WEBVTT - Dancing Through Life with Christopher Scott 0:00:01.720 --> 0:00:04.440 And that's what you really missed with Jenna. 0:00:04.440 --> 0:00:09.960 And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast, Welcome to You, and that's 0:00:09.960 --> 0:00:12.400 what you really missed Today is a I know we 0:00:12.440 --> 0:00:15.440 say this a lot, but today I have someone I 0:00:15.440 --> 0:00:18.520 have known for forever. Jenna has known him for almost 0:00:18.520 --> 0:00:23.000 as long. But we have Chris Scott, the choreographer from 0:00:23.000 --> 0:00:26.439 Wicked and Wicked for good and just everything. He's done, 0:00:26.600 --> 0:00:30.960 lots and lots of things. Three time Emmy nominee. He 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:33.240 did Dancing with the Stars and so you think you 0:00:33.280 --> 0:00:35.680 can dance at alex ste He was in the Glee pilot, 0:00:36.159 --> 0:00:38.519 a bunch of the step ups, I could really in 0:00:38.560 --> 0:00:42.000 the heights, lots of things. But he's so talented and 0:00:42.240 --> 0:00:45.320 so nice and so kind and it has been a 0:00:45.400 --> 0:00:49.319 wild ride to watch him take over the world. So 0:00:49.640 --> 0:00:52.000 we get to talk to him. It's a fascinating conversation 0:00:52.000 --> 0:00:55.520 about Wicked. We learned all the things. This is Chris Scott. 0:00:56.160 --> 0:00:56.720 FUA. 0:00:57.200 --> 0:00:58.920 How you doing good. 0:00:59.000 --> 0:00:59.960 I'm good. I'm still good. 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:03.320 How y'all doing It's good to see you you too. 0:01:04.440 --> 0:01:05.360 Are you exhausted? 0:01:06.480 --> 0:01:11.560 I'm in the best way possible. I am exhausted, I'm rejuvenated. 0:01:11.880 --> 0:01:14.640 I'm all the things so great. 0:01:14.680 --> 0:01:19.240 Congratulations, yeah, congrats, and just having the biggest movie in 0:01:19.240 --> 0:01:20.720 the world again. 0:01:21.400 --> 0:01:23.920 It's crazy. I mean I think I do. I will 0:01:23.920 --> 0:01:26.760 say this is very full circle to me sitting here 0:01:26.800 --> 0:01:28.480 with you all, because I remember, I don't know if 0:01:28.480 --> 0:01:34.320 you guys remember, but before Lee happened, when you guys 0:01:34.319 --> 0:01:36.360 shot it, before it was ever out into the world, 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:38.319 there was a birthday party, I think it was Amber's 0:01:38.319 --> 0:01:41.760 birthday party, and we all hung out. I was like, 0:01:41.840 --> 0:01:46.080 this group is so special and group of talent. It was. 0:01:46.120 --> 0:01:49.520 It was karaoke night and we're all like out of 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:51.880 control talent, and I was like, this is amazing. So 0:01:51.920 --> 0:01:55.640 now to be here today chatting with y'all about wicked. 0:01:56.360 --> 0:02:02.320 So wild, Yes, Like I've known Chris since I was 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:07.640 six fifteen sixteen, wow, something something like that. 0:02:09.080 --> 0:02:11.840 And it has been such like a gift to watch 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:16.680 you and John sort of rise together through this and 0:02:16.800 --> 0:02:20.240 just do bigger project after bigger project, things that are 0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:22.920 so beloved by people all around the world, like it 0:02:22.919 --> 0:02:27.880 couldn't happen to anybody nicer and you just haven't stopped. 0:02:28.080 --> 0:02:30.240 And it's been just incredible to watch because you know, 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:33.360 we've been around long enough where things don't always happen 0:02:33.440 --> 0:02:38.120 to the nice ones, and it's really nice when they 0:02:38.160 --> 0:02:43.680 do and deserved. And I'm just so extraordinarily proud and 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:44.520 happy for you. 0:02:45.000 --> 0:02:48.560 Yes, thank you, thank you, and make me emotional already 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:50.359 we're just starting. I can't get you. 0:02:50.320 --> 0:02:54.720 Already, you can let it out. 0:02:54.840 --> 0:02:55.640 Yeah, it's good to crect. 0:02:57.840 --> 0:03:01.200 Well, we're so happy to have you here, full circle, 0:03:01.520 --> 0:03:03.560 just to talk about all the amazing things. I mean, 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:06.600 tell us a little bit about what the Wicked ride 0:03:06.639 --> 0:03:10.600 has been like for you. And I know you and 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:13.800 John have worked together forever, So what were those like 0:03:13.840 --> 0:03:16.359 early conversations like and kind of getting in the room 0:03:16.400 --> 0:03:17.760 like you got in the room with us, What was 0:03:17.800 --> 0:03:20.079 it like gating in the room with like that cast 0:03:20.120 --> 0:03:22.840 and all those special people, because obviously the chemistry is 0:03:23.080 --> 0:03:24.840 similar and that it's electric. 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:28.639 Yeah, no, it is. It is crazy. It's been it's 0:03:28.680 --> 0:03:29.320 been a journey. 0:03:29.360 --> 0:03:29.520 You know. 0:03:29.560 --> 0:03:32.880 It is interesting because we you know, starting off, even 0:03:32.960 --> 0:03:39.960 just jumping in with John was like already it was weird. 0:03:40.000 --> 0:03:41.880 It was like this familiar feeling of like, Okay, cool, 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:43.520 we're doing this just like we do anything. It's the 0:03:43.720 --> 0:03:47.080 web series of LEXD. It's a commercial that's the thing. Yeah, 0:03:47.120 --> 0:03:48.800 it's all just the same, you know, at the end 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:51.160 of the day, at the core of it all, there's 0:03:51.200 --> 0:03:54.920 a story to tell, and that's something that John's really 0:03:55.080 --> 0:03:58.400 stilled in me as a choreographer and just as a 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:02.280 general storyteller. So I think the first feeling I had 0:04:02.440 --> 0:04:05.440 was like, Okay, this is a very complicated story. This 0:04:05.520 --> 0:04:09.520 is a massive undertaking, but there's a it's a beautiful story, 0:04:10.560 --> 0:04:13.160 you know, and John's all over it. And John's going 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:15.280 to get in there with a microscope and I'm gonna 0:04:15.280 --> 0:04:19.560 be standing off his shoulder and digest everything that he 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:21.839 can throw at me. And he throws a lot at you. 0:04:21.839 --> 0:04:25.159 You know. John is like it's you can tell from 0:04:25.160 --> 0:04:28.080 the work like it really is. He is so thoughtful 0:04:28.839 --> 0:04:31.159 and so it is this kind of it. It was 0:04:31.200 --> 0:04:33.920 like a lot of anxiety of like, Okay, we're taking 0:04:33.920 --> 0:04:37.080 on this, this beloved piece. But it was also a 0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:38.840 lot of excitement because I was like, oh, I get 0:04:38.880 --> 0:04:42.160 to do this with John bringing me into this world, 0:04:42.760 --> 0:04:46.400 and I just can't wait to see what he's got going. 0:04:48.279 --> 0:04:49.840 So that was kind of the beginning stages. I mean, 0:04:49.880 --> 0:04:51.520 I went to his house, you know, the way that 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:55.160 he invited me into the movie. Was just very casual, 0:04:55.200 --> 0:04:58.320 almost in like and how we are and he just 0:04:58.360 --> 0:04:59.680 I came over to his house one day he hands 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:02.240 me it hat. I knew it was happening, but I 0:05:02.240 --> 0:05:05.080 don't ever ask, like, hey, like, yeah, what's going on 0:05:05.120 --> 0:05:06.760 with your next movie? Can I do? I don't do. 0:05:06.920 --> 0:05:10.560 He's got enough pressure on him. Yeah, and he just 0:05:10.640 --> 0:05:12.279 you know, he handed me a wicked hat and was 0:05:12.320 --> 0:05:13.760 like you ready to go to Odds? 0:05:13.800 --> 0:05:16.720 And I was damn wow. 0:05:16.400 --> 0:05:19.440 Let's go. And then that was at that point, it 0:05:19.480 --> 0:05:20.440 was like let's get to work. 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:25.080 And now when was this? Was this like twenty twenty No. 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:29.560 It was it was like twenty what was it, twenty 0:05:29.640 --> 0:05:32.240 twenty two? I think it was like, okay, you were 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:34.240 because when did we film? I mean, it's been such 0:05:34.240 --> 0:05:36.160 a journey. I might be off a year. I can't 0:05:36.200 --> 0:05:37.240 even gotta get back. 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:40.840 Also, the pandemics like time's not real and completely messed 0:05:41.000 --> 0:05:41.520 everything up. 0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:45.880 It messed up everything, but you know, getting back on track. Yeah, yeah, 0:05:45.880 --> 0:05:50.800 it was like February March of twenty twenty two, because 0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:57.159 then I was out in London, you know, in like 0:05:57.320 --> 0:06:01.960 June July, so it was to start auditioning dancers, which 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:05.280 was that was the first process, and I watched him cast, 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:08.520 which was very interesting to me because yeah, him make 0:06:08.560 --> 0:06:12.599 these decisions and hear his thought process with you know, 0:06:12.640 --> 0:06:16.240 working with Telsea, and that was like a whole experience 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:19.120 too because I got to see, you know, I'm very lucky. 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:21.760 I feel like John always like kind of lets you 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:23.520 if you're if you want to sit in that seat, 0:06:23.560 --> 0:06:26.560 he'll he'll provide it for you. Yeah, He'll open that 0:06:26.600 --> 0:06:28.320 curtain for you and you can see all the behind 0:06:28.320 --> 0:06:32.360 the scenes things because I remember him talking about Cynthia 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:34.440 when she came into the room and it was he 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:38.440 was just like, I mean, that's like, there's no question 0:06:38.800 --> 0:06:41.200 it is like and then he showed me her audition 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:45.560 tape from his iPhone. He facetimed me and showed me 0:06:46.080 --> 0:06:48.760 the audition through a computer through a laptop as he 0:06:48.800 --> 0:06:50.680 facetimed the screen, so it was like a screen through 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:54.680 a screen through a screen, and I'm still like, I 0:06:54.760 --> 0:06:57.440 was so deeply affected. I was like I was bawling, 0:06:57.600 --> 0:06:59.760 you know, Wizard and I and it was just some 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:04.240 thing different. And then Ari was the same thing where 0:07:04.240 --> 0:07:05.479 it was just kind of like this thing where it 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:08.840 was like is she Glinda? I don't know, like he was, 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:11.080 he was trying to figure it out. And then I 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:13.520 remember the moment is like she's she came back over 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:16.560 and over and over again, put her through the auditions, 0:07:17.320 --> 0:07:18.800 and there was there was that point I remember him 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:21.560 just being like, I mean she is like she the 0:07:21.680 --> 0:07:26.640 modern day Glinda, and she is, you know, invested in 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:28.920 this in a way that like there's no there's no 0:07:28.920 --> 0:07:33.000 one else. Yeah, yeah, it's been a special And then 0:07:33.040 --> 0:07:35.080 just one by one, then Jonathan Bailey and you're like, 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:37.760 this is Michelle yo, Jeff go is Just one by 0:07:37.800 --> 0:07:40.200 one they started flying and you're like, wow, this is 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:43.679 a cast that no matter what happens in this movie. 0:07:43.720 --> 0:07:46.120 Like at that point, it was like they're special. You 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:48.280 have all the pieces of the puzzle in place. Now 0:07:48.280 --> 0:07:50.240 we just got to go. We'll get to work. 0:07:50.680 --> 0:07:54.160 What what is that process like of because you assemble 0:07:54.240 --> 0:07:58.320 this sort of like All Star crew, but you don't 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:03.240 necessarily know personality, is chemistry going to be there, how 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:08.520 people's work processes when you all finally get together to 0:08:08.560 --> 0:08:11.600 start working through. Obviously everyone's super professional. I already know 0:08:11.600 --> 0:08:16.000 the answer, Like everyone's great and wonderful, but you know, 0:08:16.080 --> 0:08:19.920 like you've taught me before, Like things people learn differently, 0:08:19.960 --> 0:08:22.920 things fit on people's bodies differently. Like what was that 0:08:23.080 --> 0:08:27.360 dynamic like of finding a rhythm I guess and what 0:08:27.440 --> 0:08:31.400 you do and that that influence like what you were 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:34.839 coming up with in terms of choreography for the movie. 0:08:35.240 --> 0:08:39.679 Yeah, one hundred percent. I mean I my mentality is to, 0:08:41.040 --> 0:08:44.320 you know, embrace the versions of the characters that these 0:08:44.360 --> 0:08:47.000 actors are playing. And I think that's something I developed 0:08:47.000 --> 0:08:48.680 through the years. I didn't always used to be like that. 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:50.240 I think there was a time when I was younger 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:53.199 as a boreographer where I was like, you know, get 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:55.440 to the dance, tell the story that I'm picturing in 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:58.760 my head right like presented to everybody, and hope it 0:08:58.840 --> 0:09:01.960 all kind of just locks them together right now. It's like, 0:09:02.000 --> 0:09:04.920 you know, these actors won their top notch, they're the 0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:10.319 highest level. They have a perspective like I have a 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:12.000 version of Alpha, but in my head, we all do. 0:09:12.720 --> 0:09:15.880 But what's Cynthia Arrivo's version, because that's the version that 0:09:15.880 --> 0:09:19.120 we're going to tell, right then what is Jeff Goldblum's 0:09:19.160 --> 0:09:22.440 version of the Wizards? So then Ari's version of Linda? 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:25.520 So we sat down, I sat down one by one. 0:09:25.880 --> 0:09:29.720 Before I started, I had ideas of choreography, but really 0:09:30.080 --> 0:09:32.680 it started with me asking them like how do they 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:35.360 see their characters? And it was early on, so I 0:09:35.480 --> 0:09:38.520 know that their character is also going to develop. Yeah, 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:41.480 so you ask the questions. But then you also, you know, 0:09:41.559 --> 0:09:44.040 with open ears, kind of just let it play out 0:09:44.160 --> 0:09:48.760 and yeah, just pivot as you develop more. And they 0:09:48.800 --> 0:09:51.240 each had so much interesting things to say. I mean, 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:57.280 I canmer each way crazy, Like I remember Cynthia talking 0:09:57.320 --> 0:10:01.280 about like the realization that like alphab you know, she's 0:10:01.360 --> 0:10:04.160 not or like she comes from money, so like the 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:06.400 idea that she doesn't know how to dance and this 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:09.520 this idea that she's not elegant and that she's the thing. 0:10:09.600 --> 0:10:12.280 She's like, it doesn't that's not the case for her. 0:10:12.440 --> 0:10:14.800 I was like, great, got it, check and then that's 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:18.760 that did it? Yeah, you know, played a huge helping 0:10:18.800 --> 0:10:23.920 hand for me to to create movement for her. You know. Jeff, 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:26.320 I remember he started off the whole thing by just 0:10:26.559 --> 0:10:28.360 we were talking like this and then he just goes 0:10:28.400 --> 0:10:30.479 you know, because Chris, you know, I am a sentimental 0:10:30.520 --> 0:10:33.079 man and I always longed to be a father and 0:10:33.080 --> 0:10:34.920 and I'm like, oh, he's gonna do oh, he's doing 0:10:35.000 --> 0:10:38.800 it like a monologue. He's doing sentimental funny. So not 0:10:38.840 --> 0:10:44.640 only character, he explained the character. I'm like watching him 0:10:44.920 --> 0:10:47.560 tell like he's showing me the character efforts. And he 0:10:47.600 --> 0:10:49.680 did it a second time. He did it in loops like, 0:10:49.720 --> 0:10:51.240 so then he just kept going. I was thinking like, 0:10:51.240 --> 0:10:53.480 oh my god, am I gonna have to like cut 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:55.600 Jeff golb Off because we also do a herse at 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:58.839 some point. And the second time you did it, I 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:00.800 was like, Okay, this is interesting. Take it all in. 0:11:00.880 --> 0:11:02.440 And then the third time he did it, he did 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:04.480 it a third time, I'm like, surely he's not going 0:11:04.520 --> 0:11:07.280 to do a fourth. But for me it started going like, oh, 0:11:07.360 --> 0:11:10.000 he's not just showing me who the wizard is. He's 0:11:10.360 --> 0:11:13.480 experiencing the wizard in real time right now. I see 0:11:13.559 --> 0:11:17.040 him figuring it out. Yeah, yeah, yeah, conversation. And then 0:11:17.080 --> 0:11:19.280 the fourth time he was gonna he was starting to 0:11:19.320 --> 0:11:21.560 do it, and it was like, you know, I feel 0:11:21.559 --> 0:11:24.440 like I got the information we'rep and it was like Jeff, 0:11:24.440 --> 0:11:26.079 hold on, I got an idea, and then like we 0:11:26.120 --> 0:11:27.840 get it up on it speaking He's like, okay, and 0:11:27.840 --> 0:11:30.200 he's like, yeah, he the candy floor. He just started 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:30.520 to play. 0:11:30.600 --> 0:11:31.480 Yeah wow. 0:11:31.880 --> 0:11:33.320 I mean that's what it's all about. Like to be 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:35.720 at that level, right, like this is the biggest level 0:11:35.760 --> 0:11:38.720 you can do something, and to understand that, like you 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:43.319 have to be able to allow that playfulness, allow that 0:11:43.440 --> 0:11:45.640 because like everyone's done their work. These are people who 0:11:45.679 --> 0:11:48.160 are at the top levels of their profession like you, 0:11:48.840 --> 0:11:52.679 and like everyone's done the research and they're coming in 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:55.160 and just like what does this big soup look like 0:11:55.200 --> 0:11:56.320 when we mix it all together? 0:11:56.840 --> 0:11:59.280 Absolutely, and which I would be remiss if I didn't 0:11:59.320 --> 0:12:01.800 bring up my conversations with Jonathan Bailey because that was 0:12:01.800 --> 0:12:04.400 actually very interesting to me too. And I remember when 0:12:04.440 --> 0:12:06.240 he came in and we were talking about the depth 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:10.080 of Fierro, which you know, typically there is a version 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:14.319 where it's you know, it's this playoff of the scarecrow 0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:16.960 and that idea that he doesn't have a brain and 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:19.400 that he's kind of like ditsy and the things. But 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:22.640 with Jonathan, it was very like there was so much 0:12:22.679 --> 0:12:25.480 behind the eyes when he would talk about it, you 0:12:25.640 --> 0:12:28.480 just get this sense of like such a rich character 0:12:29.160 --> 0:12:34.120 that this like actor is about to die into and 0:12:34.160 --> 0:12:36.679 it really inspired all of it. I mean we were 0:12:37.559 --> 0:12:39.760 together like finding moments where it's like, oh, it's dancing 0:12:39.760 --> 0:12:42.199 recory and we're doing this, and then you know, it 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:44.640 would be like in choreography a moment where he just 0:12:44.679 --> 0:12:46.840 kind of stops and looks at things and you see 0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:48.880 these moments and it's like whoa, and then he's back 0:12:48.880 --> 0:12:51.960 into the dances. Yeah, and it was interesting. 0:12:52.080 --> 0:13:02.360 Yeah, you talked about you know, all these all these 0:13:02.360 --> 0:13:08.680 people having perspectives of their characters. What was your or povs, 0:13:08.760 --> 0:13:10.760 you know, like what was your pee of your perspective 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:14.840 of I guess like the language of dance through OZ, 0:13:15.080 --> 0:13:17.000 you know, like I feel like munch can Land or 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:21.600 all these different places have yeses, They all have different people, 0:13:21.640 --> 0:13:25.120 they all have different demographics. Like did that come into 0:13:25.200 --> 0:13:27.720 like when you're all building every department building this world 0:13:27.760 --> 0:13:33.040 together on a dance level, Like how did that inform 0:13:33.280 --> 0:13:35.040 like what you were coming up? Like when we get 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:38.160 to in the first movie, when we get to OZ 0:13:38.200 --> 0:13:39.760 for the first time, like when we get to. 0:13:40.200 --> 0:13:45.000 My god, it's the number I'm blinking one short day, 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.200 one short day, And you're like, oh, that is a 0:13:47.200 --> 0:13:49.640 whole different style of choreography now, we're here and there's 0:13:49.640 --> 0:13:54.079 a little cameo and like, you know, I was like, oh, 0:13:54.120 --> 0:13:56.240 I love that we're switching this up, Like what was 0:13:56.920 --> 0:13:58.080 what were those decisions? 0:13:58.160 --> 0:14:00.520 Like, how did you like your creative process? 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:04.880 No, definitely, I love first of all, I love y'all questions. 0:14:05.120 --> 0:14:13.200 You guys, it's different when you talk and a real deal. Yeah, 0:14:13.360 --> 0:14:17.520 you know, No, it was really you know it the 0:14:17.559 --> 0:14:19.840 first thing. Okay, it's like, well, this idea of world 0:14:19.960 --> 0:14:23.920 building was really strong to me because I'm like, well, 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:26.600 that's what we're doing. You know, I'm here to support John. 0:14:26.600 --> 0:14:28.560 I'm here to support the things I should I need, 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:31.200 and I'm watching him really build this world with all 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:34.560 the other departments. So if I'm building a dance, what 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:37.720 does that world look like? And the interesting thing, you know, 0:14:37.720 --> 0:14:40.640 one of the first thoughts I had was well, it's odd, 0:14:40.760 --> 0:14:44.000 so it's not of this world, so you want stuff 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:49.040 to feel a little unworldly. But it's also like, you know, 0:14:49.120 --> 0:14:52.800 dances a human thing. Dances are very is a you know, 0:14:52.840 --> 0:14:56.920 it's been built through this world, through culture, through thousands 0:14:56.960 --> 0:15:01.160 of years of ritual and expression connections, so you're like, 0:15:02.080 --> 0:15:04.480 you know, it's all there as well, so it's funny. 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:06.040 At first, I was like I wanted to feel like 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:08.640 out of this world. And then I started gravitating more 0:15:08.680 --> 0:15:11.840 towards like, what's the inspiration I find from this world 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:16.840 that's actually I can project into this world, which then 0:15:16.880 --> 0:15:19.240 became interesting. I'm very meta, as you can tell. Then 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:22.400 it was like, well, this is like the whole one 0:15:22.440 --> 0:15:26.640 of this, Like is oz a real, actual place, like 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:29.640 what you know? Is it like the idea of the 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:33.160 Wizard coming from Omaha to hear what's his influence on 0:15:33.200 --> 0:15:35.560 the world. So it started to become like this really 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:41.600 crazy journey. But it really started with each country in 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:44.320 Oz really as I started to like break it down 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:47.200 and I wanted to give each place its own style, 0:15:47.280 --> 0:15:50.880 its own identity, culture, its own identity, so you know, 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:53.800 and munchkin Land was like, it's the working class, it's 0:15:53.880 --> 0:15:59.160 the the builders, it's the artist, it's the people that 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:01.800 make the die, that make the yellow, the ricks and 0:16:01.840 --> 0:16:05.280 the thing. So it became like really grounded and like 0:16:05.360 --> 0:16:09.560 in the dirt, and I pictured, you know, I've been 0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:13.120 working with a friend Editrres Junior in the Latin dance scene, 0:16:13.120 --> 0:16:15.560 and I've gotten to know the history around Latin dance, 0:16:15.600 --> 0:16:17.600 so I kind of took a lot of elements from that, 0:16:17.640 --> 0:16:20.640 which comes from Africa, you know, the roots of it all. 0:16:20.680 --> 0:16:22.360 So it's like it started to like take the shape 0:16:22.400 --> 0:16:25.240 of like, oh, this is like the inspiration. And then 0:16:25.800 --> 0:16:27.360 then you get to Shiz and you're like, well, what 0:16:27.440 --> 0:16:31.080 do a bunch of anxious teenagers look like when they dance? 0:16:31.120 --> 0:16:35.040 That's why they go up. It wasn't just like cool 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:38.960 movement with books. It was really like and that's why 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:40.680 they hold on to them so tight, because you want 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:43.800 to create this world of like, you know, frustration and 0:16:44.160 --> 0:16:47.240 anxiety so that then Fierro can come into this world 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:51.360 and disrupt it all. You know. But then where does 0:16:51.400 --> 0:16:53.400 he come from? You come from wiki country, which is 0:16:53.440 --> 0:16:57.040 the military base. It's like, so that's why it's a 0:16:57.080 --> 0:16:59.840 lot of like stepping and footwork and things. But then 0:16:59.840 --> 0:17:02.440 you're like, well, what's but Fierra doesn't play by the rules, 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:04.520 so you have to get deep into that and now 0:17:04.600 --> 0:17:07.720 he's I took a lot of inspiration from house dance 0:17:07.840 --> 0:17:11.120 because of how does he free that up a little bit? Yeah, 0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:13.400 and then it just kept going and then to get 0:17:13.440 --> 0:17:16.600 to and then Gillikin just to touch them all. Now 0:17:16.720 --> 0:17:20.440 that's where Glinda's from, and it's wealthy, and so you 0:17:20.480 --> 0:17:24.600 tap into the ballet and uh, that's a dance format 0:17:24.680 --> 0:17:29.240 was built in wealth and and it's you know, so 0:17:29.600 --> 0:17:32.360 you're in that world and then Emerald City comes in, 0:17:32.520 --> 0:17:34.840 and that's one of my favorite worlds because this is 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:38.280 like how I grew up in a metropolitan city. And 0:17:38.320 --> 0:17:40.960 then you see all walks of life. That's why we 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:43.800 have all these different styles together. 0:17:43.840 --> 0:17:46.119 That's so funny you say that, because when it got 0:17:46.160 --> 0:17:47.880 to Emerald City, I'm like, this is Chris. 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:48.840 Yeah. 0:17:49.119 --> 0:17:53.120 Immediately I was just like besides seeing you like in it, 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:57.719 just like this is like this is the Chris I know, 0:17:58.040 --> 0:17:59.879 and like a really like joyful you know it was, 0:18:00.640 --> 0:18:03.920 which also then shows how capable and like deeply thinking 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:06.959 about thinking about everything else too. Yeah, because I think 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:09.760 it's just like an actor where you can like lose 0:18:09.760 --> 0:18:13.080 them in a character. It's beautiful to be able to 0:18:13.119 --> 0:18:16.960 see dance or the choreographer do that as well, and 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:18.760 the different switching up the different styles. 0:18:19.080 --> 0:18:19.639 Yeah. 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:22.920 You also you had mentioned it before, but like this 0:18:22.960 --> 0:18:25.720 is a massive undertaking for something that was so beloved 0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:29.040 for so many years and was already a phenomenon. So 0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:32.360 how do you how was that for you? And how 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:38.399 do you take something so iconic and and established and established, yeah, 0:18:38.440 --> 0:18:40.800 and then flip it on his head, but also keep 0:18:40.840 --> 0:18:44.240 the integrity of what you know, the people who created this, 0:18:46.359 --> 0:18:49.560 you know, did, while also putting you know, the stamp 0:18:49.600 --> 0:18:52.879 of your what your influences were, and the storytelling that 0:18:52.960 --> 0:18:56.280 you guys are choosing how you're choosing to approach it, 0:18:56.760 --> 0:18:57.400 Like what is that? 0:18:57.560 --> 0:18:57.639 Like? 0:18:58.600 --> 0:19:01.200 Yeah? I mean you know, I'm I'm I'm a lover 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:04.000 of the story, Like I'm a fan of the property myself. 0:19:04.040 --> 0:19:06.920 So then it kind of just turned into like, well, 0:19:07.000 --> 0:19:08.879 just take care of it like you would want to 0:19:09.520 --> 0:19:12.159 if I'm an audience member, which i am, I'm like, 0:19:12.320 --> 0:19:16.280 take care of it for anybody that loves this property. 0:19:16.280 --> 0:19:20.359 That really was the first audience I was thinking about personally. 0:19:20.840 --> 0:19:22.320 I mean, I feel like we all kind of were 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:25.200 in that world for all the other department heads or anything, 0:19:25.240 --> 0:19:29.200 but it just felt like this innate responsibility to give 0:19:29.320 --> 0:19:32.320 these people that have already been so deeply affected by 0:19:32.400 --> 0:19:36.719 this show something that they'd be proud of. You know. 0:19:37.200 --> 0:19:39.440 Another thing early in my career, like I wasn't as 0:19:40.560 --> 0:19:42.919 aware of an audience I was just making stuff, and 0:19:42.960 --> 0:19:45.240 I think now I'm like, oh, we're making stuff for 0:19:45.280 --> 0:19:48.399 people too. People like work really hard and I and 0:19:48.440 --> 0:19:51.800 I to buy the ticket to the theater to like 0:19:51.840 --> 0:19:55.320 have an experience, and we owe them that. So and 0:19:55.359 --> 0:19:58.040 then you add Wicket on top of that, and it 0:19:58.240 --> 0:20:01.920 just became like a mission to of like how do we, yeah, 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:04.400 like get the people what they want? 0:20:05.680 --> 0:20:07.240 Yeah, that's a line from the movie. 0:20:09.640 --> 0:20:13.639 Well, I imagine it starts with or like at the top. 0:20:13.920 --> 0:20:15.960 I feel like John is such a fan of things 0:20:17.040 --> 0:20:20.800 and respectful in that way, like you guys had already 0:20:20.840 --> 0:20:24.520 done in the Heights, which again is another beloved property, 0:20:25.040 --> 0:20:28.479 right it means a lot to so many people, and 0:20:28.520 --> 0:20:32.240 you guys successfully did that. And so I feel like, 0:20:32.280 --> 0:20:36.600 do you think, like knowing him for so long and 0:20:36.880 --> 0:20:40.160 also how you work of like when you come into 0:20:40.160 --> 0:20:44.040 a project like that out of the respect of war 0:20:44.119 --> 0:20:46.520 fans of this, then it just sort of trickles down 0:20:46.560 --> 0:20:49.240 to every department or like everybody in it just wants 0:20:49.320 --> 0:20:51.960 to has the same mission or approaching it in the 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:52.400 same way. 0:20:53.440 --> 0:20:56.680 Yeah. Absolutely, I mean John really does create an environment 0:20:56.800 --> 0:20:59.240 that is no matter what it is, Like I'll do 0:20:59.320 --> 0:21:02.040