December 18, 2024 • 38 mins
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Julia Crescenzi's journey from ballet dancer to actor is nothing short of inspiring. This week on NOLA Film Scene, we sit down with Julia to uncover her path and how a serious injury pivoted her career towards acting and musical theater in New York. Julia's vibrant stories of snowy escapades and life in the Big Apple bring warmth to our conversation.
Follow us on IG @nolafilmscene, @kodaksbykojack, and @tjsebastianofficial. Check out our 48 Hour Film Project short film Waiting for Gateaux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5pFvn4cd1U . & check out our website: nolafilmscene.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Julia Crescenzi.
I'm an actor and I'm so excitedto be on NOLA Film Scene.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We're really happy to have you on, Julia.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Yeah, I'm excited y'all.
I feel like it's been about ayear that I've been waiting.
You made it.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Yay.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
So we'll just kick right into it.
Brian and I normally talk aboutmeeting in the circle exercise,
although you and I were in acircle exercise together, and
that's the same one that I metBrian in.
We had one class togetherbefore that.
That was the very first classat Jim Gleason's.
I forgot what it's called, butit was the very, the very first
introductory class, and that iswhere you and I met.
(00:46):
And then we had the.
We did the circle exercisetogether.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
He calls that the works now, because he gives you
the works of everything he haslearned to give you a foundation
on how to do this career wecall acting.
Right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
And hi, julia.
Hey, hi, I met Brian in theTuesday morning class.
I wasn't sure it's been so longsince you moved away from us.
It's been about a year,actually, about a year and a
month.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Time flies Wow.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
It really does.
How's life?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
in Yankee territory.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
It's the same.
When I came back I was ready tobe back here.
It's the same, it's cold.
I actually appreciate winternow.
I didn't and I moved thinkingoh, I'll love the warm weather,
but I felt weird not wearing acoat in February.
So I actually now like winterand I appreciate it and I
appreciate the fashion and justhaving seasons.
(01:42):
I can measure time.
Right now it's fall.
The foliage is gorgeous rightnow.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Sweet.
Yeah, I like to joke that wehave summer in February.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, my God, it's hot all the time
there.
I didn't know what to wear.
I was running out of clothes.
We were in the 60s.
Last week the 60s it wasactually really cold.
Up here it was cold, but nowit's gotten warm again.
But soon winter will lastforever, once November hits,
(02:13):
until about.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
May, so when will you get snow?
Speaker 1 (02:15):
You know, we haven't had those winters that we used
to have.
It used to snow a lot and weused to have snow days.
We used to not go to school.
But I don't know how that isnow because people, I guess, can
do school online, but thatwasn't a thing.
But I remember snow days wereawesome, especially in college
Cozy days.
You just stay inside and playin the snow.
I think maybe around Januarywe'll get snow.
(02:36):
Sometimes we get in December,but it's not the way it used to
be.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, that's the climate, it's weird.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Yeah, we haven't had a harsh winter in a while.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, down here either.
I think it's been maybe fiveyears since we had a really hard
when it snowed up here where itactually stuck to the ground.
Well, it was before COVID.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I know, in Christmas Day 2004, it snowed.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Yeah, that's a special day, huh.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, yeah, I always wanted snow on Christmas.
It snowed in 1973.
I was three years old, but Ihave no memory of it.
I don't even know if it wasChristmas Day.
My memory starts about five.
I want snow.
I see the snow.
I see the pictures I see on,you know, christmas specials.
The year I decided to become apriest, I was in the seminary.
(03:21):
It snowed in New Orleans, 1989.
Hell froze over.
I went to the seminary itwasn't for me Came back.
I didn't lose my religion, butI don't practice religion
anymore.
I'm spiritual, let's say itthat way.
So when it snowed on Christmasday, I was actually cooking a
turducken, took it out the well,I turned the oven off and ran
outside.
We were playing and, you know,building snow people and I said,
okay, god, who is she?
(03:41):
And I met Cherie a week later,on New Year's Day, and we just
celebrated our 17th weddinganniversary.
Wow, and she was born on theday.
It snowed in 1973.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Oh my goodness, Wow, that's beautiful.
Thank you, I didn't know thatone.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, that's pretty cool, huh.
Well, I guess, if we're goingto talk about significant others
snow days.
My wife is from Oklahoma, butshe went to undergrad at a
college in Iowa and they wouldhave, you know, big, five foot
high snowdrifts.
And she was talking about oneday walking from here to there
on campus.
And she was walking, she'd takea few steps and then she would
(04:19):
face plant in the snow and thenget up and do it again.
Snow, and then get up and do itagain, and about the third or
fourth time she fell and smackedher face on a boulder that was
under the knocked herself outcold in the snow, yikes, yeah, I
miss having snow, though.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I thought you were going to say that you were there
to pick her up, you know.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
No, no, that was, that was before we met.
But that story comes up everytime it snows, cause the last
you know, when we had the bigsnow here, we were pulling the
kids around in the backyardbehind the tractor, on one of
those donuts that you, you know,pull behind a boat.
We, we aired it up and pulledit with the tractor Nice.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
You went not all the time.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
You went land tubing.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I can hear the country song already.
Nice, what's it like up therewith acting?
Are you getting a lot of stuffup there?
Auditions, are you doingtheater or what you got cooking
up there?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Originally I was a dancer and then once I got
injured, then I got into actingand then I really got into
musical theater and New York isthe place for musical theater
and it's a little bit easier toget auditions for theater
because they post on Playbillsand sometimes they'll post
online auditions.
But it's not really like that.
Most of it's in person.
But anyone can also submit.
(05:36):
So I go to those auditions thatare listed on Playbill.
So it's for theaters all overthe country.
They come to New York and theywill have either a dance call or
they'll have a singing call.
So I have like a repertoire ofsongs that I'll sing.
I'll sing like a 16 bar cut.
I auditioned for Anastasiarecently.
I'm trying to think of someother musicals Kinky Boots,
theaters, cutthroat everywherein the country.
(05:57):
Since I'm not in the union, Iam thinking about joining the
union.
Actors that are in the unionget an appointment, they get to
sign up, they get to show up tothe audition.
I have to wait online.
Usually I'll get there reallyearly in the morning.
People get there around likesometimes three in the morning.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
And they put a list up outside.
Sometimes when I get there atlike seven in the morning before
the doors open, like there'salready 80 people on the list
and that's just non-unionmembers.
So the equity members that getto sign up in the portal there
may be like I don't know 200 ofthem.
So I go in once the door isopen and Equity shows up.
Then Equity gets to auditionand so I wait all day because
(06:32):
I'm not priority to be seen forthese auditions.
So sometimes I'll wait tillfour or five, thinking about I
think they might be bringing itto Broadway and I didn't even
get seen for that day.
I think there were four peoplebefore me.
Like if I had gone a little bitearlier I could have been seen
and I remember I had a weddingthat day.
It was on a Saturday, theaudition.
(06:53):
So it is hard if you're not inthe union I'm thinking about
joining the union but it isharder to book because you're in
the same room as people whohave been on Broadway and things
like that.
And even if you have been onBroadway, people still do
regional theater.
There's regional theater.
There's a lot of theater inConnecticut On the East Coast.
There's tons of summer stocktheaters that actors want to
book.
So, yeah, it's very theaterbased.
(07:14):
You have to keep up withsinging and dancing and acting.
But when I moved to Louisiana,I really focused a lot on TV
film and I did some theaterthere too, which was great for
my resume.
But I think that it's a totallydifferent animal, because TV
film you really get most of yourauditions through your agent
but you can do a lot of theaterjust on your own up here
Different types of people too.
TV film people and theaterpeople are very different.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
I could say that.
Tell us more.
Can I ask a quick questionabout the one you just talked
about for Black Swan?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
You said you were almost there and didn't get seen
.
Did you get to come backanother day and audition, or
that's it that one day if youdon't make it through the line
then you're out of luck.
That isn't open to the public.
Theaters, legally here, have topost that they're doing an open
call.
So let's say I actually I havemy old dance teacher opened up
her own equity theater inupstate New York and so she told
me she apparently there's someguidelines within equity that
(08:16):
she has to post on Playbillwhere everyone sees the audition
and even if she's not hiringthrough those auditions, she has
to have those auditions.
She could hire whoever she wantslike.
So she knows you, she'll hireyou.
She's told me before I hostthese auditions just because I
have to, and sometimes I'm noteven gonna cast anybody there
because I already have in myidea who I'm gonna hire.
She's like I will not hireanybody that I don't know
(08:38):
because she's like I've donethat before and you know it's
been a nightmare and I've had tofire people.
So sometimes I'll go to theseauditions and I'll just go
because I want to be seen bycasting, just so they get to
know me.
But you don't even they don'thave to cast you.
They could already have, youknow, an idea.
They literally have to havethose auditions.
It's not even like they'relooking for anyone.
Sometimes they'll say you know,this has been cast, like on
Broadway.
They'll say this has been cast.
So some people just go becausethey want to be seen by casting
(09:01):
and it's part of the rules.
So, to answer your questionearlier, if you have a good
agent, maybe you could probablyget an appointment on another
day that isn't open to thepublic, because when you go with
the public it's like a cattlecall of people that show up.
It's just hundreds of people.
So I went to the Equity ChorusCall.
We have things called ECCs andEPAs, so there's an equity
principal audition.
And so I went to the equityprincipal audition because I
(09:21):
knew I would get seen, becausethat's when you sing and most
people aren't going to think, oh, I'll go to Black Swan and sing
for them.
What music is in the show BlackSwan?
They don't sing in that movie.
So I just went there to be seenby casting.
No one showed up because no onethinks, and I thought maybe I
won't get seen at the equitychorus call, where everyone's
going to show to dance.
So I went to go sing.
(09:42):
I did get seen by casting andthey said I sounded good.
They probably already havetheir leads, because when you're
singing you're usuallyauditioning for a lead and I
think they'll probably hire someprincipal prima ballerinas from
, like, new York City Ballet.
That's what I think.
I'm not sure what they're doingwith that.
That's just my idea.
Usually the principals, theyhave an idea.
Chorus I hope I didn't loseanyone.
(10:06):
No, no, it is so different fromTV film and it's so hard for me
to keep up with everything atonce.
I feel like if I'm focusing alot on acting, I'm like, oh, I
haven't gone to dance class in awhile.
Dancing, you know, it's kind oflike working out.
You've got to go, and yourvoice is also a muscle as well.
I sometimes go to a voiceteacher, but everything costs a
lot of money here.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
The acting classes here are expensive.
I loved going to gym in theSouth.
I was like, oh my God, this isso affordable and I don't have
to pay for the train.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Well, is it the same rules with that union as it is?
Speaker 1 (10:38):
with SAG Once you.
Some people, if they do anon-union production they'll
change their name, I think.
So they can do a communitytheater play and not get caught.
But I do know if you go equitythat's it.
You have to be your equity forlife.
I believe I don't know all therules.
(11:03):
I am eligible to join.
I might join, but a lot oftheaters have non-union
contracts and since I am adancer first in the musical
theater world, a lot of thenon-union contracts they get
paid less and that's usually theensemble.
So it's tricky but it is quitechallenging to book, but I've
also seen people land Broadwayand I've seen miracles happen.
Is what I'm saying.
I don't want to say anythingelse.
Seen some crazy things happen.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
And unlike Louisiana, New York is not a right to work
state.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
It is not.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
So you could be in a union and work in a non-union
thing here, because that's whatright to work does.
I still don't know if thatwould get a union actor in
trouble with the union.
You have the right to do it,but wouldn't the union get mad?
I don't understand that and I'mokay with that because I'm not
eligible yet.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Ah, I see Okay.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Yet.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Uh-huh.
Yet I think here, if I join theactors union, I think after a
year I'm eligible to join SAG.
If I'm in the actors unionactors equity because I did a
role in a show where I spoke andI guess that's proof.
I don't like I had a speakingrole in one of these musicals.
That's what I heard.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Yeah, Speaking part in SAG or in a I don't want to
say a joining union, but, likeyou're talking about, a stunt
person would be eligible for SAGbut they might even have merged
.
You can work SAG background onthree different projects.
You get three vouchers.
It might have to be nine hourseach.
But I also found out, I believeif you work a SAG low budget
and get a line, you're in, butif you work moderate low budget
(12:29):
or ultra low budget, you're not.
Ah, I just didn't think ultralow budget.
But like background, those addup to eligibility, I think.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Uh-huh, okay, okay, okay.
I just did a SAG.
I think it was ultra low budgetand I had lines.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Yeah, yeah.
I've only done ultra low budgetproductions.
I've never done.
I've never done one where I'meligible.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
You were saying how New York and New Orleans, North
and South, how the people aredifferent.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
And.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
I have no experience with the acting in New York and
you were saying it's morecutthroat, maybe a lot more
people for a lot less roles.
Could you expand upon that abit without getting yourself in
trouble with your peers?
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I think that actors from my experience in New
Orleans were very humble.
I thought you know, new York isflashy, not that people aren't.
Just you know calling out someof the differences that I
noticed in my experience.
Theater people in general arevery extroverted, very, very
different, also because theysing, so they talk a lot.
(13:31):
They're a different breed ofhuman and I think the training
you get in theater and just yourpersonality and the way you
present yourself sometimesdoesn't really work for TV film.
So actually a lot of I thinktheater actors struggle to start
TV film work because theater isjust such a different scale and
I know that sometimes I slipinto some of those bad habits
(13:53):
where I'm just showing and notreally feeling and thinking.
So we don't audition in personfor TV film anymore.
So I don't really have theexperience in person the way I
used to, like I would like here,like, but I started at 14 in
New York.
So when I started I did go inperson for auditions, but not
the way I do now.
I used to just do commercialsand very few TV film auditions.
(14:14):
I get so overwhelmed to go intoa theater audition.
I get very overwhelmed.
People are talking a lot,they're chatty, it's like
nervous energy it's.
It's a lot.
It's kindty, it's like nervousenergy it's.
I mean it's a lot.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
It's kind of like they're letting their energy out
where you want to just go intoyourself.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Yeah Center.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
And you want to hold it until you get on that stage
or where I'm assuming, youaudition on a stage for in the
theater we actually don't justin the studio.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
We don't get to, we don't.
Audition on the stage.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
It's not like a chorus line.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
No, it's not like that.
It's just Pearl Studios we goto, or Ripley Greer Studios, the
theater district.
It's the buildings that you'llrun into, everyone you know also
.
So, like a lot of my friends, Iwent to school in.
Connecticut was only two hoursaway, so I run into usually
someone from school.
I say hello, or you knowsomeone from class.
You always run into someone youknow in the theater district.
Even though New York City's big, once you go to the theater
(15:05):
district it's small.
I hope I answered your question.
You were like what are thedifferences?
Speaker 3 (15:10):
No, no, I spiraled.
No, no, no, that's not aproblem.
But for me, the stereotypicalor the TV version of New York is
hey, I'm walking here, you know, and people are walking fast.
If you walk slow on thesidewalk they're going to run
you over, that kind of thing.
And that's what it sounds liketo me, that city and that
lifestyle.
It's like condensed, wherewe're the big easy down here.
(15:30):
So it's like, ok, relax, youknow.
Yeah, we might have lessopportunities.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
You have a lot of opportunities.
I'll say it was eye openinggoing to Louisiana.
We don't know about the TV filmscene down there and I had so
many auditions before thestrikes happened.
You guys have a lot ofopportunity and also, especially
even in the theater scene.
Like you've got Tulane Theater.
That's an equity theater.
You know.
You could work there for thesummer and get like it is so
(15:57):
hard to book an equity theaterhere.
I booked like two theatersthere.
You could keep doing theJefferson Performing Arts if you
want to audition for theirshows and build a resume and
then come to New York.
It is so hard to start in NewYork and build the resume.
I booked a short film inLouisiana.
You can really build.
I would rather do that and thenmove to New York or Los Angeles
.
So I felt like, oh my goodness,because some of my friends who
(16:20):
live in New York most people arenot from New York that try to
pursue this career.
So I'm like, oh, you guys havethis resume that you got to do
in, like Georgia or Chicago.
I didn't get to start there.
I started at this really highplace and I just want to build
my resume so badly, but it'sjust so hard to book here.
Well, it depends on yournarrative.
I find it quite challenging.
(16:40):
I told Brian earlier my veryfirst audition in New York City
with my manager.
I went in for my firstcommercial and booked it at 14.
And I thought, oh okay, this isso easy.
I had never been to an actingclass.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
I had just done a middle school play.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
And then from there I was like, oh no, this is not
like going to my first audition,I guess.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I was just fearless yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Had no fears then and you were right for the role I
was.
I had beginner's luck, but youguys have a lot of opportunity
in Louisiana.
I think you can makeopportunity anywhere.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Yes, you really can.
I didn't want to downplay.
I am appreciative and I do seeopportunity and it's starting to
increase, since we'repost-strike and hopefully by
next year things will really beflowing.
But, I had pictured LA and NewYork as the centers of acting,
so I thought you'd have moreopportunities there, but more
people trying for it too.
So that kind of generates thecutthroat attitude of I can't be
(17:31):
friends with this other actorbecause I need that job.
Oh you know.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Oh, that depends.
I've had a couple of like someof my best friends book roles
over me and that'll happen.
I guess you know if you're inthe industry long enough, any of
these things will happen.
It's happened to me a coupletimes One of my best friends.
She was very gracious about it.
Other times it has ended thefriendship which is kind of sad.
I guess the friendship wasn'tvery strong enough to begin with
.
One of my friends that I've hadfor a very long time.
(17:57):
When she booked it she was sokind about it.
I was like I'm so excited tosee it because you know, you
have to just realize that wewant our friends to succeed but
we also want to succeed as well.
So just being mindful of beingnice about it and just
approaching it in a nice way,yeah.
And there's a nice way to goabout that.
Yeah, you know, it is a funnything, because sometimes you
(18:18):
know you'll just run into afriend and you're like, oh hey,
no, but my close friends here,we're all different types and we
all have something to offer.
Like one of my best friends,she's a redhead, she's an insane
actress, you know.
So when it comes to theaterroles, I'm really a dancer first
.
So you know, I live in theensemble world and some kind of
speaking featured because I dosing too.
(18:38):
But we're two totally differentpeople.
So we go after different rolesand we can support each other.
She'll book something and it'sgreat, it's a fit for her.
Like she booked in the Sound ofMusic the Mistress, if you
remember, and so she booked thatand that's like a role for her.
That's great.
But I probably I don't know ifI would audition for that role.
Everyone's so different,everyone has so much to offer
(18:58):
and you kind of learn thatyou're not really in competition
with your friends.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
But not as much as you would think, because I also
went to a performing artscollege and, yes, you know, at
the end of agent since lastDecember I've booked my second
commercial recently.
By the time this comes out, itmight even be out and I won't
say anything about the role.
But the guy was a schlub, youknow what I mean.
He didn't have to be a prettyboy, matter of fact.
That was a benefit.
So when that role hit and youknow I happened to get the
audition boom, I was the guy andit was comedic.
So that lends it into mywheelhouse anyway you know yeah.
(19:45):
But there are other times that'snot going to benefit me.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Right yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
We need a serious action star.
I can try.
Well we'll see.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
There's work for everyone.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Yeah, yeah, that's a fact.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
We just need more of it.
Yes, because there's a lot ofactors.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
The live train ride, one that they do in several
locations in the country.
I know it's going to be a bigsurprise, but I auditioned for
Santa Claus and I did not bookit, but that was an interesting
process.
That's the first in-personaudition I've done, you know,
other than live callbacks, justa completely different process.
(20:42):
For me it was fun.
It was fun prepping for theaudition and actually doing the
audition.
I don't normally dwell on notbooking stuff, I just move on to
the next one and don't lookback.
But this one I was a littlebummed that I didn't book it,
because I think it would havebeen a really fun production.
Long, I mean it runs from rightafter Thanksgiving until New
(21:04):
Year's, so it you know it was apretty long production, but it
is what it is.
When they were doing thebreakdowns, they sent all of it
at once and it tells what youneed to do for each role, the
ensemble, and there are certaingroups.
They had to sing, they had tocome up with an original song,
and my weakness is singing andmy weakness is dancing and I'm
(21:26):
reading and I'm panicking.
I'm like, oh, wait a minute,because Brian and I both took
singing lessons with Olivia Peck.
But I do not consider myself asinger.
I've had to sing in an auditiontwice now and not pretty.
It's not pretty at all that one, santa Claus doesn't have to
sing, santa Claus doesn't haveto dance, so it was right up my
(21:49):
alley, speaking to the job foreverybody.
But I guess I wasn't.
I wasn't a good fit.
I mean, I'm not.
I'm scarier than the averageSanta, I think.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
You need my belly is what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
I mean, I wasn't going to say that because after
the audition they measure youfor everything, and it made me
feel good.
The lady put a tape around meand said oh, we're going to have
to get you some padding.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Oh, I didn't mean to cut you off but I was excited to
tell you something that Ilearned from theater school is
they will always book the betteractor over the singer and I
have seen some people that Ithink could barely sing on pitch
but they are just so good atacting If you can go into the
audition and just think aboutthe story and it takes a while
(22:35):
to understand like what songsfit well on your voice.
And I have a repertoire ofsongs that I sing and sometimes
I'll sing Carrie Underwood, likebefore he cheats, like if I
have like a comedic audition andit's funny.
It might not even fit the showbut I'm just presenting myself
in a way my acting's good on thesong, it's funny.
People are like that's aninteresting choice and you just
(22:56):
you kind of want to book theroom in that way.
But I was always told intheater school the better actor
over singer or dancer, liketechnical dancer, it's not.
It's always about storytellingfirst.
So if you can act and justforget the way your voice sounds
and just be comfortable with it, I have seen people I never
thought were vocally that strongbook Broadway and book regional
theater.
But it takes a while to get usedto auditioning in person like
(23:18):
that and just going over thepianist if you had one and just
singing like that.
But once you start doing itthen you can just rip it off
like a bandaid and almost likeyou're having fun.
Every time you go in You'relike I get to do karaoke today.
You know I'm excited to tellpeople that because for the
longest time I thought you knowmy voice isn't where I want to
be.
I sing well, but I have friends.
They just have crazy pipes.
But if you, their pipes aregreat.
But If they can't act and tellthe story, then people aren't
(23:40):
going to be interested.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
It's always the better actor that books.
At least, that's what I wastaught.
Some people get hired becausethey do have great voices.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
If the director is smart, if the casting team is
smart, they know the story comesfirst and that's why I go to
acting class first, beforeeverything, because that's the
most important and I was goingto say, it's also sometimes the
look more from the tv movie sidebut, you know they might say oh
, I need a bearded guy.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Here comes tj, here comes brian, then here comes,
you know super studly guy withno beard and hi there, and
they're like we don't need thebeard, it's a crap shoot, for
you never know why you don't getit.
You just have to find yourfaith in your own abilities
casting has no imagination too.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
If I'm going for a role where the girl should be
blonde, they can't imagine meblonde for some reason.
They need to just see it rightin front of them, right, right.
Unfortunately, sometimes theydo, I don't know.
It's easier to just alreadylook the part.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
They don't have to do all that work in their
imagination.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Are you doing any film andtelevision auditions at all?
Are you focusing solely ontheater?
Speaker 1 (24:40):
I am doing TV film auditions, not as much as Before
the Strike.
I do theater auditions becausethey're easy to go to.
I don't need my agent to go, Iusually do get seen.
I might wait all day for hours,but I usually do get seen.
Recently I went to like FinalCallbacks for something for two
different productions.
I didn't book them.
I don't think One was for WhiteChristmas so I had to tap dance
(25:01):
too.
That was humbling and we had todo jazz dance and we sang and
we did a little bit of acting.
So it was a whole day.
But I do a class every week forTV film.
Right now I'm looking I feellike I'm always looking for more
new representation.
I have one in LA right now, butI think I need one for New York
for theater.
(25:22):
I would like more assistance intheater.
I'm constantly doing somethinglike.
I think I've done 50 auditionsthis year.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Wow, nice.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
It's a mixture of theater, commercials and TV film
.
I've only done maybe like fiveTV film co-star auditions.
One was like for a Netflix AmySchumer project and I don't know
the rest.
But yeah, it's been dry for TVfilm but a lot for theater.
It's just, I don't know.
It's a really hard process.
I also have a lot of nervesbecause when I'm auditioning for
(25:52):
a dance you really have to bespot on and focusing.
They're teaching you acombination and you have to be
so good at picking up the choreoand just doing it and like, if
the style doesn't fit me, that Imight get a little nervous and
shaked up.
And then you'll have to go likeone by one and you just learn
this dance within 20 minutes andlike, people here are quick,
they can pick it up quick andI'm ballet trained and that's
another problem is that my rootsare in ballet and then I got
(26:16):
into theater kind of later inlife.
So I do jazz well, but I am youcan tell that I have such
classical training.
So some people are a little bit.
They flow better with jazz.
I'm fine at it.
But you can see that I'm veryclassically trained and
everything is my technique istoo clean.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
That makes sense.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
It's like an opera singer trying to do rap.
I suppose that might be drastic.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
But I really want to hear Pavarotti sing iced tea now
.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
My daughter is doing the Nutcracker right now.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Oh nice.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
I think this is her third year doing it and she just
rapped Harry Potter and thatwas her first high school play
and she ended that and wentright into the Nutcracker but
that one.
It's such a different auditionprocess between the two because
there's no speaking lines forthe Nutcracker one.
It's just really cool to seeher process and at the same time
(27:10):
she also auditioned.
They have Talented Theater,which is the regular high school
plays.
Any of the students canaudition, but the Talented
Theater students, much likeEquity, get the first crack at
it.
And then the other students canaudition.
So it's a little bit of achallenging process and I guess
they do that to make it kind ofmore like the real world because
(27:30):
of what you explained at thebeginning of having to wait in
line.
If you're not equity, it's kindof the same thing for them.
If they're not in talentedtheater, then they have to wait
to audition Kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Wow, that's intense.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Yeah, and the ballet world is different from the
theater world you don't reallyhave.
The ballet world is very strict.
That's what I grew up in.
No one really is allowed tospeak in class.
You have to wear your hair acertain way.
They stick to their roots onthe ballet training and then
theater.
It's more expressive andcreative and you're allowed to
like make a mistake and it's art.
(28:03):
like in ballet, you make amistake, it's like you made a
mistake yeah, and you're gonnaget fined in the ballet world if
your shoes aren't tied rightand you're dancing on stage, so
that just their whole mindsetballet world is different it's
kind of like ballet versustheater, is baking versus
cooking?
Speaker 3 (28:20):
you know cooking is an art, know baking is a science
.
As I understand it because Idon't do either I just eat.
So you have to follow the rulesin baking and be perfect.
And then theater versus acting.
I haven't done theater.
You have to be so broad toreach the back row and catch
that person.
But, in acting the camera'sright on you, so you need to be
not necessarily small, but youdon't have to push.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Yeah, you don't have to push.
It's such a differentexperience, especially like if
you're in a coaching and you getthat coaching done and you're
like, oh yeah, this is how itfeels to be in a scene and feel
emotions and everything justflows so much better.
And when you're not in thatyou're pushing.
You don't know what's going on,you're blinking or like you're
doing some tick because you'rejust not in it.
(29:01):
You're not in the scene at all,you're just an actor trying to
act.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Trying to do what's right and give them what they
want, but you don't know.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Yeah, and I forget that.
And you're like, oh, I have toswitch this on again, right,
oops.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
And the funny thing is TJ and I both studied voice
acting and the voice acting iscloser to theater than acting,
because you have to doeverything with your voice yeah,
yet still be real right,depending on the role in comedy
versus drama and cartoon versus,you know, the realistic
animation.
Oh, I broke my brain and theyand you move.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
I mean you're, you're moving gestures and all that
stuff helps help with.
Helps with it yeah you have tobe mindful of your distance to
the mic and overpowering it, andit's more than what people
realize to do voice stuff.
I've done a lot of voiceoverauditions and I really like
taking the voice classes.
The voice coach that I'm usingright now is really really good
(29:58):
and in fact he helped me recordmy voice demo recently and he'll
say no bigger, move your arms,get your arms into it, do the
gesture, just like you're doingit in the real world.
I'm like, ah, because I thoughtI had to be completely still and
not make any, any movements,and I'm nervous about bumping
the mic or whatever.
But, once you get a feel forthe space, that said, I haven't
(30:19):
done a lot of voice work in onefilm and that's it.
I haven't done a lot of voicework in one film and that's it.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
I haven't done any work for it, but in a class,
just like you said, my arms werereally getting into it and I
was going, and it's go tooexpressive too.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yeah, that's funny.
I have no desire to dovoiceover work.
I have zero desire because Ihave too much going on in the
theater world.
Like I can't add another thing.
I'm already.
I got to go to so many classes.
Yeah, I got to keep up with somuch.
I just can't.
I know people do it.
I couldn't put another thing onmy mind.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Yeah, I hear you.
Yeah, it's a lot.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Although it's awesome .
Especially, some people bookvideo game voiceover work.
That's cool.
I'm dying to do one of those.
I just worked on a short filmwith one of the actors and he
said he was in Red DemRedemption.
I think that video game andeveryone loves that game.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
I played that game Our buddy Creek Redemption Creek
Wilson was in Red DeadRedemption 2.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
And I talked for a living.
That was easy for you to saySorry, we'll fix it in post.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
We'll fix it in post.
We'll fix it in post if it canbe fixed.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
That's coming on a t-shirt.
I'm telling you, we'll fix itin post is going to be one of
the t-shirt designs.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
We are.
Can we say it's not open yet?
Might be by the time of thisrecording, but could be a store
in our future.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
The store is set up.
The website is live and withina couple of days it will be
connected to the actual podcastwebsite.
Nice, just take some steps toget things set up.
Yeah, we're going to have somet-shirt and some merch and
shameless plug.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Maybe we should have a contest for someone to design
it.
That's a fantastic idea.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Yeah, hey.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Keep that.
Keep that one in mind.
We'll circle back to that one.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
No hair, lots of area for brain, oh my goodness.
So another question wefrequently ask, julia and you
have the expansion of withtheater is there a dream role
for you that?
My example for me is Star Wars.
If I get Star Wars, andespecially if I get turned into
an action figure, that's it, I'mdone.
You know what I mean?
I can die happy.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
So is there something that you secretly dream of?
Speaker 1 (32:31):
like I want to do this.
Yeah, that's actually so funnybecause with TV film you're
usually always auditioning for anew work.
With theater, part of your jobis to look at all of the roles
that fit you and try and find arep to work on.
So when that audition comes upyou go in for it.
So I've auditioned for the showAnastasia probably 10 times.
I got close in the Broadwaytour recently, just a month ago
I got to final callbacks becauseit's a ballet focused, the
(32:53):
ensemble is ballet focused andballet is kind of a dying art.
So whenever there's a balletaudition I go and I usually get
very far in the calls.
So that's funny because I havelike a list of roles that I want
to play and sometimes it stinksbecause the shows close on
Broadway If the ticket salesaren't, you know, going.
So maybe they'll get acelebrity to do, like they have
had so many celebrities inChicago that just replaced Roxy
(33:15):
Hart and the show has beenrunning forever.
So the celebrity you know callsin ticket sales.
But for me, some of my dreamroles, some of them I think I
might have aged out of, it'sokay.
One of them is, dear EvanHansen, zoe Murphy I auditioned
a long time ago for the workshopproduction of it in Washington
DC and then it moved to Broadwayand they raised it like a half
note the score, and before itwas like it could fit perfectly
(33:37):
in my voice, but now it's likejust a little.
Like I can hit the notes butthey don't sound as lovely.
I'm more of like a mezzo-ysoprano.
So Zoe Murphy and Dear EvanHansen, but you know they have
like she's a high school.
In theater you can flirt withage because it's not as intimate
with the camera.
They've got 30 year olds playinghigh school kids.
(33:57):
That's one of them, anastasia,phantom of the Opera also closed
on Broadway, but that that'sone of them.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
Anastasia, phantom of the Opera, also closed on
Broadway, but that was a balletbased show.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
What else?
Charity, Sweet Charity.
If you know the musical, theyhave a movie on it.
I'd love to be in Chicago.
Lot of different representationnow with people, so Broadway's
always changing.
There's not too many right nowthat like I'm, like I have to be
in this show.
I'm blanking right now.
It comes back to me.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
No, you're doing good .
Nine to five, also Nine to five.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
If you've seen nine to five, the musical is awesome.
You know what's hard abouttheater.
You know why people don't likeit and like going to it.
It's so hard to find a showwhere the storyline's good, the
music's good and the dancing isgood and it doesn't look too
overdone and cheesy.
It's very hard to find.
I actually rather do theaterthan watch it sometimes because
there's a lot of bad storylinesout there that just aren't
believable.
So that's why I think it's notthat popular.
(35:01):
But you have to see Wicked ifyou ever come to New York or if
Wicked ever goes to that theater.
The Sanger.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Theater yeah, I saw it.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
Oh yeah, that's just breathtaking, and they're coming
out with the movie.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yeah, I saw it when they were here, probably 2016,
2017, somewhere along there.
It was incredible.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Yeah, very well done.
Okay, you liked it yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
I just don't go out too much, especially with my
work schedule.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
That's the thing Like you have to go out to go see
the theater and like it's hardto do that and it's expensive.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Spamalot came to town and I am a huge Monty Python
fan.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Uh-huh.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
Uh-, and the thought of going to sit and watch.
It was like not anxiety, butjust oh God.
You know, you would thinksomeone from New Orleans who can
deal with motor car crowds willbe OK with other crowds, but
it's just the opposite, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Yeah, and the seats are small.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
They're not comfortable seats, and I am not.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
And it's like you got to make sure you get to the
theater, you got to get yourtickets.
It is a hassle.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
It's nice.
Afterwards You're like, oh,that was good, I got myself out.
Yeah, once I get to do actingas my only career and I can drop
my cleaning, I'll be going tomore theater, hopefully, well,
hopefully, I'll be booking everyday, but I'll have more free
time.
We just want Joe Rogan levelsof money so that we don't we can
quit our other jobs.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
I know yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Even half that.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
I'm a server.
I've been serving for 10 years10 years.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
You got to sacrifice for your art, yep.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Do you walk everywhere up there or do you
drive?
Speaker 1 (36:32):
I live outside of Manhattan.
It's about 35 minutes for me.
I take the train in.
I don't like to drive aroundManhattan, but I'll drive in the
suburbs outside of the city.
When I did live in Manhattan,didn't have a car.
No one has a car in Manhattan.
It's just so expensive to haveone and your rent's already so
expensive, so I take the trainsubway.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Yeah, because you got to pay for a parking spot,
right?
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Oh yeah, that's expensive and you can't even
it's impossible to drive in thecity.
But something I'll say aboutNew York City compared to New
Orleans, everyone kept saying oh, new Orleans is like this party
city.
You're going to be likepartying all the time in New
York City.
I don't drive, okay, so theparty doesn't stop because you
don't have to worry aboutdrinking and driving.
Hello.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
That's a good point.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
There's a bar right outside your house.
Everywhere you go, there's abar.
You know so New Orleans, andwe're open till four.
I know, you guys have 24 hourbars, but I always felt like I.
Maybe the cold weather makesyou party too.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Maybe Makes you want to drink too.
That makes sense.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
We might might've lost a lot of the 24 hour bars
you know From COVID maybe.
I think we've hit that magicalmoment where we're going to call
it it's time.
Okay, all right, we're donewith you, julian.
Yay.
Done with you, julian.
Yay.
Hope it didn't hurt too much Ifinally got you on here, yeah
you did it sweet cool it wasnice seeing y'all, y'all yay,
(37:51):
not only nice seeing you, we'reglad to give you the opportunity
to say y'all again, y'all Istill, I still say it
Hi, I'm Julia Crescenzi.
I'm an actor and I'm so excitedto be on NOLA Film Scene.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We're really happy to have you on, Julia.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
Yeah, I'm excited y'all.
I feel like it's been about ayear that I've been waiting.
You made it.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Yay.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
So we'll just kick right into it.
Brian and I normally talk aboutmeeting in the circle exercise,
although you and I were in acircle exercise together, and
that's the same one that I metBrian in.
We had one class togetherbefore that.
That was the very first classat Jim Gleason's.
I forgot what it's called, butit was the very, the very first
introductory class, and that iswhere you and I met.
(00:46):
And then we had the.
We did the circle exercisetogether.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
He calls that the works now, because he gives you
the works of everything he haslearned to give you a foundation
on how to do this career wecall acting.
Right, that's right.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
And hi, julia.
Hey, hi, I met Brian in theTuesday morning class.
I wasn't sure it's been so longsince you moved away from us.
It's been about a year,actually, about a year and a
month.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Time flies Wow.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
It really does.
How's life?
Speaker 3 (01:18):
in Yankee territory.
Speaker 1 (01:20):
It's the same.
When I came back I was ready tobe back here.
It's the same, it's cold.
I actually appreciate winternow.
I didn't and I moved thinkingoh, I'll love the warm weather,
but I felt weird not wearing acoat in February.
So I actually now like winterand I appreciate it and I
appreciate the fashion and justhaving seasons.
(01:42):
I can measure time.
Right now it's fall.
The foliage is gorgeous rightnow.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Sweet.
Yeah, I like to joke that wehave summer in February.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, my God, it's hot all the time
there.
I didn't know what to wear.
I was running out of clothes.
We were in the 60s.
Last week the 60s it wasactually really cold.
Up here it was cold, but nowit's gotten warm again.
But soon winter will lastforever, once November hits,
(02:13):
until about.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
May, so when will you get snow?
Speaker 1 (02:15):
You know, we haven't had those winters that we used
to have.
It used to snow a lot and weused to have snow days.
We used to not go to school.
But I don't know how that isnow because people, I guess, can
do school online, but thatwasn't a thing.
But I remember snow days wereawesome, especially in college
Cozy days.
You just stay inside and playin the snow.
I think maybe around Januarywe'll get snow.
(02:36):
Sometimes we get in December,but it's not the way it used to
be.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yeah, that's the climate, it's weird.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Yeah, we haven't had a harsh winter in a while.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Yeah, down here either.
I think it's been maybe fiveyears since we had a really hard
when it snowed up here where itactually stuck to the ground.
Well, it was before COVID.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I know, in Christmas Day 2004, it snowed.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Yeah, that's a special day, huh.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, yeah, I always wanted snow on Christmas.
It snowed in 1973.
I was three years old, but Ihave no memory of it.
I don't even know if it wasChristmas Day.
My memory starts about five.
I want snow.
I see the snow.
I see the pictures I see on,you know, christmas specials.
The year I decided to become apriest, I was in the seminary.
(03:21):
It snowed in New Orleans, 1989.
Hell froze over.
I went to the seminary itwasn't for me Came back.
I didn't lose my religion, butI don't practice religion
anymore.
I'm spiritual, let's say itthat way.
So when it snowed on Christmasday, I was actually cooking a
turducken, took it out the well,I turned the oven off and ran
outside.
We were playing and, you know,building snow people and I said,
okay, god, who is she?
(03:41):
And I met Cherie a week later,on New Year's Day, and we just
celebrated our 17th weddinganniversary.
Wow, and she was born on theday.
It snowed in 1973.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Oh my goodness, Wow, that's beautiful.
Thank you, I didn't know thatone.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yeah, that's pretty cool, huh.
Well, I guess, if we're goingto talk about significant others
snow days.
My wife is from Oklahoma, butshe went to undergrad at a
college in Iowa and they wouldhave, you know, big, five foot
high snowdrifts.
And she was talking about oneday walking from here to there
on campus.
And she was walking, she'd takea few steps and then she would
(04:19):
face plant in the snow and thenget up and do it again.
Snow, and then get up and do itagain, and about the third or
fourth time she fell and smackedher face on a boulder that was
under the knocked herself outcold in the snow, yikes, yeah, I
miss having snow, though.
Speaker 3 (04:35):
I thought you were going to say that you were there
to pick her up, you know.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
No, no, that was, that was before we met.
But that story comes up everytime it snows, cause the last
you know, when we had the bigsnow here, we were pulling the
kids around in the backyardbehind the tractor, on one of
those donuts that you, you know,pull behind a boat.
We, we aired it up and pulledit with the tractor Nice.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
You went not all the time.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
You went land tubing.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
I can hear the country song already.
Nice, what's it like up therewith acting?
Are you getting a lot of stuffup there?
Auditions, are you doingtheater or what you got cooking
up there?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Originally I was a dancer and then once I got
injured, then I got into actingand then I really got into
musical theater and New York isthe place for musical theater
and it's a little bit easier toget auditions for theater
because they post on Playbillsand sometimes they'll post
online auditions.
But it's not really like that.
Most of it's in person.
But anyone can also submit.
(05:36):
So I go to those auditions thatare listed on Playbill.
So it's for theaters all overthe country.
They come to New York and theywill have either a dance call or
they'll have a singing call.
So I have like a repertoire ofsongs that I'll sing.
I'll sing like a 16 bar cut.
I auditioned for Anastasiarecently.
I'm trying to think of someother musicals Kinky Boots,
theaters, cutthroat everywherein the country.
(05:57):
Since I'm not in the union, Iam thinking about joining the
union.
Actors that are in the unionget an appointment, they get to
sign up, they get to show up tothe audition.
I have to wait online.
Usually I'll get there reallyearly in the morning.
People get there around likesometimes three in the morning.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
And they put a list up outside.
Sometimes when I get there atlike seven in the morning before
the doors open, like there'salready 80 people on the list
and that's just non-unionmembers.
So the equity members that getto sign up in the portal there
may be like I don't know 200 ofthem.
So I go in once the door isopen and Equity shows up.
Then Equity gets to auditionand so I wait all day because
(06:32):
I'm not priority to be seen forthese auditions.
So sometimes I'll wait tillfour or five, thinking about I
think they might be bringing itto Broadway and I didn't even
get seen for that day.
I think there were four peoplebefore me.
Like if I had gone a little bitearlier I could have been seen
and I remember I had a weddingthat day.
It was on a Saturday, theaudition.
(06:53):
So it is hard if you're not inthe union I'm thinking about
joining the union but it isharder to book because you're in
the same room as people whohave been on Broadway and things
like that.
And even if you have been onBroadway, people still do
regional theater.
There's regional theater.
There's a lot of theater inConnecticut On the East Coast.
There's tons of summer stocktheaters that actors want to
book.
So, yeah, it's very theaterbased.
(07:14):
You have to keep up withsinging and dancing and acting.
But when I moved to Louisiana,I really focused a lot on TV
film and I did some theaterthere too, which was great for
my resume.
But I think that it's a totallydifferent animal, because TV
film you really get most of yourauditions through your agent
but you can do a lot of theaterjust on your own up here
Different types of people too.
TV film people and theaterpeople are very different.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
I could say that.
Tell us more.
Can I ask a quick questionabout the one you just talked
about for Black Swan?
Speaker 1 (07:54):
You said you were almost there and didn't get seen
.
Did you get to come backanother day and audition, or
that's it that one day if youdon't make it through the line
then you're out of luck.
That isn't open to the public.
Theaters, legally here, have topost that they're doing an open
call.
So let's say I actually I havemy old dance teacher opened up
her own equity theater inupstate New York and so she told
me she apparently there's someguidelines within equity that
(08:16):
she has to post on Playbillwhere everyone sees the audition
and even if she's not hiringthrough those auditions, she has
to have those auditions.
She could hire whoever she wantslike.
So she knows you, she'll hireyou.
She's told me before I hostthese auditions just because I
have to, and sometimes I'm noteven gonna cast anybody there
because I already have in myidea who I'm gonna hire.
She's like I will not hireanybody that I don't know
(08:38):
because she's like I've donethat before and you know it's
been a nightmare and I've had tofire people.
So sometimes I'll go to theseauditions and I'll just go
because I want to be seen bycasting, just so they get to
know me.
But you don't even they don'thave to cast you.
They could already have, youknow, an idea.
They literally have to havethose auditions.
It's not even like they'relooking for anyone.
Sometimes they'll say you know,this has been cast, like on
Broadway.
They'll say this has been cast.
So some people just go becausethey want to be seen by casting
(09:01):
and it's part of the rules.
So, to answer your questionearlier, if you have a good
agent, maybe you could probablyget an appointment on another
day that isn't open to thepublic, because when you go with
the public it's like a cattlecall of people that show up.
It's just hundreds of people.
So I went to the Equity ChorusCall.
We have things called ECCs andEPAs, so there's an equity
principal audition.
And so I went to the equityprincipal audition because I
(09:21):
knew I would get seen, becausethat's when you sing and most
people aren't going to think, oh, I'll go to Black Swan and sing
for them.
What music is in the show BlackSwan?
They don't sing in that movie.
So I just went there to be seenby casting.
No one showed up because no onethinks, and I thought maybe I
won't get seen at the equitychorus call, where everyone's
going to show to dance.
So I went to go sing.
(09:42):
I did get seen by casting andthey said I sounded good.
They probably already havetheir leads, because when you're
singing you're usuallyauditioning for a lead and I
think they'll probably hire someprincipal prima ballerinas from
, like, new York City Ballet.
That's what I think.
I'm not sure what they're doingwith that.
That's just my idea.
Usually the principals, theyhave an idea.
Chorus I hope I didn't loseanyone.
(10:06):
No, no, it is so different fromTV film and it's so hard for me
to keep up with everything atonce.
I feel like if I'm focusing alot on acting, I'm like, oh, I
haven't gone to dance class in awhile.
Dancing, you know, it's kind oflike working out.
You've got to go, and yourvoice is also a muscle as well.
I sometimes go to a voiceteacher, but everything costs a
lot of money here.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
The acting classes here are expensive.
I loved going to gym in theSouth.
I was like, oh my God, this isso affordable and I don't have
to pay for the train.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
Well, is it the same rules with that union as it is?
Speaker 1 (10:38):
with SAG Once you.
Some people, if they do anon-union production they'll
change their name, I think.
So they can do a communitytheater play and not get caught.
But I do know if you go equitythat's it.
You have to be your equity forlife.
I believe I don't know all therules.
(11:03):
I am eligible to join.
I might join, but a lot oftheaters have non-union
contracts and since I am adancer first in the musical
theater world, a lot of thenon-union contracts they get
paid less and that's usually theensemble.
So it's tricky but it is quitechallenging to book, but I've
also seen people land Broadwayand I've seen miracles happen.
Is what I'm saying.
I don't want to say anythingelse.
Seen some crazy things happen.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
And unlike Louisiana, New York is not a right to work
state.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
It is not.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
So you could be in a union and work in a non-union
thing here, because that's whatright to work does.
I still don't know if thatwould get a union actor in
trouble with the union.
You have the right to do it,but wouldn't the union get mad?
I don't understand that and I'mokay with that because I'm not
eligible yet.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Ah, I see Okay.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Yet.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
Uh-huh.
Yet I think here, if I join theactors union, I think after a
year I'm eligible to join SAG.
If I'm in the actors unionactors equity because I did a
role in a show where I spoke andI guess that's proof.
I don't like I had a speakingrole in one of these musicals.
That's what I heard.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Yeah, Speaking part in SAG or in a I don't want to
say a joining union, but, likeyou're talking about, a stunt
person would be eligible for SAGbut they might even have merged
.
You can work SAG background onthree different projects.
You get three vouchers.
It might have to be nine hourseach.
But I also found out, I believeif you work a SAG low budget
and get a line, you're in, butif you work moderate low budget
(12:29):
or ultra low budget, you're not.
Ah, I just didn't think ultralow budget.
But like background, those addup to eligibility, I think.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
Uh-huh, okay, okay, okay.
I just did a SAG.
I think it was ultra low budgetand I had lines.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
Yeah, yeah.
I've only done ultra low budgetproductions.
I've never done.
I've never done one where I'meligible.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
You were saying how New York and New Orleans, North
and South, how the people aredifferent.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
And.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
I have no experience with the acting in New York and
you were saying it's morecutthroat, maybe a lot more
people for a lot less roles.
Could you expand upon that abit without getting yourself in
trouble with your peers?
Speaker 1 (13:09):
I think that actors from my experience in New
Orleans were very humble.
I thought you know, new York isflashy, not that people aren't.
Just you know calling out someof the differences that I
noticed in my experience.
Theater people in general arevery extroverted, very, very
different, also because theysing, so they talk a lot.
(13:31):
They're a different breed ofhuman and I think the training
you get in theater and just yourpersonality and the way you
present yourself sometimesdoesn't really work for TV film.
So actually a lot of I thinktheater actors struggle to start
TV film work because theater isjust such a different scale and
I know that sometimes I slipinto some of those bad habits
(13:53):
where I'm just showing and notreally feeling and thinking.
So we don't audition in personfor TV film anymore.
So I don't really have theexperience in person the way I
used to, like I would like here,like, but I started at 14 in
New York.
So when I started I did go inperson for auditions, but not
the way I do now.
I used to just do commercialsand very few TV film auditions.
(14:14):
I get so overwhelmed to go intoa theater audition.
I get very overwhelmed.
People are talking a lot,they're chatty, it's like
nervous energy it's.
It's a lot.
It's kindty, it's like nervousenergy it's.
I mean it's a lot.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
It's kind of like they're letting their energy out
where you want to just go intoyourself.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Yeah Center.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
And you want to hold it until you get on that stage
or where I'm assuming, youaudition on a stage for in the
theater we actually don't justin the studio.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
We don't get to, we don't.
Audition on the stage.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
It's not like a chorus line.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
No, it's not like that.
It's just Pearl Studios we goto, or Ripley Greer Studios, the
theater district.
It's the buildings that you'llrun into, everyone you know also
.
So, like a lot of my friends, Iwent to school in.
Connecticut was only two hoursaway, so I run into usually
someone from school.
I say hello, or you knowsomeone from class.
You always run into someone youknow in the theater district.
Even though New York City's big, once you go to the theater
(15:05):
district it's small.
I hope I answered your question.
You were like what are thedifferences?
Speaker 3 (15:10):
No, no, I spiraled.
No, no, no, that's not aproblem.
But for me, the stereotypicalor the TV version of New York is
hey, I'm walking here, you know, and people are walking fast.
If you walk slow on thesidewalk they're going to run
you over, that kind of thing.
And that's what it sounds liketo me, that city and that
lifestyle.
It's like condensed, wherewe're the big easy down here.
(15:30):
So it's like, ok, relax, youknow.
Yeah, we might have lessopportunities.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
You have a lot of opportunities.
I'll say it was eye openinggoing to Louisiana.
We don't know about the TV filmscene down there and I had so
many auditions before thestrikes happened.
You guys have a lot ofopportunity and also, especially
even in the theater scene.
Like you've got Tulane Theater.
That's an equity theater.
You know.
You could work there for thesummer and get like it is so
(15:57):
hard to book an equity theaterhere.
I booked like two theatersthere.
You could keep doing theJefferson Performing Arts if you
want to audition for theirshows and build a resume and
then come to New York.
It is so hard to start in NewYork and build the resume.
I booked a short film inLouisiana.
You can really build.
I would rather do that and thenmove to New York or Los Angeles
.
So I felt like, oh my goodness,because some of my friends who
(16:20):
live in New York most people arenot from New York that try to
pursue this career.
So I'm like, oh, you guys havethis resume that you got to do
in, like Georgia or Chicago.
I didn't get to start there.
I started at this really highplace and I just want to build
my resume so badly, but it'sjust so hard to book here.
Well, it depends on yournarrative.
I find it quite challenging.
(16:40):
I told Brian earlier my veryfirst audition in New York City
with my manager.
I went in for my firstcommercial and booked it at 14.
And I thought, oh okay, this isso easy.
I had never been to an actingclass.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
I had just done a middle school play.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
And then from there I was like, oh no, this is not
like going to my first audition,I guess.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
I was just fearless yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Had no fears then and you were right for the role I
was.
I had beginner's luck, but youguys have a lot of opportunity
in Louisiana.
I think you can makeopportunity anywhere.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
Yes, you really can.
I didn't want to downplay.
I am appreciative and I do seeopportunity and it's starting to
increase, since we'repost-strike and hopefully by
next year things will really beflowing.
But, I had pictured LA and NewYork as the centers of acting,
so I thought you'd have moreopportunities there, but more
people trying for it too.
So that kind of generates thecutthroat attitude of I can't be
(17:31):
friends with this other actorbecause I need that job.
Oh you know.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
Oh, that depends.
I've had a couple of like someof my best friends book roles
over me and that'll happen.
I guess you know if you're inthe industry long enough, any of
these things will happen.
It's happened to me a coupletimes One of my best friends.
She was very gracious about it.
Other times it has ended thefriendship which is kind of sad.
I guess the friendship wasn'tvery strong enough to begin with
.
One of my friends that I've hadfor a very long time.
(17:57):
When she booked it she was sokind about it.
I was like I'm so excited tosee it because you know, you
have to just realize that wewant our friends to succeed but
we also want to succeed as well.
So just being mindful of beingnice about it and just
approaching it in a nice way,yeah.
And there's a nice way to goabout that.
Yeah, you know, it is a funnything, because sometimes you
(18:18):
know you'll just run into afriend and you're like, oh hey,
no, but my close friends here,we're all different types and we
all have something to offer.
Like one of my best friends,she's a redhead, she's an insane
actress, you know.
So when it comes to theaterroles, I'm really a dancer first
.
So you know, I live in theensemble world and some kind of
speaking featured because I dosing too.
(18:38):
But we're two totally differentpeople.
So we go after different rolesand we can support each other.
She'll book something and it'sgreat, it's a fit for her.
Like she booked in the Sound ofMusic the Mistress, if you
remember, and so she booked thatand that's like a role for her.
That's great.
But I probably I don't know ifI would audition for that role.
Everyone's so different,everyone has so much to offer
(18:58):
and you kind of learn thatyou're not really in competition
with your friends.
Speaker 3 (19:25):
But not as much as you would think, because I also
went to a performing artscollege and, yes, you know, at
the end of agent since lastDecember I've booked my second
commercial recently.
By the time this comes out, itmight even be out and I won't
say anything about the role.
But the guy was a schlub, youknow what I mean.
He didn't have to be a prettyboy, matter of fact.
That was a benefit.
So when that role hit and youknow I happened to get the
audition boom, I was the guy andit was comedic.
So that lends it into mywheelhouse anyway you know yeah.
(19:45):
But there are other times that'snot going to benefit me.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Right yeah.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
We need a serious action star.
I can try.
Well we'll see.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
There's work for everyone.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Yeah, yeah, that's a fact.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
We just need more of it.
Yes, because there's a lot ofactors.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (20:21):
The live train ride, one that they do in several
locations in the country.
I know it's going to be a bigsurprise, but I auditioned for
Santa Claus and I did not bookit, but that was an interesting
process.
That's the first in-personaudition I've done, you know,
other than live callbacks, justa completely different process.
(20:42):
For me it was fun.
It was fun prepping for theaudition and actually doing the
audition.
I don't normally dwell on notbooking stuff, I just move on to
the next one and don't lookback.
But this one I was a littlebummed that I didn't book it,
because I think it would havebeen a really fun production.
Long, I mean it runs from rightafter Thanksgiving until New
(21:04):
Year's, so it you know it was apretty long production, but it
is what it is.
When they were doing thebreakdowns, they sent all of it
at once and it tells what youneed to do for each role, the
ensemble, and there are certaingroups.
They had to sing, they had tocome up with an original song,
and my weakness is singing andmy weakness is dancing and I'm
(21:26):
reading and I'm panicking.
I'm like, oh, wait a minute,because Brian and I both took
singing lessons with Olivia Peck.
But I do not consider myself asinger.
I've had to sing in an auditiontwice now and not pretty.
It's not pretty at all that one, santa Claus doesn't have to
sing, santa Claus doesn't haveto dance, so it was right up my
(21:49):
alley, speaking to the job foreverybody.
But I guess I wasn't.
I wasn't a good fit.
I mean, I'm not.
I'm scarier than the averageSanta, I think.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
You need my belly is what you're saying.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
I mean, I wasn't going to say that because after
the audition they measure youfor everything, and it made me
feel good.
The lady put a tape around meand said oh, we're going to have
to get you some padding.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Oh, I didn't mean to cut you off but I was excited to
tell you something that Ilearned from theater school is
they will always book the betteractor over the singer and I
have seen some people that Ithink could barely sing on pitch
but they are just so good atacting If you can go into the
audition and just think aboutthe story and it takes a while
(22:35):
to understand like what songsfit well on your voice.
And I have a repertoire ofsongs that I sing and sometimes
I'll sing Carrie Underwood, likebefore he cheats, like if I
have like a comedic audition andit's funny.
It might not even fit the showbut I'm just presenting myself
in a way my acting's good on thesong, it's funny.
People are like that's aninteresting choice and you just
(22:56):
you kind of want to book theroom in that way.
But I was always told intheater school the better actor
over singer or dancer, liketechnical dancer, it's not.
It's always about storytellingfirst.
So if you can act and justforget the way your voice sounds
and just be comfortable with it, I have seen people I never
thought were vocally that strongbook Broadway and book regional
theater.
But it takes a while to get usedto auditioning in person like
(23:18):
that and just going over thepianist if you had one and just
singing like that.
But once you start doing itthen you can just rip it off
like a bandaid and almost likeyou're having fun.
Every time you go in You'relike I get to do karaoke today.
You know I'm excited to tellpeople that because for the
longest time I thought you knowmy voice isn't where I want to
be.
I sing well, but I have friends.
They just have crazy pipes.
But if you, their pipes aregreat.
But If they can't act and tellthe story, then people aren't
(23:40):
going to be interested.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
It's always the better actor that books.
At least, that's what I wastaught.
Some people get hired becausethey do have great voices.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
If the director is smart, if the casting team is
smart, they know the story comesfirst and that's why I go to
acting class first, beforeeverything, because that's the
most important and I was goingto say, it's also sometimes the
look more from the tv movie sidebut, you know they might say oh
, I need a bearded guy.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Here comes tj, here comes brian, then here comes,
you know super studly guy withno beard and hi there, and
they're like we don't need thebeard, it's a crap shoot, for
you never know why you don't getit.
You just have to find yourfaith in your own abilities
casting has no imagination too.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
If I'm going for a role where the girl should be
blonde, they can't imagine meblonde for some reason.
They need to just see it rightin front of them, right, right.
Unfortunately, sometimes theydo, I don't know.
It's easier to just alreadylook the part.
Speaker 3 (24:30):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (24:30):
They don't have to do all that work in their
imagination.
Yeah, that makes sense.
Are you doing any film andtelevision auditions at all?
Are you focusing solely ontheater?
Speaker 1 (24:40):
I am doing TV film auditions, not as much as Before
the Strike.
I do theater auditions becausethey're easy to go to.
I don't need my agent to go, Iusually do get seen.
I might wait all day for hours,but I usually do get seen.
Recently I went to like FinalCallbacks for something for two
different productions.
I didn't book them.
I don't think One was for WhiteChristmas so I had to tap dance
(25:01):
too.
That was humbling and we had todo jazz dance and we sang and
we did a little bit of acting.
So it was a whole day.
But I do a class every week forTV film.
Right now I'm looking I feellike I'm always looking for more
new representation.
I have one in LA right now, butI think I need one for New York
for theater.
(25:22):
I would like more assistance intheater.
I'm constantly doing somethinglike.
I think I've done 50 auditionsthis year.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Wow, nice.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
It's a mixture of theater, commercials and TV film
.
I've only done maybe like fiveTV film co-star auditions.
One was like for a Netflix AmySchumer project and I don't know
the rest.
But yeah, it's been dry for TVfilm but a lot for theater.
It's just, I don't know.
It's a really hard process.
I also have a lot of nervesbecause when I'm auditioning for
(25:52):
a dance you really have to bespot on and focusing.
They're teaching you acombination and you have to be
so good at picking up the choreoand just doing it and like, if
the style doesn't fit me, that Imight get a little nervous and
shaked up.
And then you'll have to go likeone by one and you just learn
this dance within 20 minutes andlike, people here are quick,
they can pick it up quick andI'm ballet trained and that's
another problem is that my rootsare in ballet and then I got
(26:16):
into theater kind of later inlife.
So I do jazz well, but I am youcan tell that I have such
classical training.
So some people are a little bit.
They flow better with jazz.
I'm fine at it.
But you can see that I'm veryclassically trained and
everything is my technique istoo clean.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
That makes sense.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
It's like an opera singer trying to do rap.
I suppose that might be drastic.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
But I really want to hear Pavarotti sing iced tea now
.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
My daughter is doing the Nutcracker right now.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Oh nice.
Speaker 2 (26:47):
I think this is her third year doing it and she just
rapped Harry Potter and thatwas her first high school play
and she ended that and wentright into the Nutcracker but
that one.
It's such a different auditionprocess between the two because
there's no speaking lines forthe Nutcracker one.
It's just really cool to seeher process and at the same time
(27:10):
she also auditioned.
They have Talented Theater,which is the regular high school
plays.
Any of the students canaudition, but the Talented
Theater students, much likeEquity, get the first crack at
it.
And then the other students canaudition.
So it's a little bit of achallenging process and I guess
they do that to make it kind ofmore like the real world because
(27:30):
of what you explained at thebeginning of having to wait in
line.
If you're not equity, it's kindof the same thing for them.
If they're not in talentedtheater, then they have to wait
to audition Kind of cool.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
Wow, that's intense.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
Yeah, and the ballet world is different from the
theater world you don't reallyhave.
The ballet world is very strict.
That's what I grew up in.
No one really is allowed tospeak in class.
You have to wear your hair acertain way.
They stick to their roots onthe ballet training and then
theater.
It's more expressive andcreative and you're allowed to
like make a mistake and it's art.
(28:03):
like in ballet, you make amistake, it's like you made a
mistake yeah, and you're gonnaget fined in the ballet world if
your shoes aren't tied rightand you're dancing on stage, so
that just their whole mindsetballet world is different it's
kind of like ballet versustheater, is baking versus
cooking?
Speaker 3 (28:20):
you know cooking is an art, know baking is a science
.
As I understand it because Idon't do either I just eat.
So you have to follow the rulesin baking and be perfect.
And then theater versus acting.
I haven't done theater.
You have to be so broad toreach the back row and catch
that person.
But, in acting the camera'sright on you, so you need to be
not necessarily small, but youdon't have to push.
Speaker 1 (28:40):
Yeah, you don't have to push.
It's such a differentexperience, especially like if
you're in a coaching and you getthat coaching done and you're
like, oh yeah, this is how itfeels to be in a scene and feel
emotions and everything justflows so much better.
And when you're not in thatyou're pushing.
You don't know what's going on,you're blinking or like you're
doing some tick because you'rejust not in it.
(29:01):
You're not in the scene at all,you're just an actor trying to
act.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
Trying to do what's right and give them what they
want, but you don't know.
Speaker 1 (29:10):
Yeah, and I forget that.
And you're like, oh, I have toswitch this on again, right,
oops.
Speaker 3 (29:15):
And the funny thing is TJ and I both studied voice
acting and the voice acting iscloser to theater than acting,
because you have to doeverything with your voice yeah,
yet still be real right,depending on the role in comedy
versus drama and cartoon versus,you know, the realistic
animation.
Oh, I broke my brain and theyand you move.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
I mean you're, you're moving gestures and all that
stuff helps help with.
Helps with it yeah you have tobe mindful of your distance to
the mic and overpowering it, andit's more than what people
realize to do voice stuff.
I've done a lot of voiceoverauditions and I really like
taking the voice classes.
The voice coach that I'm usingright now is really really good
(29:58):
and in fact he helped me recordmy voice demo recently and he'll
say no bigger, move your arms,get your arms into it, do the
gesture, just like you're doingit in the real world.
I'm like, ah, because I thoughtI had to be completely still and
not make any, any movements,and I'm nervous about bumping
the mic or whatever.
But, once you get a feel forthe space, that said, I haven't
(30:19):
done a lot of voice work in onefilm and that's it.
I haven't done a lot of voicework in one film and that's it.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
I haven't done any work for it, but in a class,
just like you said, my arms werereally getting into it and I
was going, and it's go tooexpressive too.
Speaker 1 (30:32):
Yeah, that's funny.
I have no desire to dovoiceover work.
I have zero desire because Ihave too much going on in the
theater world.
Like I can't add another thing.
I'm already.
I got to go to so many classes.
Yeah, I got to keep up with somuch.
I just can't.
I know people do it.
I couldn't put another thing onmy mind.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Yeah, I hear you.
Yeah, it's a lot.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Although it's awesome .
Especially, some people bookvideo game voiceover work.
That's cool.
I'm dying to do one of those.
I just worked on a short filmwith one of the actors and he
said he was in Red DemRedemption.
I think that video game andeveryone loves that game.
Speaker 3 (31:07):
I played that game Our buddy Creek Redemption Creek
Wilson was in Red DeadRedemption 2.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
And I talked for a living.
That was easy for you to saySorry, we'll fix it in post.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
We'll fix it in post.
We'll fix it in post if it canbe fixed.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
That's coming on a t-shirt.
I'm telling you, we'll fix itin post is going to be one of
the t-shirt designs.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
We are.
Can we say it's not open yet?
Might be by the time of thisrecording, but could be a store
in our future.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
The store is set up.
The website is live and withina couple of days it will be
connected to the actual podcastwebsite.
Nice, just take some steps toget things set up.
Yeah, we're going to have somet-shirt and some merch and
shameless plug.
Speaker 3 (31:53):
Maybe we should have a contest for someone to design
it.
That's a fantastic idea.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Yeah, hey.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
Keep that.
Keep that one in mind.
We'll circle back to that one.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
No hair, lots of area for brain, oh my goodness.
So another question wefrequently ask, julia and you
have the expansion of withtheater is there a dream role
for you that?
My example for me is Star Wars.
If I get Star Wars, andespecially if I get turned into
an action figure, that's it, I'mdone.
You know what I mean?
I can die happy.
Speaker 1 (32:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:24):
So is there something that you secretly dream of?
Speaker 1 (32:31):
like I want to do this.
Yeah, that's actually so funnybecause with TV film you're
usually always auditioning for anew work.
With theater, part of your jobis to look at all of the roles
that fit you and try and find arep to work on.
So when that audition comes upyou go in for it.
So I've auditioned for the showAnastasia probably 10 times.
I got close in the Broadwaytour recently, just a month ago
I got to final callbacks becauseit's a ballet focused, the
(32:53):
ensemble is ballet focused andballet is kind of a dying art.
So whenever there's a balletaudition I go and I usually get
very far in the calls.
So that's funny because I havelike a list of roles that I want
to play and sometimes it stinksbecause the shows close on
Broadway If the ticket salesaren't, you know, going.
So maybe they'll get acelebrity to do, like they have
had so many celebrities inChicago that just replaced Roxy
(33:15):
Hart and the show has beenrunning forever.
So the celebrity you know callsin ticket sales.
But for me, some of my dreamroles, some of them I think I
might have aged out of, it'sokay.
One of them is, dear EvanHansen, zoe Murphy I auditioned
a long time ago for the workshopproduction of it in Washington
DC and then it moved to Broadwayand they raised it like a half
note the score, and before itwas like it could fit perfectly
(33:37):
in my voice, but now it's likejust a little.
Like I can hit the notes butthey don't sound as lovely.
I'm more of like a mezzo-ysoprano.
So Zoe Murphy and Dear EvanHansen, but you know they have
like she's a high school.
In theater you can flirt withage because it's not as intimate
with the camera.
They've got 30 year olds playinghigh school kids.
(33:57):
That's one of them, anastasia,phantom of the Opera also closed
on Broadway, but that that'sone of them.
Speaker 3 (34:16):
Anastasia, phantom of the Opera, also closed on
Broadway, but that was a balletbased show.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
What else?
Charity, Sweet Charity.
If you know the musical, theyhave a movie on it.
I'd love to be in Chicago.
Lot of different representationnow with people, so Broadway's
always changing.
There's not too many right nowthat like I'm, like I have to be
in this show.
I'm blanking right now.
It comes back to me.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
No, you're doing good .
Nine to five, also Nine to five.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
If you've seen nine to five, the musical is awesome.
You know what's hard abouttheater.
You know why people don't likeit and like going to it.
It's so hard to find a showwhere the storyline's good, the
music's good and the dancing isgood and it doesn't look too
overdone and cheesy.
It's very hard to find.
I actually rather do theaterthan watch it sometimes because
there's a lot of bad storylinesout there that just aren't
believable.
So that's why I think it's notthat popular.
(35:01):
But you have to see Wicked ifyou ever come to New York or if
Wicked ever goes to that theater.
The Sanger.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Theater yeah, I saw it.
Speaker 1 (35:10):
Oh yeah, that's just breathtaking, and they're coming
out with the movie.
Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yeah, I saw it when they were here, probably 2016,
2017, somewhere along there.
It was incredible.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Yeah, very well done.
Okay, you liked it yeah.
Speaker 3 (35:26):
I just don't go out too much, especially with my
work schedule.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
That's the thing Like you have to go out to go see
the theater and like it's hardto do that and it's expensive.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
Spamalot came to town and I am a huge Monty Python
fan.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Uh-huh.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
Uh-, and the thought of going to sit and watch.
It was like not anxiety, butjust oh God.
You know, you would thinksomeone from New Orleans who can
deal with motor car crowds willbe OK with other crowds, but
it's just the opposite, you know.
Speaker 1 (35:51):
Yeah, and the seats are small.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
They're not comfortable seats, and I am not.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
And it's like you got to make sure you get to the
theater, you got to get yourtickets.
It is a hassle.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
It's nice.
Afterwards You're like, oh,that was good, I got myself out.
Yeah, once I get to do actingas my only career and I can drop
my cleaning, I'll be going tomore theater, hopefully, well,
hopefully, I'll be booking everyday, but I'll have more free
time.
We just want Joe Rogan levelsof money so that we don't we can
quit our other jobs.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
I know yeah.
Speaker 3 (36:21):
Even half that.
Speaker 1 (36:22):
I'm a server.
I've been serving for 10 years10 years.
Speaker 3 (36:27):
You got to sacrifice for your art, yep.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
Do you walk everywhere up there or do you
drive?
Speaker 1 (36:32):
I live outside of Manhattan.
It's about 35 minutes for me.
I take the train in.
I don't like to drive aroundManhattan, but I'll drive in the
suburbs outside of the city.
When I did live in Manhattan,didn't have a car.
No one has a car in Manhattan.
It's just so expensive to haveone and your rent's already so
expensive, so I take the trainsubway.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Yeah, because you got to pay for a parking spot,
right?
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Oh yeah, that's expensive and you can't even
it's impossible to drive in thecity.
But something I'll say aboutNew York City compared to New
Orleans, everyone kept saying oh, new Orleans is like this party
city.
You're going to be likepartying all the time in New
York City.
I don't drive, okay, so theparty doesn't stop because you
don't have to worry aboutdrinking and driving.
Hello.
Speaker 2 (37:09):
That's a good point.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
There's a bar right outside your house.
Everywhere you go, there's abar.
You know so New Orleans, andwe're open till four.
I know, you guys have 24 hourbars, but I always felt like I.
Maybe the cold weather makesyou party too.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
Maybe Makes you want to drink too.
That makes sense.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
We might might've lost a lot of the 24 hour bars
you know From COVID maybe.
I think we've hit that magicalmoment where we're going to call
it it's time.
Okay, all right, we're donewith you, julian.
Yay.
Done with you, julian.
Yay.
Hope it didn't hurt too much Ifinally got you on here, yeah
you did it sweet cool it wasnice seeing y'all, y'all yay,
(37:51):
not only nice seeing you, we'reglad to give you the opportunity
to say y'all again, y'all Istill, I still say it
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