Josh Groban on chasing goosebumps ahead of “Stage, Screen & Symphony” tour stop in KC

Photo by Thomas Falcone

There are worse ways to spend a Monday morning than talking to Josh Groban.

For starters, he has that voice. The rich, rumbling, unmistakably Groban voice that has sold millions of records, filled Broadway theaters and earned him Grammy, Tony, and Emmy nominations.

But on this particular Monday, he’s less international superstar and more seasoned road warrior trying not to forget what day it is.

“We just rolled into Rochester,” he tells me. “I caught myself on stage last night in Virginia going, ‘Alright, we’re here for a lovely … Sunday? Yes, Sunday evening! Sometimes it’s all one day. The cities? They’re all very different. What day of the week it is? That’s one where I sometimes slip.’”

Fair enough. After two decades of recording music, Groban has earned the occasional calendar malfunction.

And now he’s coming to Kansas City.

Groban brings his “Josh Groban: Stage, Screen & Symphony” tour to Starlight Theatre on September 1—a venue he says is among his favorites anywhere in the world.

But first, let’s go back approximately 150 years—give or take—to when a baby-faced, teenage Groban suddenly appeared on Ally McBeal and became a very famous singer long before he technically had an album to sell.

It was, to put it mildly, an unusual career launch.

“I mean, I’m 45, and Ally McBeal came out when I was like 18 or 19,” he says. “Time has flown.”

Groban was invited onto the show by creator David E. Kelley after Kelley saw him perform at a charity event. The idea was to create a character who … well, sang. It worked spectacularly well—although there was one tiny problem.

Groban didn’t actually have any material out yet.

“People were writing in saying, ‘Who’s that singer?’ And I didn’t have anything to say like, ‘Oh, I’ve got an album out,’ or ‘Yeah, I’m a new artist,’ or anything,” he recalls. “It just kind of … happened.”

For a teenage Groban suddenly finding himself on the set of a television show he’d watched religiously at home, the experience was a total trip.

“As a teenager, and you’re asked to all of a sudden be on set of an environment that you’ve watched on your own screen, it’s very surreal,” he says. “I was just wide-eyed and bushy-tailed.”

Hollywood Gave Him a Star. He’s Still Waiting To Meet His Neighbors.

Then there’s that little Hollywood Walk of Fame situation. Groban’s star was unveiled in May—although he hasn’t actually met his neighbors yet.

“They had the rest of the stars around me covered with carpet,” he explains. “So, I wasn’t able to actually see who else is right around me.”

He plans to rectify that important bit of Hollywood real estate reconnaissance when he’s back home and off the road.

The location itself couldn’t be more fitting—especially given that Groban was born and raised in Los Angeles. “I have walked over that spot thousands of times over the course of my life—in front of my favorite music store in L.A., Amoeba Records,” he says. “It’s just the best.”

But the star wasn’t really about the star. For Groban, the ceremony was a rare chance to hit pause on a career that has moved at warp speed.

“This business moves so quickly, and you blink, and you miss the moments to stop for a minute and reflect on this lottery ticket win of a career,” he says. “It was so fun. I never thought that I’d get anything like that.”

The ceremony also featured speeches from Josh Gad, Ben Schwartz and David Foster. Gad, Groban’s college buddy, apparently came prepared to lovingly roast his old pal.

“I remember Josh Gad’s speech just being so damn funny,” Groban says. “There’s almost like a Don Rickles quality to the way Josh Gad can rib you in the most loving, respectful way.”

Oh, and he found himself a little gobsmacked at the turnout.

“My biggest surprise was how many people showed up,” he says. “I mean, I’m not like famous-famous.”

That, of course, is adorable nonsense.

Photo by Thomas Falcone

Boundless Baritone? Tenacious Tenor? How About “Wear Tighter Pants.”

Groban has managed to build something rather rare: a career that refuses to stay in one lane—all while maintaining a remarkably loyal audience.

“I’ve always kind of thrived on being a little bit between different worlds,” he says. “I think not fitting into a specific category has actually served me really well to pave a lane for myself.”

And he has no intention of parking himself anywhere either.

Groban says he made a pact with himself to always chase the feeling of being a student—to keep learning, experimenting, and occasionally taking a hard left turn.

“I get bored easily,” he admits.

His philosophy is beautifully simple: “Go where the goosebumps are.”

When we mentioned we were going to have that embroidered on a pillow for him, he laughed.

“Everybody now in the industry is trying to see the finish line before the work has started, and you simply cannot control it,” he says. “All you can do is go where that good feeling is and know that we’re all human beings. And if you’re feeling it, maybe a million other people will feel it too.”

That philosophy has also informed his voice.

Groban also laughed when asked about the competing descriptions of his vocal range—“boundless baritone” versus “tenacious tenor.”

“Boundless baritone is more accurate,” he says.

As he’s gotten older, he has embraced the warmth and richness of his lower register rather than simply chasing the biggest notes.

“When you’re young, you can sing pretty much anything if you just wear tight enough pants,” he jokes.

His Dream Female Duet Partner List is Basically a Rockin’ Playlist

So, who would Groban still love to sing with? His answer is essentially a greatest-hits list of women who absolutely bring it.

“The ladies are crushing it, I gotta say. There are so many incredible vocalists out there,” he quips. “I would love to sing with RAYE. I think she’s got such an incredible and versatile voice.”

Lady Gaga is also high on his list, as is Adele, Olivia Dean, and Annie Lennox. Meanwhile, k.d. lang gets her own special shout-out. “I’d love to sing with k.d. lang. I think she’s got an incredible voice,” he says.

And the best part? Groban doesn’t say this from a place of professional bucket-list panic. He’s already sung with plenty of his musical heroes.

“When I think about the Rolodex of people that I’d love to sing with, so many of my heroes I’ve already been able to either record with or perform with,” he says. “I’m very fortunate.”

His Version of Self-Care Involves Mario Kart. Naturally.

There’s also a decidedly nerdy side to Groban that might surprise people who picture him standing dramatically beneath a spotlight.

His self-care routine includes a Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart, and collecting baseball and Disney cards.

“Really dorky, dorky hobby,” he says.

Travel has also become part of his recharge strategy. When he was younger, he’d stay in hotel rooms before performances, worried about conserving his voice and energy. These days, he wants to experience every city he visits.

He recalls arriving in Taiwan at the beginning of his Asian tour and immediately heading to a night market.

“We just ate everything under the sun,” he says. “And that show was incredible because I had so much of the town, like, in me to perform. For me, recharging is experiencing every culture that I’m in as much as I can while I’m there.”

His World Cup Timing Was Lousy. His Kansas City Timing Is Perfect.

Groban missed one of KC’s biggest recent moments—the World Cup. The timing was off. He was busy doing what Josh Groban does: performing.

“I know,” he says. “I didn’t get to any games.”

He followed the action from afar, although he admits soccer is better on television, where he can enjoy the deliciously over-the-top commentary.

“I love listening to the commentators,” he says, slipping into Euro-announcer mode: “‘Oh, shot on the keeper, brilliant save.’ They’re so dramatic!”

But this time, Groban’s Kansas City timing is considerably better. And he’s not shy about his overarching love of Starlight.

“The Starlight Amphitheater truly is one of my favorite venues in the whole world,” he says. “It is so beautiful, and I have nothing but incredible memories there.”

He loves the open sky, the architecture and, most of all, the feeling of being part of something bigger than yourself.

“It feels communal,” he says. “We need to protect places like that more than ever. We need places where we can all commune and be swept away by music and reminded of our humanity.”

Beautiful sentiment. Very Josh Groban.

But let’s be honest: There’s another communal KC experience he’s looking forward to.

Barbecue.

“Not a small reason is also what I’m going to get on the bus on the drive after to eat,” he says. “So, my plastic bib is ready.”

And there it is: Starlight, stars, barbecue and a man who has built a 25-year career by following one simple rule — “Go where the goosebumps are.”

On September 1, Kansas City gets to go there with him.

The voice will be ready. The bib will be ready.

And if Groban’s right, the goosebumps will take care of themselves.

Interview gently edited for content and clarity.