IT'S NO MYSTERY... ...WHY DAVID HYDE PIERCE IS THE MUSICAL-LOVING SLEUTH IN KANDER AND EBB'S 'CURTAINS'.

Byline: Evan Henerson Theater Writer

Lt. Frank Cioffi, intrepid private eye, is enlisted to solve the death of the leading lady at a Broadway-bound musical's Boston tryout. Arriving on scene, the musical-theater-loving Cioffi addresses his lineup of thespians -- who are also suspects -- and declares, ``It's an honor to be on stage with each and every one of you.''

``It's the easiest line in the world to deliver,'' says David Hyde Pierce, the actor who plays Cioffi in the world premiere of the new musical ``Curtains.'' ``Because it's absolutely true.''

The admiration is genuine. When he talks about his ``Curtains'' mates, Pierce -- a four-time Emmy winner for ``Frasier'' and the production's above-the-title leading man -- makes no effort to suppress his awe at the company he's keeping.

Every bit an out-of-town tryout itself with a New York transfer on its mind, ``Curtains,'' opening tonight, is the last musical collaboration of composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb, the team behind ``Cabaret,'' ``Chicago'' and ``Kiss of the Spider Woman.'' Both Ebb and bookwriter Peter Stone died before the project -- several years in development -- reached a full production. Author/composer Rupert Holmes (``The Mystery of Edwin Drood'') came aboard to help complete it.

``I always pick my projects based on the writing and based on who I'm working with because it's the only thing that you can control,'' says Pierce. ``Whatever happens to it, this is yet another time where I really chose well.''

It's not as if Pierce is a complete fish out of water. Prior to ``Frasier,'' and at strategic points during the series' hiatus, Pierce performed on and off-Broadway and regionally. He went into ``Monty Python's Spamalot'' immediately after the series concluded.

`Spamalot'' required some musical-theater savvy, and ``Curtains'' choreographer Rob Ashford is working his magic to help transform Pierce into some facsimile of a song-and-dance man.

For the real deal, says Pierce, look to the chorus. ``They're like Marines,'' Pierce says. ``Seriously, they're as tough and uncomplaining. The choreographer will say, `I need half of you to stand on your heads and the rest of you jump up and down,' and they all go do it. And then they go ice or whatever they have to do. And you feel like such a whiner or a wimp when you watch these people who will do a number over and over. To be exposed to that is inspiring.''

Of course, exposure is one thing. Complete suffusion, quite another. Prior to ``Spamalot,'' the 47-year-old Yale graduate -- whose training was in classical music -- had barely sung a note professionally since high school. When he relocated to L.A., he studied with Calvin Remsberg and performed an occasional cabaret or benefit as well as a short run in the Reprise production of ``The Boys From Syracuse.''

Pierce is up there singing and dancing with those same aforementioned Marine-like choristers. With ``Curtains'' being a whodunit murder mystery where the killer targets the detective, Cioffi has some non-dancing peril to contend with as well.

On a dinner break while the play is in technical rehearsals, an uncomplaining Pierce professes to be loving every minute of it. This is, after all, part of the evolution of David Hyde Pierce in the public eye, from snooty uptight psychologist Niles Crane into somebody completely different.

Pierce, who had been spotted performing in Broadway's ``The Heidi Chronicles'' by the ``Frasier'' team, enjoyed the fact that the series taped in front of a live audience. But the nightly challenges of live performance eventually disappeared.

``It's not that (the work) became uninteresting,'' Pierce says. ``It was never just a job, but I would say it became extremely comfortable. Maybe that's what I was looking for: something way beyond my comfort zone to keep me growing.''

Once ``Frasier'' wrapped, Pierce knew he wouldn't do another sitcom and would probably return to New York. When director Scott Ellis -- a frequent ``Frasier'' director -- asked Pierce about his interest in ``Curtains,'' ``Spamalot'' was already in the works. The delay of ``Curtains,'' brought about in part because of the deaths of Ebb and Stone, made it possible for Pierce to do two ``Curtains'' readings while still continuing his eight-performances-per-week engagement with Tim Curry, Hank Azaria and the Pythonians.

``As soon as I read the (`Curtains') script, I thought, `I don't know how good I will be in the part, but it's a part I'd love to play and a great direction for me in terms of doing musicals,' '' Pierce says. ``I'm not the leading-man type, but this particular guy, even though he's more or less the hero, is kind of quirky and kind of complicated and has room to be a lot of different things.''

When it's suggested that many actors aren't especially interested in new directions, Pierce notes that his success on ``Frasier'' left him in an enviable position. Performers who have been grinding it out for years at comparatively little pay on stage long for the perceived ease of a TV show. Pierce had that, and now he's taking the other path.

``For 11 years, I had the chance to work with people I respected and certainly to make astronomically more money than I was making in theater or anywhere,'' he says. ``Now I have the comfort and security, and I can choose to go back to theater and push myself and do these things and not have to feel like, `God, if this doesn't work out, I'm screwed.' ''

In ``Curtains,'' Pierce is unequivocally the leading guy. As far as Ellis is concerned, he's the right man for the job.

``This shining light walks into a room and you can't help but follow him,'' says Ellis. ``You can't have a better person to lead your company.''

His dinner break at an end, Pierce stands, makes sure the pre-paid meal includes a generous tip, and heads back to the rehearsal hall. It's been a day of unending dance, and the steps will continue into the night.

``We've been doing one number today, and we've been doing it since 1 p.m.,'' he says. ``Maybe I didn't choose so well.''

Evan Henerson, [phone]

evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com

CURTAINS

Where: Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; through Sept. 10.

Tickets: $20 to $95. [phone] or visit www.taperahmanson.com.

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) `Curtains' RISING

Broadway-bound David Hyde Pierce puts on his dancing shoes

(2 -- 4) David Hyde Pierce kicks up his heels along with his ``Curtains'' love interest Nikki Harris (Jill Paice, above left), and ponders clues with Carmen Bernstein (Debra Monk, near left), the producer of the musical-within-the-musical. ``Curtains,'' which opens tonight, will move on to Broadway following its L.A. engagement.

(5) no caption (David Hyde Pierce)

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer