Ayyy! As the Fonz from ‘Happy Days,’ Devin Clark stays cool at the IceHouse
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It’s scorching outside but Devin Clark is feeling pretty cool these days: The singer-actor is starring as Arthur “the Fonz” Fonzarelli in “Happy Days: The Musical.” The Sonnentag Theatre at the IceHouse in Mount Dora is presenting the stage adaptation of the classic TV comedy, which aired from 1974-1984 on ABC.
Readers of a certain age, brace yourselves.
“I think I had seen one random episode on Nick at Nite when I was growing up,” says Clark, who wasn’t yet born when the series ended. “I didn’t get all the jokes. But I remember seeing the Fonz and thinking, ‘This guy is obviously cool as hell.'”
He would later recall the Fonz, played by Henry Winkler, when the animated series “Family Guy,” which frequently uses pop-culture references for humorous effect, paid tribute to the character.
So when he landed the role, Clark did some research.
“I’ve gone through about six full episodes,” he says. “But I’ve watched a lot of Fonzie montage scenes.”
Clark, 29, is a performer at Universal Studios in the “Ragtime Gals” and “Sing It!” shows, and also performs with the Voices of Liberty at Walt Disney World’s Epcot. All are a cappella performances, with Clark providing the low baritone-bass notes for the various ensembles.
His interest in music comes from his childhood in Detroit, Michigan.
“I definitely wasn’t the coolest kid in school but I wasn’t picked on or bullied,” he says. “I was a blend between a band geek and a jock.”
Clark played French horn in the band but also was on the baseball and soccer teams. He stuck with the horn throughout college, first in Michigan, then at the University of South Florida, where he earned a master’s degree in French horn.
Just one problem: “I was tired of my lips being tired,” he says. And the idea of traditional orchestra work had lost its appeal.
“I’m a very social, extraverted person,” he says. “I didn’t want to sit around in a tuxedo all day.”
So Clark turned to a different musical talent: His voice. Performing with a cappella groups led to his theme-park career. And onto the stage.
He thinks audiences will dig the “Happy Days” musical.
“It’s a complete walk down memory lane,” he says. “It references the demolition derby, it references ‘jumping the shark'” — the infamous scene that depicts the Fonz performing a water-skiing stunt and birthed a new cultural expression indicating something has gone past its prime.
The “Happy Days” stage show isn’t based on any particular episode but incorporates the Cunningham family — Howard, Marion, Richie and Joanie — and friends like Potsie, Ralph and Chachi in a story by TV series creator Garry Marshall. The gang, including Fonzie’s former flame Pinky Tuscadero, rallies to save its hangout — Arnold’s Restaurant — from demolition.
IceHouse managing artistic director Darlin Barry will direct the show, with choreography by Kevin Kriegel, music direction by Robert Cohen and scenic design by Buddy Fales. Icehouse vets John Crosby and Jackie Prutsman play Howard and Marion, with Aidan Fracker as Richie — the role inhabited by Ron Howard on TV — who serves as narrator.
Clark says even in the constraints of a sitcom, “Happy Days” endures because of its focus on growing up, which gives it relatability to teens from any era.
“I feel like it was a magnifying glass looking at real life,” he says.
And Fonz particularly strikes a chord because he represents the traits people want to see in themselves.
“He’s so sure of himself, he is so confident, he knows he has things to offer,” Clark says. “He’s like the big brother to everybody.”
The actor thinks back to his high-school days and laughs: “I wish I had had a friend like Fonzie.”
‘Happy Days: The Musical’
Where: Sonnentag Theatre at the IceHouse, 1100 N. Unser St. in Mount Dora
When: July 14-Aug. 6
Cost: $25 ($10 children 17 and younger, $15 students 18 and older)
Info: icehousetheatre.com
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