Working at 'Misbehavin' '

"It's work - really hard work," says Studdard, smiling with a sweet Southern accent while sitting on the stage at Dorchester's Strand Theatre, where the tour arrives tonight.

Soon after his victory, Debra Byrd, the show's musical director, called Studdard about the part, asking that he have his managers contact her immediately.

"I sort of said, 'Yeah, yeah' but I blew it off a little bit," he says. "She called me back a week or two later and said, 'Boy, didn't I tell you to have your managers call me? I'm serious.' And I was like 'Oh man. I better do this.' "

He signed the contract two years in advance, saying that if the producer could come up with commitments for up to six months' of touring, he'd do it. Never did he expect such a positive response. Studdard has been doing eight shows a week for the past five months.

Dubbed the "Velvet Teddy Bear" by the legendary soul singer Gladys Knight, Studdard, now 30, says the discipline it takes to perform every night will help him back in the recording studio. There, he admits, he lets things get a little loose.

The R&B/gospel singer's latest album, "Love Is" is due out May 19, just two days after the tour ends in New York.

"People tend to point the blame when something goes wrong," he says, referring to the cool reception his album "The Return" received from audiences and critics in 2006. "And really it's up to me. So, I am looking forward to the album and being there for it and promoting it. That's what I want to do."

Studdard has had his share of disappointments. In 2008 BlackVoices.com reported that he owed $200,000 in state and federal back taxes. This came after he was dropped from Clive Davis's J Records. And on top of the financial woes, Studdard has faced some health issues, which he seemed to resolve with a new low-calorie vegetarian diet. ("So, where are the good vegetarian restaurants in Boston?" he asks after the interview.)

With the help of hitmakers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Studdard plans to reconnect with R&B audiences on "Love Is."

"You know, this is what I wanted to do since I was 15," he says. "Never in the world did I dream that I'd be working with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. God really has blessed me with so much."

On top of that he and his wife, Surata Zuri Studdard, are planning on opening a salon and spa in Birmingham Ala., where the couple live.

"She's been busy in school for that right now," he says, with a deep sigh. "It's been a long ride."