JEFF:
The majority of your Broadway career has been spent in Disney shows, from Beauty and the Beast to Newsies.
What is the best part of being part of the Disney Theatricals
family?
ANDREW:
I
think what’s really special about Disney Theatricals is that they are creating
unforgettable experiences for families. I’m super close with my family and saw
firsthand how theater changes lives at a young age. To get to be a part of that
message is extraordinary.
JEFF:
During your time with Newsies, you
did a lot of backstage videos and the like, and really got the “Fansies” pumped
up about the show. How did those videos
come about and evolve?
ANDREW:
I’ve
been a part of the Disney family since I began my career and have been treated
so incredibly well by them. Tom Schumacher, who’s the head of Disney
Theatricals, was one of my first supporters when it came to film-making and one
of the first people to encourage me to create content. When I found out I was
going to be a part of Newsies I was
immediately connected with the marketing department and we brainstormed ways to
spread the world to our very tech savvy fans. I loved making these videos and was
so lucky to have permission to document our experience in such a close and
personal way. It was one of the first shows to have a real online narrative and
give access to the inner workings of a show’s Broadway gestation.
JEFF:
Just how crazy did those fans get – for the good and the bad? I’ll bet that their enthusiasm meant a lot to
all of you.
ANDREW:
It’s
my hope that those videos largely propelled our fans’ enthusiasm. I know if I
weren’t in the show, I’d absolutely be cyber-stalking all those boys as well!
As to the level of crazy, it was never for the bad. I will also say, I was the
most well-fed during that run thanks to the generosity of our fansies.
JEFF:
Have you seen Aladdin on Broadway
yet? If so, how strange is it for you to not be up there, when you were a part
of the pre-Broadway genesis of the show?
If not, what are you looking forward to seeing when you finally get to
see it?
ANDREW:
I
did see Aladdin and have to say, even
without my history with the show and Disney, I think it’s out of this world. I
haven’t been entertained like that in such a long time and to think that it’s
going to be a lot of people’s first introduction to Broadway is so cool!
JEFF:
So, this latest season of Submissions
Only is a little different production-wise.
How did this new situation come about?
How has it helped your enterprise?
What about SO remains the
same, and how has it grown to a new level?
ANDREW:
This
new season was absolutely a game changer for us. We really got to make the
season of our dreams! It began with a really lucrative Kickstarter campaign and
finished off with the help of Broadway producer, Kevin McCollum. While
financing makes some things easier, (mainly the ability to get everyone to
agree to do insane amounts of work), it also made things a lot harder as we got
more ambitious. After shooting our new season I’m pretty sure everyone on the Submissions Only team feels like a
warrior. What’s remained the same is that while we have a lot more help than
before, we still try to keep it a small enterprise. We try to use people’s time
very efficiently and make sure our work environment is above all, fun.
 |
| Kate Wetherhead and Andrew |
 |
| On Set of Submissions Only |
JEFF:
As theatre lovers, most of us have some familiarity with the collaborative
nature of bringing a show to the stage.
How does collaborating on a web series from scratch work like doing a
play or musical, and what are the most challenging differences?
ANDREW:
In
many ways they’re similar. Kate and I had little to no film experience when we
began Submissions Only, but what we
did know was how to create environments that fostered learning and creativity.
Theater prepared us for that. The biggest difference was having to have the
mind of a producer. It’s great to think up something but figuring out to
execute it is a whole other story.
 |
| From HBO's Looking |
JEFF:
Finally, what can we look forward to seeing you in the near future? A new show? More Submissions? How about another stint on Looking? Any chance you’ll be doing a
show with your sister? What is something
you haven’t done that you hope to try and/or accomplish in the next year?
ANDREW:
I’ve
got a couple films coming this year that I’m really excited about. One is
called The Rewrite, starring Hugh
Grant and Marissa Tomei. Hugh plays a professor and I get to play one of his
wacky students. The second is a film that’s written by my friends Jake Wilson
and Sas Goldberg called You Must Be
Joking. It’s a hilarious look at the world of an aspiring comedienne. Of
course there’s a lot of awesome Submissions
Only love coming at you every other Monday on BroadwayWorld.com. Also, Kate
Wetherhead and I are writing a book series for Penguin Publishing called Jack & Louisa. We’ve completed the
first book and are hard at work on the second. The thing that I haven’t done
that I’m setting my sights on is writing and directing a film. Kate and I have
already tossed around a lot of ideas but it’s the thing that I want to do most
in 2014.
JEFF: Thanks, so much, Andrew! Can't wait to see all of your future successes!
Photos used by permission of Mr. Keenan-Bolger.
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE IN THE "HOT OR NOT" FINALS!
Jeff
5.152
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