Announcer: Major funding for "Chat Box with David Cruz" is provided by the members of the New Jersey Education Association, making public schools great for every child.

♪ David: Hey, everybody.

Welcome to "Chat Box."

I'm David Cruz.

New Jersey's contributions to art and culture are well documented.

We are looking at holiday fare heading away with Jersey people at the community center.

In our second half, we will talk to one of the few musicians who can say they have been a part of both Bon Jovi and the E Street band.

We begin today with a guy you have seen in movies and TV shows.

Some of you for your entire lives, to "Scrubs" and Broadway, and chances are you have seen more than one movie or TV show with our first guest, John McKinley.

Welcome.

John: Thank you.

Happy Holidays.

David: And to you.

Your latest project is a mini series or I think they call them limited series now on Hallmark+.

You've done a lot in your career, but I never would have thought Hallmark holiday series.

Are you bringing the edge to the genre?

John: I was doing something I wanted to do for 20 years, a USO tour in Poland and Germany and England.

I was with the men and women who were at bases in Bosnia and Poland, and the script came.

They sent it to me over there.

And my head was in the exact right space, filled with gratitude for some of the women and men serving in the United States Army and services, and the timing worked out perfectly.

It went hand in glove with me coming back from the USO tour.

So I did a retreat up to Vancouver Island and my family came up with me and it was one of the greatest gigs I ever had.

David: Nice.

Do you film these things in winter?

You have a holiday thing, it would help if there was a little snowy.

John: Vancouver Island, where I had never been before, which is obviously right also Vancouver, you do not have to imagine it was cold and snowy.

It darn sure was.

When actors don't have to generate conditions and environment, it is one less thing they have to be saddled with.

In other words, in platoon, when you are in the Philippines and it is supposed to be rainy, dangerous, a long way from home, it was.

So the actors suffered the lands, the lens suffers that as a true representation of what is going on.

Working for hallmark was one of the great thrills.

Up there in Kansas City, and like you, I grew up watching the stuff.

I had no idea they were this great at their jobs.

That is a well oiled machine.

I would work with them again in a second.

I loved it.

I loved it.

David: Your character, Chuck, is a bit of a control freak maybe?

John: Well, he is a dinosaur.

He is a guy fighting with adult children who do not necessarily need him the way they used to.

I see it around here.

I have a 16-year-old who was about to get her drivers permit.

And she does not need me quite as much anymore.

[LAUGHTER] I remember growing up when I got my drivers license, man, I was out the door.

I cannot wait.

Whether I was going into the city or over to the white castle.

When you don't need people as much for Transpo, and that is a superficial blush of irrelevance, but that is what this guy is.

He is really, really fighting against irrelevance.

So he tries to take a more space than he might be entitled to, and the way that manifests is he puts lights all over the house.

Every light in the history of the planet, and then he shorts out the town red, and now he is a Hall of Fame jack --and has to crawl his way out of their preview have David: -- crawl his way out of their.

David: You have three kids of your own.

You're at a point when you can schedule time with them, which is great.

How are you as far as staying relevant with your kids?

John: My son Max, 27, born with down syndrome, I get Max to lean into me maybe in a larger way, which I relish.

My 15-year-old still needs me and appreciates me, and my 16-year-old does, too, but there is a shot clock man.

When they turn 18 and get into whatever school they are going to get into or whatever path they are on --they are going to be gone.

That is the way it works.

I get it.

I don't begrudge them that.

I was, too.

But I have insinuated myself into the landscape a little more profoundly around here as I hear that shot clock.

I get it.

And I'm not going to get in the way, but I like being a part of the process around here.

I did not have children not to be part of the process.

I did get.

-- I dig it, I dig it.

David: Parenting is a lot about learning all the way through because if you are not learning as a parent, you are not doing it right, probably.

John: 100%.

It has been interesting to parent on two sides of the spectrum.

Max with his challenges and Kate and Billy Grace being wildly independent and gifted young women who I have raised to be powerful and independent and voiced and not to put up with a lot of the monkey business that males impose on them.

And for me -- the way I was raised, it is foundational.

Nicole and I have done our very best to provide a solid foundation, and the girls can flourish from there.

David: That is the best you can do from there.

Your filmography stretches back to 1986.

I was shocked to learn.

You were in "Sweet Liberty," your first project, and then another project with a ridiculous cast.

You have gone nonstop ever since.

You obviously cannot plan a career like that.

Do you see how the Hell did I do that or is it like a picture?

John: The blueprint was to participate in storytelling.

I knew that was what I wanted to do.

Whether it was when I first graduated or I was making up hands every night in a play and in a square down on Bleecker, and I was on the stage for six months, and if that was what was going to be, I was the assistant stage manager, and it was one of the most thrilling things I ever did.

And things launched from there, but the only blueprint I think, the most non-entitled, arrogant actors come up with is desperately wanting to participate in some version of a storytelling process.

And mother, rest in peace, who we just lost, was an integral part of that at the paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn.

She used to do story theaters on Saturday mornings before baseball before football and all that stuff.

Mom was at the paper Mill Playhouse just as an amateur player, participating in story theater, and we sat rapt in the seats, watching them out of thin air, reenact Aesop's fables and grooms tales.

An roughly tell these tales.

You would have thought it was the New York Shakespeare Festival.

We could not get enough of the next syllable.

It was the stuff that seeds are planted in.

David: POP quiz.

I know we just met, but I feel comfortable enough giving you a pop quiz.

What do Christine Baranski, Charles Durning, Morgan Freeman, Kelsey grammar, Linda Dano and John C. McGinley have in common?

John: They are all Jersey boys and girls?

David: Close, but no.

They were all at one point or another cast members of "A nother World."

John: I didn't know some of them were on there.

I was cast when I was doing talk radio.

"ANnother World" was great because it teaches you to learn your lines.

We shot it out in Brooklyn, next to Rick Cosby was shooting, which was big deal at the time.

I was living at a funeral parlor.

It was a five story walk-up.

And they would send a Crown Vic to pick you up, and a Teamster was there to bring you out.

And when you were wrapped, you were issued a subway token because they did not need you anymore.

[LAUGHTER] David: [LAUGHTER] John: When they need to do the Crown Vic showed up.

When they didn't, you were given a subway token.

David: Did I hear right that there is talk of a "Scrubs" reboot?

John: That is the rumor.

They are en vogue right now, and I know we all agreed to do it.

I think there was some monkey business between Warner Bros. where the guy who wrote the show , Bill Lawrence, has his deal, and Disney, who owns it.

As soon as they could salt each other's peanut and arrive at harmony, the thing moves forward.

That seems to be where it is now.

That is not mean it will see the light of day.

-- that does not mean it will see the light of day, but you can help.

It would be phenomenal.

David: A lot of people would go crazy for that.

And you are cast seems particularly close.

Do you all still hang out and are always in touch with one another?

What is the magic to that show?

What is it about "Scrubs" that makes it still part of American pop-culture?

John: What "Scrubs" did right was it embraced the culture of circling the drain, when you go to the hospital, doctors call it circling the drain, when you go to the hospital, you have two options, at least the staff, we can either laugh right now or we are going down the drain.

So that is what the humor is born out of.

I think Billy Lawrence and the writing staff and the ensemble put their finger right on it.

And they leaned into circling the drain.

It happens for patients, as well, but we spent most of our time with the staff.

It was glorious.

It was glorious.

Almost 10 years.

To do that for another three years or so would be a high honor.

David: You mentioned a couple of Jersey places.

Do you get back much to Jersey, and where do you go when you do?

John: I go to the Millburn Valley.

I come back to Short Hills, where my mother, rest in peace, just past.

We had her ceremony -- we will have her sermon at the end of January.

So -- her ceremony at the end of January.

A method Millburn deli.

Over at Canoe Brook.

Those are my three places.

Going back to Glenwood to bring the kids to the playground.

Like they go to the playground now, but when we used to come back for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we would go to Glenwood schools, which is where I went.

Maybe 10 Millburn high school, go around the track a couple of times.

They don't eat burgers.

There is no use bringing them to White Castle.

California kids, everything has to be birdseed -- whatever.

It is a little different.

[LAUGHTER] David: It ain't Jersey.

John: No.

David: You have a bit of a Jersey edge to you, and I think people from Jersey, whenever they see someone who is from Jersey in a role, they always think, though, that is the Jersey and him.

I mean Dr. Cox could have interned at University Hospital.

But as an actor, you are supposed to keep the Jersey out, are you not?

What characters has your Jerseyness informed?

John: My funniest story about Jersey, rest in peace, a friend of mine, I did a film in Kansas City, and we got back to Jersey just in time to go to the Short Hills mall and grab a couple of things.

We walked around the mall, and "Goodfellas" had just come out.

Ray was at an all-time high.

We are walking around the mall desperately.

It must have been the 23rd or 22nd, desperately trying to get this, that and the other thing for family.

And this girl who had big hair and the gum snapping, circa 1996, and she had the gum snapping.

She came up, stopped Ray Wright in his place.

She looked at him said, Ray L ee-Oh-tta.

Your eyes are so blue.

I died.

We fell out.

Your eyes are so blue, I died.

[LAUGHTER] Look, I told your producer, and most actor training programs, you are not allowed to bring W's into coffee or mall or you will get kicked out of the program.

It was no different.

But I can fall back into it, man , a New York second, baby.

David: You did right there.

John: It is a comfortable place.

I love being a Jersey boy.

I wear it on my sleeve.

David: You can take the boy out of Jersey, but you cannot take Jersey out of the boy.

John C. McGinley, his latest project is called "Holidazed," on Hallmark+.

Good to meet you.

Have a great holiday.

John: David, happy holidays to you and yours.

♪ >> ♪ it is time to rock this house Time this mother out And spin it like a dreidel ♪ David: This is the time of year when Christmas funk is spread to all the world's children by tearing the roof off the sucker.

♪ David: That is Everett Bradley, back with his Christmas celebration called Holidelic on December 20.

It is where you get to play in Bon Jovi and the East Street band, but Everett Bradley is that versatile and joins us now.

Good to meet you.

Welcome.

Everett: ♪ dashing through the snow with the hostname David Cruz On the air we go, giving holiday news ♪ Come on!

David: Nice, bells and bobtail's ring.

Something something saying.

[LAUGHTER] We were looking at that clip you are clearly talent -- channeling Dr. Funk.

We will talk about this years addition for love the hair.

You are from the Midwest originally, right?

How did you get into this Jersey music scene?

Everett: I was raised in Santa's Village in the North Pole, but I went to the South Pole to set up shop.

David: Got you.

John: [LAUGHTER] But I'm originally from Indiana.

David: How did you end up here in Jersey?

Everett: Actually, that is a good story.

Someone that you may know named John Eddie -- David:.

of course.

Everett: He made his album in Indiana at a studio.

And while he was there, he was checking out musicians, and he got a drummer on "Saturday night live" and myself to tour with him.

And we uprooted and moved to Jersey.

David: Wow.

What came first, the boss or the Bon Jovi?

Everett: Good question.

I would say maybe the Jon Bon Jovi first.

I toured with him in 1997 when he went solo with his "destination anywhere."

And then divorce came later in 2012 -- and then the boss came later in 2012 for the wrecking ball tour and then two back to back.

And then I went full time with Bon Jovi.

David: Those are two really different groups, but you managed to hit the road with both of them.

That is pretty rare.

I don't know anybody who has that distinction.

Everett: Very rare.

David: So what is the difference between the leaders and the difference in the band experience?

Everett: Wow!

Well, I have to say that both of them are very well oiled machines.

But, I would say that Bon Jovi is a little more rock, you know, as we know it.

I mean, they do that stadium run.

And, you know, it is slightly younger, just slightly.

And with The Boos, you --BBoss, you get something a little more poetic, little folk mixed with the rock.

There is just more influences.

David: More soul.

He is really kind of closer to the Jersey sound because he has those soul underpinnings, and probably could use a lot more Percussion, let's say, right?

Everett: Yeah.

Percussion is new for him when I joined the band.

He had never had a percussionist, and he was seriously considering it because of all the Percussion on the Wrecking Ball tour and he wanted it played live.

He found out I also sang.

That is the icing on the cake.

David: Let's talk about Holidelic.

This is Merry Christmas meets the mothership connection, right?

Everett: It does, that was very, very well put.

When I was a kid, around 12, 13, my uncle Rod home -- my uncle brought home a funkadelic and a sly Stone album.

Ever since, I have been poisoned.

[LAUGHTER] With the funk.

It has never left my system, and it has always lived there.

And I also, I'm a little bit of a holiday freak.

I love Christmas.

I love the feeling of it.

I love the joy.

I love the spirit that people have at that time of the year.

I have always been a fan.

I married the two, and it is like the best of both worlds for me.

David: The other day I was looking for some jazz Christmas stuff.

There is some swinging jazz Christmas tunes, but by and large, they are really on the slow side.

A lot of Christmas ballads.

Are there any ballads in Holidelic?

Everett: There are, there are a couple.

But, you know, they are still from certain era of music, so the base in the 1970's and 1980's funk.

So if you put yourself there, it makes sense.

David: Some of these songs are 100 years old.

Some of the more popular Christmas carols.

So you are in the show, you are infusing funk into follow Lala -- fa-la-la-la.

Everett: [LAUGHTER] Exactly.

About 85% of the music is original.

And the other are songs that people know and have known all their lives, except they have never really heard them this way.

David: Papa Delic sings and leads the band,, how many pieces?

Everett: We had to represent.

It is a big band, like the old 1970's and 1980's where they had 1000 people on stage.

There is a four piece rhythm section, three backup singers, three horn players come and then there is me.

David: Nice.

Everett: I think that is 11 of us on stage.

David: I did not know that there was math in the interview, so I did not bring my Abacus.

Everett: [LAUGHTER] An Abacus, awe, David.

David: How long has this been going on, what year is this?

Everett: It officially became Holidelic In 2005.

So we need our abacus right now.

How do we do that?

David: That would be 19 years.

Everett: Yes!

In 2025, it will be 20, right?

David: Yes!

[LAUGHTER] Everett: Next Christmas.

David: You are making me math too much.

Everett: Math looks good on you, David.

David: Thank you.

You also played a big role in "Stomp" and got a Grammy nomination for that.

I imagine that genre shifting is a lot of fun for a musician.

You bring a lot of energy to it.

What is your favorite genre or band configuration?

A big funk band or a four piece Hard Rock ensemble?

Everett: That is a good question.

When I was in high school, I was doing theater.

And when I got to college, I started doing classical music, and when I got into a band in college, I was playing like 1980's pop and funk.

So when I got to New York, it is a mixture of all of that.

That is what is so great about Holidelic.

I'm bringing all of those genres to one place.

So you feel the theater because there is a story involved.

They are characters, but it is also, there is a dance flow.

And you hear the rock, you hear the funk, you actually hear classical music, as well.

David: Nice.

Not only one show, you are in Jersey on the 20th.

Everett: Yes, at the Vogel.

That is the first time there.

I'm so excited.

Although, I'm nervous because I don't want to be there by myself.

So, now come on out and party with us at the Vogel.

And then two days later, we will be in New York City at Sony Hall on, 22nd.

David: You inspired me.

Everett: [LAUGHTER] Oh my God!

Look at David Cruz!

Ho-ho-ho!

[LAUGHTER] David: All right.

Percussionist, singer, director, and bringer of the Christmas funk, Everett Bradley, good to meet you.

Have a wonderful holiday and good luck with the show.

Everett: Thank you.

I really appreciate this.

Happy holidays, everyone and see you soon.

David: That is "Chat Box" this weekend thank you to John C. McGinley for joining us pray follow me and share this content if you -- joining us.

Follow me and share this content if you like it and subscribed to the YouTube channel.

We are often asked couple of weeks for the holidays.

I hope you have a great one full of peace and love.

For all the crew here at Gateway Center in downtown, I'm David Cruz.

Felicidades.

We will see you in the new year.

Announcer: Major funding for "Chat Box with David Cruz" is provided by the members of the New Jersey Education Association, making public schools great for every child.

♪