Podcast appearances and mentions of Sergio Trujillo

Real Women Have Curves is currently playing on Broadway at the James Earl Jones Theatre in an open-ended run. To learn more, visit www.realwomenhavecurvesbroadway.com. Follow The Present Stage on Instagram at @thepresentstageThe Present Stage: Conversations with Theater Writers is hosted by Dan Rubins, a theater critic for Theatermania and Slant Magazine. You can also find Dan's reviews on Cast Album Reviews and in The New Yorker's Briefly Noted column.The Present Stage supports the national nonprofit Hear Your Song. If you'd like to learn more about Hear Your Song and how to support empowering youth with serious illnesses to make their voices heard though songwriting, please visit www.hearyoursong.org

In this episode of Half Hour with Jeff & Richie, we discuss the new Broadway musical Real Women Have Curves at the James Earl Jones Theatre. We break down the show's themes of cultural representation, community, and ambition, and talk about how the music by Joy Huerta and the direction by Sergio Trujillo shape the production. We also look at the performances, including Tatianna Córdoba as Ana García and Justina Machado as Carmen García and consider what the show's Tony nominations mean for its future. Join us as we explore how Real Women Have Curves highlights the importance of diverse storytelling on Broadway. Follow and connect with all things @HalfHourPodcast on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, and ⁠YouTube⁠. Share your thoughts with us on ⁠Real Women Have Curves⁠⁠⁠ on our podcast cover post on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The cast and creative team behind Real Women Have Curves: The Musical gathered for an exclusive press day, and we were there to soak in the joy, passion, and powerful stories that define this new Broadway production. From bold choreography to songs that stick in your head long after the final note, this episode captures the spirit of a show that centers Latin culture, immigrant narratives, and shared humanity in a way that's as timely as it is timeless. Whether you're drawn to the musical's universal themes or its deeply personal storytelling, every voice in this episode brings something heartfelt to the table. We hear first from producers Barry Weissler and Jack Noseworthy about why this story matters now more than ever, followed by composer/lyricist Benjamin Velez, who shares how he and Joy Huerta crafted the musical world of 1980s East L.A. Alan Madagoitia then gives us insight into her powerful role as Itzel, an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala. Writer Nell Benjamin reflects on adapting a true story with timeless themes, and Sergio Trujillo dives into directing and choreographing something deeply personal. We also hear from cast members Carla Jimenez and Jennifer Sanchez, who infuse their characters with humor, heart, and lived-in truth. Finally, Florencia Cuenca shares her emotional journey as Estela, and how this role has transformed her both personally and professionally. Visit https://www.realwomenhavecurvesbroadway.com/ for tickets and more info!

Today, I'm thrilled to announce my interview with Tony-winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell. Tune in for a conversation about his three current projects, Boop!, The Devil Wears Prada, and Becoming Nancy, as well as some fantastic stories and insights from his legendary career, including how Broadway Bares led to his Broadway debut, what it was like being fought over by Lauren Bacall and Ann Miller, why Michael Bennett's musical Scandal never came to fruition, the inspiration for the conga line in On Your Feet!, how he cast Jasmine Amy Rogers in Boop! and Laura Bell Bundy in Legally Blonde, the direct line from Jack O'Brien to him to Sergio Trujillo, his earliest musical Aesop's Fallibles, using treadmills onstage in Kinky Boots, why he doesn't like doing revivals, creating dances for non-dancers in The Full Monty, the ins and outs of the 2-year rehearsal process for Jerome Robbins' Broadway, and so much more. You won't want to miss this in-depth interview with one of the most influential figures in theater today.

Bonus Episode Alert! Your favorite podcast hosts Jason A. Coombs and Samantha Tuozzolo are live on the red carpet of "Days of Wine and Roses" from Sunday, January 28! Featuring interviews with the stars and production team of the show including Kelli O'Hara, Brian d'Arcy James, Sharon Catherine Brown, Olivia Hernandez, David Jennings, and David Manis among others! Plus we chat with other attendees including Bernadette Peters, Vanessa Williams, LaChanze, Victoria Clark, Schele Williams, George Takei, Montego Glover, and more! Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James star in a searing new musical about a couple falling in love in 1950s New York and struggling against themselves to build their family. The New York Times calls Days of Wine and Roses “a jazzy, aching new musical with wells of compassion!” (Critic's Pick) and The Washington Post raves, “Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James soar! One of the best new musicals this year.” Adapted from JP Miller's 1962 film and original 1958 teleplay, composer & lyricist Adam Guettel (Floyd Collins) and playwright Craig Lucas (An American in Paris) reunite in their first collaboration since their acclaimed The Light in the Piazza. Directed by Michael Greif (Dear Evan Hansen). Days of Wine and Roses features direction by Michael Greif, choreography by Sergio Trujillo and Karla Puno Garcia, scenic design by Lizzie Clachan, costume design by Dede Ayite, lighting design by Ben Stanton, sound design by Kai Harada, music direction by Kimberly Grigsby, orchestrations by Adam Guettel and Jamie Lawrence, hair and wigs by David Brian Brown, and casting by The Telsey Office; Craig Burns, CSA. Judith Schoenfeld serves as production stage manager. Days of Wine and Roses stars Kelli O'Hara and Brian d'Arcy James, with Byron Jennings, Tabitha Lawing, Sharon Catherine Brown, Tony Carlin, Bill English,  Olivia Hernandez, David Jennings, David Manis, Steven Booth, Nicole Ferguson, Addie Manthey and Kelcey Watson. The episode opens with a MIC CHECK where Jason and Samantha share that season 3 of Survival Jobs officially drops the week of March 3, 2024!!! You can support the podcast and the hosts at www.buymeacoffee.com/SurvivalJobsPod and on Instagram at @surivaljobspod | @SammyTutz | @JasonACoombs.  Info on Your Hosts:  Broadway World Article on our Season 2 Launch Party Follow Samantha: Instagram.   |  Samantha's Official Website here Follow Jason on Instagram  | Twitter. Check out Jason's Official Website here Check out and support The Bridgeport Film Fest Important Links: Support the citizens of Gaza Native Land Map US Interior Indian Affairs NPR: "How To Help Puerto Rico" Article How to Help the People of Florida Article Abortion Funds Website Plan C Pills Website National Write Your Congressman Link How to help Uvalde families NPR Article Where to Donate to Support Access to Abortions Right Now Support Us... Please!  If you're feeling generous, Buy Us A Coffee HERE! Please don't become complacent: Support the Black Mamas Matter Alliance Support Families Detained and Separated at the Border.  Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund. Support Black Trans Folx here Donate to the Community League of the Heights (CLOTH) Support the People of Palestine How to be an Ally to the AAPI Community 168 Ways to Donate in Support of Black Lives and Communities of Color The New York Times: On Mexico's Border With U.S., Desperation as Migrant Traffic Piles Up PBS: How to help India during its COVID surge — 12 places you can donate Covid quarantine didn't stop antisemitic attacks from rising to near-historic highs Opening and Closing Theme Music: "One Love" by Beats by Danny | Game Music: "Wake Up" by MBB.  If you enjoy Survival Jobs: A Podcast be sure to subscribe and follow us on your preferred podcast listening app! Also, feel free to follow us on Instagram and Twitter! Thank you!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the second half of my conversation with author Liza Gennaro, whose fascinating book is titled: Making Broadway Dance.  If you missed part one you may want to catch up on that episode before listening to this one. Liza is currently the Dean of Musical Theater at the Manhattan School of Music and she also has had a very active and successful career as a dancer and choreographer. Interestingly, she is closely related to this subject matter of her book because her father was the Tony Award winning choreographer and star dancer, Peter Gennaro. He is profiled in the book as well as in this episode. By the end of Part 1, we had made it to the late 1940s when Agnes de Mille was dominating the field of Broadway choreography. Between 1943 and 1945, De Mille had four hits in a row – Oklahoma!, One Touch of Venus, Bloomer Girl, and Carousel – and three of them choreographed in her signature “Americana” style. This unprecedented string of successes made her the most powerful choreographer in the commercial theater, and soon led to her becoming the first director-choreographer of the “Golden Age” with Rodgers & Hammerstein's Allegro. De Mille's most significant contribution to the Broadway Musical was breaking the mold of the traditional Broadway chorus girl by insisting on hiring actor/dancers who could fully embody the characters that they were playing.  This new approach to Broadway dance, and this new kind of Broadway dancer, would be adopted by everyone who followed in her footsteps – especially Jerome Robbins – who years later would write, “Agnes broke the conception of what the Broadway dancer could be in the Broadway Musical. What they looked like, what was desired of them, and what their contribution to the show was.” And, as you will hear, Robbins took that idea and ran with it, just as De Mille's “Americana” style was starting to lose its luster. That's just the beginning Later in the episode Liza and I discuss Michael Kidd, Bob Fosse, Gower Champion, Michael Bennett, Graciela Daniele, Susan Stroman, Kathleen Marshall, Bill T. Jones, Stephen Hoggett, Lorin Latarro, Kelly Devine, Sergio Trujillo, Jerry Mitchell and more! Become a PATRON of Broadway Nation! I want to thank our Broadway Nation Patron Club members, such as John Schroeder and Alan Brodie whose generous support helps to make it possible for me to bring this podcast to you each week. If you would like to support the creation of Broadway Nation, here is the information about how you too can become a patron. For a just $7.00 a month you will receive exclusive access to never-before-heard, unedited versions of many of the discussions that I have with my guests — in fact I often record nearly twice as much conversation as ends up in the edited versions. You will also have access to additional in-depth conversations with my frequent co-host Albert Evans that have not been featured on the podcast.  All patrons receive special “on-air” shout-outs and acknowledgement of your vital support of this podcast. And if you are very enthusiastic about Broadway Nation there are additional PATRON levels that come with even more benefits. If you would like to support the work of Broadway Nation and receive these exclusive member benefits, please just click on this link: https://broadwaynationpodcast.supercast.tech/ Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our esteemed guest is Jack Noseworthy, long-time veteran on Broadway, TV, and film, to talk about his career and his process as an actor. He also is a Individual Giving Officer for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Since 1988 they have led the fight against AIDS, becoming the nation's leading industry-based nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. They have raised over $300 million dollars to fight AIDS, as well as COVID-19 and other illnesses.Noseworthy also formed Truworthy Productions with his husband, Tony-award winning choreographer Sergio Trujillo, and they are producing a stage production of the 2002 hit film "Real Women Have Curves". The show opened December 2023 at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge Massachusetts, and they aim to open on Broadway within the near future.For more about Broadway Cares and how to donate, go to https://broadwaycares.orgFor more about Jack's production company and their shows, go to http://www.truworthy.comInstagram @jack_noseworthyFor more info on Athletes and the Arts, go to https://athletesandthearts.comBio: Jack Noseworthy is the co-founder of Truworthy Productions along with Tony and Olivier Award-winning Director/Choreographer Sergio Trujillo. In their Truworthy venture, Jack is passionate about bringing authentic, diverse, and socially conscious works of theater, film, and television to life. He is an acclaimed producer and dynamic, experienced fundraiser on the Major Gifts team at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, where he successfully collaborates with colleagues, helping to grow and steward relationships for their annual giving society, the Angels, and Visionary Circle, responsible for raising $4M of the foundation's annual budget. In addition, Jack manages the Broadway Cares NextGen Network—creating giving opportunities for young professionals with a passion for giving back to the community. In partnership with seven-time Tony winning legendary producers Fran & Barry Weissler, Jack is the lead producer on Lisa Loomer's new musical Real Women Have Curves, with music and lyrics by seven-time Grammy award winning artist Joy Huerta (Jesse & Joy) and her partner Fred Ebb/ Jonathan Larson recipient Benjamin Velez. Real Women Have Curves – The Musical will premiere at The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in December 2023. For A.R.T., Jack also produced Arrabal (Elliot Norton Award for Best Production and Gala Production at the Ibero- American Theater Festival in Bogotá, Colombia). Jack produced Playbill's ¡Viva Broadway! Hear Our Voices concert for The Broadway League, Voices for Change at Ars Nova, as well as NextGen Spotlight and Home for the Holidays for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, raising over $350k for artists struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic. His producing career has been bolstered by 33 years as a stage and screen actor. Jack made his Broadway debut in Jerome Robbins' Broadway, which was followed by Cats, A Chorus Line, Sweet Smell of Success, and the original Toronto company of the international hit, Come From Away. Some of his favorite screen credits include his debut in Encino Man, as well as ALIVE, Event Horizon, The Brady Bunch Movie, Undercover Brother, Cecil B. Demented, Killing Kennedy, and several Jonathan Mostow films including Surrogates, Breakdown, and U-571. His television credits include Elvis, Mrs. Cage, Shades of Blue, CSI, Judging Amy, Crossing Jordan, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, and Dead at 21. Jack received his Master's Degree in Performing Arts Administration from New York University and is a proud graduate of The Boston Conservatory at Berklee as well as the Commercial Theatre Institute.

Tune in as Michael Jamin talks with his good friend, actor Rick Negron who plays King George in Hamilton. Discover what he has to say about being the first Latino King George, doing his first show in his home country of Puerto Rico alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda who was acting as Hamilton, and his overall Hamilton touring and acting career experience.Show NotesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/rick_negron/?hl=enIMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0624508/?ref_=nmmi_mi_nmIBDB: https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/rick-negron-107348The Spokesman-Review: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/apr/28/youll-be-back-in-playing-king-george-iii-in-hamilt/Michael's Online Screenwriting Course - https://michaeljamin.com/courseFree Screenwriting Lesson - https://michaeljamin.com/freeJoin My Watchlist - https://michaeljamin.com/watchlistAutomated Transcript:Rick Negron (00:00:00):That's still the case nowadays for a lot of young dancers and, and musical theater types. They go to New York and they take dance classes and they take voice lessons, and they take acting classes, and they get that picture and resume ready, and they go to open calls. And if you're talented and you're lucky sometimes you, you get an equity show, a, a union show from an open call. It's tough. And you have to, you have to hit that pavement. And sometimes, you know, getting to know, being in the right place at the right time. I, I, I was mentioning to you before that I, I booked this H B O commercial and I met more a dancer on that show who said, Hey, you'd be right for the show. And one of the guys is leaving the show and they're having auditions at the theater, and you should go. And that's how I got my first Broadway show.Michael Jamin (00:00:50):You're listening to Screenwriters. Need to hear this with Michael Jamin.Michael Jamin (00:00:58):Hey everyone, it's Michael Jamin. Welcome to Screenwriters. Need to hear this. If you are an aspiring theatrical actor, I got a present for you and we're gonna unwrap him right now. And his name is Rick Negron. And he's been my buddy for many years. He's at my wedding. We go back, Rick. Now Rick is most famous for probably, he's done a ton of stuff though, but he's probably most famous for playing the role of king George in the touring company of Hamilton, which he's been doing for four years. But he's done a ton of Broadway stuff. We're gonna talk about him. He's also done voices. I didn't know this, but he was also he does vo he did some voices in Red Dead Redemption as well as grand Theft Auto, which I wanna know all about that as well. But mostly I wanna talk about his incredible theatrical acting career. Rick, thank you so much. Thank you so much for . ForRick Negron (00:01:47):What? Michael Jamin? I'm in the room. I'm, I'm in the room where it happens, man.Michael Jamin (00:01:52):, this is the room. This, what people don't realize is that I recorded some of this and I bone, I didn't, I didn't record, so, yeah. And this is, this is part two of our interview. I had a record over cuz I wasn't recording. StuffRick Negron (00:02:03):Happens. And you know what, Michael, you, you and I can talk till the cows come home. This is not a problem.Michael Jamin (00:02:09):This Rick's great guy, and he's gonna tell us all about. I, I, I had, so there's so much I wanted to get outta you, but first of all, what I, we were talking about is, you've been doing Hamilton, you've been King George and Hamilton, the first Latino King George, I might say, which is a big deal. And so yeah, you've been touring the country from city to city, and I kind of really wanted to talk to you about like, what is your, what is your day like when you go up on stage, you know, what are you doing before, what you're doing all before that, before you got on stage, because it's a, you've been done. How many performances have you said you're done? This,Rick Negron (00:02:44):I'm over 900 easily. I'm close to like nine 50. I, I, I don't count 'em, but every time the, the company management has like, oh, this is our 900th performance, I just kind of go, well, I've only missed maybe about between vacations and days that I've been sick. Maybe I've missed 30 at the most over a four year period. , that's, I've, I've done a lot of performancesMichael Jamin (00:03:11):And, and we were talking about this and your character, like I, I've, I hate to make you repeat it, but how do you get, like, how do you get psyched up before each show when you do that many shows? How are you, what's your process before you, you run on stage?Rick Negron (00:03:27):Well, this, this character is a real gift in the sense that it's beautifully written. Mm-Hmm. , it's just three songs. honestly, Uhhuh . I'm on stage for a little over 10 minutes, but it's so well written that if I just hook into the words of, of the songs, I got 'em. Uhhuh you. I, I, I can, I can hook my myself into that myself, into that character very easily, just with the words. But the other gift is that I have time to get ready. So when every, when the show, when we are at places and the show starts, that's when I get my wig on. Mm-Hmm. I still have 15 minutes to do some vocal warmups and get dressed. And are youMichael Jamin (00:04:12):To being like tea with lemon? What are you sit, what are you doing that day?Rick Negron (00:04:16):Nah, nah. I, I mean, I'm not a huge tea guy unless, unless I'm having some vocal distress. And then I do like a nice warm tea with honey and lemon if I'm, if, if my voice is a little wonky or my throat's a little sore. But the main thing for me for vocal capacity is sleep. If I get less than seven hours, my voice suffers. If I eat a lot of cheese and dairy, that's gonna be a lot of gunk on the vocal courts.Michael Jamin (00:04:45):But if you're nervous the nightRick Negron (00:04:46):BeforeMichael Jamin (00:04:47):Hmm. But if you're nervous, if you have, if you get stage nerves and you can't sleep the night before , right? I mean, no. Are you, are you beyond that?Rick Negron (00:04:55):Yeah, I'm beyond that. I mean, I've been in the business long enough that, that I, I get nervous. Uhhuh and God knows, I was nervous the first time I did the show in front of an audience in Puerto Rico of all places. Right. That's where we opened, right. With Lynn Manuel Miranda back in the role of Hamilton after being a away from it for a few years. That was a dream job because I'm from Puerto Rico and I literally went back homeMichael Jamin (00:05:23):To a heroRick Negron (00:05:23):Welcome star and one of the biggest shows on Broadway with Lynn Manuel Miranda and me playing the king. Yeah. I was born like four blocks away from the theater that we were at. It was just crazy sauce. So yes, I was incredibly nervous opening night. And there was my wife, my sister-in-law, in the audience you know, yes. Really nervous. But did I lose sleep the night before? No. I slept like a baby. No, really? My nerves don't really hit me until I start putting on that costumeMichael Jamin (00:05:51):. Really? Yeah. I see. I would imagine to me, I mean, I know it's a big deal to be star of a movie, but to me this to me seems like a bigger deal. What you, what you're doing in terms of, it seems like a you are lead in this giant freaking play that, I mean, one of the biggest plays, you know, of our, of our time on. Seriously. Yeah. Yeah. And you are these, you play this character who the minute he walks on stage, the place goes nuts cuz you hit a home run and then you walk out, you're the home run guy. Exactly. Bye. Hello. No. ExpectRick Negron (00:06:21):Bye. And by the way, no expectation. I'd literally walk on stage and the place goes bananas. And I haven't saidMichael Jamin (00:06:26):A word. Right. They love you before. You haven't even said anything. I mean, what a huge, I don't know. I just think this is like, I don't know, if I were an aspiring actors, that would be the part. I don't see how you, I don't know how, where you go from here, Rick Rick Negron (00:06:41):. It's all downhillMichael Jamin (00:06:43):.Rick Negron (00:06:45):No, I guess listen, it, the beauty of it is also that I've had this really long career mm-hmm. and, you know, I started out as a chorus boy on Broadway and then worked myself into understudy and then did some roles. And then finally at, at a ripe old age. I've gotten this great job and I've really, I'm at the point in my life where I'm really enjoying it. Yeah. I'm enjoying the process. I'm enjoying the traveling cuz I, I, I've toured some, but I haven't toured a lot. And this tour has been to some really great cities all on the west coast up and down the west coast. Yeah, the mountain west. In the winter I got some snowboarding in, in Salt Lake City, Denver. I,Michael Jamin (00:07:33):Where are you supposed to do that with you if you break your leg?Rick Negron (00:07:36):Yeah, I'm not supposed to do that. Can we delete that from the podcast? ? We can take that out. . It's in the past. I don't care. Okay. I, I stayed on the bunny slopes. I Right. I really took it easy. But then we spent summer in Canada, which was amazing. I was up in Calgary in the summer and went up to band for the first time in my life. And my wife, Leslie, who you know well, came up to visit and we stayed on Emerald Lake and I just spent two months in Hawaii. So this tour has just been amazing. Well, it started out in Puerto Rico, as I said, right. For a month with Manuel Miranda. And then we went to San Francisco and sat for a, a year in San Francisco. So I got to live in San Francisco Right. For a year and experienced that incredible city until the pandemic. And then we shut down for a year and four months before we started up again.Michael Jamin (00:08:27):And then, and then So how did you start? We, how did you start? Like, you know, take me back. I know you, I know you were, take me back to when you were a child. Did you, I mean, this is, did you dream of being a Broadway star like this? Like, what happened? Who, who dreams of that? Like who, how, I mean, you all dream of that, but who achieves it, I guess?Rick Negron (00:08:46):Well, a lot of people do. A lot of people do. And, and, and not everybody has the path that I had, but some of us get bitten by the bug early on. And I got bitten by the bug when I was 10. Right. And my mom was the drama teacher at school. And I guess I blame her for everything. But this mustMichael Jamin (00:09:06):Be the be like, you must be the, the crowning achievement in her, in her in her life.Rick Negron (00:09:12):Yeah. She's, but I did, she's pretty proud. And I have ano another sister who also went in into theater and and so the whole family kind of w it was the family thing we all sang. Right. we all did mu mu musicals in the local community theater and children's theater. So it was a family thing for us growing up. But I'm the one that sort of got bitten hard. And then I got involved, like at 14 mm-hmm. a choreographer. I was doing a, a mu a children's theater show, said, Hey, you've got some talent as a dancer. Come take, I'll give you a scholarship at my little dance school. And so after school at 14, I would go take ballet, jazz, tap and acrobatics after school with Susan Cable, who luckily was a great dance teacher. She had been a, a chorus person on Broadway.(00:10:05):Wow. And, and, and that's what, how I started in my dance career. And then it kind of took off. And by the time I got to college I thought I was gonna be a, a concert dancer. I was in college, I was sort of groomed to, to, to possibly go into the Paul Taylor Dance company. And I actually was not on scholarship. I was a intern with a Paul Taylor dance company for a while until I realized I'm making no money. I'm working super hard and I've always wanted to be on Broadway. That was my realMichael Jamin (00:10:42):Dream. So those people don't interchange those concert dancers. Don't, they don't.Rick Negron (00:10:46):Some do it. Usually the concert dancers, if they can sing.Michael Jamin (00:10:52):Right.Rick Negron (00:10:54):Will, will sort of move into the musical theater world and sometimes move back into the concert dance world. One of the great concert dancers of all time who I met when he was super young, Desmond Richardson mm-hmm. he was a lead dancer with the Alban AI company for many, many, many years. I mean a God in the dance world. And now he owns his own owns, he runs his own dance company, complexions. And he's a great choreographer. And he was in the bad video with me back in the day with Michael Jackson. Right.Michael Jamin (00:11:30):So Rick was in the, I should say for the, I don't wanna gloss over this. Rick. Rick was in the a dance for, in the Michael Jackson's bad video directed by Martin Scorsese. Yeah. Was Quincy Jones produced?Rick Negron (00:11:41):Yeah, 1985. I was, I was a chorus dancer at the time. I was in I was doing my second Broadway show. The mystery of Evan, Dr. My dance captain was Rob Marshall. went on to direct Chicago, the movie and many other movies since then. And, and while I was doing the show, there was this audition for the bad video and yeah, it was, it was really surreal. I took vacation from, from the Broadway show to do the video and, and, and got to meet Michael who was really sort of like, it was two people in that body. I mean, he was super shy and, and sort of very reserved, but the minute the cameras went on it, he was, he became somebody else. Right. And he was a perfectionist. 25 takes sometimes e every setup. And Scorsese was famous for just burning through film. Easy 20 Takes the video was supposed to shoot for two weeks, and I think it went for four. And this is a music video. It was the first SAG music video at the time, by the way.Michael Jamin (00:12:44):Really?Rick Negron (00:12:45):Anyway, Desmond Richardson was a young dancer at the time. There were a lot of young New York dancers in, in that show. And he famously went into the Avid Ailey company, but then he also worked on Fosse the Musical. And he also worked on Chicago. The, the movie with me. I, I got to work on Chicago, the movie cuz I had this great relationship with Rob Marshall and, and I was invited to audition. I didn't get, the dancers don't usually just get the job. You still have to come in and audition. Right. But even though, you know, the people involved it just is the way it is. And, and there was, and, and Desmond and, and I, we bump into each other all the time and we have so many memories. You know, going back 20, what is that, 85? 1985 was the bad video.(00:13:35):And I, I still bump into 'em. I I've been into 'em at the opening of the new USC school a few years ago. The School of Dance there at usc, the Kaufman School of Dance, I think it's called. But anyway yeah, people go in in from the dance world into musical theater and they go back and forth. Not a lot. Actually. We have one member of our, our of our of our Hamilton company, Andrew who was a modern dancer in the dance world and then moved into musical theater. And,Michael Jamin (00:14:04):But you were telling me how, and this is kind of important cause people are gonna be like, well, how do I break in? And you were, I mean, what, as you were explaining, it's like, it's basically you had this, you were just, you were in the circle, you were just there, and then things le one thing leads to enough simply because you put yourself there. Right. So how did you, what was your first break? How did you get that? I mean,Rick Negron (00:14:24):Every, everybody, everybody has a, a different story about first breaks. And when I was starting out, it was really different. Things have changed, you know, in all these years. Now, if you go to the right school, you can get into the right you know casting director workshop. And they see, oh, really? You, and, and maybe you get an agent out of that workshop and, and you know, it's, it, when I started out it, that wasn't the case when I started out. You go to New York, you start taking dance class at all the big dance studios where all the other Broadway dancers are taking dance class mm-hmm. . And then you pick up Backstage. Mm-Hmm. newspaper, and you go to the open equity calls for every show. I remember my first open equity call was for cats, the national tour, right after Cats had opened on Broadway.(00:15:14):And I, I had four callbacks. I got really close to booking cats, but I didn't. And and I just kept going to open calls. And that's still the case nowadays for a lot of young dancers and, and musical theater types. They go to New York and they take dance classes and they take voice lessons and they take acting classes and they get that picture and resume ready and they go to open calls. And if you're talented and you're lucky sometimes you, you get an equity show, a a union show from an open call. It's tough. And you have to, you have to hit that pavement. And sometimes, you know, getting to know, being in the right place at the right time. I, I, I was mentioning to you before that I, I booked this H B O commercial and I met one, a dancer on that show who said, Hey, you'd be right for the show. And one of the guys is leaving the show and they're having auditions at the theater and you should go. And that's how I got my first Broadway show by somebody suggesting that I go audition and I showed up at the theater and auditioned. And that night I got the job. And that's how I got my first Broadway show. The moreMichael Jamin (00:16:24):People, you know, the more you work, the more you hear andRick Negron (00:16:27):The more you Exactly. Yeah. You're in the mix. You have to in be in the mix and you have to network. And nowadays that involves, as you know social media and getting, getting followers and, and and, and putting out videos of yourself, singing and putting out videos of yourself, dancing and putting out videos of yourself, acting. I mean there's all that stuff that's going on now that wasn't going on when I started. But is, is is the new reality of how do you get into the business really. Okay. And, and when young, when young people ask me how, you know, how do I get started? And I say, well, in your hometown, get involved. Do the, do the school musicals, but get involved with the community theater. In any way you can. If, if you want to be an actor, but you know, there isn't a role for you do the work on the sets.(00:17:19):I worked on sets in community theater. Mm-Hmm. , I helped my mom. She, she was makeup artist too. And so I helped with makeup and I, I did lights. I, you know, I did all kinds of stuff just to be in the room. Right. Just to see other people work, to, to network, to meet people. And and I'm glad I did because I kind of know my way around all the different elements of theater. You know, I know what Alico is. I know, you know what all the different microphones are that they use in theater. And I, I always, I always befriend the crew. I think , as an actor, we can tend to be insular andMichael Jamin (00:17:57):Oh reallyRick Negron (00:17:58):Hang out with just the actors. I hang out with the crew. The crew knows what's up. Uhhuh , the crew knows where the good, the good bars are in town. They, you know, the crew is, and, and they're the ones that watch your back. When you're on the road.Michael Jamin (00:18:13):Now you were explaining to me the, and I didn't know the difference between, cuz you as the king, king, king George, you have two understudies, but there's also swing actors. Explain to me how that all works.Rick Negron (00:18:24):So in the show, you usually, you have the ensemble, which is what we used to call the chorus. Yeah. And then you have the leads. And in the ensemble you usually have two male swings and two female swings. So those individuals are not in the show nightly, but they literally understudy all the f the, the females understudy, all the females and the males understudy. All the males. And that's usually a case. They have two male and two female. In Hamilton, we have four female swings and four male swings. I think I'm right. Three or four. We have a lot. And that's because Hamilton is such a, a beast of a show. It's so hard. Physically. People get injured, people get tired.Michael Jamin (00:19:06):It's like being a professional athlete. It's no different.Rick Negron (00:19:08):Yeah. Yeah. And you're doing it eight times a week. And after a year it's repetitive motion for a lot of dancers. Oh. So I always tell those dancers, don't just do the show. Go, go and do yoga. Go do a dance class cuz you have to work your muscles a different way. Otherwise you're gonna get repetitive motion injuries. Wow. You know, like the same person that that screws on the, you know, back in the day when they screwed down the, the toothpaste cap every day that those muscles every day, all day long are gonna get messed up.Michael Jamin (00:19:37):But do they have like a trainer or doctor on set at all times?Rick Negron (00:19:40):We have a personal train PT, physical therapist right on tour with us. Most heavy dance shows will have that on tour. Because they need, they need the upkeep. The dancers, especially in this show work so hard. They, they need somebody to help them recover from injury. And, and just keep their bodies tuned up.Michael Jamin (00:20:04):And so let's say you get, you're in Hamilton, let's say you're, you're a swing or whatever, but, and then you're on tour, they what, give you a per diem? Or do they put you up in housing? How, like what is the, what is that really like to be?Rick Negron (00:20:15):So let me I'm, I'm gonna finish the whole understudy thing because Oh yeah. You have the swings and then you have the understudies, which are people in the chorus who understudy the leads. But then you also have standbys. And the standbys aren't in the show. Right. But they're backstage and they understudy anywhere between 2, 3, 4, 4 different characters. And so at the drop of the hat, they can say, Hey, you're on tonight for Burr, or you're on tonight for Hamilton. It, it can happen five minutes before the show. You can know way in advance cuz you know that character's going on vacation and stage management has told you, oh, you're gonna do the first five of, of, of the, of the vacation or the first four and somebody else is gonna do the other four. So you may know ahead of time and you can ask or tell your friends and family to come see you do that role. Right. Cause you know, ahead of time. But many times you, you find out last minute that somebody is sick or, or doesn't fe or hurt their knee or whatever. Or even in the middle of the show, sometimes somebody will twist an ankle and boom, we have a new bur in act two. It, it's, it's happened not a lot, but it's happened often enough that the understudies come in, warmed up and ready to go.Michael Jamin (00:21:26):But you explained to me even before every performance, even though you've done the same freaking songs for 900 times, you still mentally prepare yourself. You go through, you rehearse each, each song that you go through. So you walk yourself through it. But I can't even imagine if, like, if you, how do you prepare yourself for four different roles possibly. You know, like how do you do that? It's like you, it'sRick Negron (00:21:49):Crazy. Yeah. They, they, I know some of them will go over like difficult passages in the show because there's, there's moments in the show, like for Lafayette he's got in guns and ships. He's got some, some rap that are so fast. Yeah. That I, I know the understudies will go over those, what, what we called the, the, the moments when you can trip up. You go over those moments before you go on, but the rest of you can't go through the entire show. Right. Just pick and choose those moments where you can like go backstage and just go over your words and make sure they're, they're, you know, under your belt. I go over my words because I sing the same tune three times, but with different lyrics. Right. And the, and the trap is to sing the wrong lyric in the wrong song, which I had done. And it's, there's nothing more embarrassing and gut wrenching than to sing the wrong lyric in the wrong song. And you just have to find your way back. And it, they call it walking into the white room. And because literally what does that will happen and your mind will, your mind will explode, your armpits will explode with sweat. Your eyeballs will get this big, your throat will dry. It is flight or flight or flight moment.Michael Jamin (00:23:07):Yeah. AndRick Negron (00:23:08):It's so hard to, to like try to grasp the right lyric. And, and you're in, you're literally in a white room. Yeah. And you're going, oh shit. How, how do I get back?Michael Jamin (00:23:20):Right.Rick Negron (00:23:21):And for me it's a little easier cuz my song is nice and slow, but can you imagine being Hamilton and you're rapping a mile a minute and you go into the white roomMichael Jamin (00:23:29):And do you guys talk about that? OhRick Negron (00:23:32):Yeah. Yeah. Famously on Broadway, there, there, there was a something called Burst Corner. Uhhuh which was, I, I forget who started it, but I think , they, they told 'em not to do it anymore. It was something where they post on Instagram or Facebook. Oh. so-and-so, you know, said this instead of what they should have said, you know, basically coming out and, and owning your faux PAs during a live show. Right. I remember when I did Manda La Mancha with Robert Gole on tour. He used to make up lyrics sometimes. And we, and one of the guys in the show started jotting them down. And at the end of the tour, they basically roasted him at a, at the closing night party with all the lyrics that he made up throughout, throughout the entire thing. And he was not amused.Michael Jamin (00:24:20):He was not amused. I was gonna say, IRick Negron (00:24:23):Was not amused with that one. Okay. But my favorite faux pod of his was we were in Nashville and he started singing Impossible Dream. And he's sang to dream the Impossible Dream to fight the unat of a fo to carry Moonbeams home in a jar.Michael Jamin (00:24:41):And there was like, what?Rick Negron (00:24:44):That's a big Crosby song. Oh, funny. Carry Moon Beams Home in a Jar. It's an old Bing Cosby song. And he just pulled that lyric outta nowhere and inserted it into the impossible dream. And everybody backstage just went,Michael Jamin (00:24:59):What do he say? Oh my God. That's hilarious.Rick Negron (00:25:03):But you know, I I'm, I'm, I might be roasting Robert Gole at the moment, but everybody's had those moments. Yeah. Especially in Hamilton, it happens cuz the, the words are coming fast and furious and boy, if you miss that train or you screw up, oh, it's hard to get back on.Michael Jamin (00:25:18):And I imagine ifRick Negron (00:25:20):You do, everybody does. Everybody, if youMichael Jamin (00:25:21):Do it one too many times, are you looking at unemployment?Rick Negron (00:25:24):Mm-Hmm. ? No. Really? No. Yeah. I mean, nobody does it one too many times. Uhhuh, . I mean, some understudies have more bumps in the road than others. Uhhuh. . But you, you, you know, we give them a lot of grace because being an understudy is really hard. Yeah. And so when somebody's honest and understudy you, everybody has their, their, their side view mm-hmm. just because they, they might be in the wrong spot in a certain moment or cross a little differently than the usual guy. So you just have to have some grace. Don't get upset if they're in the wrong spot. You know, just maybe nudge them a little bit or pull them or, or, or just watch out for them and don't bump into them because, you know, somebody is on. I, because I've understudied so many in so many shows, I have a lot of empathy for, for understudies and swings and, but I, I, I don't, in my experience, and I've been in a ton of shows, I haven't been around somebody who's messed up so much that they've got gotten fired. Usually when somebody's not up for the task creatives know during rehearsals that they're not cutting it. Uhhuh . And then so somebody will get, will get let go. Right. the only other time I, I remember somebody lost their voice and, and took time off and came back and lost their voice again. And it was just a situation where they couldn't do the job. Their voice just, wow. Their voice just couldn't ha hack it. And so, you know, those are tough and difficult moments. They don't happen often, but it happens.Michael Jamin (00:27:09):Wow. Yeah. And now you were also telling me, which I thought was fascinating, is that your character, because he's the king, you were talking, you know, how, how your character has evolved, you playing the same exact part has evolved over, over all these years of you playing it.Rick Negron (00:27:24):Yeah. It's, it's been a gift. I'm, I'm, you know, I've realized early on that theater really is my thing. Even though I did some TV and film when I moved to la I, I didn't, I didn't really love the work. Right. It sort of felt a little bit empty just in the sense that, you know, you sit in a trailer for hours and hours and then you get a couple of rehearsals and you shoot and you're done. And that's it. You know, and it's on, it's out there for posterity and you walk away from the, from the gig going, oh, I could have done this, I could have done that. But in theater, you get to redeem yourself every night. You know, if you screwed up the night before, you, you make it better the next night. And I love that about theater.(00:28:07):And and so for, for me I just get better over time and people say, oh, but don't you get tired eight times a week a year. I don't. I I like to, I like to tell people that it's, it's almost like being a potter. You have the same, you know, square block of clay and you're making that same pot. But every time you're doing something a little bit different and you're learning from the, the, the, yesterday when you made that pot, today you're making the same pot, but you learn something new, you discovered something new, making this pot, it's still the same pot, but you're, you may be doing a little filigree or a little curve here, or a little something different. So every night you get to shape this pot a little bit differently. And that's, for me, that's the, the beauty of it.(00:28:59):That's the challenge. I remember early on with, with this, with this character, I was in rehearsals and the the associate director Patrick Vassell said, you know, Rick, this is interesting. Most guys come in with a really large, over the top take on the king. Mm-Hmm. , you're coming in with a very spare low-key take on it. I mean, we're gonna build you up, which is usually not the case with this character. And build, build him up. Not make him bigger, but just give him more depth. Okay. And that was the rehearsal process for me. And then when I started working with Thomas Kale the, the director of Hamilton right before we opened in Puerto Rico, he said, the trick to this guy is to make him, make him as simple and as small as possible because the king can, with one finger kill a whole community. Right. Know, he just has to say, those people are gone and they're gone. So he doesn't have to do much. He has all this power. So that, that was like the best bit of information for me. And so the challenge is over time is to do less.Michael Jamin (00:30:14):Right. AndRick Negron (00:30:14):Still with all the homework that you've done and the character work that you've done, but do less. And I, and I was telling you this before, that you walk out on stage Yeah. And the audience goes crazy. And, you know, there's all this expectation and sometimes you get suckered in by this adoring audience to do more. Right. But you have to fight that feeling and do less. And that's,Michael Jamin (00:30:38):It sounds like though you got conflicting notes though. No. They directed the eight. Well,Rick Negron (00:30:43):I think because in rehearsal I was still sort of finding my way with him. Uhhuh . And instead of making this broad fabish character, which is how somebody who starts with King George and thinks, oh, I'm just gonna do this and make him big and fabish. Right. that's sort of a two-dimensional view of, of the king. And I came in with a lot of research about the guy and thinking, I, I, I don't wanna make him this two-dimensional caricature. Right. I really wanna make him a, a guy who is number one dangerousMichael Jamin (00:31:21):Uhhuh ,Rick Negron (00:31:21):Who has a lot of power and who, who is feeling jilted, but won't allow you, you can't break up with me. Right. I'm breaking up with you. You know, that kind, that kind of dynamic in this, in the first song specifically. And so I came in with that and he said, that's great. Now we're gonna just work and put more layers on him, but not necessarily make him bigger, but just give him more layers.Michael Jamin (00:31:52):Let me ask you the, because when you're in, when you say, you know, you're the analogy of making a pot, are you going into the performance thinking, I wanna try this today? Or are you so into character you forget and, and somehow it it organically arises?Rick Negron (00:32:10):I try to stay in, in the more organic realm.Michael Jamin (00:32:13):Uhhuh, ,Rick Negron (00:32:14):Because I think that's where the really good stuff is. The stuff that just pops out of you.Michael Jamin (00:32:20):But you can't make that happen. That's the problem. Yeah.Rick Negron (00:32:23):If, if, if I plan somethingMichael Jamin (00:32:26):Mm-Hmm.Rick Negron (00:32:26):, I, I feel like it, it feels fabricated a little bit. Right. And so I, I try not to, but sometimes I'll get a note from, we have a resident director that travels with us, and also sometimes the director or the associate director will show up to whatever city we're in and will watch the show and give us notes and say, you know, in this moment, maybe try this or try that. And so I really pay attention to those notes and I try to implement them, but I try not to I try not to quote unquote fabricate them or, or, or think too much on it. I try to, maybe, maybe the best thing that I can say is I'll tr I'll try on my own four or five different ways to achieve that note. Mm-Hmm. . Okay. I can, I can, I can make it more dangerous in this section if I lean into this word or if I, you know, take a pause or whatever it is. I'll come up with four or five different ways to get the note across and then let whatever which one pops out pops out when it, when I do the performance. So I give myself some choices. So I don't, so I don't get, I don't pigeonhole myself into a specific choice, which then feels fabricated and fake.Michael Jamin (00:33:51):Right. But do you ever get into the part and then n notice, oh, I, I just slipped out of it. I, I'm, I'm, I'm observing myself now. I'm not in the partRick Negron (00:34:00):Happens all the time.Michael Jamin (00:34:02):And what do you do? How do you get back inRick Negron (00:34:04):The words the text will save you for every writer out there. Thank you. Because the text will save you. You have to get back into, into what it is you're saying. When, whenMichael Jamin (00:34:16):You, but the words are in your head that you don't, you're not reading something, they're in your head.Rick Negron (00:34:19):You're in your head, but in your head. I've been doing this so long that I can be in the middle of my performance and going, Hmm. That wasn't good. Right. Like, I'll be criticizing myself while I'm doing it,Michael Jamin (00:34:31):But that's not good. Now you're out of character.Rick Negron (00:34:33):Now I'm out of character. Now I'm in my head. Right. And the first thing that I'll do is I'll, I'll bite something. I'll bite a word or I'll, I'll make a gesture. Or basically I'll snapped my myself out of that.Michael Jamin (00:34:47):Do it.Rick Negron (00:34:48):I guess. I didn't silence my phone.Michael Jamin (00:34:51):That's okay. So,Rick Negron (00:34:52):Interesting enough. That's, that's the resident director of Hamilton just texted me.Michael Jamin (00:34:57):. He can wait. It's not important.Rick Negron (00:34:59):No. She, she, luckily this is she. Yes. Better. Sherry Barber. Amazing director.Michael Jamin (00:35:05):So we that's my next question though. I wanna talk about that. But, so, all right. So you snap so you, you, you get back into it with a physical, something physical, a gesture or something.Rick Negron (00:35:14):Physical or, or, or, or vocal. Yeah. Or some different intention. Yeah. Just mix it up. Right. Mix it up. Yeah. Do something different that, that's gonna get you outta your head.Michael Jamin (00:35:27):Right. I mean, I mean, I would think that we, that way my fear is going up, going up, forgetting, oh, what, what's my line? Line? Oh,Rick Negron (00:35:34):It is, that's every actor's fear. And, and, and if anything keeps me nervous, it's that, it's the fear of, of messing up. But the, and people say, oh, how do you get over being nervous? And I always say, you, how, how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Yeah. Practice, practice, practice. Confidence comes from being, I can sing that song with another song, playing over a loud speaker. That's how well I know that song.Michael Jamin (00:36:04):Really. With another song playing. There'sRick Negron (00:36:05):Another song playing over the loud speaker. And I can sing my song while that song is playing. That's how much in the bones in my cell that song is. See, I just have to, I, I rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.Michael Jamin (00:36:18):Do you think it's possible to over rehearse?Rick Negron (00:36:21):Yeah.Michael Jamin (00:36:22):Uhhuh. . Yeah.Rick Negron (00:36:24):But I mean, for me, you know, every actor's different. For me, my comfort, what gives me my comfort zone is, and, and gives me confidence, is feeling like I, I know this inside out, left, right. I, I know ev Yeah, I know this. I got this Uhhuh . That's how I getMichael Jamin (00:36:46):There. But, but you don't feel that way in opening night cuz you haven't done it 900Rick Negron (00:36:49):Times. No, no, no. You haven't done it 900 times. So you just, you you, I go back to my yoga and I, I I do some deep breathing mm-hmm. and I try to focus on the intentions of the character. What is he trying to do?Michael Jamin (00:37:05):Do you, do you sometimes kick yourself? Like, do you feel like, oh, I wasn't in the Tonight Show. I was, I tried. I wasn't in it. I wasn't in it. OhRick Negron (00:37:14):Yeah. I walked out, I walk off stage sometimes and go, Ooh, that was terrible. Or whatev, you know, I'm, I'm my worst critic. Right. And sometimes I walk away and go, oh, that was good.Michael Jamin (00:37:26):Right. Because you're justRick Negron (00:37:27):Lost. I don't pat myself on the back as often as I should. Uhhuh , I'm usually more critical of myself. And, you know, and now I try, I try to not beat myself up as much as I used to. I try to be a little kinder to myself, but yeah, I totally walk away sometimes going, oh, that was, that was not your best.Michael Jamin (00:37:46): . And, and so these, these directors, like, what do they, what's their job? Because they didn't direct the show. The show has been choreographed. It's been directed. Now they're just jo they're just there every night to make sure it doesn't go off the rails.Rick Negron (00:37:59):Yeah. PrettyMichael Jamin (00:38:00):Much tune things.Rick Negron (00:38:01):Yeah. And the really good ones, like, like sh like our our resident director Sherry they're there to keep it fresh. And so she's constantly feeding you ideas. Hey, what, what if we do this? What if we do that? How about, how about, you know, and, and that's, she, she's great at bringing new ideas to something that we've been doing for four years,Michael Jamin (00:38:27):But I'm not sure how much I would wanna hear that if I were you. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, oh, I love it. This is what I You love that.Rick Negron (00:38:34):I love it. I love trying new stuff. I love messing about with that pot that I'm creating. Oh, what about, why, why don't you do a lip on, on, on the top? Oh, yeah, yeah. Do it. We'll curl out the lip on the top. I've never done that before. Right. Why don't we do that? You know, I did something a few months ago at the end of the song, the song I famously go, famously I should say the, the king famous famously says, and no, don't change the subject. And he points at somebody in the audience and he gets, he, it's a rare moment where he gets upset. Uhhuh . And that's, and, and if you've seen the Disney Plus, Jonathan Gruff famously just spits all over the place. It just is, it's, it's an explosion of saliva. And it's, it's a brilliant moment. I think. I think his take on the king is, is wonderful and he sings it so well. And and I usually point, they want you to usually point in sort of the same area of the, you can point anywhere, but they, they usually take point over here. And I always point over there, and one night, man, this is maybe about four or five months ago, one night at the end of the song, I went, I went,Michael Jamin (00:39:45):I'm watching youRick Negron (00:39:46):Uhhuh . Like, I pointed to my eyes and I pointed to that person who I had pointed to earlier in the song. And no, don't change the subject as if that's my one nemesis in the room. And I'm just saying, I'm watching you . And it got such a reaction, right. That I kept it, it's been my new little bit until I, until I decide I don't want to, or until, you know, the associate director walks in and goes, you know what? I don't like that thing that you do at the end, cut it. And I'm like, okay, it's gone. Right. Well, think of something else. You know, unless there, there's always, there's always something right. That I can think of. And that's, that's the fun part that I can always improve it, I can always make it better. I can always have fun with it.Michael Jamin (00:40:29):Hey, it's Michael Jamin. If you like my videos and you want me to email them to you for free, join my watch list. Every Friday I send out my top three videos. These are for writers, actors, creative types. You could unsubscribe whenever you want. I'm not gonna spam you and it's absolutely free. Just go to michaeljamin.com/watchlist.Michael Jamin (00:40:53):I'm surprised you, I mean, I, I would wa I'm curious like, but you allowing yourself to watch, you know, Jonathan Grots version as opposed, you know, is that, are you, do you, you know, what's that like, you know, cause character yoursRick Negron (00:41:08):Now. Yeah. I saw him do it originally on Broadway when I saw the show in previews. And then of course I saw him do the Disney Plus version. And then when we were in rehearsals in 2018 for our company, we were the third national tour to go out when we were in rehearsals, they said, oh, you you know, you can go stand back in the, at the back of the house at the Richard Rogers and watch the Broadway company. And at that point, the king was Ian I'm forgetting Ian's last name, but he's, I think he's still the king right now. He's been there for a long time. He's brilliant. Uhhuh as the king. And I watched him play the King while I'm in rehearsals for the King. Right. And for me, I wish I could see all the kings really? Because really they all do something different. And, and you, and, and the stuff that's really good. You wanna steal it, man. You wanna, but can you, I mean, love that,Michael Jamin (00:42:00):But can youRick Negron (00:42:00):Take it from the best baby steal from theMichael Jamin (00:42:02):Best stuff from the best.Rick Negron (00:42:04):Interesting. Yes. I mean, you gotta make it your own. You can't do the exact same thing. Right. But, but it, for me, it feeds me as an actor. I'm like, oh, what a cool idea. I should, I can do a version of that or Right. Or so. Oh, that makes me think of something else. You know, I, I I, yeah. I I love it. DoMichael Jamin (00:42:20):You get together and talk with the other kings at all? Yeah.Rick Negron (00:42:23):I've met the king that's on on Zoom, actually. I haven't met him in person, but the guy Peter Matthews who, who does the Angelica tour and he's been doing it for a while. Most of the Kings. It's a, it's a nice gig. So yeah, you stick around right. As long as you, you know, want to, or as long as they'll have you. Right. And Hamilton's been really great about, you know, letting us stay. But Peter Peter's really a funny guy and I haven't gotten to see his king because obviously I'm doing it at another part of the country while he's doing it. But I would love to see him play the King. Really. yeah. And Rory O'Malley, who played it here in la, he did the first national, he I think Tony Winter for book of Mormon. Fantastic guy. I met him in San Francisco when he came to see our company. I'd love to see his cane cuz he's a great singer and, you know, everybody's got their, their their take on him. And I, I find it fascinating to see what somebody does with, with this character.Michael Jamin (00:43:25):Right. Cuz there's so much, there's so much. Yeah. That's so much how much constantly reinvented fun,Rick Negron (00:43:29):Fun role and,Michael Jamin (00:43:30):But by still, but you still gotta remain true to what the words are and what the intention of the words. But it still can be interpreted while still being true to thoseRick Negron (00:43:38):Words. Which, which is the beauty of, of, of, of Hamilton and, and I give a lot of credit to the creative team, is that yes, you have to sing the words and sing the melody, but you get a lot of creative license to, to make it your own Uhhuh . And so if you see our company of Hamilton and then you see the Broadway company of Hamilton, it's almost like two different shows. Right. It's the same show. But because you have different actors in those roles, it's pretty remarkable the difference in the companies.Michael Jamin (00:44:10):And tell me a little bit more about some of the other Broadway and traveling, because you've had such a resume, man, such a resume.Rick Negron (00:44:17):. Well, you know, I, I started back in the eighties as a, as a Chorus Boy and, and doing some really cool shows. Man La Mancha, the Goodbye Girl, theMichael Jamin (00:44:27):GoodbyeRick Negron (00:44:27):Girl leader of the Pack. I, I did, I did In The Heights on Broadway Right. For a couple of years. That's when I, I actually did a workshop of In the Heights in 2005 with Li Manuel Miranda and the whole gang, and I got to meet them back then. So they've been good loyal friends since then. Yeah. And, and have kept me employed for many years. I hand, you know, hats off to them . Oh, I do have hair by the way, but it was kinda messy. So I put on my, my hat. YouMichael Jamin (00:44:58):Could have worn your wig, your powdered wigRick Negron (00:45:01):. Oh yeah. IMichael Jamin (00:45:02):Used to wear, Hey, I'm always in characterRick Negron (00:45:04):. Yeah, A actually I have I'm, I have a few weeks off right now, which is why I'm home in la Right. Because we just did Hawaii and, and the show had to pack up and, and be put on the ship to come back to the us So they shipped, the show changed and that's how we, how it got to Puerto Rico too, which is why it makes it kind of difficult to send those shows to the, the Islandss because they have to ship it.Michael Jamin (00:45:29):But even still, how long does it take to set up for them to build, you know, build the set?Rick Negron (00:45:36):Well the shipping of it took a, takes about two weeks.Michael Jamin (00:45:40):All right. But once you're,Rick Negron (00:45:41):But then once it all gets there, our crew can, can put the set up in day and a half.Michael Jamin (00:45:47):Wow. Okay.Rick Negron (00:45:48):It's, it's like, it's all been carefully crafted. It's like Lincoln Logs, everything fits together, butMichael Jamin (00:45:54):Stages are different sizes. That's what I don't understand.Rick Negron (00:45:57):Well, they ahead of time, the, the production management and, and, and, and company management, they sit together and they go, okay, these are the cities that we're doing, which is the smallest theater we're in Uhhuh , that, those are our dimensions. We can't, we can't get bigger than that.Michael Jamin (00:46:15):But you can put a smaller on a bigger, on a stage, you can put a small,Rick Negron (00:46:19):Yeah, yeah. And the show, I mean, the show was made for the Richard Rogers, which is a pretty small theater. I mean, it's an old 1920s Broadway theater, Uhhuh , that seats about 1300. So it's pretty small. And the stage backstage is kind of small too. So most of the theaters that we do on, that we go to on the road are much bigger than the Richer Rogers. Okay. So they just, you know, they just do black baffling on the sides and just make it more of a letter box. And it works. It works. As long as we're not in a place that's smaller than our set. And some shows have what they call a jump set, which means that while we're in one city, we have a, a second set that goes to the next city and gets built. And so that we close in, in Boise on a Sunday and we open in Salt Lake City on a, on a Tuesday, you know, but let's say one day.Michael Jamin (00:47:13):But let's say that you're doing a dance number and the stage is this big and your's, the dancer, you know. Okay. Six pace steps to get my next mark on a bigger stage. It's, isn't it more steps or No,Rick Negron (00:47:23):No, no, because you're, you're, regardless of the size of the stage you are set. It remains the same.Michael Jamin (00:47:30):Okay. So no one will go out of that.Rick Negron (00:47:32):Yeah, no. Yeah. We'll, we'll we'll never stretch it. Right. The set itself never gets stretched. If anything, the, the theater will come in with, with black you know what the, what they call the legs, those are, you know, a break a leg comes fromMichael Jamin (00:47:48):No,Rick Negron (00:47:48):Literally they, you know, break a leg is good luck. But it literally means the legs are those black drapes that come down in the front and also in each wing.Michael Jamin (00:47:59):Okay. SoRick Negron (00:47:59):When you, when you, when you go on stage, sometimes you have to move that drapery to get on stage or to, if you're gonna go in front of the, the, the in front of the curtain, you, you, you move it with your arm, you break the leg.Michael Jamin (00:48:15):So you're not, so you're not literally break. Okay. So you're,Rick Negron (00:48:18):You're not literally breaking the leg, you're not breaking anything. Parting, parting the drapery to go on stage.Michael Jamin (00:48:23):Oh. So this is very interesting. This is gonna be, yeah.Rick Negron (00:48:25):Yeah. It's a little theater trivia for Yeah. The, the folks out there.Michael Jamin (00:48:30):Fascinating. Now. Okay, so on a regular day, you go to a town, your new, your your new city or whatever, and they give you a per diem to Yeah. Goodbye lunch and get out apartmentRick Negron (00:48:42):Diem. The union sets a weekly per diem. And that is for you to spend as you wish. Uhhuh, . And then also company management way ahead of time will say we have three or four different hotels that we've negotiated a special deal for and choose which one you want to stay in. And these are the prices and these are the amenities and people choose from that list of hotels. But a lot of people nowadays are doing Airbnb, especially on a tour where you sit in a city for four weeks, five weeks, six weeks. The shortest stays we've ever had have been two weeks. But we've, we've done six weeks. And so a lot of people do Airbnbs cuz you have a kitchen and you have a washer dryer and more, you know. But isMichael Jamin (00:49:26):It, is staying in a hotel more fun? Is that dorm living, is that more fun for the cast?Rick Negron (00:49:31):Some, no, I don't think it's more fun for them. Some stay in the hotel cuz it'll be right next to the theater. And that's convenient. Yeah. Especially if we are in Denver and it's seven degrees outside. Being, you know, li living right near the theater is really cool when it's, when the weather's bad. But most people, a lot of people nowadays, they're getting Airbnbs and they're rooming together. So three or four people can get a really cool house.Michael Jamin (00:49:57):But I'm picturing Rick Negron (00:50:00):And, and they save money because they're rooming together. Right. So, you know, the rent, their ability to pay rent, I mean now they can use their per diem to live on, not just for their place to stay. They canMichael Jamin (00:50:12):Have you shared, have you shared apartments or No. Does the king, does the king have his own place now?Rick Negron (00:50:16):, I'm too old to have roommates. You're tooMichael Jamin (00:50:18):That crap.Rick Negron (00:50:18):I had roommates in my twenties and thirties. I'm done. But the only roommate I have is my wife. And CauseMichael Jamin (00:50:24):You're right.Rick Negron (00:50:24):But she's not really my roommate. SoMichael Jamin (00:50:26):My like, my naive opinion of what it must be like is like in high school when you're in the play it's like, you know, or even at a high school, you know, community, you are like, Hey, it's the, we're all the, it's the group, we're the gang, we're doing everything together. But once you become a pro, that's not the way it is. Huh? It's not likeRick Negron (00:50:45):It is at first it is, it's the honeymoon phaseMichael Jamin (00:50:49):Real. Okay. Where you're like hanging out togetherRick Negron (00:50:51):Where we all just meet and Oh, I know that person. We did a show together a long time ago. And so we become a little bit of a clique and then the, the cliques start happening early on. But we're one big happy family. Right. And we have opening night parties and you know, and all that occurs early on. But then the clicks really start creating Right. You know, the, the peop certain people start to hang out together. We had the, an our, our company's called an Peggy cuz each separate tour has a different name. There's the Angelica tour, the Philip Tour. These are characters in the show. Right. And Peggy is the third Skylar sister. So we became the third company. So we are called the An Peggy tour and we're, and there's a group of us we're called the, an Peggy Alpine Club. And literally, literally a bunch of us who like to hike and, and do outdoorsy stuff. We went snowboarding and skiing a lot in the winter. We, a lot of us got scuba cert certified for our Hawaii stay. Wow. And we've done incredible hikes all over the place. So that's our little clique. But also, you know, people that have, are married and right on tour together or have ki there's a few people that have kids on tour. They get together a lot.Michael Jamin (00:52:07):So and they bring their fam, they bring their kids on onto tour with them.Rick Negron (00:52:10):Yes. There's some people that do that. Yes. But some, some, someMichael Jamin (00:52:16):Like little kids are like high school age. Like you can't be like a high school-aged kid.Rick Negron (00:52:20):No. Most, most of 'em have young kids. You gotta understand. I, I'm working with a bunch of 20 and 30 year olds. Right. And I'm the oldest guy by far in, in, in, in, in the, in the company.Michael Jamin (00:52:30):What's that like being the oldest guy in the company?Rick Negron (00:52:33):Oh, I love it. Love. I used to be the youngest guy then I was, you know, in the same age as everybody. I love it because I as a king too. I, I have plenty of time to sort of mentor everybody. Yeah. And so I've become a little bit of, I, I'm the cheerleader. I check in on everyone and say, how you doing? I'm, I used to be a ma massage, massage therapist. So a anytime peop people are having issues. I, I'm close friends with our, our physical therapist that tours with us. So we work on people sometimes together in tandem.Michael Jamin (00:53:03):What is it they're worried? What is it they want mentoring at the, the career strategy? Like what, youRick Negron (00:53:08):Know, that this career strategy, sometimes it's just dealing with personalities in theater sometimes there's some, some headbutting. Um-Huh. sometimes people are just having problems with a, a particular, an understudies having a problem with a new character that they're understudying or, you know, there's issues on stage with somebody who doesn't quite know where they're supposed to stand at a certain point. Right. And all that is internal stuff that should be worked out with the dance captains and the stage management and, and the resident director. But you know, unfortunately, actors, you know, we have huge egos and, and they're also very fragile egos. And so there's a, a, a bit of nuance involved and people get their, their panties in a twist. And I'm, I'm usually the guy that comes around and, and talks people off the ledge sometimes. AndMichael Jamin (00:54:02):I would imagine we be very hard even, especially for the new guy or the new woman coming in, youRick Negron (00:54:06):Know? Yeah. And I, I I, I, I tend to be the welcome wagon too. Right. You're the new ones. Come on, I'm the king. You know, I'll show you the ropes.Michael Jamin (00:54:13):Wow.Rick Negron (00:54:14):So, so that's, I, I like taking that mantle, not just because I'm the king, but also because I'm sort of the senior member of the Right. And I've been around the block and people have asked me, you know, I'm sick and tired of show business. I want to do something else. And I'm like, you know, that's, I hear that I've, I've had that conversation many, many times in my career.Michael Jamin (00:54:34):Interesting. So why, yeah. I would think, see, right, you've made the touring company of Hamilton, it's pretty much the peak, you know, like, you know, forRick Negron (00:54:41):A lot of 'em want to do Broadway. So they're, you know, they're still focused on doing that Broadway show. And some of them have done Broadway, have done the tour, and, you know, they wanna settle down and meet somebody and have a Right.Michael Jamin (00:54:53):So they want to, is that, is that what the problem is? They, you know, they're done with the business. What, what's the problem?Rick Negron (00:55:00):Well, I mean, you know, you, we've got the new kids who are just starting out who wanna know about, you know, how do I get my, my foot in Broadway? You know, and there's those kids, and then they're the ones that have been around for a while who wanna maybe transition out of, out of the business and, and want some there was one girl who was interested in massage therapy. Oh, wow. And I said, you wanna become ao? Okay. Well, this is what you need to do. And matter of fact the union has something called what is it called? Career Transition for Dancers, which is a, a, a program where you can get grants to do some further education. So if you wanna learn how to be a massage coach, wow. Get a grant through the union. And, you know, I know some of this stuff so I can impart some of that knowledge. And for the young kids who, you know, I wanna get on Broadway, I'm like, okay, well, to get on Broadway, you have to be in New York. And while you're on tour, you know, can't do that. It's hard to get into that audition for that Broadway show. ButMichael Jamin (00:55:57):Are you still in those circles? I mean, it seems like you, I don't know. It seems like you must know. I don't know. You're, I, I guess I'm completely wrong. If you were you know, a dancer on the touring company, Hamilton seems like it wouldn't be that hard to, to find out about an audition on Broadway. And certainly wouldn't be that hard to get a job, because you're obviously really good.Rick Negron (00:56:18):Yeah. and we've had a few people leave our tour to go do a Broadway, Broadway show. I mean, actually, we just lost like two or three people to, one Girl is doing Bad Cinderella. She left our show to Do Bad Cinderella, which is a new Broadway show, a new Andrew League Webber show. Mm-Hmm. . Another guy just left our show to do the, the Candor Nbb, New York, New York that's opening on Broadway soon. So that does happen luckily with the advent of auditioning remotely via video that's helped things out a lot nowadays, so that if you're in Portland on tour, you can send in an audition via video for something back in New York.Michael Jamin (00:57:02):Even dancing. You can, like, you pull the camera back and you do some dance steps. I mean,Rick Negron (00:57:06):Is that what you do? Yeah. Or sing a song or, or, or, or read a scene. Okay. depending on what's needed. And sometimes you, you are able to take a personal day and fly back to New York and audition for something. Right? Yeah. Michael Jamin (00:57:23):Cause I would think, and I, I don't know. Obviously, I don't know it, I would think that if you're in Ham, the touring company of Hamilton, you're practically on Broadway and it's like, it's almost the same circles, except this is where the job is, you know?Rick Negron (00:57:34):True. But if you've been on tour for a year, you'd like to settle down and stop living out of a suitcase. I It'sMichael Jamin (00:57:39):Hard to be on the road.Rick Negron (00:57:40):Yeah. Or you've been doing Hamilton for a while and you just wanna do something different. Yeah. There's those, those kids, you know, they're hungry, they wanna do different stuff. Yeah. They don't wanna be on tour on Hamilton for four years like I have, but I've done a lot of stuff andMichael Jamin (00:57:53):Yeah. What, let's talk about what other, what, yeah, let's talk about some other, we, we, I think we got off track of your other Broadway shows and, and Off Broadway and not touring shows, rather.Rick Negron (00:58:01):Well, you know, I started, I started out young in the biz at 10 cuz my mom was a drama teacher. And then I sort of worked my way through community theater and children's theater and all that. And, and then I was a concert dancer in college and studied for who? Well, I, in college I studied modern dance in, in ballet. But when I got outta college, I, I was an

Guest Interview: Paul Becker/DANCE HERO: Gustavo Vargas/Topics: Kenny Ortega, Kristin Chenoweth's BROADWAY BOOTCAMP with Owen Joyner, Jordan Fisher, Kevin Chamberlin, Faith Prince, Stephen Schwartz, David Winkler, PROM PACT (Disney+), THE LAST OF US (HBO Max), Rob Marshall's CHICAGO, Desmond Richardson, Sergio Trujillo, Barry Lather, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Rihanna, Dancing With The Stars, Kardashians, Grace Gaustad, CryptoCurrency, BLAST FOR THE PAST JOB: KC & The Sunshine Band in Miami, Stylist Drama, Special shout out to Brenda Hamilton!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest Interview: Paul Becker/DANCE HERO: Gustavo Vargas/Topics: Kenny Ortega, Kristin Chenoweth's BROADWAY BOOTCAMP with Owen Joyner, Jordan Fisher, Kevin Chamberlin, Faith Prince, Stephen Schwartz, David Winkler, PROM PACT (Disney+), THE LAST OF US (HBO Max), Rob Marshall's CHICAGO, Desmond Richardson, Sergio Trujillo, Barry Lather, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Rihanna, Dancing With The Stars, Kardashians, Grace Gaustad, CryptoCurrency, BLAST FOR THE PAST JOB: KC & The Sunshine Band in Miami, Stylist Drama, Special shout out to Brenda Hamilton!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

¡Bienvenidos al cierre de temporada del Especial de Latinos en Teatro Musical!

Welcome to the Latinx in Musical Theatre Special Finale!

¡Bienvenidos al cierre de temporada del Especial de Latinos en Teatro Musical!

Welcome to the Latinx in Musical Theatre Special Finale!

Broadway power couple Sergio Trujillo and Jack Noseworthy are as magnetic offstage as they are onstage. Sergio began his career on Broadway as a performer in such legendary musicals as JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY, GUYS AND DOLLS, and FOSSE before becoming one of the industry's most sought after choreographers, including MEMPHIS, JERSEY BOYS, ON YOUR FEET, and his Tony Award-winning choreography for AIN'T TOO PROUD: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS. Jack is a familiar face on film and television, and is best known to Broadway fans for his memorable performance in SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. In addition, Jack is an Individual Giving Officer with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, helping to raise money for this iconic Broadway institution. Join Sergio and Jack as they discuss the challenges and rewards of giving back—individually, collectively, and as a family.  Learn more about about the worthy causes discussed in this episodes and how you can donate and/or help: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS R.Evolutión Latina Connect with Sergio: Website: sergiotrujillo.com Twitter: @sergioatrujillo Instagram: @sergiotrujillo1 Connect with Jack: Website: jacknoseworthy.com Facebook: @jacknoseworthy Twitter: @jacknoseworthy Instagram: @jack_noseworthy Connect with The Broadway Gives Back Podcast: Facebook: @broadwaygivesbackpodcast Instagram: @broadwaygivesbackpodcast Twitter: @broadwaygives Hosted & Executive Produced by Jan Svendsen and co-produced & edited by Jim Lochner.  A proud member of the Broadway Podcast Network. Special thanks to Dori Berinstein, Alan Seales, and Kimberlee Garris from BPN; Julian Hills from The Bulldog Agency; and Eric Becker from Broderick Street Music. Social Media Manager for Broadway Gives Back: Olivia Cull. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you think you deserve to be on Broadway just because you have a degree in theatre? Do you think it's ‘not fair' you weren't nominated for a Tony? Do you think you're entitled to something just by making the decision to be an artist? Well, get ready for us to answer these questions in our latest episode: ‘NOBODY OWES YOU SHIT!!!' Featuring an interview with Tony award winning choreographer Sergio Trujillo as well as the state of theatre from our resident therapist, Lisa Gajda.

This is the second half of my recent conversation with author Liza Gennaro, whose fascinating new book is titled: Making Broadway Dance.  If you missed part one you may want to catch up on that episode before listening to this one. Liza is currently the Dean of Musical Theater at the Manhattan School of Music and she also has had a very active and successful career as a dancer and choreographer. Interestingly, she is closely related to this subject matter of her book because her father was the Tony Award winning choreographer and star dancer, Peter Gennaro. He is profiled in the book as well as in this episode. By the end of Part 1, we had made it to the late 1940s when Agnes de Mille was dominating the field of Broadway choreography. Between 1943 and 1945, De Mille had four hits in a row – Oklahoma!, One Touch of Venus, Bloomer Girl, and Carousel – and three of them choreographed in her signature “Americana” style. This unprecedented string of successes made her the most powerful choreographer in the commercial theater, and soon led to her becoming the first director-choreographer of the “Golden Age” with Rodgers & Hammerstein's Allegro. De Mille's most significant contribution to the Broadway Musical was breaking the mold of the traditional Broadway chorus girl by insisting on hiring actor/dancers who could fully embody the characters that they were playing.  This new approach to Broadway dance, and this new kind of Broadway dancer, would be adopted by everyone who followed in her footsteps – especially Jerome Robbins – who years later would write, “Agnes broke the conception of what the Broadway dancer could be in the Broadway Musical. What they looked like, what was desired of them, and what their contribution to the show was.” And, as you will hear, Robbins took that idea and ran with it, just as De Mille's “Americana” style was starting to lose its luster. That's just the beginning Later in the episode Liza and I discuss Michael Kidd, Bob Fosse, Gower Champion, Michael Bennett, Graciela Daniele, Susan Stroman, Kathleen Marshall, Bill T. Jones, Stephen Hoggett, Lorin Latarro, Kelly Devine, Sergio Trujillo, Jerry Mitchell and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all have theater kid energy! Broadway News: Starting this season, Tony Awards voters must complete unconscious bias training in order to vote in any categories. The news, sent to voters last Friday, requires members to take a free, online training session led by inclusion strategist Vernā Myers. The course is meant to teach viewers how to identify unconscious or implicit bias in their own decision-making processes and how to correct it, according to the course description.  Producers Stephen Byrd and Alia Jones-Harvey announced that a new musical stage adaptation of Black Orpheus, featuring a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz, original music by Grammy Award winner and Brazilian icon Sergio Mendes, and direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo, is being readied for its world premiere production on Broadway during the 2022-2023 season. A developmental workshop and an out-of-town regional theatre run are being planned for 2022 before heading to Broadway in 2023. James Snyder, who has been playing the role of Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child since a new, shorter version of the production reopened on Broadway on November 12, 2021, has had his contract terminated. The termination follows a complaint from fellow cast member Diane Davis, who has since also left the production by her own accord, regarding his conduct. The Broadway revival of Ntozake Shange's for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf, directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Camille A. Brown will begin performances on Friday, April 1, 2022 at the Booth Theatre. The fully reimagined production will open on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.  Casting: Dennis Stowe steps into the role of Jafar in the Broadway production of Aladdin beginning this week at the New Amsterdam Theatre. He succeeds fellow original cast member Jonathan Freeman, who created the role on Broadway after voicing the part in the 1992 animated film. Freeman played his final performance on January 23. NaTasha Yvette Williams will succeed Dawnn Lewis as Zelma, Tina Turner's mother, in Broadway's Tina: The Tina Turner Musical beginning February 4. Lewis is scheduled to play her final performance on January 30. Williams was last seen on Broadway in Chicken and Biscuits and has been a long-time Matron "Mama" Morton in Chicago. She starred as Becky during the original run of Waitress, and also appeared on Broadway in A Night With Janis Joplin, Porgy and Bess, and The Color Purple. Follow @BwayPodNetwork on Twitter. Find co-hosts on Twitter at @AyannaPrescod, @CLewisReviews, and @TheMartinAcuna. Subscribe To BPN's newsletter HERE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, I am so happy to announce my episode with one of Broadway's most in-demand director/choreographers, Joann M. Hunter. On this episode, she discusses her career as a Broadway dancer, including the prank she played on Jonathan Pryce, why she loves working with Susan Stroman, rehearsing for 6 months with Jerome Robbins, putting Bebe Neuwirth into Chicago, what it's like performing on the Tonys, the two Broadway shows she got without auditioning, going on at the last minute in Kiss Me, Kate, having her pig kidnapped by Sergio Trujillo, her mishap-filled audition for Thoroughly Modern Millie, and much more!

Actor James Harkness made his Broadway debut in Aida back in 2001 before moving on to productions such as Chicago, The Color Purple, Guys and Dolls, the Dreamgirls tour, and Beautiful. Now that Broadway has returned he resumed his role as Paul Williams in Ain't Too Proud on Broadway. A navy veteran, James seized an unexpected opportunity and took a chance when he walked into a dance studio while on leave and forever changed the trajectory of his life. James shares how embracing chance, taking intentional risks, and learning to trust his instincts lead him to a beautiful and unintended career working alongside mentors such as Tiger Martina and Sergio Trujillo, and performing alongside some of the greatest in the arts, including John Legend, Julie Andrew and many others. Y'all don't want to miss everything James is up to. Follow him at @iamjamesharkness and go see him in Ain't Too Proud on Broadway right now: https://ainttooproudmusical.com/. Make sure to follow this podcast everywhere you find podcasts, leave a rating and a review, and slip into our DMs at @wasitchance. More about Heather via @vickeryandco and listen to The Brave Files More about Alan via @theatre_podcast and listen to The Theatre Podcast with Alan Seales EPISODE TAKEAWAYS Missed opportunities may be hidden gifts Manifestation only works when you work hard Resharing our experiences and stories brings new awareness Learning to trust your intuition  Running towards fear rather than away from it Resting is an important part of being ready to embrace “chance” Staying connected to creativity by being flexible in the moment to always do your best Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please welcome the Tony-Award nominated set designer who put Jersey all over the map…Klara Zieglerova! A Prague native, Klara studied design at David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University and was later hired as an associate set designer of the 1998 Roundabout Theatre Co. Broadway revival of 1776 and 1999 Broadway revival of ANNIE GET YOUR GUN along with stage manager Richard Hester. Credits as lead designer include the Broadway production of THE SEARCH FOR SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, the 2012 national tour of FLASHDANCE THE MUSICAL directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo as well as the Broadway, West End, and touring productions of SISTER ACT directed by Jerry Zaks and THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION written by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Des McAnuff. In this episode, you'll learn about: -How she nailed her Jersey Boys interview with Des McAnuff -Original sketches of the set -What drew her to the story…”The iron curtain.” -The production she coined the “Rolls Royce of Jersey Boys sets” -Why the Jersey Boys UK tour set has two spiral staircases -How to design for a national tour -Her time working with late lighting designer Howell Binkley -How design teams are created and opportunity to newcomers in this niche role in theater -Her set design nomination for Jersey Boys ♥️ Key quotes: -“Des wanted to keep the show as downstage as possible” -“My only job is to not let the scenery get in the way.” Don't forget…Everywhere you see an official Dodgers production of Jersey Boys, you're immersed in Klara's gorgeous set design. ♥️

 Brittany talks about the similarities and differences between soccer and broadway from the experiences of an athlete turned performer. In this episode, Brittany shares about the years of training, challenges, and the shaping obstacle she has gone through in the journey of how she made broadway her career.About Brittany Conigatti:Brittany is a born and raised New Yorker! She is a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, known to many as "The Fame School," where she was a Dance Major. Brittany continued her art studies at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, where she was an Integrated Major and then earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from The New School. Landing her first professional job at 17 and feeling the rush of adrenaline, passion, family, and love, both on and off stage, Brittany knew Broadway would be her career! Along with performing on Broadway in A Bronx Tale (dance captain and original company member) and The Prom, Brittany has worked in the most prestigious regional theatres and traveled all over the nation and Canada performing with Broadway National Tours including Mean Girls, Matilda, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and on the high seas with Rock of Ages. She can also be seen as Maria Ferraro in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Season 22.Brittany's latest journey has been being the Restager Choreographer for the 2nd National Tour of A Bronx Tale after being the Assistant Choreographer on the 1st National Tour of A Bronx Tale. She has found a passion for being on the "other side of the table" where she gets to be within the creative development of a show. This is all thanks to her mentor, Sergio Trujillo. Brittany adores teaching passionate performers! Whether it be in master class settings or privately during coaching, Brittany always has the goal to bring out each student's uniqueness. She takes pride in providing a positive and encouraging learning environment where the students feel comfortable working at their highest potential! Outline of the Episode:[03:15] Brittany on playing for the women's soccer team of New York at the age of 12[05:40]The reason why Brittany preferred theatre over professionally pursuing soccer[11:30]Brittany explains the continual challenges of getting into theatre and reaching broadway[18:07]What it's like to be dance captain and experience auditioning in front of Robert De Niro[22:48]The thing with performance art and why it's on a different level of craftsmanship[28:30]Brittany tells the story of a train station criminal incident that never had closure[33:09]After a Train Trauma: Brittany fights emotions and exhaustion with grit[39:57]Sergio Trujillo and Mark Hoebee as Brittany's biggest heroes in theatre[46:50] Brittany Conigatti's return on stage together with the opening of live showsResources:Website: https://www.brittanyconigatti.com/Instagram: @brittconigattiBrittany talks A Bronx Tale on Broadway: https://youtu.be/u90i44KRbfgAll Inspire Interview with Brittany: https://youtu.be/Q198UVvMlx4Connect with Barton!Website: www.bartonguybryan.comInstagram: @bartonguybryanJoin Premium:  https://themindsetforge.supercast.techThe "Go for the Gold" Competition: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/162602413195

Dylan and Connor are joined by Jawan Jackson (Ain’t Too Proud, Motown the Musical). Listen in as the guys talk about Jawan’s life story, working at Disney World, befriending Whoopi Goldberg, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, nailing Sergio Trujillo’s Tony winning choreography, favorite Whitney Houston songs, bonding with his fellow Temps, and getting to tell Melvin Franklin’s story in Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations on Broadway.Follow Jawan on Twitter & InstagramFollow DRAMA. on Twitter & InstagramFollow Connor MacDowell on Twitter & InstagramFollow Dylan MacDowell on Twitter & InstagramEdited by Maggie Montalto | Twitter & InstagramHERE is where you find official DRAMA. merch!Don’t forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, rate us 5 stars, and leave a review!

Internationally renowned theater choreographer and director, SERGIO TRUJILLO is the first ever Latinx recipient of the Tony Award for Best Choreography. He was honored with the Tony in 2019 for AIN’T TOO PROUD: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS. Additionally, he won the 2015 Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for MEMPHIS. Sergio was previously nominated for several awards including a Tony Award for ON YOUR FEET!, Drama Desk Awards for HANDS ON A HARDBODY, LEAP OF FAITH, MEMPHIS, and JERSEY BOYS, a Lucille Lortel Award for SAVED, and received an Ovation Award for EMPIRE. He made his Broadway debut in 1999, dancing in JEROME ROBBINS’ BROADWAY. As a dancer, he has performed on Broadway in GUYS AND DOLLS, VICTOR/VICTORIA, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, and FOSSE. Sergio made his choreographic debut in 2005 with Broadway’s ALL SHOOK UP. His success expanded from there with JERSEY BOYS — which continues to grow in popularity worldwide. In 2011, four of his productions ran simultaneously on Broadway: NEXT TO NORMAL (2010 Pulitzer Prize), THE ADDAMS FAMILY, MEMPHIS (Olivier Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, NAACP Award, Drama Desk Award nomination, Astaire Award nomination), and JERSEY BOYS (Greenroom Award, Olivier Award nomination, Drama Desk Award nomination, Dora Award nomination, Outer Critics Circle Award nomination). Adding to his list of Broadway choreography credits are SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL (Chita Rivera Award, NAACP Award nomination), A BRONX TALE (Chita Rivera Award nomination), and GUYS AND DOLLS (Astaire Award nomination). Recent directing credits include Cirque Du Soleil’s PARAMOUR currently playing in Germany, ARRABAL for American Repertory Theater (Elliot Norton Award for best direction), the North American tour of FLASH DANCE THE MUSICAL, and the Broadway concert of GLORIA ESTEFAN & MIAMI SOUND MACHINE. Sergio is bringing a number of Latinx musicals aimed at bringing forth the stories of the Hispanic Culture in America. Some of his favorite future productions include: WAITING FOR SNOW IN HAVANA based on the book of the same title by Carlos Eire, LIVES IN LIMBO based on the book by Roberto Gonzales, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES based on the play by Josefina Lopez, and CASA DE LAS FLORES inspired the Netflix Series by Manolo Caro. He has introduced audiences to his choreography in many noteworthy Off-Broadway shows including INVISIBLE THREAD for Second Stage, ROMEO & JULIET for The Public Theater’s Shakespeare in the Park, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN and KISMET for New York City Center Encores!, THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK for Dodger Stages, and BARE: A POP OPERA for the American Theatre for Actors. Sergio works and resides in New York City. He is proud to be the first choreographer ever invited to serve as a voting member of the American Theatre Wing’s Advisory Committee for the Tony Awards, is an avid supporter of and serves on the advisory boards of R.Evolution Latina and New York Theatre Barn, and is an active member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Sergio is Colombian born, and was raised in Toronto. He studied science at the University of Toronto, and later pursued further education by attending chiropractic school. Recently he was distinguished as one of the Top 100 Colombians in the world by President Juan Manuel Santos and was voted as one of the top 50 Creative Colombian Artists in the world by Forbes Magazine. Since 1990, he has been in a loving and inspiring relationship with actor Jack Noseworthy. They married in 2011 and were ecstatic to welcome their baby boy, Lucas Alejandro Truworthy, in March 2018. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The original production of The Addams Family was choreographed by Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo. Once a Broadway ensemblist himself, The Addams Family came along when Sergio had four productions running simultaneously on Broadway: our show, the long-running Jersey Boys, the sparse but beautiful musical staging in Next to Normal, and the Tony-Award winning production of Memphis. With this many shows under his purview, Sergio employed a team of talented associate choreographers to maintain his vision and keep the staging clean. And at The Addams Family, Sergio’s associate was the highly kind and highly capable Dontee Keihn. Also a former ensemblist, Dontee had been in the original Broadway ensemble of the famed 42nd Street revival, as well as the Bernadette Peters-led revival of Gypsy. Her journey with The Addams Family began as the associate choreographer for the show’s pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago. She maintained that position for the show’s Broadway run, as well as the national tour and stagings in both Brazil and Australia. She then took over the dual roles of associate director and associate choreographer for two more “replica” productions in Argentina and Mexico City. She was with the show as long as anybody, so she knows the staging of The Addams Family intimately and thoroughly. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

JERSEY BOYS Production Supervisor Richard Hester and the evolution of casting & Sergio Trujillo’s choreography. Instagram: @silhouettesjbpodcast_ Facebook: @silhouettesjbpodcast Email: silhouettesjbpodcast@gmail.com Richard IG: @rhtoaster

An interview with Sergio Trujillo covering his journey from Cali, Colombia becoming a choreographer on Broadway.

#Podcast: Ociorama viajó a Nueva York para presenciar ‘Ain't too proud, the life and times of The Temptations’, un musical premiado por las descrestantes coreografías del caleño Sergio Trujillo. En el Imperial Theater, donde 30 años atrás bailó en Broadway por primera vez y ahora se consagra, Trujillo nos cuenta su fascinante historia. ¡Súbase a las tablas, cante una canción y, sobre todo, báilese este histórico episodio!

This 5-part mini series brings you exclusive, behind-the-scenes content from the 2019 awards season, ranging from the Tony Nominations themselves to red carpets to press rooms and conversations with this year’s biggest winners. Part 5 – The Tony Awards: The Press Room The 73rd Annual Tony Awards Awards took place on June 9th 2019, at the Radio City Musical Hall, hosted by James Corden. The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League . The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and an award is given for regional theatre. Time Jumps:7:07-- Rob Howell, The Ferryman7:55-- Bradley King, Hadestown9:37-- Bertie Carvel, Ink10:52-- Rachel Hauck, Hadestown12:14-- Bob Mackie, The Cher Show12:48-- Fitz Patton, Choir Boy14:05-- Robert Horn, Tootsie14:38-- Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown18:08-- Sergio Trujillo, Ain't Too Proud19:25-- Ali Stroker, Oklahoma!21:31-- Ryan Murphy & David Stone, The Boys in the Band22:49-- Rosemary Harris, lifetime achievement award24:51-- Anais Mitchell, Hadestown25:24-- André De Shields, Hadestown26:38-- Bryan Cranston, Network28:36-- Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show30:43-- Hadestown wins Best Musical33:20-- The Ferryman wins Best PlayConnect with The Theatre Podcast:Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcastTwitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcastFacebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcastTheTheatrePodcast.comAlan’s personal Instagram: @alansealesJillian’s personal Instagram: @jillianhochmanEmail us at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. We want to know what you think.

Sergio Trujillo, el Colombiano ganador del Premio Tony

Sergio Trujillo, el Colombiano ganador del Premio Tony

En esta edición del Podcast de El País: el aporte que tendrán que hacer los caleños de estratos 4, 5 y 6 al plan de salvamento de Electricaribe; la 'novela' tras la posesión como congresista de Jesús Santrich; y los logros del coreógrafo caleño Sergio Trujillo en Estados Unidos.

El coreógrafo lleva viviendo 30 años en New York, EE.UU.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Consumo de drogas y alcohol en espacio público: ¿Desde cuándo se puede y por qué es un revés al Gobierno Duque? Además, en ‘Al cierre’: el nuevo logro de Catherine Ibargüen, la muerte de Jota Mario y logros del teatro colombiano en Nueva York. Este jueves, en el podcast ‘Al cierre’, el tema clave gira en torno a la decisión de la Corte Constitucional de tumbar la norma que prohibía el consumo del alcohol y sustancias psicoactivas en espacios públicos, en una votación 6-1, lo que da un giro a las políticas que desde octubre había liderado el gobierno nacional y que representan el pensamiento conservador. ¿En qué se basa la alta corte para tomar esta decisión? ¿Por qué el país viene dando vueltas en torno a este tema desde 1993? Marisol Gómez, editora de Justicia, discute esta noticia con el periodista Carlos Solano. La muerte del presentador Jota Mario Valencia representa el fin de una era de la televisión. Entre amores y odios, el comunicador social se despidió de sus seguidores este jueves. Historias sobre su fama rodean su perfil, que es el tema más leído este jueves en Eltiempo.com. Armando Neira, editor de Cultura, comenta detalles de su legado. 6,87 fue la marca que obtuvo Catherine Ibargüen en salto largo en Roma este jueves. ¿Por qué es importante, qué trae consigo para la deportista? Esto se lo responde Orlando Ascencio, subeditor de Deportes. El dramaturgo Sergio Trujillo tiene la oportunidad de obtener este fin de semana su primer premio Tony, que es como el Óscar del teatro. Yhonatan Loaiza, de la sección Cultura, comenta de qué se trata este mérito cultural para el país.

We continue to celebrate the upcoming Tony Awards with a special episode of Stage Door Sessions. In this exciting segment, we get to know some of the 2019 Tony-nominated choreographers, including Camille A. Brown, David Neumann, Dennis Jones, Sergio Trujillo, and Warren Carlyle. Once you've put away your dancing shoes, remember to also tune in to the Tony Awards live on CBS on June 9 at 8/7c.

In an industry of barely any Latino representation, Broadway’s Sergio Trujillo is one of its most shining examples. Trujillo, of Colombian roots, was recently given the second Tony nomination of his career for Best Choreography for “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations”. If you haven’t seen it yet, this Motown jukebox musical features dance moves that are alive, kinetic and spectacular. I spoke to Trujillo just days before his nomination about what the creative process was like to bring the music of The Temptations to life through dance. Music Playlist Yayaya - Stella Santana Don Juan & Cupido - Henry Santos and Anthony Santos Mañana es Too Late - Jesse y Joy (feat. J Balvin)

Continuamos con nuestro especial del Mes de la Herencia Hispana, una festividad que se celebra en Estados Unidos entre septiembre y octubre, y en esta oportunidad nos visita directo desde Nueva York Sergio Trujillo, un coreógrafo colombiano que ha puesto a bailar a Broadway y ha escrito la historia coreográfica de musicales como "Jersey Boys", "On Your Feet!" y más recientemente, "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical". Trujillo es uno de los pocos coreógrafos en la mecca del teatro musical en tener en 2011 cuatro musicales activos en Broadway. La entrevista con Sergio Trujillo la puedes escuchar a partir del minuto 16:00. Recuerda visitarnos en CNNE.com/ZonaPop, seguirnos en nuestras cuentas sociales, somos @ZonaPopCNN en Twitter, Facebook e Instagram, y darnos "me gusta" en Apple Podcasts o TuneIn y seguirnos en Spotify.Support the show: http://cnne.com/zonapopPara conocer sobre cómo CNN protege la privacidad de su audiencia, visite CNN.com/privacidad

Sergio Trujillo is a dancer and stage choreographer. He was the recipient of the 2015 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for Memphis and the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography for Ain't Too Proud. He made his Broadway debut as a performer in Jerome Robbins' Broadway in 1989 and also appeared in Guys and Dolls, Victor/Victoria, and Fosse. He made his choreographic debut with All Shook Up in 2005. He also choreographed the Broadway productions of The Addams Family, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Leap of Faith, and Guys and Dolls. Other stage credits include Invisible Thread, Bare: A Pop Opera, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.    We spent some time talking about his path from a poor kid from Colombia to the Tony Nominated choreographer of Jersey Boys and others, as well as . . . How he got the courage to audition for a dance show, having never taken a dance class in his life. Why instead of staying in NYC, he moved back to Toronto to start his choreography career. The part of the process he loves the most (and why he’s a nervous wreck before he gets to this part in a show’s development). His message to the politicians in NYC. What he looks for in a show before he sets a step.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this very special episode, we take you directly to the star-studded red carpet & after party at the first ever Chita Rivera Awards. Host Ben Cameron chats with some of the biggest stars on Broadway including: Chita Rivera, Bebe Neuwirth, Karen Ziemba, Tony Yazbeck, Melanie Moore, Kelly Devine, Denis Jones, Sergio Trujillo & more! Check out exclusive videos on our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/TheBroadwayCast Follow us and tag us across all social platforms @THEBROADWAYCAST and your question could be featured on the show! https://www.facebook.com/TheBroadwayCast/ https://twitter.com/TheBroadwayCast https://www.instagram.com/TheBroadwayCast/

Our panel of choreographers - Christopher Gattelli, Liza Gennaro, Ken Roberson and Sergio Trujillo - discuss their childhood and early adult life and how it influenced their start in dance; the amount of research they do for each show; how choreography enhances a performance; the relationship between choreographers and directors; how recent TV programming has brought back an interest in dance, especially among young people; the difference between musical staging and choreography and preserving dance history for future audiences.

Choreographer Sergio Trujillo talks about the development of the new Broadway musical "Memphis" and how the dance styles he employs in it draw upon research he'd already done for several other musicals. He also talks about his childhood in Colombia and how music was part of the country's daily life; his discovery, while studying science at the University of Toronto, of his love and aptitude for dancing; his journeyman years as a Broadway dancer in shows including "Jerome Robbins' Broadway", the 1992 "Guys and Dolls" and "Fosse"; his transition into choreography at Canada's Stratford Festival and in London's West End; how he created dance moves for "Jersey Boys" when the original Four Seasons only stood and sang; why "The Mambo Kings" was vital to his career even though it was never seen in New York; his many collaborations with director Des McAnuff, including the 2009 "Guys and Dolls" -- where he took his inspiration not from Frank Loesser, but from Louis Prima; why his credit isn't "choreographer" on "Next to Normal"; his meticulous preparation, which includes already having all the choreography worked out for this spring's "The Addams Family"; and his plans for his directing debut in 2010 with "Havana", and whether he thinks that will cause him to ultimately leave choreography behind. Original air date - September 21, 2009.

Choreographer Sergio Trujillo talks about the development of the new Broadway musical "Memphis" and how the dance styles he employs in it draw upon research he'd already done for several other musicals. He also talks about his childhood in Colombia and how music was part of the country's daily life; his discovery, while studying science at the University of Toronto, of his love and aptitude for dancing; his journeyman years as a Broadway dancer in shows including "Jerome Robbins' Broadway", the 1992 "Guys and Dolls" and "Fosse"; his transition into choreography at Canada's Stratford Festival and in London's West End; how he created dance moves for "Jersey Boys" when the original Four Seasons only stood and sang; why "The Mambo Kings" was vital to his career even though it was never seen in New York; his many collaborations with director Des McAnuff, including the 2009 "Guys and Dolls" -- where he took his inspiration not from Frank Loesser, but from Louis Prima; why his credit isn't "choreographer" on "Next to Normal"; his meticulous preparation, which includes already having all the choreography worked out for this spring's "The Addams Family"; and his plans for his directing debut in 2010 with "Havana", and whether he thinks that will cause him to ultimately leave choreography behind. Original air date - September 21, 2009.