By Elizabeth Ferszt
Contributing Writer
Chelsea-native, actor Jeff Daniels took the stage at the Michigan Theater of Jackson (MTJ) on Thurs. June 11, at 5-7 pm in a community-wide, free celebration of the return of Steve Tucker, Executive Director of the theater.
Tucker mingled with guests before the event started, in the cordoned-off parking lot on the south side of the theater. State Rep Kathy Schmaltz, who is also a MTJ Board member, was in attendance and supporting Tucker.
When asked about what it has been like to transition from being fired to being rehired, Tucker said that he’s “right back at it” from being involuntarily absent from the theater since January.
“Last night we stayed here until 9:30 pm and got up today at 6 am” — ready to restart. But as far as not getting burnt out over his previous pace of a 60-hour work week, Tucker said that “the Board is committing to hiring a Development Director — someone to take care of the operations portion” of the job.
Paul Kofflin, long-time staff member of MJT, also stated that he was happy to get his former title back — Technical Director — “I still have projects to do in that capacity,” he said. The previous Board had demoted him to Maintenance Technician.
Attorney and MTJ Board member Phil Curtis was lauded for being “the real hero here,” in that his actions at the court or legal level caused the Dec. 2025 Board to be removed and banned, which led to a new Board, “which took as it first action to reinstate Steve as Executive Director,” said Martha Fuertsenberg, Board Member.
Curtis and Fuertsenberg also awarded MTJ a check for $250,000 — representing the renewed effort at donations that had virtually stopped during the Steve Tucker absence period. Curtis stated that the new board had said, “We don’t need donors.”
Jeff Daniels played a full 60 minute set, opening with a risque “break-up ‘tongue in mouth’ song,” to an extended anecdote about his first meeting with Clint Eastwood on set in Los Angeles.
Eastwood apparently asked Daniels about his role in the movie, “Dumb and Dumber” (1994). “Oh, it would have to be that one!” Daniels said. Then in a mimicking of Eastwood’s rasping voice, he said, “That happened to me too,” and then walked away.
Two years later, according to Daniels, Eastwood asked him to take a role in his new film, where he would play the ‘bad guy’ and be ‘killed by’ Eastwood’s character. That film was ‘Bloodwork’ (2002.)
This was followed by a humorous song about that encounter.
Daniels is no amateur on the acoustic guitar — his songs are all original, and his lyric writing is personal and intense; for example, his second tune about “My missus has been reading ‘Fifty Shades of Gray’” — the book about alternative sexual experiences, got a rousing response from the packed theater.
He also talked about his many appearances on several television talk shows over the years going back to Johnny Carson and David Letterman, also including most recently on The Kelly Clarkson Show — in which they actually asked him to perform and sing — Daniels offered to play a cover of a pop tune that he and Clarkson could duo on — the show producers said no, “We want you to play one of your originals.”
Daniels played a song about how he composes new tunes on his guitar, a la George Harrison, ‘While my guitar gently weeps.’
An audience member shouted out, “How nice is Kelly Clarkson?” Daniels responded that Clarkson now plays that soulful tune as her opening song on tour.
Clarkson now plays that soulful tune as her opening song on tour, Daniels said.
