TV legend Davidson shows his 'Wicked' side

Singer, actor takes on 'Wizard' role, touts young stars

John Davidson as the Wizard might be the most recognizable name in the cast of “Wicked,” which plays before likely sold-out shows Aug. 5 through 23 at Keller

Auditorium.

But, he of the hosting jobs for “The New Hollywood Squares,” “The $100,000 Pyramid” and “That’s Incredible” knows something about stage talent, and Davidson says theater-goers will surely enjoy the acting of Alyssa Fox as Elphaba and Carrie St. Louis as Glinda — the witches in the untold story of “Oz” — in the incredibly popular Broadway play.

“It’s all about the witches, and I’ve now done four contracts of playing the Wizard for the ‘Wicked’ organizations, and these are the best witches I’ve ever worked with,” Davidson says. “They’re just Broadway veterans, even though they’re so young.”

Forgive Davidson for feeling like the real veteran in a cast of 25-year-olds. He’s 73 now, but still looks youthful and dashing — possibly because he bicycles a lot, and he and wife Rhonda have been driving for the “Wicked” tour with bicycles on the car rack.

He’s delighted and grateful to be part of the “Wicked” show as he marks his 50th year since his professional stage debut.

“I actually went to the producers in New York and said I wanted to be the Wizard,” he says. “I’ve done Harold Hill in ‘The Music Man,’ and I see the Wizard being a con man and bamboozler like Harold Hill. That’s the fun of the Wizard.

“But, I have to realize I’m not the star of the show. I just have two scenes. But, little kids think I’m cool. My job is to now cheer these young performers on. There’s so much talent in the show.”

Davidson has been surrounded by talent throughout his career, and he fondly reflects on “Hollywood Squares,” in which he starred in the 1970s (with Peter Marshall as host) and later hosted during its revival in the 1980s. Joan Rivers was his center square. He enjoyed having dinner between show tapings with the stars.

In the 1990s, he succeeded Dick Clark as host of “Pyramid” which was one tough show, because “you had to be smart and clever to play that,” he says. He says that such guests as Betty White and Vicki Lawrence really excelled.

On “That’s Incredible” in the 1980s, a show about extraordinary people and things, he hosted alongside Fran Tarkenton, the former NFL quarterback, and actress Cathy Lee Crosby.

“Fran and I have stayed close,” Davidson says. “We had a lot in common. I was never on a sports team, never had that locker-room relationship with other guys, but we had that locker-room thing going on. He’s a very smart guy, a tremendous businessman.”

Davidson has a lot of credits as a host, actor and singer — “I still do concerts with a guitar and banjo,” he says. He says the most fun he had was hosting his own daytime talk show in the ‘80s. He also guest-hosted “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson” 87 times.

Davidson doesn’t do any more TV shows. “Television is such a young (person’s) medium,” he says. “So is theater.”

He relishes the old days of game shows — he also did “Time Machine” in the ‘80s — but he says the genre remains alive and well with the likes of “Jeopardy!,” “Wheel of Fortune,” “The Price Is Right” and many more.

Davidson looks forward to visiting Portland. He was here with “The Music Man,” and “I spent all my time at Powell’s Books.” He also got his one and only tattoo here — an anchor on his shoulder with his wife’s name by it. An avid boater, he also took rowing lessons in Portland.

“It’s really a charming city.”

After his “Wicked run,” he doesn’t know what he’ll do. He might have his agent make another call and try to play Captain Hook in “Finding Neverland.”

“I’m still singing pretty well, I feel healthy,” he says.