Good morning everybody and welcome to The Balancing Act. We are so glad you joined us.
I'm Julie Moran. And I'm Olga Villaverde. Today, our Broadway
Balances America Series is once again going behind the scenes of Broadway's best shows
as they travel across the country. And this one will have us all over the rainbow.
It's one of the most beloved pieces of stage and cinema, The Wizard of Oz.
Love it. Developed from the popular MGM Screenplay, this live production contains the cherished
songs from the Oscar winning movie score, all the favorite characters of course, and
iconic moments. Plus, a few surprises including new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Also, we are going to go Behind the Mystery. How one well known name in the medical field
is working to fight a life threatening disease. The Balancing Act starts right now.
(music). Broadway Balances America brought to you by
Broadway Across America, bringing the best of Broadway to a city near you.
We are once again heading to Broadway and beyond as our Broadway Balances America series
takes us behind the scenes of some of the most beloved Broadway musicals as they travel
across the country and into your local theatres. And today we're heading over the rainbow as
Balancing Act Correspondent, Amber Milt, meets some of the cast members of the newly updated
stage and screen classic, The Wizard of Oz. And there really is no place like home especially
for the young lady who's stepping into those iconic ruby slippers and gingham dress.
That's right ladies. There may be no place like home, but getting to meet Dorothy, The
Wicked Witch of the West, and even getting in on the action myself had me clicking my
heels all the way to Baltimore for a journey to Oz like no other.
(music). Sarah, you are playing one of my all time
favorite characters, Dorothy. How does it feel to be stepping into this role?
I feel so amazing. I'm really excited and definitely a little bit nervous, but I am
ready to do it. It's been one of my favorite roles from the time I was very little. So,
I'm really excited to get to actually play this iconic character.
Stepping into those iconic shoes is something Sarah Lasko is more than ready for.
I actually grew up in a family that was very musical. My mom is a singer. My dad's a pianist.
And I begged and begged them to let me do community theatre when I was 13, and they
finally gave it and from then on I was hooked. And I did my first professional job when I
was 16. For Sarah, a Maryland native, today feels
quite like home as she finds herself at the Producer of the tour, Troika Entertainment's
Costume Shop in Baltimore for her first fitting. So, Danielle, this room is just massive, and
I see people everywhere working. What goes on here?
Absolutely everything goes on here from cutting the fabric to stitching it together to dying
to painting to beading. Danielle oversees this 7,000 square foot building
that houses hundreds of costumes from various Broadway productions including The Wizard
of Oz. We start in Kansas, which is very brown, and
cream, and white, and dark. And then we progress to the blues of Munchkin City, and Dorothy's
dress changes to that iconic blue gingham. And we progress to Oz and the greens and all
the bright wonderful color that you get. Amber, I think maybe the time has come.
Don't forget the shoes! Okay, look straight in the mirror.
Okay. I'll get a few more pins in and you'll be
ready to go. Sarah, you look so good. How does it feel?
Oh, it feels amazing and overwhelming! Are we going to try on the shoes?
Of course we're going to try on the shoes. Beautiful. Let's see. Give us a twirl.
So, is there still no place like home? Oh, there's no place like home.
(clicks shoes). Costumes, of course, only tell part of the
story. This enchanting adaptation features all of the classic songs plus new music from
Broadway powerhouse's Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
The new songs integrate so beautifully into the original. Some people aren't even aware
that they're new, which I love. I love the fact that they're surprising yet inevitable.
There's an establishing song for Dorothy called "Nobody Understands Me" that sounds like it
was right out of the film. Finding our true home and understanding our
place in the world are important themes. This Dorothy really puts herself out there.
It's not just, you know, over the rainbow. You know, it's about taking what you need
and figuring that out. And also, you know, people joke that this is a story about two
women fighting over a pair of shoes. But it's also really about staking your claim and owning
the things that you come into. She goes down a path that she's never been, and she learns
to become herself. She's such a strong female role model, especially
for young women today, and I think one of the big things that she does is she just takes
risks and she goes after things even when they're scary. That is an important message
for young women today. And, also, I feel like because the show doesn't exactly make the
Wicked Witch black and white bad or good, I think it kind of lets you see into her mind
a little bit, and lets you see. You know, she's a different type of strong woman.
Speaking of that much maligned character... (Singing) "I want those shoes!"
What is your process for approaching that? Well, so what I do is I kind of try to find
a quality about her that is relatable. And she is passionate and dedicated. And those
are the two that I'm really like, "Well, that's how I am." You know, I want to pay homage
to the original way and everything, but then making it my own in a fresh new take.
She's breathing new life into this character with one of the new original songs, "Red Shoes
Blues." There is line that I really like. She says, "My power will grow. It will blossom
and flow through the world, through the years, and straight to my heart." So, I feel like
that's kind of like I can play with that a little bit and think about what she means
by that. If she means, like, she does have a heart and she wants to do something else
with her life, or if she just means that she is power hungry or what not. So, yeah, I'm
really excited about it. As for the infamous shoes...
Oh, it's definitely the woman who has all the power. The shoes help her find her power.
The shoes have no real power. I think it's Dorothy's magic.
You know, "There's No Place Like Home" is such a famous line from this. What does home
mean to you? Home is where the heart is. I think that that's
kind of the underlying meaning of "No Place Like Home" for Dorothy. My home will always
be New York, but I will have like a minnie home on the road, you know, with my new friends
and cast members and company members. Tim Rice's best lyric in the new version of
the show, it comes late in the Second Act, when Dorothy is about to click her heels together.
And Glinda reminds her that home is a place in your heart.
(music). Now, I think it's my turn to get in on the
action. Don't forget the shoes. Oh my gosh!
You look like you're having so much fun. I just wanted to get in on the action.
Oh, you look amazing! Oh my God, you look great! I think I'm going
to have to change my job, though. I think I want to be on Broadway. This is so much
fun. You are dressed for the part.
Now, about those shoes. Nah, I'm good with mine. Have a great tour.
Thank you. Soon, the entire cast and Toto, too will be
journeying through a magical land to meet the Wizard and obtain their hearts' desires.
It's sure to be a fantastic musical treat for the whole family.
I always say it's a show that keeps on delivering. Like whether it's an amazing beautiful thing
like a huge rainbow, or the magic of the tinman's hat going toot toot and smoke coming out of
it. Like, it shows all those things, but whether you're dealing with, each new aspect of the
show adds up so you feel like it never stops piling the enjoyment.
I want them to walk away with the timeless message of hope, and of family, and of the
things that are really important: courage, intelligence, a heart. Those are the things
that the three characters want but they've always had. Those are the things that Dorothy
wants but she's always had. You know, it's okay to dream big. It's okay
to go out on the limb and do something that not everyone else is doing, and it's just
like Dorothy. I feel very similarly with that. I feel like take those steps, take those risks,
and they can be very rewarding. So, I'm not sure I'm gonna get to sneak out
of here with these...But at least I got to try them on. Are you ready for a journey to
Oz like no other? Check out BroadwayBalancesAmerica.com or go to our website, TheBalancingAct.com
for all the show information, tour dates, and more.
(music).
(music). Frequently under-diagnosed and frequently
under-treated, two phrases to describe a rare life-threatening condition we're about to
discuss in our Behind The Mystery Rare and Genetic Series. Our guests this morning are
Dr. Franck Rahaghi, a Pulmonologist with Cleveland Clinic Florida, and Jessica Armstrong, who
is a patient and a rare disease advocate working with the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
Good morning to both of you. Good morning.
Doctor, I want to start with you. We're talking about a disease that is called Chronic Thromboembolic
Pulmonary Hypertension, CTEPH for short. What exactly is it?
So CTEPH, or Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension, happens when perhaps clots form
in the legs, they go into the lung, and sometimes they don't go away. They get stuck, and this
causes patients to feel short of breath, dizzy, having chest tightness. And that's when they
have to really be aware of this, that they're not supposed to keep having these symptoms
after a few months of treatment. And if they are, they should seek help because this could
be CTEPH, meaning the clot is stuck and the pressures are remaining high. Now, about 1
in 25 patients with acute pulmonary embolism, or 3.8%, may develop this condition.
And the symptoms, the shortness of breath, the tightness, the difficulty breathing, they
look like so many other things. Myself, and a lot of other patients that I know, have
been misdiagnosed first with asthma or COPD. So it's so important to ask these questions
and to really keep pushing if you don't think you have the right answer.
And how is it diagnosed because you're giving me some symptoms that I can actually think
of some people that I know that feel that day in and day out? So, how is this one diagnosed?
So there's really two sets of people. There's two ways to get to this diagnosis. The most
important one, and the most prevalent one, is patients with acute pulmonary embolism.
After you had a pulmonary embolism, if you're still having symptoms and it includes shortness
of breath, you should make sure that they're checking the pressures in your heart to see
if there is pulmonary hypertension, if the pressures are high. Now the other set of people
are actually people who do go to their doctors because they're short of breath. They do or
do not know if they have a pulmonary embolism. They're found to have pulmonary hypertension,
but the work-up of the pulmonary hypertension is not complete. So people forget to look
for clots in the correct way, which is with a VQ scan, or a ventilation/perfusion scan.
So even in some centers the work-up is not done completely.
Exactly and then, of course, the patient leaves there not knowing what they have. Now Jessica,
let me bring you in. I know you were diagnosed with CTEPH, and you were diagnosed in a very
far-away place. Tell me what happened, and it was frightening moments for you I think.
Yes. So, I was serving in Afghanistan and I suddenly collapsed.
Oh! I was taken to a hospital and found to have
five pulmonary emboli. So they medically evacuated me from Afghanistan. They took me back to
the U.S. where they were treating the blood clots for a number of months, but I wasn't
improving. I had consistent and increasing shortness of breath.
And you have no idea. Yeah. I couldn't climb a flight of stairs.
I kept passing out. I was dizzy all the time. So, I got orders to go back to Afghanistan
and I decided to seek a second opinion. So I went to see another doctor who actually
did the ventilation/perfusion scan and a right heart catheterization, and diagnosed my pulmonary
hypertension. At that point they told me I had about five months left.
Five months left to live? Five months.
How old were at the time? I was 29-year-old.
Were you petrified? I was. I couldn't even imagine being in that
place. Because obviously before then nothing was
going on. Just suddenly this happens. I know you have a strong message here. Your story
is so powerful about letting viewers out there know that even if you have these symptoms
and you think it's nothing, you want to tell them what?
The first thing is keep asking questions. I made it to a good center that had expertise
specific in my disease. They knew what they were doing and they were able to improve my
life very much. I'm doing wonderfully today. So trust your body, trust your instincts,
and ask questions. If you've had a blood clot and you're not getting better, especially
in your lungs, and you see that progressive shortness of breath. You're tired all the
time. You can't climb a flight of stairs. Ask the question because it might save your
life. And I have more questions for both of you.
So stay right there please because when we come back we're going to discuss more about
what support is available for patients with CTEPH and caregivers as well. So stay right
there. (music).
(music). Welcome back, everyone. We've been discussing
a rare and life-threatening condition called Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension,
or CTEPH. Rejoining us are Dr. Franck Rahaghi, a Pulmonologist and, of course, Jessica Armstrong,
who is with the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and a patient as well. Jessica, let me bring
you in now. I know it's important to talk about advocacy groups. You are part of one.
Tell me why it's important. The Pulmonary Hypertension Association does
so much to connect patients with resources. We have 245 support groups all over the country.
I can't tell you the impact it has the first time you meet someone else who understands
your story and your experience exactly. Because you feel so alone, right?
Exactly. It's such an isolating experience. What is this thing? I've never heard of it.
Am I dying? What's happening? You need support. We've got educational resources for patients
and medical professionals. We have a lot of events. We do a conference every other year,
and I really encourage anyone who's interested in learning more in visiting our website which
is PHAssociation.Org. And Doctor, you see many patients who, obviously,
are diagnosed with this or maybe they don't know what they have like Jessica is telling
us right now. Advice for patients out there? Yes. Definitely if you have a history of pulmonary
embolism, to make sure you're evaluated for pulmonary hypertension. If you have been diagnosed
with pulmonary hypertension, to make sure that you've been screened with a ventilation/perfusion,
or a VQ, scan that is very sensitive for Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension. And
lastly, if you finally have a diagnosis of CTEPH, to make sure that you have the advice
of an experienced group to know whether your embolism is operable because that's really
the best way to go about helping the patient. So, Doctor, it's important to note that it's
a manageable and potentially curable disease. Yes.
Jessica, resources out there for patients that maybe want more and need more to understand
more? PHAssociation.Org for sure. CTEPH.com has
some patient information as well. We've got printed materials that we can send you for
free both in English and in Spanish. And we're celebrating CTEPH Awareness Day on November
17th. So there'll be a lot of information out there about that. Please check it out.
I'm on Twitter and Facebook, and I'd love to connect with anyone who has questions.
You really want to spread the word don't you? Absolutely.
Well then you can, let's see, I'm going to read it out loud. You can "Bust CTEPH". There
you go. I like that. Doctor, last-minute thoughts for anybody out
there. Just really inform yourself. Inform yourself
and make sure you're getting help from professionals that are familiar with the disease.
Thank you so much for your time. I do appreciate it. And for viewers out there who would like
to learn more about CTEPH, where do they go Doctor?
They can go to CTEPH.com. That's C-T-E-P-H dot com.
Good to clarify. Thank you. And, of course, for more information on this disease, you
can visit CTEPH.com. That's C-T-E-P-H dot com, or our website, TheBalancingAct.com.
I love my bracelet. I'm going to wear it for you.
(music).
(music). Time to say goodbye.
Yes it is. Yes it is, and you know I definitely think
the woman makes the shoes or the shoes makes the woman?
No, the woman makes the shoes. You got it, sister. Amen.
Okay. There really is no place like home or our
website, TheBalancingAct.com for much more information.
We're also on Facebook and Twitter. And until the next time...
Remember, find your balance. So long, everybody. (music).