[Music]
hi everybody happy Friday it is February
23rd my name is Matt Ronan and I'm Betsy
man and we are joined in the studio
today by producer and we have a very
very very special guest I'm vibrating
with excitement Wow yeah
to celebrate the cast the release of the
brand-new cast recording of what's in
this island
Alex Newell is here everybody very
exciting things about pop thank you and
needed a moment but first Caitlyn what
are today's top five yeah
all right dolly will never go away again
because Bernadette Peters has officially
opened in Hello Dolly on Broadway I hope
she never goes away
first of all Burnett Peters is here to
stay ladies and gentlemen burn up here's
has been in the show for a little while
but this month right official opening
that means critics saw it that means
there was a partay which you went to
Metro Tianjin and yeah we've got some
pictures we've got some game they rolled
you know they rolled a red carpet across
44th Street for from walk super super
huge Sardis because if your Bernadette
Peters wild you deserve it Wow beautiful
photos beautiful photos I also just want
to say Victor Garber oh yeah Molly
Griggs wonderful wonderful stuff and
yeah fun games fun game what else
Kaitlyn all right Kristin Chenoweth will
replace John Lithgow as a Syria series
regular and NBC's trial and error yeah
so this is the thing that this is a
thing so I guess John Lithgow was on the
show trial and error which is on NBC
which I didn't see that you're no I
didn't know was a show on NBC but now I
do and he's leaving this in this next
season I found out today that Kristen is
now taking the spot that he left not
that he is they're not playing the same
character okay that was thank you for
clearing that yeah yeah she's playing it
live la Lavinia
Peck - foster probably Peck foster
there's probably not pronounced the -
but that's they both have Emmys and
Tony's they both have it's solo shows on
Broadway he's about six five and she's
about four or five I'm estimating
they are yeah but that's very exciting
and I slowed game for Kristen yeah all
right in some London news we found out
today that Nicolas hinter will be
directing a new world premiere play by
Alan Bennett okay okay let's just talk
about London for a second there's some
good stuff happening so Alan Bennett
wrote history boys which one it's on our
way so good Nick Hytner was the head of
the national and he's directing that
this is at the bridge theater which
usually means it's coming to BAM but
they happen to announce that I'm just
I'm just saying that and also know I'm
not really in the know but I do love my
London stuff also lulu who if you were
from the sixties we would know who that
is Lulu was a big deal back in the day
she is going into 42nd Street in the
West End as Dorothy Brock they roll I'm
gonna I'm gonna make I'm gonna make this
work okay okay I'm here I'm here but the
last time she was in the West End was 33
years ago when she played Miss Adelaide
in Guys and Dolls so she's back and
she's ready and she's Dorothy Brock in
yeah in 40 seconds do you think that
42nd Street production will come to
Broadway I mean we're always up for tap
dancing I'm just having a revival in a
minute of that about 15 years it was at
the lyric / Ford Center / whatever they
call that you know what Mary Potter now
forever what else what else
alright we also found out that hunter
Foster will be directing a production of
The Drowsy Chaperone
at good speed yeah so the connection
yeah there's a connection here let's see
if you can guess before I say it but I'm
gonna say it right now so your times
okay
so Sutton Foster won a Tony she did not
win a Jim wit no not are you chef level
one that level won a Tony and that was
my connection Beth level also played
there's the whole round so Sutton Foster
chaperon chaperone on Broadway
it was nominated yeah and now hunter is
directing another production of that at
good speed musicals her brother they're
related yeah he's older yes a little bit
right a little older but that's that's
it I think yeah I'm always I'm always
happy to see Hunter doing something I
think he's I mean he's done a lot of
directing recently this is like it yeah
this is his new gig yeah he's a great
actor too
yes he is last but not least right last
thing our last five this this week for
culturalist we are celebrating the once
on the Cylon cast recording and so we're
having you rank your top 10 favorite
songs okay
how can you picked how can you how how
Alex Newell can you pick he's ready all
right it's not but the once on the style
and cache recording is about two days I
also just want to give a shout out cuz
the band's visit is also out oh so just
to give that moment but we're gonna look
at once on the silent cuz you probably
know those songs a little bit better you
get to rank them put it in their
cultural list yep tweet out us do your
thing and we'll let you know on Monday
which ones one as the top 10 songs from
that show I'm very excited to talk to
Alex about this cast recording so
already I'm gonna say have a good
weekend Beth
thank you Matt thanks for uh thanks for
being here I'm gonna get out of here
alright happy weekend everyone
Galip tell us a little bit about Alex
Newell alright today our guest Alex is
more than thrilled to be making his
Broadway debut Alex is best known for
playing Wade unique Adams a transgender
student on Fox's Glee and although the
stage is where it all began some of his
favorite roles include motormouth
Maybelle and hairspray the fairy
godmother in Cinderella candy and
Saturday Night Fever Alex is also a
recording artist with Atlantic Records
where he's release songs with clean
bandit blonde and the knocks all
available or all of these are available
on his debut EP entitled power and his
new single keep it movin
is out now you can also follow him on
instagram at at the Alex Newell ladies
and gentlemen send us your comments
right now and all of your questions but
let's take it over to Matt to talk to
Alex Alex Alex Newell how are you
good how are you Matt I am very happy to
see you oh stop it I saw you last night
even though you didn't really see me I
didn't really see you no no no you saw
me of course always um how's it going
over at the circle in the square
it's literally around the corner and I'm
obsessed with being this like far enough
from Time Square that I'm there at the
same time yeah like I don't have to like
fight through people because it's a
subway stop across from the theatre
mm-hmm but I don't take the subway so it
really doesn't matter and you read by
the witches
you're right by the host that you relax
that show that little show called wicked
wants to see that
no no that's not a very popular show
interesting though because like the your
guys's Stage Door you guys have to cut
it's like a weird sort of you come out
of the lobby right yeah we come out of
the lobby because our goats have their
own private entrance and so they get to
go in through what should be the stage
door wait that's literally why you come
out of the lobby no but that's in my mom
okay guy come out who lobby because I
every time I feel the breeze I'm sitting
in my station I feel a breeze come from
outside yeah great so the goats are here
that I just had to walk all the way
downstairs then walk upstairs in my
dressing room I don't think it's a
spoiler and tell anybody that there are
goats in this production there's two
goats in super well only one goat makes
an appearance in the show um you'd be
surprised how many times we have to have
like a emergency swing thing like if one
diapers messes up in one diapers you
gotta get the other guy out here in
these streets
so speaking of stage-door how have
audience has been responding to the show
they love it I don't know why and I'm in
it that is a lie you know why we go love
this show
no they love it because it's it's a
cathartic show you sit there and you
find yourself sobbing and you don't know
why you're sobbing because there are so
many things that are underlying in the
text that you're just like oh my god
what is happening I when I came and saw
it I had never I had never seen it I had
never listened the cat original cast
recording I wanted it I wanted to go and
fresh Wow I've got reached the point now
we're like if I don't know a show I'm
like I don't want to know about it like
carousel I don't really know I know so I
like going it yeah and our generation
yeah right sir but I like going and
fresh and I and I was blown away by
and of course by but it's just a linen
Stephen really know how to like write a
song that rips your heart out stops on
it and then sets it on fire even though
like fun uplifting ones yeah are
emotional and like absolutely and
Michaels done such a beautiful job with
the show how was working with him it's
great he's so in like in it he gets it
and he creates something out of nothing
he also knows how to cast a show
everyone in this show is stunning so
good like stunning like me a horrific
Sondra James is literally the soprano of
the show and then she you can find her
in the corner playing the flute during
the show I said wow so you are the flute
and then you play the flute cool cool
cool you are just like oh and that's an
ensemble track I'm just like that's a
principal track in my book because what
I'm not about to do is deep sing that
high and then play that high at the same
time I mean listen he cast you oh yeah
in in the role that's traditionally
played by you know lilius white or
Sharon you but you kind of like put this
in the universe you very like I remember
like you posting about this online that
you were like I'm gonna play mama will
provide it was a little bitter that was
my audition video that I had sent to
them and I never got a response back so
I said let me just post this and see
where the cards may lie and where did
the cards lie I'm doing it yes you are
what was that like though going through
that process like you know did you feel
like you had the fight well honestly I
just it was for the labs they were
calling people forward the workshops and
labs and I sent a video and because I
met a date mmm I had a meeting with
Michael yeah years ago about it and then
never really heard about it and then the
audition for the workshop came and then
I heard nothing about it and then I'm
sitting in on the plane on my way back
from Aspen of all places and I get an
email saying Snowbird hey I love you all
the creators want you to come in for
once in this time and I was just like
huh you're like oh let me just get off
this first-class flight from Aspen and
just hop skip and jump on down at LC um
did you feel like this I mean I want to
know what you how you feel about this
role and it being sort of now played by
not not a woman like it's a totally
different thing do you feel like it's
different or do you feel like the role
can
a mesh and mold I it can mesh and mold
because um think about how I want
children and I know that I'd be the
mother figure in the relationship I know
that I would be the nurturing the caring
one the one that would be up when
they're sick and then just giving them
everything they need mom will provide
and knowing that in the back of my mind
the word mother isn't doesn't really
truly have a just a gender to it at all
yes yes yes yes yes this is your
Broadway debut it is which is really
exciting and and and late and pretty
late it's not I'm only 20 mm Airness and
I want to know I mean we talked about
this before but that sort of the the
main differences at least in your book
between doing a show like Glee that was
that was a musical show and doing eight
shows a week talk talk to me about that
um you know it's it's strange because I
used to work 16 hours sometimes in a
week or not in the week but in a day in
a week yeah and then to be here and only
have to do 90 minutes I find myself more
exhausted that 90 minute really then I
did sitting on set for 16 hours doing
absolutely nothing because I'm was
sitting there doing absolutely nothing
yeah we would film and there's a cut
we're gonna turn around and they would
take all the cameras from one side of
the room and shove them to the other
side of the room and I was like so I
just wasted two hours love my job
anyways here it's I'm feeding off of and
getting the energy off of everyone that
is in the audience and my cast that I
love so much I'm also dancing around in
a giant ball gown that's in a sand pit
and a sand pit so it's like I'm doing a
90 minute workout each and every night
anyways it's just it's just so exciting
that you're that you're doing the show
and you're so you're so good in it thank
you you sound amazing how has that been
honey my chords look like skirt steak
but somehow by his stripes I'm in the
show my cords lit I mean I cough up dust
I'm coming up and and there are some
shows where little just air comes out of
my mouth during a note during singing
Ensemble stuff since we sang ninety
minutes straight and we're organizations
yes you are thank you and
Michael's urban love you dearly and I
was gonna say like I've been listening
to some of the cash recording you really
can hear the vocal arrangement on this
four pieces in the band and then you
have 18 throats singing how did you
enjoy that process of recording oh it
was super fast it was like a day right
aa day yeah and I had a date that night
so I literally left real early
priorities everyone singer like gotta go
I'm really busy sorry guys no but uh it
was fine I mean we had everyone there
and it was just you go in you leave when
you do it to hear it now yeah I mean I
were in it every night and I was like
blown away I was like you see that you
say wait what I'm sure there's lots of
questions from Facebook so I didn't want
to direct to Caitlin oh okay well we'll
sort of let us know what the Facebook's
are saying we have a bunch of questions
so let's plow through them really really
fast all right first one what is the
vibe like backstage and how is your
dressing room hey it's great that we're
never backstage like we have a pre-show
at the top of show so it's really just
us yelling at each other and doing
random things on stage in front of a
full audience and Isaac's great he's
wonderful he's always naked hey man what
else
all right what was it like performing on
Late Night with Seth Meyer it was a day
that was a ji we were there all day oh
that's all I remember
and just me being very quiet because I
was like I've sung this song more times
in this one day that I ever want to sing
in my life I think we did like 17
rehearsals oh my god yeah what was your
reaction when you found out that that
was the song you guys would be doing I
was like oh god help
oh gods oh gods oh gods are you there
what else all right
which performers inspired you to pursue
acting between like Billy Porter and
Titus Burgess and Ken page and lilius
white he should Louis Barbra Streisand's
if anyone writes and if anyone can
believe that as well how has it been
meeting those people I mean now you have
a relationship what is
yeah it's strange because I'm like I
still look up to you but I I've been
with you as an adult but now we can Kiki
and we can Kiki and all that good stuff
but I'm still in love with you and I
feel like they still have one eye
watching me just like I see you yeah
all right what has been your favorite
pinch me moment since once on this
island began my biggest pinch me moment
was when Rosie O'Donnell came to the
show and she literally said hand me a
phone and I was like here and she put
her phone number in it have you texted
her of course are you Fred are you Fred
yeah we're friends
we're friend you're pals yeah we're
besties you have no you haven't
I mean at least it seems from an outside
perspective you you like you have a lot
of courage when it comes to sort of just
like being yourself oh yeah openly
communicating with people a thousand
percent
that's admire abour it's just why not be
yourself like everyone else is simply
and clearly already taken and less
fabulous
yes alright last question from Facebook
Katie saw the show and absolutely loved
it how does your constant interaction
with the audience affect your
performance every night it doesn't at
all I love it really I do I do I there's
one part of the show where I really
scream into someone's face and there was
one little boy who literally lost
everything his everlasting mind and was
just like the number was over and he was
still like out here going crazy and I
was just like and the show really is for
all ages I mean is really I feel like
anyone can connect with the story yes
anyone can it's just I mean I see little
kids we had a whole like second grade
our fourth just kids children at the
theater watching the show and they were
literally on the edge of their seat
watching there was at one point this
little boys shoving someone down saying
I can't see honestly I feel like there's
gonna be some kid that like sees your
performance and decides like that's what
they I mean I hope so that's what
happened what I did it when I saw Grey
Gardens
hashtag Christine Evers that was the
show thank you you saw Christine
Ebersole and you're like I want to be
Christine Ebersole absolutely I would
say you're you're pretty close I would
like you know at this point your your
inch in there stop you're gonna make my
wig there um where can we
we get the ones in the sound cache
record it is on the iTunes right iTunes
it's on the iTunes right what about the
Amazon is it Apple music is it on Apple
music no it's definitely just the iTunes
and I think maybe I'm weak and I think
make something W articles something like
that it's streaming it's some article
somewhere article and if you are in New
York or if you come to eat or not in New
York just come on and see the show go to
the circle in the square the show is
it's so it's so beautiful and so moving
and this queen is on no no no I mean go
watch the Seth Meyers versions and like
that will give you just a taste of what
it's creepy lots and lots of skirt Agra
they actually change some of it because
people were getting sand in their eyes
and I was just like and that's a big
skirt too big that's a big oh it's a
huge one-minute tablecloth like oil
cloth you know the kind that your abuela
put the pictures of stuff not bad well I
did not do that oh well my grandmother
did she put like a giant picture of like
a lemonade's and tees on it it's like
when you gonna cook out and you see like
the ugly tablecloth yeah that's my skirt
so go see Alex Newell and a tablecloth
covered in tea all the team's honestly
and all the shame all the tea all the
shame happening over once on this island
at the circle in the square
ah thank you so stop it much I'm coming
through welcome I hope you have a great
weekend
happy Friday to you happy Friday to
y'all and we'll be back on Monday
Kaitlyn
take us out all right thank you all so
much for tuning in you can watch live at
five every weekday a 5 p.m. here right
here on Broadway Dom's Facebook page and
if you're a fan of podcast or one
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us next week when we are hanging out
with stars from school of rock
Hamilton the band's visit and a lot of
more crazy awesome shows thank you so
much and we'll see you next week
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