1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: And that's what you really missed with Jenna. 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 2: And Kevin an iHeartRadio podcast. 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,039 Speaker 3: Welcome to and that's what you're in this podcast. It's 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 3: Jenna without Kevin. 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: Boohoo. 6 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:19,079 Speaker 3: We're missing Kevin right now. He's actually deep in tech 7 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,599 Speaker 3: at spelling Bees. So I took this one. I actually 8 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 3: stole this one from him because we have one of 9 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,160 Speaker 3: my childhood heroes, Adam Pascal is here. 10 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: We one and only Roger from Wren. 11 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 3: Also, one of my other favorite musicals he started was Aida, 12 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 3: and then he also was in Chess at the Royal 13 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 3: Albert Hall, which ironically out now Liah is in New York, 14 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 3: so full Star called there and we have a really 15 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 3: lovely conversation. He's a wonderful human being and I'm just 16 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:52,200 Speaker 3: so please. 17 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: That I got to meet him and interview him by myself. Sorry, Kevin, 18 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:00,280 Speaker 1: enjoy the interview, Saudi. How are you great? 19 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 2: How are you? 20 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: I'm good? Thank you, thank you so much for joining me. 21 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: I'm sorry Kevin couldn't. 22 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 3: Be here, but he sends his thanks. And we just 23 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:12,080 Speaker 3: watched the movie yesterday, so. 24 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 2: Oh you did? OK? 25 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I don't. 26 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 2: Think I've seen it literally since I went to the premiere. 27 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:24,760 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh, Wow, that's a long time ago. Well, 28 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 3: I'm so excited for you to be here. I have 29 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:32,080 Speaker 3: to say, if you told like fourteen year old Jenna 30 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 3: that she'd be talking to Adam Pascal, I think I 31 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 3: would have probably like thrown a shoe at myself or 32 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 3: something like that. 33 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:40,959 Speaker 2: So that's very sweet if you think you. 34 00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 3: Are just an icon in the Broadway history books, and 35 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 3: thank you. 36 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: We are just wildly talented and just so I was 37 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 1: like yesterday I was. 38 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 3: Saying you, you and Wren and all the pieces that 39 00:01:57,760 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 3: you were a part of like really raised me. 40 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: It's so very exciting to chat with you. 41 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 2: I appreciate that. And I can tell you that from 42 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 2: my own experience, I had a very similar upbringing with 43 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 2: the movies of Hair and the Rocky Horror Pictures Show. 44 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,560 Speaker 2: So both of those movies for me were you know, 45 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 2: And it's really it's great because it's such a full 46 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 2: circle moment for me because because I had that experience 47 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 2: with those shows, and specifically we're talking about the movie. 48 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 2: So I've never seen Hair on stage. I've seen the 49 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 2: movie about one hundred and fifty times, but I've never 50 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 2: seen it on stage. And Rocky Horror, same thing. I've 51 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 2: only ever seen the movie, but seen it so many times, 52 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 2: and both of those movies had such a visceral effect 53 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 2: on me as a kid growing up, yeah, and having 54 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 2: never seen them on stage. And so then cut to 55 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 2: the movie, the Rent movie. So the Rent we had 56 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 2: a very similar well I'll backtrack, So a lot of 57 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 2: kids coming up to me who have only ever seen 58 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 2: the movie and they've never seen on stage, and they 59 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 2: are affected by the film in the way that I 60 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:08,799 Speaker 2: was affected by Hair. 61 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 3: Right, So there's like a touch point there, something that 62 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:14,959 Speaker 3: you can understand what they're yeah, holding on to. 63 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 2: And both of those movies had a very similar trajectory 64 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 2: in that they were both widely popular on Broadway. Then 65 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 2: they were transferred to film and had sort of moderate 66 00:03:23,400 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 2: success and divided the fans of like, you know, some 67 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 2: people loved it, some people hated it. Same with critics 68 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 2: and all the stuff. So it was a very similar, 69 00:03:33,639 --> 00:03:36,720 Speaker 2: very similar reaction by the fan base that Hairhead. 70 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: Wow. 71 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 3: Well, I we'll definitely get into more of the Rent movie, 72 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 3: but I just wanted to backtrack a little bit. I 73 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 3: see you're from Woodbury. I am also from Long Island 74 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 3: as well. So hell, yeah, I'm from East Meadow, of course. Yeah, 75 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 3: And I went to Holy Trinity High School, which had 76 00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 3: a wonderful theater department at the time, and it was 77 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 3: just like we did a million shows a year, and 78 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:01,880 Speaker 3: I just yeah, Long Islander, you know. 79 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, And I've been back there a lot. I'm actually 80 00:04:05,520 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 2: I've been teaching at Long Island University and directing the 81 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 2: show at Long Island University and so wow, my sister 82 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: still lives at Huntington. I was just there, yeah to go, 83 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 2: So yeah, love them funny. 84 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 3: So you started out more as a music artist versus 85 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 3: like a stage actor, is that right? 86 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah. So I grew up on Long Island at 87 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:28,920 Speaker 2: in New York City, and I grew up playing in 88 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 2: rock bands. Wow, yeah, I was. I spent you know, 89 00:04:33,640 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 2: my my high school years, my college years playing in bands, 90 00:04:37,360 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 2: playing all the all the clubs in the city, and 91 00:04:39,560 --> 00:04:42,520 Speaker 2: you know, doing that whole circuit and trying to get 92 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 2: a record deal and trying to become a rock star. 93 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 2: You know. That was that was what I was focused 94 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,159 Speaker 2: on in those years, and and theater was not something 95 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,120 Speaker 2: that I had ever considered as a career path because 96 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 2: quite frankly, for people like me at the time, it 97 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:57,920 Speaker 2: wasn't a career path right back in the mid nineties, 98 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 2: you know, there wasn't a plethora of people that kind 99 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 2: of came out of nowhere and didn't have any training 100 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: and all of a sudden they're on Broadway, Like I 101 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:09,919 Speaker 2: might have been the first one. So you know, like 102 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 2: so it just never occurred that that that would be 103 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:18,400 Speaker 2: something I could pursue. And until it happened that I realized, 104 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 2: oh wow, this is but but you know, it's it's 105 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:26,039 Speaker 2: it became so it became such a logical extension to 106 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:29,880 Speaker 2: who I was, you know, and and and and it 107 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:33,360 Speaker 2: and also the way that I sing. I used to 108 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,320 Speaker 2: get from guys and bands all the time they're like, 109 00:05:35,600 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 2: stop singing with amos vibrato, Like I'm sorry, man, that's 110 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,280 Speaker 2: how I sing, you know, I think you know, I 111 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 2: always had you know, it was always that kind of 112 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,360 Speaker 2: rock but sort of you know, I don't want to 113 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:52,720 Speaker 2: say Broadway sounding, but you know, sort of a bigger 114 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 2: sounding voice, you know, because those are the guys that 115 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: I was attracted to as growing up as as as singers. 116 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 2: You know, all of these you know, high tenor and 117 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 2: I'm not a high tenor but all of these you 118 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:07,359 Speaker 2: know high tenor Freddy Likedy exactly for Mercury and Steve 119 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 2: Perry and and you know Lou Graham and all of 120 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 2: these guys that were my heroes, you know, and I 121 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 2: just I just screamed my head off for hours a 122 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 2: day for years, you know, trying to sound like them. 123 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:25,440 Speaker 3: What a perfect departure, I guess or transition into Rent, though, yes, 124 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 3: you know, what a perfect score and like what music 125 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 3: to sing? So how did how did Rent come to you? 126 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,839 Speaker 3: And what was that whole journey? 127 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:43,040 Speaker 2: Like? So, Idina Menzielle and I grew up down the 128 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 2: street from each other. She is also a ssiasid High 129 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 2: school graduate, Right. 130 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 1: I forgot about that? 131 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:53,520 Speaker 2: Yes, so so I. Dina and her boyfriend at the time, Glenn, 132 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 2: she had been cast in the show and they and 133 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 2: and so she knew that they were having trouble h 134 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 2: casting the role of Roger, and so they thought of 135 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 2: me and they were like, he's a rock singer whatever. 136 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 2: They called me up. They were like, a, Dina's doing 137 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:09,120 Speaker 2: the show. It's gonna run like four weeks off Broadway, 138 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 2: and is it something you'd never be interested in auditioning for? 139 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,119 Speaker 2: And I was like, well, I've never auditioned for anything before. 140 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 2: What do I do? They They're like, I think you 141 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 2: just go down with your guitar and sing a song. 142 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 2: And I was like, all right, sure. You know, I 143 00:07:20,160 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 2: had just broken up with the band that I'd been 144 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 2: with all of those years, and I was like looking 145 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 2: for my next thing. I certainly never thought that, you know, 146 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 2: I always thought my next thing would just be another band. 147 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,800 Speaker 2: But that's you know, but this opportunity came along and 148 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 2: it just, you know, one thing just led to another 149 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 2: and and it all of you know, I have four 150 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 2: auditions in that week, and then by the end of 151 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 2: the week, you know, they had given me the part. 152 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 2: And you know, I often get asked like, oh my god, 153 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 2: what what was your reaction when you got cast? Is 154 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 2: Roger and Rent And I have to remind people that, like, 155 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:51,640 Speaker 2: it's not. 156 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:54,400 Speaker 1: Later exactly. 157 00:07:54,560 --> 00:07:57,119 Speaker 2: My reaction was how am I going to keep my job? 158 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 2: How many go to rehearsals and keep this job? 159 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:01,000 Speaker 4: You know? 160 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 3: So right, yeah, I mean there's something to that, right, 161 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 3: Like people always ask us like did you know it 162 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 3: was special? 163 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: Or like, what was it like getting cast in the show? 164 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 3: And you know, you can only hope that something special 165 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 3: happens with it, but that's not really what you're hoping for. 166 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: You're hoping for a really. 167 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 3: Good time and to have a great job and you know, 168 00:08:18,400 --> 00:08:19,239 Speaker 3: to do good work. 169 00:08:19,280 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 2: And lots of experiences are very special. They don't necessarily 170 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 2: go on to be huge successes, but they're still there. 171 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,800 Speaker 2: They can be equally memorable as memorable and special, you know. 172 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: Sure. 173 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 3: Now I'm curious, though, like, because you you were there 174 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:37,120 Speaker 3: from the beginning and the inception of this thing that 175 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 3: is now rent, Like, what was it like hearing that 176 00:08:39,760 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 3: music for the first time and needing Jonathan, and like 177 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 3: who was he at this point to you? Like, because 178 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 3: so few people get to talk about him and experience him, 179 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 3: because you know, it was so tragic. 180 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 2: But my, my, I, as you can imagine, I get 181 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 2: asked this often and my answer is usually disappointing to people, 182 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 2: which is that I didn't know Jonathan that well. I 183 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 2: knew John I was cast in the show in you know, 184 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 2: the December of ninety five, so at the end, and 185 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 2: Jonathan passed away in January, right six, so I only 186 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 2: knew him for like four weeks, you know, and during 187 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:23,079 Speaker 2: most of that time we were in rehearsal and we 188 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 2: were working, so there wasn't a lot of socializing going on. 189 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 2: So I unfortunately, like everybody else, right out on his presence, 190 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 2: you know, in my in all of our lives, and 191 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 2: so you know, the few times I sat with him 192 00:09:39,800 --> 00:09:41,200 Speaker 2: and talked with him were great, and he was a 193 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,679 Speaker 2: lovely guy. I wish I knew him better, you know, Yeah, 194 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 2: like everybody else wish they knew you know. 195 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: And yeah, no, that makes total sense. 196 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 3: I mean, I'm I'm curious though, like because he became 197 00:09:54,559 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 3: so he became so infamous after for his his work 198 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 3: and his art, and you guys got to keep that alive, right, 199 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 3: and you got to almost see him as the figure 200 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 3: that he never got to see himself as. What was 201 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 3: like that journey like after and the successive rent after 202 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 3: you guys opened and you went a Broadway and you 203 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 3: know that kind of like momentum went right, I mean. 204 00:10:19,960 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 2: It was, it was. It was so much bittersweet irony, 205 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 2: you know, like like exactly, like especially with my character 206 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 2: in particular, because my character was the musician and you know, 207 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:33,120 Speaker 2: and my character was the character who's you know, one 208 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 2: desire in the show, in the story was to create 209 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 2: some something wonderful. He wanted to write a song that 210 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 2: people would remember after he was gone, you know, yeah, 211 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 2: and that was what he was striving for. That's what 212 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 2: kept him, That's what kept him motivated, and that's what 213 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 2: kept Jonathan motivated. And it was it was the show 214 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 2: that Jonathan wrote. And then he ended up in many 215 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:01,439 Speaker 2: ways living that well or not living through that experience, 216 00:11:01,480 --> 00:11:04,120 Speaker 2: you know, by but but but he but he achieved 217 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 2: what he wanted to achieve. He just didn't see it, 218 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 2: you know. But but but again, if you think about 219 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 2: the character, the whole thing was what to achieve it 220 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 2: after I'm gone, you know what I mean? He literally 221 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 2: did that. And then for me personally, you know, I 222 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,719 Speaker 2: always wanted to be a songwriter and an artist and 223 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 2: a singer and all of those things. And I, through 224 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:33,200 Speaker 2: that character and that song, also achieved the things that 225 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 2: I was striving for by by now being connected so 226 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:40,439 Speaker 2: closely with that show and that music and specifically again 227 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 2: that song about what he's saying. So it's it's there's 228 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 2: so much sort of intercellular connection between the show, me, Jonathan's, 229 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,559 Speaker 2: that song, all of that stuff. It's it's it's it's 230 00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 2: been I've thought about it a lot over the year. 231 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: I'm sure, I'm sure. 232 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 3: And then even like the the tic tic boom of 233 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 3: it all, where you get to see that journey, but 234 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:07,200 Speaker 3: we didn't get to see him in that time. Like 235 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 3: it's just it's really, I don't know, it's very it's 236 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,240 Speaker 3: beautiful and tragic and special in all the ways. And 237 00:12:13,280 --> 00:12:16,600 Speaker 3: you were just so deeply connected with it, so so fascinating. 238 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 2: But you asked before when I thought about the music, 239 00:12:18,679 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 2: you know, when I first heard the music, I have 240 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:22,160 Speaker 2: to be honest, I was so the first thing I 241 00:12:22,200 --> 00:12:24,960 Speaker 2: heard was so I went and auditioned, and and and 242 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 2: after my first audition, they gave me, Bernie Telsey gave 243 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 2: me a cassette copy of one song, Glory to go 244 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 2: home and learn. And it was it was Jonathan Larson 245 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 2: singing it, you know, and on his little t and 246 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 2: Jonathan was not a great singer, and so and I was. 247 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 2: I was kind of underwhelmed. I was like, this is 248 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:49,480 Speaker 2: a rock musical, quite so, and I and and and 249 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 2: then I remember, of course, and then it grew on me, 250 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 2: and once I started to sing it, it started to 251 00:12:53,920 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 2: make sense to me, you know. So yeah, on an 252 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 2: emotional and musical level. But and then I remember starting rehearsals. 253 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 2: The first song we learned together was Seasons of Love, 254 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:06,360 Speaker 2: and I was like, these are the weirdest lyrics, all 255 00:13:06,400 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 2: these numbers and all this stuff like it was so 256 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:10,360 Speaker 2: it was so weird to me. 257 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: And then you heard love you whatever You're like. 258 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:15,679 Speaker 2: I was like, what is all this stuff? They literally 259 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 2: gave us like a you know, an information sheet so 260 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 2: that we would know who all of these people that 261 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 2: we were talking about. 262 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 1: That's funny. Yeah, the dramaturgy of it. 263 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:27,360 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I didn't have these references, you know, I 264 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 2: didn't know what they were. And so, yes, the music 265 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 2: it was it was interesting. Look, I came from a 266 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,319 Speaker 2: world of you know, certainly at that time, this is 267 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 2: mid nineties, I was I was head over into Sound 268 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 2: Garden and Pearl Jam and you know, yeah chains and 269 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:46,480 Speaker 2: all of that stuff like that was the rock music 270 00:13:46,640 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 2: that I was listening to at the time. So when 271 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:51,120 Speaker 2: I heard rock musical, of course, I was expecting to 272 00:13:51,120 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 2: hear something along those lines. And clearly that's not the 273 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:55,080 Speaker 2: case now. 274 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:59,679 Speaker 3: But there's just so the show is so beautifully dynamic 275 00:13:59,679 --> 00:14:03,080 Speaker 3: and newtin from the sung dialogue, you know of the 276 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 3: the opera of it all, but then there's these like 277 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 3: beautifully melodic songs and you know, like what you own 278 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 3: and you know, I'll cover you all. It's just it's 279 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 3: absolutely brilliant and obviously everybody you know, that's why it's 280 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 3: such a massive hit that lives on forever. But you 281 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 3: guys really did like reinvent what Broadway could be for 282 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 3: a lot of artists and a lot of producers and 283 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 3: creatives to say, like, oh wow, like Broadway doesn't have 284 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:30,520 Speaker 3: to be Rogers and Hammerstein, it doesn't have to be 285 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 3: you know, these insanely classical, you know, traditional music. So 286 00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:39,040 Speaker 3: I'm curious, like that must have been very exciting for 287 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 3: you as a rock artist and a rock fan, and 288 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 3: but what would do you remember what that was like 289 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:47,440 Speaker 3: in the time when when you guys were around and 290 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 3: when it started to really like some momentum started to hit. 291 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean it's only in hindsight that you can 292 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 2: see the effect that it happened on the art form 293 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,200 Speaker 2: and everything that came after us. At the time, it was, 294 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 2: you know, there was so much going on so fast, 295 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 2: all at once. You know, I'm sure you can ask 296 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:08,760 Speaker 2: any of any of the kids that were in Hamilton, 297 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 2: you know, and like it's just there's so much happening 298 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:15,200 Speaker 2: every night, every night, you know what I mean. And 299 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:16,920 Speaker 2: then on top of that, of course, you know, Jonathan 300 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 2: died and so like you know, am envious of all 301 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 2: those kids in Hamilton is that they didn't have this 302 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,480 Speaker 2: looming black cloud over their experience in the same way 303 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 2: that we, you know, and the maybe self inflicted burden 304 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 2: of need to feel to carry that weight and that 305 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 2: message and Jonathan and what he was trying to do 306 00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 2: and all of that stuff. You know, like we internally 307 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:43,520 Speaker 2: that we really felt like we were the champions of that. 308 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 2: And you know, and I tell you know, I work 309 00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 2: with so many students and so many kids, especially working 310 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 2: on that show, and I always say to them, look, 311 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,240 Speaker 2: it is not your responsibility to carry any burden, to 312 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 2: to to put forth any message. It's your job to 313 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 2: have fun and tell a story. If an audience going 314 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:03,080 Speaker 2: to get a message from it, great, but it's not 315 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:05,000 Speaker 2: your job to cram it down their throat or feel 316 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:07,880 Speaker 2: like it's your responsibility to carry that because it's not 317 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 2: for actors. And you know, and I wish I could 318 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 2: have told the old me that thirty years ago. 319 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: Wow. Wow, that's profound fun fact. 320 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 3: I was actually opening on Broadway the same year you 321 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 3: guys open event. 322 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: I was doing The King and I Danille Simon in six. 323 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 2: Okay, So okay, I'm gonna tell you a funny story. 324 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 2: Then you'll appreciate this. It's not my story, it's Anthony Repp, Okay, 325 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 2: but it's one of my favorite stories, and I always 326 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,480 Speaker 2: make him tell it. So when Anthony was a little kid, 327 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 2: he he was in The King and I on the 328 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 2: national tour. I think it was like one of his 329 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,320 Speaker 2: first jobs. So now I don't I'm not familiar with 330 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 2: the show. So I'm going to explain something to you, 331 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:45,080 Speaker 2: and you're gonna know what I'm talking about. 332 00:16:45,520 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: Sure. 333 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 2: At the end of the show, the King is laid 334 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 2: out and I and I dying or he's dead or 335 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 2: whatever it is. 336 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: Yes, he's died. 337 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 2: Yes, And a little kid comes comes and says something 338 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:57,720 Speaker 2: like mother, the ship is something like this. Some kid 339 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 2: says something right, So that was yes, right, yeah, So 340 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 2: he comes out to deliver his line and he goes 341 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 2: mother and you'l Brenner is on the tour. J'l Brenner, 342 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 2: who's lying dead goes Louder. 343 00:17:17,520 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 3: Ah, oh my, that is brilliant. 344 00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 1: That's really good. That's really good. Thank you for that. Wow. 345 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: He was the son of Yeah, that's right. Oh how exciting. 346 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 3: Okay, So the movie, I'm curious, Uh, this was a 347 00:17:51,359 --> 00:17:56,440 Speaker 3: long time after the rise of the show and everything, 348 00:17:56,520 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 3: and I'm curious, like, what your thoughts, what, how did 349 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,400 Speaker 3: the movie? How was it presented to you guys, And 350 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:07,919 Speaker 3: what was the process of like revisiting that in the 351 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 3: screen form and just the experience overall and the movie 352 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 3: just like yeah, so as. 353 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:19,080 Speaker 2: You can imagine, very quickly, as soon as the show 354 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:24,119 Speaker 2: became popular, talk of a movie became a subject. You know, 355 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 2: the movie, the movie. Is there gonna be a movie? 356 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,919 Speaker 2: Is there gonna be a movie? At some point early on, 357 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 2: and it was in the late nineties, somebody had written 358 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 2: a script and Spike Lee had it, and Spike Lee 359 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:39,160 Speaker 2: was going to direct it. Wow, But he didn't want 360 00:18:39,160 --> 00:18:41,680 Speaker 2: any of us in it, and so it was gonna 361 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:43,879 Speaker 2: be some other version. And I always heard rumors that 362 00:18:43,920 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 2: there was gonna be like justin Timberlake, is gonna play 363 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:48,399 Speaker 2: Roger and Christine everywhere? Is gonna play Beaming Like I 364 00:18:48,400 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 2: don't know, if any it usually happened. That's actually true, 365 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 2: but those, of course were the rumors at the time. 366 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 2: But anyway, that whole thing just disappeared and went away. 367 00:18:57,000 --> 00:19:01,119 Speaker 2: And and you know, literally cut to two thousand and 368 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:03,280 Speaker 2: five or four or whenever it was, and I get 369 00:19:03,280 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 2: a call from my agent saying, the Rent movie is happening. 370 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 2: Chris Columbus is directing it, and he's very interested in 371 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,760 Speaker 2: having you know, as many of the original cast as 372 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,719 Speaker 2: he can go meet, yeah, you know, and I was like, okay, 373 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:19,679 Speaker 2: So I went and went and met with him, and 374 00:19:19,720 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 2: he was just lovely and just the biggest Rent fan 375 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 2: and super excited, and he hired me, you know, and 376 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:28,159 Speaker 2: and I mean it was it was really exciting. It 377 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,119 Speaker 2: was so much fun to be able to bring it 378 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:33,199 Speaker 2: to the screen, you know. Anyway, it was you know, 379 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:35,399 Speaker 2: of course we missed some of the original cast members 380 00:19:35,400 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 2: that weren't there. Daphne wasn't there or whatever, but they 381 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:42,000 Speaker 2: they did a wonderful job of, you know, bringing on 382 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:48,639 Speaker 2: Rosario and Tracy Toms and it felt very comfortable and 383 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:52,560 Speaker 2: natural and doing those scenes. Doing all of those scenes 384 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 2: on screen was very similar to what we all did 385 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 2: on stage. You know, I I would venture to say 386 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:04,280 Speaker 2: I did pretty much the same performance on screen as 387 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,359 Speaker 2: I did on stage. You know, you make adjustments for 388 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:09,399 Speaker 2: camera and lighting, and you know, make technical adjustments, but 389 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 2: the performance was essentially the same. 390 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 1: It really was. 391 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:16,240 Speaker 3: And it was so nice to see most of you guys, 392 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:20,000 Speaker 3: a majority of the cast there, because I feel like 393 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,760 Speaker 3: a lot of the time when they do Hollywood, you know, 394 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:28,120 Speaker 3: a movie from a stage production, they often do recast 395 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 3: it and you're hearing and sometimes I can be very 396 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 3: refreshing and you can hear new voices and a new 397 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 3: take on the character. But for Ren, because it was 398 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:39,600 Speaker 3: so iconic, I guess, you know, there was something about 399 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:40,920 Speaker 3: it that I was like, I don't think I want 400 00:20:40,920 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 3: to hear anybody else do this in this rendition, which 401 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 3: is so nice that you guys were able to do. 402 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 1: That was I'm curious about. 403 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:53,320 Speaker 3: Like the the removal of the opera and the obviously 404 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:57,840 Speaker 3: you know, the dialogue and bringing that dialogue to life 405 00:20:57,880 --> 00:20:58,600 Speaker 3: without singing. 406 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: It was that weird for you guys. 407 00:21:00,440 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 3: Did you have any part of say, And I'm just 408 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 3: curious because on one hand, I was like, I think 409 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 3: the part of the magic is the opera right of it, 410 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:14,439 Speaker 3: and then on the other hand, like, yeah, you have 411 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 3: to make adjustments for screen and that I just I. 412 00:21:18,400 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 2: Think, you know, I have my feelings about the movie, 413 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:27,359 Speaker 2: but that I think worked great. You know, like I 414 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:29,520 Speaker 2: I don't think that that was an issue. I think 415 00:21:29,520 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 2: it was the right choice. 416 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know I. 417 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 2: Think that that. Yeah, I think it was the right choice. 418 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:40,840 Speaker 2: And it wasn't. It didn't feel strange at all because 419 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,560 Speaker 2: we because the numbers were still the numbers, you know 420 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:45,480 Speaker 2: what I mean, And so there was these added scenes 421 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 2: and there was a lot of added dialogue and stuff, 422 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:50,119 Speaker 2: and look, you know, it was it was an experiment 423 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,919 Speaker 2: from from from the top. Like Chris didn't go in 424 00:21:52,960 --> 00:21:56,400 Speaker 2: there going Okay, I know exactly what I'm doing. Really 425 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 2: every day it was like we would have them, not 426 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 2: every day, but like often we would have meetings with 427 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 2: Chris and he would say to us, and I think 428 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:04,840 Speaker 2: that the reason, one of the reasons he wanted us 429 00:22:04,880 --> 00:22:07,640 Speaker 2: is because he wanted our input in terms in terms 430 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 2: of how race because he either you know, yea. So 431 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 2: we would sit down a lot and talk about how 432 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 2: we were going to shoot the scene and you know 433 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 2: what we you know, and it was a very collaborative process. 434 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:27,120 Speaker 2: He was so wonderful in in how he incorporated our thoughts, 435 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 2: you know, into his decision making. You know, of course 436 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,280 Speaker 2: he was the final decider on everything that happened, but 437 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:35,359 Speaker 2: he wanted to know what we thought, you know, and 438 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,440 Speaker 2: that was really that was really great, you know, and 439 00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:42,640 Speaker 2: and and we all very much appreciated that consideration. 440 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, definitely. 441 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:47,480 Speaker 3: It's just it's reminiscent of working on a TV show 442 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,000 Speaker 3: where you have guest directors weekly that come in and 443 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 3: out of your house, and you know, these characters back 444 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 3: front for you know, inside out, and they're coming in saying, 445 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 3: you know, let me guide the ship, but also be respectful. 446 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: Of the people who have been in this house forever. 447 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 3: So there, I think there's a level that it's similar 448 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:07,920 Speaker 3: because you guys have done this before for a very 449 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 3: long time and helped kind of the genesis of it, 450 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 3: so that that definitely makes sense. 451 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:14,720 Speaker 2: There was a big dramatic scene that had a lot 452 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 2: of dialogue and he ended up cutting it out of 453 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:20,080 Speaker 2: the movie, and I was like, oh man, that was 454 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 2: the best scene. They might cut that. 455 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:25,320 Speaker 3: Out, but the second part of Goodbye Lhybe that's what Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 456 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:25,719 Speaker 3: that's right. 457 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:29,639 Speaker 2: That's exactly right. And also, look and Christmas Bells, you know, 458 00:23:29,760 --> 00:23:33,040 Speaker 2: like Christmas Bells is my favorite number in the show. 459 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 2: It's my favorite. It's my favorite number. And it's not 460 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 2: in the movie. But quite frankly, like I didn't know 461 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:42,679 Speaker 2: what to do, Like, like the reason it's not in 462 00:23:42,680 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 2: the movie is not because we shot it and then 463 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 2: it was like, oh, this isn't working, let me cut 464 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:49,840 Speaker 2: it out. We never shot it. Nobody had any idea 465 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 2: of what to do and had to shoot that number, 466 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 2: and so it was like, it's not going to be 467 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,119 Speaker 2: in the movie. Yeah, And look, sometimes sometimes big changes 468 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 2: happen in these things. I remember, you know, we were 469 00:23:58,600 --> 00:24:02,560 Speaker 2: talking about Hair. The original ending of Hair was not 470 00:24:02,720 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 2: how it ends in the movie. You know, Burger dies 471 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:06,920 Speaker 2: at the end of the movie. Claude dies at the 472 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 2: end of the show, right, I got to be honest 473 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:12,199 Speaker 2: with you, I thought the movie was so much more 474 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 2: effective in that ending, in the way they did that. 475 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 2: I just thought I was like, oh my god, Burger, 476 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:21,160 Speaker 2: Like I just like, you know, I to that hit hard? 477 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:23,960 Speaker 2: So that hits so hard? It's hard? 478 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: It does it does? What about Seasons of Love? 479 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 3: Like, why did you guys move Seasons of Love to 480 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:33,880 Speaker 3: the top of the movie. 481 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:38,920 Speaker 2: I think's decision was because as it works great as 482 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 2: an opening of the second act, but it's very theatrical, 483 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 2: it's very of the stage, and it would have broken 484 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,240 Speaker 2: up the pace of the movie to all of a sudden, 485 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:51,840 Speaker 2: have this, this this performance on a stage of all 486 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:54,200 Speaker 2: of these you know, it just didn't have a place 487 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:56,159 Speaker 2: in the movie. The only place that really had was 488 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:58,080 Speaker 2: either at the beginning of the end the. 489 00:24:58,119 --> 00:25:00,920 Speaker 1: End, right, Okay, no, no, I'm that makes sense. That's 490 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: very enlightening. 491 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 3: And you and Anthony have had a long journey together 492 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:10,000 Speaker 3: and now are performing shows together at like fifty four 493 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:13,840 Speaker 3: below and beyond. Can you talk a little bit about like, yeah, 494 00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 3: you know, you guys have worked together. 495 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:20,720 Speaker 2: Well, you know, very soon after we stopped doing Rent together, 496 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 2: one of the things I started doing was going out 497 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,000 Speaker 2: and performing you know, gigs and stuff on my own 498 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,119 Speaker 2: and whatever. And I would always I would get asked 499 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,399 Speaker 2: often like, hey, you and Anthony ever do anything together? 500 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:32,680 Speaker 2: You and Anthony. Now, Anthony had put out a solo record. 501 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 2: He wasn't out gigging, but he had a solo record 502 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:36,919 Speaker 2: out that was great. Yeah, And I think I just 503 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:38,640 Speaker 2: went literally went to him one day and was like, hey, 504 00:25:38,640 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 2: you want to do some gigs together. You know, I 505 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 2: have some people that are interested. And he was like, yeah, sure, 506 00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:47,040 Speaker 2: and like honestly, that's how it started. And we've done 507 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:49,480 Speaker 2: so many different kinds of shows together over the years, 508 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 2: like you know, different types of performances. For a long time, 509 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 2: we would do acoustic performances where I would do a 510 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:56,679 Speaker 2: set and he would do a set, and then we 511 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 2: would do like, you know, maybe fifteen minutes together. What 512 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 2: we hear past couple of years was, you know, we 513 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,080 Speaker 2: put a full band together and we decided, you know, 514 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,439 Speaker 2: let's just both be on stage the whole time like 515 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,800 Speaker 2: a rock It's not me, it's us the whole time. 516 00:26:10,119 --> 00:26:14,399 Speaker 2: And that's been the most successful. All people want to 517 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 2: see us together and. 518 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:18,000 Speaker 1: Here are right. Yeah. 519 00:26:18,119 --> 00:26:20,159 Speaker 2: So it's been so much fun for us to to 520 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,359 Speaker 2: be able to do that and and and you know 521 00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 2: sort of present our arrangements of it. There's a lot 522 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 2: of pop and rock stuff like it's it's not you know, 523 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:30,560 Speaker 2: it's not. As a matter of fact, I would say 524 00:26:30,560 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 2: that theater stuff is the least of what we do. 525 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 2: And you know it's a surprise to people, but the 526 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 2: audiences end up loving it, you know, like we we 527 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:42,840 Speaker 2: we interweave things together so it all makes a cohesive evening. 528 00:26:43,040 --> 00:26:44,679 Speaker 2: You know. It's not like we're just playing sort of 529 00:26:44,720 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 2: random rock songs, you know what I mean, Like they 530 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 2: all have like a reason. Yeah, and then they and 531 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 2: that and that they connect in ways to Rent and 532 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:53,720 Speaker 2: things like that, so we try and tie it all in. 533 00:26:54,080 --> 00:26:56,640 Speaker 1: That's exciting. I mean, I would want to see you guys. 534 00:26:56,680 --> 00:26:59,480 Speaker 2: Oh you should come. We'll be back yeah January. 535 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:10,200 Speaker 3: Good, Okay, all right, we'll definitely come back. You've done 536 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 3: a lot aita, I mean, jazz, It's crazy. Is Rent 537 00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:18,640 Speaker 3: your favorite? 538 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:20,800 Speaker 1: Or do you have a favorite project that you've worked on? 539 00:27:21,560 --> 00:27:25,479 Speaker 2: Rent is not my favorite? And only because it's the 540 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:28,399 Speaker 2: first thing I ever did, you know. Yeah, And you 541 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,399 Speaker 2: know I've had so many wonderful experiences since then. I 542 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 2: wouldn't say it's any less than anything else, you know 543 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:39,400 Speaker 2: what I mean. It's such it was such a unique experience, 544 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:44,280 Speaker 2: and that I could really everything I've done since Rent 545 00:27:44,560 --> 00:27:47,200 Speaker 2: I could sort of compare against each other. But I 546 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 2: don't really compare Rent to any of those things, because 547 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 2: it's just such a unique inexperience and of course became 548 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 2: so enormously successful. Right So, but you know, over the years, 549 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,000 Speaker 2: I love to laugh and I love to make people laugh, 550 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,280 Speaker 2: and I've really you know, I love doing the musical 551 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:08,359 Speaker 2: comedy stuff, you know, Disaster and something Rotten. And getting 552 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 2: to do things like that, you know, have been so 553 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,240 Speaker 2: much even I just did Drag off Broadway, like, you know, 554 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:17,680 Speaker 2: getting to do these things, to me, that's what's been 555 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:21,159 Speaker 2: the most fun and the most exciting. And getting to 556 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,639 Speaker 2: learn from, you know, my whole career, I've gotten to 557 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:27,480 Speaker 2: learn from so many amazing artists who are better at 558 00:28:27,520 --> 00:28:29,199 Speaker 2: what they do than I am, you know, and so 559 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:32,080 Speaker 2: to watch them and you know, maybe not the singing part, 560 00:28:32,280 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 2: but all the other stuff, you know. And so you know, 561 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 2: I very much you know, absorbed what everybody was offering 562 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 2: just by being around it, you know, like and I 563 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:47,120 Speaker 2: continue to do that in my life wherever whatever I 564 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:49,600 Speaker 2: venture into, if it's something new, I don't want to 565 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 2: do it alone. I want to do it with somebody 566 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,040 Speaker 2: who's already done it and is really good. 567 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:56,479 Speaker 3: At you know, right right right right, you know, sure 568 00:28:57,040 --> 00:28:59,479 Speaker 3: did you always have a really good voice or did 569 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,160 Speaker 3: it take a lot of training or like where did 570 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 3: the voice come from? 571 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:04,440 Speaker 1: Where was the voice? Discovering? 572 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 2: It happened, you know, I discovered, you know, at an 573 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:10,240 Speaker 2: early age. The earliest things I can remember singing were 574 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 2: like Barry Manilow songs in the seventies as a little kid, 575 00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 2: you know, I was six seven years old. And then 576 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 2: I remember I remember discovering like Elton John and Billy 577 00:29:22,280 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 2: Joel like those songs when I was little and singing 578 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 2: along to them, Simon and Garfunkel. I remember very specific 579 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:32,080 Speaker 2: things from when I was very young, and ironically enough, 580 00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 2: the cast album of a chorus line, you know, things 581 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 2: that my parents would play in the car, you know 582 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,320 Speaker 2: what I mean, that absorb and to this day, that's 583 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 2: my favorite cast album. I've never seen, you know, but 584 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 2: I can. I can sing every song I know everywhere. 585 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:46,480 Speaker 1: It is great. 586 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so so I just started singing and realized 587 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:53,840 Speaker 2: that it felt good, and I thought it sounded pretty good, 588 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 2: you know. And then when I was like ten or 589 00:29:55,520 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 2: eleven years old and MTV debuted and sort of that 590 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:04,240 Speaker 2: wave of like heavy metal bands that came along in 591 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 2: the early eighties, Like I was completely entranced by all 592 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 2: that stuff, and I started to sing along to those songs. 593 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:14,040 Speaker 2: You know, these rock bands like Iron Maiden and a 594 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 2: guy named Ronnie James Dio and you know, all of 595 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 2: these like powerhouse hard rock singers that I just you 596 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 2: know that those were the guys I wanted to be. 597 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 2: Those were my heroes, and I spent you know, I 598 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 2: didn't have any formal training, but I would say I 599 00:30:27,640 --> 00:30:30,360 Speaker 2: practiced as much as anybody ever practice, because I would 600 00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,320 Speaker 2: sit up in my room for hours and hours a 601 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 2: day singing onto those records, you know, not as much 602 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 2: practice as anything else, you know. And and it's because 603 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 2: those guys, because they sounded the way they sounded, you know. 604 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:48,960 Speaker 2: Dickinson from Iron Maiden is probably the single biggest influence 605 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,680 Speaker 2: on my voice, I think, certainly, very those very formative 606 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:55,520 Speaker 2: early teenage years, you know. And he has a very 607 00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 2: strong operatic sound, and I wanted to do with sound 608 00:30:59,720 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 2: like him, and so that's where I developed. I think 609 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,960 Speaker 2: a lot of that sound. And and it's only by 610 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:09,960 Speaker 2: sheer luck. I think that my voice developed in a 611 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:12,120 Speaker 2: in a healthy way, if that makes any sense. 612 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:15,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was going to ask about that, because you're 613 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:17,560 Speaker 3: screaming a lot of the time, but you can't be 614 00:31:17,600 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 3: actually screaming, right, You're healthily screaming. 615 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:24,959 Speaker 2: Right, I've developed you know what I couldn't. I couldn't 616 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:26,920 Speaker 2: describe it to you. I couldn't tell you what proper 617 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 2: technique is, only to tell you that I know I 618 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:32,480 Speaker 2: have it because because I've never lost my voice and 619 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 2: I've never had any vocal problems. 620 00:31:34,760 --> 00:31:36,240 Speaker 1: That is crazy. 621 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:39,720 Speaker 2: And as I you know, as my career had gone 622 00:31:39,760 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 2: has gone on, I've certainly learned by being on stage 623 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 2: and doing theater how to take care voice in a 624 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:50,080 Speaker 2: way that works for me, you know, you know, And 625 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 2: I work with the little vocal trainer, which I love, 626 00:31:52,480 --> 00:31:54,360 Speaker 2: that little thing that you know, like you blow into 627 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,880 Speaker 2: I'm into it. That thing has changed my life. But 628 00:31:58,960 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 2: you know, I've I've been very lucky in that in 629 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 2: that I know how to do what I do. 630 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 1: Unreal, unreal. Yeah, that's crazy. 631 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 3: It's like, I don't know, your placement must be just perfect, 632 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 3: you just must have instinctally found that placement for yourself. 633 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 2: Well. Also, I do a lot of experimenting with my 634 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:22,840 Speaker 2: voice and with trying to figure out how to make 635 00:32:22,880 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 2: certain sounds and hit certain notes and hit them in 636 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:28,160 Speaker 2: certain ways. You know, that's important for singers to do, 637 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 2: is to go in a room by yourself and make 638 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,760 Speaker 2: crazy sounds and make crazy noises, and try and do 639 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 2: crazy things with your voice, and see what what you're 640 00:32:38,360 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 2: capable of, See what hurts, what doesn't hurt? See you 641 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:43,920 Speaker 2: know what I mean? And so that's how I have 642 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 2: figured out how to do a lot of this stuff 643 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 2: is just by playing around with my voice like a 644 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:51,240 Speaker 2: like an instrument. You know what, what am I capable 645 00:32:51,280 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 2: of doing? You know what? What can what can I achieve? 646 00:32:53,960 --> 00:32:56,840 Speaker 2: How can I continue to push it? You know? My 647 00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:00,200 Speaker 2: upper and my lower you know what I mean? So 648 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:03,400 Speaker 2: much of my formative years trying to push the upper 649 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:06,640 Speaker 2: that I ignored the you know, the lower, my lower register, 650 00:33:06,960 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 2: and and and it's only in the last ten or 651 00:33:09,680 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 2: so years that I'm like. 652 00:33:11,320 --> 00:33:15,040 Speaker 4: I like to stay lower now kind it yeah and 653 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 4: so but but but it's it's been, it's been, and 654 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:23,160 Speaker 4: it always is a process of experimentation with me with 655 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:23,840 Speaker 4: my voice. 656 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I love that you're just still experimenting 657 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 3: and still learning as an artist, you know, even after 658 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:34,160 Speaker 3: your incredible like career and all the things that you're doing. 659 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:37,120 Speaker 3: And it sounds like you're teaching a lot and so 660 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:40,360 Speaker 3: you're imparting a lot of this like learning wisdom on 661 00:33:40,920 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 3: younger aspiring actors, Like what has that been like for you? 662 00:33:44,920 --> 00:33:46,680 Speaker 2: I mean, I think that that's that's the best thing 663 00:33:46,800 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 2: I can offer is my wisdom at this point in 664 00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:52,280 Speaker 2: having done this for you know, for decades. At this point, 665 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 2: you know, I'm not a trained singer and I'm not 666 00:33:55,360 --> 00:33:59,200 Speaker 2: a trained actor, and so I can't I can't teach 667 00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 2: somebody technique. You know, I'm not a vocal technician. I 668 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 2: can't I can't make somebody a good singer. I can't 669 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,040 Speaker 2: tell them what to do. And because I don't know, 670 00:34:09,080 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 2: I've never done it right. So that's not my thing. 671 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:13,960 Speaker 2: So and and there's a lot of people that are 672 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,239 Speaker 2: really good at that and by all means do that. 673 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 2: I think what I offer as a teacher is just 674 00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 2: is just knowledge wisdom of the of the life and 675 00:34:23,520 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 2: the world that a lot of these kids are striving for. 676 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:31,600 Speaker 2: I think what I can offer them is to the 677 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:34,359 Speaker 2: truth about what that is, the truth about what that 678 00:34:34,560 --> 00:34:37,840 Speaker 2: has been and what it is now and where it's going. 679 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:42,319 Speaker 2: You know, it's very important for kids to who are 680 00:34:42,320 --> 00:34:44,600 Speaker 2: getting into show business. I have two sons and you know, 681 00:34:44,640 --> 00:34:46,720 Speaker 2: in their early twenties and they're both in show business 682 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:49,439 Speaker 2: in one per or the other, you know, And it's 683 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 2: it's super important to see that what has all had, 684 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:56,160 Speaker 2: what's come before us, is not what's in front of us. 685 00:34:56,760 --> 00:35:00,799 Speaker 2: And you can't you can't go about things in the 686 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:04,040 Speaker 2: way that it's always been done. The way it's always 687 00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:07,120 Speaker 2: been done is over, and we are all collectively now 688 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:09,439 Speaker 2: figuring out how it's going to continue to be done, 689 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 2: you know. And I think that it's very important for 690 00:35:13,880 --> 00:35:16,680 Speaker 2: people to realize that and to prepare for that, and 691 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:19,839 Speaker 2: to know again, know what the realities of a life 692 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,360 Speaker 2: in theater is like, you know. And I assure you 693 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:24,919 Speaker 2: it's it's it's not glamorous because and look, you know, 694 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:27,279 Speaker 2: I mean it's you know, you're an artist, you're an actor, 695 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:30,960 Speaker 2: you know what it's like. My perspective has always been, 696 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:34,840 Speaker 2: my job is not to be a singer or an actor. 697 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:39,120 Speaker 2: My job is to not quit this horrible business. That's 698 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:45,280 Speaker 2: my job. The payoff is what I get to work, 699 00:35:45,680 --> 00:35:47,440 Speaker 2: is when I actually get a job and I get 700 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 2: to make some money and I get to do this 701 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:51,080 Speaker 2: thing that I love to do. That's not the job, 702 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:53,280 Speaker 2: you know what I mean. The job is not quitting 703 00:35:53,640 --> 00:35:55,960 Speaker 2: to me. That's why I always felt That's the way 704 00:35:56,000 --> 00:35:58,560 Speaker 2: I always sort of looked at it, is like, that's 705 00:35:58,920 --> 00:36:01,160 Speaker 2: that's the job, and it's a hard job, and you. 706 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:04,120 Speaker 1: Know that, and so no, it's so hard, yeah, and. 707 00:36:04,080 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 2: So and I think it's I think it's important for 708 00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:11,839 Speaker 2: for for young artists to internalize that, you know, and 709 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:15,640 Speaker 2: that most of your time is going to be fighting. 710 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:19,280 Speaker 1: Yourself, knows, constant, fighting your. 711 00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:22,280 Speaker 2: Ego, fighting your you know, your all of the it's 712 00:36:22,440 --> 00:36:24,880 Speaker 2: that that's going to be what you're spending most of 713 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:27,880 Speaker 2: the time doing, you know. Yeah, and as an actor, 714 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 2: the most frustrating thing as an actor. And I'm so 715 00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:34,480 Speaker 2: grateful that I that I play an instrument and that 716 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:38,080 Speaker 2: I sing. You know, I encourage actors who don't sing 717 00:36:38,120 --> 00:36:42,040 Speaker 2: and don't play an instrument to do something where you 718 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:46,480 Speaker 2: can practice your creativity in your art by yourself. The 719 00:36:46,560 --> 00:36:49,000 Speaker 2: thing about acting is that you can't do it in 720 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:51,800 Speaker 2: a vacuum like you can do any other art form. 721 00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:54,080 Speaker 2: You know, you can sculpt, you can paint, you can 722 00:36:54,080 --> 00:36:56,240 Speaker 2: write music, you can sing, you can play an instrument. 723 00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:59,200 Speaker 2: You can do all of these things by yourself and 724 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:02,960 Speaker 2: get for them. You can dance, right, you can't do 725 00:37:03,080 --> 00:37:05,840 Speaker 2: that with acting, you need an audience. It doesn't work 726 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:08,480 Speaker 2: in a va. It doesn't work alone, you know what 727 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 2: I mean. You can't stand there and look at yourself 728 00:37:11,960 --> 00:37:14,719 Speaker 2: monologuing in a mirror and get any sense of satisfaction 729 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:18,920 Speaker 2: out of that, you know, like it just so, it's 730 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:22,440 Speaker 2: it's it's a very difficult profession to be and when 731 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:25,000 Speaker 2: that's the only thing you do because you very rarely 732 00:37:25,080 --> 00:37:26,320 Speaker 2: get a sense of completion. 733 00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 3: Yeah yeah, and then once you do, you're chasing the 734 00:37:30,320 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 3: next one. So it's tough. I think that's why it 735 00:37:33,280 --> 00:37:36,080 Speaker 3: lends to like what you were talking about in the 736 00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:42,319 Speaker 3: future of this business and how you can create and 737 00:37:42,400 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 3: teach these young people to create on their own, to 738 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:48,640 Speaker 3: get people together, to do things that fuel them, that 739 00:37:48,800 --> 00:37:51,760 Speaker 3: keep them going, and don't get bitter and don't lose 740 00:37:51,800 --> 00:37:55,160 Speaker 3: the love because in this business, after all these years, 741 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:58,840 Speaker 3: it's very difficult to find the joy in it because 742 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:00,959 Speaker 3: it is so difficult and challenge. 743 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:05,719 Speaker 2: And we're only again as actors specifically, the only validation 744 00:38:05,840 --> 00:38:09,640 Speaker 2: you ever get is from other people, you know, like 745 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:15,399 Speaker 2: we're constantly chasing somebody else's validation of our art, where again, 746 00:38:15,480 --> 00:38:18,000 Speaker 2: these other art forms you can go you know, what. 747 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:19,480 Speaker 2: I'm a good singer, I know it. I don't need 748 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:21,480 Speaker 2: anyone to tell me. Or I'm a great guitar player. 749 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:23,920 Speaker 2: I'm a great I don't need other people to tell 750 00:38:23,960 --> 00:38:25,440 Speaker 2: me that, because I know I could sit in a 751 00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:27,799 Speaker 2: room and do it and do it really well. You 752 00:38:27,840 --> 00:38:30,440 Speaker 2: can't do that act and you need that response you 753 00:38:30,480 --> 00:38:33,800 Speaker 2: need And so I tell people, like listen, forget about 754 00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:36,160 Speaker 2: instruments and that stuff, that that's not something you're interested 755 00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:39,480 Speaker 2: in doing. Do a puzzle, Go mow the lawn. Do 756 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:43,799 Speaker 2: things that you can do to completion where you finish it, 757 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:46,359 Speaker 2: you know it's done, you know, and you know, and 758 00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 2: you know you've done a good job, and you don't 759 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,359 Speaker 2: need somebody else's validation to tell you that. I think 760 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:54,360 Speaker 2: it's very important in life to have that. And as actors, 761 00:38:54,440 --> 00:38:56,400 Speaker 2: you never get that, you know. 762 00:38:56,400 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 1: You never get you know, Wow, what do you do 763 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:00,200 Speaker 1: to you? 764 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:02,480 Speaker 2: I mowed the lawn. I wish I could turn this 765 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:05,319 Speaker 2: somewhereund and show you my enormous law that I'm mow 766 00:39:06,160 --> 00:39:09,560 Speaker 2: you know, and especially now I'm not kidding satisfying forward 767 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:11,479 Speaker 2: to mowing the lawn. It keeps me off my stupid phone. 768 00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:13,880 Speaker 2: It keeps me off of social media. Yes, and it 769 00:39:13,920 --> 00:39:15,880 Speaker 2: gives me these things that you know, So I do 770 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:18,040 Speaker 2: things like that, I do outdoor things, I chop would 771 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:21,400 Speaker 2: I mow the lawn? I yes, I do the laundry, 772 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:24,400 Speaker 2: I cook all my meal. I do these things because 773 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:28,120 Speaker 2: they make me feel accomplished. And I don't need anyone 774 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:31,520 Speaker 2: else to say, good, good boy, you did a good job. 775 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:33,480 Speaker 2: You're talented, you know what I mean? 776 00:39:33,680 --> 00:39:36,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, or waiting around for them to let you. 777 00:39:36,520 --> 00:39:38,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, in that life that I need that, I needed 778 00:39:38,920 --> 00:39:40,840 Speaker 2: other people to pat me on the head. I just 779 00:39:40,920 --> 00:39:41,680 Speaker 2: I can't stand that. 780 00:39:42,719 --> 00:39:43,239 Speaker 1: Yeah. 781 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's a challenging part of it to find that 782 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:49,040 Speaker 3: and to for people to be waiting around for you, 783 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:51,360 Speaker 3: to wait around for other people to let you do 784 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:52,240 Speaker 3: your job exactly. 785 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,800 Speaker 1: That's like it's so difficult. But luckily we've. 786 00:39:55,920 --> 00:39:59,680 Speaker 3: Both had very fruitful careers where we have been able 787 00:39:59,719 --> 00:40:01,600 Speaker 3: to do that a lot and had a lot of 788 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:04,600 Speaker 3: time to fill as well with mowing the lawn or 789 00:40:05,239 --> 00:40:06,240 Speaker 3: organizing your closet. 790 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:09,320 Speaker 1: So, but finish, that's. 791 00:40:09,200 --> 00:40:11,680 Speaker 2: The that's the key. You have to finish the task. 792 00:40:12,200 --> 00:40:15,080 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, must complete finished. 793 00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:16,600 Speaker 2: That is what we're talking. 794 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:22,359 Speaker 3: That's the Yeah, it's counterintuitive here we always ask all 795 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:25,719 Speaker 3: of our guests who have come on the show, who 796 00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:27,880 Speaker 3: were affiliated with Glee and we're a part of it, 797 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:29,759 Speaker 3: what is the feeling that Glee leaves you with? So 798 00:40:29,840 --> 00:40:31,600 Speaker 3: I've got to ask you what is the feeling that 799 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:36,000 Speaker 3: Rent leaves you with, given that is was such a massive, 800 00:40:36,920 --> 00:40:38,040 Speaker 3: massive part of your life. 801 00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:43,600 Speaker 2: Gratitude, I mean, just gratitude at everything that it gave me, 802 00:40:43,800 --> 00:40:47,840 Speaker 2: everything that it continues to give me. Uh and and 803 00:40:47,840 --> 00:40:50,960 Speaker 2: and gratitude at being associated with something that is so 804 00:40:51,040 --> 00:40:56,239 Speaker 2: beautiful and that has moved so many people and continues 805 00:40:56,280 --> 00:40:59,839 Speaker 2: to and continues to affect and influence people. I mean, 806 00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:05,040 Speaker 2: I couldn't have more gratitude for being connected to something 807 00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:08,920 Speaker 2: like that. It's just the most incredible feeling. You know, 808 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:12,120 Speaker 2: like people could be connected to a lot of different things, 809 00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:14,480 Speaker 2: you know in show business as well, you know, but 810 00:41:15,080 --> 00:41:19,440 Speaker 2: you know, and enormous hits, enormous successes, enormous things. But 811 00:41:20,160 --> 00:41:23,359 Speaker 2: the combination of such an enormous success and what it 812 00:41:23,400 --> 00:41:27,200 Speaker 2: is and content of what it is and the effect 813 00:41:27,239 --> 00:41:28,400 Speaker 2: that it has on people. 814 00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:32,480 Speaker 3: No, I mean, you guys were are a part of 815 00:41:32,560 --> 00:41:35,560 Speaker 3: something so much bigger than I think anything you could 816 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:38,879 Speaker 3: probably ever grasping your lifetime, but you can grasp most 817 00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:41,840 Speaker 3: of it right, you know, but it was really impactful 818 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:42,680 Speaker 3: for me. 819 00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:44,960 Speaker 1: And so many of the people that I grew up with. 820 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:48,160 Speaker 3: It shaped my career, shaped the inspiration for how I 821 00:41:48,200 --> 00:41:52,280 Speaker 3: went about my career. It was really just really important 822 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:57,240 Speaker 3: and just as small, you know, just a window into 823 00:41:57,400 --> 00:41:59,040 Speaker 3: some of the impact you guys have had. 824 00:41:59,280 --> 00:41:59,800 Speaker 1: So thank you. 825 00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:03,360 Speaker 2: So of course it's my pleasure, you know. I it's funny. 826 00:42:03,360 --> 00:42:07,319 Speaker 2: I have friends who you know, my age, who were 827 00:42:07,640 --> 00:42:11,359 Speaker 2: did study theater and were at you know, graduate excuse me, 828 00:42:11,400 --> 00:42:14,400 Speaker 2: graduating from my Carnegie Mellon at the time or whatever 829 00:42:14,440 --> 00:42:17,040 Speaker 2: it was when Red came out, And now they tell 830 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:20,080 Speaker 2: me what their reaction to it was and how like 831 00:42:20,120 --> 00:42:22,400 Speaker 2: it was everything and it was everywhere and all everyone 832 00:42:22,440 --> 00:42:25,320 Speaker 2: wanted to do, was like and that's it's so funny 833 00:42:25,360 --> 00:42:26,799 Speaker 2: to me to hear that, because I didn't know any 834 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:28,640 Speaker 2: that was going on at the time, you know what 835 00:42:28,640 --> 00:42:31,200 Speaker 2: I mean, Like, yeah, you hear all that stuff, and 836 00:42:31,239 --> 00:42:33,520 Speaker 2: it's like, for sure, Wow, that's really cool, you. 837 00:42:33,480 --> 00:42:37,400 Speaker 3: Know, no, really really really amazing. Well, thank you so 838 00:42:37,520 --> 00:42:40,279 Speaker 3: much for coming taking the time to chat with me. 839 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:44,240 Speaker 3: It was really such a pleasure to meet you. And yeah, 840 00:42:44,239 --> 00:42:45,160 Speaker 3: Thank you so much. 841 00:42:45,000 --> 00:42:45,800 Speaker 2: Of course, anytime. 842 00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:46,280 Speaker 3: Bye. 843 00:42:46,480 --> 00:42:47,160 Speaker 2: All right, see it. 844 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:53,880 Speaker 3: What a nice, nice grounded man. They say not to 845 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:56,799 Speaker 3: meet your heroes, but here I am meeting a hero. 846 00:42:57,600 --> 00:43:04,280 Speaker 3: Adam Pascal was such an iconic voice and an amazing 847 00:43:04,320 --> 00:43:09,480 Speaker 3: actor singer, and he's just just such a like you 848 00:43:09,520 --> 00:43:12,920 Speaker 3: could turn on any album, any cast recording and he 849 00:43:12,960 --> 00:43:14,880 Speaker 3: would start singing and you'd be like, oh, that's Adam, 850 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:19,600 Speaker 3: you know. So it's just very distinctive. And Rent was 851 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:22,880 Speaker 3: so important to me. So that's such a special interview 852 00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 3: and I'm so excited that I got to chat with him. 853 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:29,120 Speaker 3: And I hope you guys enjoyed the episode and that's 854 00:43:29,120 --> 00:43:29,920 Speaker 3: what you really missed. 855 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:33,640 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening and follow us on Instagram at and 856 00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:35,960 Speaker 1: that's what you really miss pod. Make sure to write 857 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:37,800 Speaker 1: us a review and leave us five stars. 858 00:43:38,000 --> 00:43:38,719 Speaker 2: See you next time.