Boston is a very special place for Tom McGowan. At the moment, he’s playing The Wizard of Oz in “Wicked” at Citizens Opera House through Nov.15.  This is a role he’s been playing on and off since 2009.  

However, his special affinity for Boston goes back to 1991.  He got his big break at The Wilbur Theater in the pre-Broadway production of “Le Bete,” a Moliere-inspired comedy set in 17th century France.  He says the show completely changed his life.  

While the production itself was not a success when it moved on to Broadway, it launched a successful stage career for him.  That season, he received the Best Debut Performance Award from the Outer Critic’s Circle.  Plus, he picked up Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations as Best Actor in a Play.  

He says that coming back so many years later provides a happy, full circle moment.

(In an additional connection to the city, his daughter Mary spent several seasons working as special assistant to Diane Paulus, artistic dDirector at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge. She is now a director, producer, and arts administrator based in Brooklyn.) 

Tom later received an Obie Award for “The Food Chain” off-Broadway. He has been also been seen in New York productions of “Chicago,” “Casa Valentina,” “Kiss Me Kate,” “The Winter’s Tale,” and “She Loves Me,” which aired nationally on PBS’ Great Performances series.

He is perhaps best known to television audiences as “Frazier’s” hapless station manager, Kenny Daly.  He simultaneously appeared in a re-occurring roll on “Everybody Loves Raymond” in addition to guest shots on “The Good Fight,” “Modern Family,” “Veep,” “CSI,” “ER” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” among others.

His interest in performing goes back to his native New Jersey. His parents took him into the city to see the Broadway production of “Fiddler on the Roof” when he was 11.  He says his life changed from that day forward.  He remembers, “All I cared about was Broadway from that moment on. In high school, I was on the baseball team and things like that, but if it conflicted with the spring musical, I went with the musical.”

A graduate of Hofstra University and the Yale School of Drama, Tom traces his family roots to Sligo on his father’s side, and Cork for the Murphys on his mother’s.   

Tom McGowan

We spoke recently about “Wicked” and more.  This is an edited look at our conversation. 

Q.  You’ve created quite a connection to “Wicked.”  You’ve been playing The Wizard in one production or another, one tour or another, one country or another, on and off since 2009.  How did it all begin?

A.  My daughter, when the show opened, she was nine.  She was the perfect age for it.  She got the album and she and her friend played Glinda and Elphaba in the back yard for a whole summer.   And then when the tour finally came out to LA, we saw the first matinee and I stuck out my hand at intermission and introduced myself to (director) Joe Mantello. I auditioned a few months later, and then got the job. 

I just can’t believe what it’s turned into.  I thought I was auditioning for the San Francisco company because I lived in Los Angeles at the time. But when I got the job, they were like, you’re starting in Fort Myers. I was like, ‘Fort Myers?’   And they said, ‘Oh, we’re starting a whole second tour.’

It was such a good job that I took it.  Then they moved me to San Francisco. Then I got to do it on Broadway . . .  Then I got to do it in London.  . . . I love the job. I love the part and I love being part of this show. So, when they call, I go. 

Q. The show is so phenomenally popular that audiences walk in already knowing, and devoted to, the story and all the songs. In fact, the little girl sitting behind me at the Opera House said all the dialogue right along with the actors.  I’m guessing part of that is due to the wide exposure of the two film versions. Is that a blessing or is it a challenge to live up to the expectations of the fans? 

A. This has been interesting because I rejoined the tour about ten months ago, and it’s the first time I was doing it since the movies opened. The little secret is that the show delivers.  They see the movies, the movies are terrific for all their magic, but when you see it live in front of you, I don’t think anything can replace that. 

People are surprised at some of the changes, but the heart of the show, which Joe Mantello, our director, always talks about, is with all of the huge elements – it’s the story of the friendship of two young women.  And there are not a lot of musicals about that.  It really has resonated for decades now.  We have young people that show up in costume, that dress up for the theater, and they come again and again . . . That part’s been really fun. 

Q.  That appreciation runs right across the board to the adults as well?

A. They’ll bring their kids around to get their autographs, and you can see the parents . . . especially, the dads, who are dragged to all these shows -- they’re like, ‘That was worth it!”

Q. Despite the show touring for so long, I appreciate that the production at the Opera House remains so tight and bright and so precise, from the lighting to the sound to the orchestra to the performances.

A. Yes, Lisa Leguillo, who’s our associate director, she comes out sort of every other city and we have two days of rehearsals and we talk through things . . . They keep it sharp . . . We’re still selling out.  People still love it.  You can’t argue with the success, that’s for sure.   I’m very proud to be a part of it.    

Q. I have to take a moment to ask about “Frazier.”  That show was also so tight, and so crisp.  Was it a happy company?  You were all so funny, but John Mahoney was just great as Frazier’s outspoken dad. 

A. It was a very happy company.  John just knew everything about music.  I would go through phases of country western and pop and Springsteen, and he knew everything.  We always chatted about that.  And David Hyde Pierce is the world’s nicest man.

My character, Kenny, was fired on my first episode, but I just thought ‘Oh, my god, I got to do an episode of my father’s favorite sitcom!’  

Then the next year they were like, ‘Oh, we want to have you back for one episode.’ One of the jokes of that show was that they would have a new station manager every time you saw them . . . For whatever reason, they took a liking to Kenny. And it turned into six years of work and I was so grateful for it.  

I think what they liked was that Kenny could insult Frazier without realizing he was doing it.  Frazier was surrounded with a lot of very smart people. Kenny wasn’t maybe the sharpest tool but he could certainly get under Frazier’s skin. And Kelsey was great to me.

“Wicked,” Citizens Opera House through Nov. 15.  boston.broadway.com.