>>> AND WE ARE BACK WITH JOSH
RADNOR
RADNOR.
HE STARS IN THE NEW NBC DRAMA. ITS CALLED "RISE," AS A NEWMA.
ITS CALLED "RISE," AS A NEW HIGH SCHOOL THEATER DIRECTOR
WITH BIG DREAMS FOR HIS PROGRAM.
AND HE IS QUICKLY MET WITH
OPPOSITION, THAT DOES NOT STOP
HIM FROM INSPIRING STUDENTS TO GO AFTER WHAT THEY WANT.NTS TO
GO AFTER WHAT THEY WANT. >> I WAS ONLY SUPPOSED TO
AUDITION.
THAT WAS THE DEAL.
>> AND THEN YOU EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS.OU EXCEEDED ALL
EXPECTATIONS.
WHEN YOU SANG AT THE PEP RALLY, WHEN YOU READ YESTERDAY, I SAW,
WHEN YOU READ YESTERDAY, I SAW YOU.
YOU.
I SAW YOU COME ALIVE. I THINK YOU COULD DO SOMETHING
AMAZING.
AMAZING.
I THINK WE COULD DO SOMETHING AMAZING TOGETHER.DO SOMETHING
AMAZING TOGETHER. >> WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> OKAY, LETS BEGIN WITH WHEN
THE CREDITS ROLL INITIALLY, WHEN
YOU SEE THE PROMO, IT SAYS,
"HAMILTON," "FRIDAY NIGHT
LIGHTS," "PARENTHOOD."
LIGHTS," "PARENTHOOD." IT SEEMS DESTINED FOR GOOD
THINGS.
THINGS.
>> THOSE ARE GREAT THINGS IN THE
CULTURE.
WHEN YOU GET AN E-MAIL THAT SAYS
JASON KATE MCADEM WANTS TO MEET
DO A DRAMA AT A PUBLIC HIGH
SCHOOL, YEAH, ILL PROBABLY WANT
TO DO THAT.
>> SAID THE SCENE FOR US.
YOU PLAY A TEACHER WHO IS THE
THEATER DIRECTOR IN THIS SCHOOL.
AND THESE ARE NOT JUST KIND OF
TALENTED STUDENTS.
THESE ARE CRAZY TALENTED KIDS.
>> MAYBE THEY DONT KNOW THAT AT
THE BEGINNING.
THE CAST, THEY FOUND THESE KIDS
WHO ARE WILDLY TALENTED.
BUT THEYRE PLAYING HIGH SCHOOL
KIDS.
YOULL SEE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE
OF THE SEASON, YOU KNOW, THERES AN AUDITION SEQUENCE WHENTHERES
AN AUDITION SEQUENCE WHEN THEYRE NOT SO ON THEIR GAME.
AND THEN, THEY KIND OF GROW.
>> WAS IT HARD FOR THEM?
THIS IS THE YOUNG LADY WHO WAS
THE VOICE BEHIND "MUANA."
WAS IT HARD FOR THEM NOT TO SING
WELL?
WELL?
>> YEAH.
WE HAD SO SAY, YOU CANT DO THAT
WELL.
MY CHARACTER, HES BEEN AN
ENGLISH TEACHER FOR 17 YEARS AND
IMPULSIVELY TAKES OVER THE DRAMA
DEPARTMENT, AND KIND OF DOESNT
KNOW WHAT HES DOING AND IS GIFTED, ULTIMATELY. AND IS
GIFTED, ULTIMATELY. >> A LOT OF THE KIDS ARE
HURTING.
HURTING.
THEYRE GOING THROUGH THEIR OWN
PRIVATE IDAHO, THEIR OWN PAIN. THIS IS COMING OF AGE FOR THEM,
TOO.
TOO.
>> ITS SET IN THE THEATER DEPARTMENT.IN THE THEATER
DEPARTMENT.
BUT ITS IN A SOUTHWESTERN
PENNSYLVANIA TOWN.
I THINK ITS GOT THAT KIND OF EVERYTOWN, USA, QUALITY TO IT.
YOURE DEALING WITH ISSUES OF
ADDICTION
ADDICTION ADDICTION, AND PARENT/CHILD
DYNAMICS.
DYNAMICS.
AND ALL THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE
PLAY WERE DOING, "SPRING AWAKENING."OING, "SPRING
AWAKENING."
>> ITS YOU AND ROSIE PEREZ. YOU DIDNT MEET BEFORE YOUZ.
YOU DIDNT MEET BEFORE YOU STARTED ACTING TOGETHER?
>> WE MET AT THE TABLE READ.
WHO ISNT A ROSIE PEREZ FAN?
I WAS THRILLED SHE WAS SIGNED ON
TO DO IT.
TO DO IT. AND WE NOTICED AT THE TABLE
READ, WE HAD A FUN, LOOPY
CHEMISTRY TOGETHER.
CHEMISTRY TOGETHER. THEY WROTE IN A LOT OF FIGHTS
FOR US, A LOT OF TENSION.
BUT YOU KNOW, SHES REALLY FUN
TO FAKE FIGHT WITH.
I WOULDNT RECOMMEND A REAL
FIGHT WITH HER.
YOULL LOSE.
YOULL LOSE. >> YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER
REALLY WAY BACK WHEN, BACK IN
HIGH SCHOOL, KIND OF BY
ACCIDENT, YOU STUMBLED INTO
ACTING, CANT YOU?
>> KIND OF.
I HAD A FRIEND WHO WANTED TO
AUDITION FOR THE CHORUS OF
"OKLAHOMA."
"OKLAHOMA." THERE IT IS.
THATS WHEN I DID "CABARET" MY JUNIOR YEAR. DID "CABARET" MY
JUNIOR YEAR.
THIS PRODUCTION, I PLAYED THE EMCEE IN "CABARET."PLAYED THE
EMCEE IN "CABARET." ONCE I DID THAT, I WANTED TO
KEEP DOING IT.
YOU HAVE THE CHALLENGE OF
TELLING YOUR PARENTS.
ZBLU OH
ZBLU
>> UH-OH.
>> YOU WANT TO BE AN ACTOR. THEYRE TOTALLY SUPPORTIVE NOW.
>> WERE EXCITED FOR THIS.
IT LOOKS LIKE A GREAT SHOW.
JOSH, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
WERE GOING TO TALK TO YOUR
CO-STAR.
CO-STAR.
WERE GOING TO TALK TO ROSIE