On Sunday, “Ragtime” achieved the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical.
And sure, Ben Levi Ross, Caissie Levy, Joshua Henry and Nichelle Lewis got their due in a four-page New York Times Arts & Leisure photo spread in this week’s Sunday Edition.
But another hero of the production was none other than Los Gatos High School graduate Rodd Cyrus (né Farhadi), who portrayed Harry Houdini—which is based on a book by E.L. Doctorow set at the turn of the 20th century.
“The town raised me,” said Cyrus, in a recent telephone interview conducted as he sat outside the Lincoln Center, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. “I was on the Los Gatos Youth Commission.”
Cyrus recalled his days at Daves Avenue, then Blossom Hill Elementary, then Fisher Middle School, then Los Gatos High School—before he went on to UCLA and Juilliard.
Back in the day he’d meet monthly with the chief of police and the Town Council. He pushed the local business community to adopt youth-friendly practices to help kids here have a sense of agency.
“I really am grateful that I did that,” he said.
Cyrus flying high right now, having taken on the role of “James” in director Stevan Lee Mraovitch’s 2024 film “Doctor Doctor,” joined an episode of the TV series “The Equalizer,” completed voice work for the Aline Brosh McKenna and Lauren Weisberger-written spring smash “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” and logged a turn in the upcoming Kevin Hart flick “72 Hours” (as Teyana Taylor’s character’s best friend).
He’s definitely savoring the taste of success.
“You dream about these things for so long, and if you’re lucky enough they end up happening,” he said. “It takes a lot of work—and some luck.”
For “Ragtime,” Cyrus had to undergo a major transformation, in order to make his interpretation of the most iconic magician of all time (Houdini was known for his feats of strength) seem convincing.
“I went to the Houdini Museum and tried on his real top hat,” he said. “I visited his grave site in Queens.”
And, of course, he had to bulk-up.
“It has been a lot of exercise,” he said. “This dude was jacked.”
Out of 11 nominations, the show ended up with three wins on Sunday (Henry took Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical; Levy earned Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical).
“The material itself—it’s so well-written,” Cyrus commented.
But beyond racking up credits on IMDB and furthering his actor-life in the Big Apple, Cyrus has another dream. He says he’d like to see the arts celebrated in his hometown just as much as athletics or technology.
The community has quite the Hollywood pedigree, what with two-time Academy Award-winner Olivia de Havilland (“Gone with the Wind”) having attended Los Gatos High, he notes. (And at the recent Scotts Valley Alfred Hitchcock Festival, Hitch’s granddaughter reminded the audience that the scary movie pioneer ended up in the Santa Cruz Mountains thanks to a tip from LGHS alumna Joan Fontaine.)
Cyrus says he’s on a “quest” to raise the profile of artistic pursuits in Los Gatos. We’ll have to stay tuned to see what he does to make that a reality.
His favorite production in high school? “The Pajama Game,” in sophomore year.
“I got to play a good part,” he said. “It felt like magic.”
In 2013, he was nominated for a Jimmy (aka the National High School Musical Theatre Awards) for his work in “Urinetown” at LGHS. That earned him a one-time slot at the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway—he sang “Run Freedom Run” with verve.
He may not have secured a Tony for himself yet, but he was a key part of helping “Ragtime” get there.
Cyrus says it’s important for young performers to remember to stay the course—even when things get tough.
“I didn’t stop,” he said. “Just keep going and your dreams end up coming true.”
