Rebecca Blake and Bryce Hallett join Mendte in the Morning to talk about their show ‘Rolling Thunder’ that they are bringing to the United States following success in Australia.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It was one of the most complex, extraordinary and controversial
times in American history, the Vietnam War, and it was
littered with protest people sacrificing their lives and just some
compelling stories as well. Also, I should point out that
during that time was some great music, great production that
(00:22):
is about to open on Broadway calling Rolling Thunder, And
we are here with us as the writer, Bryce Hallett
and Rebecca Blake, the producer. And why don't we start
with you, Bryce, since you wrote this, tell us what
people when they go to this would expect off Broadway.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Well, as you mentioned, it's definitely the songs of that era.
And you often hear that catchphrase, you know, the songs
or art that defined a generation. But if there was
ever a phrase that can actually describe that prodigious output
of songwriting in that late sixties in early seventies, it's
this song and this show, and so it embraces like
(01:04):
a huge catalog of songs from Paul Simon to you know, ROBERTA. Flack,
and on it goes step Steppenwolf and so and then
you sort of marry that to the words and the
intimate stories of based on many, many interviews I did
with veterans and their family members, and so that adds
to this intimate sort of aspect to this epic, as
(01:28):
you say, complex picture of war. So it's a very
dynamic experience.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, it's you said compelling, and that's absolutely the case.
And the fact, Rebecca, that these are personal stories. You know,
this isn't just from somebody's imagination. This is what really happened,
makes it even more fascinating and makes it even more compelling.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Look in Australia, we had veterans that would come and
see this show again and again. They contributed to the show,
not only with stories, but with photography. We had like
the Groupie veterans that just were so honored that we
were even doing this show. And to bring it here
to New York is a dream of mine. We've been
(02:14):
touring it in Australia for ten years now. We've readapted
the script for the American audiences and it is compelling.
It has heart, it has many many aspects to the show,
and this amazing music weaves in and out of the story.
So and all the songs have strategically been placed.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, I'm listening to them. I've listened to some of
the music, and I saw some of the music you're
going to put in there. I mean, it's a great
album if you were able to get all of that
on an album. I mean, it's the soundtrack of many
of our lives.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I know, and during this tumultuous period, the best music
came out of this time. You know, these songwriters were
writing these songs that are still played today. So younger
generations know this music. So I would just love as
many Americans to see this show. I mean, we used
to get comments you've got to take this to America.
(03:12):
You've got to see let the US see this. And
it's your music.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, you know, yeah, our music. You're absolutely right. But
it's the best of that music. I mean, when you
go down the list of what is in there, it's incredible.
I love that you have bridge over troubled waters and
I'm sure we got to get out of this place.
That's That's exactly the story for a lot of people
that were there. I'm interested brace about an Australian writing
(03:40):
this story because this is such an American experience.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Because of my background and my background as a journalist,
you know, it's sort of that, you know, as a
matter of earning the trust of many veterans and talking
to their families and that took a while and over
many many drinks in many cases, and so that Yeah,
so it was sort of yeah, you were sort of
earning their trust and getting into the interior of their lives.
(04:05):
And you know, several people I interviewed were like American
Marines and gis and so, you know, we have in
Australia quite a world view of events, and you know,
we were part of the Vietnam War. So it's you know,
to actually adapt the work wasn't as difficult as you
imagine because and dramatically, it's set in nineteen sixty eight, which,
(04:28):
as you know, is considered one of the worst years
in the twentieth century the termoil for assassinations of Martin
Luther King and Robert Kennedy and so to have that
dramatic arc in the show, as much as all of
this great music, that does make for a pretty powerful experience.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, Rebecca walk us through it. Like when people go
to see this, what are they going to see?
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Well, most of the comments are it's so insightful. We
had no idea. It's just so much more than a
jukebox musical. It's a love story. It's joyous and uplifting.
It's not you know, oh my god, we don't need
to see another story about war right now when everything's
happening in this timeframe. But it's a show where people
(05:16):
come in, they're dancing, they're singing the songs. It's a
journey of three boys lives through letters because back then
that was the only way to communicate back home, so
that the letter writing is a big aspect. We cover protests,
combat history schools were coming in Australia because of the history.
(05:44):
We cover. It was the first televised war, the assassination
of Martin Luther King and as Bryce said, you know
Robert Kennedy, it was a powerful time. So we cover
all that and we keep saying it's this, you know,
killing with softly helped me make it through the night.
These ballads that Cassidy Pope, who you know won the voice.
(06:05):
She was the winner of the voice. She is one
of our leads, and it's just brings tears to your eyes.
And then you know everyone's i don't know, veterans come
and they thank me, they hug me after the show,
they say thank you, so much, and I think what
makes this so different from anything else running at the moment.
(06:27):
It has purpose. We have partnered with American Legion. A
percentage of our merchandise is going back to American Legion,
and veterans come. They bring their grandchildren, and they bring
their brothers, their sisters, and they keep reappearing every night
and I go, oh my god, you're back again. We
just can't get enough of this show. It encapsulates so much.
(06:51):
So it's very hard for me to sit here and
describe it because you know, it's a journey and it's
in the late sixties, and it covers a lot of history.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
And I can't imagine Brace that you took all of
what she was just talking about. It's a manse, it's
years and years and years of experiences and got this
into it.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Yeah, but you know, to reawaken the pulse of that
generation in the sixties and to make it feel so
current as well, so it's not this nostalgia piece. It
actually talks to young people, It talks to people of
every age and ultimately at a firm's peace and it's
a real sense of anti war protests through the show,
which just seems a natural fit for what's going on
(07:34):
in the world today.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
And we're only here for such a short time, so't
you know, we're closing September seven, so we don't have time.
And it is a word of mouth because once it
hits people will be talking about it wherein you know.
We have the first preview this Thursday. We open the
twenty fourth of July. But we're not here for a
(07:56):
long time. So if I would just say to that
New Yorkers, come and have a great night. You'll come
out of the theater singing and it'll be insightful. It's
an era we don't want to forget.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
No, it sounds compelling, and it sounds amazing, the music,
especially you were talking about. I don't know the rest
of it yet until I see it, but the music
is amazing. If you want to get tickets, you go
to Rolling Thunder us dot com. That's Rolling Thunder us
dot com again. Preview start July tenth. It opens on
the twenty fourth. Bryce Hall, the writer, Rebecca Blake, producer.
(08:32):
Thanks so much for being here. Can't wait to see it.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Thanks, thank you, Thanks so much.
It was one of the most complex, extraordinary and controversial
times in American history, the Vietnam War, and it was
littered with protest people sacrificing their lives and just some
compelling stories as well. Also, I should point out that
during that time was some great music, great production that
(00:22):
is about to open on Broadway calling Rolling Thunder, And
we are here with us as the writer, Bryce Hallett
and Rebecca Blake, the producer. And why don't we start
with you, Bryce, since you wrote this, tell us what
people when they go to this would expect off Broadway.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Well, as you mentioned, it's definitely the songs of that era.
And you often hear that catchphrase, you know, the songs
or art that defined a generation. But if there was
ever a phrase that can actually describe that prodigious output
of songwriting in that late sixties in early seventies, it's
this song and this show, and so it embraces like
(01:04):
a huge catalog of songs from Paul Simon to you know, ROBERTA. Flack,
and on it goes step Steppenwolf and so and then
you sort of marry that to the words and the
intimate stories of based on many, many interviews I did
with veterans and their family members, and so that adds
to this intimate sort of aspect to this epic, as
(01:28):
you say, complex picture of war. So it's a very
dynamic experience.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Yeah, it's you said compelling, and that's absolutely the case.
And the fact, Rebecca, that these are personal stories. You know,
this isn't just from somebody's imagination. This is what really happened,
makes it even more fascinating and makes it even more compelling.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Look in Australia, we had veterans that would come and
see this show again and again. They contributed to the show,
not only with stories, but with photography. We had like
the Groupie veterans that just were so honored that we
were even doing this show. And to bring it here
to New York is a dream of mine. We've been
(02:14):
touring it in Australia for ten years now. We've readapted
the script for the American audiences and it is compelling.
It has heart, it has many many aspects to the show,
and this amazing music weaves in and out of the story.
So and all the songs have strategically been placed.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, I'm listening to them. I've listened to some of
the music, and I saw some of the music you're
going to put in there. I mean, it's a great
album if you were able to get all of that
on an album. I mean, it's the soundtrack of many
of our lives.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I know, and during this tumultuous period, the best music
came out of this time. You know, these songwriters were
writing these songs that are still played today. So younger
generations know this music. So I would just love as
many Americans to see this show. I mean, we used
to get comments you've got to take this to America.
(03:12):
You've got to see let the US see this. And
it's your music.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Yeah, you know, yeah, our music. You're absolutely right. But
it's the best of that music. I mean, when you
go down the list of what is in there, it's incredible.
I love that you have bridge over troubled waters and
I'm sure we got to get out of this place.
That's That's exactly the story for a lot of people
that were there. I'm interested brace about an Australian writing
(03:40):
this story because this is such an American experience.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Because of my background and my background as a journalist,
you know, it's sort of that, you know, as a
matter of earning the trust of many veterans and talking
to their families and that took a while and over
many many drinks in many cases, and so that Yeah,
so it was sort of yeah, you were sort of
earning their trust and getting into the interior of their lives.
(04:05):
And you know, several people I interviewed were like American
Marines and gis and so, you know, we have in
Australia quite a world view of events, and you know,
we were part of the Vietnam War. So it's you know,
to actually adapt the work wasn't as difficult as you
imagine because and dramatically, it's set in nineteen sixty eight, which,
(04:28):
as you know, is considered one of the worst years
in the twentieth century the termoil for assassinations of Martin
Luther King and Robert Kennedy and so to have that
dramatic arc in the show, as much as all of
this great music, that does make for a pretty powerful experience.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, Rebecca walk us through it. Like when people go
to see this, what are they going to see?
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Well, most of the comments are it's so insightful. We
had no idea. It's just so much more than a
jukebox musical. It's a love story. It's joyous and uplifting.
It's not you know, oh my god, we don't need
to see another story about war right now when everything's
happening in this timeframe. But it's a show where people
(05:16):
come in, they're dancing, they're singing the songs. It's a
journey of three boys lives through letters because back then
that was the only way to communicate back home, so
that the letter writing is a big aspect. We cover protests,
combat history schools were coming in Australia because of the history.
(05:44):
We cover. It was the first televised war, the assassination
of Martin Luther King and as Bryce said, you know
Robert Kennedy, it was a powerful time. So we cover
all that and we keep saying it's this, you know,
killing with softly helped me make it through the night.
These ballads that Cassidy Pope, who you know won the voice.
(06:05):
She was the winner of the voice. She is one
of our leads, and it's just brings tears to your eyes.
And then you know everyone's i don't know, veterans come
and they thank me, they hug me after the show,
they say thank you, so much, and I think what
makes this so different from anything else running at the moment.
(06:27):
It has purpose. We have partnered with American Legion. A
percentage of our merchandise is going back to American Legion,
and veterans come. They bring their grandchildren, and they bring
their brothers, their sisters, and they keep reappearing every night
and I go, oh my god, you're back again. We
just can't get enough of this show. It encapsulates so much.
(06:51):
So it's very hard for me to sit here and
describe it because you know, it's a journey and it's
in the late sixties, and it covers a lot of history.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
And I can't imagine Brace that you took all of
what she was just talking about. It's a manse, it's
years and years and years of experiences and got this
into it.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Yeah, but you know, to reawaken the pulse of that
generation in the sixties and to make it feel so
current as well, so it's not this nostalgia piece. It
actually talks to young people, It talks to people of
every age and ultimately at a firm's peace and it's
a real sense of anti war protests through the show,
which just seems a natural fit for what's going on
(07:34):
in the world today.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
And we're only here for such a short time, so't
you know, we're closing September seven, so we don't have time.
And it is a word of mouth because once it
hits people will be talking about it wherein you know.
We have the first preview this Thursday. We open the
twenty fourth of July. But we're not here for a
(07:56):
long time. So if I would just say to that
New Yorkers, come and have a great night. You'll come
out of the theater singing and it'll be insightful. It's
an era we don't want to forget.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
No, it sounds compelling, and it sounds amazing, the music,
especially you were talking about. I don't know the rest
of it yet until I see it, but the music
is amazing. If you want to get tickets, you go
to Rolling Thunder us dot com. That's Rolling Thunder us
dot com again. Preview start July tenth. It opens on
the twenty fourth. Bryce Hall, the writer, Rebecca Blake, producer.
(08:32):
Thanks so much for being here. Can't wait to see it.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Thanks, thank you, Thanks so much.
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