Hey. Good morning, or evening, or whatever it is the day of our first preview today, and we've been working really hard during tech. This week has been all 10 of 12's every single day. We had our gypsy run, which was really like, nothing I'd ever seen before and the crowd went totally wild and demanded that we come and bow again, which I've never had to do in my short little career up to this point, and I got so many amazing messages from friends that they really dug it, and so that fills me with confidence and pride about tonight. So, I'm feeling good. I mean there's bound to be some hiccups because there always are at the first preview, but I think the show transcends all that. I think people forgive it a lot because it's so damn good. So, I'm about to go get fresh color and cut. As you can see, I'm really needing some attention, yeah. Okay. So, here I am with my dressing roommate Alex Elizabeth Wise. That is my true middle name We've known each other for...44? 48 years? We met at the callback for "No, No, Nanette" at the...at the Euris...theater in 1970 a long time, and since then we've had divorces. Custody battle. After custody battle. You know. And PILLS! How are you feeling? I'm good. We're having a really great week. Yeah. We are almost through teching our show.
I just realized I had this moment of like not quite terrible like, realization this morning because I was thinking about the first episode of this little blog came out. It's really sweet. you can see how old we are. Yeah, and I was watching and thinking, oh my God, the next episode because I drop off my footage on a Tuesday, the next episode will end with our first preview. By the time, the next episode happens we'll be performing it publicly for people. HI, BROADWAY.COM! Let's go inside! Here you go into the stagedoor of the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. How do you feel? Just ecstatic. You look great, what did you have for dinner? I had El Centro. You must. Hi everybody! Welcome back hello. Hello. Oh no. Welcome welcome. Oh dear me. Welcome, welcome back Broadway! Welcome back. Hi, Broadway.com! So this is Jared, our fearless music director, and we have some beautiful review here on the wall including this pull quote. Jared Stein exploits the show's young singers, let's end it there. That in quotes right here. That's what I do best That's what I'd say. Exploitation. Alright this is Sean Elizabeth Grandillo, Hello Sean is the voice of Otto and the conductor. Do you know if you're the youngster conductor on Broadway currently? I'm sure. Are you the youngest conductor on Broadway ever? I believe Charlie Rosen. I know Charlie well. I think he did "13" on Broadway the conducting when he was younger. Indeed. But, I'm pretty proud. Proud there it is. What did you have for dinner? What else? We went to Bareburger and it was delicious and we got an Equity discount. It was awesome. Because you're Equity now? Yes. Oddly enough. We've teched through the whole show which is a big accomplishment given that we have an invited dress rehearsal tomorrow. Tomorrow! It's sort of frightening but today we're like stumbling through, it's not quite a run but its closer than what we've been doing, so...
nice. Yeah. Lets do it. Here we have Broadway's Lauren Luiz who plays a new character Can we reveal her name I guess we're gonna meet..,this episode will come out after the first preview. Malita is a new character in our production and you also voice Thea. Lauren is eating this delicious ramen that we've been enjoying because. Because I learned a very valuable lesson today. Never go anywhere but City Kitchen for lunch because you may find a maggot in your salad. Sorry what was that? A maggot. Could you please finger spell that out for clarity. A maggot in your salad. A maggot she just found. Oh my God. That is so revolting. That's what I get for not going to City Kitchen New York City. Center of the universe. Hi, everybody. I have here Cameras on cameras! I have here, Sandra Mae Frank, our Wendla, making her Broadway debut tonight in our first preview. How do you feel? Very excited. Very nervous. Ya know, it's Broadway it tends to be- deaf and hearing, this is new. There's no guarantee what the audience is going to expect I don't know if they're expecting, not expecting ASL or not expecting deaf actors on stage so we're going to present it to them and it's going to be amazing but it's hard to adapt to new things and changes, but I have faith, I have confidence, I'm excited. I'm a bit overwhelmed. Yay! And you have been with the show since ICA which started a year ago today, right? Yes. In one year did you think when you started rehearsal on that first day of ICA that you'd be here a year later? No. No. If Broadway happened it was maybe I'd think two, three years in time to get the money to get the process, to get the investors, the producers from what I understand it just doesn't happen like this, you know first run, second run were very fast and now our third run, I feel like it's all one run. Yes. It's just, okay here we go. Cool, let's just keep going. How are you liking New York and Broadway, is it what you expected? Is it different than what you expected? I've visited New York many times with friends but living here, I'm happy this is my first experience. I'm happy because I'm doing it with Broadway. It's the right time, the right people with the right energy, it's the perfect time to really experience New York and Broadway. all in one. Couldn't have asked for a better experience. Very well I can't wait for the audience to fall in love with you tonight as I have fallen in love with you already It's gonna be amazing and thank you Cath for interpreting once again. Thank you Alex for being [bleep] quiet. I'm here with Josh Castille Hi, Andy. My Ernst. My Hanschen. I wanted because a lot of people have been asking me on Twitter for some signs they can do at the stage door to tell you how great you are. So maybe let's just go through a few. How about you tell me the words and I'll sign them? Maybe I loved the show. Maybe I loved the show. Now break down one. That one's tricky Point and then you do like these little Ss cross them and then you do like thumbs up. but then it goes in a circle around your chest How about, Great Job! Great great. Job. Job. Two fists Truth is. Wrist on to wrist. Boom boom Will you have my baby? Yeah, perfect. How about can I have a picture with you? Do you mind? Do you mind? Picture. Or you can do, do you mind. Do you mind. And then do this. That's two options What is like gloss about? I don't know. Do you mind? Do you mind? Oh! Can you do it in a shady way? Like, do you mind? Do you mind brushing my teeth? How about are you single? Are you single? How do you work asking this question? You never know. I feel like that's good, right covered it? I think so. Well thanks for your time. Oh wait. Do you mind signing? Oh signing? Yeah, signing. my. My
Program. Program. Looks good, looks great. Well, thank you Josh. Oh, thank you. This is really fun Could you please give a slate, we're going to ask for one scene probably but if you really impress us we might ask for second scene. Hi, I'm Ali Stroker and I'll be reading for the role of the first person on Broadway in a wheelchair. The first person ever! You got the part! You booked it! How do you feel? What is that like? You're making history tonight. That's so [bleep] cool. It's crazy. I'm so excited to be a part of it. Thank you. It is so exciting. It is a total dream come true. I just think, Ali I have to say. I think you're such a bad bitch for like being in this chair and pursuing a career that already is like foolish and impossible, I mean like, no, I'm going to do it I'm gonna like be on Broadway and here you are, when no one had ever done before, I think that's really worth celebrating. Thank you, thank you so much, I was talking to somebody this morning and the first show I ever saw was Beauty and the Beast Second grade. And I saw the show and I was like I have to do that I have to do that, and then I went to school for musical theatre and I was like "Uh oh. There's a lot of dancing involved This is actually not going to be so easy And then I found out no one had ever even done it and I was like, how am I going to do this and then you never think that you would go to LA to get a Broadway show but my life took me to LA and I audtioned for this show over a year ago and got cast and people were like, do you think you got cast because ya know it's like a deaf show? And I was like, uhh...No. And you're like I'm not deaf, I'm in a wheelchair. But, close. Not the same thing. People were like "Do you like use your, like do you acknowledge your chair?" I was like no, that's the best part. It's not about being in a chair, it's about playing a role, playing the truth and like who says that Anna isn't...in a wheelchair? isn't rollin? How would you acknowledge it? Just point to it a lot? She comes out and gives a curtain speech. Just so yo know at this performance and I've got to give a shout out to the wonderful staff here at the Brooks Atkinson and the Nederlanders for coming in here before we arrived and making this dressing room 100% accessible, can we show the bathroom? Is that vulgar? No it's super cute. They didn't show a bathroom on television until the 70s I think So, first of all it's very important, I'm just making sure that it looks perfect. Very important that one has a bar cart in their bathroom. Yes, it's part of the accessibility. and also this rug is very important, but actually it's so fresh. It's so cute in here. But actually like all kidding aside. This is so cool that they did this for me and that they made it accessible because most backstages at theaters are not Because no one has ever done this ever needed it! So great. Well your place is so cute. Hey, Krysta. HI! Yeah, it's important to not know where to put things. Ya know, we're still in previews all finding...you have a really cute table. Someone's won an Oscar I see. Our hero. I happen to be very lucky because I get to room with Krysta. Nooo! The best, the best! We're having a pretty good time, you like our letters? We're having fun. We have a refrigerator. You have a chair that was cut from the show And we have a bed. You have to have a bed constructed. One must
you must. one must sleep. I already did. I took a nap. I just woke up. I just had a vision, almost like a prophesy because I'm seeing you guys' as roommates and I want you to be Elphaba and Glinda That'd be fun. Wouldn't that be the most. Make it happen, Broadway. It's Andy. Andy will make it happen. I will make it happen. Broadway? Broadway. But we'll do the Deaf West version- But must. I'm so excited to take the stage with you ladies tonight, the first preview. We can't wait we're so excited. Now, what are we wearing to the stage door tonight? Because I know you've both thought about it. I love this black number, I've been talking about it all day. I have a black maxi with a little cut out that shows, my- peek-a-boo red skin, little radiation, this is a simple light denim, stretch jacket. This dress is not actually the one that I'll be wearing. I'll be wearing a red dress. Oh yes, it's hung up. Well I won't give it away. You'll see it on social media. Well have so much fun guys. I love you. We love you. Bye. So, just moments ago got off stage, from the first preview and it was pretty freaking great. We had a really good dress the other day, but you know that was all friends, they were all here for free so we didn't know how this was gonna go and Michael said to us he said don't be fooled by that crowd because they got their tickets for free. Yea. But. But tonight was like just the same. So now I'm thinking maybe everyone else is going to see what we see. in this little play. Such a labor of love. We hope you like it. We like it so much. Okay ladies and gentlemen if you have any backstage guests that you've signed in on the list at the stage door, please be sure to pick them up there and escort them. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. And that's how Broadway works. Thanks for watching this week, tune in next week for more adventures as we continue in previews and get really tired and come see our show, we're playing to the public you can buy a ticket right now, please come see us we love it we love you bye.
