--Hi everybody. Welcome back to the Carrie Diaries.
-Oh we've had a great week here
after the Tony Awards, just getting back to our normal schedule. It's been really
nice and we're just enjoying playing over here at the Imperial. So I asked you
all to tweet me some questions and we got so many amazing questions, so I'm
going to take you all around the theater and ask each question to each particular
person. And yeah I thought that would be a blast.
So let's go. Who's up first? Jessie Mueller
--Here we are. It's time to ask Mueller the
questions you're all dying to know!
--At echod 96 did you or any of the Carousel
cast members have to do any odd jobs such as working at a restaurant or
anything before making it on Broadway?
--Yes I sold shoes --You did not --I sold
shoes. I did a lot of babysitting. I did a little temp work, worked at a law
firm, did a lot of administrative assistant work. I worked --You still do
nails. --I still do nails will work for food
--She love a nail art loves --Love to do nail art um
all kind of things --And know kinds of things this is a
to parter Oh the second part is how does that
transition period of moving to NYC and auditioning work?
--Great question. I had a very unique experience in that I came to New
York City with a show. So that was really different. I came, I came with the job,
well I came with them with a workshop in a lab of a possible job. It was like we
want you to be a part of this and um you know maybe maybe it'll work out, maybe
we'll put you in the cast. And that's what happened. So, I didn't have the
experience of coming here like like you did or some other people and you know
finding an apartment and finding a job and getting in doing the grind of the
auditioning and sort of having auditioning be your job. I think
it's different for everybody but I don't ask ask Linds. --Well as long as
you're asking --Want me to hold it?
--I can't hold it myself! --I'm holding a chip!
--For me, moving here... I I just made
sure I kept looking for jobs that would understand that I was an actor, not, you
know, there to do that job. So I worked for example in customer service at the
American Girl doll star. But they knew I was an actor, and that was
kind of part of why I got the gig cuz I could like be sweet to the little kids
giving their dolls to the hospital the doll Hospital. I
have people skills. Um so I always made sure that I had jobs that that supported
that um and I think that you know I think that's people sometimes get
involved in jobs that don't support it, and then they get stuck in those
jobs so.
--But don't you find that um a lot of the skills I think sometimes people
think oh I'm an actor I can't do anything else or this or that or people
won't want to hire me, but don't you think that a lot of the skills you use
as an actor are very applicable to the workplace? Like people skills, being
able to read a room,
--Absolutely
--Like knowing how to be gracious to people --Yeah I
think that all of that kind of lends itself to like great customer service,
which is what every job wants. yeah yeah okay
--Tess is asking
what is the range of dance experience in the cast, and I thought who better to
tackle that than our very own Brittany Pollack?
Britney what would you say is
the dance experience of the company?
--So I would say there's definitely a range. A
lot of the dancers in the show have a lot of Broadway experience. and some of
the you know guys and girls in the show have done you know
seven or eight different Broadway shows, but what's unique about this show
is because Justin Peck is the choreographer and he's you know very big
in the ballet world he's the resident choreographer of the New York City
Ballet so he has a you know a lot of his choreography has a ballet-based
background to it. So a lot of the dancers in the show also have a ballet
background,
--Like what about you for instance?
--So me, I'm, so I dance with New
York City Ballet and I'm taking a leave of absence from the Ballet company to
come do the show. nd also Amar Ramasar who's also doing the show as
jigger is from New York City Ballet, And some of the dancers are former New York
City Ballet dancers, there are dancers from Miami City Ballet, from American Ballet
Theater. So
--And you guys just all happen to also sing and act? -- Well, we're trying
--No you are you're doing
--So, it's new it's new for a lot of us but yeah
--You're all taken to it like water --But we're we're soaking it up like a sponge
--You really want to go back to the ballet? --I mean,
--I love Broadway, but I love the ballet too?
it's just two different worlds but --We want to keep you
--Kiara Momoko asks this question for all the cast what is your go-to audition song so
let's go around and find out.
--Amhad, what is your go-to audition song? --My go-to audition song? I just
had an audition today and I sang More by Usher
--So good Craig? --Okay well I'm gonna say
--You're from the ballet world
--I'm from the ballet world so I have a few songs. She loves me
and to my amazement
--Classic --Then there's.... A towns of
lonely town
--Okay wait I didn't ask you to do it I just wanted to know all right?
Jess LeProtto, what's your go to audition song? --When I'm free to be whatever I want to be!
---I don't need
the performance
--I usually sing Breathe from In the Heights
--So good and keeping it latina, loving that --Of course, always represent.
--Ricky, go to
audition song?
--Umm, it's the song from Moana.
--How Far I'll Go?
--No that's a different song
I know the whole soundtrack
off-book, but it is the big one because everyone knows that song makes everyone
happy and I'm I'm an island boy, anyways so....
--So good --You're going in for music musical
comedy, musical comedy bring your own song. --Oh god. So stressful... I would go with,
Oh Lily of the Valley, which is a song from I Love Lucy
--Yas okay very good choice. You're going
in for like contemporary drama --Going in for Les Mis, bring your own song what
so you sing? -- Les Mis?
I would do
Vienna --Vienna like
yeah okay great.
--Literally she is going to be offer only now, so --Right that's true.
--And cut.
--Okay so this is a question for Miss Renee Fleming from Broadway
singer zero. Renee, what is different about being in a Broadway show than
working at the Met or other opera companies?
--Well the biggest difference is eight shows a week as opposed to two,
maximum three. And the other huge difference is that on Broadway, there is
a microphone, there's amplification
--Oh yeah, I didn't even think about that
do you you sing so differently like based on the
--Hugely different because in
classical music were unamplified completely, so,
people forget that, but it means that the bow of the body is the power source and you
have to really use all of our strength to project this sound in the hall I mean
the Met is 4,000 seats, it's huge and we're seeing over a full orchestra and chorus
sometimes. --That's insane that you guys do
that -- Yeah that's why it's
tiring and you know we're sort of power lifters right why we have to have those
two days off because, you know, at a certain point too, it's just you need if
you want to really be at your best, you have to have the rest
--Right oh any
and and - they say like what how is it different in the sense of like community
with like a company? Like is it any different?
--Um, we still have that
absolutely and it's kind of a little bit different in that you know we're like a
our reunions take place all over the world, so you know I'll see
friends in Paris or London or Salzburg or you know wherever it is that I'm
performing, if it's opera. And that is always a blast you know. We said
we're like high school students, we still have Arrested Development, we haven't
changed we're still, everyone still parties it's a great time
but the my life is mostly sent on a plane every three days singing concerts
and that is much lonelier. You know you don't have that. I love the community
here. I love that the notion that you see the same people, who are
wonderful people and not to mention gifted every day for you know
months on end. That's great that's a real plus.
--Well it's our blessing to have you here
--Aww thank you, thank you and it's going to be such
a blast to watch your star keep rising -- Oh please
I'm doing --No.
the same gig we're having a ball. --Hashtag television show for Lindsay Mendez
-- Joshua
Olivia Visa wants to know what is included in your perfect day off? --Olivia
my perfect day off, I'm gonna get a massage with some body work cuz really
physical role --Gotta work that body
--Gotta work that body! And probably some sort of Domino's
selection. Could be a thincrust -- I knew you were gonna say that
--Three topping pepperoni, slice sausage,
and uh and maybe some pineapple and a couple blue cheeses on the side
--Oh! Every
day off though? -- Not every day just
the perfec --Perfect one?
--Okay, so this question is for
moi from Andre Orosco. He says I know you have actor therapy while doing Carousel
so how are you going to juggle both at the same time? Good question.
I do teach, I'm a teacher, and run a school called actor therapy, which is, for
those of you who don't know, a musical theatre
intensive course that I run with Ryan Scott Oliver, the amazing composer and
teacher. And I have a ton of beautiful wonderful students, and while we've been
getting the show up, I've had the help of some amazing amazing guest teachers
who've come in and worked with my students. And and they still are a huge
part of our staff, but I get to pop in every now and again and check in on my
students, and so I'm still very much a part of the school, and trying to every
day learn balance. How to balance the show, and my teaching, and my at home life
and my family and friends. It's something that I think we all work on every day,
and but I'm constantly striving for balance in my life and actor therapy is
a huge part of that. And I'm gonna answer one more question, and this is from @
Ryan Murphy. And he says Lindsay Mendez, do you have any advice for aspiring
actors who are scared about the instability that comes with being an
actor?
Oh, Ryan, yes I do. I would say if you can save up money before you come to
New York, it's a great idea, so that when you get here, you don't have
to immediately start killing yourself at a day job. You have a little cushion to
kind of start figuring out your life here. I think that's really helpful. And I
would also say make sure you seek out a day job. You're gonna have to find a day
job. We all do it, have done it find a day job that you know really lets you
audition, and go to class. Because if you're here and you end up just doing
your day job, you're going to be super unhappy because you know you moved to
New York to pursue a career in the Performing Arts. So, I would say make sure
you find a job that's flexible, try and come here with some money, and try and
find a friend group that is super supportive and possibly
even also in the same medium of arts as you, so that you guys can discuss
auditions, and kind of have a little rallying support group around each other.
I think that's super important too. I have that, and I would not survive
without it. So that is all the time we have for this episode. So much fun. Thank
you all for your questions. They were amazing. We've had a great time.
Tune in next week when I continue to delve into the depths of the Imperial
Theatre with you all and with my incredible company. Bye!
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