1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:01,320 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk. 2 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,720 Speaker 2: It is a real question that we have to ask ourselves. 3 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:07,560 Speaker 2: We are beyond the point of blind hope and we 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:11,119 Speaker 2: are into the period of responsibility where we will have 5 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 2: to make choices. We cannot just be blithely carried along. 6 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 2: And that's why the song says, maybe maybe we're gonna 7 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 2: make it all right, Maybe not today, but maybe tomorrow night, 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 2: and I believe we will. The message ultimately is a 9 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 2: positive one. 10 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast with Buzz Night, 11 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: where Buzz finds the stories of music and new projects, 12 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: and this time from an amazing Broadway performer who's created 13 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: new music just released for the world to hear. Buzz 14 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: is joined by Broadway powerhouse Brandon Victor Dixon, Emmy, Grammy 15 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: and multiple Tony Award nominated actor, singer and producer. Brandon's 16 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:55,840 Speaker 1: remarkable career spans originating Harpo and The Color Purple, portraying 17 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: Barry Gordy Junior in Motown the Musical, and stepping into 18 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:03,560 Speaker 1: Aaron Burr Shoes in Hamilton. As co founder of Walk 19 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:08,320 Speaker 1: Run Fly Productions, Brandon supports new voices on Broadway, including 20 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: the Tony winning revival of Headwig and the Angry Inch 21 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: joined Buzznight as he talks with Brandon Victor Dixon to 22 00:01:15,959 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: discuss his journey and his new pop release Power Song 23 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: on the Taking a Walk Podcast. 24 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 3: Well, Brandon, thanks for being on the Taking a Walk 25 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 3: podcast and in person too in glorious New York City. 26 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 2: Happy to be here, Happy to be here. Thank you 27 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 2: for having me. Oh it's so great. So before we 28 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 2: talk about. 29 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 3: Your new release, which is so wonderful to see out 30 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 3: there in the world, and then got a full album 31 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 3: coming out as well. Since the podcast is called Taking 32 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 3: a Walk, I do want to ask you if you 33 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,360 Speaker 3: could take a walk with somebody and they would be 34 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 3: living or dead. They don't have to be associated with music, 35 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 3: but since you have spent a life around theater and music, 36 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,240 Speaker 3: it can lean that way. Who would you like to 37 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 3: take a walk with? And where would you take a 38 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 3: walk with them? 39 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 2: Okay? 40 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 4: So? 41 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 2: And is the location? Does it have to be a 42 00:02:18,880 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: real location in present day? 43 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 3: Not necessarily Okay, I've never been asked that, so not necessarily. 44 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 2: Let me see, I am gonna go with these are 45 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 2: odd choices. Well, one of the w W I'm gonna give 46 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:38,839 Speaker 2: my initial answer, which is a centil mental answer would 47 00:02:38,880 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 2: be with my father, and it would be around the 48 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 2: uh the Montgomery College uh tennis courts in Gaithersburg, Maryland, 49 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 2: where he taught me how to play tennis. But if 50 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,519 Speaker 2: I'm going with an in uh uh a a creatively 51 00:02:54,840 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 2: inspired I would want to take a walk with Michael Jackson. 52 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 2: We would take the walk uh down the lawn at 53 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: Barry Gordy's house. Wow. Yeah, okay, that's where we'd take 54 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 2: the walk. That's a great spot, Yes, it is. 55 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 4: Have you ever been on that property? 56 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 2: I have, Yeah, I have, So that's part of the 57 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 2: reason I know it would be the perfect spot. 58 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 4: Yeah. You know, what do you think you would talk 59 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 4: to him about? 60 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,080 Speaker 2: I mean really everything he would let me y, you know, 61 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 2: I would, uh, but I would talk to him about 62 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 2: I would wanna talk to him just about life, just 63 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 2: about him and how he is and you know, somebody 64 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 2: who has had such a dynamic impact on me personally, uh, 65 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 2: but not just me, but on the world. You know, 66 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 2: I I would be interested to just get to know 67 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:51,280 Speaker 2: the person. He's a He's a person whom I admire greatly, 68 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 2: but a person whose life I cannot even begin to imagine, uh, 69 00:03:56,000 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 2: because the experiences that shaped him are so unique and 70 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 2: the way the world has reacted to him since at 71 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 2: a very young age is very unique. I just have 72 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 2: no idea what kind of person he maybe, and I'd 73 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 2: be interested. 74 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, And walks have a tendency of getting to the 75 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 3: root of a lot of personal feelings and in depth 76 00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 3: conversations because we're free, we're out there, we're concentrating on 77 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:33,919 Speaker 3: our breaths as we're walking, but we're also able to 78 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 3: explore right, absolutely, yeah, absolutely, So back to Gaithersburg, Maryland 79 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 3: for a second. 80 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 2: There. 81 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:51,119 Speaker 3: So you attended Saint Albans, right I did before Columbia, Yes, 82 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 3: And can you talk about some of the mentors that 83 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 3: have made an impact on you to this day thinking 84 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 3: back and then further along in your in your life, well. 85 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 2: I had had a very uh like positive family life 86 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 2: and family structure, which led to me being afforded a 87 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:16,400 Speaker 2: lot of educational opportunities, which put me in contact with 88 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 2: people like my music teacher and elementary school, Bert Worth, 89 00:05:19,680 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 2: who taught me how to play the piano and uh, 90 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 2: you know, really got me connected into theater and music. 91 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:33,280 Speaker 2: And then at Saint Albans, Frankie Tacker and Richard Dorton 92 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:37,160 Speaker 2: who were the two kind of directors and choreographers of 93 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 2: the musical theater program at at Saint Albans, and they 94 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 2: also saw my affinity for the arts, my talent for 95 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 2: the arts, so they put me in contact with scholarship competitions, 96 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 2: enabled me to go study at Oxford at the British 97 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 2: American Drama Academy, and they also really just helped me 98 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,159 Speaker 2: to get some scholarships that helped me pay for my 99 00:05:57,200 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 2: time at Columbia University here and here in New York. 100 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 3: And you think back on that and you think of 101 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,040 Speaker 3: how all the pieces. 102 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,359 Speaker 4: Came together pretty incredibly. 103 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 2: I do, I do. I think, you know, I have 104 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 2: the benefit of having known from a very young age 105 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 2: what I wanted to do and an environment that it 106 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 2: helped enable that along with structure, and I think that 107 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 2: because of that, I've been able to make decisions over 108 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:31,160 Speaker 2: the course of time that I at least helped increase 109 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 2: the probability that I might be able to walk this path. 110 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:36,719 Speaker 4: So take me back. 111 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 3: You walk in and see your first Broadway show, which 112 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:44,679 Speaker 3: I believe was rag Time, Right. 113 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 2: That was my first show on Broadway, But it was 114 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 2: not my first Broadway show. Okay, the first show I 115 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 2: saw on Broadway was in the West End. Actually those 116 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 2: are the Broadway shows I saw initially, which was lame 117 00:06:57,760 --> 00:06:59,839 Speaker 2: as rob I miss I got. 118 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 3: Okay, So then take me back there at those first moments, 119 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:08,200 Speaker 3: but also rag time. I mean, what did those experiences 120 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 3: teach you and inspire you that to this day they 121 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 3: still you know, have great meaning. 122 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 2: Well, on one hand, it means that anytime I have 123 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 2: a conversation about the greatest musicals of all time, le 124 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 2: Mizerav is right up there with at a number one. 125 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 2: It's seared into my brain. But you know, for me, 126 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 2: part of that is because the nature of the musical 127 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 2: and the scope of the musical were so far beyond 128 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 2: anything I had ever seen or experienced or even really imagined. 129 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,400 Speaker 2: Because I'm doing high school musicals, I'm doing Guys and Jaws, 130 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 2: I'm doing the music Man, I'm doing you know, so 131 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 2: they're and they're in the high school style. I'm seeing 132 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 2: the films, but they're films, so movie musicals on film 133 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 2: are different. So to be in this kind of large scale, 134 00:07:56,160 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 2: immersive experience, it was really really transformative for me, and 135 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 2: for I think at least that's for my inspiration for 136 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 2: continuing to go forward. 137 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,560 Speaker 3: And when you sort of reflect on that right now 138 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:17,160 Speaker 3: and you think of younger artists coming up the ranks 139 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:21,760 Speaker 3: and making their mark, what advice would you give them 140 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:24,840 Speaker 3: that you learned maybe back then or that you're still 141 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 3: learning to this day. 142 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 2: I mean, the thing I would advise them to do 143 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 2: would be to absorb, absorb and observe all that you 144 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 2: can acquire, as many skills as you can in and 145 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 2: related to the discipline of your choice, and to instill 146 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 2: in yourself the ability to walk into fear and to 147 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 2: keep going and to keep going and. 148 00:08:49,080 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 4: To keep going resilience. 149 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's important, but it. 150 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 3: Still requires a support system of people to encourage you, right. 151 00:08:59,040 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 2: It's helpful. Not everybody has it and they still manage. 152 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 3: So these other experiences that have been part of your 153 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:11,080 Speaker 3: career are pretty incredible. I want you to maybe touch 154 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 3: on all of them or as many. I mean, we 155 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:16,680 Speaker 3: have time to talk about them all, but you have 156 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:18,880 Speaker 3: so many great ones. 157 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:23,520 Speaker 4: First of all, can you talk about the color. 158 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 3: Purple and what that experience sort of meant to you 159 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:29,839 Speaker 3: being part of it. 160 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:34,400 Speaker 2: The color Purple was a very unique experience for me. 161 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 2: It was my first original role and also it taught 162 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 2: me something kind of particular. I think about the discipline, 163 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 2: you know. I think Lion King was the show I 164 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:46,319 Speaker 2: did prior to that, and that taught me how to 165 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 2: live in a role and to live as a professional, 166 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:53,200 Speaker 2: and to it taught me how to deal with fear 167 00:09:53,480 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 2: and the inability to see the way out. And the 168 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:05,880 Speaker 2: Color Purple really taught me about the discipline of acting, 169 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:09,800 Speaker 2: of acting in the theater, of acting with partners, and 170 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:15,320 Speaker 2: the creative discipline I think of of theater because of 171 00:10:15,360 --> 00:10:18,240 Speaker 2: the nature of how it was constructed and the nature 172 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 2: of the artists who came together to construct it. The 173 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 2: Color Purple was a big show, but at the end 174 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 2: of the day, what made the Color Purple work was 175 00:10:27,840 --> 00:10:31,600 Speaker 2: the relationship between the actors on stage telling that story. 176 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 2: You could do the Color Purple in a black box 177 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 2: and it still has has the same effect if that 178 00:10:36,000 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 2: connectivity is there. 179 00:10:37,960 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 4: But you'd sort of make it. 180 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:44,040 Speaker 5: You make it sounds somewhat easy, But I can't fathom 181 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:49,200 Speaker 5: those disciplines from my perspective. I'm not, you know, an 182 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:53,199 Speaker 5: artist and trained, but you do make it seem effortless. 183 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 2: I don't make I hope I make it seem effortless, 184 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 2: but I don't. I don't mean to make it saying easy. 185 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 2: But no, no, no, no, you're not. I know you're not, 186 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 2: but I'm saying I'm not saying I don't mean to 187 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:07,360 Speaker 2: make it sound easy because it's challenging and it requires 188 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 2: a level of skill and willingness, and it is. Really 189 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:16,080 Speaker 2: it brought a lot of my technical acting disciplines to bear. 190 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 2: I've been able to study acting in a number of 191 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:25,840 Speaker 2: forms and locations in my education, thankfully, and it really 192 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 2: brought a lot of those things to bear. 193 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 3: And then another incredible one that I'm dying to hear 194 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 3: your perspective on because it certainly sounds like it was 195 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:39,199 Speaker 3: a blast. 196 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 4: Motown. 197 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 2: The musical Motown was a blast. Motown was a blast. 198 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:48,080 Speaker 2: Motown was also like it was a dream come true. 199 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 2: Motown was also a lesson, a real human lesson, a 200 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:57,959 Speaker 2: real personal lesson, an educational time for me. But Michael 201 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 2: Jackson is my greatest artistic in inspiration, and so I've 202 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 2: always had a great veneration for his origins and love 203 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 2: with the Jackson Five and of the Barry Gordy Motown legacy. 204 00:12:10,200 --> 00:12:15,760 Speaker 2: So it was kind of otherworldly to get the opportunity 205 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:19,080 Speaker 2: to be welcomed into a portion of that family and 206 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 2: that legacy. 207 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 3: I was fortunate a couple times on the podcast too. 208 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 3: I had Mickey Stevenson on for those that don't know, 209 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 3: I mean he was Barry Gordy's A and R man. 210 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 3: And also I think I did one of the last 211 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:48,319 Speaker 3: interviews before Duke Fakir passed away from the Four Tops. Yeah, 212 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 3: and the sense that I got from both of those 213 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 3: interviews was not a sense of chaos at all in 214 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:06,319 Speaker 3: that time, just this creative burst that was just everywhere. 215 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:11,000 Speaker 3: There's amazing series of artists who every time you turned 216 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:14,439 Speaker 3: around there was either a new one or you know, 217 00:13:14,880 --> 00:13:18,400 Speaker 3: one that was coming back with new work and everything. 218 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:26,480 Speaker 3: Mickey described the early moment seeing you know, Stevie Wonder 219 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 3: and bringing Barriy in to see Stevie Wonder. But did 220 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 3: you get that sense in studying everything that you did 221 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 3: for your role, just how the creative burst must have 222 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:43,840 Speaker 3: been so incredible? 223 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,199 Speaker 2: Oh, I certainly did. I mean one just from the 224 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 2: factual aspect of ingesting. I mean, I know about Motown. 225 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 2: I've grown up with Motown, so I'm familiar. When you 226 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:58,200 Speaker 2: just start listing the artists, you kind of start to 227 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 2: get an idea for like, wait, this is kind of 228 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 2: what was going on here. But as I obviously I 229 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:08,559 Speaker 2: got into my research, uh, that is something that shines through. 230 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:10,840 Speaker 2: This was a special time and a special group of people. 231 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:15,560 Speaker 2: And you know, we're we're dramatic artists and we're making 232 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 2: the musical, so we're also looking for the drama or 233 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 2: the untold things or what are the what are the 234 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 2: nuances to this? But even as we kind of crept 235 00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 2: through those pieces, the thing that came through and that 236 00:14:27,960 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 2: always remained message wise from Barry I think everybody else, 237 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 2: is that at the end of the day, it was 238 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 2: about the love. Even as we got lost along the way, 239 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,520 Speaker 2: we got lost because because of the love. It drove 240 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 2: us crazy, it drove us mad, it drove us forward, 241 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 2: it drove us together, it drove us apart, it drives 242 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 2: us But you know, at the end of the day, 243 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,200 Speaker 2: it's got to be about the love. And that is 244 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 2: what the formula for molding each other was. That is 245 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,160 Speaker 2: what the formula for molding the music was and finding 246 00:14:59,200 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 2: that frequent see, which is what music and communion is about. 247 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 2: It's about aligning frequencies. And they've found the right frequency 248 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 2: and managed to and the people who were tuned to 249 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:16,800 Speaker 2: it came to it and surrendered to it. And I 250 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:20,720 Speaker 2: think it's one of the most uniquely dynamic and creative 251 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 2: environments in the world, which is why it's created two 252 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 2: of the most incredible artists we've ever seen. And it 253 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:30,400 Speaker 2: will be hard to imagine a scenario that can create 254 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:34,360 Speaker 2: people like Stevie Wonder or Michael Jackson again, and that 255 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 2: is not to mention the litanyan of other artists who 256 00:15:38,640 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 2: are almost on their level, if not on their level. 257 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. 258 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, I love how you described that, the frequency and 259 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 3: just the everything coming together. 260 00:15:49,200 --> 00:15:50,240 Speaker 2: That's what you're looking for. 261 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 4: Yeah, Hell's Kitchen. 262 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:59,560 Speaker 3: Once another different place certainly to go, but talk about 263 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 3: that experience. 264 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 2: Uh, Hell's Kitchen very different experience, cause also it's come 265 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 2: at a very different place in my life. Uh. I. 266 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 2: I was brought into Hell's Kitchen because of my relationship 267 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 2: with the director Michael Grife. We initially worked together at 268 00:16:13,600 --> 00:16:17,040 Speaker 2: the Williamstown Theater Festival, and then after that I I 269 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 2: went and I I did U a a couple passages 270 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 2: of of Rent for him off Broadway, and then we 271 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 2: did Rent Live together and Michael. I love Michael and 272 00:16:25,960 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 2: I appreciate Michael's taste and his intellect, and so when 273 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 2: he told me he was working on this, I was 274 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:34,200 Speaker 2: happy to uh be a part of the developmental process. 275 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,640 Speaker 2: And as they continued to work the script and things 276 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 2: aligned that I was able to join them when we 277 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 2: went off Broadway and then to Broadway and it's been uh. 278 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 2: You know, I told h I left the show about 279 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 2: a month ago, and at my my final speech to 280 00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 2: the to the youngsters and the cast, UH was really 281 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,240 Speaker 2: just to talk to them about the fact that, you know, 282 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 2: particularly when you get into a p you have your 283 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 2: highs and you have your lows, you have your gripes. 284 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:06,200 Speaker 2: But you know, I said, whatever, whatever you may think 285 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:09,200 Speaker 2: of some of the challenges you faced here, like this 286 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 2: is a unique project and a unique time, and you 287 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,600 Speaker 2: it's almost as good as it gets. You may not 288 00:17:17,760 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 2: have this again, so you know, value it. And I 289 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 2: think that's something that I, you know, I remember from 290 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 2: some of my earlier experiences with other shows, trying to 291 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:32,639 Speaker 2: hold on to that lesson because I learned that it 292 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:37,239 Speaker 2: doesn't always come right right again, and I wanted to 293 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 2: impart that lesson to them. But I was grateful to 294 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 2: have that experience. 295 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:45,159 Speaker 4: Such an important lesson. I was just saying it to 296 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 4: some people. 297 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 3: How I look at myself and I go, how lucky 298 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 3: am I here falling into something where I'm able to 299 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 3: interview some of the great are musicians, taste makers. So 300 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 3: that lesson of not forgetting that moment that you passed 301 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 3: on to your. 302 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:14,160 Speaker 4: Crew there if you will is so critical. 303 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,280 Speaker 2: You know, Hell's Kitchen is very much the lesson of 304 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,800 Speaker 2: Hell's Kitchen. It's a coming of age story about a 305 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 2: teenage girl growing up in New York City with her 306 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:25,560 Speaker 2: with her mother. But the lesson of the show for 307 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 2: me is that it takes a village. It takes a 308 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:33,399 Speaker 2: village to raise somebody. It takes a village to build 309 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:37,240 Speaker 2: community and to build art and to build music. And 310 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 2: you know, I think Alicia kind of shows in that 311 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 2: show the influences that poured into her that she has 312 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,479 Speaker 2: tried to pour back into the world, the village that 313 00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 2: raised her, so she tries to give back. And I 314 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 2: think it's again, it was easy to give that message 315 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,639 Speaker 2: because it echoes through the piece, just as it echoes 316 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:55,240 Speaker 2: through my life. 317 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: We'll be right back with more of the Taken a 318 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 1: Walk podcast. Welcome back to the taking a walk podcast. 319 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 3: So when you're taking on something new, let's just use 320 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:14,560 Speaker 3: We can use any example, but I can use Hamilton 321 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 3: as an example. We can use any of your body 322 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 3: of work as an example. How do you prepare and 323 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,879 Speaker 3: research what you're embarking upon? Can you give us a 324 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 3: glimpse into. 325 00:19:28,640 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 4: That, what that process is about and what it's like. 326 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:36,959 Speaker 2: Yes, I'm a nerd at my core. So books are 327 00:19:37,119 --> 00:19:42,239 Speaker 2: my friends. Reading is my friend, particularly with roles like 328 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:46,880 Speaker 2: Hamilton or the Scottsboro Boys, Hayward Patterson or Shuffle Along. 329 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 2: And when I have the opportunity to play biographical characters 330 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 2: being biographical work, so play you know, real life human 331 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 2: beings who existed in history. It gives me an opportunity 332 00:19:56,840 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 2: to really latch on to some some killer some signposts 333 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,520 Speaker 2: as I build my my map to the character, as 334 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 2: I construct my my, my, my foundation, my structure, the 335 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,239 Speaker 2: structure from which I will carry forward the piece. And 336 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 2: so I really like to research historically. I like to 337 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:18,879 Speaker 2: read about the characters and the people themselves, particularly if 338 00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 2: they have autobiographies, so I can get a feeling for 339 00:20:23,040 --> 00:20:25,399 Speaker 2: what they what they were experiencing, what they were seeing, 340 00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:27,879 Speaker 2: what they were feeling, it just it just makes the 341 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 2: job a lot easier. And then once my brain kind 342 00:20:31,880 --> 00:20:36,760 Speaker 2: of has the material with which to synthesize the piece, 343 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,639 Speaker 2: then I can kind of move forward into the text 344 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:42,240 Speaker 2: itself of the show and the music of the show 345 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 2: and what the show is trying to say and kind 346 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 2: of pour it all in in that manner. 347 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 3: How long is your research generally or does it depend 348 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:51,200 Speaker 3: on the role. 349 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:53,159 Speaker 2: Depends on the role and how much time you have. 350 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:57,239 Speaker 3: Yeah, is there sometimes moments that you don't have as 351 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:00,959 Speaker 3: much time that you really you need to really accelerate 352 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:01,600 Speaker 3: the research. 353 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,640 Speaker 2: Sure, And it also again it depends on the piece 354 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:06,919 Speaker 2: and the process. Like, for example, I had two weeks 355 00:21:06,960 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 2: to go into Hamilton, so I didn't have that long 356 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 2: to read gor Vidal's Burgh, you know, so I kind 357 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: of I dove into what I could of it, and 358 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:23,359 Speaker 2: I dove into some other dramaturgical material. But I also 359 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 2: recognized that a lot of a lot of that work 360 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 2: was done already for me by the biographer and by 361 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 2: Lynn Manuel and the artists. And so what I had 362 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 2: to do is I had to find the person, and 363 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:42,960 Speaker 2: I had to find the human experience, the emotional experience 364 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 2: that this person goes through through the wheel of the material. 365 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:52,600 Speaker 3: So it's nuanced, depending on very much, very much. So 366 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 3: let's talk about the music and how First of all, 367 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 3: tell me how excited you are about this new project, 368 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 3: the new song, the new album, and tell us how 369 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 3: this project came together. 370 00:22:08,560 --> 00:22:12,040 Speaker 2: Well, I'm very excited about the new song. It's it's 371 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:15,760 Speaker 2: one of it's one of my more recent constructions, you know, 372 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 2: one of the more recent songs I've written. I've been 373 00:22:18,359 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 2: writing for a while, for a couple of years, just 374 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:26,679 Speaker 2: writing as as things inspired me, as relationships took me 375 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,280 Speaker 2: to the debts. Uh, you know, I've been writing over 376 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:32,239 Speaker 2: the course of years, and I think I finally hit 377 00:22:32,280 --> 00:22:34,639 Speaker 2: a point where I decided I wanted to put the 378 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:39,040 Speaker 2: material out into the world, but maybe as a song 379 00:22:39,080 --> 00:22:42,199 Speaker 2: that I wrote that was really just inspired when I 380 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 2: was I was reading a book, James Baldwin's The Fire 381 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:49,880 Speaker 2: Next Time, And I really love the way the piece 382 00:22:49,960 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 2: came together, put together with my collaborators who helped me 383 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 2: with you know, the arrangements and and the parts of 384 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:00,280 Speaker 2: the song. And I really love the response that the 385 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 2: song has gotten from the people whom I performed it for. 386 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 2: I've been able to you know, I've performed it to 387 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:09,280 Speaker 2: some of my live concerts over the last year or so, 388 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:11,920 Speaker 2: and so I'm very excited that now I get to 389 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 2: put it out into the world, and that now when 390 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 2: I'm perform it and people ask where can I get 391 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:17,680 Speaker 2: this song, I'll be able to tell them. 392 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 3: And the message of the song I think now is 393 00:23:23,480 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 3: very important. But I think we were discussing this a 394 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 3: bit offline. It's important every time a message of hope 395 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:40,520 Speaker 3: and resilience. Can you talk about those messages in particular? 396 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 2: Yes, the song really, the song is for me is 397 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:48,480 Speaker 2: about the positive potential we have as a human society 398 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 2: in this moment of time. You know, more than just 399 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:56,680 Speaker 2: a song about hope or connection or kindness or lessons 400 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:02,040 Speaker 2: human lessons. The song is about the fact that while 401 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 2: I hope we are going to make the right decisions, 402 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:09,600 Speaker 2: it is a real question that we have to ask ourselves. 403 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:12,439 Speaker 2: We are beyond the point of blind hope and we 404 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 2: are into the period of responsibility where we will have 405 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 2: to make choices. We cannot just be blithely carried along. 406 00:24:20,720 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 2: And that's why this song says, maybe maybe we're gonna 407 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 2: make it all right. Maybe not today, but maybe tomorrow night, 408 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 2: and I believe we will. The message ultimately is a 409 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:34,680 Speaker 2: positive one. You know, maybe the only reason we've committed 410 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 2: these crimes is to understand all the pain and sensus blame, 411 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:41,000 Speaker 2: just so we could make it right. 412 00:24:42,160 --> 00:24:47,080 Speaker 3: And when you're performing that song or any of your music, 413 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 3: can you describe the feeling when you know it's really 414 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:57,840 Speaker 3: connecting deeply with an audience as an artist, how that 415 00:24:57,960 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 3: makes you feel? 416 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:03,440 Speaker 2: I was going to say something very silly, like good. 417 00:25:06,040 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 4: Well, the answer is it makes you feel lousy. 418 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 2: I'm sure no, But I think you know more than 419 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,000 Speaker 2: how it makes me feel? What the thing the thing 420 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 2: that I that I that I am feeling, what I 421 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:23,400 Speaker 2: am feeling is I think is is alignment, Is is connection. 422 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 2: It's when the chemistry between the music and the message 423 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:31,199 Speaker 2: and the audience we are sharing a real moment and 424 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 2: they are hearing the message and they are feeling something. 425 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:39,639 Speaker 2: I think the the whole point of art is to 426 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:42,960 Speaker 2: bridge the gap of understanding between us as human beings 427 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 2: and to help It's a tool to help raise us 428 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:51,480 Speaker 2: to expand our consciousness, expand the consciousness of myself and others. 429 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:55,280 Speaker 2: That's really the connective goal of art, and how I 430 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:59,640 Speaker 2: try to use art. And so when when that is happening, 431 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,360 Speaker 2: when I'm singing, performing the music in the audience is 432 00:26:03,440 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 2: really ingesting the message, I feel that the levity of 433 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:11,720 Speaker 2: that alignment I I I think is what I feel. 434 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,520 Speaker 2: I feel, I feel joy, I feel peace, I feel 435 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:17,520 Speaker 2: I feel whole. How about that? 436 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 3: And it's the importance of community, absolutely, which is so. 437 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:25,080 Speaker 4: Take it for granted. 438 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:29,640 Speaker 3: I think sometimes that community not by artists, I think 439 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,679 Speaker 3: by those of us in society we don't think about 440 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:35,080 Speaker 3: what community means. 441 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 2: Well, well, I was. There are some who take it 442 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 2: for granted, who have in this and who ignore it 443 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:42,520 Speaker 2: all together, who to or who who don't or who 444 00:26:42,520 --> 00:26:45,199 Speaker 2: don't participate it or don't feel the need to foster 445 00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:51,239 Speaker 2: environments that that create it. You know, I we we 446 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:56,480 Speaker 2: do forget the importance of community. That's I Forgetting the 447 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 2: importance of community is the only way you can, you know, 448 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:05,399 Speaker 2: defund public parks, and defund arts education programs and defund 449 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 2: nonprofits that help supplement the the the lacking arts education 450 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:16,639 Speaker 2: or recreational programs for you know, certain municipalities and the states, 451 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 2: et cetera. So you know that it's that it's the 452 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:23,880 Speaker 2: loss of that that creates that absence. 453 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 3: So the album, Are you still working on the elements 454 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:32,120 Speaker 3: of the album or is it is most of it completed? 455 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:34,440 Speaker 2: Most of it's completed, but I am still working on 456 00:27:34,480 --> 00:27:36,880 Speaker 2: some elements of the album. So there are there are 457 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:40,479 Speaker 2: a number of songs that have been completely recorded and are 458 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 2: ready to go, but there are about two more songs 459 00:27:43,000 --> 00:27:43,639 Speaker 2: I'm working on. 460 00:27:43,920 --> 00:27:49,480 Speaker 3: And you're gonna tease us with singles coming out from 461 00:27:49,560 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 3: time to time to kind of. 462 00:27:51,119 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 2: There will be titulation. My friend will. 463 00:27:57,040 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 3: Off and on off and now who are the other 464 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:03,160 Speaker 3: collaborators that are are part of this that you want 465 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:03,919 Speaker 3: to showcase? 466 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 2: So I wrote the words in the music myself, but 467 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:11,919 Speaker 2: as far as the record is concerned, it was produced 468 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 2: by myself and Ryan Shaw, and I've heard of that guy, Yes, wonderful, 469 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 2: wonderful artist in his own right, and Devon Denegal and 470 00:28:22,400 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 2: the the on piano we have Isaac Harlan and the 471 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:29,080 Speaker 2: piano arrangement is done by Greg Borowski and James Sampliner, 472 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:33,119 Speaker 2: and I have Jamie Tait on the drums and the 473 00:28:33,320 --> 00:28:36,080 Speaker 2: strings are done by Ray Angry and Rick hi Flore 474 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 2: him too, Yes, Ray Angry, you've heard of him? 475 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 3: Listen to the podcast with Ryan Shaw and Ray Angry 476 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:45,960 Speaker 3: a little cross plug of the Taken a Walk other episode. 477 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 2: Please do you will not be disappointed. And additionally, I 478 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:54,240 Speaker 2: have I have Oh no, I think I said everybody, Rick, 479 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 2: Ricky floor Is and Ray Angry did my string arrangement 480 00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 2: and Jamie Tate on the drums. 481 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 4: How did you picked that group? 482 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 3: That it all sort of come together just you know, 483 00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 3: organically or through managers or things of that. 484 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:11,719 Speaker 2: Now they came together organically. I've worked with James Sampliner 485 00:29:11,800 --> 00:29:15,200 Speaker 2: and Greg on some other some other songs. They produced 486 00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 2: some of the songs of mine, and so I kind 487 00:29:18,040 --> 00:29:20,200 Speaker 2: of worked with them on that. And I've performed with 488 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,000 Speaker 2: Isaac Carlin. He plays for me sometimes. So Isaac played 489 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 2: for me. Rick at Flores and I went to college together. 490 00:29:26,560 --> 00:29:28,480 Speaker 2: Rick and I play together a lot as well. So 491 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 2: I go to Rick a lot for for arranging a 492 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 2: heir amount and Ray and I began to work together 493 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:41,000 Speaker 2: recently as well, and so you know, I wanted Ray 494 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:43,560 Speaker 2: to put his little flavor on it. He also covers 495 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:46,160 Speaker 2: the bass as well in the project, and I've worked 496 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 2: with Ryanshaw for many many years. Ryan also does the 497 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 2: vocal arrangements on the on the piece. 498 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:55,360 Speaker 4: What incredible talents that you're that you're working. 499 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 2: With, Incredible talents and incredible human being. 500 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:04,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, inspiring and just a a sense of great radiation positivity. 501 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 3: And back to that community word takes a village. It's 502 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:12,360 Speaker 3: an amazing community. I want to ask you about that. 503 00:30:14,080 --> 00:30:17,800 Speaker 4: That message that you I'm sure have been asked about before. 504 00:30:18,120 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 3: So I apologize in advance that the direct message that 505 00:30:22,760 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 3: you gave to our Vice president elect at the time, 506 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:30,480 Speaker 3: Mike Pence, after a Hamilton performance. 507 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 2: Can you share that story, you mean, just how it 508 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 2: all came about. Well, it was after what as always 509 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:49,960 Speaker 2: a very contentious election, and you know, Hamilton is also 510 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,040 Speaker 2: it's kind of it was at the height of Hamilton's 511 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 2: popularity as well. You know, Hamilton communicates a very particular 512 00:30:56,960 --> 00:31:01,800 Speaker 2: message about the founding of America and about America, American 513 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:07,200 Speaker 2: values and the fabric of America of values that were 514 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 2: really debated about over during that election. And so when 515 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 2: Vice President Pence was coming to see the show, the 516 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 2: producers and the security of the theater always get un 517 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 2: alert if a particularly high profile person is coming because 518 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:25,240 Speaker 2: the different security measures that need to be put in 519 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 2: place and so when the producers heard that the Vice 520 00:31:28,920 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 2: president elect was coming, because of the way Hamilton was 521 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 2: platformed at the time, they felt the need to. They 522 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 2: felt it would be a positive and responsible thing to 523 00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 2: make an address, and so they reached out to me 524 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:45,920 Speaker 2: and asked me if I would be willing to do so. Now, 525 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:48,480 Speaker 2: this is also the time of year when Broadway shows 526 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:51,240 Speaker 2: are raising money for Broadway Cares Equity Fights Age, which 527 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:53,480 Speaker 2: means that at the end of the show, after the 528 00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 2: curtain call, we stop everything and we make our plea 529 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,560 Speaker 2: to the audience to donate to this cause. And so 530 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:03,160 Speaker 2: this night, instead of going to the Broadway Care speech, 531 00:32:03,480 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 2: we went to our speech to Mike Pence. And when 532 00:32:06,360 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 2: the producers showed me what they wanted to write, we 533 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,320 Speaker 2: actually got together as a cast and talked about it 534 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 2: and talked about what we were going to do. And honestly, 535 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 2: I thought I was going to miss the opportunity to 536 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:20,640 Speaker 2: deliver the message, because, like a lot of high profile 537 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:23,360 Speaker 2: pile people who attend the show, he got up to 538 00:32:23,480 --> 00:32:27,720 Speaker 2: leave before the bows, and so I just had to 539 00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 2: stop everything and be like, okay, just you know, before 540 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:35,120 Speaker 2: you go, And then you know, we spoke our piece 541 00:32:35,520 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 2: That's incredible, my god. 542 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 3: So in closing, I want to ask you, after roughly 543 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:50,160 Speaker 3: what two decades in, I mean, in the business, how 544 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 3: do you stay so incredibly inspired and motivated and supercharged 545 00:32:58,200 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 3: about what you're doing? 546 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 2: The truth is that I'm not always. And the thing 547 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 2: I think I'm learning is to not judge myself on 548 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,840 Speaker 2: the ebbs and just understand that they are the time 549 00:33:11,960 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 2: you take to prepare for the flows. And I think 550 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:19,680 Speaker 2: that's how I keep moving forward. It's not a relentless push. 551 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 2: I've I've I found the rhythm of the ebb and 552 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 2: the flow of the cycle, and I just try to 553 00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:27,320 Speaker 2: ensure that the flow pushes me further every time. 554 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 4: Wow, that's pretty pretty darn Zeen. 555 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:34,640 Speaker 2: Like I'm trying. I'm trying anything. 556 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 3: Else you're dreaming up that you want to share in 557 00:33:36,960 --> 00:33:40,880 Speaker 3: terms of other projects or that you'd aspire. 558 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 2: To take on, Oh, you know right now. I want 559 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 2: to continue to grow the areas I'm in. There are 560 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 2: shows I want to do, they're they're on television and 561 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:52,520 Speaker 2: on stage, and I want to continue to share the music. 562 00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:55,360 Speaker 2: I want to continue to put me to tease you 563 00:33:55,480 --> 00:33:58,680 Speaker 2: all with these singles. As the ear moves on and 564 00:33:58,800 --> 00:34:01,040 Speaker 2: then hopefully we can we can come together and you 565 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,520 Speaker 2: all enjoy the album when it comes out. Oh that's 566 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:03,920 Speaker 2: so great. 567 00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:08,000 Speaker 3: Congratulations on it, Brandon, and congratulations on everything. 568 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:14,120 Speaker 4: But thank you for continuing to give us great joy 569 00:34:14,600 --> 00:34:17,800 Speaker 4: and your work and your artistry. It's really a privilege 570 00:34:17,840 --> 00:34:19,080 Speaker 4: to have you on Taking a Walk. 571 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:21,440 Speaker 2: Thank you for the time and support, and thank you 572 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:22,800 Speaker 2: for having me. It's been a pleasure. 573 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:26,880 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a 574 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:30,760 Speaker 1: Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends 575 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:34,399 Speaker 1: and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking 576 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:38,319 Speaker 1: a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 577 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:40,799 Speaker 1: and wherever you get your podcasts.