From SNL to the Stage, Robert Bannon Has Unfinished Business

Robert Bannon has had an interesting life, to say the least. From an early age he showed promise in music and the stage, being admitted into the very first Juilliard Prep class for musical theater. After a debilitating bout with Lyme disease, he was told he would never perform again. He overcame the odds just to hit a performance wall after an unfortunate Broadway audition and left the business for ten years, to work as a teacher. After dealing with the end of his marriage and coming out, and inspired by the creators of an off-Broadway show, the performance bug would once again take a bite and he returned to his career full force.

Bannon has performed with several rhythm-and-blues, jazz, and comedy icons including Patti LaBelle, George Benson, and Whoopi Goldberg at legendary venues like Madison Square Garden, the Beacon Theatre, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Bannon has sung for both Clintons at high profile events and performed in national touring and regional productions of My Big Gay Italian Wedding, Rent, We Will Rock You, My Way, and more. A chance email from the producers of Saturday Night Live would result in an SNL gig for the last three years.

It is his personal performance that continues to inspire. He has traveled the country performing his hit one-man show, Unfinished Business, including runs at New York’s famed Feinstein’s/54 Below cabaret. The autobiographical performance traces his on-off-again relationship with the stage, his teaching, and his coming out. He recently visited the West Coast for his first live performance post-COVID at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s to celebrate the release of his debut album, titled after his one-man show. The album was recorded from his home studio with his musicians recording on their own, socially distant. He is back with a vengeance with a full slate of performances…oh, and this Jersey boy still teaches 5^th grade.

We caught up with Robert a day before his LA performance to get the scoop.

You just released your debut album…why now? 

Good question! I did my one-man show at 54 Below in Nov. of 2019. After the show was over, the thought occurred to do a single. Just one little ole song, but as time went on, I felt like I had more to share and a need to be creative. One song became two and then it turned into a full-length album of covers and an original song “I Think He Knew” which I am so proud to introduce to the world. I have been through a little journey in my own life, the discovery of who I was, my journey through love and loss. It was finally time to share it. 

You have been singing since the age of 12, to great success – what about your singing hasn’t really changed, and what about your singing has changed the most?

I think that my taste in music never really changed. I love a good trap song or dance track, but my heart lives in the old school. I love the jazzy world of the clubs of the 50s. I want to smell the Jack, cigarettes, and sing a torch song in a smoky bar. That was what I loved even as a kid and it never changed. 

I would hope being an actor and my acting training as an adult brings a more authentic vibe to my music. I try to approach each song like a monologue. They usually mean something personal to me. The life experience that I have had, I hope, brings a more honest vulnerable approach to my music that I never had at a younger age. 

Ok, let’s talk about going to Juilliard…what were your best classes what was your worst? 

That seems like a lifetime ago! I was also so grateful to be there. I was in the first Musical Theatre Prep Class at Juilliard. I was only 12 years old when I started going. I loved all the singing. Sitting down and seeing Bertin Rowser teach, and Diane Wilson play was by far a masterclass. I never got into movement. It is still not my thing. I know how amazing it is to dance, I wish I was better at it. I know how important it is to do movement in acting school, it was just always a struggle. I guess I am just a control freak!

Robert Bannon (Photo by Rachel Robyn)

What did you learn about Juilliard that you don’t think you could have learned anywhere else? 

Professional Behavior! We were in a group called “Inner Spirit.” We were booking big gigs! We were singing for the Clintons, the governor of NY, with Patti LaBelle at the Beacon, so we were truly booked & blessed. At 12 years old, I had to learn how to fit in school, music lessons, and work, I think it is why I can teach, sing, act, perform, host a show, etc. I had to multitask at a young age, and I am so grateful to have learned that skill.

Tell me about this Rent audition for Broadway…it was traumatic enough to leave the business? 

Well, you need to know a bit of the backstory first. At fourteen my whole world just stopped on a dime. I was diagnosed with meningitis caused by chronic Lyme Disease. I had to stop the group at Juilliard. I moved to Baltimore for medical treatment and was homeschooled for 4 years. I was told I wouldn’t walk again or be able to sing. When I recovered because of amazing doctors and treatment, I was lost. I lost all those years where you really learn who you are! All I wanted to do was to sing and get back to the business. I submitted for Rent on Broadway and was called in for an audition. I had to sing “One Song Glory.” Well, I botched the words so badly. I left and decided to not chase music and theatre anymore. I was just emerging back into the world after those four years. I was too insecure and vulnerable for how tough and mean this business truly is. I changed my major to education and left that life behind for almost 15 years. 

Looking back, do you think you made the right, personal decision to leave the biz? 

It has taken me a long time to finally say yes. I think at that time I did what I needed to do to survive. I wouldn’t be here to tell my story and journey if I stayed. I regretted it for a long time, but I think what yours is yours. No one can take it from you. So, in divine timing, I am here and this time, you are stuck with me!

You left your career to teach 5^th graders…what have you learned from your students? 

My students through the years have taught me so much. A ten-year-old isn’t biased or jaded. They see things more clearly than we do. They see things as right and wrong, good and bad. They have taught me to be grateful, look for the little things, and to see the wonder in all things around you. I say 5th grade is the perfect age! They are old enough to do their own thing but still young enough to listen.

What are your students most inquisitive about your life? 

They love to stalk me on social media. They find all my pages, videos, etc. They want to know what it is like to be on TV, have I met any famous people, etc. They are so supportive of my personal journey. It is funny to walk into a classroom on a Monday morning and the whole class saw you on TV Saturday night. I can’t ask for better support than that!

Robert Bannon (Photo by Rachel Robyn)

After 10 years, you came back to the acting world…what made you come back? 

I saw an off-Broadway show entitled Invisible Thread, now called Witness Uganda. I was just coming out; I was so lost and alone and sad about the way my life was. I was certainly feeling sorry for myself so I would see a lot of theatre. I went to the TKTS booth for discounted tickets and picked this show. It was AMAZING! It moved me to no end. I just had to tweet the creators Griffin Matthews & Matt Gould. I never tweeted anyone ever in my life, but something inside just told me I had to tell them. Griffin actually wrote back, and I asked them about singing lessons and within a week I was at their house talking music with Matt. 

I am so grateful. They let me into their circle, encouraged me, supported me, and mostly were just amazing friends to me. I went to acting school, built my show, and now the album due to them. They gave me that little push to jump back into something I was so scared of doing but missed so much! It is such an honor to sing their original song “I Think He Knew” on my album. Talk about a full-circle moment!

How do you keep up the energy to teach by day and then be a performer/actor at night?

I run on Dunkin.’ No, I do not know. I love both jobs. I have such a passion for my art that I will stay up late and just work on it if I can. I am working on it like I am truly making up for lost time. As for teaching, it has been a calm, steady, consistent gift. I could not have asked for a better Yin to my Yang. I may take a lot of days off now or have a lot on my mind and it may stress me out, but it is such an important part of who I am, and teaching has by far made me a better actor and performer.

So, Saturday Night Live sends you an email…how did that come about? 

I was at my mom’s house for dinner and an email came that said we want a recent pic for an SNL shoot. I thought it was spam. They said they found me on Backstage, which is an actor/audition listing newspaper and website. I googled the casting director and believe it or not, she was real. When they saw my picture, they told me they couldn’t use me because I had hair. They needed someone bald. I instantly said I would go to the Supercuts and have my head shaved to be on SNL and I did. It was a TSA sketch that featured me as the scary guy getting on the plane and it was my SNL debut. They remembered me and I have done over twenty appearances since then over the past 4 seasons. Insane!

What is it like behind the scenes of Saturday Night Live? 

Surreal. It is a workspace, so it is super professional, but it is magic. It is small backstage. Some cast members share dressing rooms, there is a lot of staff running around with costumes, wigs, set, but that crew is unlike any in the world. For them to build that show every week, and stage it, and move the cameras around on LIVE national TV around the studio audience is a crash course in amazing TV work. You never know who you will be playing, what you will be wearing, or who you will see! For example, one day I was walking to set to bump into Billie Ellish, Tina Fey, and a goat all in the hallway. No joke! That is life at SNL! It is the best part-time job in the world. 

What about a song do you respond to first? 

I know the expected answer is the lyrics, but to be honest that is usually the last thing I notice. I love a melody. I need to hear a song and it needs to stay with me. I want it to live with me and to remember it when the song is over. If you can hum it back, then you have a memorable hook! We want those earworms! Then add some killer emotional lyrics and you have yourself a song!

Tell me about your show Unfinished Business…it’s a hit, it’s a one-man show, you’ve traveled around the country…what makes a good one-man show? 

Honesty and authenticity! You cannot be afraid to break your heart and make it art. We all have a story; we have all overcome adversity. Are we all brave enough to tell it? To be honest, it is not easy to do. It is vulnerable. No one wants you to show up, sing 10 songs, and leave. They want to be moved. People remember the way you made them feel! So, my advice is to have a story to tell, a lesson learned, and then build the show and the setlist around that! The chance to be on stage is a privilege so might as well put it to good use!

You have also toured with some national touring shows…what is the reality of life in the theatre on the road? 

I had a blast with the tour of My Big Gay Italian Wedding. That was my favorite tour. That show is just fun! Life on the road is a little tough. It is a working vacation for sure. You certainly must lean into self-care! Sleep, gym, good diet, etc. make it more bearable. It is a lot of moving from place to place, so treating yourself well is a must. 

Any funny on-the-road stories? 

Well, doing My Big Gay Italian Wedding throughout Florida was a wild time. Some of the cities of Florida were not always thrilled with us, to say the least, but we made it! I am looking forward to more on-the-road stories to come!

What is your coming-out story? 

Oh boy! Well, here we go. When I quit music, I was 18 years old and met a woman with who I would spend over a decade. We were married and all! Bet you didn’t see that one coming! When I was divorced, I knew it was time to face my sexuality head-on. With the help of an amazing counselor, and good insurance (Thank you teaching) I was able to explore my sexuality and eventually come hopping out like a confetti cannon. I was lucky, When I told my family and friends, for the most part, it was a very supportive experience. I did lose a friend or two but in all I was lucky. When I tell the coming out part of my life and sing the song that goes with it. “I Think He Knew” I always dedicate it to the people who aren’t as lucky. So many people lose the support of their family and friends. I try to speak up, share my story, and teach tolerance to my students to make things better for the generation after me. 

How do love and dating fit into your career, your teaching? 

My favorite question. I was thrown into the dating scene at 32 years old after being married to a woman, so it was a huge learning curve. Dating is crazy! It is a talent that I do not know if I have. lol. I was lucky enough to find someone who understands my life, my art, and my career. So, I do have a partner who is accomplished in his own career and together we make our own normal and make it work. It is not always easy, but it is worth it. We work hard at communicating and making sure we are getting what we need from each other while still working on ourselves as individuals. 

What about your singing sets you apart from anyone else? 

Tough question! I think that I have a unique sound. TBH sometimes it is hard to listen to myself. I am not like Prince, listening to my own music every day! Ha! I think that my approach to a song makes it stand out. I want to feel like we are in an intimate setting. It should feel like we are in my living room having a drink and talking about life. That is the vibe I go for, and I hope it is what connects with people.

Was it an isolating feeling recording Unfinished Business from home, under social distancing from the other musicians? 

For sure! It also took 16 months as opposed to a weekend. It was very isolating and at times intimidating. We would send the music, it would trickle in, and it had to be put all together. The engineer Gabe and the amazing musicians are geniuses for how they made this work. It truly sounds like we are in the same room, and we never were. I still haven’t met all the people who played on the album. As the artist, I did miss the collaboration of the musicians, but through some miracle, when I laid down the vocals, it felt like they were right there with me. 

What track from Unfinished Business means the most to you? 

Tossup! “I Think He Knew” because it is an LGBT+ anthem about a family and it just means so much to me. If not that song, “From A Distance” for sure. It was a song I did not want to do. It is so linked to Bette Midler, but when we did the album apart and we were all living through this crazy time, it just said and felt the way I knew many of us felt. That gave me the courage and motivation to sing the song and hopefully give it new life!

You recently traveled out to the West Coast for your first live performance, why LA and not NYC? 

Well, I will be in NY second! It was a bucket list item for sure! My goal in 2021 was to release the album and sing it around the country. I had a show planned at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s in April of 2020, so when the world started to reopen it was the first place that invited me back. How could I say no? So, we did it and it was a blast! I had a great time for sure!

Are LA audiences much different than NYC audiences – if so, how? 

Good question. NYC is home. I was born and raised in NJ a mile from the George Washington Bridge so it’s a homecoming show. A lot of my family and close friends come out to see me at the NY shows. The LA show was a lot of my acting/music friends. It was so sweet to see them and to have their support. Now, the mask mandate in LA scared me. I never want anyone to be sick or in danger, but we did the show, and everyone was distant and safe! I cannot wait to be back in LA!

“Unfinished Business” – if we were talking about housework, chores, or errands…what is likely to be the last thing finished?  LOL  

OK so listen I will be honest; I hate doing dishes! I hate them! There is something weird to me about the little drain and that stopper that collects all the bits of food! No Thank You! It is my least favorite chore so when you come over for dinner, do not be insulted by the paper plates!

You can check out Robert’s debut album and more at https://www.robertbannon.com/

Check out Robert’s heartwarming version of “From A Distance,” dedicated to the health workers of COVID: