direction do you see your singing career going in the near future? Do you prefer to be known for your skill as a Broadway singer or as a pop star?
david_hasselhoff_live: I think I prefer to be known as a person who does the best he can at whatever he does. Many of the songs that I've been dealt in the past have not really been appropriate for the worldwide market, but have been for, say, Germany or Broadway. I don't know that I'll ever be a huge worldwide selling entertainer, but I feel that I have a lot to offer as someone live and as an entertainer. Whether that be Broadway or pop. If you come to see me live, I think you will be surprised.

thunderbird666de asks: will the ppv be available in Germany
david_hasselhoff_live: It will be available throughout the United States, in Latin America. And will be released later throughout Europe.

lbuchanan2020 asks: Do you like to go to Casinos?
david_hasselhoff_live: Not as much as I used to. But if you're going to go to the casinos, make sure and play craps.

dhfan4ever asks: When will your new movie "Layover" be out?
david_hasselhoff_live: That is the ,000,000 question. I'm very proud of the movie and hope it is soon. It is really a terrific film and something I'm very proud of.

peaceout89 asks: What are your plans concerning the Knight Rider movie? Can you shed any more light about what it is about?
david_hasselhoff_live: The Knight Rider movie is in negotiations while we speak. Whether it's a film or a Movie of the Week for television is yet to be decided. We'll know more next week, but basically it's about Michael Knight coming out of retirement after being frozen, because he was injected with a fatal poison. Devon, who is now the great-great-grandniece of Devon Miles, Michael's boss and mentor, is now running the Foundation for Law and Government, which is called FLAG. She, with her new partner ( a very young Michael Knight type), will team up with the original Michael Knight and the new K.I.T.T. to carry on what will be the Knight Rider 3000 in the future.

trombone23 asks: Who do you like better Hyde or Jekyll ?
david_hasselhoff_live: Hyde was more fun to play. Jekyll is definitely more me.

rubickscube23 asks: I would like to know if the musical portrays mr. hyde in more of the way that the book portrays him. is there less transformation physically from jekyll and more in attitude. and also does the musical give any allusions to alcoholism and the way that drugs create a 'monster' within the people that let them dominate themselves?
david_hasselhoff_live: That's a very good question. The original was written by Robert Louis Stevenson about his father, trying to bring him out of a coma, which is what we now call schizophrenia, or maybe even Alzheimer's. The Hyde character comes out from the taking of drugs, which could be a metaphor into the evils of drugs, or the evils of alcoholism. The show is a classic, because I think that everyone can relate to it in some form in their own life. And it is a lesson to be learned, that we all have a little bit of Hyde in all of our Jekylls. And that sometimes evil is stronger than good, and easier than good. And that we have a responsibility to control that.

sg1phileshipper asks: When you perform, in which country do you find the craziest audience?
david_hasselhoff_live: The craziest audience, I think, was just recently in Chile, where I sang at a festival called Vina El Mar. I've never seen a reaction like that in my life. It was quite funny.

dhfan4ever asks: What was it like when you first stepped on the Broadway stage and realized your longtime dream?
david_hasselhoff_live: I put my 2 feet down, I looked down and I said, "It took you 40 years to get here. Let's rock & roll!"

walkswithwolves2001 asks: how hard was it to ready yourself for the split personality role
david_hasselhoff_live: It was actually a lot of fun. We took 6 weeks of intensive rehearsal, which involved 5 hours of acting and blocking with the director. 2 hours of musical direction. And it was quite a challenge. But I believe that luck shined on me. Luck, after all, I believe, is being prepared for opportunity when it presents itself.

acedude90 asks: where is Davids location at the moment?
david_hasselhoff_live: I'm in a hotel in New York City.

??? asks: When does your album come out...
david_hasselhoff_live: it will be released this summer

tempest_00us asks: would you say live performances are easier to act because of the natural floe you gain, in comparison to the stop and start tecnique of filming?
david_hasselhoff_live: At times, yes. At times, no. Sometimes you are naturally in the "zone". And you just go along for the ride. And you don't really know what you're doing, but you know it's right. Other evenings, you have 2 left feet. And everything seems to be work. However, the magic is to never let anyone know. Let anyone know the difference between those nights.

tigger4u63 asks: How amny languages do you sing in?
david_hasselhoff_live: I've sung in French, Spanish, German. Four.

sg1phileshipper asks: Would you consider touring through Europe, doing Jekyll and Hyde?
david_hasselhoff_live: Oh, there's been an offer already. Right now I am considering taking the show to Asia.

lolo71us asks: What made you decide to the musical J&H
david_hasselhoff_live: I had had enough of Baywatch. I realized that there was something inside of me that said, "I must prove to myself what I can do, what I'm supposed to do, and what my God-given talent is for." So I had my representation check out what was available and the response I got was several offers. One being The Music Man, which was not available at that time. Annie Get Your Gun. And Jekyll & Hyde. And I heard the score for J & H, specifically This Is The Moment, and I knew that was my calling. It's true rock & roll gothic opera.

LadyItaly2 asks: what ever happened to the kit car? did u get to keep it?...lol
david_hasselhoff_live: The K.I.T.T. car is in my back guesthouse. Every day, saying "Michael. Michael. When are we going back to work?"

billandgabi asks: YOu are an inspiration to people throughout the world, do you belive that hte best is yet to
y_chat_diva: come in your life as well

sg1phileshipper asks: How hard was it to perform in front of an experienced J&H crowd
david_hasselhoff_live: In the beginning, it was very intimidating. But I soon won them over, because I believed in myself and I worked very hard to get better. By the way, I'll be on The View tomorrow. They'll be showing a clip from the Pay-Per-View, so you'll get a chance to actually see me perform.

marye34 asks: David, is there anything esle that you'd like to accomplish that you already haven't tackled?
david_hasselhoff_live: I'd like to be King of the World. LOL

craztiff asks: do your children get to go with you when you perform live?
david_hasselhoff_live: My children. Yes. My children and my wife joined me in New York city. They're great supporters of me and give me great criticism of what I can do better, but mostly in a positive way. My daughter has travelled with me all over the planet. Taylor-Ann had 9 countries stamped in her passport before she was 1. She wants to go back to Europe now. I told her, "Honey, you've already been." She has no recollection. :)

chichunas2 asks: what is your favorite song you've ever recorded and why?
david_hasselhoff_live: Good question. "More Than Words Can Say" because it was written by my musical director and myself and another friend, and it is very special because the guy who wrote the original Hook passed away of cancer, and it's basically his legacy. And now it's been translated into Spanish and is our lead-off song for the Latin market.

thedemolitionist2001 asks: Do you think a lot of people will order the paper view show? And is William Daniels might return to his role in the Knight Rider if it gets made?
david_hasselhoff_live: I'm not sure WHO will order the pay per view. For me, it's not about making money. It's about bringing Broadway into your homes. I'm really not sure if it will be a financial success, but as a critical success, it's well worth seeing, or I wouldn't be taking the time tonight to do this interview. I have far more exciting things to do in New York City, but it is a great opportunity to communicate with people who have followed my career, because the questions have been very entertaining and exciting to me, because people really do care! Sometimes you are on tv and you work very difficult and long hours, and you wonder if anyone really is watching. So it's great to put a personality or a face behind the words.

sassynsporty69 asks: where is your favorite place to preform?
david_hasselhoff_live: The shower!

sg1phileshipper asks: Will you ever sing in French again, cause I must say that your French is very cute?
david_hasselhoff_live: Never. Never. Never. Never. French was horrible.

peaceout89 asks: David we all wish you feel better soon, since we heard you were sick and cancelled from the Late Late Show. WIll you be on the View tomorrow?
david_hasselhoff_live: I will definitely be on The View tomorrow. And I think I got more press out of being sick and not being on The Late Show then out of being on it anyway!

justme9872000 asks: When you say blocking, do you mean musical choreography or stage direction (or both)?
david_hasselhoff_live: Both. The exciting part of the pay per view show is that it's filmed in high definition and is being premiered at all the high definition theatres around the world.

TreysInn asks: Is J and H the first time you are acting without cameras rolling?
david_hasselhoff_live: Well, I grew up in the theatre. I actually started when I was 8 years old. I had a theatre in my basement. I think that it's important that if anyone wants to follow their dream, whether it be a mathematician or a scientist, GO FOR IT. Bug your parents. Go to every class you can get. It's a highly competitive world and you need to be ready for every opportunity when it presents itself.

t2545xcdt asks: Has Pam co-written any songs with you?
david_hasselhoff_live: My wife, Pamela, says hi. And, yes, she actually co-wrote "More Than Words Can Say".

peaceout89 asks: Are you planning on touring the US soon? You have many fans here, and you don't recognize us. Only the people in the Europe.
david_hasselhoff_live: That is so sweet. My wife is constantly telling me ... don't go to Germany. Please perform in the States. So we're actually putting together right now a show for probably Las Vegas and to go on tour. David Hasselhoff Live, which will take you through my 20 year career. Starting off in musical theatre and going through soap operas to pop stardom to Broadway.

walky001 asks: I hope that there will be a Single coming out with your new album. What about doing a Video-Clip with your fans? Kind like Savage Garden´s "Affirmation" or from the Backstreet Boys "The One" or "I Want it that way".
david_hasselhoff_live: Well, I think that at this point, I have to just kind-of follow the next dream, and that is finishing the album in English and in Spanish. The reason I'm doing a Latino album is because the music is fantastic. It is far superior at times, I think, to what is playing in the U.S. It has heart, passion, and class. I think that American music has gotten to a point where it's either teenybopper fluff or radical rap, and ther's not much of an in between. There's very difficult politics in getting records played on the radio I am not interested in playing those games. I am only interested in the credibility of my performance. And I think that my next step is to do something live that will affirm that, as opposed to trying to make a record just so it will get played on the radio.

tundike_f1 asks: Whz do you go onlz to Germanz, Austria and other Western European countries? Will you come to Hungary again?
david_hasselhoff_live: I've been to Budapest. Lovely country. I stayed at a hotel at the top of a mountain.

phoenixxx_1999 asks: what was baywatch like..was it like temptation island!!!!!!!
david_hasselhoff_live: No. More like Survivor! LOL

chichunas2 asks: Any chance of "Somewhere in a dream" in spanish?
david_hasselhoff_live: Are you from Germany? Because that song was never really released in America. And it's one of my favorite songs. Not a bad idea!

vega414 asks: Would you consider doing another series? We miss you in weekly TV
david_hasselhoff_live: Working on that now. Working on bringing back Knight Rider. And working on the next franchise .... a.k.a. the next Baywatch. It will take me a little bit of time, but believe me, it will happen.

trombone23 asks: Have you ever thought of being a techie?
david_hasselhoff_live: As opposed to a Jekkie? :) Uh, no. I find it difficult to sit down for more than 5 minutes.

jb_06wi asks: What is the best country to travel to?
david_hasselhoff_live: I think the best country to travel to, depending on what you want ..... In the whole world ... I'd say probably the United States.

soap_addict_forever asks: Are there any performers that you admire?
david_hasselhoff_live: My favorite performer that I admire more than anyone is Sammy Davis, Jr. I actually waited on him as a waiter when I was very young. He sang What Kind a Fool Am I, kind of his signature song, and later on I found out that Leslie Bricusse, who wrote Jekyll & Hyde, actually wrote that song. It all comes around. He was a terrific man and a great inspiration to me. Right now, I think the greatest performer who I admire more than anybody, is Elton John. There's nothing this guy touches that isn't great.

chichunas2 asks: NO! Im not from Germany from New Jersey! And its my favorite song in the world!!
david_hasselhoff_live: Wow.

x_logic_bomb_x asks: You seem to have an extremely hectic singing/acting schedule....what do you do to relax away from work?
david_hasselhoff_live: Travel. I go to the strangest places I can find. Hang out with the Masai tribe in Kenya. Skydive. Scuba dive. Truck Lagoon.

trombone23 asks: what is your fav sceen in J&H
david_hasselhoff_live: My favorite scene in Jekyll & Hyde is ... the confrontation. Because you're onstage all alone and you have to play 2 characters at once, and it is a runaway train. And if you miss one line of dialogue, it's a huge wreck. Every night I would have huge anxiety because I knew that was my last number in the show and I always thought that if I missed one line, how would I get back on track? But it's amazing what muscle memory will do. And if you prepare and you really believe in yourself, your character will bring you through.

jade4749 asks: Do you keep in touch with the other actors from Jekyll & Hyde
david_hasselhoff_live: Yes. I'm meeting them all this week for the premiere here in New York. And will welcome an opportunity to do the show again.

t2545xcdt asks: When is the anticipated Las Vegas dates?
david_hasselhoff_live: Right now we're just in preparation. Probably sometime in 2002.

chichunas2 asks: Will this album be your first world-wide release?
david_hasselhoff_live: Yes.

vega414 asks: If you could which braodway play would you pick to be in now that J&H is over
david_hasselhoff_live: Music Man. That's my favorite, ever.

Mr_Brown_Eyes asks: Have you ever though of retiring?
david_hasselhoff_live: No. Not in the cards. I'm a workaholic. Unless I have 15 things going all at once, I get extremely depressed.

jb_06wi asks: what is your most important accomplishment?
david_hasselhoff_live: Being a father.

y_chat_diva: Thank you David for chatting with us
david_hasselhoff_live: You're welcome.

y_chat_diva: The Jekyll and Hyde ppv airs this Saturday March 10. Check out www.jekyll-hyde.com for more info. Thanks everyone for your great questions
david_hasselhoff_live: Good-bye everyone!

szia2000 asks: we love you David and your nice family

TreysInn asks: Thanks for taking time for us! :)

peaceout89 asks: Bye David! This moment was truly special!

soccerchick6905 asks: bye

aquagirly1986 asks: Good bye!

TreysInn asks: Bye David!

peaceout89 asks: David wait! We love you!! ---- All of your fans

sg1phileshipper asks: Thanks a lot David

vega414 asks: I traveled from CA to NY just to see you in J&H and had to return the next night with a rush ticket. It was great!!