CENTER BACK IN FEBRUARY.
IT WAS PART OF THE NY POP-UPS
FESTIVAL AIMED AT REINVIGORATING
THE ARTS.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN WELL OVER
A YEAR BROADWAY OPENED BACK A
LIVE AUDIENCE TO WATCH OUR NEXT
GUEST TAKE THE STAGE AT THE
LEGENDARY ST. JAMES THEATER.
>> I PUT ON MY MASK AND I OPEN
THE DOOR, AND RIGHT THERE
STANDING IN MY HALLWAY, IT’S
HUGH JACKMAN!
I KNOW, I KNOW!
AND AT FIRST I THING, NO, IT’S
JUST THE HOTTEST U.P.S. GUY
EVER, OR I’M HALLUCINATING FROM
TOO MUCH RAMEN, BUT IT’S REALLY
HIM!
AND HE SAYS HI, IT’S HUGH
JACKMAN.
MAY I COME IN, MATE?
[ LAUGHTER ]
AND HE SAYS, I’VE BEEN
VACCINATED.
AND I SAY BUT YOU’RE TOO YOUNG.
HE SAID, BROADWAY STARS HAVE
JUST BEEN CLASSIFIED AS
ESSENTIAL WORKERS.
AND I SAY, DUH, COME RIGHT IN!
AND HE LOOKS SO GRATEFUL AND HE
LOOKS AROUND MY ONE-BEDROOM
APARTMENT.
FINE, IT’S A STUDIO WITH AN
ALCOVE.
AND HE SAID, THIS IS LOVELY.
AND I REALIZE HUGH JACKMAN’S
BEEN COOKED UP TOO!
>> THREE-TIME TONY AWARD-WINNING
ACTOR NATHAN LANE JOINS US NOW.
IT’S A GREAT HONOR TO HAVE YOU
HERE.
I TOOK MY KIDS TO A BASEBALL
GAME ON FRIDAY.
WE SAW SOME FRIENDS WHO HAD BEEN
VACCINATED, SAW LITTLE KIDS
RUNNING THROUGH A HOUSE, AND I
GOT HOME AT NIGHT, AND I SAT DOWN AND I WAS JUST THINKING, I
DOWN AND I WAS JUST THINKING, I
SAID, WAS THAT THE FINAL SCENE
IN "INCEPTION?"
>> DID THAT REALLY HAPPEN?
JUST THE LITTLE THINGS WE TAKE
FOR GRANTED.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO BE BACK ON
THE STAGE GIVING FOR PEOPLE?
>> IT WAS A LITTLE SURREAL TO BE
THERE.
I HAVE DONE TWO SHOWS IN THE ST.
JAMES THEATER, SO IT WAS SORT OF
LIKE COMING HOME, SO IT WAS
EMOTIONAL AND YET, YOU KNOW,
EVERYONE -- WHEN YOU WENT OUT,
IT WAS 150 PEOPLE AND ALL SPREAD
OUT AND THEY’VE BEEN MASKED AND
AND TESTED, AND IT WAS A LOT OF
PROTOCOL.
WHEN I LOOKED OUT, IT LOOKED
LIKE A HOSTAGE VIDEO.
BUT THEY WERE INCREDIBLY
APPRECIATIVE AND IT WAS A VERY
SPECIAL THING FOR MYSELF AND
SAVION GLOVER, WHO ALSO
PERFORMED BRILLIANTLY.
>> I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT
THAT, "THE NEW YORK TIMES,"
"SUNDAY TIMES" HAD A STORY I
THINK IT WAS IN THE BUSINESS
SECTION.
ALL YOU COULD SEE IS THE LEGS
JUMPING OFF OF SOMETHING AND
SAID, WE’VE ALL HIT THE WALL.
I KNOW YOU FELT THAT EMOTION
OVER THE PAST YEAR AND YOU HAD
FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES WHO HAD
TOO.
IT HAD TO BE GRATIFYING NOT ONLY
TO BE THERE FOR YOURSELF BUT
ALSO UNDERSTANDING EVERYBODY
THAT YOU WERE PERFORMING FOR HAD
BEEN YEARNING FOR THIS MOMENT
FOR A YEAR.
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, LOOK, YES,
NEW YORK, IT’S SYMBOLIC OF THE
ARTS AND CULTURE AND CERTAINLY
BROADWAY, BUT IT WAS -- IT WAS A
WAY OF SIGNALING TO PEOPLE WE’RE
COMING BACK AND THIS IS SORT OF
A BRIDGE TO HOPEFULLY FULL
RECOVERY, HOPEFULLY IF
EVERYTHING GOES WELL IN THE
FALL.
BUT THESE ARE -- YES, THESE WERE
ALL ESSENTIAL WORKERS FROM
BROADWAY CARES AND THE ACTORS
FUND.
SO THEY CERTAINLY KNOW WHAT A
LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN GOING
THROUGH AND I’M SURE IT WAS NICE
FOR THEM TO BE BACK IN THE
THEATER AS IT WAS FOR ME AND I
THINK, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY
YOU’LL BE ABLE TO LOOK OUT AND
SEE A FULL HOUSE IN ABOUT SIX
MONTHS.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, K.C. HUNT
ASKED ALEX, OUR EP, TO KILL OUR
CAMERA SO SHE CAN CONDUCT THE
ENTIRE INTERVIEW.
SHE’S A HUGE FAN.
I WOULDN’T GET HUNT IN HER WAY
ANYMORE.
KASIE?
>> YOU’RE SWEET.
I HAVE BEEN A HUGE FAN EVER
SINCE YOUR PERFORMANCE IN "THE
BIRDCAGE" WHICH IS ONE OF MY
VERY, VERY FAVORITES.
I WAS LOOKING AT YOU IN YOUR
SWEATSHIRT AND THINKING SO MUCH
WE MISSED, BROADWAY CHIEF AMONG
THOSE THINGS, BEING ABLE TO SEE
LIFE PERFORMANCES AND ENJOY
THAT.
ALSO WE’RE STARTING TO READ NEW
STORIES ABOUT THE THINGS WE
MIGHT ACTUALLY MISS ABOUT THE
PANDEMIC.
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" HAS A
STORY ABOUT NAPS AND SWEAT
SPANTS.
HOW IS IT FOR YOU?
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’RE GOING
TO MISS ONCE WE START GOING BACK
TO NORMAL LIFE?
>> MY FAMILY IS GOOD.
MY HUSBAND IS GOOD.
WE ADOPTED TWO RESCUE DOGS A FEW
MONTHS AGO.
SO THEY HAVE TAKEN UP A LOT OF
TIME, BUT, YES, LOOK, IT’S BEEN
A TIME OF ENFORCED REFLECTION
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE’S BEEN TIME
TO DO THINGS THAT YOU DIDN’T
HAVE TIME TO DO BEFORE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I DO MISS THAT
COMMUNAL EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS
WHAT THE THEATER IS ALL ABOUT.
AND JUST TELLING PEOPLE A STORY,
AND --
>> YES.
>> AND, YES, GOING TO MOVIE
THEATERS AND ALL OF THAT.
GOING TO A RESTAURANT WITH
FRIENDS AND CATCHING UP AND IT
WILL BE REALLY NICE WHEN THAT
CAN HAPPEN AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, IT’S STARTING.
>> I KNOW, IT IS STARTING.
WHAT DO YOU THINK NEEDS TO BE
DONE TO HELP MAKE AMERICANS FEEL
SAFE GOING INTO A PACKED
THEATER?
DO YOU THINK THAT THEIR NEEDS TO
BE A PUSH FROM GOVERNMENTAL
OFFICIALS TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO
DO THIS IN TERMS OF THE SAFETY
OF VACCINATION RATES?
WHAT SHOULD THE RULES BE FOR
GOING TO THE THEATER TO MAKE
EVERYONE FEEL LIKE, HEY, I’M
EXCITED TO GO SIT IN A CROWD
NEXT TO A WHOLE BUNCH OF MY
DEAREST FRIENDS AND STRANGERS
AGAIN?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY’RE --
I THINK PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, IN
CHARGE OF THAT KIND OF THING ARE
TRYING TO DO THAT.
THIS IS ONE SCOTT RUDIN AND
JAMES ROSENTHAL PUT THIS PROGRAM
TOGETHER OF POP-UPS AND JUST
AS -- THEY’RE ALSO TESTING TO
SEE HOW THIS GOES AND IMPROVING
AND IMPROVING.
I THINK IT’S ABOUT GETTING THAT
KIND OF WORD OUT TO PEOPLE, AND
I’M SURE THERE WILL BE SOME
PEOPLE WHO ARE HESITANT TO GO
BACK.
BUT I THINK IF IT’S ALL BEING
DONE SAFELY AND IN TERMS OF MORE
BEING VACCINATED, THE MORE
PEOPLE THAT ARE VACCINATED, THE
BETTER IT WILL BE.
WE’RE CERTAINLY MAKING HEAD WAY
THERE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK I THINK IT
MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE TIME BUT
HOPEFULLY THEY WILL ALSO BE
WANTING TO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE
AGAIN AS WELL.
>> KATTY KAY IS WITH US AND HAS
A CHANCE FOR YOU.
KATTY?
>> IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE
PERFORMANCE.
IT IS WEIRD, BUT AT LEAST IT WAS
A LIVE PERFORMANCE.
IT’S GOING TO BE A WHILE BEFORE
WE HAVE MUSIC, FULL-FLEDGED
MUSICALS AND BIG AUDIENCES AND
OPERAS IN PARTICULAR BACK IN THE
THEATER.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT GENERATION
OF YOUNGER PERFORMERS WHO HAVE
BEEN HIT SO BADLY BY THIS
PANDEMIC, WHO LOST THEIR JOBS
AND HAD TO FIND OTHER CAREERS.
WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM?
CAN WE -- DO WE COME BACK IN?
IS THERE A RESCUE PLAN FOR THEM?
CAN THEY GET JOBS BACK ON
BROADWAY AND THE THEATER AGAIN?
HAVE WE POTENTIALLY LOST
HUNDREDS OF REALLY TALENTED
YOUNG PERFORMERS?
>> YEAH, I THINK ABOUT THAT A
LOT.
THE YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO MAYBE
JUST ARRIVED IN NEW YORK AND
THEN THE PANDEMIC HIT.
>> YES.
>> AND THEY HAVE TO SURVIVE.
THEY HAVE TO MAKE A LIVING AND
NEW YORK IS AN EXPENSIVE PLACE
TO LIVE.
SO YEAH, I THINK IN MANY CASES
WE MAY HAVE LOST PEOPLE AND THEY
FOUND OTHER THINGS TO DO AND
MAYBE THEY LIKE THEM.
OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT’S JUST
DREAMS POSTPONED AND THEY WILL
COME BACK WHEN THINGS ARE BACK
TO QUOTE/UNQUOTE NORMAL.
LOOK, THE THEATER OR SHOW
BUSINESS IS A DIFFICULT
PROFESSION TO BE IN UNDER ANY
CIRCUMSTANCES.
BUT, YEAH, I -- I DON’T KNOW
WHAT THE STATISTICS ARE ON THAT
BUT I’M SURE WE HAVE LOST IN
MANY -- NOT JUST ACTING BUT IN
ALL PARTS OF THE PROFESSION OF
PEOPLE WHO JUST WEREN’T ABLE TO
SURVIVE AND HANG IN AND MANY
HAVE JUST GONE HOME WITH THEIR
PARENTS FOR WHILE TO FIGURE
THINGS OUT.
BUT HOPEFULLY MANY WILL COME
BACK AS WELL.
>> HOPEFULLY THEY WILL RETURN
WHEN ALL OF US RETURN AND GET IN
PACKED BROADWAY THEATERS AGAIN.
NATHAN LANE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT.
>> SURE.
>>> THAT DOES IT FOR US THIS