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Tim Daly is currently starring on Broadway in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial . He plays Lieutenant Commander John Challee in Herman Wouk's classic courtroom drama, opposite David Schwimmer and Željko Ivanek. Since Daly last appeared on Broadway in 1987's Coastal Disturbances , he has worked on dozens of stage, film and television projects including 7 years as the star of NBC's “Wings.” Theatre runs in his blood; his sister Tyne appeared on Broadway this season, and their father, James, was also a Broadway and film veteran.

Caine Mutiny is currently in performance at the Schoenfeld Theatre prior to an opening on May 7. Our correspondent Ben Pesner spoke with Mr. Daly by phone during previews.

Ben Pesner: Caine Mutiny is best known as a tense courtroom drama, but it actually has a lot of humor. Was it fun finding that balance?

Tim Daly: It's interesting because Jerry Zaks [the director] is known primarily for comedy, and of course so is David Schwimmer, and perhaps me too. I think we'd all agree that comedy is much harder than drama. So it's interesting that Jerry choose us to play these parts. I think every drama benefits from relieving the audience with some laughter. The situation in this play is very formal with a lot of courtroom and military rituals, so to be able to break that up with laughter is very important. It's fun to see that the formal structure has cracks and falls apart from time to time.

The play takes places during World War II. How much was the war in Iraq on your minds as you began working on it?

In rehearsal we talked quite a bit about how World War II was a very different situation, in that it was a war that a vast majority of this country felt was necessary. It was in the public consciousness every day. Now we have this odd situation where there's a professional army fighting and it sometimes doesn't even make the newspaper. It's not on everyone's tongue or at everyone's dinner table like World War II was. I hope that people reflect on that when they see the play, that there is a war going on and there is a certain amount of responsibility to talk about it and to have opinions about it one way or another. When people are putting their lives on the line for our country, there should be more intellectual discussion about it on a daily basis. I don't see that happening.

Courtroom dramas seem particularly challenging to perform. Are you enjoying yourself in the part?

It's really fun. The play is all about getting to the story so it involves a tremendous amount of concentration, and of course David Schwimmer and I have a million questions which are always hard to learn. When you switch subjects you have to know which subject you are switching to or else you skip pages in the script, which can be damaging! [laughs]

You are following in the footsteps of actors like E.G. Marshall and Peter Gallagher who have played your character in various previous versions of the story. Did their performances enter your consciousness as you prepared for this role?

I started from scratch. I read the play and I thought that it was a great part because Challee drives the first act, and he's got a lot of humorous moments. He's a vivid character, engaged in a life-and-death battle to win the trial. So that's how I approached it and I didn't want to base it on other versions. I wanted to use my own imagination.

Are you glad to be back on Broadway?

There's nothing like performing in an old-fashioned Broadway house. It's especially cool because Caine Mutiny premiered at the same theatre in 1954, so the ghost of the original production lives there. There's really nothing like being in the room filled with people and have the big curtain go up. It's very exciting.

You come from a theatrical family and you're married to an actress. Was it a forgone conclusion that you'd end up in the theatre?

Sometimes I think my becoming an actor is a congenital disease I inherited! [laughs] I remember as a little kid going to the theatre with my dad and thinking that theatres were the most special and magical places in the world. It took me a while to take it seriously and realize it was something I could do. Tyne and I have talked a lot about when we were kids doing the school play in 3rd grade. Most of the other kids had their parents and grandparents hugging them and pinching their cheeks and telling them how great they were. We got notes! “If you wait a beat before you say the line you might get a laugh.” “You're upstaging yourself.” [laughs] We always knew we were treading on hallowed ground when we were in the theatre—and that if we were going to do it, we had better do it well.

Get tickets and information to The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

Dr. Bird in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, played by Tom Nelis:

“I'm going to take my mom on a nice cruise on the U.S.S. Caine Mutiny. It's a lot cheaper than a real cruise!”

Ralph Berger in Awake and Sing!, played by Pablo Schreiber:

"Are you kidding? Every day is mother's day at the Bergers! I think I'll take the day off."

Pictured: Pablo Schreiber and Zoë Wanamaker in Awake and Sing!. Photo: Joan Marcus.

Jo March in the Little Women national tour, played by Susan Spencer:

"On Mother's Day, I will get up early, and head to my favorite meadow to pick some flowers for Marmee. I will probably get a little sidetracked along the way; to climb a tree, feed a stray cat or lay on the grass and write a story. When I finally get home (well after lunch) I'll be tired, a little bedraggled, and without flowers - but I'll have a great time regaling Marmee and my family with the tale of my adventures that day!"

Lestat in the musical of the same name, played by Hugh Panaro:

“Because my Mother, Gabrielle, has been running free in the wilderness for decades and decades, and because she loves to travel, I plan on giving her an international day of pampering. First I will take her to Toyako Onsen, the hot spring resort located at the foot of Mount Uzu in Japan for a

traditional bath. Next, we will be off to the Givenchy Spa at the Hotel Martinez in Paris, France for a facial, a manicure, and hopefully they can do something with that hair. Then, because I'm finding her a little too free spirited these days, we will be off to New York to get her a selection of braziers at the La Perla boutique. Our day will culminate with high tea at the Savoy, in London, where we will feast on the wait staff.”

Pictured: Hugh Panaro and Carolee Carmello in Lestat. Photo: Paul Kolnik.

Lt. Stephen Maryk in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, played by Joe Sikora:

“I will be buying my mother a subscription to Catholic Worker and donating money (in her name) to the Italian foundation Amati.”

Pictured: Joe Sikora and David Schwimmer in The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.
Photo: Scott Landis.

Meg Giry in The Phantom of the Opera, played by Heather McFadden:

"My mother would want me to do a barre, but I'd convince her to have a relaxing picnic along the Seine."

Pictured: Heather McFadden and Marilyn Caskey in The Phantom of the Opera. Photo: Joan Marcus.

Clara Johnson in The Light in the Piazza, played by Katie Clarke:

"I will be celebrating Mother's Day in Florence with my mother and new mother-in-law."

Pictured: Victoria Clark (seated) and Katie Clark in The Light in the Piazza.
Photo: Joan Marcus.

Lisa Kron in Well:

"Every day is Mother's Day at Well where I have celebrated my mother by putting her on stage with me and letting her take over my show.”

Pictured: Lisa Kron and Jayne Houdyshell as Kron's mother in Well. Photo: Joan Marcus.

Two majestic and storied former movie palaces bring their own unique flavors to Broadway in the Pacific Northwest.

Built in 1928 to showcase silent films and vaudeville acts, the Paramount Theatre in Seattle was one of the most opulent and spectacular movie palaces in the region. Decorated in a “Beaux Arts” style like the French palace of Versailles, the interior contained a four-tiered lobby, gold-leaf, French baroque plaster work, majestic chandeliers, thick hand-loomed carpeting, and a nearly 4,000 seat auditorium.

By 1950, with the decline of vaudeville and with movie houses springing up in the suburbs, live performances at the Paramount were rare and the theatre struggled to stay open. Touring rock bands began making the Paramount a favorite destination in the 1970s and the crowds returned. Despite the renewed popularity of the theatre, however, the concert crowds did significant damage to the lavish interior. By the 1980s, the theatre was so debt-ridden that repairs were impossible.

The resurgence of the Paramount began when Ida Cole purchased the theatre in 1992. With the contributions of local community leaders, the city of Seattle, the state of Washington, and others, Ms. Cole helped lead a restoration effort that painstakingly returned the theatre to the opulent beauty of its early years, and made it a suitable venue for large-scale touring Broadway shows.

The unique design of the renovated auditorium includes a fully automated convertible seating system, the first of its kind in the country, that allows the seats to be packed away underneath a flat floor to create an elegant ballroom setting.

Today the theatre is thriving once again, presenting theatre, concerts, dance, and more. In a nod to its history, the Paramount shows silent films on Monday nights in August.

Visit the Paramount Theatre on-line.

What do the current Broadway hits “Hairspray” and “The Wedding Singer” have in common? Answer – they both premiered at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre prior to arriving on Broadway in New York! In addition to premiering new musicals bound for Broadway, the 5th Avenue produces shows for its own stage and also presents large-scale touring Broadway productions, making it a unique triple-threat.

Built in 1926 as a vaudeville and silent movie palace, the theatre remained one of the region's premier cinemas until 1978, when it shut its doors because of the economic recession and dwindling crowds that were plaguing similar theatres throughout the country. The 5th Avenue was re-born in 1980 when a group of community leaders helped finance a renovation to make the theatre suitable for large-scale touring Broadway productions.

With a new purpose and renewed popularity, the theatre has since brought dozens of new and touring musicals to Seattle audiences, including the world premieres of Jekyll & Hyde and Princesses and the upcoming premiere of the Broadway-bound Cry Baby in 2007. The lavish interior of the theatre is decorated in a style dubbed “Chinese Timber Architecture,” which reflects Seattle's status as the Gateway to the Orient.

The auditorium's grandest feature is a dome that exactly replicates the dome from the Imperial Palace throne room in Beijing's Forbidden City; the 5th Avenue's dome, however, is twice as large! The unique suspended design of the dome has helped the theatre to survive several high-magnitude earthquakes with no significant structural damage.

Attracting almost 250,000 patrons each year, The 5th Avenue Theatre is a vibrant home for new and touring musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest.

Visit The 5th Avenue Theatre on-line.

This month finds new Broadway PSAs appearing on NBC TV featuring David Schwimmer, Amanda Peet, and Patti Lupone. Check them out by clicking here.

Meet Lauren-Tara Weinman of Studio City, CA, the winner of the $225 Broadway Visa Gift Card from our on-line survey in the fall. Lauren-Tara was in New York City this week and used her card to see Barefoot in the Park and The Drowsy Chaperone. She stopped by our office for this picture. Congratulations Lauren-Tara!