Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Emery songerback here and it is eleven toon KFAB. We're
always telling you about some great things that are happening,
including at the Orphium. Every single show that comes to town,
we love to talk to people that are a part
of it. And this new show some like it Hot
coming starting today actually at the Orphium and we're joined
by Devin Hatzel and Aila Allen. Guys, thanks so much
(00:21):
for being in the studio with us today.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thanks so much for having us. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
I got to start with Aila here.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Usually I don't talk to someone who kind of has
multiple parts in a singular production. So before we talk
about your personal history, tell people kind of what you do,
because it's listed here as Swing, Like, what what does
that mean?
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Yeah, So Swing and a production, and specifically for our
production usually covers all of the ensemble tracks. So I
am covering all the heels ensemble tracks, which means I
cover seven different tracks in the show. And some of
them are featured roles that they have names, and some
of them are unnamed tracks. And so yeah, it's my
(01:07):
job to know every single thing that each track does
throughout the show so that if someone is out for
any reason, they are going into their understudy part, they're
on vacation.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
They got hurt, hopefully not.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
I can just step in and the show can go
on as planned as usual.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
How do you get a job like that?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Oh? My god, well you it's you really just do
a lot of work, honestly. So I started out doing
community theater, and then that grew to professional theater after
I moved to New York City and after a few
regional jobs as an ensemble or as an understudy. On
(01:47):
my resume, it kind of shows people, hey, like they
might be up for the task of covering multiple roles.
And so I can only assume that is what happened
here with some like it hot, because I do have
understudy experience that they saw like, oh, hey, like this
girl knows how to work, like she can she can
handle list.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
It sounds like it sounds like a lot of studying
and a lot of you know, performing. How often do
you have to, like on a night tonight or performance
to performance baces do you get tagged into different parts?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, that's a great question.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Actually, I've been keeping tally because I'm also interested just
to see, like, over the course of the contract, how
many times I'll be in the show. So I've been
in fifty two times so far, and we just hit
our two hundredth show this past weekend, So that puts
me around like a quarter of the time I go
into the show, which could be once or twice a week,
(02:38):
or if it's like a tough week or someone's out
for an extended period of time, I might go in
like seven times a week.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
So it really just depends.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Okay, So, and I'm gonna get to Devin in a second,
but I just wanted to follow up on that because
you actually one of the reasons why I get to
talk to you today is because you are from this
area of the country. Can you talk about where you
kind of came from and what school you went to? Yeah,
and how exciting it is to be here in Omaha.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah, of course, Oh my gosh, it's so good to
be home back in Nebraska.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Go Huskers.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
I'm originally from Lincoln, and yeah, I went to Russo Elementary,
went to Irving Middle School, and then I actually moved
to la for high school. I wanted to be a
child actor and then quickly realized that theater was my jam,
so I should go to New York.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Why was I in.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
La and yeah, so I you know, I was doing
community productions and Lincoln and I would come out here
to Omaha almost every weekend for dance competition. So it
has a special place in my heart as somewhere I
was able to perform and express myself as a child
and growing up, and then to come back as part
of a Broadway first national tour is just so incredible.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
So I'm Like It Hot starting tonight at the Orpheum,
going all the way through the weekend. It's Isla Allen there,
Devin Hatzel you are here as well, and Devin you
play Many tell us first of all, and this is
one of the things about this particular interview. Usually I
get a chance to see the show and then do
my interview. I haven't actually seen this. I'm seeing it tonight.
So what can you tell me about Some Like It
(04:14):
Hot and Too Many?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Is great question.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
Some Like It Hot is an incredible show based on
the nineteen fifties movie with Marilyn Monroe.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Have you seen it?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I am familiar with it, I haven't watched all of it.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
It's an awesome film if you get a chance.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
So our musical basically is a musical version of that
movie with some beautiful progressive twist to the story.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
And do you want a little summary or.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yeah, I mean just you know, you know, how to
speak in a way not to you know, spoil too much,
but also like give us a good idea of what
we can expect out there.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
Okay, So basically, there are these two men, Joe and Jerry,
and they witness a mob hit and are being chased
by gangsters and our musicians, and they decide to dress
up as women to get into this girl band and
they flee and perform around the country and.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Jerry has a beautiful realization.
Speaker 5 (05:16):
That is so touching and beautiful, and so does Joe.
And Sugar is the lead singer, and there is some
romantic things that happen. So I won't give it away,
but the show itself is just full of so much
love and joy and big dance numbers, big vocal numbers.
It's a comedy, so you'll be laughing your face off,
(05:37):
and everyone who comes to see it just leaves with
so much just joy and love in their hearts. And
it's a it's a fun time at the theater.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yeah, I gotta tell you, you know, it seems like it's
it happens a lot. I'm not like an expert on
Broadway or theater. But since I moved to Omahai really
have not missed a show at the Orpheum, except I
think maybe one or two. Like I mean, I I
go to as many as I can. I love interpretation.
I love, you know, just like seeing something that had
(06:05):
kind of a history before kind of be ring interpreted. Yeah,
so I mean, are you playing the same part that
Marilyn neuro would have played?
Speaker 4 (06:14):
No?
Speaker 5 (06:14):
Actually, so I play Mini and she is the lead.
She's kind of like the band organizer. So Sweet Sue
is the band leader, and so Minnie is kind of
like her assistant, and so she helps hire the girl,
she helps keep the girls in line, but she's also
the drummer. So Sugar is the Marilyn Monroe character played
by the amazing Leandre Ellis Gaston. And so that is
(06:37):
the Marilyn Monroe character, is Sugar, And Minnie is the
one who's jamin out on the drums.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
So you actually played the drums.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
No, I don't.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
But what's crazy is our conductor comes up to me
many times a week and it's like, hey, people were
asking if you were actually playing, which makes me feel
so happy because I studied. What I did was actually
studied so our actual drummer Chris Sutherland, who's amazing to
him and rehearsals for videos of him drumming in the show.
And so each song that I, you know, quote fake play,
(07:07):
I studied his his hand motions and movements to really
make it seem like I was playing. So I hope
it seems like I'm your very You're so kind. So yeah,
that's what I did to make it seem.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Like that is that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
So I speaking here with Devin Hatzell and Isla Allen,
who are part of the production of Someone Like a Hot,
which starts the Orpheum tonight and runs through the weekend.
I actually do drum I am a drummer. Yeah, So
but like it's that's what I was gonna say. It's
like to teach somebody who doesn't know how to do
that would be kind of an interesting task, but it's
(07:44):
it's really and especially with the musicians you guys have,
I mean Island, maybe you can speak to this that
this is more than just like you talk about what
your job is, right kind of being behind the scenes
a little bit more so, but having the ability to
kind of tag in and be a part of the
show at any point if any number of people happen
to not be able to be a part of a
(08:04):
certain show. And that goes also to the musicians that
you guys have, especially with the musical numbers. So how
can you best describe to people what that entire production
is like from top to bottom?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Oh my gosh. I mean, we do have musicians who
travel with us. So we do have Yachris Sutherland on
the drums. We have Tina Fey on keys, she's also
our associate music director. We have our music director Mark
with us who's the conductor and on the keys, and
we have Matt Gallagher who's on.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Trumpet with us.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Great trumpet, Yes, it's a great trumpet. And then we
do hire local musicians and every city we go.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
To so that's so cool. Yeah, it was amazing.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
It's like it's really exciting to get to hear Yeah,
just different musicians all across the country. And then you know,
the other society syncopators are also playing their instruments on
stage and the same thing goes like people ask all
the time, are you really playing those instruments up there,
and for me to the swing, I'm like, you know,
I'd have to learn the saxophone, the trombone, the clarinet.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
How many instruments did you have to to learn?
Speaker 4 (09:06):
My gosh, okay, so clarinet, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, for.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Okay, and you have to like know like the right movements.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, And some of the instruments even have
their featured moments where you need to know like what
sound it's making one what is happening to be convincing.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
We had fake band practice and like told like when
to fake breathe and when to how to hold the
instruments right, and.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Yeah, I can't wait to watch it.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
At Please don't judge me too hard as a drummer yourself.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Hey, that's okay, But that's why I ask.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Right, you're gonna gonna be looking.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You know that.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
That's the thing, right, is these these performances, these productions,
they have so many intricate parts that are part of it. So, Devin,
I'll leave the last word for you here is you know,
somebody might be out there and say, okay, give me
the thirty second sales pitch of why should be heading
to the Orphume this week to see some.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Like It Hot.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
How how can you best talk people into the idea
of coming and seeing you guys perform.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
It's a joyous escape that will leave you filled with
laughter and love and just happy to be a part
of a world that has such beautiful music and dancing
and art in the world.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Oh that was fantastic.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
It's like beautiful And you can go to ticket Omaha
dot com. You actually can, just like google some Like
It Hot and it's spelled exactly how it sounds, and
it's the first thing that pops up on your Google
is how to go to the show on the next
week or so to Tuesday through Sunday at the Orpheum.
(10:40):
And ticket Omaha dot com is a good shortcut there
for you. Devin Hatzel Island Allen, Nebraska's own thank you
guys so much for being here and for talking to
me today and thanks for coming to Omaha.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Can't wait to see you.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Thanks for having us up on at the show.
Emery songerback here and it is eleven toon KFAB. We're
always telling you about some great things that are happening,
including at the Orphium. Every single show that comes to town,
we love to talk to people that are a part
of it. And this new show some like it Hot
coming starting today actually at the Orphium and we're joined
by Devin Hatzel and Aila Allen. Guys, thanks so much
(00:21):
for being in the studio with us today.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Thanks so much for having us. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (00:26):
I got to start with Aila here.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Usually I don't talk to someone who kind of has
multiple parts in a singular production. So before we talk
about your personal history, tell people kind of what you do,
because it's listed here as Swing, Like, what what does
that mean?
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Yeah, So Swing and a production, and specifically for our
production usually covers all of the ensemble tracks. So I
am covering all the heels ensemble tracks, which means I
cover seven different tracks in the show. And some of
them are featured roles that they have names, and some
of them are unnamed tracks. And so yeah, it's my
(01:07):
job to know every single thing that each track does
throughout the show so that if someone is out for
any reason, they are going into their understudy part, they're
on vacation.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
They got hurt, hopefully not.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
I can just step in and the show can go
on as planned as usual.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
How do you get a job like that?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Oh? My god, well you it's you really just do
a lot of work, honestly. So I started out doing
community theater, and then that grew to professional theater after
I moved to New York City and after a few
regional jobs as an ensemble or as an understudy. On
(01:47):
my resume, it kind of shows people, hey, like they
might be up for the task of covering multiple roles.
And so I can only assume that is what happened
here with some like it hot, because I do have
understudy experience that they saw like, oh, hey, like this
girl knows how to work, like she can she can
handle list.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
It sounds like it sounds like a lot of studying
and a lot of you know, performing. How often do
you have to, like on a night tonight or performance
to performance baces do you get tagged into different parts?
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, that's a great question.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Actually, I've been keeping tally because I'm also interested just
to see, like, over the course of the contract, how
many times I'll be in the show. So I've been
in fifty two times so far, and we just hit
our two hundredth show this past weekend, So that puts
me around like a quarter of the time I go
into the show, which could be once or twice a week,
(02:38):
or if it's like a tough week or someone's out
for an extended period of time, I might go in
like seven times a week.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
So it really just depends.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Okay, So, and I'm gonna get to Devin in a second,
but I just wanted to follow up on that because
you actually one of the reasons why I get to
talk to you today is because you are from this
area of the country. Can you talk about where you
kind of came from and what school you went to? Yeah,
and how exciting it is to be here in Omaha.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
Yeah, of course, Oh my gosh, it's so good to
be home back in Nebraska.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Go Huskers.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
I'm originally from Lincoln, and yeah, I went to Russo Elementary,
went to Irving Middle School, and then I actually moved
to la for high school. I wanted to be a
child actor and then quickly realized that theater was my jam,
so I should go to New York.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Why was I in.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
La and yeah, so I you know, I was doing
community productions and Lincoln and I would come out here
to Omaha almost every weekend for dance competition. So it
has a special place in my heart as somewhere I
was able to perform and express myself as a child
and growing up, and then to come back as part
of a Broadway first national tour is just so incredible.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
So I'm Like It Hot starting tonight at the Orpheum,
going all the way through the weekend. It's Isla Allen there,
Devin Hatzel you are here as well, and Devin you
play Many tell us first of all, and this is
one of the things about this particular interview. Usually I
get a chance to see the show and then do
my interview. I haven't actually seen this. I'm seeing it tonight.
So what can you tell me about Some Like It
(04:14):
Hot and Too Many?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Is great question.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
Some Like It Hot is an incredible show based on
the nineteen fifties movie with Marilyn Monroe.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Have you seen it?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
I am familiar with it, I haven't watched all of it.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
It's an awesome film if you get a chance.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
So our musical basically is a musical version of that
movie with some beautiful progressive twist to the story.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
And do you want a little summary or.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yeah, I mean just you know, you know, how to
speak in a way not to you know, spoil too much,
but also like give us a good idea of what
we can expect out there.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
Okay, So basically, there are these two men, Joe and Jerry,
and they witness a mob hit and are being chased
by gangsters and our musicians, and they decide to dress
up as women to get into this girl band and
they flee and perform around the country and.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
Jerry has a beautiful realization.
Speaker 5 (05:16):
That is so touching and beautiful, and so does Joe.
And Sugar is the lead singer, and there is some
romantic things that happen. So I won't give it away,
but the show itself is just full of so much
love and joy and big dance numbers, big vocal numbers.
It's a comedy, so you'll be laughing your face off,
(05:37):
and everyone who comes to see it just leaves with
so much just joy and love in their hearts. And
it's a it's a fun time at the theater.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yeah, I gotta tell you, you know, it seems like it's
it happens a lot. I'm not like an expert on
Broadway or theater. But since I moved to Omahai really
have not missed a show at the Orpheum, except I
think maybe one or two. Like I mean, I I
go to as many as I can. I love interpretation.
I love, you know, just like seeing something that had
(06:05):
kind of a history before kind of be ring interpreted. Yeah,
so I mean, are you playing the same part that
Marilyn neuro would have played?
Speaker 4 (06:14):
No?
Speaker 5 (06:14):
Actually, so I play Mini and she is the lead.
She's kind of like the band organizer. So Sweet Sue
is the band leader, and so Minnie is kind of
like her assistant, and so she helps hire the girl,
she helps keep the girls in line, but she's also
the drummer. So Sugar is the Marilyn Monroe character played
by the amazing Leandre Ellis Gaston. And so that is
(06:37):
the Marilyn Monroe character, is Sugar, And Minnie is the
one who's jamin out on the drums.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
So you actually played the drums.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
No, I don't.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
But what's crazy is our conductor comes up to me
many times a week and it's like, hey, people were
asking if you were actually playing, which makes me feel
so happy because I studied. What I did was actually
studied so our actual drummer Chris Sutherland, who's amazing to
him and rehearsals for videos of him drumming in the show.
And so each song that I, you know, quote fake play,
(07:07):
I studied his his hand motions and movements to really
make it seem like I was playing. So I hope
it seems like I'm your very You're so kind. So yeah,
that's what I did to make it seem.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
Like that is that's awesome.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
So I speaking here with Devin Hatzell and Isla Allen,
who are part of the production of Someone Like a Hot,
which starts the Orpheum tonight and runs through the weekend.
I actually do drum I am a drummer. Yeah, So
but like it's that's what I was gonna say. It's
like to teach somebody who doesn't know how to do
that would be kind of an interesting task, but it's
(07:44):
it's really and especially with the musicians you guys have,
I mean Island, maybe you can speak to this that
this is more than just like you talk about what
your job is, right kind of being behind the scenes
a little bit more so, but having the ability to
kind of tag in and be a part of the
show at any point if any number of people happen
to not be able to be a part of a
(08:04):
certain show. And that goes also to the musicians that
you guys have, especially with the musical numbers. So how
can you best describe to people what that entire production
is like from top to bottom?
Speaker 4 (08:14):
Oh my gosh. I mean, we do have musicians who
travel with us. So we do have Yachris Sutherland on
the drums. We have Tina Fey on keys, she's also
our associate music director. We have our music director Mark
with us who's the conductor and on the keys, and
we have Matt Gallagher who's on.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Trumpet with us.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Great trumpet, Yes, it's a great trumpet. And then we
do hire local musicians and every city we go.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
To so that's so cool. Yeah, it was amazing.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
It's like it's really exciting to get to hear Yeah,
just different musicians all across the country. And then you know,
the other society syncopators are also playing their instruments on
stage and the same thing goes like people ask all
the time, are you really playing those instruments up there,
and for me to the swing, I'm like, you know,
I'd have to learn the saxophone, the trombone, the clarinet.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
How many instruments did you have to to learn?
Speaker 4 (09:06):
My gosh, okay, so clarinet, saxophone, trombone, trumpet, for.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Okay, and you have to like know like the right movements.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Yeah, yeah, exactly, And some of the instruments even have
their featured moments where you need to know like what
sound it's making one what is happening to be convincing.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
We had fake band practice and like told like when
to fake breathe and when to how to hold the
instruments right, and.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Yeah, I can't wait to watch it.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
At Please don't judge me too hard as a drummer yourself.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
Hey, that's okay, But that's why I ask.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Right, you're gonna gonna be looking.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
You know that.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
That's the thing, right, is these these performances, these productions,
they have so many intricate parts that are part of it. So, Devin,
I'll leave the last word for you here is you know,
somebody might be out there and say, okay, give me
the thirty second sales pitch of why should be heading
to the Orphume this week to see some.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
Like It Hot.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
How how can you best talk people into the idea
of coming and seeing you guys perform.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
It's a joyous escape that will leave you filled with
laughter and love and just happy to be a part
of a world that has such beautiful music and dancing
and art in the world.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Oh that was fantastic.
Speaker 1 (10:19):
It's like beautiful And you can go to ticket Omaha
dot com. You actually can, just like google some Like
It Hot and it's spelled exactly how it sounds, and
it's the first thing that pops up on your Google
is how to go to the show on the next
week or so to Tuesday through Sunday at the Orpheum.
(10:40):
And ticket Omaha dot com is a good shortcut there
for you. Devin Hatzel Island Allen, Nebraska's own thank you
guys so much for being here and for talking to
me today and thanks for coming to Omaha.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Can't wait to see you.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Thanks for having us up on at the show.
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