(upbeat dance music)
- Welcome to the "Moulin Rouge,"
it's still one of Broadway's hottest tickets
and one of our top touring shows,
and I had the chance to catch up
with the Broadway production's Christian,
Derek Klena.
(dramatic piano music)
So, first of all we did it here, I guess,
so people don't forget your name.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah,
that's me- - What's it feel like
to walk in, are you used to it by now?
Walk into the theater, past your face.
- It's amazing.
I mean, there are very few Broadway theaters
that have this kind of front of house-
(Tamsen laughing)
And have the ability to have your face on a pillar.
So, it's a Broadway dream,
it's awesome.
It was a little awkward at first,
(Tamsen laughing) but now I've learned
to embrace it,
and no, it's really amazing.
The design here on the front of house,
and in the theater is top notch-
- And everybody gets to take their picture
with you, right?
- Exactly, yeah,
there you go, there you go.
- You don't have to do anything.
So how's the show going?
This is quite a switch,
but what a show, what a sexy show.
- You hit it on the nose.
It's sexy, it's everything,
it's spectacular.
It's just an embarrassment of riches,
and I'm so thrilled to be assuming this role
after the iconic Aaron Tveit.
I have kind of a full circle story about Aaron:
one of my first big auditions in New York City
was for his standby
in "Catch Me if You Can."
- [Tamsen] Oh wow!
- [Derek] When I was in college.
- [Tamsen] Okay. - And so,
now to be taking over for him
after his Tony Award-winning performance
is kind of like
a full circle moment for myself.
And I've been in the city now for 10 years,
so, it's a dream.
And to be doing this with Ashley Loren,
who's insane, and phenomenal,
has been so fun,
and with every audience
we find new little tidbits.
So it's been super fun to play with, and explore.
- How is this show different
from the others that you've done?
'Cause I feel like everyone knows the music,
everyone gets excited-
- Yeah. - On the song.
Everyone's got their favorite song.
- I think that is the major difference.
We had that with "Jagged Little Pill" too-
- [Tamsen] Sure.
- 'Cause everybody comes into the...
But that was a very different feel,
very different tone of a show.
We were addressing
some very hard hitting- - Right.
- Topical, present issues,
that we were all dealing with
in our day to day.
And the songs took on a completely different meaning
because of the story that we were telling.
With this,
not only do we have the iconic film
that we're drawing from,
but we have this incredible book
that kind of takes these characters on a ride,
and the way that Justin Levine
has interwoven these songs- - [Tamsen] Yes.
- Into the plot line,
the marriage is so beautiful. - [Tamsen] Mm hmm.
- It's so much fun.
I worked harder than I've ever worked in my life,
but it's the most fun to do
and I'll never get sick of doing it,
'cause we get to sing all this fun music.
And I think
that resonates with the audience, as well,
as they come in, they're ready for it,
they know what to expect-
- They know all of it.
- And it's been super fun to explore,
and fun to sing.
- When you go home at night,
is there a song that always plays in your head
where you can't fall asleep?
Do you have one,
or do you- - Oh man.
- Know how to shut it down?
'Cause these are the songs
that play in your head,
over and over again. - Yeah.
Well it's "Hey Ya"
because we have a megamix at the end of the show,
(Tamsen laughing) which is also very rare
for a Broadway musical,
but if you know Alex Timbers,
he loves a megamix. - [Tamsen] Yep.
- And he loves a grand finale.
So, we definitely have "Hey Ya",
and so I'm singing in my dressing room
before I go out for my final bow,
and that's kind of what lingers in my head.
- [Tamsen] Right.
- And then, every day it's kind of different,
sometimes it's
"Shut Up and Raise Your Glass",
sometimes it's "Come What May"-
- [Tamsen] Right.
- That I just find myself singing, daily,
to warm up. - What two great shows,
back to back, though.
I mean really, such different ones,
but what great shows, back to back.
- I think that's been the coolest thing,
is how different they are. - Yeah.
And the roles,
the ages of the roles- (laughs)
- Yes! - That I get to play.
I was 18, and now I'm an adult-
- [Tamsen] Now you're a grownup.
- [Derek] Which is fun, yeah!
It's just been like a pinch myself,
or like a pinch me year,
to have this opportunity
coming from one of the greatest opportunities
in my life, being in "Jagged Little Pill".
- [Tamsen] Right, wonderful. - It's been amazing.
- So real fast, where are you heading next?
- So after this,
I'm heading to "Turning the Tables" series
with Ellyn Marsh and her incredible team.
And I will be re-auditioning for "Jagged Little Pill"
singing "Perfect." (Tamsen laughing)
And so, it's this amazing YouTube series
that friends of mine have put on,
where they basically take performers
in their iconic roles
and kind of give them their first audition
all over again,
with a few twists in there.
So, I'm excited to see what they'll give me-
- Do you remember your first audition?
- My very first...
Well, in New York, I do,
it was actually for
the first non-equity tour
of "Spring Awakening."
But I remember coming to New York
with my mom, I was 18-years-old,
I made it to the final callback,
so it was between me and Chris Wood
who ended up playing the role- - [Tamsen] Wow!
- But, that was my first
gauntlet of auditioning-
- [Tamsen] Right.
- In the New York experience.
And I was here with my mom-
- Oh, that's so cool!
- I didn't know what I didn't know-
- That's so cool.
- I'm still like...
I was geeking out at this year's Tony Awards
seeing the original cast of "Spring Awakening"
'cause it is still one of my favorite shows ever.
- [Tamsen] Right.
- So, to have that be my first
audition in New York
at the peak of "Spring Awakening" fame
was crazy,
and I was a bit hard by the bug.
- [Tamsen] Yeah.
- And I knew this is what I wanted to do
and I loved that process and-
- And now you're on a big pole
in front of the theater!
- And now I'm on a pole, (Tamsen laughing)
so it's going well,
knock on wood.
(slow piano music)