Latest / The BSB Podcast / Exclusive Interview: Em Rose Miller, Krypton Adams, and Ian Campbell of Rose Above Theatre's 'Hairspray'

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Exclusive Interview: Em Rose Miller, Krypton Adams, and Ian Campbell of Rose Above Theatre's 'Hairspray' · The BSB Podcast

• 0:00
  You can't stop the beat over at Rose Above Theatre where the cast and creatives are preparing for their production of Hairspray.
• 0:05
  Joining me today are three cast members from the show, Ian Campbell, Krypton Adams, and Em Rose Miller.
• 0:09
  Thank you so much for being here.
• 0:11
  Hi, how's it going?
• 0:12
  Thank you for having us.
• 0:14
  well, it's going well.
• 0:15
  Thank you so much for being here.
• 0:16
  And Em, start out with you.
• 0:18
  You just wrapped up your production of The Addams Family over the summer, and now you're going into hairspray.
• 0:23
  What drew you to wanting to put on hairspray?
• 0:27
  well, I had a pool of several shows after Addams Family that I was considering.
• 0:33
  And I thought, which ones are going to excite people to want to be a part of?
• 0:38
  Which ones, I think, tell a story that resonates with most people?
• 0:42
  I know that's a boring director answer.
• 0:44
  But I also, I noticed that not a lot of companies have done hairspray in the last several years.
• 0:51
  And that made me want to go closer to it.
• 0:54
  Which is, mean, it's such a classic musical.
• 0:56
  Like this is one of the ones I mean, I grew up on, I'm assuming everybody here probably grew up on in some form.
• 1:01
  Like this is one of those musicals that you can't help but just get really excited about when you see that it's coming.
• 1:06
  think so.
• 1:06
  And I also I think some people, if you're familiar with the topics, they're very, very heavy.
• 1:13
  em Racial motifs just very it's very much a show about self versus other.
• 1:18
  And I think that makes people very uncomfortable, especially just everything in the zeitgeist that's been happening in the last ever.
• 1:27
  But like the last five years specifically, think people specifically directors and companies really want to maintain their distance from it.
• 1:36
  and I'm annoying and that made me actually want to get closer to it.
• 1:39
  uh
• 1:41
  doesn't make you annoying, that makes you, you know, you want to make sure that these stories are being told because it is super important that this happens.
• 1:49
  So Krypton, what decided to make, like what drew you to wanting to be a part of this show?
• 1:53
  Because obviously everything Em just said, that there's a lot of great things going on here, this is a classic musical, but something made you want to audition.
• 2:00
  The one thing that really made me want audition is the fact that every time I watch Hairspray, no matter which one it is, like one of the movies, the live version, any like
• 2:09
  bootleg I find, every time I am moved by it in a different way just from watching it.
• 2:15
  And I was like, I kind of want to be moved by it physically by doing it.
• 2:20
  And I also auditioned because I just really love the music in this show and I'm a big music person.
• 2:26
  And that's what usually draws me to specific show.
• 2:28
  uh
• 2:29
  but yeah, mainly just the story and the music and the people.
• 2:33
  I just love everybody in the show, so yeah.
• 2:38
  I mean, the music is so iconic, the story is iconic, and when you have people like Ian, like who's playing Edna, which I'm super excited about, as soon as I saw that, was like,
• 2:47
  that is the right casting.
• 2:48
  I mean, who cannot get excited about that?
• 2:50
  Ian, what drew you to this?
• 2:52
  Obviously, it was similar to Krypton, or do you have a different reason of why you tried out for Hairspray?
• 2:58
  So this goes, we'll start back in the year of 2013.
• 3:02
  I was in seventh grade.
• 3:05
  I was just getting into musical theater and in my choir class, my teacher put on hairspray and I had never seen hairspray.
• 3:13
  didn't know what it was or anything, but everyone kept telling me John Travolta is in this movie.
• 3:18
  And I was like, great.
• 3:19
  I know Grease.
• 3:21
  So this is all right.
• 3:22
  I know this guy.
• 3:23
  I went through the whole movie and the whole time I was like, where's John Travolta?
• 3:28
  And so then the news was broke to me after that John Travolta played Edna and I was like.
• 3:37
  And so from that point on, I've tried to get like my, so when I was in eighth grade, I tried to get the director to do hairspray junior, um, all throughout high school, I tried
• 3:46
  getting my director to do a hairspray cause Edna, I don't know what it was.
• 3:51
  Just, I was drawn to that role.
• 3:54
  Obviously the whole, like we've all said, the musical itself is just, it's such a good musical that resonates with so many people on so many different levels.
• 4:02
  But.
• 4:03
  I just, had, I had one goal in mind and it was I have to play Edna Turnblad.
• 4:08
  And, uh, I'm proud to say that I'm here.
• 4:11
  I mean, that's a great goal to have in mind, because Edna is just such a classic role and just totally fun.
• 4:17
  I think that, like I said, this is the right casting for it.
• 4:20
  If anybody can pull this off, it's going to be you.
• 4:21
  So I'm excited to see that.
• 4:23
  Well, thank you.
• 4:24
  I, sorry, I totally forgot this part.
• 4:27
  Another thing that's like super locked me into this role.
• 4:30
  So many great comedians have played this role on Broadway and tours and stuff.
• 4:36
  so that was the, know, comedy is one of my big things.
• 4:39
  And so that was like, I want to be like John Pennette and George Wendt, of course, Harvey Fierstein.
• 4:46
  Like, I mean, these people, I want to be them.
• 4:51
  As I say, you definitely, every role I've seen you in has been comedy.
• 4:53
  We've had you as Uncle Fester, you played Patrick in the SpongeBob musical.
• 4:57
  There's like so many, like comedy is kind of your bread and butter here.
• 5:01
  So this is perfect.
• 5:04
  Thank you.
• 5:04
  Thank you.
• 5:06
  So there might be some people who are unfamiliar with the story of hairspray, which I'm shocked if there are, but I mean in our world, but there might be.
• 5:13
  So, Em I'm hoping you can kind of just tell us what is going on in hairspray.
• 5:17
  ah Maybe not giving away too much, but obviously we want people to come to the show, but just for those who maybe aren't familiar with it.
• 5:23
  Yeah, so we're in 1962, Baltimore, Maryland, civil rights movement, fresh, all of this still, whether it is formal or kind of unspoken, segregation is the norm.
• 5:37
  And we actually, the eyes that we see through in this show, it's actually a young white teenager.
• 5:43
  But I think the device that's used to make the racism aspect come to life is that she is overweight.
• 5:49
  And so she, her own right,
• 5:53
  has been segregated against, for lack of better term, she is othered.
• 5:58
  And I think that's what allows us to kind of, I think, ease into the whole topic of segregation.
• 6:07
  And it's also why this character, Tracy, is different, why she's special, why we listen to her.
• 6:15
  um
• 6:16
  But yeah, very quickly throughout the show, she dreams of being a dancer.
• 6:21
  She wants to be on this popular local TV show and she's told no.
• 6:25
  And, you know, at first we're thinking, that's terrible.
• 6:27
  She's being turned down because of her weight.
• 6:29
  But we quickly realized there's this whole other group of also extremely talented young dancers who are black, who are not even they don't even get the luxury of being told no.
• 6:40
  It's just assumed that it's a no.
• 6:41
  It's um
• 6:44
  So without giving away too much, again, it's surprising to me if anyone doesn't know this, but toward the end, we get very, very close to this dream of integration.
• 6:53
  And I think part of what's been difficult about trying to teach this story is like, hmm.
• 7:04
  how we speak to each other now versus how they would have spoken to each other 60 years ago.
• 7:09
  And I, on our very first day at our first read through, we were reading the script and there were certain words, like for example, Negro was a word that was used and no one,
• 7:21
  none of the actors who had that in their script, none of them said it.
• 7:26
  And I said, guys, you know, I know this is something that would never come out of our mouth today.
• 7:31
  60 years ago, that was the nice word.
• 7:34
  That was the default that you would say to be nice.
• 7:37
  And so just, it's a total paradigm shift.
• 7:40
  um I'm straying a little bit from your question, but basically it is a story about varieties of segregation and not being seen because someone has a prejudice against you.
• 7:55
  Someone has made a decision about you before they have gotten to know you.
• 7:59
  You know, Krypton and Ian, think that's a, as actors, that has to be hard sometimes when you get a script that uses words that we're not comfortable using anymore.
• 8:06
  What was that like for the two of you as you're kind of getting into this?
• 8:09
  And Krypton, I'll start with you.
• 8:11
  Okay, yeah, it was definitely like a like a jump scare.
• 8:16
  uh Obviously being a black person, being called a Negro like in today's day and age is kind of like, whoa, I'd rather you just call me something else at that point.
• 8:24
  But it was very, it was very like jarring.
• 8:28
  But again, like Em was saying, that's the time we were in.
• 8:32
  Like that's the time that has happened.
• 8:34
  This has happened before.
• 8:35
  It's not like this is fictional.
• 8:37
  This is real and it has happened and we are telling a story and in order to tell that story we have to be as authentic as we can.
• 8:43
  So we have to put aside the jar and we have to put aside however you feel about these words.
• 8:49
  This is what happened and this is how it has to happen in order to portray this show.
• 8:54
  If that makes any sense.
• 8:56
  But yeah.
• 8:57
  be very difficult to do, like setting aside, like you have to pull yourself out of who we are now and really kind of set ourselves back into the story of 1960s.
• 9:08
  Yeah, yeah.
• 9:10
  I agree.
• 9:11
  about for you?
• 9:11
  What was that like for you?
• 9:13
  Well, so Edna in the story, thankfully, I don't have to say it.
• 9:19
  um Edna is kind of in her own little spot with everything of like, you know, she doesn't agree.
• 9:26
  My portrayal at least, she doesn't agree with um the treatment of, you know, color people and stuff, but she's not really the type of person to put herself forward and do anything
• 9:38
  about it.
• 9:39
  And so she's just kind of a recluse.
• 9:41
  um
• 9:43
  I will say I have done shows though in the past.
• 9:46
  I've been, was in a production of To Kill A Mockingbird and that, mean, it's uncomfortable.
• 9:53
  is like our first read through it was like the director told us like, you know, this is it's, I think this is word for word with someone else has already said, but it's
• 10:02
  imperative to the storytelling to get the important message across.
• 10:08
  They have to see the bad to understand what's good.
• 10:12
  And um it's uncomfortable as an actor.
• 10:15
  And I think, I do think it takes a lot of strength to be able to like, portray that, but also like understand that that's not, you know, that's not me saying that.
• 10:30
  So.
• 10:31
  um So I am going to ask you all about your characters now, and Em, actually going to start with you last because you're playing double duty, so we're going talk about that a little
• 10:37
  bit.
• 10:38
  So Krypton, you are playing Seaweed, or you're the understudy for Seaweed.
• 10:42
  Who is Seaweed in this show, and what is Seaweed to you?
• 10:46
  seaweed jive stubs.
• 10:48
  yes, I, my gosh, I did such a deep dive on this character.
• 10:52
  Seaweed, we don't know his real name.
• 10:53
  His name is Seaweed because he dances like Seaweed.
• 10:55
  His middle name is Jive because he's a dancer, which I just love it.
• 11:00
  But Seaweed J.
• 11:01
  Stubbs is a young black teenager in Baltimore.
• 11:05
  He is the son of Motormouth, who is the DJ on Negro Day at this TV company that everybody wants to dance on.
• 11:14
  oh
• 11:15
  His main thing is he just wants to be able to dance.
• 11:18
  Kind of just like Tracy wants to dance.
• 11:20
  He just wants to be able to dance with all his people.
• 11:22
  ah But it's really hard because they only get one day a month.
• 11:25
  ah He also gets, he has a little love interest.
• 11:29
  I'm not gonna spoil the show because if you haven't seen the show already, what are you doing?
• 11:33
  But I'm gonna spoil anything.
• 11:35
  He has a little love interest.
• 11:36
  She may or may not be white.
• 11:38
  ah And that's an issue, but he has a little love interest and...
• 11:44
  By the end of the show, like said, they get this dream of integration and they're all happy, go lucky, and they get to dance together.
• 11:51
  uh But Seaweed to me is, he's very special to me.
• 11:56
  I really love Seaweed.
• 11:57
  Never in my life did I think I would ever get to get a chance to play someone like Seaweed.
• 12:01
  He's just a very cool guy.
• 12:04
  He knows what he's doing.
• 12:05
  He loves to dance.
• 12:06
  He's the dancer of the show, which love, but he's just so cool and he knows what's right.
• 12:13
  at least for his people, he knows what's right and he wants to do what's right.
• 12:17
  And he wants everybody to know what's right and to spread the word like, hey, we're fine guys.
• 12:24
  We're not gonna hurt you just because our skin is darker than yours.
• 12:27
  We're not gonna hurt you.
• 12:29
  uh But he's just a great guy.
• 12:31
  Like he has a good message that he wants to get across.
• 12:35
  ah And he makes all these friends and they get that message across.
• 12:39
  I feel like I'm just like blabbering about this guy, but.
• 12:43
  Like I just love him so much.
• 12:44
  He's a great guy and I'm so honored that I get to play him and portray him in this show.
• 12:49
  One of the things I love about Seaweed the most, and this is a movie that I watch, I've seen it live a few times, but this is a movie that I watch at least two or three times a
• 12:55
  year, is that even though this story's kinda told through Tracy's eyes, I feel like Seaweed's always the catalyst for the change because this is who she befriends and this is
• 13:03
  kind of her entry into the fact that there's a larger discrimination problem going on.
• 13:08
  And so to me, this story would not happen, Hairspray would not happen without Seaweed as he's kind of the piece there.
• 13:15
  I like that.
• 13:16
  I like that you said that, because it wouldn't come off like, you know, like I'm bragging, but you know, yeah, I fully agree.
• 13:23
  I fully agree.
• 13:25
  bragging?
• 13:27
  So how do you prepare for a role such as Seaweed?
• 13:29
  Obviously you said there's a lot of dancing.
• 13:31
  like, but like what is your process for bringing Siwi to life?
• 13:34
  Um, personally, I'm a singer first.
• 13:36
  Um, so dance, the dancing part is what I really personally had to work on.
• 13:42
  Um, Run and Tell That is a very fast paced song.
• 13:46
  There's a lot of singing on top of dancing, no matter what production you're in or what you see, no matter what you're to do, it's a lot of work.
• 13:53
  So personally, I've started, um, singing run until that at full volume on the treadmill at my dorm.
• 14:01
  ah And it's helped.
• 14:02
  It's helped with the stamina.
• 14:03
  I swear it has.
• 14:04
  ah But that's one thing I do to prepare.
• 14:06
  I work on my dances more than I work on my singing because as a singer first, that just comes to me naturally.
• 14:12
  So the dancing is what I have to look at.
• 14:14
  Also with acting, he's just like, like I said, he's just a very cool guy and I'm very awkward and it's hard to just like be laid back.
• 14:25
  So I have to just like imagine I am him and I'm like, okay.
• 14:30
  Let me pretend that I don't care about the world.
• 14:33
  Let me just lean my shoulders back, you know?
• 14:35
  And I gotta be cool.
• 14:37
  And I just have to get into a different mindset.
• 14:40
  Not me, I am Seaweed.
• 14:41
  But who is Seaweed?
• 14:42
  And then it delves deeper and all these crazy things.
• 14:46
  yes, dancing and acting are what I focus on more when it comes to Seaweed specifically.
• 14:52
  I have to say too, and correct me if I'm wrong, because I've watched all your videos, I've been keeping up to date on this, like, dancing was one of the first things that you really
• 14:57
  tackled because it is such a dance heavy show, correct?
• 15:00
  Yes, yes, yes, yes.
• 15:02
  So correct.
• 15:04
  to say as soon as you guys started rehearsal, I feel like you were posting videos of you learning the dances.
• 15:08
  And I feel like that was also with the Addams family.
• 15:10
  So is that kind of where you started as a director of like dancing is one of the most important pieces here to really learn and nail down?
• 15:15
  This time, yes.
• 15:17
  And I'll be really, really candid and I've spoken with my castmates about this.
• 15:22
  It's been kind of disappointing because I'm an actor first.
• 15:26
  I wanted to do so much more even.
• 15:30
  I mean, my principles are pros, so I'm not super worried about any character aspects with them, but it's just, I wanted to be able to give them so much more discussion about
• 15:42
  character and relationship and details.
• 15:44
  But I mean, this dancing is crazy and that's what's, that's ultimately what's going to be seen first.
• 15:53
  Like I know that the acting will come, the character will come.
• 15:57
  know that the dancing, can't really fake it.
• 16:01
  It's extremely intricate, a lot of it.
• 16:04
  So yeah, we started immediately and there are still certain things from like day one that we're still clarifying because it's a lot.
• 16:13
  I mean, it's always struck me as how much, like, not only are you singing and have to be talented, but you have to be able to dance your butt off, you know, for two and a half
• 16:22
  hours.
• 16:22
  This show is incredible with that.
• 16:24
  So I can only imagine what kind of challenges that poses.
• 16:28
  So, Ian, again, we mentioned before you're playing Edna, but like, who is Edna in this story and like, what is her narrative?
• 16:36
  Edna is a dreamer and you find that throughout the show about you find that out about her throughout the show.
• 16:44
  And so I mean, when Edna is first introduced, she's just a mom.
• 16:48
  She's just doing, she's folding laundry.
• 16:52
  She's getting on her kid about getting detention again.
• 16:55
  She's making critiques about her style choices because I mean, she's a mom.
• 17:03
  do find throughout the show, um, she had this dream to like start her own business and her dream just went kaput.
• 17:10
  And so that's where, um, I think her reclusiveness comes from because she also hasn't left the house.
• 17:17
  I don't believe it's specified other than since Mamie Eisenhower rolled her hose and bobbed her bangs.
• 17:22
  So quite some time, even being in 1962.
• 17:27
  So.
• 17:29
  She's got a lot of insecurities and I just, I knew deep down being able to portray that, um it would be, it'd be, it'd be fun.
• 17:43
  Like, hold on, not fun.
• 17:45
  It wouldn't be fun, but like, it'd be, guess easy um in terms of like relating to the character and stuff.
• 17:51
  But then almost halfway through the show, Edna, you know, she gets dragged out of the house.
• 17:58
  And she's still a little scared, but she's, she's starting to see the beauty of, um, what is leaving the house, but also the horrors of what is leaving the house.
• 18:07
  Cause she sits and watches everything on TV.
• 18:10
  Oh, she's a pop culture icon as well.
• 18:12
  should say, um, she is a whiz at trivia.
• 18:15
  If you took Edna Turnblad to trivia, you'd win.
• 18:18
  Um, but she is, um, she gets brought to a Motormouth Maybelle's um, record shop.
• 18:27
  And that is where the, um, the protest kind of starts from and moves to the TV station and Edna is being brought into it.
• 18:37
  And she's like, it's kind of like a, Oh, I just left the house for the first time.
• 18:41
  What are you talking about?
• 18:43
  And so she's, she's scared a lot because she's been put in these situations that she's uncomfortable with and has never been in before.
• 18:50
  um and then she, you know, she prevails through love.
• 18:56
  her love for her husband, Wilbur, her love for Tracy.
• 18:59
  And I think also somewhere in there, a love for people in general.
• 19:04
  Um, cause I think she just wants everybody to be happy, but more than, like, not more importantly, but she wants herself to be happy too.
• 19:12
  So there's a conflict with that.
• 19:14
  Edna is more intricate than just holding clothing.
• 19:17
  have figured out.
• 19:20
  And what I love about this is that from these two actors right here like you have picked a Passionate group of people for these characters like if this is any indication like they
• 19:29
  both are speaking so highly of these characters Which just shows how much love is getting put into this production
• 19:36
  Yeah, they understand it.
• 19:37
  They understand the task.
• 19:39
  And so speaking of tasks, you are pulling double duty because you are both playing Amber von Tussle and you are the director and probably multiple other hats that you are wearing
• 19:48
  as well.
• 19:48
  ah But with these two really important things, you know, you're playing a role and you're the director.
• 19:54
  How do you balance both of these roles?
• 19:56
  So this is the fourth time that I have done this.
• 19:59
  It's our fourth main stage show.
• 20:01
  If you don't count the two cabarets that we've done, it's our fourth musical.
• 20:06
  And I have done the same thing every time I have directed, I have played a part and I've done a lot of choreography.
• 20:14
  And this one, I have a fantastic understudy.
• 20:20
  Her name is Lily Lilith Tack.
• 20:22
  She
• 20:23
  is an understudy, she's in the ensemble when she's not Amber, and she has been able to fill in for me when I have to just sit back and be director.
• 20:32
  um But no, this time has been a little different.
• 20:36
  I think it's just, is such a massive undertaking.
• 20:40
  is by far the biggest cast I have had.
• 20:44
  And whether it be sickness or car issues or just over committing, we've had several people have to step away from the production.
• 20:50
  And so we've had to
• 20:52
  fill in gaps along the way several times.
• 20:55
  And so it's, I've kind of been on autopilot as a director a few times.
• 21:02
  But also I would say the hardest part, I don't find it difficult to be directing and acting at the same time.
• 21:09
  I know that might actually be more difficult for my castmates, for my actors.
• 21:14
  It might be more difficult than it is for me.
• 21:16
  Just the adjustment of, wait, who are you right now?
• 21:19
  I know.
• 21:20
  you director or are you Amber, you know?
• 21:22
  And Ian, who has done three shows now with me, I think is more used to it.
• 21:27
  Um, I think, but no, I definitely liked it when we have time to breathe.
• 21:32
  I'd like to discuss that more with my cast about what was that like?
• 21:36
  but stepping back director, it's been hard this time knowing exactly what to prioritize with everyone.
• 21:46
  I know we were talking about it a moment ago where I definitely kind of
• 21:50
  through choreography at them and that is what has gotten the focus.
• 21:52
  Tell me if I'm wrong guys.
• 21:54
  But I think that's been what we've spent the most time on.
• 21:57
  um But just knowing what do you guys need?
• 22:01
  What is, I'm still very much learning and it varies from cast to cast.
• 22:06
  What do you need to succeed to feel good about yourself, to push you more?
• 22:12
  It changes constantly and I don't have the answer yet.
• 22:15
  And so that has been a perennial struggle trying to figure that one out.
• 22:19
  I can completely understand that, especially as you're, pulled in many different directions, finding out how to be the best team for everybody there.
• 22:28
  That's a lot on your shoulders.
• 22:30
  But speaking of...
• 22:32
  You
• 22:33
  Thank
• 22:34
  So speaking of Amber then, who's Amber and what is her narrative to the show?
• 22:39
  So I would say, so, okay, who is Amber quite literally?
• 22:43
  Amber is, um she's a classmate, same age as Tracy, but she is on the Corny Collins show.
• 22:53
  She's a feature dancer.
• 22:54
  Her mother owns or is the producer of the station.
• 22:57
  So she's kind of untouchable despite not being the most talented.
• 23:01
  She is pretty unpleasant, but something else that I talk about to all of my antagonistic characters is,
• 23:09
  they can't think they're bad.
• 23:11
  So Amber doesn't think she's a villain.
• 23:13
  She thinks she has this perfect little boyfriend and her mom owns the show and Tracy, how dare you try to like, you're the bad guy.
• 23:20
  Cause you should know better than to try and impede on our situation.
• 23:24
  We have a perfect little, you're the bad guy, not me.
• 23:26
  Um, but she, she is unpleasant.
• 23:29
  And I think a lot of people just as an actor, a lot of people go right for just the quintessential mean girl, vicious bratty thing.
• 23:38
  I kind of do this, I noticed with a lot of my characters, I leaned a little more into the crazy.
• 23:44
  One, because it comes very easily to me.
• 23:48
  And two, because I think that will allow an audience member to see more.
• 23:55
  She's not just this vicious, horrible brat.
• 23:58
  She really thinks that her world is perfect.
• 24:02
  Her little black over here, white over here.
• 24:06
  I have the perfect boyfriend.
• 24:07
  Everything is great.
• 24:08
  So when someone else comes in and threatens that, we maybe might feel a little, little bit bad for her, maybe.
• 24:15
  um Just like for her, it's disrupting what she has always known.
• 24:19
  And that's what I spoke to also with my actor who's playing Velma, my mother.
• 24:25
  She also, she is like overtly racist.
• 24:27
  It's not good.
• 24:29
  But again, I truly don't think she thinks she is bad.
• 24:35
  She doesn't sit there and think,
• 24:37
  I'm having all of these horrible thoughts.
• 24:39
  It's this is the way it is and the way it's meant to be.
• 24:42
  And if you think otherwise, you're the problem and you can go somewhere else.
• 24:47
  And I think Amber inherited that mindset, but it's maybe a little bit more malleable than her.
• 24:52
  agree because I feel like by the end she's a little she's a little more sensible her mom is just straight up like almost refute it very rigid like this is how it is and this is
• 25:00
  how it's always gonna be and Amber's starting to question it just a little bit at the end you don't get to see that full mindset change but
• 25:05
  Right.
• 25:06
  And I think what I want to speak more to my actors about is it's all great.
• 25:12
  know, hindsight is 20-20.
• 25:13
  We can look back on these events and then the fictionalization of these events 60 years on and say, if I existed during that time, I can say unequivocally, I would have stood up for
• 25:24
  everyone and done the right thing.
• 25:25
  And would you have when you have this many people telling you that this is the right way and just a small group over here telling you, this is so
• 25:34
  I want us to actually think about that.
• 25:36
  It's not good, but it's more realistic.
• 25:40
  We are going talk about the songs real quick and again we talked about the choreography, there's quite a bit there.
• 25:45
  But Krypton, starting with you, what songs are the most to perform but what also has been the most challenging song to be a part of?
• 25:53
  um The most to perform, which I hope anybody would assume would be, Can't Stop the Beat, that long eight hour song, you know, at the end of the show, that keeps us there, Pass
• 26:05
  Curtain Call, yeah.
• 26:07
  That song, and you know what?
• 26:10
  I wouldn't complain.
• 26:12
  Yeah, but regardless of how extraneous this song is and how many verses you have to remember to sing,
• 26:21
  and what dances you have to ever do.
• 26:23
  That song, like if you just sit and listen to the lyrics once or twice, you'll realize that the song actually has meaning rather than just being like, oh, this is the end of the
• 26:33
  show.
• 26:33
  Like, I really, I really like how in the lyrics, along with like the dancing and all the singing, you see that they're verbally coming together rather than just physically coming
• 26:45
  together as um two separate types of people.
• 26:48
  And it warms my heart.
• 26:51
  um As much as it is like an upbeat song to get you all happy and stuff Sometimes you can't stop the beat is the song that makes me cry And way boohoo, but like it's just such a good
• 27:02
  song uh And one of my favorite songs to perform as I'm sure anybody can guess is run and tell that um I love singing that song.
• 27:11
  That's very nice.
• 27:13
  And I'm so honored to have be able to sing it in the lower key because Elijah Kelly took it up like
• 27:20
  two steps in the movie and we started practicing with that one.
• 27:23
  I was like, this is a little high, but then we played the one that's for the show and I'm like, oh, I could breathe.
• 27:30
  Yes, it's great.
• 27:32
  Yes, no, literally I'm like, oh my gosh.
• 27:34
  I don't know how he does it, but I'm not going to do it.
• 27:37
  So, ah but that song also is really good.
• 27:40
  It shows how sly he is, shows how cool Seaweed is.
• 27:44
  It also features his little sister, little Inez, which I think is really cute.
• 27:48
  And ah
• 27:50
  It's just really nice.
• 27:51
  this is, it's one of the first parts in the show where you see Tracy like realizing, hey, these people are not so bad and they can dance and sing.
• 28:01
  I love them.
• 28:02
  I want to be a part of them more.
• 28:04
  I want to hang around them.
• 28:05
  I want to dance with them.
• 28:06
  Like it's just, it's one of those songs that just makes you feel good inside.
• 28:10
  And I love that as well.
• 28:12
  And part of that song, the Lil Inez part, the lives in my head rent free.
• 28:16
  Like that is just one of those pieces that like, once it's in your head, it's there forever and it's perfect.
• 28:23
  Yeah, don't want it to leave.
• 28:24
  Ian, how about for you?
• 28:28
  What has been your most fun to perform and what one has posed to be the most challenging?
• 28:32
  I the most fun, it's torn, I'm torn between two, but I am a huge fan of Welcome to the 60s.
• 28:44
  And I think having Edna go from that, you know, scared, insecure, not knowing what's going on at all, to getting all dolled up and coming out, and she's still scared and insecure
• 28:59
  and doesn't know what's going on at all.
• 29:01
  Boy is she having a blast.
• 29:03
  And I think she, that's what's more important to her in that moment that she is doing this for her daughter.
• 29:09
  And that's why it's so fun for her.
• 29:10
  And that's what makes it so fun for me.
• 29:12
  That's a great uh one.
• 29:15
  The dynamites.
• 29:16
  they're fantastic.
• 29:18
  And so they, like, they make that number thousands of times even more entertaining.
• 29:24
  and fun and a joy to listen to as it already is.
• 29:27
  um In terms of the most challenging, I think that was the other one, right?
• 29:32
  Correct.
• 29:33
  Drum roll please.
• 29:36
  You can't stop the beat.
• 29:37
  And I'm only in half the song.
• 29:39
  I'm only in half the song, but just that second half is just like, I don't know how everybody else is doing this for a whole other times two of what I'm doing.
• 29:51
  But I think the thing that makes it a lot, not a lot more challenging, but very challenging for myself is doing it in heels.
• 29:59
  and I just started practicing in the heels and a little note about me.
• 30:04
  I have not wore heels before, so this is even harder.
• 30:09
  like Starlight Express does like skate school.
• 30:13
  I feel like productions of hairspray need to put Edna's through heel school.
• 30:18
  hahaha
• 30:19
  Avis is doing great.
• 30:20
  I don't know why you're complaining.
• 30:22
  Sorry, I don't know.
• 30:23
  don't know what else to tell you.
• 30:24
  um no, um, no.
• 30:30
  And I, Avis is doing fantastic.
• 30:32
  Avis is my under study and it has been such a blast to work with Avis on this.
• 30:38
  Um, and like, see what we can come up with together, see what he does differently.
• 30:42
  And like, he makes choices that even leave me being like, think about that.
• 30:47
  That's like, that's good.
• 30:50
  Um,
• 30:51
  And so, uh, yeah, he's, he's a joy.
• 30:56
  How about for you?
• 30:57
  You get quite a few good numbers in here.
• 30:59
  So which one speak to the you?
• 31:01
  You're like all of them, start to finish.
• 31:03
  You uh
• 31:06
  I do love a lot of them.
• 31:08
  um Musically, this is so silly because I don't think anyone has ever said that.
• 31:14
  Well, okay.
• 31:15
  I love Nicest Kids.
• 31:17
  I love Mama, I'm a Big Girl Now.
• 31:19
  Because they, for some reason, they just amp me up.
• 31:23
  They really amp me up.
• 31:24
  But I mean, you can't stop the beat.
• 31:26
  I mean, it's a perfect song.
• 31:28
  You can't beat it.
• 31:30
  um It's a classic.
• 31:32
  uh I know I'm thinking there's I love run and tell that I love many of them luckily I love many of them there are very few where I'm like skip um There are a couple um
• 31:46
  interesting because I feel like this is like that perfect album that I cannot skip a song on it.
• 31:50
  Yeah.
• 31:51
  I feel like I shouldn't say the ones that I skip.
• 31:54
  ah
• 31:55
  like I already know.
• 31:57
  I feel like I already know.
• 31:59
  that I know.
• 32:00
  Do you don't know you don't because no, no, no, it's not that one.
• 32:03
  m Anyway, choreographically, the most challenging.
• 32:10
  It's you can't stop the beat.
• 32:12
  It's you can't stop the beat, but it's funny because I don't think any of the moves are like everyone can do them.
• 32:23
  It's just it's a lot in rapid succession.
• 32:27
  It's.
• 32:28
  The music is so similar that people are forgetting which one, which sequence comes when.
• 32:34
  I think that's what's happening.
• 32:37
  And it's just so long too, you gotta have the stamina to be able to make it through.
• 32:40
  Like if you're starting at the beginning and you're at the end, whoo.
• 32:43
  Yeah, and singing full volume.
• 32:45
  Yeah, it's a lot.
• 32:47
  It's a lot.
• 32:48
  is like our link likes to say, he likes to call it, can't stop to breathe.
• 32:52
  And I think that's actually the funniest thing ever.
• 32:55
  Well, it was the first time I heard it.
• 32:58
  And I think Colby's a genius for that.
• 32:59
  Yes, he's so funny for that, I think.
• 33:02
  say, I just learned that you didn't come up with that.
• 33:04
  And now it's not funny to me.
• 33:06
  Yes, Ian, what?
• 33:08
  Edna says that in the original cast recording actually.
• 33:11
  Yes, she's singing it.
• 33:12
  You can't stop to breathe Wilba.
• 33:14
  Get some oxygen.
• 33:16
  Nah!
• 33:17
  Amazing, it's Harvey in the room with us.
• 33:20
  Thank you.
• 33:22
  So one final question for all of you is just what are you hoping audiences take away from this production of Hairspray?
• 33:28
  And Krypton, I'm gonna let you kick it off, okay?
• 33:31
  I got you, I got you.
• 33:32
  ah I just really hope that, like as a black person, I really hope that people understand and realize that though this is a story from the 1960s, some of, if not most of what is
• 33:46
  happening in the show is still happening now.
• 33:49
  And it is very important for people with the privilege of having white skin to, like they should speak up against this if they obviously feel that way.
• 34:02
  I do think it's really important for people to realize that this is still happening.
• 34:06
  And in order for something to happen, in order to get it to stop, get it to dim down, whatever, it needs, like things need to be said, things need to be brought to attention.
• 34:16
  um And like, we just need to be happier as a whole because this wouldn't happen still if we would, if we just like changed from back then.
• 34:25
  um I also would like people to realize that this is not just a show about racism.
• 34:30
  This also shows like just like other offensiveness like fat phobia like just be nice to people guys like I don't even just be nice.
• 34:40
  ah This show is also a very queer show.
• 34:43
  Whether you like it or not the first person that played Edna was a drag queen so this is a very queer show and I just think from having all of these different like minority-esque
• 34:55
  things in order to have them change and become the majority or just like be seen through the light.
• 35:00
  It just needs to be talked about more and it just needs to be like, you know, just fixed.
• 35:06
  Like we just need to fix all of this.
• 35:07
  This is still going on and in order to mend the situation, we need to have some conversations.
• 35:13
  ah But that's the main thing I want people to take away from the show.
• 35:17
  I also just want them to have fun.
• 35:18
  Like if you're not on your feet clapping by the end of the uh show, what are you doing?
• 35:23
  Why'd you come?
• 35:23
  But yeah.
• 35:25
  A beautiful answer all around, absolutely.
• 35:28
  We're not so far removed from what's happening here, even though we think that the 60s was so long ago.
• 35:34
  Still a lot of work.
• 35:34
  Ian, what about you?
• 35:36
  What do you want audiences to take away from this production of Hairspray?
• 35:40
  No.
• 35:40
  Um, so obviously I, I 100 % agree with Krypton.
• 35:43
  I really hope our audience can leave, you know, after art.
• 35:47
  Like, cause we, we take some, think some different turns from what, um, a lot of like productions of hairspray do and a lot of like the tours and the Broadway productions that
• 35:57
  are very, dare I say copy paste.
• 36:00
  And we kind of delve in, make uncomfortable situations even more uncomfortable.
• 36:04
  And so I really hope that kind of stuff does resonate with the audience and they can leave and.
• 36:10
  you know, think about that.
• 36:12
  I mean, have someone, if someone is like Edna where they won't speak up about something, but they feel strongly about it, then maybe this show can get someone to go out and do
• 36:22
  something.
• 36:23
  Cause again, like, like what was already said, a lot of what's going on in Hairspray and back in the 1960s still continues to happen in this day in many different ways.
• 36:35
  So, but I also hope audience leaves thinking.
• 36:39
  that the fun parts were so fun and that like, not only did we do a great job, but like we were having fun up there.
• 36:47
  Um, I hope that, yeah, I don't, yeah.
• 36:52
  And you're going to close us out with what do you want audiences to take away, also just what is this show to you as the person who's running this and you know, the director, you
• 37:03
  own this theater.
• 37:05
  Close us out about Hairspray.
• 37:09
  so everything that was just said, obviously, I want people to think about what it means to dream, what, what it really means, the risk you take by sharing your dream with other
• 37:23
  people.
• 37:23
  Um, and I, I know that sounds kind of trite, but I mean, no, to really be able to say to someone else, this is what I hope is going to happen in the future.
• 37:36
  And you can join me and I hope you do join me, but if you don't, that's really unfortunate, but I still, have to go for it.
• 37:44
  I want people to realize sometimes discomfort is necessary.
• 37:49
  You don't die from discomfort.
• 37:50
  Um, and that, yeah, you're probably going to be uncomfortable watching certain parts of this, but that means we've done our job unless it's because they're uncomfortable at how
• 38:00
  bad the singing, dancing, or acting is, but no, I hope not.
• 38:06
  So yeah, discomfort is necessary.
• 38:08
  You can never possibly censor out everything to make people happy.
• 38:13
  You can try and we were told we had to change certain things about the show.
• 38:17
  We didn't because at a certain point you're never possibly going to appease everyone.
• 38:25
  And you shouldn't have to try.
• 38:26
  And think about in your daily life, when are you?
• 38:32
  When are you part of the majority?
• 38:34
  When are you part of the minority?
• 38:35
  And what does that really mean?
• 38:36
  How did you get there?
• 38:37
  And is that where you belong?
• 38:40
  other great answer.
• 38:42
  Thank you so much you three for being here.
• 38:43
  It's been such a pleasure to talk to you about this production.
• 38:46
  Of course, of course.
• 38:49
  So Hairspray arrives at Rose Above Theater Thursday, January 8th and runs through the 11th.
• 38:54
  So get your tickets now.
• 38:54
  We'll see you at the show.