May 27, 2025 • 56 mins
This week, Tommy is joined by Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren who are currently starring in the beloved Broadway show, THE LAST FIVE YEARS. Nick’s story as one-third of the iconic Jonas Brothers has remained very well documented given the band’s massive global success. He’s also a wildly popular solo artist, has starred in blockbuster hit movies and TV shows, and is no stranger to the stage. Adrienne is a fierce singer, actress and dancer who is perhaps best known for her Tony Award-winning performance as Tina Turner in Broadway’s TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL. She is also leaving her mark in Hollywood, appearing in RUSTIN with Colman Domingo and THE WOMAN KING with Viola Davis. Together, they are making magic in THE LAST FIVE YEARS. Today, Nick and Adrienne open up about why they absolutely had to be a part of this production, the deeply personal connection Adrienne has to her character Cathy, how being a part of The Jonas Brothers influences and affects the work Nick does on a Broadway stage, if it’s hard for them to remain present given the fast-pace nature of their lives, the moments of the show they treasure, how they established trust in one another in and out of work, what Nick said early on to Adrienne that set the tone for their friendship, if they have any goofy pre-show rituals, if they felt the pressure to prove themselves with stepping into roles that fans have loved since the show’s inception, if they pull from their real lives in their performances, and so much more. This is a special edition episode of my podcast because this interview is from an event I moderated, presented by the prestigious 92nd Street Y New York. The 92nd Street Y New York is a world class center for arts and innovation. They offer extensive in-person and online classes and events, including live talks, concerts, and dance performances.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy Di Dario. I am hanging out with two very,
very badass rock stars today.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yes I am.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Nick Jonas and Adrian Warren are currently starring in the
beloved Broadway show the last five years and guys, ah,
what a treat it is to see their talent front
and center on that stage. Now, Nick, you know and
love from the Jonas brothers. He's had an amazing solo career.
I definitely sang his song Jella's quite often, maybe weekly.
I'm not gonna lie. He's done blockbuster films and TV shows.
(00:34):
There is not much he hasn't done. And Adrian Warren
is Broadway at Royalty. She won the Tony for Tina,
the Tina Turner Musical.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I saw it. It was so fantastic.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
She's done a bunch of other theater and she's leaving
her mark in Hollywood as well, appearing in Rustin with
Coleman Domingo and The Woman King with Viola Davis, and
together they are making magic in the last five years.
So they tell the same story but in opposite timelines,
meaning Adrian's character begins to the breakup Nick's character begins
at the first kiss, and both sides of this five
(01:04):
year relationship play out in ninety minutes or so in
a very heart racing event. And I think we've all
been waiting for this show to come to Broadway. It
is such a fan favorite show. Now, this is a
very special edition episode of my podcast because this interview
is from an event I'm moderated, presented by the prestigious
ninety second Street, Why New York. Make sure to check
out our future events and hey, you might even catch
(01:25):
me at one. So let's see if today we can
get Adrienne and Nick to say something that they've never
said before.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Hello, everybody, how are we today? Hello, well, welcome.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
We're so excited to have Nick and Adrian here today.
Let's give it up one more time for them.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Thank you, thank you for being here.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
This chair is so comfy, very comfortable, right, very very nice.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Well, welcome you to I'm so excited to celebrate you
and the show. Show that is just phenomenal. I'm not
sure how many people here have seen it, but if
you have, okay, all right, and if you haven't run out.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Go see it.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
These two are just spectacular and we have a lot
of cover. So you all ready let's go okay, good good.
So the last five years is obviously a beloved show.
It's the first time that it's hitting Broadway in such
a big way. And I mean, you guys are the show.
Like the amount of work you put into this is unbelievable.
You're on stage the whole time basically between the two
(02:30):
of you. So my first question is what made you
say I have to be a part of this production.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Well, I have loved this score for a very long time.
I was first introduced to the score after my adult
castmates in one of the shows I was doing on
Broadway as a kid. You know, we're talking about how
great it was, and I went out with my dad
to the record store to buy the album and listen
to it on repeat. It probably didn't understand all of
(02:57):
what was going on at you know, eight or nine,
but uh certainly understood the music and the quality of
the music and fell in love with it. You know,
Over the years, as my life and career took kind
of different shape, I thought, playing the role of Jamie
is a dream that would never come true, and and
and kind of, you know, hung on to some hope
that it would, and you know, obviously there's been a
(03:20):
lot of amazing productions of a show all throughout the
world and the film adaptation, which I loved. And you know,
when I first got the call that there was a
production kind of coming together and the possibility of of
you know, engaging in that conversation was was thrilling to me,
but also terrifying and sounded like some of you have
(03:43):
come to the show, which we greatly appreciate.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
You know, it's the very thing I love about it is.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
The thing that makes it such an enormous hill to
climb is that it's it's a big sing and a
big emotional journey. And I think the first question was
was just saying, okay, who's the creator team, And obviously
our fearless leader, Whitney White was was brilliant to speak
to and kind of gave me her very clear and
(04:08):
definitive vision for what she wanted to do. And the
next piece, obviously was was my co star Adrian Warren,
which I was I was over the moon about. Obviously,
she's an immense talent and a wonderful person and has
been a great collaborator in this So you know, all
the ingredients and getting to work with obviously Jason Brown,
our composer. All the ingredients were were there to do
(04:30):
something really special and it's it's been a really fulfilling
run thus far.
Speaker 6 (04:35):
Thanks Nick. So my journey with this show was a
little different. I was a fan of the show from
afar in musical theater class. I studied theater in school,
not musical theater, but just theater. But I remember watching
people seeing this music in my musical theater class in
high school. And the music was never given to me
(04:57):
to perform because a Kathy's never looked like me, and
teachers just wants to prepare their student for roles that
they think their students are going to play right, and
so it was never given to me. But I always
loved this music and I thought, man, it's so cool,
and these characters are so nuanced and special, and the
music is fantastic, and you're taught in school never bring
(05:19):
Jason Robert Brown's music to an audition because it is
so hard to play.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But I was.
Speaker 6 (05:24):
I just fell in love with the complexity of his work.
And Whitney White actually came to me we're working on
another project together, and she said has anyone called you
about the last five years?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And I said no, and why would they?
Speaker 6 (05:39):
And she said, well, I'm directing it, and I think
you could be my Kathy. And I said what, because
what do you mean? I just never thought that was
something that I could do. And so she invited me
into that conversation and so then the next step was going.
I'd never sung the score with Jason before, so my
next opportunity was singing the music with Jason for the
(06:03):
first time ever. It was the first time I'd ever
sung that music, and it was singing it with him,
and I sang two songs and he looked at me
and he was like, and that's it.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
You're my Kathy.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
And I was blown away, and I was in Chicago,
and I'll never forget. I just remember thinking what is happening?
Because I didn't even think that was a dream that
I saw for myself. So for that to happen into Jason,
for Jason to sign off so quickly, and for me
to then have an opportunity to dive into this work,
and then with Nick, who is the best teammate I
(06:33):
could ever have doing this, it was just a joy.
So it's been a blessing that I didn't expect.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Well, it's hard to imagine this show without the two
of you in it. You really have cemented your places
in these characters and in these roles, and there's a
lot that you guys have to do on that stage.
So is there a moment of the show that, either
currently or maybe in the past, gave you a little
bit of anxiety before you had to perform it that
you had to like work through and work yourself kind
(07:02):
of hide yourself up for it, and then you did
it and you can relax. You still have that or
was there a moment.
Speaker 6 (07:08):
No, I mean for me, because it was very different.
I think every Kathy that I saw I didn't see
myself in her, and so I had to in a
way create a Kathy that I saw myself in.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
A lot of the Kathys are very.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
There's a power that I have internally just because and
I think it's frankly, just because I walk through the
world in a black body, right Like, I walk through
the world knowing that I walk into a store and
I'm not necessarily looked at the same way other Kathys
are looked at, and so I walk in with a
bit of a power and an armor that I have
(07:55):
to and just just in life. And so for me,
it was about finding a cat that had agency over
her life. It then became a story about this is
a woman who does everything she can to get hired,
but no matter what she does, she can't get hired.
And that has happened to me. I've been in this
industry where it didn't matter how well I sung. I
(08:16):
could be singing circles around people and I still wasn't
getting hired. And so Jason and I really sat down
and said, we how do I make what do I?
How do I make this make sense? And I was like,
because now I'm coming back winning a Tony, So how
do I make this make sense?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Now? Total flex?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
But I really wanted.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
To tell a story because it's a story that I've
lived where no matter what I did, I couldn't be
seen and I couldn't be hired. I had that Summer
Stock experience in Ohio. I have so many friends who
are so talented, and it's not always about your talent.
Sometimes it's about timing. It's about where you are in
the world, and and I wanted to bring that story
(08:58):
to my Kathy. I wanted to find to Kathy that
had strength and agency. And so when you see us
in the beginning of the show, when I get that letter,
Kathy is actually in our production, just booked her first
Broadway show right before she's broken up with And that
is the power that I wanted to bring to this
character that I hadn't seen before. And that was nerve racking,
but I'm really happy being with that choice.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, yeah, well, we see it. We see it. And Nick,
for you, you're no stranger to the theater. You've done
it over the course of your career, and you've been
on many different types of stages in your life. How
has your other career being part of the Jonas Brothers
influenced or affected the role that you take on in
this show, Like, how does that skill set weave its
(09:42):
way into what you do in the Broadway stage.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
It's a great question, you know.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
I think that I have always been a person with
real ambition and drive and in a lot of moments
in you know, my life, that's served me and you know,
been something that's that's helped me achieve some of the
things I've set out to do. It's also the very
thing that can can get in your way, though, some
(10:08):
of that ambition help, you know, can make you lose
sight of the moments and and and and not really
enjoying things as much as you should be. And it's
sort of a stupid thing to say, take a second,
you know, and enjoy something. But really, when I look
back at my career with the Brothers, there's a lot
of moments where I was so focused on the next thing,
and you know, even thinking about like, how is this
(10:30):
all going to go away? As opposed to to looking
out and being really truly present and grateful for what
I was experiencing. And I think that experience and getting
to a place in my own life where I better
understood how to step back and sort of have that
moment of gratitude, allowed me to have perspective that perhaps Jamie,
the character that I play in the show, doesn't have,
or maybe he learns it just after our show ends
(10:54):
in his lifetimeline.
Speaker 5 (10:57):
But when I had the first conversation.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
About about this and playing this role, there was there
was sort of two themes that I felt my own
life and career experiences and personal experiences really helped inform
how I would approach the character and that was what
I just mentioned about ambition and taking those moments to appreciate,
but also being you know, a father has really informed
(11:20):
every decision I make in life, but specifically the work
I do, both with the brothers and you know, a songwriting,
I do, any type of creative outlet, but also as
an actor and performer in this show, a deeper perspective
of you know, of just life, and it's impossible to
ignore that that becomes a part of the process and
the lens you see pretty much everything through.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Do you feel like you're at a point where now
you can kind of stop and be more present and
take everything as it's coming, or you're still working on that.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
It's always a work in progress.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
I think that, you know, I'm at an interesting moment
where we're right in the heart of this run and
you know, fourteen week run.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
It's always it's always been that, and.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
You know, we've got about I think five and a
half six weeks left, which.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
I'll get your tickets now exactly.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
And I think I placed a lot of my mental
focus and brain power obviously just in this for a bit,
because you kind of have to lose yourself in it
and become you know, you got to buy in all
the way to the thing to to to do the
best you can.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
Really, So I'm in this moment now where I'm.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Starting to think, oh, after this is done, I have
these other things I have to be thinking about, and
that's you know, really exciting. But I'm like starting to
like shift gears a little bit. And so while I
feel like I'm being present, I'm always pushing myself to
be more present and in the moment. And you know,
it's not just always about appreciating things, it's also about
challenging yourself in the moment to.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
Apply just a little bit more of that focus and
that care.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
You know, because it's just the two of us on
that stage, there's nowhere to hide in this material, and
because of the way in which it's staged and performed
and you know, all the elements, it really requires like
one hundred and fifty percent of each of us. And
what's been interesting is this sort of this this real
(13:20):
you know need to sort of lean on each other
at different points, both on stage and off stage, just
to stay locked in. And I think that, you know,
that is a crucial part to anybody that ever takes
on this show is you got to do it with
somebody that you can really like play tennis with back
and forth, or ping pong or whatever.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
It's it's it's a needed part of the process.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
And we see that for sure throughout the show, but especially.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
In the wedding scene, right because it's one of the
moments where you're in the same timeline and you're so
present with each other on that stage. Talk to me
about what that scene means for you, guys.
Speaker 6 (13:59):
I it's it's just all about trust the God. Nick
Jonas is such an amazing human you guys, and this.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Could have this could have gone so badly.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
And I remember someone asked, like, what is it like
working with Nick Jonas. I'm like, oh, oh right, he's
his rock star, right, And I have this whole moment
where I never ever felt that from him.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
From day one.
Speaker 6 (14:24):
He's always I think Nick takes care of so many
people in his life, including this cast, including everyone.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
I think the first day.
Speaker 6 (14:32):
He brought all of us gifts, anything that we would
possibly need, like water bottels and like take away coffee mugs,
like he brought us all that first day of school,
and I was like, whatever I brought you guys, Hugs, like,
you know, he's just always thinking of how to show
up for everyone else. So I think for me, I
can always speak for myself as I'm just trying to
(14:53):
figure out how can I be there for him right,
And we really just lean on each other. And I
know that when I walk on on that stage, no
matter what I'm going through in my life and no
matter because that affects you sometimes at work, I know
that he has my back and he knows that I
have his. And if I see him fall, I'm going
to catch him. And if he sees me fall, I'm
gonna catch He's going to catch me. And it's so
(15:15):
because we have that trust, it can just be fun
and we can just be present. And there are times
where well, you know, meet up after the show and
be like, man, I was definitely on another planet and
he'd be like, oh, I didn't.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Feel that much.
Speaker 6 (15:27):
I was, you know, and we're just very open about that.
And it's it's a trust that I think is so
necessary in this show, and we just have that with
each other.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Was there a moment where you can remember, Okay, she's
got my back and he's got my back, Like, did
something happen in rehearsals or when you met where you
fully were like, oh no, no, I could really trust
this person.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Well I did catch you one time, like he.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Was falling and you caught him.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
I sure did.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
I don't think he knew that, but you were falling.
It was during tech But it's fine.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
Thanks.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
I think it happens, you know, on stage short in
the process of you know, rehearsals and all that kind
of stuff. But a lot of times and it's it's
there's been a few moments. I think it's where we
uh sort of sidebar about a collective, you know, sort
of a stance we need to take on something either
creatively or little thing that even scheduling for for events
(16:35):
from it, like we have to be aligned, uh and
be sort of a united front. Otherwise it the balance
gets all funky. And you know, I I think that
is actually sort of more important at times than anything else.
It's just to make sure that that you're you're not
just showing up on stage when people are watching, but
(16:56):
when when you know you need to look out for
each other behind scenes too.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
I think it was really early on Nick came to
me and was like, hey, we're teammates. In this like
I have your back. He didn't have to do that,
and that's all I really needed to hear. And it's
it's true anything that was asked us of us, he
would come to me first and say what do you think?
And I would be like, I don't know, what do
(17:22):
you think?
Speaker 3 (17:22):
You know?
Speaker 6 (17:23):
And it's it's just nice to hear someone say like
what do you think? And how are you thinking about this?
Like he's way more famous. I had no idea how
famous he actually was until we start walking down the street.
But but you know he has he could could take
that and use it to his advantage. And every single
moment he has really said see what Adrian thinks first,
(17:47):
And I'm like, wow, Like what a class act. All right,
I'm done like hyping you up now.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Yeah. That's really cool to hear though.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
And I imagine you spent so much time in the
theater prepping and rehearsing, putting the show together, and you
know you have your professional cap on, so to speak.
But outside of the theater, what are the things you
do to kind of build connection and build that bond
as artists and humans or does it all happen in house?
Speaker 4 (18:12):
Oh, we had a nice lunch at my house with
my family early on, which was great. My wife and
daughter sort of helped host, and you know, a friend
of mine that was visiting from out of town was
there as well.
Speaker 5 (18:27):
And that's kind.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Of you know what, that is what we like to
do to set the stage in any project that my
wife and I are doing. We love to have the
creative team or co stars around and just show, like,
you know, what our life is like at home.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
I think it's helpful to set the stage.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
For for kind of everything and even what to expect
out of me as as a professional in that setting,
but also who I am around the people that I
love and care about, And it's something that we like
to do basically, and we did that early on. I
think it really did help set a nice sort of
frame for everything. And and you know, outside of that,
(19:03):
we do a lot of really fun Broadway extracurricular activities
such as Broadway bowling.
Speaker 6 (19:11):
We were on the bowling team.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
And then you know, there's not a whole lot of
other time to do stuff.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
It's it's pretty much full.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
You know, the schedule, A lot of people think, okay,
it's at seven pm show tonight, that's all you have
going on, But there's a lot of stuff throughout the
day that that we're doing, either to promote the show
or you know, even personal commitments and things that also
have to happen.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
But it's it's a full on schedule for sure.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Do either of you have a goofy pre show ritual?
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Goofy? I feel like everything I do is goofy.
Speaker 6 (19:51):
I every once in a while, I have a little
dance party by myself. But he knows I have dance parties,
but that's just kind of about just making myself happy
because I'm about to go on the craziest roller coaster
ride with the show, ninety minutes of an emotional roller coaster.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Enjoy. But no, nothing goofy. I don't think you have
any goofy.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
Uh yeah, I mean I do that. I pretend to stretch. Basically,
it's not that goofy. It's just I'm not the most
flexible person, and there's this platform on the stage that's
just a little bit higher than this, and so it's
like the perfect place to sort of like just put
your leg up on and pretend like you're doing some
complicated stretch. And it happens in the two minutes we
(20:38):
have before the curtain comes up, and so.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
We'll be sitting there talking about our day or not
pre show.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
That's like showtime.
Speaker 6 (20:46):
And he doesn't really even like he doesn't stretch towards
his toes or anything. He just like throws his leg
up I'm not sure and then throws it back down.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
You know what you're trying, trying It's all that matters.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
It's all that matters when you watch each other on
stage when you can I guess, is there a moment
that just blows you away by each other throughout the
course of the show.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Yeah, I mean there's there's moments that you know, stand
out and that evolve over time and things that are
fun to watch, you know, I think across the board
for for not only us, but just for the show
as a whole, where you start to feel like, oh,
this moment locked in or this was new tonight. And
but there's there's a vocal line at the end of
(21:30):
I can do better than that.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
That she sings, which which you've now in the last
couple of.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Weeks started like adding new bits to and doing different things,
and it's very exciting and I'm I'm literally this staging
as I'm just like looking at her as she does it,
and it's you know, it's it's amazing to hear, to
hear not just the range that Adriane has as a vocalists,
but but how intentional every sort of like inflection and
note is not just too sounding good, but but telling
(21:57):
a story. And that's the the fun part to get
to work watch that, you know, the sort of excellence
of that.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I thanks Nick.
Speaker 6 (22:06):
I actually watched Nick a lot off stage, but I
like trying to hide it so that when he doesn't
actually see me watching. Oh, I shouldn't even say this now,
you know, but there are times where I just marvel
and when he's singing moving too fast, the energy he
brings to that song is just he brings his rockstar
energy to that song, and I just I love it,
(22:28):
and it's it's just really fun to watch. And it's
always exciting just to see your friends doing great work.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
And he does really great work in that number.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
That's very good.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
And I think what's so cool the show? Of course
it's a fan favorite. The score is so beautiful, your
emotions are so beautiful. And when I saw you both,
I was telling you earlier I saw you and Tina.
I loved you and Tina. You were such a rock
star yourself. You also are a rock star, right, I mean,
come on, there's two rock stars up here, and you know.
For Nick, obviously I know your music. I've seen you
(22:59):
over the year, so when I went to see you both,
I was like, let's see that, Like, okay, let's see,
let's see what we got right. And I was blown
away by your performances. And I think it's really hard
to have people forget about the pop rock star and
the Tina Turner and to transport us to a different
world where we see these new characters and you both
do it. Do you feel that when you go into
(23:22):
a project like I gotta work a little harder to
show people that I'm also this.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
You know, there's some sometimes I think Lynn said Lynn
min wil Miranda came to the show and he said something.
He was like, oh, I heard like Tina come out.
And I was like, you didn't hear Tina come out?
You heard me that That is me. When I feel
a certain emotion, that is me when that's what my
voice does. You know, I actually sang rock and roll
before I did Tina. That's probably why I got that job.
(23:51):
But sometimes it is hard, especially when you have like
a huge moment with a role.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
But I just see it as a challenge.
Speaker 6 (23:58):
It's a challenge for me to more colors as an artists,
to challenge for me to dive a little deeper and
get to know myself more. I use every facility of
my voice, my mix. I've seen classical stuff in this show.
I do so I belt in this show. They are
very quiet moments in this show. I use every part
of my instrument in this show. And that doesn't happen
(24:19):
all the time in this in this industry. And I'm
just blessed and excited to to just find more colors
every single day. I'm still learning, I'm still evolving. You
come see me in another show after this, you'd be like, oh,
that's different too, because hopefully I'm still challenging myself to
do more and to learn more. And I never want
to stop learning. And I will fail at times. That happens,
(24:42):
and I will, but I am up for the journey.
And this is I've it's been in such a delight
to get to do something where I get to just grow.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
What about you, Yeah, I think it's things interesting that.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Our investment in someone's previous work makes us question their
ability to do something else. But it does happen, and
it's a it's a strange psychological thing that I'd love
to speak to a professional about because because we sit
(25:19):
there and we go, well, they were brilliant in this
other thing, or I know them for this where they
had a certain amount of notoriety, and then we're wondering
if they can achieve something else or a different texture.
At the core of it, they're a storyteller, they're a songwriter,
they're a performer.
Speaker 5 (25:34):
They did something that struck a chord and.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
They can probably do it again if they if they
tap back into that source. And I think it's it's
a thrilling thing to be in a spot where people
are are curious and even questioning if a performance or
an actor or whatever or can get there or can
transform the challenge is exciting and sort of a thrilling thing.
(26:03):
But it can't become the north star. You know, if
in my experience, anytime i've sort of led creative with
I hope I can prove this, I end up falling
flat on my face when I lead with this is
true to me? And this I think applies most to
my songwriting. If I've been in scenarios where my goal
(26:26):
is to come out with a hit, right, and every
single time I do that, it's not a hit. But
when I tap into something that's true or an experience
I've had that's real, I'm often either left with a
result that I'm really proud of, or it reaches people
and connects because there's something inherently you know worthy of
(26:47):
that connection in there. It's true, it's real, it's a
real life experience. And in the same way, with a
performance like this, there was no other way to approach
it than trying to to do something that felt real
and authentic. And yes, there were, I think for both
of us a lot of questions about how we would
portray these characters and how we would either rise to
(27:11):
the occasion or not. But I'm very proud of the
fact that our work started with trying to do something
true and real and authentic, and you know that that
was the goal and if nothing else we achieved that.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
I want to speak to something else.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
I think we live in a time of instant gratification,
and theater doesn't really work like that. Theater takes time.
Performances take time to evolve it. You know, when I
got here for on Broadway to do Tina, I had
already done this show on the West End for a
year and a half, and I want you guys to
know I didn't get Tina Turner's approval for that performance,
(27:50):
probably not until a few months into the run. So
it takes time for greatness, And just like an athlete practices,
it takes time for and shows come.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
To Broadway immediately.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
These days, there are a lot of times shows used
to go regional, they used to tour, and then they come
to Broadway, and by that time, that cast knows what
their body feels like doing the show in Colorado, they
know what the show feels like doing it in Chicago,
they know what they need, they know everything, And by
the time they get to Broadway, they could do that
(28:24):
with their eyes closed. They could do the show with
their eyes closed. That doesn't happen anymore because shows are
so expensive. So now in a time where people are
posting bootlegs immediately, or you're trying to get your show
on social media and seeing behind the scenes and rehearsal,
there's no veil for anyone to fall down or get
(28:48):
back up or evolve in their show. And it's just
and it's really sad because and now I feel like
artists don't have that protection of evolving that they used to.
Jackson didn't become Jane and Jackson overnight. Michael Jackson didn't
become Michael Jackson overnight. And we don't have that protection
anymore because everything is on.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Our phones all the time.
Speaker 6 (29:11):
And so when I see that the industry can be
very harsh at times to certain individuals or certain shows,
it's like, you have to give that show a chance.
We were just talking about a show that opened this
year that was probably gonna close and because it wasn't
given a chance, and now it's one of the top
contenders for Best Musical Look it up.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
And I'm just and you know, and it's just we.
Speaker 6 (29:36):
Have to give ourselves as artists an opportunity to grow, evolve, rehearse,
become great.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
You don't get a Tony overnight.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
I got a Tony because it was almost three years
of work before I got to the Broadway stage.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Yep, Oh, I like that. This conversation is fun.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
I like this and I've been wanting to say that,
you know what, good.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
For you though, good for you because I think I
think art is one of the most important things in
the world, and what you guys do as artists, you know,
on a daily basis, for the community, for the audience,
for humanity is so necessary. And that's why a show
like this is so fresh, because it did take a
big chance, right, and it is so followed for for
(30:24):
I don't know how long forever, and you guys are
doing it. You're the faces of it, and you're doing
it brilliantly, and I think that just can't be forgotten either.
It's what you're putting out with the show means so
much to so many people, so I hope you're both
taking that in as well.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
I think another really amazing thing about this this.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Run and this show.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
That is this idea that they were introducing a lot
of people to Broadway as well. You know, we've seen
from so many different parts of the world people coming
up and saying it's their first Broadway show and the
fact that it's this one one that I think is
you know, that has been studied by most people that
have done musical theater in some capacity, that is, as
(31:08):
you said, beloved by so many people who love musical theater.
But to see that that bubble kind of opening up
a little bit and introducing a totally new audience to
a piece that a lot of us have loved for
a long time is such an exciting and important thing.
And more than anything, I think that's the thing I'm
most proud of in this is to have been a
(31:28):
part of introducing people that may not have gone to
see Broadway show while they were in town for two
weeks coming and experiencing something that we all know and love.
Is you know, it's a magical thing to go to
the theater and see a live performance and really really
fun to hear that feedback.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
And I know this question is like picking your favorite
pet or kid, but is there a song for each
of you that you just love to do? Like every
night every day you're like, come on, now, it's my time,
let's go.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
It changed. It used to be.
Speaker 6 (32:04):
I can do better than that, which is near the
end of the show for me, but now it's actually
still hurting, which.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
People are like, what, that's the saddest one. But I
just if you listen.
Speaker 6 (32:17):
Jason Robert Brown, incredible composer, one of the greatest composers
of our time musical theater in my opinion, and the
way that he wrote that song, there's.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
So much space.
Speaker 6 (32:29):
There's like negative space right in the song, and it's
almost like you're waiting for You're waiting to hear what
Jamie has to say. And I just think there's something
so beautiful about the way in which he crafted that song.
And the chords of the song actually resonate throughout the
(32:51):
show if you're listening carefully, and I think because it
sets up the show in the way that it does,
I find it so beautiful. I find such beautiful moments
in it every single night now, and I absolutely love
singing it, and I also love hearing people sniffling and
the audiences. It's just like the first number and people
(33:13):
are already weeping, and I just think it's a powerful number.
And I now understand why so many girls sing this
in school.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Yeah, you do it beautifully, you really do. And what
about you, Nick, Well, I'm still HEARDing.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Is one of my favorite songs of all time, outside of,
you know, my connection to the show.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
I just I.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Would play it, you know, on nights where we'd have
friends over and we would do this game where we
basically pick like a you know, a theme for that
round that everyone takes the phone and plays DJ and
plays a song that applies to the theme. And I
would like find a way to make the theme become
such a theater kid. Yeah, and so I could play
this song. And then as far as the one that
(33:56):
I like to sing, I mean, nobody needs to know
is I think it's it's got the most soul and
not I don't mean that in the sense of like
so it's like a soulful song. It's it's it's more
r and b uh in its sort of like musical
palette than than a lot of the rest of a
(34:19):
show for Jamie, and I love that, and I love
that I was empowered to lean into that part of
it in the way that I'm singing the song.
Speaker 5 (34:26):
And and that is one thing.
Speaker 4 (34:29):
That was was really liberating and empowering about I think
both of our experience. I don't want to speak on
your behalf, but Whitney really lifted us up in in
are you know our what we brought to these characters,
not just in the acting forms is but vocally and
really worked alongside you know, Jason Robert Brown and the
(34:51):
musical team too to find ways to highlight that and
and to allow for it to be different than it
has been performed in the past.
Speaker 5 (35:00):
And with that song in.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
Particular, I really feel like I was given agency to
kind of make it my own in a way vocally,
which makes it really fun to sing. Although it's a
really sad song about kind of ruining your life.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Which is so happy come if you.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
Haven't, But I really enjoy singing it, and I think,
you know, after this experience, I'll keep it in my songbook.
There are times when I do, you know, some gigs
where it makes sense for me to pull out something
from the different shows that I've been fortunate enough to
be a part of, and that one will certainly stay
(35:36):
in there.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
That's really cool.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
It's like a little piece will be with you forever
from this experience, which is really really cool. I think
that for me, this is also a show You're good, Okay.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
Good, I'm not sure, Okay, We're good.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
For me, this is also Yes, it's a very deeply
emotional and sad show in many ways, but I think
that a lot of people can relate, which is why
it's so if for everyone has seen it and maybe
has been in a relationship perhaps like that. I think
you feel things so deeply from your performances and from
(36:14):
the material that's given, and you know that we see
on that stage. Do you pull from your lives for
roles like this or do you keep it totally separate?
Speaker 4 (36:25):
I I'll go first quickly, And I think that you know,
I have found like substitution in my my acting work
to be helpful at times and really frightening, meaning you know,
like I'm going to replace what's happening in this scene
with something I've experienced and imagine that that's what's happening
(36:48):
to me from this, this actual experience that I've lived,
or what would happen if someone I love like this
this happened to us, how would it make me feel?
Speaker 5 (36:57):
And then you put that into the performance.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
But I I think that with this because of the
journey that that you know, Jamie takes is one that
you know, I I think is really difficult and I
will never go through, you know. And I think that
replacement was not the key for me. It was just
(37:20):
about listening to every single word that I'm saying, obviously,
but also most importantly, what what Kathy's saying I was,
you know, studying the material, and I thought I knew
it so well, and I got into it and went,
oh my god, I had no idea that that's what
the actual word was there, or that that this musical
(37:41):
moment came in this way because of this other thing.
And there's all these connection points, and it just shows
the quality of the writing and Jason's ability to to
tell this story not just through words but through the music,
and his use of the English language is actually extraordinary,
where there's there's connecting words that you think you know
(38:05):
and and I don't mean this, and and disrespectful at
all you think don't matter an and instead of a
butt or a butt instead and those types of things,
And then you realize just how important it is once
you have the time and the ability to sit with
someone as brilliant as him and hear him explain why.
And so as a songwriter, was really inspired to go
in and just get better at writing music, but to
(38:27):
try to do things.
Speaker 5 (38:30):
You know that that.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
That sound great and and are you know, exciting to
listen to, but but just have that that real intentionality
and you know, that's that's something that I think he
mastered in this in this show.
Speaker 5 (38:46):
But to answer your question, no, the yeah substitution.
Speaker 4 (38:54):
Where it was just about listening to to the words
and and really again trying to stay present in it.
Speaker 6 (39:01):
For me, I came to this character. I came to
Kathy with a perspective and a point of view. But
and I think I've been Kathy. There are moments in
my life where I feel like I've been Jamie. I
have been the girl trying to make her way in
New York City. I'm from Virginia, none of my family
(39:24):
is here. I came here with a dream and a
hope and a prayer and ten dollars in my pocket,
you know. And and so I have had that experience.
So yes, taking that bringing that point of view into this,
into this character, into the show definitely. But similarly to
what Nick is saying, we actually spent the first half
(39:46):
of our rehearsal not singing at all, just speaking the lyrics.
And when you have the composer in the room, and
I actually asked, Jason.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Can you do me a favor? Can you I've heard.
Speaker 6 (40:00):
This done so many different ways, can you just play
what you wrote? And when he played what he initially wrote,
I went why. I've never heard anybody saying that, And
then I realized he told me why. And because this
is a show that is loosely based off of his life,
I know that there's intention behind every choice that he
(40:23):
made as an artist as a composer, and I wanted
to honor that and then find my way as an
artist to put my little stamp on it as well.
But that was the most important thing. And when he
shared those stories with me, or he shared that intention
about that lyric or intention about that chord, that did
all the work for me. And the work that Whitney White,
(40:46):
our director, did with Nick and I and just creating
trust in relationship. I didn't need to substitute any relationship
or anything into that.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
And of course, what you go through.
Speaker 6 (40:55):
In life, you may be thinking about it before the show,
but you find ways, hopefully to use it in a
way that is that is safe.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
Sometimes it's it can be dangerous.
Speaker 6 (41:05):
Bringing in your life in that way, but that I've
found has been really helpful. Just staying true to the
lyric and and what Jason wrote, it does all the
work you need.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
We have some amazing audience questions. I am not responsible
for anything. I'm about to say, so let's see what
we got. Christine wrote Roe D one oh five, very specific.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
From Christine Road one o five. What advice do you
have for someone studying musical or performance theater? My niece,
Maddie Lions. My niece, Maddie Lions. Christine, what does that mean?
Speaker 5 (41:48):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (41:49):
Put it for your niece.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (41:50):
Okay, great, got it?
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Oh oh there's more. Okay, Christine, she is studying at
Pace now. You know it could have used a little
arrow right there, but it's fine. She's studying at Pace now.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Ps.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
We are seeing this play at the end of May.
Speaker 6 (42:05):
So advice, My advice would be, don't box yourself in.
Continue to be a student of the world, continue to
learn all kinds of music. The second someone thinks they
know what you can sing and what you can do,
you always can surprise them with something else.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
And I think that has.
Speaker 6 (42:25):
Been one of the greatest gifts is every role that
I've been given, I walked into that room thinking I
could not do it, or that it was too much
of a challenge for me, or who how dare I?
And every single time I came out came in that
room as a student and every single time. It changed
(42:46):
my life.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
It's a great answer, Thanks Gay, Yes, and everything she said.
And do improv. I mean she should take some improv classes.
I've didn't go to a musical theater school. My training
(43:10):
kind of happened in the you know, the work I
was doing both Broadway as a kid and then as
I started acting more.
Speaker 6 (43:17):
And I think it was a principal on like his
first show on Broadway.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Truth Truth.
Speaker 4 (43:23):
But I when I got into my early teens, I
started taking improv classes and doing improv work with a
person that's been a mentor to me, an amazing performer
named Rob McClure. And it was really important to my
ability to have empathy and compassion as a performer as
an artist, and also I think made my performances over
time more dynamic. And I think it's an important tool
(43:46):
that everyone should have in their repertoire.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
All Right, that's some great advice. Thank you for that.
The next question, niece, Yes, good luck to her. Shelley
has a question for you, Nick. Nick, you recently shared
that it was your decision to make Jamie New York
basketball fan. What other personal touches did you bring to
the role of Jamie.
Speaker 5 (44:09):
Go Nicks.
Speaker 6 (44:12):
Yeah, it's it's you know, it was so good, Like
he wanted to do this so bad, Like he was like, Asrian,
I'm gonna make content about Jamie being a Knicks fan.
Speaker 4 (44:20):
I was like, content is key, guys, so that's one
obviously the sports fans. But there was like a little
list in the back of my head of things and
you know, ways to to make Jamie uh dynamic and
you know, living breathing person and none of us in
(44:45):
this room or any one thing. There are things about
us and are you know where we come from, our background,
our families that all matter, are part of our story.
Speaker 5 (44:54):
But no one thing defines you.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
I think that as much as you can add to
the plate at first and then start to see what
really matters or is you know something that that that
adds value or or contributes to making that person seem
like a living, breathing being the better And you have
to you have to be willing to let things go
too along the way. And that's you know something that
(45:18):
I love about the I loved about this process was
we would each come in with big ideas and we
would like try different things and and maybe feel really
passionate about a certain thing one day, and then the
next we realized it wasn't as important as we thought
it was, and this was actually the thing to focus on.
Speaker 5 (45:36):
But I think it's it's really.
Speaker 4 (45:40):
A wonderful experience to get to bring something to life
and know that what's on the page is so good
that you can just jump off from there and have
fun with it and make your character a Nicks fan.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
We love it. We love to see it. Thank you
Shelly for the question. This one is from Crystal. What
is one number you would love to perform from each
other's set?
Speaker 6 (46:06):
Hmm, moving too fast? Definitely? Oh, I'll sing it backstage
with you every day.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
You don't know, now you do.
Speaker 4 (46:16):
We actually thought it'd be funny to just do a
show where we just switch switch roles.
Speaker 6 (46:23):
Just don't tell anyone, just start the show that way.
Speaker 5 (46:26):
I mean the funny part.
Speaker 4 (46:27):
It would work still, obviously, and that's what makes it brilliant.
Speaker 3 (46:31):
Oh you doing summer at all?
Speaker 5 (46:32):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (46:33):
Yes, never mind, it's a terrible idea. Do you want
to do a little nothing? I'm contracted to play the
role of Jamie and Jamie only Yeah, I actually did
sing I'm still hurting at miss Fit, which was Miscast Misfits.
(46:59):
It's been a long week Miscast, and I really enjoyed
singing that song, but I think it's actually the audition sequence.
I love that hole that whole bit. I would I
would have fun with that. I sing that backstage. There's
like this one. Yeah, there's this one moment in the
(47:21):
show where I can, you know, sort of like cool down.
Speaker 5 (47:25):
There's like this little area.
Speaker 4 (47:26):
It's weirdly, it's like a kitchen that's next to the stage.
It's so strange, but it's an old theater and it's
got this little room.
Speaker 5 (47:33):
So I go in there.
Speaker 4 (47:35):
I tell them I'm singing along, and I'm also that's
the woman I can check the score of a Knicks
game my phone, and yesterday when I opened my phone, No,
it's fine, it's all good. It did just start playing
a song really loudly, though, And it was during Goodbye
(47:56):
Till Tomorrow, and.
Speaker 6 (47:56):
I was blaming it on the audience, and it wasn't
it the whole time.
Speaker 4 (48:01):
But I was I was gonna come in today and
be like, whose phone was that last?
Speaker 5 (48:09):
Just immediately get ahead of it. I didn't do that.
I was honest with you.
Speaker 2 (48:14):
Okay, we love to see it. I love that. Thank
you for that question.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
Next up, Tina H wants to know what song has
evolved the most for you since the beginning of the show.
Speaker 5 (48:26):
Moving Too Fast.
Speaker 4 (48:27):
Yeah, so the brilliant Cooperman brothers choreographed our show, and
they had a lot of Yes, they had a lot
of amazing ideas that this is kind of what I
was talking about before. You put everything on the plate
and you sort of see at the end what really
needs to be there to complete the the dish. I
(48:47):
don't know the analogy is here, but you get what
I'm saying. And during the early process of Moving Too Fast,
I was eager to have it be really physical, so
I was sort of like pushing for their be always like,
you know, jumps up and down these platforms, different things,
and it's an already very hard song to sing, and
(49:08):
for whatever reason, I was like punishing myself trying to make.
Speaker 5 (49:10):
It even harder.
Speaker 4 (49:11):
And they were so cool and we're game to try anything,
but very wisely, you know, pulled me back a bit
and we're like we we also don't need to do
like you jumping off a platform form and swinging off
this thing.
Speaker 5 (49:27):
But I think that that was a really.
Speaker 4 (49:29):
Wonderful example of how, you know, the creative process has
to go on its journey and be whatever it's going
to be, and you know, brilliant collaborators and you know
teammates like that are going to let you do it
and then pull you back to where you need to
be to be able to do it eight shows a
week and to sing it well and all those things.
Speaker 5 (49:50):
So after we had stripped it back a bit, I
was like, wait, this is so easy to sing this song.
Speaker 4 (49:55):
And so I started thinking, did they use like reverse psychology?
Speaker 2 (49:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (50:00):
And if that is true, then wow, that's another layer.
Speaker 6 (50:05):
That was also you because Nick is fearless and he
would literally try everything and I'd be on the side,
be like eight shows a week, eight shows a week.
But it was kind of incredible to watch that process.
He's pretty fearless. For me, I think, I don't know.
I think a lot of my things evolved quite a bit, y'all.
(50:25):
I was dancing a lot when we first put this
thing together, and then it just kind of was like
I have to change clothes, like when is it going
to happen? And then we started just kind of stripping
everything back some are in Ohio.
Speaker 3 (50:40):
Still ended up being what it was, but.
Speaker 6 (50:44):
I think for me, just in the run of the show,
that number has evolved a lot. It used to be
very Now for those who don't come, I don't I
want to ruin it for you. Maybe the audition scene
as well, I don't want to ruin it for you.
But some are in Ohio. There's a trunk. I'm doing
a lot of things with the trunk. It's a whole thing.
But then the audition scene, I actually don't know how
(51:07):
that's gonna go. It's improv actually every single night surprise,
So I know the very last one is set because
there's all that banter in the middle of it. But
the second one, uh, the piano player whoever's playing that night,
they actually are in control.
Speaker 3 (51:26):
So I don't know what's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
No way.
Speaker 6 (51:28):
Yeah, so it's up to me to just kind of
jump head first and see. Sometimes it gets crazy, but
it's a it's really fun.
Speaker 3 (51:37):
It's fun that way.
Speaker 1 (51:38):
Well that's why you guys do what you do, truly,
it's amazing. All right, we have two questions. We're almost
out of time, so we're gonna go through these quick.
So we can get both in for y'all, for both
of you. In what ways do you see yourselves in
Jamie and Kathy and what ways do you not?
Speaker 4 (51:56):
I I relate to his ambition clearly, but I think
that I am not like him because I have some
guardrails that I've set for myself to protect that my
life stay healthy and as happy as I hope it
can be and all that.
Speaker 5 (52:15):
And I feel like I'm a lot like Kathy sometimes too.
Speaker 4 (52:17):
I think that's the great part about this show is
that it's it's by no means gender specific. These are
just two individuals who happen to be male and female
going on a journey and telling a story.
Speaker 5 (52:29):
But it could easily be reversed.
Speaker 4 (52:31):
And and you know, I think that when I listen
to some of these songs, and specifically in the earlier
part of the show where she's she's going through the
hurt that she's going through, we've all been through things
like that in our life, and if you haven't, then
good for you.
Speaker 5 (52:49):
Good for you.
Speaker 4 (52:50):
But you know that those dynamics and relationships are not
exclusive to romantic relationships either, that there's friendships and even
family relationships. You can see elements of you know, all
of our sort of lives and collective lives in these characters,
which is why I think this show has been as
well received as it has been for so long. So
(53:14):
I'm a lot like both and not like them in
a lot of ways too.
Speaker 3 (53:18):
I think really quickly. For me, I.
Speaker 6 (53:23):
Didn't think I was like Kathy at all, and because
of Whitney's vision, I now see so much of myself
in her. Kathy and I are pretty pretty similar now.
Speaker 2 (53:35):
I love that. I love that.
Speaker 1 (53:35):
And that was from anishe thank you? And final question
from Tara L. Besides this show, what are some of
your favorite Broadway shows? Let's limit it to three each.
Speaker 6 (53:47):
To go first, I'll do one Aida no no, no,
no no. I'd actually only want to be Amnarius if
I ever did that.
Speaker 5 (54:06):
I'm gonna start with a kind of a random one.
But I love it, Avenue Q, I just love so much.
Speaker 2 (54:12):
It's a good one, all right, One more each?
Speaker 6 (54:20):
Okay, saying we're like theater kids, but we're not, but
we are.
Speaker 3 (54:25):
It's weird.
Speaker 5 (54:25):
I mean, I could I have seen this show.
Speaker 4 (54:31):
Eight times, probably maybe more, and it really never gets
old to me. And I'm not the only person that
feels this way, obviously because it's been running forever in
the West End. Phantom of the Opera.
Speaker 5 (54:46):
I just love.
Speaker 2 (54:48):
Okay, we love that one moment.
Speaker 3 (54:50):
Oh, I do you know?
Speaker 2 (54:53):
Come on? Come on?
Speaker 6 (54:54):
Okay, okay, okay, I I oh my god. I love
Wicked just because it, you know, changed. I think all
of our lives and we saw growing up.
Speaker 2 (55:06):
Yeah, all right, solid choice.
Speaker 1 (55:07):
Well, I think I speak on behalf of everyone in
this room when I say thank you, thank.
Speaker 2 (55:12):
You for your artistry, thank you for your gifts. You
both are brilliant and we.
Speaker 1 (55:16):
Are so lucky to share in your art and truly, truly, truly,
we look.
Speaker 2 (55:20):
Forward to everything you guys continue to do. Go see
the show. It is great. Get your tickets and thank
you both.
Speaker 3 (55:26):
Thank you, thanks for coming on.
Speaker 2 (55:29):
Thank you everybody, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (55:33):
I've Never Said this Before is hosted by Me Tommy Dederio.
This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Puglisi at iHeartRadio
and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney I've
Never Said This Before. It's part of the Elvis Duran
podcast network on iHeart Podcasts. For more, rate review and
subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode,
(55:56):
tell your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy Dederio.
Hey, guys, welcome to I've never said this before with
me Tommy Di Dario. I am hanging out with two very,
very badass rock stars today.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Yes I am.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Nick Jonas and Adrian Warren are currently starring in the
beloved Broadway show the last five years and guys, ah,
what a treat it is to see their talent front
and center on that stage. Now, Nick, you know and
love from the Jonas brothers. He's had an amazing solo career.
I definitely sang his song Jella's quite often, maybe weekly.
I'm not gonna lie. He's done blockbuster films and TV shows.
(00:34):
There is not much he hasn't done. And Adrian Warren
is Broadway at Royalty. She won the Tony for Tina,
the Tina Turner Musical.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
I saw it. It was so fantastic.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
She's done a bunch of other theater and she's leaving
her mark in Hollywood as well, appearing in Rustin with
Coleman Domingo and The Woman King with Viola Davis, and
together they are making magic in the last five years.
So they tell the same story but in opposite timelines,
meaning Adrian's character begins to the breakup Nick's character begins
at the first kiss, and both sides of this five
(01:04):
year relationship play out in ninety minutes or so in
a very heart racing event. And I think we've all
been waiting for this show to come to Broadway. It
is such a fan favorite show. Now, this is a
very special edition episode of my podcast because this interview
is from an event I'm moderated, presented by the prestigious
ninety second Street, Why New York. Make sure to check
out our future events and hey, you might even catch
(01:25):
me at one. So let's see if today we can
get Adrienne and Nick to say something that they've never
said before.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Hello, everybody, how are we today? Hello, well, welcome.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
We're so excited to have Nick and Adrian here today.
Let's give it up one more time for them.
Speaker 3 (01:49):
Thank you, thank you for being here.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
This chair is so comfy, very comfortable, right, very very nice.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Well, welcome you to I'm so excited to celebrate you
and the show. Show that is just phenomenal. I'm not
sure how many people here have seen it, but if
you have, okay, all right, and if you haven't run out.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Go see it.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
These two are just spectacular and we have a lot
of cover. So you all ready let's go okay, good good.
So the last five years is obviously a beloved show.
It's the first time that it's hitting Broadway in such
a big way. And I mean, you guys are the show.
Like the amount of work you put into this is unbelievable.
You're on stage the whole time basically between the two
(02:30):
of you. So my first question is what made you
say I have to be a part of this production.
Speaker 4 (02:36):
Well, I have loved this score for a very long time.
I was first introduced to the score after my adult
castmates in one of the shows I was doing on
Broadway as a kid. You know, we're talking about how
great it was, and I went out with my dad
to the record store to buy the album and listen
to it on repeat. It probably didn't understand all of
(02:57):
what was going on at you know, eight or nine,
but uh certainly understood the music and the quality of
the music and fell in love with it. You know,
Over the years, as my life and career took kind
of different shape, I thought, playing the role of Jamie
is a dream that would never come true, and and
and kind of, you know, hung on to some hope
that it would, and you know, obviously there's been a
(03:20):
lot of amazing productions of a show all throughout the
world and the film adaptation, which I loved. And you know,
when I first got the call that there was a
production kind of coming together and the possibility of of
you know, engaging in that conversation was was thrilling to me,
but also terrifying and sounded like some of you have
(03:43):
come to the show, which we greatly appreciate.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
You know, it's the very thing I love about it is.
Speaker 4 (03:48):
The thing that makes it such an enormous hill to
climb is that it's it's a big sing and a
big emotional journey. And I think the first question was
was just saying, okay, who's the creator team, And obviously
our fearless leader, Whitney White was was brilliant to speak
to and kind of gave me her very clear and
(04:08):
definitive vision for what she wanted to do. And the
next piece, obviously was was my co star Adrian Warren,
which I was I was over the moon about. Obviously,
she's an immense talent and a wonderful person and has
been a great collaborator in this So you know, all
the ingredients and getting to work with obviously Jason Brown,
our composer. All the ingredients were were there to do
(04:30):
something really special and it's it's been a really fulfilling
run thus far.
Speaker 6 (04:35):
Thanks Nick. So my journey with this show was a
little different. I was a fan of the show from
afar in musical theater class. I studied theater in school,
not musical theater, but just theater. But I remember watching
people seeing this music in my musical theater class in
high school. And the music was never given to me
(04:57):
to perform because a Kathy's never looked like me, and
teachers just wants to prepare their student for roles that
they think their students are going to play right, and
so it was never given to me. But I always
loved this music and I thought, man, it's so cool,
and these characters are so nuanced and special, and the
music is fantastic, and you're taught in school never bring
(05:19):
Jason Robert Brown's music to an audition because it is
so hard to play.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But I was.
Speaker 6 (05:24):
I just fell in love with the complexity of his work.
And Whitney White actually came to me we're working on
another project together, and she said has anyone called you
about the last five years?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
And I said no, and why would they?
Speaker 6 (05:39):
And she said, well, I'm directing it, and I think
you could be my Kathy. And I said what, because
what do you mean? I just never thought that was
something that I could do. And so she invited me
into that conversation and so then the next step was going.
I'd never sung the score with Jason before, so my
next opportunity was singing the music with Jason for the
(06:03):
first time ever. It was the first time I'd ever
sung that music, and it was singing it with him,
and I sang two songs and he looked at me
and he was like, and that's it.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
You're my Kathy.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
And I was blown away, and I was in Chicago,
and I'll never forget. I just remember thinking what is happening?
Because I didn't even think that was a dream that
I saw for myself. So for that to happen into Jason,
for Jason to sign off so quickly, and for me
to then have an opportunity to dive into this work,
and then with Nick, who is the best teammate I
(06:33):
could ever have doing this, it was just a joy.
So it's been a blessing that I didn't expect.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
Well, it's hard to imagine this show without the two
of you in it. You really have cemented your places
in these characters and in these roles, and there's a
lot that you guys have to do on that stage.
So is there a moment of the show that, either
currently or maybe in the past, gave you a little
bit of anxiety before you had to perform it that
you had to like work through and work yourself kind
(07:02):
of hide yourself up for it, and then you did
it and you can relax. You still have that or
was there a moment.
Speaker 6 (07:08):
No, I mean for me, because it was very different.
I think every Kathy that I saw I didn't see
myself in her, and so I had to in a
way create a Kathy that I saw myself in.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
A lot of the Kathys are very.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
There's a power that I have internally just because and
I think it's frankly, just because I walk through the
world in a black body, right Like, I walk through
the world knowing that I walk into a store and
I'm not necessarily looked at the same way other Kathys
are looked at, and so I walk in with a
bit of a power and an armor that I have
(07:55):
to and just just in life. And so for me,
it was about finding a cat that had agency over
her life. It then became a story about this is
a woman who does everything she can to get hired,
but no matter what she does, she can't get hired.
And that has happened to me. I've been in this
industry where it didn't matter how well I sung. I
(08:16):
could be singing circles around people and I still wasn't
getting hired. And so Jason and I really sat down
and said, we how do I make what do I?
How do I make this make sense? And I was like,
because now I'm coming back winning a Tony, So how
do I make this make sense?
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Now? Total flex?
Speaker 3 (08:34):
But I really wanted.
Speaker 6 (08:35):
To tell a story because it's a story that I've
lived where no matter what I did, I couldn't be
seen and I couldn't be hired. I had that Summer
Stock experience in Ohio. I have so many friends who
are so talented, and it's not always about your talent.
Sometimes it's about timing. It's about where you are in
the world, and and I wanted to bring that story
(08:58):
to my Kathy. I wanted to find to Kathy that
had strength and agency. And so when you see us
in the beginning of the show, when I get that letter,
Kathy is actually in our production, just booked her first
Broadway show right before she's broken up with And that
is the power that I wanted to bring to this
character that I hadn't seen before. And that was nerve racking,
but I'm really happy being with that choice.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, yeah, well, we see it. We see it. And Nick,
for you, you're no stranger to the theater. You've done
it over the course of your career, and you've been
on many different types of stages in your life. How
has your other career being part of the Jonas Brothers
influenced or affected the role that you take on in
this show, Like, how does that skill set weave its
(09:42):
way into what you do in the Broadway stage.
Speaker 5 (09:45):
It's a great question, you know.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
I think that I have always been a person with
real ambition and drive and in a lot of moments
in you know, my life, that's served me and you know,
been something that's that's helped me achieve some of the
things I've set out to do. It's also the very
thing that can can get in your way, though, some
(10:08):
of that ambition help, you know, can make you lose
sight of the moments and and and and not really
enjoying things as much as you should be. And it's
sort of a stupid thing to say, take a second,
you know, and enjoy something. But really, when I look
back at my career with the Brothers, there's a lot
of moments where I was so focused on the next thing,
and you know, even thinking about like, how is this
(10:30):
all going to go away? As opposed to to looking
out and being really truly present and grateful for what
I was experiencing. And I think that experience and getting
to a place in my own life where I better
understood how to step back and sort of have that
moment of gratitude, allowed me to have perspective that perhaps Jamie,
the character that I play in the show, doesn't have,
or maybe he learns it just after our show ends
(10:54):
in his lifetimeline.
Speaker 5 (10:57):
But when I had the first conversation.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
About about this and playing this role, there was there
was sort of two themes that I felt my own
life and career experiences and personal experiences really helped inform
how I would approach the character and that was what
I just mentioned about ambition and taking those moments to appreciate,
but also being you know, a father has really informed
(11:20):
every decision I make in life, but specifically the work
I do, both with the brothers and you know, a songwriting,
I do, any type of creative outlet, but also as
an actor and performer in this show, a deeper perspective
of you know, of just life, and it's impossible to
ignore that that becomes a part of the process and
the lens you see pretty much everything through.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Do you feel like you're at a point where now
you can kind of stop and be more present and
take everything as it's coming, or you're still working on that.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
It's always a work in progress.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
I think that, you know, I'm at an interesting moment
where we're right in the heart of this run and
you know, fourteen week run.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
It's always it's always been that, and.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
You know, we've got about I think five and a
half six weeks left, which.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
I'll get your tickets now exactly.
Speaker 4 (12:12):
And I think I placed a lot of my mental
focus and brain power obviously just in this for a bit,
because you kind of have to lose yourself in it
and become you know, you got to buy in all
the way to the thing to to to do the
best you can.
Speaker 5 (12:30):
Really, So I'm in this moment now where I'm.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
Starting to think, oh, after this is done, I have
these other things I have to be thinking about, and
that's you know, really exciting. But I'm like starting to
like shift gears a little bit. And so while I
feel like I'm being present, I'm always pushing myself to
be more present and in the moment. And you know,
it's not just always about appreciating things, it's also about
challenging yourself in the moment to.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
Apply just a little bit more of that focus and
that care.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
You know, because it's just the two of us on
that stage, there's nowhere to hide in this material, and
because of the way in which it's staged and performed
and you know, all the elements, it really requires like
one hundred and fifty percent of each of us. And
what's been interesting is this sort of this this real
(13:20):
you know need to sort of lean on each other
at different points, both on stage and off stage, just
to stay locked in. And I think that, you know,
that is a crucial part to anybody that ever takes
on this show is you got to do it with
somebody that you can really like play tennis with back
and forth, or ping pong or whatever.
Speaker 5 (13:42):
It's it's it's a needed part of the process.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
And we see that for sure throughout the show, but especially.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
In the wedding scene, right because it's one of the
moments where you're in the same timeline and you're so
present with each other on that stage. Talk to me
about what that scene means for you, guys.
Speaker 6 (13:59):
I it's it's just all about trust the God. Nick
Jonas is such an amazing human you guys, and this.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
Could have this could have gone so badly.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
And I remember someone asked, like, what is it like
working with Nick Jonas. I'm like, oh, oh right, he's
his rock star, right, And I have this whole moment
where I never ever felt that from him.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
From day one.
Speaker 6 (14:24):
He's always I think Nick takes care of so many
people in his life, including this cast, including everyone.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
I think the first day.
Speaker 6 (14:32):
He brought all of us gifts, anything that we would
possibly need, like water bottels and like take away coffee mugs,
like he brought us all that first day of school,
and I was like, whatever I brought you guys, Hugs, like,
you know, he's just always thinking of how to show
up for everyone else. So I think for me, I
can always speak for myself as I'm just trying to
(14:53):
figure out how can I be there for him right,
And we really just lean on each other. And I
know that when I walk on on that stage, no
matter what I'm going through in my life and no
matter because that affects you sometimes at work, I know
that he has my back and he knows that I
have his. And if I see him fall, I'm going
to catch him. And if he sees me fall, I'm
gonna catch He's going to catch me. And it's so
(15:15):
because we have that trust, it can just be fun
and we can just be present. And there are times
where well, you know, meet up after the show and
be like, man, I was definitely on another planet and
he'd be like, oh, I didn't.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
Feel that much.
Speaker 6 (15:27):
I was, you know, and we're just very open about that.
And it's it's a trust that I think is so
necessary in this show, and we just have that with
each other.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Was there a moment where you can remember, Okay, she's
got my back and he's got my back, Like, did
something happen in rehearsals or when you met where you
fully were like, oh no, no, I could really trust
this person.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
Well I did catch you one time, like he.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Was falling and you caught him.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
I sure did.
Speaker 6 (16:02):
I don't think he knew that, but you were falling.
It was during tech But it's fine.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
Thanks.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
I think it happens, you know, on stage short in
the process of you know, rehearsals and all that kind
of stuff. But a lot of times and it's it's
there's been a few moments. I think it's where we
uh sort of sidebar about a collective, you know, sort
of a stance we need to take on something either
creatively or little thing that even scheduling for for events
(16:35):
from it, like we have to be aligned, uh and
be sort of a united front. Otherwise it the balance
gets all funky. And you know, I I think that
is actually sort of more important at times than anything else.
It's just to make sure that that you're you're not
just showing up on stage when people are watching, but
(16:56):
when when you know you need to look out for
each other behind scenes too.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
I think it was really early on Nick came to
me and was like, hey, we're teammates. In this like
I have your back. He didn't have to do that,
and that's all I really needed to hear. And it's
it's true anything that was asked us of us, he
would come to me first and say what do you think?
And I would be like, I don't know, what do
(17:22):
you think?
Speaker 3 (17:22):
You know?
Speaker 6 (17:23):
And it's it's just nice to hear someone say like
what do you think? And how are you thinking about this?
Like he's way more famous. I had no idea how
famous he actually was until we start walking down the street.
But but you know he has he could could take
that and use it to his advantage. And every single
moment he has really said see what Adrian thinks first,
(17:47):
And I'm like, wow, Like what a class act. All right,
I'm done like hyping you up now.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
Yeah. That's really cool to hear though.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
And I imagine you spent so much time in the
theater prepping and rehearsing, putting the show together, and you
know you have your professional cap on, so to speak.
But outside of the theater, what are the things you
do to kind of build connection and build that bond
as artists and humans or does it all happen in house?
Speaker 4 (18:12):
Oh, we had a nice lunch at my house with
my family early on, which was great. My wife and
daughter sort of helped host, and you know, a friend
of mine that was visiting from out of town was
there as well.
Speaker 5 (18:27):
And that's kind.
Speaker 4 (18:28):
Of you know what, that is what we like to
do to set the stage in any project that my
wife and I are doing. We love to have the
creative team or co stars around and just show, like,
you know, what our life is like at home.
Speaker 5 (18:40):
I think it's helpful to set the stage.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
For for kind of everything and even what to expect
out of me as as a professional in that setting,
but also who I am around the people that I
love and care about, And it's something that we like
to do basically, and we did that early on. I
think it really did help set a nice sort of
frame for everything. And and you know, outside of that,
(19:03):
we do a lot of really fun Broadway extracurricular activities
such as Broadway bowling.
Speaker 6 (19:11):
We were on the bowling team.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
And then you know, there's not a whole lot of
other time to do stuff.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
It's it's pretty much full.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
You know, the schedule, A lot of people think, okay,
it's at seven pm show tonight, that's all you have
going on, But there's a lot of stuff throughout the
day that that we're doing, either to promote the show
or you know, even personal commitments and things that also
have to happen.
Speaker 5 (19:39):
But it's it's a full on schedule for sure.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Do either of you have a goofy pre show ritual?
Speaker 3 (19:47):
Goofy? I feel like everything I do is goofy.
Speaker 6 (19:51):
I every once in a while, I have a little
dance party by myself. But he knows I have dance parties,
but that's just kind of about just making myself happy
because I'm about to go on the craziest roller coaster
ride with the show, ninety minutes of an emotional roller coaster.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Enjoy. But no, nothing goofy. I don't think you have
any goofy.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
Uh yeah, I mean I do that. I pretend to stretch. Basically,
it's not that goofy. It's just I'm not the most
flexible person, and there's this platform on the stage that's
just a little bit higher than this, and so it's
like the perfect place to sort of like just put
your leg up on and pretend like you're doing some
complicated stretch. And it happens in the two minutes we
(20:38):
have before the curtain comes up, and so.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
We'll be sitting there talking about our day or not
pre show.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
That's like showtime.
Speaker 6 (20:46):
And he doesn't really even like he doesn't stretch towards
his toes or anything. He just like throws his leg
up I'm not sure and then throws it back down.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
You know what you're trying, trying It's all that matters.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
It's all that matters when you watch each other on
stage when you can I guess, is there a moment
that just blows you away by each other throughout the
course of the show.
Speaker 4 (21:07):
Yeah, I mean there's there's moments that you know, stand
out and that evolve over time and things that are
fun to watch, you know, I think across the board
for for not only us, but just for the show
as a whole, where you start to feel like, oh,
this moment locked in or this was new tonight. And
but there's there's a vocal line at the end of
(21:30):
I can do better than that.
Speaker 5 (21:31):
That she sings, which which you've now in the last
couple of.
Speaker 4 (21:34):
Weeks started like adding new bits to and doing different things,
and it's very exciting and I'm I'm literally this staging
as I'm just like looking at her as she does it,
and it's you know, it's it's amazing to hear, to
hear not just the range that Adriane has as a vocalists,
but but how intentional every sort of like inflection and
note is not just too sounding good, but but telling
(21:57):
a story. And that's the the fun part to get
to work watch that, you know, the sort of excellence
of that.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I thanks Nick.
Speaker 6 (22:06):
I actually watched Nick a lot off stage, but I
like trying to hide it so that when he doesn't
actually see me watching. Oh, I shouldn't even say this now,
you know, but there are times where I just marvel
and when he's singing moving too fast, the energy he
brings to that song is just he brings his rockstar
energy to that song, and I just I love it,
(22:28):
and it's it's just really fun to watch. And it's
always exciting just to see your friends doing great work.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
And he does really great work in that number.
Speaker 5 (22:36):
That's very good.
Speaker 1 (22:38):
And I think what's so cool the show? Of course
it's a fan favorite. The score is so beautiful, your
emotions are so beautiful. And when I saw you both,
I was telling you earlier I saw you and Tina.
I loved you and Tina. You were such a rock
star yourself. You also are a rock star, right, I mean,
come on, there's two rock stars up here, and you know.
For Nick, obviously I know your music. I've seen you
(22:59):
over the year, so when I went to see you both,
I was like, let's see that, Like, okay, let's see,
let's see what we got right. And I was blown
away by your performances. And I think it's really hard
to have people forget about the pop rock star and
the Tina Turner and to transport us to a different
world where we see these new characters and you both
do it. Do you feel that when you go into
(23:22):
a project like I gotta work a little harder to
show people that I'm also this.
Speaker 6 (23:30):
You know, there's some sometimes I think Lynn said Lynn
min wil Miranda came to the show and he said something.
He was like, oh, I heard like Tina come out.
And I was like, you didn't hear Tina come out?
You heard me that That is me. When I feel
a certain emotion, that is me when that's what my
voice does. You know, I actually sang rock and roll
before I did Tina. That's probably why I got that job.
(23:51):
But sometimes it is hard, especially when you have like
a huge moment with a role.
Speaker 3 (23:56):
But I just see it as a challenge.
Speaker 6 (23:58):
It's a challenge for me to more colors as an artists,
to challenge for me to dive a little deeper and
get to know myself more. I use every facility of
my voice, my mix. I've seen classical stuff in this show.
I do so I belt in this show. They are
very quiet moments in this show. I use every part
of my instrument in this show. And that doesn't happen
(24:19):
all the time in this in this industry. And I'm
just blessed and excited to to just find more colors
every single day. I'm still learning, I'm still evolving. You
come see me in another show after this, you'd be like, oh,
that's different too, because hopefully I'm still challenging myself to
do more and to learn more. And I never want
to stop learning. And I will fail at times. That happens,
(24:42):
and I will, but I am up for the journey.
And this is I've it's been in such a delight
to get to do something where I get to just grow.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
What about you, Yeah, I think it's things interesting that.
Speaker 4 (24:59):
Our investment in someone's previous work makes us question their
ability to do something else. But it does happen, and
it's a it's a strange psychological thing that I'd love
to speak to a professional about because because we sit
(25:19):
there and we go, well, they were brilliant in this
other thing, or I know them for this where they
had a certain amount of notoriety, and then we're wondering
if they can achieve something else or a different texture.
At the core of it, they're a storyteller, they're a songwriter,
they're a performer.
Speaker 5 (25:34):
They did something that struck a chord and.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
They can probably do it again if they if they
tap back into that source. And I think it's it's
a thrilling thing to be in a spot where people
are are curious and even questioning if a performance or
an actor or whatever or can get there or can
transform the challenge is exciting and sort of a thrilling thing.
(26:03):
But it can't become the north star. You know, if
in my experience, anytime i've sort of led creative with
I hope I can prove this, I end up falling
flat on my face when I lead with this is
true to me? And this I think applies most to
my songwriting. If I've been in scenarios where my goal
(26:26):
is to come out with a hit, right, and every
single time I do that, it's not a hit. But
when I tap into something that's true or an experience
I've had that's real, I'm often either left with a
result that I'm really proud of, or it reaches people
and connects because there's something inherently you know worthy of
(26:47):
that connection in there. It's true, it's real, it's a
real life experience. And in the same way, with a
performance like this, there was no other way to approach
it than trying to to do something that felt real
and authentic. And yes, there were, I think for both
of us a lot of questions about how we would
portray these characters and how we would either rise to
(27:11):
the occasion or not. But I'm very proud of the
fact that our work started with trying to do something
true and real and authentic, and you know that that
was the goal and if nothing else we achieved that.
Speaker 3 (27:26):
I want to speak to something else.
Speaker 6 (27:27):
I think we live in a time of instant gratification,
and theater doesn't really work like that. Theater takes time.
Performances take time to evolve it. You know, when I
got here for on Broadway to do Tina, I had
already done this show on the West End for a
year and a half, and I want you guys to
know I didn't get Tina Turner's approval for that performance,
(27:50):
probably not until a few months into the run. So
it takes time for greatness, And just like an athlete practices,
it takes time for and shows come.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
To Broadway immediately.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
These days, there are a lot of times shows used
to go regional, they used to tour, and then they come
to Broadway, and by that time, that cast knows what
their body feels like doing the show in Colorado, they
know what the show feels like doing it in Chicago,
they know what they need, they know everything, And by
the time they get to Broadway, they could do that
(28:24):
with their eyes closed. They could do the show with
their eyes closed. That doesn't happen anymore because shows are
so expensive. So now in a time where people are
posting bootlegs immediately, or you're trying to get your show
on social media and seeing behind the scenes and rehearsal,
there's no veil for anyone to fall down or get
(28:48):
back up or evolve in their show. And it's just
and it's really sad because and now I feel like
artists don't have that protection of evolving that they used to.
Jackson didn't become Jane and Jackson overnight. Michael Jackson didn't
become Michael Jackson overnight. And we don't have that protection
anymore because everything is on.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Our phones all the time.
Speaker 6 (29:11):
And so when I see that the industry can be
very harsh at times to certain individuals or certain shows,
it's like, you have to give that show a chance.
We were just talking about a show that opened this
year that was probably gonna close and because it wasn't
given a chance, and now it's one of the top
contenders for Best Musical Look it up.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
And I'm just and you know, and it's just we.
Speaker 6 (29:36):
Have to give ourselves as artists an opportunity to grow, evolve, rehearse,
become great.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
You don't get a Tony overnight.
Speaker 6 (29:46):
I got a Tony because it was almost three years
of work before I got to the Broadway stage.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Yep, Oh, I like that. This conversation is fun.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
I like this and I've been wanting to say that,
you know what, good.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
For you though, good for you because I think I
think art is one of the most important things in
the world, and what you guys do as artists, you know,
on a daily basis, for the community, for the audience,
for humanity is so necessary. And that's why a show
like this is so fresh, because it did take a
big chance, right, and it is so followed for for
(30:24):
I don't know how long forever, and you guys are
doing it. You're the faces of it, and you're doing
it brilliantly, and I think that just can't be forgotten either.
It's what you're putting out with the show means so
much to so many people, so I hope you're both
taking that in as well.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
I think another really amazing thing about this this.
Speaker 5 (30:42):
Run and this show.
Speaker 4 (30:46):
That is this idea that they were introducing a lot
of people to Broadway as well. You know, we've seen
from so many different parts of the world people coming
up and saying it's their first Broadway show and the
fact that it's this one one that I think is
you know, that has been studied by most people that
have done musical theater in some capacity, that is, as
(31:08):
you said, beloved by so many people who love musical theater.
But to see that that bubble kind of opening up
a little bit and introducing a totally new audience to
a piece that a lot of us have loved for
a long time is such an exciting and important thing.
And more than anything, I think that's the thing I'm
most proud of in this is to have been a
(31:28):
part of introducing people that may not have gone to
see Broadway show while they were in town for two
weeks coming and experiencing something that we all know and love.
Is you know, it's a magical thing to go to
the theater and see a live performance and really really
fun to hear that feedback.
Speaker 2 (31:45):
Yeah, one hundred percent.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
And I know this question is like picking your favorite
pet or kid, but is there a song for each
of you that you just love to do? Like every
night every day you're like, come on, now, it's my time,
let's go.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
It changed. It used to be.
Speaker 6 (32:04):
I can do better than that, which is near the
end of the show for me, but now it's actually
still hurting, which.
Speaker 3 (32:11):
People are like, what, that's the saddest one. But I
just if you listen.
Speaker 6 (32:17):
Jason Robert Brown, incredible composer, one of the greatest composers
of our time musical theater in my opinion, and the
way that he wrote that song, there's.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
So much space.
Speaker 6 (32:29):
There's like negative space right in the song, and it's
almost like you're waiting for You're waiting to hear what
Jamie has to say. And I just think there's something
so beautiful about the way in which he crafted that song.
And the chords of the song actually resonate throughout the
(32:51):
show if you're listening carefully, and I think because it
sets up the show in the way that it does,
I find it so beautiful. I find such beautiful moments
in it every single night now, and I absolutely love
singing it, and I also love hearing people sniffling and
the audiences. It's just like the first number and people
(33:13):
are already weeping, and I just think it's a powerful number.
And I now understand why so many girls sing this
in school.
Speaker 2 (33:23):
Yeah, you do it beautifully, you really do. And what
about you, Nick, Well, I'm still HEARDing.
Speaker 4 (33:27):
Is one of my favorite songs of all time, outside of,
you know, my connection to the show.
Speaker 5 (33:31):
I just I.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
Would play it, you know, on nights where we'd have
friends over and we would do this game where we
basically pick like a you know, a theme for that
round that everyone takes the phone and plays DJ and
plays a song that applies to the theme. And I
would like find a way to make the theme become
such a theater kid. Yeah, and so I could play
this song. And then as far as the one that
(33:56):
I like to sing, I mean, nobody needs to know
is I think it's it's got the most soul and
not I don't mean that in the sense of like
so it's like a soulful song. It's it's it's more
r and b uh in its sort of like musical
palette than than a lot of the rest of a
(34:19):
show for Jamie, and I love that, and I love
that I was empowered to lean into that part of
it in the way that I'm singing the song.
Speaker 5 (34:26):
And and that is one thing.
Speaker 4 (34:29):
That was was really liberating and empowering about I think
both of our experience. I don't want to speak on
your behalf, but Whitney really lifted us up in in
are you know our what we brought to these characters,
not just in the acting forms is but vocally and
really worked alongside you know, Jason Robert Brown and the
(34:51):
musical team too to find ways to highlight that and
and to allow for it to be different than it
has been performed in the past.
Speaker 5 (35:00):
And with that song in.
Speaker 4 (35:01):
Particular, I really feel like I was given agency to
kind of make it my own in a way vocally,
which makes it really fun to sing. Although it's a
really sad song about kind of ruining your life.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Which is so happy come if you.
Speaker 4 (35:15):
Haven't, But I really enjoy singing it, and I think,
you know, after this experience, I'll keep it in my songbook.
There are times when I do, you know, some gigs
where it makes sense for me to pull out something
from the different shows that I've been fortunate enough to
be a part of, and that one will certainly stay
(35:36):
in there.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
That's really cool.
Speaker 1 (35:38):
It's like a little piece will be with you forever
from this experience, which is really really cool. I think
that for me, this is also a show You're good, Okay.
Speaker 2 (35:48):
Good, I'm not sure, Okay, We're good.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
For me, this is also Yes, it's a very deeply
emotional and sad show in many ways, but I think
that a lot of people can relate, which is why
it's so if for everyone has seen it and maybe
has been in a relationship perhaps like that. I think
you feel things so deeply from your performances and from
(36:14):
the material that's given, and you know that we see
on that stage. Do you pull from your lives for
roles like this or do you keep it totally separate?
Speaker 4 (36:25):
I I'll go first quickly, And I think that you know,
I have found like substitution in my my acting work
to be helpful at times and really frightening, meaning you know,
like I'm going to replace what's happening in this scene
with something I've experienced and imagine that that's what's happening
(36:48):
to me from this, this actual experience that I've lived,
or what would happen if someone I love like this
this happened to us, how would it make me feel?
Speaker 5 (36:57):
And then you put that into the performance.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
But I I think that with this because of the
journey that that you know, Jamie takes is one that
you know, I I think is really difficult and I
will never go through, you know. And I think that
replacement was not the key for me. It was just
(37:20):
about listening to every single word that I'm saying, obviously,
but also most importantly, what what Kathy's saying I was,
you know, studying the material, and I thought I knew
it so well, and I got into it and went,
oh my god, I had no idea that that's what
the actual word was there, or that that this musical
(37:41):
moment came in this way because of this other thing.
And there's all these connection points, and it just shows
the quality of the writing and Jason's ability to to
tell this story not just through words but through the music,
and his use of the English language is actually extraordinary,
where there's there's connecting words that you think you know
(38:05):
and and I don't mean this, and and disrespectful at
all you think don't matter an and instead of a
butt or a butt instead and those types of things,
And then you realize just how important it is once
you have the time and the ability to sit with
someone as brilliant as him and hear him explain why.
And so as a songwriter, was really inspired to go
in and just get better at writing music, but to
(38:27):
try to do things.
Speaker 5 (38:30):
You know that that.
Speaker 4 (38:32):
That sound great and and are you know, exciting to
listen to, but but just have that that real intentionality
and you know, that's that's something that I think he
mastered in this in this show.
Speaker 5 (38:46):
But to answer your question, no, the yeah substitution.
Speaker 4 (38:54):
Where it was just about listening to to the words
and and really again trying to stay present in it.
Speaker 6 (39:01):
For me, I came to this character. I came to
Kathy with a perspective and a point of view. But
and I think I've been Kathy. There are moments in
my life where I feel like I've been Jamie. I
have been the girl trying to make her way in
New York City. I'm from Virginia, none of my family
(39:24):
is here. I came here with a dream and a
hope and a prayer and ten dollars in my pocket,
you know. And and so I have had that experience.
So yes, taking that bringing that point of view into this,
into this character, into the show definitely. But similarly to
what Nick is saying, we actually spent the first half
(39:46):
of our rehearsal not singing at all, just speaking the lyrics.
And when you have the composer in the room, and
I actually asked, Jason.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
Can you do me a favor? Can you I've heard.
Speaker 6 (40:00):
This done so many different ways, can you just play
what you wrote? And when he played what he initially wrote,
I went why. I've never heard anybody saying that, And
then I realized he told me why. And because this
is a show that is loosely based off of his life,
I know that there's intention behind every choice that he
(40:23):
made as an artist as a composer, and I wanted
to honor that and then find my way as an
artist to put my little stamp on it as well.
But that was the most important thing. And when he
shared those stories with me, or he shared that intention
about that lyric or intention about that chord, that did
all the work for me. And the work that Whitney White,
(40:46):
our director, did with Nick and I and just creating
trust in relationship. I didn't need to substitute any relationship
or anything into that.
Speaker 3 (40:53):
And of course, what you go through.
Speaker 6 (40:55):
In life, you may be thinking about it before the show,
but you find ways, hopefully to use it in a
way that is that is safe.
Speaker 3 (41:03):
Sometimes it's it can be dangerous.
Speaker 6 (41:05):
Bringing in your life in that way, but that I've
found has been really helpful. Just staying true to the
lyric and and what Jason wrote, it does all the
work you need.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
We have some amazing audience questions. I am not responsible
for anything. I'm about to say, so let's see what
we got. Christine wrote Roe D one oh five, very specific.
Speaker 2 (41:31):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (41:33):
From Christine Road one o five. What advice do you
have for someone studying musical or performance theater? My niece,
Maddie Lions. My niece, Maddie Lions. Christine, what does that mean?
Speaker 5 (41:48):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (41:49):
Put it for your niece.
Speaker 2 (41:50):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (41:50):
Okay, great, got it?
Speaker 1 (41:52):
Oh oh there's more. Okay, Christine, she is studying at
Pace now. You know it could have used a little
arrow right there, but it's fine. She's studying at Pace now.
Speaker 2 (42:01):
Ps.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
We are seeing this play at the end of May.
Speaker 6 (42:05):
So advice, My advice would be, don't box yourself in.
Continue to be a student of the world, continue to
learn all kinds of music. The second someone thinks they
know what you can sing and what you can do,
you always can surprise them with something else.
Speaker 3 (42:24):
And I think that has.
Speaker 6 (42:25):
Been one of the greatest gifts is every role that
I've been given, I walked into that room thinking I
could not do it, or that it was too much
of a challenge for me, or who how dare I?
And every single time I came out came in that
room as a student and every single time. It changed
(42:46):
my life.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
It's a great answer, Thanks Gay, Yes, and everything she said.
And do improv. I mean she should take some improv classes.
I've didn't go to a musical theater school. My training
(43:10):
kind of happened in the you know, the work I
was doing both Broadway as a kid and then as
I started acting more.
Speaker 6 (43:17):
And I think it was a principal on like his
first show on Broadway.
Speaker 2 (43:22):
Truth Truth.
Speaker 4 (43:23):
But I when I got into my early teens, I
started taking improv classes and doing improv work with a
person that's been a mentor to me, an amazing performer
named Rob McClure. And it was really important to my
ability to have empathy and compassion as a performer as
an artist, and also I think made my performances over
time more dynamic. And I think it's an important tool
(43:46):
that everyone should have in their repertoire.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
All Right, that's some great advice. Thank you for that.
The next question, niece, Yes, good luck to her. Shelley
has a question for you, Nick. Nick, you recently shared
that it was your decision to make Jamie New York
basketball fan. What other personal touches did you bring to
the role of Jamie.
Speaker 5 (44:09):
Go Nicks.
Speaker 6 (44:12):
Yeah, it's it's you know, it was so good, Like
he wanted to do this so bad, Like he was like, Asrian,
I'm gonna make content about Jamie being a Knicks fan.
Speaker 4 (44:20):
I was like, content is key, guys, so that's one
obviously the sports fans. But there was like a little
list in the back of my head of things and
you know, ways to to make Jamie uh dynamic and
you know, living breathing person and none of us in
(44:45):
this room or any one thing. There are things about
us and are you know where we come from, our background,
our families that all matter, are part of our story.
Speaker 5 (44:54):
But no one thing defines you.
Speaker 4 (44:57):
I think that as much as you can add to
the plate at first and then start to see what
really matters or is you know something that that that
adds value or or contributes to making that person seem
like a living, breathing being the better And you have
to you have to be willing to let things go
too along the way. And that's you know something that
(45:18):
I love about the I loved about this process was
we would each come in with big ideas and we
would like try different things and and maybe feel really
passionate about a certain thing one day, and then the
next we realized it wasn't as important as we thought
it was, and this was actually the thing to focus on.
Speaker 5 (45:36):
But I think it's it's really.
Speaker 4 (45:40):
A wonderful experience to get to bring something to life
and know that what's on the page is so good
that you can just jump off from there and have
fun with it and make your character a Nicks fan.
Speaker 1 (45:53):
We love it. We love to see it. Thank you
Shelly for the question. This one is from Crystal. What
is one number you would love to perform from each
other's set?
Speaker 6 (46:06):
Hmm, moving too fast? Definitely? Oh, I'll sing it backstage
with you every day.
Speaker 3 (46:12):
You don't know, now you do.
Speaker 4 (46:16):
We actually thought it'd be funny to just do a
show where we just switch switch roles.
Speaker 6 (46:23):
Just don't tell anyone, just start the show that way.
Speaker 5 (46:26):
I mean the funny part.
Speaker 4 (46:27):
It would work still, obviously, and that's what makes it brilliant.
Speaker 3 (46:31):
Oh you doing summer at all?
Speaker 5 (46:32):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (46:33):
Yes, never mind, it's a terrible idea. Do you want
to do a little nothing? I'm contracted to play the
role of Jamie and Jamie only Yeah, I actually did
sing I'm still hurting at miss Fit, which was Miscast Misfits.
(46:59):
It's been a long week Miscast, and I really enjoyed
singing that song, but I think it's actually the audition sequence.
I love that hole that whole bit. I would I
would have fun with that. I sing that backstage. There's
like this one. Yeah, there's this one moment in the
(47:21):
show where I can, you know, sort of like cool down.
Speaker 5 (47:25):
There's like this little area.
Speaker 4 (47:26):
It's weirdly, it's like a kitchen that's next to the stage.
It's so strange, but it's an old theater and it's
got this little room.
Speaker 5 (47:33):
So I go in there.
Speaker 4 (47:35):
I tell them I'm singing along, and I'm also that's
the woman I can check the score of a Knicks
game my phone, and yesterday when I opened my phone, No,
it's fine, it's all good. It did just start playing
a song really loudly, though, And it was during Goodbye
(47:56):
Till Tomorrow, and.
Speaker 6 (47:56):
I was blaming it on the audience, and it wasn't
it the whole time.
Speaker 4 (48:01):
But I was I was gonna come in today and
be like, whose phone was that last?
Speaker 5 (48:09):
Just immediately get ahead of it. I didn't do that.
I was honest with you.
Speaker 2 (48:14):
Okay, we love to see it. I love that. Thank
you for that question.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
Next up, Tina H wants to know what song has
evolved the most for you since the beginning of the show.
Speaker 5 (48:26):
Moving Too Fast.
Speaker 4 (48:27):
Yeah, so the brilliant Cooperman brothers choreographed our show, and
they had a lot of Yes, they had a lot
of amazing ideas that this is kind of what I
was talking about before. You put everything on the plate
and you sort of see at the end what really
needs to be there to complete the the dish. I
(48:47):
don't know the analogy is here, but you get what
I'm saying. And during the early process of Moving Too Fast,
I was eager to have it be really physical, so
I was sort of like pushing for their be always like,
you know, jumps up and down these platforms, different things,
and it's an already very hard song to sing, and
(49:08):
for whatever reason, I was like punishing myself trying to make.
Speaker 5 (49:10):
It even harder.
Speaker 4 (49:11):
And they were so cool and we're game to try anything,
but very wisely, you know, pulled me back a bit
and we're like we we also don't need to do
like you jumping off a platform form and swinging off
this thing.
Speaker 5 (49:27):
But I think that that was a really.
Speaker 4 (49:29):
Wonderful example of how, you know, the creative process has
to go on its journey and be whatever it's going
to be, and you know, brilliant collaborators and you know
teammates like that are going to let you do it
and then pull you back to where you need to
be to be able to do it eight shows a
week and to sing it well and all those things.
Speaker 5 (49:50):
So after we had stripped it back a bit, I
was like, wait, this is so easy to sing this song.
Speaker 4 (49:55):
And so I started thinking, did they use like reverse psychology?
Speaker 2 (49:59):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (50:00):
And if that is true, then wow, that's another layer.
Speaker 6 (50:05):
That was also you because Nick is fearless and he
would literally try everything and I'd be on the side,
be like eight shows a week, eight shows a week.
But it was kind of incredible to watch that process.
He's pretty fearless. For me, I think, I don't know.
I think a lot of my things evolved quite a bit, y'all.
(50:25):
I was dancing a lot when we first put this
thing together, and then it just kind of was like
I have to change clothes, like when is it going
to happen? And then we started just kind of stripping
everything back some are in Ohio.
Speaker 3 (50:40):
Still ended up being what it was, but.
Speaker 6 (50:44):
I think for me, just in the run of the show,
that number has evolved a lot. It used to be
very Now for those who don't come, I don't I
want to ruin it for you. Maybe the audition scene
as well, I don't want to ruin it for you.
But some are in Ohio. There's a trunk. I'm doing
a lot of things with the trunk. It's a whole thing.
But then the audition scene, I actually don't know how
(51:07):
that's gonna go. It's improv actually every single night surprise,
So I know the very last one is set because
there's all that banter in the middle of it. But
the second one, uh, the piano player whoever's playing that night,
they actually are in control.
Speaker 3 (51:26):
So I don't know what's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (51:28):
No way.
Speaker 6 (51:28):
Yeah, so it's up to me to just kind of
jump head first and see. Sometimes it gets crazy, but
it's a it's really fun.
Speaker 3 (51:37):
It's fun that way.
Speaker 1 (51:38):
Well that's why you guys do what you do, truly,
it's amazing. All right, we have two questions. We're almost
out of time, so we're gonna go through these quick.
So we can get both in for y'all, for both
of you. In what ways do you see yourselves in
Jamie and Kathy and what ways do you not?
Speaker 4 (51:56):
I I relate to his ambition clearly, but I think
that I am not like him because I have some
guardrails that I've set for myself to protect that my
life stay healthy and as happy as I hope it
can be and all that.
Speaker 5 (52:15):
And I feel like I'm a lot like Kathy sometimes too.
Speaker 4 (52:17):
I think that's the great part about this show is
that it's it's by no means gender specific. These are
just two individuals who happen to be male and female
going on a journey and telling a story.
Speaker 5 (52:29):
But it could easily be reversed.
Speaker 4 (52:31):
And and you know, I think that when I listen
to some of these songs, and specifically in the earlier
part of the show where she's she's going through the
hurt that she's going through, we've all been through things
like that in our life, and if you haven't, then
good for you.
Speaker 5 (52:49):
Good for you.
Speaker 4 (52:50):
But you know that those dynamics and relationships are not
exclusive to romantic relationships either, that there's friendships and even
family relationships. You can see elements of you know, all
of our sort of lives and collective lives in these characters,
which is why I think this show has been as
well received as it has been for so long. So
(53:14):
I'm a lot like both and not like them in
a lot of ways too.
Speaker 3 (53:18):
I think really quickly. For me, I.
Speaker 6 (53:23):
Didn't think I was like Kathy at all, and because
of Whitney's vision, I now see so much of myself
in her. Kathy and I are pretty pretty similar now.
Speaker 2 (53:35):
I love that. I love that.
Speaker 1 (53:35):
And that was from anishe thank you? And final question
from Tara L. Besides this show, what are some of
your favorite Broadway shows? Let's limit it to three each.
Speaker 6 (53:47):
To go first, I'll do one Aida no no, no,
no no. I'd actually only want to be Amnarius if
I ever did that.
Speaker 5 (54:06):
I'm gonna start with a kind of a random one.
But I love it, Avenue Q, I just love so much.
Speaker 2 (54:12):
It's a good one, all right, One more each?
Speaker 6 (54:20):
Okay, saying we're like theater kids, but we're not, but
we are.
Speaker 3 (54:25):
It's weird.
Speaker 5 (54:25):
I mean, I could I have seen this show.
Speaker 4 (54:31):
Eight times, probably maybe more, and it really never gets
old to me. And I'm not the only person that
feels this way, obviously because it's been running forever in
the West End. Phantom of the Opera.
Speaker 5 (54:46):
I just love.
Speaker 2 (54:48):
Okay, we love that one moment.
Speaker 3 (54:50):
Oh, I do you know?
Speaker 2 (54:53):
Come on? Come on?
Speaker 6 (54:54):
Okay, okay, okay, I I oh my god. I love
Wicked just because it, you know, changed. I think all
of our lives and we saw growing up.
Speaker 2 (55:06):
Yeah, all right, solid choice.
Speaker 1 (55:07):
Well, I think I speak on behalf of everyone in
this room when I say thank you, thank.
Speaker 2 (55:12):
You for your artistry, thank you for your gifts. You
both are brilliant and we.
Speaker 1 (55:16):
Are so lucky to share in your art and truly, truly, truly,
we look.
Speaker 2 (55:20):
Forward to everything you guys continue to do. Go see
the show. It is great. Get your tickets and thank
you both.
Speaker 3 (55:26):
Thank you, thanks for coming on.
Speaker 2 (55:29):
Thank you everybody, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (55:33):
I've Never Said this Before is hosted by Me Tommy Dederio.
This podcast is executive produced by Andrew Puglisi at iHeartRadio
and by Me Tommy, with editing by Joshua Colaudney I've
Never Said This Before. It's part of the Elvis Duran
podcast network on iHeart Podcasts. For more, rate review and
subscribe to our show and if you liked this episode,
(55:56):
tell your friends. Until next time, I'm Tommy Dederio.
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