END ZONE ♪
>>> IN BASEBALL TERMS OUR NEXT
GUESTS MAKE UP ONE HECK OF A LINEUP.
MORE THAN A DECADE JESSE
WILLIAMS
WILLIAMS.
>> LEGAL DRAMA SUITS.
AND JESSE TYLER FERGUSON FOR HIS
ROLE IN THE HIT COMEDY MODERN
FAMILY".
>> REVIVAL OF THE 2003 TONY
AWARD WINNING PLAY TAKE ME OUT
CENTERING AN BASEBALL PLAYERS
COMING OUT JOURNEY AND THE
HARDSHIPS THAT COME WITH IT.
GOOD MORNING GUYS.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> THIS IS GREAT.
JESSE AND PATRICK YOUR FIRST
TIME BEING ON BROADWAY.
>> RIGHT.
>> HOW HAS IT BEEN GETTING READY
FOR THIS?
HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THE
VETERAN --
>> -- CONSISTENTLY --
>> --
>> -- SUPPOSED TO GO?
IS IT SUPPOSED TO BE THIS HARD?
WE'RE HAVING AN INCREDIBLE TIME.
REALLY WONDERFUL, THRILLING,
TERRIFYING, EXHILARATING
EXPERIENCE.
LOT OF WORK.
>> AND IT SHOULD BE.
>> YEAH.
I'VE DONE A LOT OF THEATER BUT
I'VE NEVER DONE THEATER IN NEW
YORK.
AND I WILL SAY THE AUDIENCES IN
THIS CITY ARE PHENOMENAL.
>> I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE IT.
NO STRANGER TO BROADWAY.
I'VE JUST READ YOU ACTUALLY SAW
THE ORIGINAL SHOW.
>> YES.
>> 20 YEARS AGO.
>> YES.
THREE TIMES.
>> THREE TIMES?
>> THAT HE'S HOW MUCH I LOVED
IT.
YEAH.
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PLAY.
I SAW WHEN IT PREMIERED THE
PUBLIC THEATER DOWNTOWN AND
TWICE AT BROADWAY AND ONE OF THE
REASONS I LOVED IT SO MUCH WAS
THE CHARACTER I'M PLAYING AND BY
DENNIS O'HARE AND HE GAVE A TONY
AWARD WINNING PERFORMANCE IS O I
DON'T KNOW NO PRESSURE FOR
ANYMORE.
IT WAS A JUST A ASTONISHING
PERFORMANCE AND MEANT A LOT SO
TO GET THIS CALL WAS REALLY
PROFOUND.
>> THE SHOW SUPPOSED TO OPEN TWO
YEARS AGO.
AND COVID HIT, BROADWAY SHUT
DOWN.
PUBLIC YOU NARRATE A LOT OF THE
SHOW.
ARE YOU JUST FOR AN EXTRA TWO
YEARS GOING THROUGH THE DIALOGUE
IN YOUR HEAD?
HOW DOES THAT WORK.
>> YEAH I SPENT A LOT OF TIME
HIKING BEHIND MY HOUSE IN LOS
ANGELES JUST SAYING THE
MONOLOGUES AND LOT OF WHAT I DO
IS DIRECT TO THE AUDIENCE.
SO I DIDN'T NEED A PARTNER TO BE
RUNNING LINES.
>> AND THERE IS ALSO A DECENT
AMOUNT OF SKIN SHOWN.
ESPECIALLY YOU TOO.
>> THESE TWO.
YEAH.
I DO VERY LITTLE.
>> WHETHER YOU WANT TO OR NOT.
I GUESS A LITTLE PRESSURE IN THE
PANDEMIC TO KEEP IN SHAPE.
>> YEAH.
I DIDN'T REALLY THINK ABOUT IT
UNTIL IT WAS -- WE ACTUALLY HAD
A HARD DATE TO COME BACK.
>> HE'S ALWAYS IN SHAPE.
>> GOT A LITTLE DOUGHY AND THEN
YOU FIGURE IT OUT.
I'M A DEADLINE ORIENTED PERSON.
I NEED A HARD DATE.
>> ON STAGE, IS IT HARD WITH
LIKE 500 PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE
JUST BEING UP THERE?
IS IT COLD?
I JUST FEEL LIKE.
>> IT IS COLD.
I WANT TO NOTE THAT EARLY ON.
IT IS CHILLY IN THERE.
>> --
>> LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT
WATER TEMPERATURE.
>> YEAH.
WE HAVE A LITTLE DESCRIPTOR IN
THE BEGINNING WHEN YOU WALK INTO
THE LOBBY EXPLAINING WHAT
SHRINKAGE IS.
>> A FRIGHTENED TURTLE.
YOU GUYS ALL JUST WENT TO YANKEE
STADIUM.
ARE YOU BASEBALL TANS.
>> I GREW UP PLAYING BASEBALL.
FATHER WAS OUR COACH.
BROTHER PLAYED.
IT WAS A BIG PART OF MY
UPBRINGING SO THERE IS A LOT
OVERLAP AND SENTIMENTALITY TIED
TO THE LESSONS OF THE GAME THE
FOR GROWING UP AND AS
REPRESENTATION OF AMERICANA AND
FAMILY AND STUFF, YEAH.
>> YOU ALL COME FROM BIG TV
FAMILIES.
WHEN AL WAS ON BROADWAY WE WERE
ALL THERE FRONT AND CENTER.
WHAT ABOUT YOU GUYS?
>> -- IN TOWN FOR SOME PRESS SO
WE HAD A LITTLE LUNCH TOGETHER.
I HOPE THEY CAN COME.
MOST ARE IN L.A. SO THEY ARE
GONNA HAVE TO GET AN ON
AIRPLANE.
BUT YEAH.
I THINK THAT -- I MEAN, WE'D
LOVE TO SEE ALL OF OUR CO-STARS.
EVERYBODY.
>> WE'LL BE THERE.
>> THE THEMES OF THIS SHOW ARE
REALLY SOMETHING THAT'S KIND --
THAT EVEN THOUGH IT'S -- THIS
PLAY WAS ORIGINALLY 2003.
BUT TODAY IT PROBABLY HAD MORE
RELEVANCE THAN IT DID WHEN IT
FIRST OPENED.
>> I THINK SO.
NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE MATERIAL
IS STILL RELEVANT.
THERE STILL HASN'T BEEN A TOP
TIERED SUPERSTAR UNTOUCHABLE
ATHLETE THAT'S COME OUT IN A
MAJOR AMERICAN SPORT.
NEVER MIND BASEBALL.
BUT ALSO THE AMERICAN
CONVERSATION SHIFTED.
WE'RE DIFFERENT IN THE SOCIETY.
THE AUDIENCE HAS CHANGED SUCH AS
THE MATERIAL IS STILL FITTING
BECAUSE THE AUDIENCE IS NOW USED
TO HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND
IDENTITY AND BEING YOURSELF IN
PUBLIC.
AND DEMANDING TO BE TREATED WITH
A SEMBLANCE OF RESPECT FOR YOU
ARE NOT PART OF THE DOMINANT
GROUP.
WE'RE ALL JUST A LITTLE MORE IN
TUNED AND AVAILABLE TO BE
EMOTIONALLY DEVELOPED.
>> FEEL LIKE WE HAVE UPDATED THE
SCRIPT AND TELL THEM NO, A LOT
OF THE SCRIPT WAS WRITTEN 20
YEARS AGO.
IT IS THAT FRLT TODAY.
>> IT IS NOT A CONVERSATION
BEING HAD ENOUGH IN MAJOR
SPORTS.
>> AND ARTFULLY.
CAN'T SAY ENOUGH.
RICHARD GREENBERG.
PLAY WRIGHT.
PHENOMENAL METER.
THAT'S WHY WE CAN STILL DO.
THIS IT ALL STARTS WITH THE WORD
AND THE MATERIAL SO INCREDIBLY
RICH AND THAT IS WHY AUDIENCES
ARE RESPONDING TO IT.
REALLY SPECTACULAR.
>> CAN'T WAIT.
>> SO GLAD YOU STOPPED.