Drew dancing up a storm on TV
Source: cincypost.com
By: Rick Bird
1/19/06For the Cincinnati-raised Lachey brothers of 98 Degrees fame, it's now Drew's turn to dance his way into primetime, while big brother Nick waits for his divorce papers.
Nick and his apparently soon-to-be ex-wife, Jessica Simpson, became national celebrities through their "Newlyweds" MTV show. Now Drew is in the spotlight, quickly becoming one of the favored contestants on ABC's reality hit "Dancing With the Stars."
Drew and his professional dance partner, Cheryl Burke, have finished near the top in the first two weeks of competition, now determined by a 50-50 mix of viewer voting and judges' scores.
"I'm having a blast," Drew said from Los Angeles last Friday awaiting the night's results show. "If it ended today, it would still have been worth it."
Eliminated last week was Tatum O'Neal, who seemed a bit petulant through it all. Good-natured but clumsy Kenny Mayne, an ESPN personality, got the boot the first week.
Already viewers have taken to the quirky competition with its eclectic array of celebrities like football great Jerry Rice, rapper Master P (who can't dance), stunning soap host Lisa Rinna, news anchor Giselle Fernandez and the truly statuesque Stacy Keibler, the diva of professional wrestling.
The show was the highest-rated summer series, averaging 16.7 million viewers, and is now repeating that success. It's also a hit in the Cincinnati market. In fact, its last half hour at 9 p.m., almost beat the "CSI" powerhouse.
It's hard to explain why it has become a hit - perhaps simply because it's breezy entertainment.
"It is a light and fluffy show. That's all it is," Lachey said. "I don't think anybody's saying this is going to cure cancer. But it allows people to just escape and be in a different world for a little while."
Drew has quietly pursued his post 98 Degrees career, appearing in a Broadway production of "Rent" in '04. It was a return to what he calls his first love - musical theater - that he learned in various productions at the School For Creative and Performing Arts. He hopes to land more theater roles. Drew also helps manage his brother's career.
He may have an advantage in the dancing competition because he's married to choreographer Lea Dellecave, his SCPA childhood sweetheart. (The couple is expecting their first child in March). Lea was also the choreographer for 98 degrees.
"Lea was more involved in the beginning in helping with basics, like the cha-cha. I'd come home and work on my footwork with her," Lachey said.
But Lachey thinks his real advantage is knowing how to be "on." After all, during 98 Degrees' run as one of the top boy bands, Drew was performing in front of major arena crowds dozens of times a year.
"I think the advantage I have is the live performance aspect," he said. "I'm used to getting up in front of thousands of people and doing it. I might be a little more adept at dealing with nerves."
Drew acknowledges his biggest competition is the leggy 5-foot-11 Keibler.
"Her legs come up to my shoulders," he laughed. "So, if I have an unfair advantage of performing live, she has an unfair advantage of 42-inch legs She is a sweetheart, too, so it makes it really hard to hate her."
Drew said his favorite dancer at the rehearsals has been the campy George Hamilton.
"I hope when I'm 66 I'm just like him. He's always in a good mood."
Drew says Burke, his professional dance partner, is a taskmaster, quick to criticize, which means his wife is playing less of a coaching role these days.
"Now that it's coming so quickly, working on your routine each week, when I get home I'm just so exhausted I'm not even trying to do anything. Lea's harsh, too. I can only take that from one woman in my life right now."
Drew doesn't talk about Nick's pending divorce, saying, "We want to keep it personal." Nick has hardly disappeared, though. He's planning to release his long-anticipated new album this spring. Drew says they still have a commitment from MTV to run a reality series about the making of the project.
Although reports say Nick recently bought a house in Colerain Township, Drew says his brother is not relocating to his home town. "He is, like me, L.A.-based."