Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ryan Mack, Welcome to the Vinnie Penn Project. I'm excited to.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Have you on so much. Thank you me too.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I was looking forward to all shook up in general
at the good Speed Opera House without even knowing it
first premiered there originally then went to Broadway and is
now like kind of coming back. I didn't even realize that.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Oh my gosh, it's amazing. Yes, it started twenty years
ago at the good Speed Offera House. They first were
trying it out as you know, sort of a musical project. Yeah,
and then it ended up going to Broadway and became
a huge hit. And now we're bringing it back twenty
years later.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Yeah, which they do a lot. I mean, I'm born
and raised here in Connecticut. I've loved the good Speed
since I was a kid, and there's a lot of
stuff that gets tried out there. I don't know why.
I was so surprised that there's a lot of stuff
that you know, makes its way to Broadway straight from
the good Speed and even downtown New Haven at the
Schubert Theater has has given birth to many a Broadway hit.
(00:59):
I don't know how. Oh, yeah, you know, well, vert,
where are you from, Ryan.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I'm from upstate New York, Syracuse.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
All right, so you know, not too far.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, oh yeah, I mean good speed. Even growing up,
because you know, I grew up doing theater. It was
always the place where I wanted to go. It's where
so many shows start. It's it's the place to be.
So I'm so happy to be here this summer.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
I was under the impression it was like an Elvis bio,
but no, I want you to walk me through like
kind of the setup. It's a story just built around
all the hits. And do you get in the Ghetto.
That's the song I would want, I would want to
That's the one.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I love that song. Yeah, that one song is not
in it. But I have to tell you there are
so many Elvis songs in this show. Sure, Heartbreak, Hotel,
Hound Dog, Love Me Tender, If I can dream, come
on everybody. I mean, it's endless that I don't even understand.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Suspicious song is Suspicious minds in there.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
There might be a flavor of that interesting. I mean,
you gotta come and see.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, in the Ghetto I knew wouldn't be that's kind
of an Elvis deep cut, But Suspicious Mind it's a
big hit.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
So I'm kind of surprised to hear your reaction to that.
So so, yeah, they no, go.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Right, amm, No, that they have some of you know,
they have classic hits, but then there are a ton
of ones, I mean, some that I had never heard
of before. Yeah, and now after rehearsing the show, I'm
just like, this music is incredible. How did I not
know all of these songs? Yeah, but you're right, it's not.
The show is a show in itself. It uses all
(02:39):
of Elvis' hits and it's sort of inspired by the
idea of Elvis that you know, in the fifties, it
was this guy that came in and shook everything up,
shook up American culture, and that's kind of what this
show is about. Where this guy, Chad, this guitar playing
Roven roused about comes into this old dusty town and
shakes everything up. Everyone starts dreaming again, everybody's falling in love.
(03:03):
There's a lot of mistaken identity and it's it's a
hilarious show, but it's also so heartwarming. I mean, it's
impossible for people to come and not fall in love
with it.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yeah, you know, and another thing I noticed too, is
that The book is by Joe Dpa Trow, who yes,
I know him because of his work with David Bryan
from Bon Jovi. You know, Memphis is actually one of
my one of my favorite Broadway shows of all times.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Oh the same with me.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Oh what a show that is. So you're telling me
that Dpa he's been around that long, that he wrote
this twenty years ago.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Oh yeah, yeah, twenty years ago, and they were writing
it in East Haddam, Connecticut. And yeah, Joe's I mean,
his humor is unbelievably funny. And even during this rehearsal process,
he hasn't been here with us, but a lot of
the people who worked on the original project with him
are here working with us now, and they just tell
us endless stories about how they came up with the
(04:03):
different lines and you know, sitting in one of the
restaurants right across from the Good Speed Opera House, how
they would go in. I love that the different piece
of subscript. Yeah, I mean, he's incredible.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, it's a beautiful area. I was just so surprised
to see that. And you know, Memphis, huh, Memphis lives
in me. What a tune that was?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Man, Memphis? That was one of my favorite shows on Broadway.
I I sat, I think in the fifth Grail watching that.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
I love that music. Oh yeah, that's one of mine too.
And again wrong with Ryan Mack. He plays Chad in
All Shook Up, which is coming to the Good Speed Opera.
So you know another reason why I wanted you on Ryan?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Why is that?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Well? I mean you were on Broadway and Wicked. What
do you think?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
What do you think of all this madness? These these
films are actually delivering? Like we just got the trailer.
I have a twenty two year old daughter. It was
a big part of her life. It was like her
it was her first Broadway show. Going back to her,
you know, maybe being six or seven. Then huh, her first,
like Idyl wasz Ariana Grande. So it's like this real
(05:07):
collision of her two worlds, you know. Oh yeah, And
I was out last week and she's texting me the
trailer for part two came on. How do you feel
as someone who was in Wicked on Broadway about are
you happy with the movies? Do you think they're delivery? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I could not be happier. I mean Wicked was the
Wicked is what got me into musical theater when I
was in middle school. It was that big show that
all of us at that time fell in love with. Yeah,
and then to be a part of it twenty years later,
and I still go back and forth in the production.
I'm actually, while I'm rehearsing here at good speed, I'm
(05:46):
going to be back in Wicked covering this weekend. So
I go back and forth.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Just part of the family.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
And what was that?
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Just part of the family. It's like you're part of
the family once you're in Wicked family.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah. And No, the movies, oh my god, they've completely
lived up expectation. We actually this past year when the
first movie debut, they did a special screening with our
whole cast and we got to watch the movie with
Ariana Grande and Kristin Chenna with and a lot of
the original cast. It was an incredible experience.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, I'll tell you, I didn't think it was going
to deliver because I remember the moment, you know, I
first saw Defying Gravity live. You know, I got my
little girl to the left of me and it was
a Dina Menzel, you know, I mean, I thought, no
one's going to touch it. They're not going to touch it.
These movies are epic. Who did you play when you
first scored the first time round on Broadway? Who were
(06:41):
you in Wicked? Well?
Speaker 2 (06:43):
First, I've been in the ensemble, sure, and then yeah,
I played different tracks in the ensemble, but I understudied Guerrero,
so I get to go on one while and cover
the lead role, and it's just incredible. Yeah, that's the
part I've always looked up for.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
It is I don't know how that well, I I
gress too much. I don't know how maguire going all
the way back to the source material. We were actually
just talking about it, my daughter and I this past
weekend because of that trailer came out, like this guy
actually came up with an origin story for every character
that was created over one hundred years ago. He went
(07:18):
to the cowardly Lion. Okay, I got a backstory.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
You know every detail?
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yep. I mean that's I don't know what to make.
It's almost associate path. I would say the guy's associate path,
but I can't.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I know, I can't wait to meet Chad. I'm assuming
Chad is like, is he a motorcycle riding?
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Is he kind of like the dude from Greece too,
or my way off?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yeah, isn't he No, you're right. It is a blend
of all that. It's the blend of Elvis, It's the
blend of greed. It's actually the fact that you bring
up Wicked. It reminds me of Sierro. It's like this
guy that comes to town and he's so in touch
with music and his passion for love and he just
us to spread that to all these people in this
(08:02):
town and it's electric for everyone, and it just shakes
everything up.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
And there's no original, so it's all the catalog is
Elvis music.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah, no original all but there are ranged in this
incredible way by Stephen Aremus who also worked on Wicked.
There's a lot of ties there, but just arrange them
for sort of a musical theater Broadway deal while still
keeping that fifties rock and roll vibe that we have
huge dance numbers. I mean, yeah, you'll hear these songs
(08:34):
in a way that you've never heard them before.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I can't I can't wait to check it out again.
It's all shook up. It's coming to it's the twentieth anniversary,
and it's head and right back to where it started
for the twenty twenty five season, and a blast talking
to you. I hope to meet you when I check
out the show on press night. It's Ryan Mack as
Chad and you got to see if you could get deep.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
You know, you got clout, see if you can get
in the ghetto in there.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
I think, yeah, now, I think there's room for it.
But break a leg, break a leg, and I'll see
you there. Man, I'll see you and had
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Him thank you, Benny, see you soon, all right, right,
Ryan Mack, Welcome to the Vinnie Penn Project. I'm excited to.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Have you on so much. Thank you me too.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
I was looking forward to all shook up in general
at the good Speed Opera House without even knowing it
first premiered there originally then went to Broadway and is
now like kind of coming back. I didn't even realize that.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Oh my gosh, it's amazing. Yes, it started twenty years
ago at the good Speed Offera House. They first were
trying it out as you know, sort of a musical project. Yeah,
and then it ended up going to Broadway and became
a huge hit. And now we're bringing it back twenty
years later.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Yeah, which they do a lot. I mean, I'm born
and raised here in Connecticut. I've loved the good Speed
since I was a kid, and there's a lot of
stuff that gets tried out there. I don't know why.
I was so surprised that there's a lot of stuff
that you know, makes its way to Broadway straight from
the good Speed and even downtown New Haven at the
Schubert Theater has has given birth to many a Broadway hit.
(00:59):
I don't know how. Oh, yeah, you know, well, vert,
where are you from, Ryan.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
I'm from upstate New York, Syracuse.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
All right, so you know, not too far.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Yeah, oh yeah, I mean good speed. Even growing up,
because you know, I grew up doing theater. It was
always the place where I wanted to go. It's where
so many shows start. It's it's the place to be.
So I'm so happy to be here this summer.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
I was under the impression it was like an Elvis bio,
but no, I want you to walk me through like
kind of the setup. It's a story just built around
all the hits. And do you get in the Ghetto.
That's the song I would want, I would want to
That's the one.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I love that song. Yeah, that one song is not
in it. But I have to tell you there are
so many Elvis songs in this show. Sure, Heartbreak, Hotel,
Hound Dog, Love Me Tender, If I can dream, come
on everybody. I mean, it's endless that I don't even understand.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Suspicious song is Suspicious minds in there.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
There might be a flavor of that interesting. I mean,
you gotta come and see.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah, in the Ghetto I knew wouldn't be that's kind
of an Elvis deep cut, But Suspicious Mind it's a
big hit.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
So I'm kind of surprised to hear your reaction to that.
So so, yeah, they no, go.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Right, amm, No, that they have some of you know,
they have classic hits, but then there are a ton
of ones, I mean, some that I had never heard
of before. Yeah, and now after rehearsing the show, I'm
just like, this music is incredible. How did I not
know all of these songs? Yeah, but you're right, it's not.
The show is a show in itself. It uses all
(02:39):
of Elvis' hits and it's sort of inspired by the
idea of Elvis that you know, in the fifties, it
was this guy that came in and shook everything up,
shook up American culture, and that's kind of what this
show is about. Where this guy, Chad, this guitar playing
Roven roused about comes into this old dusty town and
shakes everything up. Everyone starts dreaming again, everybody's falling in love.
(03:03):
There's a lot of mistaken identity and it's it's a
hilarious show, but it's also so heartwarming. I mean, it's
impossible for people to come and not fall in love
with it.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Yeah, you know, and another thing I noticed too, is
that The book is by Joe Dpa Trow, who yes,
I know him because of his work with David Bryan
from Bon Jovi. You know, Memphis is actually one of
my one of my favorite Broadway shows of all times.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Oh the same with me.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Oh what a show that is. So you're telling me
that Dpa he's been around that long, that he wrote
this twenty years ago.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
Oh yeah, yeah, twenty years ago, and they were writing
it in East Haddam, Connecticut. And yeah, Joe's I mean,
his humor is unbelievably funny. And even during this rehearsal process,
he hasn't been here with us, but a lot of
the people who worked on the original project with him
are here working with us now, and they just tell
us endless stories about how they came up with the
(04:03):
different lines and you know, sitting in one of the
restaurants right across from the Good Speed Opera House, how
they would go in. I love that the different piece
of subscript. Yeah, I mean, he's incredible.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Yeah, it's a beautiful area. I was just so surprised
to see that. And you know, Memphis, huh, Memphis lives
in me. What a tune that was?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Man, Memphis? That was one of my favorite shows on Broadway.
I I sat, I think in the fifth Grail watching that.
Speaker 1 (04:28):
I love that music. Oh yeah, that's one of mine too.
And again wrong with Ryan Mack. He plays Chad in
All Shook Up, which is coming to the Good Speed Opera.
So you know another reason why I wanted you on Ryan?
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Why is that?
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Well? I mean you were on Broadway and Wicked. What
do you think?
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (04:45):
What do you think of all this madness? These these
films are actually delivering? Like we just got the trailer.
I have a twenty two year old daughter. It was
a big part of her life. It was like her
it was her first Broadway show. Going back to her,
you know, maybe being six or seven. Then huh, her first,
like Idyl wasz Ariana Grande. So it's like this real
(05:07):
collision of her two worlds, you know. Oh yeah, And
I was out last week and she's texting me the
trailer for part two came on. How do you feel
as someone who was in Wicked on Broadway about are
you happy with the movies? Do you think they're delivery? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I could not be happier. I mean Wicked was the
Wicked is what got me into musical theater when I
was in middle school. It was that big show that
all of us at that time fell in love with. Yeah,
and then to be a part of it twenty years later,
and I still go back and forth in the production.
I'm actually, while I'm rehearsing here at good speed, I'm
(05:46):
going to be back in Wicked covering this weekend. So
I go back and forth.
Speaker 3 (05:51):
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Just part of the family.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
And what was that?
Speaker 1 (05:55):
Just part of the family. It's like you're part of
the family once you're in Wicked family.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Yeah. And No, the movies, oh my god, they've completely
lived up expectation. We actually this past year when the
first movie debut, they did a special screening with our
whole cast and we got to watch the movie with
Ariana Grande and Kristin Chenna with and a lot of
the original cast. It was an incredible experience.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Yeah, I'll tell you, I didn't think it was going
to deliver because I remember the moment, you know, I
first saw Defying Gravity live. You know, I got my
little girl to the left of me and it was
a Dina Menzel, you know, I mean, I thought, no
one's going to touch it. They're not going to touch it.
These movies are epic. Who did you play when you
first scored the first time round on Broadway? Who were
(06:41):
you in Wicked? Well?
Speaker 2 (06:43):
First, I've been in the ensemble, sure, and then yeah,
I played different tracks in the ensemble, but I understudied Guerrero,
so I get to go on one while and cover
the lead role, and it's just incredible. Yeah, that's the
part I've always looked up for.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
It is I don't know how that well, I I
gress too much. I don't know how maguire going all
the way back to the source material. We were actually
just talking about it, my daughter and I this past
weekend because of that trailer came out, like this guy
actually came up with an origin story for every character
that was created over one hundred years ago. He went
(07:18):
to the cowardly Lion. Okay, I got a backstory.
Speaker 2 (07:22):
You know every detail?
Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yep. I mean that's I don't know what to make.
It's almost associate path. I would say the guy's associate path,
but I can't.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
I know, I can't wait to meet Chad. I'm assuming
Chad is like, is he a motorcycle riding?
Speaker 1 (07:38):
Is he kind of like the dude from Greece too,
or my way off?
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Yeah, isn't he No, you're right. It is a blend
of all that. It's the blend of Elvis, It's the
blend of greed. It's actually the fact that you bring
up Wicked. It reminds me of Sierro. It's like this
guy that comes to town and he's so in touch
with music and his passion for love and he just
us to spread that to all these people in this
(08:02):
town and it's electric for everyone, and it just shakes
everything up.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
And there's no original, so it's all the catalog is
Elvis music.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah, no original all but there are ranged in this
incredible way by Stephen Aremus who also worked on Wicked.
There's a lot of ties there, but just arrange them
for sort of a musical theater Broadway deal while still
keeping that fifties rock and roll vibe that we have
huge dance numbers. I mean, yeah, you'll hear these songs
(08:34):
in a way that you've never heard them before.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
I can't I can't wait to check it out again.
It's all shook up. It's coming to it's the twentieth anniversary,
and it's head and right back to where it started
for the twenty twenty five season, and a blast talking
to you. I hope to meet you when I check
out the show on press night. It's Ryan Mack as
Chad and you got to see if you could get deep.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
You know, you got clout, see if you can get
in the ghetto in there.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
I think, yeah, now, I think there's room for it.
But break a leg, break a leg, and I'll see
you there. Man, I'll see you and had
Speaker 2 (09:08):
Him thank you, Benny, see you soon, all right, right,
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