date published: March 26, 2007

Joey McIntyre
by Josh B. Wardrop

Joey McIntyre got his start in Boston’s late ’80s pop music phenoms New Kids on the Block. Since then, he’s become a veteran of television (“Boston Public”) and Broadway (Wicked), all the while continuing to record music. Panorama catches up with this hometown hero in advance of his March 27 show at Paradise Rock Club.

Q: You just finished the “Dancing with the Stars” tour. What was that like?
A: Singing and dancing is what I love, so I had a great time. Truly, when I first heard about the tour, I told my wife, “Please don't let me do this!” But it was a lot of fun.

Q: Your new album, Talk to Me, is a collection of standards. Is that what you’re singing at the Paradise show?
A: Mostly, yeah. This is music I grew up with and wanted to record for a long time. But I’ll probably throw a New Kids song or two in, too.

Q: You shot the movie On Broadway in Boston last year. When’s it coming out?
A: I think the premiere is going to be in Boston in April. It’s a great story—I play a guy who writes a play in the hopes that the story will bring his family together.

Q: As a native Bostonian, where would you recommend visitors go while in town?
A: It’s on the outskirts, but I think Jamaica Pond is one of the prettiest sights in the city. For a good breakfast, you can’t beat Charlie’s Sandwich Shop in the South End. And Saraceno is a great Italian restaurant in the North End.

Q: What’s your overriding memory of the New Kids heyday?
A: Big hair and shiny tour jackets (laughs). Really, what you remember is the years it took to reach that level—how much fun it was. When you hit it big, you can lose sight of the togetherness, but we all made it out okay.