Broadway is about to get a taste of the Consuelos magic. This spring, daytime TV star Mark Consuelos and his youngest son, Joaquin Consuelos, will each make their Broadway debuts, starring in two separate productions, leaving Kelly Ripa jokingly pondering which show to attend each night.
“Every night, I'm going to have this choice, like, 'Who do I see tonight?'" Ripa explained on 'Live with Kelly and Mark' on January 21. "Do I go see my husband, or do I go see my beloved son?"
Mark, 54, will step onto the Great White Way in Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Noël Coward's 'Fallen Angels.' The production also features Golden Globe winner Rose Byrne and Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara, with Mark portraying Maurice Duclos, the secret lover entwined in the lives of two married women.
The play’s ensemble includes Tracee Chimo, Christopher Fitzgerald, and Aasif Mandvi. Previews begin March 27 at the Todd Haimes Theatre, with the official opening on April 19 and a limited run through June 7.
“I've been wanting to do this,” Mark admitted to People. “I love getting on stage. It's been years since I've had a chance to do it because of travel, and living here in New York City, I'm pretty much anchored here now. I'm trapped! So, I thought it would be a good idea!”
Meanwhile, Joaquin, 22, a recent graduate of the University of Michigan School of Drama, will make his Broadway debut in Arthur Miller’s 'Death of a Salesman.'
Sharing the stage with Tony winners Nathan Lane and Laurie Metcalf, Joaquin joins an ensemble cast that includes Christopher Abbott, Ben Ahlers, K. Todd Freeman, Jonathan Cake, John Drea, Michael Benjamin Washington, Tasha Lawrence, Jake Silbermann, Jake Termine, Karl Green, and Jack Falahe.
Previews start March 6 at the Winter Garden Theatre, with opening night on April 9 and a planned closing on June 14. “We’re going up against each other,” Mark joked about the simultaneous productions.
For Ripa, the overlapping schedules present a delightful dilemma, choosing between watching her husband or her son on stage each evening. Chances are, she won’t have to choose, as the couple’s older children, Michael Consuelos, 28, and Lola Consuelos, 24, are also expected to cheer from the audience.
“Is the anxiety kicking in? When you agreed to do it months ago, my anxiety kicked in!” Ripa quipped to Mark on 'Live with Kelly and Mark.'
Mark, however, is completely unfazed. “No, listen, I've been wanting to do this,” he said. “It's been years since I've had a chance to do it, and I love getting on stage.”
The Consuelos family has long been supportive of each other’s creative pursuits. Back in July, Mark reflected on advice he and Ripa gave Joaquin after his graduation. “Slow and steady wins the race kind of thing,” Mark recalled.
“Also, the less we say the better, you know,” Ripa added. “Kids are more reticent to take advice from their parents, so we just keep it quiet, and we've been lucky so far. They've really turned out to be fabulous adults. We're really proud of them.”