Brad Oscar, Tony Nominated Actor-Episode #389

Brad Oscar is a two-time Tony Award nominee for his performances on Broadway as Franz Liebkind in Mel Brooks’ The Producers and as Thomas Nostradamus in Something Rotten!

Brad has performed in more than 15 shows on Broadway, including being in the original casts of the stage version of Schmigadoon, Mrs. Doubtfire, Big Fish, Aspects of Love, and a show I know a little bit about called Jekyll & Hyde. He’s performed in Wicked, Nice Work If You Can Get It, The Addams Family, and Spamalot. He’s also starred in The Producers in both the West End and Las Vegas productions.

National tours in which Brad has performed include: The Phantom of the Opera, Young Frankenstein, and, of course, Jekyll & Hyde. Off-Broadway, Brad has appeared in Little Shop of Horrors, Broadway Bounty Hunter, Sweeney Todd, and Forbidden Broadway. Stages he’s worked on in America include: the Arena Stage, the Old Globe, the La Jolla Playhouse, the McCarter, Barrington Stage, and more.

In film and on TV, you can find Brad on such shows as: Ghost Town, The Producers, Smash, The Good Wife, and three Law & Orders.

Episode Transcript

Steve Cu (00:00):
On today's Story Beat,

(00:02):
I walk through as the audience is starting to comeinto the theater. And every night I see kids.
These people are so excited to be there and seethis show. It means so much to so many people.
People are going to a Broadway show. I mean, it'sthere. They've waited months, maybe they've spent
God knows what, maybe whatever it is. But everynight as I walk to my dressing room, I am reminded

(00:24):
of that every night.
This is Story Beat with Steve Cuden, a podcast forthe creative mind. Story Beat explores how masters
of creativity develop and produce brilliant worksthat people everywhere love and admire. So join us
as we discover how talented creators find successin the worlds of imagination and entertainment.

(00:51):
Here now is your host, Steve Cuden.
Thanks for joining us on Story Beat. We're comingto you from the Steel City, Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. My guest today, Brad Oscar, is a twotime Tony Award nominee for his performances on
Broadway as Franz Liebkind in Mel Brooks theProducers and as Thomas Nostradamus in Something

(01:15):
Rotten. Brad has performed in more than 15 showson Broadway, including being in the original casts
of the stage version of schmigadoon, Mrs.
Doubtfire, big fish, Aspects of Love, and a show Iknow a little bit about called Jekyll and Hyde.
He's performed in Wicked, Nice Work if youf Canget it, the Addams Family and Spamalot. He's also

(01:37):
starred in the Producers in both the West End andLas Vegas productions. National tours in which
Brad has performed include the Phantom of theOpera, Young Frankenstein, and of course, Jekyll
and Hyde. Off Broadway, Brad has appeared inLittle Shop of Horrors, Broadway Bounty Hunter,
Sweeney Todd and Forbidden. Broadway. Stages he'sworked on in America include the Arena Stage, the

(02:00):
Old Globe, the La Jolla Playhouse, the McCarter,Barrington Stage and more. In film and on TV, you
can find Brad on such shows as Ghost Town, theProducers, Smash, the Good Wife and three Law and
Orders. So for all those reasons and many more,I'm truly delighted to welcome to Story Beat the

(02:20):
exceptional actor Brad Oscar. Brad, welcome to theshow.
Thank you, Steve. Happy to be here.
Such a privilege to have you here, especially ourlittle tiny tenuous connection to Jekyll and Hyde,
which I think is, uh, something we'll talk about alittle bit as we get down the road here. But let's
go back in history first. You've been at thisacting game for quite a little bit of time at this

(02:41):
point. How old were you when the bug to be onstage first bit you?
No, it bit it Bit me quick at a very early age.
Um, and I was exposed, you know, I was exposed tolive theater at an early age because my folks
loved, uh, going to the theater and did somecommunity theater. So it was always sort of a part
of my life, cast albums, you know, growing up. So,yeah, I, I got bit really early. I mean, like, you

(03:06):
know, by 7 or 8 years old. I think I'm startingto, you know, form the. Putting on shows and all
of that and, you know, dancing around, of course,to these cast albums, you know, that are, you
know, that become like touchstones, you know, weall have our touchstones, if you will. Right.
Shows that really turned us on or a sound orsomething that really drew us to like.
What shows. What shows were the big ones for youback then?

(03:27):
Well, like a show like Mame, um, a show like DamnYankees. And both of which I was able to see it at
an early age with, believe it or not, theiroriginal Broadway stars. So that means I saw
Angela Lansbury do Mame and I saw Ray Walston andGwen Verdon do Damn Yankees. Now, God bless, I'm
not that old, but what used to happen is thesestars would take out their shows on tour over the

(03:50):
summer. There was a whole circuit and they wouldgo around, you know, a certain area in the country
or whatever. And mostly these were in the roundtoo, which is so interesting. Anyway, so, yeah, so
the summer of. I think it's like 1972ish, so I'mlike 8 years old and uh, and I get to see some of
these seminal performances in these seminal shows.
These shows that, um, you know, these are theshows that, you know, shaped m. My love of

(04:14):
American musical theater. And then to have grownup in the 70s, become aware of my love of this and
discover Sondheim, who then over the course of the70s, you know, just continues to break every rule
and create yet new forms of, you know, and get soexcited by that. And it just, you know, it just
kept cascading. I mean, you know, again, my loveof performance, my love of musical theater, uh,

(04:36):
and then, as I said, performance and then the ideaof what it meant to then be an actor and start,
uh, you know, training and being very lucky at anearly age to have teachers and some classes and
stuff that I was. That I started to participate inthat, um, you know, where I really started, now
that I look back, you know, to form my craft, ifyou will, since I have been able to and very

(04:58):
blessed to make this a profession.
How young, how young were you when you started totake training, was it, Were you still under 10?
Not really. I'm like 12 years old when I do thisfirst summer program at the Jewish Community
center, uh, of Greater Washington outside of D.C.
in Rockville, Maryland, had an amazing theaterdepartment for kids, uh, up through, like, when I

(05:20):
went to high school, pretty much. So we would,there was a program every summer where we would
put on one production and then during the yearthere were, you know, classes. But, like, I
learned, like, breathing techniques. I mean, likereal classes and real stuff that I would then, you
know, my parents would pay a lot of money for meto study at Boston University. I mean, at the age
of like 12, 13, and then around 13, I think Istarted taking voice lessons weekly. I started

(05:45):
singing and really, again, honing that Again, bigasterisks here. Blessed with a family that, you
know, was so supportive and loving and, you know,uh, enabled me to be able to do these things.
Well, that's what I was going to say. You are oneof the fortunate ones who your parents didn't say
to you, what do you think you're doing? Get awayfrom there. You're never going to make any money

(06:05):
at that. Instead, they encouraged you, they helpedyou.
Yeah, I mean, entirely, because they also, ofcourse, had an appreciation for it and their own
love of it. Uh, so they understood that. Uh, ofcourse, I'm sure they were obviously aware and
like, thinking, o, here's hoping, you know, weknow how tough it can be. They knew enough to
know, you know, everybody sort of does, that thebusiness can be so merciless and blah, blah, blah.

(06:28):
But they were certainly willing to let me go forit.
Where did you go to school? Where did you go tocollege?

Brad Osca (06:33):
To Boston University.
And, and what do you think you learned there thathas held you in good stead all these years?
That's such a funny. You know, it's so funnybecause education, theater, uh, education, again,
I talk about how subjective this business is andhow subjective, well, the arts are, right?
Anything, you know, anybody can stand in front ofa painting and say, it's the greatest. It's not,

(06:54):
whatever. A piece of theater, a piece of music,whatever. What I loved about BU and the reason
that one of the reasons I ended up at BostonUniversity is because I had done so much musical
theater up until then, training wise andperformance wise, I wanted to go to a school that
wasn't musical theater centric. So, uh, eventhough I, I, I did apply and would love to have

(07:15):
gotten into Carnegie Mellon, because that was atthe time, man, that was the, you know, but that
was a real triple threat they really needed. Theywanted you to, you know, you need to sing, dance,
act, the whole thing. And so I didn't get intoCarnegie Mellon, but I also felt like I wanted to
spend the next four years, you know, on text anddo some Shakespeare and some Chekhov and some. All
that stuff and get an education, uh, as an actor,to be a trained act. Because I always. And to this

(07:38):
day I feel like, you know, musical theater, um, isits own sort of thing. But at the end of the day,
if you're not a good actor, if you're not tellingthe story, if you're not, no matter how good your
voice is, no matter how, you know, proficient youare at those skills, um, and at the end of the
day, I want to see, you know, I want to see goodact. I mean, I've seen some amazing musical

(08:00):
theater performances, right. Where they're not thebest singer at all and it doesn't matter.
Rex. Rex Harrison, for example.
Yeah. Time Daily in Gypsy. I mean, come on, youknow, I mean, just an example of, you know, not a.
Not as someone we think of as a singer, for God'ssake. But anyway, so, yeah, and BU was, um, BU was
good. I mean, look, there are always going to beteachers. You like teachers? Not so much. Uh, uh,

(08:24):
classes and ways of working techniques that yourespond to and those that you don't. Um, and
that's just going to happen throughout, I thinkyour theatrical education, which ideally never
ends because every room you're in is its own, youknow, new director, new cast, new people, new.
Which should always be, I think, informing you asan artist. So you never stop.

(08:46):
I think, uh, the listeners should pay attention towhat Brad just said. You never stop learning, even
when you're a top end proof. Um, that is just partof the game is to continue to learn. Correct?
I mean, because if you're not, you're dead. You'renot dead, but you're not alive. You're not
responding. You're not living in that way. Andplease. I've had finally the real opportunity to

(09:09):
work with Jerry Zaks, um, years ago withDoubtfire. God, six years ago now, I think it was.
But, um, I never really worked with Jerry Zaks upuntil then. I'd gone into Adam's family on
Broadway and Jerry came in to put us in. Butthat's not being in a room with a director for fun
four or five weeks and organically developing apiece of theater. You know, I joked to Jerry, I'm

(09:29):
like, geez, I wish that it happened 30 years ago,Jer. I'd be a much better performer had I worked
with you 30 years ago. Because Jerry taught me,you know, some very basic. But just being in a
room with Jerry was so inspiring to me andexciting that, uh, again, at this point in my
career, I could still, like, learn things new,think of things in a different way or so.

(09:50):
Tell us something that he has said to you thatreally had resonance.
The power of stillness. Jerry has a great eye.
Jerry knows timing. Jerry. Jerry's a greatdirector in general. I mean, Jerry's a, uh. When I
moved to the city in 1986, Jerry Zaks was the man.
And Jerry directed several productions in thatnext 10 year span that each one I will, you know,

(10:12):
resonate still in my mind. So to work with Jerry,Jerry, and to m. To get to be in, you know, again
was very exciting for me. But the power ofstillness, the audience's eye, right? It's not a
film where the director tells you where to look.
Right? So we are part of. Everybody on that stageis part of the picture of the moment, of the beat,
whatever you want to call it. And that awarenessand M, especially with comedy, especially with

(10:38):
comedy is, you know, is like paramount. So Ilearned again how to, you know, it's a lot to sort
of try to explain because it doesn't mean justbeing still. It doesn't mean it's not a. It's not
always a literal thing.
Well, you're not asleep on stage, but you'repaying attention intensely.
Yes, yes. But again, it's so that when you'replaying ball, because you're always playing. I

(11:01):
always, you know, I always say you're sort ofplaying ball on stage or ping pong or whatever,
but it's going back and forth, right? We'reacting, we're responding, we're telling the story,
but we're reacting off of each other or whateverit is that is making that moment live. You're
always responsible for keeping that ball in theair. Right. But you're not necessarily always
moving your paddle. You're not necessarily always,but you are active in some way and participating

(11:24):
in what is happening in that moment.
If you were, uh, moving around all the time, youwould be pulling focus and you can't do that.
Right. So the basic idea of that exactly is sotrue.
But, uh, what is it that you think that you lovethe most about musicals?
Oh, my gosh. I guess it's just an elevated form ofstorytelling that I've always, again, responded

(11:50):
to. Because at an early age, I learned that youcould sing and you could dance and you could tell
a story a certain way, you could express emotion acertain way, and it always just sort of excited
me. And, you know, it was just sort of. I got acharge out of it, and it's a. It's, um. It shaped
my life in so many ways. So I have such a passion,and, you know, a lot of it is very rooted, as I

(12:10):
said, in a sort of a traditional form of musicaltheater storytelling. And it's fascinating to see,
of course, what's happened, you know, to that in,you know, my lifetime, which is wild to look back
on, um, having grown up at a time when still thegolden age, where they were still sort of the
touchstones and things were still being sort ofinformed by that, but when we were moving into a

(12:30):
whole other, you know, with Sondheim and then theBritish Invasion and then, you know, how pop
music, you know, all the things that. All the waysit transforms, all the ways that it stays alive or
whatever, but I just, um. You know, nothingexcites me more when it all adds up. And you have
a moment that can only be that true moment whenit's brought to life, you know, in song, in that

(12:54):
passion, whatever, that elevation.
As I've said to many people many times, whenyou're a writer, uh, for either stage or screen,
you can only deal with two senses, sight andsound. You can't have, uh, an audience, understand
what's going on inside of a character's head. Andso unless you say it or show it. But in a musical,

(13:15):
you can express that internal thing through thiswonderful device called a song. And that's what
you're talking about, Right?
Uh, sure. Exactly. That's true, of course. Yes. Imean, that's. Yes. Thank you. That's putting it
into. Exactly. Because you can take that. Exactly.
You would not just recite as dialogue because itwould just. It wouldn't work, but. Exactly. You

(13:36):
can sing about it.
Well, that's. I think that's what makes it so. Tome, it's. It's just the big pizzazz of it. It's.
All of it makes it very special for me. Um. Howlong do you think you were at the game of being an
actor, and especially in musicals, before you feltlike you. You really were good at it? This is
something you really could do. Was it early on, ordid it
take you a while? You know, the successes that Ihad. I put that in quotes, you know, as a, um. A

(14:01):
younger performer. Right. The. The encouragement Igot from teachers, from my parents, of course, you
know, from educators. As it went along, you know,um, I certainly felt like I. I was. Let's put it
this way, I wasn't questioning it. And, you know,along the way, I, you know, as I got through, as
college was going along, I was like, okay, I'm.

(14:23):
I'm moving to New York. You know, I knew this iswhere I wanted to be in New York City. And I. I
had known pretty much when I was, like, in highschool, because then I started coming to the city
and seeing shows a lot with my family and thensolo. And so this was always fantasy land. So I
pretty much, you know, that was. That was what Iwanted to do. And it all, again, it all just sort
of led this way.

(14:43):
But you had very little doubt along the way. Youknew this was what you were going to do.
I knew it's what I wanted to do. I mean, yeah, Iknew it's what I really, really wanted to do. And
I thought that I could probably play in the pool,but getting in the pool was, of course, going to
be the challenge. And then could I, once I was,you know, if that happened, whatever. So. But I

(15:05):
also knew again, because I was surrounded by, uh,some people who knew enough to help me and tell me
this. I was a young character actor. Well, I was ayoung character actor. So at the time, I was a
young character actor. And that meant. Iunderstood what that meant. It meant that the
older I got, the more employable I was probablygonna be. The older I got, the more roles were

(15:26):
going to present themselves to me, because I wasnot necessarily that easy to even. And I'm
realizing now I didn't know who I was as an actorin many ways. I didn't know where I fit in
exactly. And I could point to certain roles orwhat, and say, oh, yeah. But I was still finding

(15:47):
also my sense of who I think I was as a. As a.
Just as a performer, as an adult. You know, youleave college and for the first time, you know,
you are an adult. You are living on your own. Youare embarking right on that next part of the
journey. And you need to find out, you know, okay,now who am I and what's this all about, in a way?
And so I gave myself a bit of that freedom. Iended up with a great job right away, like a

(16:10):
couple weeks after I moved here, waiting tables ata fabulous restaurant on, uh, on 45th in the
theater district called Charlie's, which is nolonger. They're Building some monstrosity now
finally they tore it down years ago and nowthey're building some monstrosity at 45th and
8th and um, right next to the Imperial, right?
Yeah, right next to the Imperial there was a rowof restaurants. For anyone listening, who knows

(16:31):
back in the day, Barrymore's, Pulio's, Charlie's,right across the street from the Golden Theater
and what used to be the Royale. And I forget thenew names, the Schoenfeld, the this, that, that.
But anyway, great job because it was a, A, ah,theater hangout for both behind the scene, a lot
of producers, general managers, people like that,um, but also uh, people in shows, people in the

(16:54):
biz. Um, so I got to sort of meet and got to knowsome people. Also we got paper all the time,
complimentary tickets to shows in previews. Theywanted us to see the waiters to see the show
because if we like the show we might talk it up,up or whatever. And so I saw a lot of stuff which
was amazing because I maintain to this day halfone's education is seeing is going and

(17:15):
experiencing and again processing that and lettingit inform what you do. But I think going to the
theater, especially as an actor alive to livetheater is paramount and so important. Any kind of
theater, all kinds of theater. So I was thosefirst couple years in New York and I went on some
open calls. I wasn't a member of Equity at thetime, so I would just go to open calls or I would
try to get in. At the end of the day sometimesthey would see non Equity actors for, for equ.

(17:39):
Stuff. And so, you know, I did that again. I alsolet myself be in New York City, living in the city
and enjoying that and making new friends andseeing theater. And um, I didn't feel like I had
to make it happen tomorrow. And again, I did nothave that pressure from my parents. They were
helping me out with my rent. I mean I was semisupporting myself, but only semi. But they were,

(18:01):
you know, that was a good situation. Thank God.
Again, I think that that's a great gift that youhad there because I'm sure you know, many people
that didn't have anything close to that support.
Unquestionably, unquestionably.
And I think if, if you're a listener out there andyou are thinking about going and trying to make a
career, uh, on stage in New York, then you know,it's not, it's not inexpensive to live there. It

(18:26):
costs a lot of money. So you have to think thatthrough.
Right. And I'm thinking about it now, and believeme, because I think they were splitting my rent
with me, but at the time they were sending me, I,um, mean, that was like $350 a month, maybe, or
whatever. I mean, relatively speaking, it doesn't.
At the time, I'm sure it's. It felt like more, butnow it's like such a pittance. Relatively
speaking. No, but unquestionably, I did not haveto worry. I mean, I was making okay money and I

(18:49):
probably could have sworn. But anyway. Yes.
All right, so. So you. You've appeared in so manymusical comedies, which is a very specific animal,
but you also spent a long time in Jekyll and Hyde,which has comedy in it, but not really it'. You
are a specialist in comedy. What do you think itis about comedy that you're so good at? How does

(19:14):
that happen? Is it just natural, or have youtrained for it?
A lot of it, I think, are my early, you know,comedic influences, if you will. Certainly my idea
of what comedy was. And that starts with, again,you know, it's funny. It also starts with my
family. You know, my folks have a great sense ofhumor, and they had a great group of friends that
also had a great sense of humor. So I remember,you know, that that was something obviously, that

(19:39):
I picked up on. And then again, being a child ofthe 70s, growing up my formative years, you know,
TV, Norman Lear, all those shows, all in theFamily and the Jeffersons and blah, blah, blah,
Bea Arthur, Maude. And then, of course, you know,eventually we'll get to the Golden Girls. But, you
know, that. My God. Uh. I. You know, I just thinkBea Arthur is, you know, the masterclass in sort

(20:04):
of comedic timing and the music, comedy, you know,there's something about. That's another thing.
There's. There's music in comedy. There's, youknow, every line is. You know, every line is
musical in some way. I'm speaking in a certainway. And sometimes I'll go up here or I'll drop it
down here, or I'll play it this way. There arejust so many ways of delivering a line. And, man,

(20:25):
there are some Golden Girls, because I've seeneach Golden Girls, like, a hundred times. I swear
to God, I just can't. I could just. I don't knowwhy. Just keep. And, um. Yeah, certain things are
just. It's just gold. It's just comedy gold.
It's on that show in particular, as many of thoseshows were, it was not just the writing but
exquisite timing that those actors had with oneanother. And that's. I'm guessing that's what you

(20:50):
really, uh, learned in observing it, and thenyou've practiced it for a long time. That timing.
Yes. I mean, when you get the opportunity, then,right. To have material that you can interpret and
play. Um, and I just talked about this recently.
I'll never, uh, being in the rehearsal room forthe original production of the Producers with

(21:10):
Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Mel Brooks, TomMeehan, and Susan Stroman. But watching that
process and watching Nathan's process andlistening to the discussions and bits that would
occur, Nathan is a veritable encyclopedia of thehistory of great comedians. You know, obviously,

(21:33):
it just. So his knowledge, his love of that, hisyouth, his sources, uh, of inspiration. You know,
he's got such a wealth of that knowledge. And thenwe all channel it through ourselves. And then
Nathan is a singular, you know, unbelievable.
Singular presence and. And a great actor. Andagain, that's why I say, at the end of the day, no

(21:55):
one's funnier than Nathan Lane. But I've seenNathan over the last 10 years now that he's
decided that no more musical theater, which Itotally understand. God bless him. So Nathan, you
know, been on text, shall we say, and given someastounding performances, and I am so excited to
see him do Death of a Salesman, which will startpreviews any moment now. Um, because he's such a
good actor. But. But in this case, here's a reallygood actor, which again, at the end of the day,

(22:18):
right, I say it all comes down to, like, that yougot to have those chops, and you got to be able to
really connect and tell a story and be true andfind that truth and whatever it is, and then. And
then to have the technical artistry of what comedyis, because it's timing and it is music, and those
are. Those are more technical things. They're not.
I'm not in the moment every night and just goingto, you know, that can vary or whatever. Comedy is

(22:42):
music and time. Mel Brooks comedy. God, that show,you know, was so musical.
I was going to say, on top of, uh, Nathan Lane,uh, all you had sitting there was Mel Brooks,
which is, you know, one of the great comicgeniuses of all time. Uh, and Tommy Meehan, who is
a. Also was an incredible comedy genius.
I mean, when you get everybody on the same pagelike that, it's just, you know, you think it can't

(23:06):
miss. I mean, it's funny sometimes, you know, youget a lot of creatives together, and it just
doesn't happen. But in this case, it all just. Itall did.
In that case, you literally captured lightning ina bottle. And it. And it just worked on every
level. And it was extraordinary. Uh, I saw it onBroadway. It was extraordinary. And then I saw it
in L. A with, um, Marty Short and, um, uh, Jason.

Brad Oscar (23:30):
Jason Alexander.
Right, exactly. Uh, and that was also a differenttake on it, but this just as brilliantly fun and
wonderful and of course, based on incrediblematerial to begin with, with the movie. What. I
asked this question of lots of artists on thisshow, and I'm just curious for, for you, what
makes a good role good? Why does it work? Whatattracts you to it?

(23:53):
That it's there on the page. You know, there's thelittle cute little saying, if it's not on the
page, it's not on the stage or whatever. When youhave to work as an actor to make material work,
that is always a muddy path. When you havematerial that is just. It works, it's, uh,
whatever, it's smart, it's good. It's, you know,these are all subjective things, but you know what

(24:16):
I'm saying? Um, when you can then take that andyou go from there, you don't have to go back and
help the writer make it work by somehow trying tomake something funny that I've worked on plenty of
pieces. They're not good, they're not funnyenough. They're just whatever that is. Right. As

(24:38):
the actor, we only have so much input or control,obviously, of that, depending on the room, but,
you know, or the part of the process or whatever.
So, um, you can only do so much. And at the end ofthe day, uh, I've been involved with many projects
where I'm like, well, you know, we all did thebest we could, and I'm assuming the writers did
too. But guess what? It didn't add up, or it's notgoing to play, or it's not, you know, or it

(25:02):
doesn't succeed or whatever, blah, blah, blah.
So as. As another truism, it's, you know, you haveto have the writing work. If the writing doesn't
work to begin with, it all begins there. You, uh.
My experience has been as a writer that reallygreat actors will take whatever you've given them.
And plus, it always, no matter how bad it is, itwill get plussed by the actors. Even if it doesn't

(25:26):
work out wonderfully well, it's still better. Uh,that said, if you can write something that, you
know, really nails it, then the actors have a mucheasier time Getting to that next part because we.
Because again, we believe in the material. Webelieve what we're saying, we believe the moment,
we believe whatever. You have to be able to findthat truth, I guess. And so when, you know, you

(25:48):
know, I've been in moments when I'm like, oh, Ihave a big truthy truth issue, which I like to
say. I just have a big. I'm having trouble findinga way to make this true or honest or work because
I don't see it. I don't see it either from theactor's point of view or I think it. I don't see
it from the story point of view or I don't see itfrom the, you know, this landing as a joke point

(26:09):
of view or whatever it might be.
Do you express that to the powers that be it dep.
That again, that is going to be different in everyroom that you're in. Nine. I would say to you,
though, that nine times out of ten, no, becauseunless it's a collaborative room in a way where,
you know, they want your input, or, you know, youcould say, you know, this could be better. Or we

(26:33):
could, you know, or you find a way in to make itbetter. Or, you know, I have an idea. Or, hey, how
about, you know. But that depends on. Again, thatdepends on the people you're working with.
Because, you know, we're all very. We. We have tobe protective of our art, of ourselves to a
certain extent. We also want to be collaborativeand not take it personally. But, you know, it's a

(26:54):
tricky thing. So that's going to sort of depend.
How do you test that? How do you know that thatroom is either open to it or not open to it? How
do you. What's the test for that?
Oh, gosh. Uh.

Steve C (27:05):
Is there a test for it?
No, I don't. I mean, exactly. I don't. I don'tnecessarily think there is. I think it's something
that you just, you know, or you should have asense of. And that's. Look, with age, honestly,
comes a bit of. I can say more or maybe make myfeelings known a little more in a way that I can

(27:25):
feel comfortable doing and stand behind, because Ihave done a lot and put to, you know, whatever it
gives me a place of, like, I think what I'm sayingis worthy and. Or, you know, worth being heard.
But again, it just sort of depends. And you haveto pick your battles, too. And you have to
realize, at the end of the day, it's not aboutyou. You know what I mean? We're all, again, we

(27:50):
take it very, you know, it is me up there doingit. It is me at the end of the day, I guess, going
out there, of course, but you're part of somethingthat is bigger that you're part of a collaborative
process in a way.
You're all working together to. You're all workingtogether to tell a story. And so all those cogs
have to work together, they have to mesh together,otherwise it will easily fall apart. I mean,

(28:14):
that's the part of the problem and that's thedirector's job, isn't it, to make that all fit
together? It's their vision, ideally.
Yes. Put everybody on the same page. Yes.
So let's talk about performance and how we getthere. Uh, the first thing that happens before you
get to a performance is you have to go through.
Most people have to go through some kind of anauditioning process. Are you still at this point

(28:36):
in your career auditioning for people or do theycast you?
Um, no, it depends. It depends. I am, I have, yes,some things have been offered to me, some Broadway
shows even, which I'm like, really? Um, but forinstance, I'm just finishing, uh, two amazing
years playing the wizard at Wicked. Right now. I'mfinishing, actually this is my final week coming

(28:56):
up right now. And it's been a wonderful job. Andjoining a show like this. I had no idea the story
we were telling. I really didn't. The resonance ofwhat this show has to say and the power of this 22
and a half year old show and why it is still thereand how it is kept in such extraordinary shape.
Again, you talk about the actor's responsibilityto complete a hole that obviously is working and

(29:21):
has something to say and a story that we'retelling. And uh, I'm very impressed over there as
to how it all. Just how they maintained that weekafter week now and how important it is and that
responsibility that we have, uh, because, youknow, kids coming to see their first show. Gosh,
anyway, yeah, it's in the face
of two blockbuster movies on top of it. It's stillhanging in there huge. The question was about

(29:47):
auditioning, which. I'm going to take this to thenext step there.
Yes, I had to. I auditioned for Wicked. This wasnot, this was not a job that was offered to me. I
went in, I went in a couple times. I, you know,when it. But, but it was something that I was very
interested in doing and I have no, look, I haveabsolutely no problem auditioning. I mean, there
might be certain Actors who reach a certain pointand they think that for whatever reason or

(30:10):
whatever, uh, gives them the prerogative to beoffer only, you know, God bless you.
Do you know the famous Shelley Winters storyabout, uh, casting?

Brad Osca (30:21):
I don't know if I do.
So there's a famous story about Shelley Winters,and she's. It's later in her career and there's
some young casting director doesn't really knowher work, and he insists that he see her to cast
her. And so she goes in and she has this big oldbag with her, and she, she's sitting in front of
him, and as he's talking to her, she pulls out oneOscar and puts it on his desk. And she pulls out a

(30:44):
second Oscar and puts it on his desk. And she saysto him, some people in this town think I know how
to act. That's like a famous story about ShelleyWinters. Um, but, you know, actors still need to
sometimes present themselves to people to see ifthey fit into the hole. Uh, and, and that's part
of the process. What is your philosophy towardauditioning? How do you prepare for it? How do you

(31:08):
look at it?
Well, I mean, because I'm going to have thematerial in advance. It's not like, you know, gone
are the day. I mean, most of the days for mehaving to, like, go in and do a monologue or sing
a song of my own choice, you know, that's. Thatdoesn't happen very often, which is fine with me.
So, you know, so I get the material. Obviously, ifit's new and I don't know it or I haven't, you
know, it's a new piece, it's a new song I have tolearn or something like that. I just try to find

(31:33):
my way in from whatever information I'm given. Ifyou're able to read the whole piece or obviously
you get a breakdown or something like that, you'retrying to
take a position, a point of view on that characterthat you're auditioning for. You're not coming in
and trying to just be everything to everyone.
You're trying to take a position.
Right? Well, that's the thing. Exactly. You can'tbe everything. But, I mean, who knows what the
hell they want? Who knows the composer is lookingfor a. The character to be more this. The director

(31:57):
wants him to be like this, and the writer thinkshe has to have a little bit of that. So, yeah, the
best thing I can do is be true to my sense of,okay, again, story, moment, uh, whatever it is
that I've learned Over the years that I can. Thenhow. I'll process the material. You have to make
guesses. You have to commit. You have to. Now, thejoy of being in a room, a real live audition, is

(32:21):
that I trust that if I do make good, if I do justdo something real, right? And. And as whole as it
can be, I. In quotes, whatever. Because there's somany variables and auditions suck anyway, right?
Because you're, you know, it's the thing. It's athing. I've gotten more comfortable, but it's
still. I'll get nervous. It depends on who's inthe room. Maybe some great director or whatever
that I'm like, oh, my God, you know, I'll still.

(32:43):
But you got to, you know, you focus and do it. Butideally, what I love is when I finish reading
maybe the scene or this or whatever, and they giveyou some notes, they give you some adjustments,
they say, okay, now try this, or let's now do thescene again. I love that because I think I'm

(33:04):
pretty good at trying to incorporate that. I'mpretty good at thinking on my feet in a way that,
okay, if. Again, if it's clear, I can adjust. Ican adjust and give you. And then I'm showing you
two things. Ideally, I'm giving you more what youwant at the end of the day for this character to
be. But I'm also showing you that I can work, thatI'm. I can work with you, that I want to play,

(33:26):
that I want to learn, that I want to. All thosethings that I. In the room, I'm going to be that
kind of performer.
Do you think that your ability to adjust thateasily is something that you have always had, or
is that something you've learned through time andexperience?
I tend to think it's something that I've alwayshad in the way that I feel like I've, you know,

(33:48):
always approached material as a young, uh. Youknow, even as I went along and was learning and
stuff and trying to, again, can, you know, makethose connections, to make it yours, but still
honor the material. And so I feel like that'salways been a part of my thought process. So how
effective, you know, it was earlier on, I can'tsay, but I think, you know, I've gotten. Yeah.

(34:14):
Pretty. I mean, it doesn't. Yeah, it doesn't freakme out anymore.
Well, of course. But, uh, you know, part of thewisdom and experience is knowing I'm not going to
get cast every single time I audition. And when Ido get cast, hopefully you know what you're doing
and all those good things. So you've now been castin a show. At some point you've got cast and they
say you're, you're, you've got this part and Iguess you do a little happy dance for a few

(34:38):
minutes and then you realize you're the dog thatcaught the car. Now the real work happens. Um,
what is, you've, you've got a script from someone,uh, you perhaps get some music, I guess, in a
musical. Aside from reading it, which is obviouslyyou need to do, what's the first thing you do
after that to develop what you're going to do? Howdo you start to develop a character and what your

(35:00):
intentions will be?
Well, that's going to happen for me on its feet inthe room pretty much. Because up to then,
everything's just happening in my head. Right upto then. Or, or I, I may vocalize, I may
verbalize, I may read it out loud, but you knowwhat I mean, you, you know, you can't play ball.
Are you learning it uninflected so you're nottrying to put anything on it?
I'm not learning it. I'm not getting. No, no, I'mnot learning, I'm not memorizing it, if that's

(35:22):
what you mean. No, no. Um, no. My pro now, unlessI have to. There are several instances, like
summer stock jobs. Oh, my God. I did. You know,and I love to do. When I get to do a play, I love
when I get to do text because, you know, I like tothink I'm a pretty decent actor and can do other
things other than just musical theater, whichagain, requires great acting skill. But anyway,
this play called moonlight and Magnolias, which isabout, um, Ben Hecht and, and, uh, uh, Victor

(35:47):
Fleming, the director, and David O. Selznickputting together Gone with the Wind. It's a three
character play. I played O. Selznick. He hasmonologues that are the length of Cleveland. And
so I'm, uh. And you know, the rehearsal process isvery truncated. And then we're going to run at the
Cape Playhouse. It was fabulous. And I got to workwith the great Dan Butler. Hi, Dan. I love you so
much. But anyway, that was something where I hadto sit down and get off book before we started

(36:12):
rehearsal because it was going to be so tight thatI need. And these monologues, some of these
monologues were huge. So that was an exception.
Uh, I did a summer run of Hairspray. I got offbook for Hair, you know, it's tricky to do it that
way. It's not the way I like to work. It's notorganic for me because my preferred process and
90% of the time what I get to do is you startrehearsal and you, you either sit around a table,

(36:37):
ideally for the first day or two, and you readthrough it and you talk through it and you, you
know, there's a process involved. Um, but everyprocess is going to be different because every
director is going to be, you know, everything isgoing to be what it's going to be. But ideally
that happens. Then you get on your feet and youstart to stage it and with script in hand, so that

(36:58):
then my body starts to. Then my body and my mind,then everything starts working together. The
physical. Okay, so now. So then I start to puttogether my physical action with my, with my
vocal, if you will, or whatever that is, learningmy lines and what that's going to be. And so I
find that nine times out of 10, depending on howlong the process is, if that goes on for. If

(37:19):
you're lucky enough to have a three, four weekrehearsal process, then I'm. I naturally get off
book, you know, pretty much it'll sort of happen.
I'll still have to study and I'll still make sureand run lines with my husband and stuff like that
and make sure I am. But it'll tend to just happenbecause of the repetition and the physical.

(37:39):
Marrying it to the physical. Um, and then withthat, during that technical, all that technical
stuff is happening, then you're discovering,ideally. And ideally, you need to get off book to
really. Right. You need to have scripts out ofhand before you can really start giving a full
performance.
Are you pretty good at quick memorization or doyou have to really struggle to get it in?

(38:01):
Like, you know, for TV and film, often you get thecopy a day or two before, you know, and you have
to put eight pages on tape yourself and everythingin the world we live in right now. And I can't.
I'm not good. I can't memorize. I'm not going tobe able to get this copy and memorize it within a
day and put it on. I'm not going to. It's justthat process doesn't happen for me. So again,

(38:24):
usually it just happens during rehearsal, youknow, But I'm not. I wouldn't say that. I'm. No, I
can't, like, sit, you know, if you hand me a pieceof paper and let me have me read something, a
poem, and then say, okay, I'm gonna give you, youknow, a half hour to memorize this. I guess I
probably could, but it wouldn't be my favoritething to do.
So you have to work at it. You have to work to getthe words in there. And it's helpful. You're

(38:48):
talking about prior to this when you were talkingabout working it out in, uh, rehearsal. It's
marinating at that point. But sometimes you don'tget that marination process.
No, you don't. And, you know, and I've had to doit before, you know, it's just not my. Yeah, it's
not my favorite way to have to memorize, you know,and even if I have to sit down, I mean, even if,
you know, we've been through the rehearsal processand I'm like, okay, I'm not really fully off book

(39:08):
here. You know, I know certain things, but Idon't, you know, then I can sit down and then I
can really drill, and then I can get myself.

Steve Cuden (39:15):
But.
But I have a familiarity at that point with thematerial.
And in the theater, you're getting that rehearsalopportunity. If you go do tv, notoriously, you get
little or no rehearsal.
Exactly. And if I had been, you know, doing morefilm or TV over the years, that facility, that
muscle, I'm sure would be much more active. Imean, think of the soap actors.
I've had the. I've had the privilege ofinterviewing a few soap operas on this show. And

(39:39):
some of them, I don't understand it becausethey're memorizing like, uh, 10 pages of script
overnight.
It's remarkable. And, you know, and that. So you,you develop that muscle, that skill is required
for that job for sure. You know, and then to makeit look effortless and not look like you're
searching for words or what. I mean, my God, inthat amount of time, every day. Woof.

(40:02):
So what are you looking for in rehearsal, asidefrom the, the marination and so on? What do you
want from the process? From the director? What doyou want? What do you. What is your goal? Aside
from learning blocking and, and lines and so on?
What are you searching for?
I want a positive room. I want everyone to playwell together in the sand. I want, you know, I

(40:25):
want a collaboration, uh, uh, you know, fromeveryone there. Because that's sort of. I mean,
everyone, not just the actors, you know, we're allthere trying to do one thing, you know, in a room,
like, you're gonna. Yes. You're gonna have your.
Maybe your writers and then assistants and stagemanagers and assistant stage managers and Interns
and, you know, people who are all doing stuff,ideally to make this process happen and, and, and

(40:48):
develop, you know, and especially, again, if we'retalking putting together a Broadway show, because
that's no joke, that's big time, big money, bigstuff. And so everybody has to rise to the
occasion and be professional and do their job. Butif we all do that and do it, then it's gonna, you

(41:09):
know, it will be a great thing, it will be, uh, apositive, you know, but there's a lot of things,
needless to say, that can influence that becauseyou have a lot of personalities, and it's a very
personal, subjective thing, as we've talked about,you know, so, so it's trickle down, you know,
depending on your director, your director sets atone in the room, your star or stars set a tone in

(41:33):
the room. Um, you know, so that also is part ofthe equation.
Do you, do you have the ability at this point,whether on Broadway or elsewhere, do you have the
ability during rehearsals to feel whether the showis going to work or. Or not, or do you need the
audience to tell you?
Yeah, you always, uh, ultimately need the audienceto tell you? Yes, because, yeah, especially with

(41:59):
comedy, musical comedy, you can fool yourself intothinking something's working or something's funny
or, you know, we want it to be good, we want it towork. We're very encouraging. Usually with each
other, um, things are developed sometimes in theroom because it made everybody else in the room
laugh. But it might not be best for the p. Is itreally. Is that the right moment for the character

(42:24):
or the story or whatever? But it made everybodylaugh, you know, anyway, there's a lot of stuff
that happens. Um, and so ultimately, uh, you can'tknow until you get it in front of an audience,
because that's the nature of live theater, thatexchange of energy. And then they're going to tell
you, you know, how it's playing in that respect.

(42:44):
And even though, you know, I mean, the producersis. Is a great example, Something Rotten is an
even better example, really is that. I had no ideawith, uh, Something Rotten, the producers. Look,
it was Mel Brooks, it was Nathan and Matthew.
There was a lot of pedigree. The expectation wasthat the show was probably going to be good and

(43:04):
probably pretty funny and probably not suck. Uh,but, you know, no one knew. I mean, we did the
invited dress in Chicago and added, you know, 20minutes onto the show with the laugh. It was. None
of us have ever experienced, you know, gettingthat show in front of a live audience for the
first time was ridiculous. And I thought, thiswill never happen again. Until, you know, 14 years

(43:26):
later, at the very same St. James Theater,something rotten does its invited dress rehearsal.
And we finish that number, a musical, in themiddle of act one. Um, and they jumped to their
feet and it was just, you know, anyway. And thenthat continued for a while. That was a crazy

(43:47):
random experience. But so no. Did we think thatwas going to happen? Of course not. I was worried
that that number was too meta to nudge, nudge,wink, wink, look at us, you know, not. We weren't
making fun of. We were. We were celebrating. Wewere. I was channeling. I mean, you know, it's
such a great way to do whatever the hell you wantbecause as this crazy Thomas Nostradamus, um, I

(44:09):
was seeing the. The future of what musical theaterwas going to be. And so all these wonderful,
random moments. But I didn't know that theaudience was going to embrace that number the way
they did both. Our community will be the firstones to be like, you know, ah, yeah, really funny.
Oh, yeah, look, you're making fun of Annie andEvita and, oh, very funny. You know, not only our

(44:31):
community, but then audiences just in general. Andso, yeah, never knew that was gonna happen.
Have you been in a hit show like the Producers orsomething rotten, et cetera. And for whatever
reason, during a given performance, it just isn'tworking. It's not clicking with the audience. Has
that happened for you? Yes.
I mean, yes, audiences will vary.

(44:52):
So my question is, then, what do you do to try andget them back to you?
You don't do any. No, no, no. That's a road toruin too, I think, to try to then start to cater
to again because you're. What is that? That hasnothing to do with the story we're telling or what
we've been doing eight times a week or. Audiencesare. No, audiences are going to come and go.
Audiences are going to be great and better. Nowwhen you get spoiled when they eventually did not

(45:15):
stand every night after a musical, you know, when,you know, when some audiences of the producers
were just not as vociferous or whatever, you know.
Yeah. You're like, hey, what's up? You know,what's the matter with you? But really, at the end
of the day, we're talking about, you know, acouple thousand people depending who come together
and give you. Us as performers, uh, and doing theshow a sense of, oh, they're a good audience. Oh,

(45:40):
they're a great audience. Oh, they suck. Oh, they.
The, you know, this generalization for all thesepeople. And it's like, you know what, you know, it
sort of is what it is. It doesn't make it easy allthe time. Because God knows when you're doing
comedy and they're not laughing or they're justtittering or. You used to get a guffaw. Um. Oh, it
can be debilitating, believe me.

(46:00):
The key here, correct me if I'm wrong, is youdon't really change anything. You just keep doing
what you do. Correct.
You can't. I mean, again, that has nothing. Yes,it's an exchange of energy, but if, if you don't
get the energy, then just keep going and powerthrough to the next time. Because, you know, you,
yeah, you can't be. You cannot be swayed by it andyou can't. And I say this, and believe me, it's.

(46:23):
I've done those shows where I'm like, oh, my God,really? But you can't let it piss you off and you
can't let it influence what you're doing.
What are your performance preparations? What doyou do on. And you're doing eight shows a week.
What do you do on a show day? What, you know, howdo you prepare? What do you do before performance?
Each from show to show. For me, depending on whatthose demands of the show are, um, and what kind

(46:46):
of shape I need to be in in any particularphysically, you know, vocally, if it's a very
demanding show, you know, then I obviously, I takecare of myself in a way or I make sure I'm warming
up during the day or whatever. Um, you know, thisright now, playing the wizard is a lovely, very
manageable track. Eight times a week. It doesn'tbust my ass in that way. The older I get, I joke,

(47:09):
you know, less is more. And in some capacity, youknow, it's sort of true. I don't mind doing eight
a week is. Yeah, it's tiring. It is. It's a thing.
I love it still. But it's. It is. I, uh, do have abit of a love hate relationship with it as well,
you know, in that way. Because. Because it is, youknow, these handcuffs, these golden handcuffs, if

(47:31):
you will. Right. I mean, please, I've been sofriggin blessed and I love it, but that's the way
I make a living is by doing eight shows a week.
It's still a physical activity. It still takes atoll on you. No. No matter how much you love it.
So. Yeah, so each, uh, again, each show isdifferent and I love, you know, like in a time
right now when I don't have to live my life to getthrough the show eight times a week. So I can do

(47:54):
other things. I can do sometimes double duty,which is always exhausting regardless, but I can
do double duty, meaning I can work on anotherproject during the day. You know, we do a lot of
readings and workshops of new shows. So there'llbe a week long, two week long, four week long
workshops or whatever. And, um, so I'm able to dothat more if my eight times a week job isn't

(48:19):
busting my balls. So, you know, um, yeah, well, I
would be terribly remiss if I didn't chat with youfor a few moments about Jekyll and Hyde.

Brad Oscar (48:27):
Yeah, come on.
Since we both have a connection to it. I know. Youdid the entire run on Broadway, did you not?
Almost. Jekyll was very good to me because theshow did have such a lovely run on Broadway. They
would give, uh, they would give, uh, ensemble, um,members a little leave of absences to go do other,
you know, short term projects, which was lovely.

(48:48):
And come back to Jekyll, which was amazing. Right?
So two years in a row, I went to play Santa Clausfor the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, which at
the time was being done also in a lot of citiesoutside New York. So in the. In the winter of
2000, I leave Jekyll on a leave of absence againto go play Santa Claus in Branson, Missouri. Can't

(49:11):
write this, people. Um, David Hasselhoff has justcome into Jekyll on Broadway, and I am in Branson
and I hear that the notice has gone up andJekyll's gonna close at the beginning of January.
So sadly, um, I'm not gonna be back for theclosing, which I was very upset about having been

(49:31):
involved with it for so long. But then I'm inBranson and I get a call to come audition for the
standby from Xbialistok and the producers. And mylife changes. And what eventually happens is I am,
um, let out of producer's rehearsal to go and be apart of the final performance of Jekyll. So I did
actually appear on stage in the final scene of thefinal performance on Broadway, which was very

(49:57):
special because again, this had been a part of mylife since 94. Frank and Linda came to see me and
came to see us in Forbidden Broadway. This posseof us at Forbidden Broadway in Los Angeles. Loved
it. Stayed after, were so sweet. And Frank's like,hey, you guys want to sing on my Jekyll and Hyde
demo album we're making. So we're like, yeah. So Ithink just me and Christine Petty ended up, uh,

(50:22):
doing some ensemble work on the. The doubleconcept album with Anthony Warlow. Um, and then a
couple months later I get a call, hey, you want tocome do Jekyll and Hyde at the Alley? And I mean,
at was, uh. No. Where were we?

St (50:35):
It was the Alley in Houston.
Alley Alley was the first production which I wasnot involved with, but we were going back to
Houston. It was, it was Tuts and it was Seattle.
Then it was Tuts. It was the Theater under theStars.
And then that turned into a, uh, nine month tourand then that eventually led to Broadway. And
again, the weird thing is you remember most ofthat tour. The company that did the tour that all

(50:56):
thought we were coming into Broadway with thatproduction. That did not happen. And as the tour
is nearing its end, we find out, oh, new director,new concept, new maybe new actors. And other than
the three of them, uh, Bob Cuccioli, Linda Etterand Christian Noel, that great triumvirate, um,

(51:17):
there was some major recasting and only myself.
Who else? Martin Van Turen, Ray McLeod, John TracyEgan. I guess a couple of us, uh, ended up in the
Broadway company as well. Yeah, no, it provided anenormous amount of work for me. I don't think
anybody thought the show was gonna run the way itdid on Broadway because, you know, we got so

(51:38):
slammed. It was so dismissed. It was so summarilydismissed.
You couldn't get really worse reviews and run thanthat show did. It got terrible reviews. It got a
couple of nice thoughts. Larry King gave it awonderful, you know, uh, uh, blurb, but, but, um,
Ben Brantley in the New York Times absolutelyskewered it. And, and nobody, uh, thought it was

(52:00):
going to run. But what kept that show alive reallywere the Jackies. They were out there in force and
they kept telling people, they've got people, haveto go see that show. And that's really what kept
it alive for a long time. That, and I think themusic is awfully good. You know, that's. That's
what brings it in.
People, please. There's nothing greater thanhaving some longevity now, you know, to be able to
look back and to be able to work then with youngerperformers who. There are people. Jekyll and Hyde

(52:26):
is huge to them as a, as a show again, as atouchstone, as a score, as a way in or whatever it
was for them. You know, Jekyll means a lot to alot of people and, and that's the thing about art.
You know, we can. It's so easy to be dismissiveabout something like that that has, you know, a
popular appeal or whatever. Um, and, uh, you know,and yet there we were, you know, well, outrunning

(52:49):
all of the musicals of our. Of our season,including the best musical winner, Titanic.
Um, although Chicago was in that. I think that wasthe year before, but Chicago is obviously still
running on Broadway, so.
Yes, exactly. But that was. Yes. At least that wasa revival and on a new musical at the time. But.
Yeah.
I don't know if you know, but Jekyll has justfinished this past year, its 20th anniversary

(53:14):
season in South Korea.

Brad Oscar (53:15):
No. Really?
Yes. 20 seasons in South Korea.
Wow. That's amazing.
It is amazing. I got to go over and see it a fewyears ago, and it was extraordinary. It's a really
wonderful production. If anybody's in South Koreaand gets to see it, you'll know what I'm talking
about. Um, how challenging is it for you in a showto continue to repeat performances for.

(53:37):
For years?

Steve Cuden (53:38):
How do you do that?
Um, you try to listen and, you know, I. I'm veryaware that that's my job. You know, that's my job
as a. You know, I'm very aware, again, I said,especially, like right now, every night, I have a.
I have a very important job to do. I had no ideathe wizard was really who he is and what he stands

(53:59):
for. And though it is the antithesis of everythingI believe and support and feel, I have to go out
there and believe it and make it somehow palatableand tell store and, you know, and that's. That's a
big responsibility, and I love it because rarely,um, does our work line up with literally the

(54:21):
moment having some. You know what I mean? Itdoesn't often happen that you get to. To, uh,
perform on stage nightly and have something to saythat resonates so much in what is happening right
now in the moment, you know, Happens more in film,you know. But anyway, so I try to, you know, all
those things. My responsibility to the show, myresponsibility. I have a. Every night when I go to

(54:44):
the. When I walk into the theater, the way theGershwin is laid out, uh, I take the elevator up
because my dressing room's on the third floor, butin order to get to my dressing room, I have to
walk around through the lobby. I walk through asthe audience is starting to come into the theater.
And every night I see kids or. Or someone, or Ijust. These people are so excited to be there. And

(55:07):
See, this show, it means so much to so manypeople. You know, as. As any given show, on any
given night, people are going to a Broadway show.
I mean, it's their. They've waited months, maybethey've spent God knows what, Maybe whatever it
is, you know? But, uh, every night, as I walk tomy dressing room, I am reminded of that every
night.
And that helps to give you energy, doesn't it?

(55:28):
Yeah, of course. Of course. Because it's notbecause there should be nothing casual about it,
and especially because, you know, and look, I'mlucky. I have a. I have something to really sink
my teeth into. I have a role. I have 20 minutes ofstage time that I get to make the most of. The
ensemble is up there eight times a week, workingtheir asses off, changing costumes every five

(55:52):
minutes, singing their asses off. They are thedemands placed on many Broadway ensembles and
musicals. That's the backbone of Broadway. That'sthe backbone of Wicked. That's. That's truly the
soul. I mean, you know, so we all have suchresponsibility, but theirs is, I think, so more

(56:14):
than you know. I have great respect for thiscompany because I see what they do every night,
and I have such great respect, and the way theshow is kept in shape, as I've said. Um, and
that's hard work. That is hard work. But these areprofessionals, and they are at the top of their
game, which is why when you come see a Broadwayshow, that's exactly what you should be seeing.

(56:34):
Performers who are at the top of their game, readyto deliver eight times a week, understanding the
responsibility that we have, how lucky we are tohave a job on Broadway, for God's sake. I'm not
saying there aren't issues, and I'm not sayingthere aren't problems, and I. This isn't. I'm not
trying to Pollyanna the whole thing up, but at theend of the day, you know, if you want to, why are

(56:56):
we all, you know, the big picture, man. The bigpicture. And, uh. So, yeah, I really try not to
lose it. And I've been very blessed to be able tocontinue to. To do what I love and truly, you
know, lay into that passion and have theopportunities, as I've said, to go out and. And
tell these stories and do these things.

(57:16):
Well, the Broadway stage is a very special place,and people that get to perform there, like you
are, um, you know, you're in a special breed, andit's a great thing. I've been having just the most
awesome conversation with Brad, Oscar, and we'regoing to wind the show down a little bit. I'm
wondering, in all of these many experiences you'vehad, are you able to share with us a story that's

(57:40):
either weird, quirky, offbeat, strange, or justplain funny?
You know, it's funny. I've been asked thisquestion before, and I never. I guess because so
many things happen. Right? I mean, because I.
Again, I've been doing this so long and so manyshows eight times a week in that way. And, um, so
I. I don't feel like I have any really good, juicystories to tell you. I mean, you know, always

(58:04):
things happen. Um, it would happen a couple timesin the Purdue. When I took over the role of Max
Bialystok. Um, when we entered the office in Act2. I don't know why. Sometimes mind and body
didn't coordinate. And instead, because you didn'thave to necessarily turn the doorknob, the door
would. You could push the door. It was on more ofa little ball hinge or something, I don't know.
But I pushed the glass, the pane of the window,which had just been replaced, of course, because

(58:27):
in Act 1, it says Max Bialystok. In Act 2, it saysBialystok and Bloom. So, um, yeah, I would
somehow, I don't know why, push and then, boom,out it would come onto the stage. You know, first
time, aha. Uh, we left. You know, second time, Iwas able to start to at least understand and make
a bit of it. Um, you know, so stuff like thatobviously is randomly going to happen. Uh, like, I

(58:51):
loved something that just stays with me justbecause it tickled me to death. We would come on
stage for places at the Addams Family, which wasone of my favorite moments in the show, when the
curtain was still down because that opening set inthe graveyard was so beautiful. I could live in
the Haunted Mansion at Disney or MonstersUnchained at Universal, which I just went on, um,
a couple weeks ago, which is. I can't even talk.

(59:13):
I'll go on for hours if we talk about that. So,anyway, the opening design of Addams Family is
gorgeous. And it was very. It was lit beautifullybefore the curtain went up or whatever. And we
would be chatting and we would get in that posefor the curtains to open as the Addams Family and
BB Neuwirth. I had a couple months with BB When Icame in. And, uh, I don't know, we were talking
and we were talking about the Golden Girls of allthings and comedy or whatever, and I just said,

(59:38):
and she just thought it was the funniest thing.
She. I said, I worship the Golden Girls. And Isaid it just at that moment when the curtains were
about to open. You know, again, timing, I guess,or whatever. She thought it was the funniest thing
she'd ever heard. Then just getting through therest of the number, clocking her the whole thing,
you know, I mean, you know, moments like that thatjust sort of stick with you and that are silly.

(59:59):
And, um. Oh, my God. The moment that should havegotten me and my fellow swings kicked out of
Actors Equity. 19, uh, 90, my first Broadway show,Aspects of Love. Andrew Lloyd Webber. Uh, I'm a
swing. With, uh, three other extraordinarilytalented performers. The show, again, not terribly
well received, opens in April. By Halloween, uh,the audiences are so small. Ish. At the

(01:00:25):
Broadhurst, which is not a big theater, mind you.
But, uh, audience is so small that night that theymove everyone down to the orchestra from the
mezzanine. So the mezzanine is empty. Well, it'sHalloween. We have a pumpkin backstage that is lit
inside with a candle. We take the pumpkin, we goup to the mezzanine. And during this number in act
two, toward the end of act two, it's a funeral.

(01:00:46):
It's awake for one of the characters who haspassed away. Big number. Hand me the wine and the
dice. But it's very dark on stage, so, you know,obviously. And even it's always dark in the house.
Well, not when there's a lit pumpkin floating backand forth in the mezzanine. During the number,
we're running back and forth in the mezzanine, soit looks like the pumpkin is floating while

(01:01:08):
they're on stage doing the number. Knowing that,uh, several of our cast members are clocking. I
mean, so unprofessional, so horrible. Obviously,we thought this was going to be fine, and nobody
on stage was gonna be like, um, by the way, tostage management. In which case, I know we would
have been written up, and geez Louise. But, yeah,I'll forever. But I like to think that on certain

(01:01:29):
Halloweens, if there's a bomb playing at theBroadhurst, that you can still see that.
I love theater stories like that. Um, lastquestion for you today, Brad. Uh, you have shared
just a huge amount of advice throughout this wholeshow for anyone trying to get to do what you get

(01:01:50):
to do. But, uh, I'm wondering, do you have a solidpiece of advice that you like to give to those who
come up to you and they say, I'm trying to getinto the Theater, or maybe I'm in a little bit
trying to get to that next level.
Yeah. Um, well, as I said earlier, you know, seeas much theater as you can as far as, you know,
again, in education and honing your craft and allthat stuff. And when it comes to, like, then just

(01:02:11):
professionally or the actual business of it all,you know, try just everything, you know, to. To be
seen, I guess, to. To audition as much as you canand let it just be a thing and let it not be about
each particular job, necessarily, if you know whatI mean, but just experience, to get in a room and,
you know, get to that point where you'recomfortable enough, where you're showing as much

(01:02:34):
of, uh, of who you are. You connect as much as youcan, you know, I wish I'd learned earlier in my
journey, I guess, to trust myself, my timing, mysense of what works, my approach to character,
whatever it is. Because again, we spend so muchtime wanting to get reaching, reaching, wanting
the job, wanting to be liked. Reaching, reaching.

(01:02:56):
All. That's all outside of yourself. It hasnothing to do with what's inside. And at the end
of the day, that's all you got, because that'swhat you're presenting is you. You and everything
that you bring to the table. And so, yeah, I. Ithink the more you can embrace that and try to
find who that. Who that person is, you know, trustthat. Um, then at the end of the day, at least you

(01:03:20):
walk out of the room and say, you know what? Ijust did the best that I can do. That is my. That
was my best shot right now, given the informationI have, given the. Whatever the situation is. Um,
I did the best that I could do. And that's all youcan do because it is totally subjective. And
remember, again, big picture and life is about alot of things. Uh, family and friends. And, you

(01:03:45):
know, there are other ways of. I have friends thatI grew up with doing shows at the jcc, this posse
of teenagers who love putting on shows. You know,I'm the only one who made a career of it. But
guess what? One of my dearest friends just closedlast weekend in Company. She just got to play Joe.
I mean, you know, so she's still doing it in acommunity. The. And at the end of the day, it's
the same damn thing. The lights go down, we tell astory, we share an evening together. And, you

(01:04:10):
know, so it happens here on 51st, or it happens inDamascus, Maryland, or wherever it happens. You
know, it's. It's. You can feed your soul in thatway still. So it can't be because the be all end
all can be tricky, right?
Oh, for sure. I mean, what absolutely wonderfuladvice. Because the truth of the matter is

(01:04:31):
they're, uh, not casting you because you aren'tyou. They're casting you because you are you. And
so be the best you you can be. Right, sure.
That's easy to say, and you get in the room andyou want to please in a way, but it's like, yeah,
no, it's okay. They'll come to you.
Much easier said than done, but, yes, that's whatyou have to try to achieve. I think that's
tremendous advice, Brad. Oscar, this has just beenjust a tremendous show today, and I'm so happy

(01:04:55):
that you've joined me and I got a chance to chatwith you about all these, uh, really great things
that have happened for you and your career. And Ican't thank you enough for your time, your energy,
and really for all this wonderful wisdom.
Thank you, Steve. It was a pleasure. Thank you. Iappreciate it.
And so we've come to the end of today's StoryBeat. If you like this episode, won't you please
take a moment to give us a comment, rating, orreview on whatever app or platform you're

(01:05:18):
listening to. Your support helps us bring moregreat Story Beat episodes to you. Story Beat is
available on all major podcast apps and platforms,including Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify,
iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and many others. Until nexttime, I'm Steve Cuden, and may all your stories be

(01:05:39):
unforgettable.