TheatreScene Chat: Teddy and Alex: Back On Stage

This is the second in a series of short interviews with two up and coming stars of the current Broadway generation, Teddy Toye and Alex Wyse.  The first interview in this series can be found HERE.

UPDATED INFORMATION BELOW!

When I last chatted with the guys, we talked about life after Lysistrata Jones and the making of the Original Broadway Cast Recording.  Now, both have moved on to their next projects: Alex Wyse is co-starring in the new Off-Broadway production of the award-winning Fringe Festival entry, Triassic Parq: The Musical, and Teddy Toye has joined the National Tour of Bring It On: The Musical, which recently announced a limited Broadway engagement this summer.

Needless to say, both are super excited about their newest jobs!  Here, they share all about getting the job and what they are most looking forward to with these newest shows and challenges.

5 QUICK QUESTIONS 

WITH TEDDY AND ALEX

Question 1: So, after Lysistrata Jones closed, besides doing the Cast Recording, what did you do to keep busy?  Earn a living?  Stay “in the game”? 

Teddy Toye (TT): Well, the first thing I did, which I feel like most actors do when their show closes, is file for unemployment! (Laughs) So that was my basic source of income so I could just continue to audition full time. I spent a lot of time going to the gym to stay in shape, hanging out with my friends from LJ and girlfriend. I choreographed a few dance pieces for different places as well to make a little extra money on the side. 

Alex Wyse (AW): After LJ ended, I did a number of readings of plays and musicals in development, I auditioned a lot, I sang in a bunch of concerts, I filmed a commercial, I wrote a draft of a play, and I tried dating. The last one didn’t work out.

Question 2: TV shows and movies and even musicals (like Smash and A Chorus Line) show Broadway auditions as if everyone just shows up, sings and dances and leaves.  Is that really how it goes?  Can you explain, from finding out about the auditions for Triassic Parq and Bring It On through that initial audition, how it goes?  

AW:  With Triassic, the initial auditions happened about a year ago. Originally, the show was scheduled for last season, but it got pushed back. So there was that first round, and then this most recent round of auditions. The first audition was especially fun. It involved improv games and group exercises. They asked us to bring in our own crazy piece – I will not reveal what I did in that audition room. It was filthy and wonderful. Then this most recent round of auditions - in the room was the entire creative team. The director, casting directors, choreographer, music director, writers, producers, etc. And they were a lot friendlier than the assholes on Smash, and no one sang Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful.”

TT: It sort of does happen like that. My agent actually called me our final week of Lysistrata with the audition for Bring It On, and at first I didn't want to go; I figured I wouldn't be right for the show because I can't tumble, and I've never cheered in my life. But then I figured I might as well go to the audition, anyway. It wouldn't hurt. Plus, I've always wanted to work with Andy Blankenbuehler. [For] the first auditon, I was given a time to go in, and I was told I would be dancing. So I basically just showed up. Andy was there with his associate choreographer, Stephanie. They taught us a routine from the show, we had to do it in groups of 4 - twice for them, and then when everyone was done, they asked certain people to stay and sing. So I got asked to sing, [and I was] waiting in line with the rest of the guys who got asked to sing. We went in one at a time, sang a :30 cut of a song for them and then went home. 

Bring It On's Andy Blankenbuehler

Question 3: After the initial audition, what happens?  Call backs?  What happens at a call back that is different than the first audition?

TT: Yes. Call backs are the next step after the initial audition. In this case, I got a call from my agent the night of the first audition telling me I had a callback the next day, but this time I had 3 different characters to learn and 3 songs as well from the show. So I got an email with all the material and songs, ran over to my friend's place who's an accompanist and had him play the music so I could learn it that night. The next morning we started off with the same dance we learned from the day before, went through that a few times and then did it for Andy multiple times. Then he moved on to another 3 dances throughout that day. He ran this audition as more of a rehearsal because he wanted to see what he's going to be working with if he actually gave you the job. When that was all done, we each had scheduled times to come back and sing the songs and sides from the show. At this point, Alex Lacamoire, who is the music director for the show, was in the room. I sang the songs and he gave me notes,and then I did it again for him using the corrections and stylings he wanted. 

AW: After the first audition, I move on with my life. Sometimes I get a call telling me I have a callback! So I prepare the material again, and additional material they give me. Often times for a callback, they give you extra scenes and songs to learn. And often in a callback the director works with the actor in the room.

The Off-Broadway Company of
Triassic Parq: The Musical

Question 4 for Alex Wyse: From what I’ve read, this production reunites some people from the show’s initial run at Fringe NYC 2010.  Were you a part of it?  What is it like working with people familiar with the show and people new to it?

AW: I was not a part of the original run, but about two years ago, I did a table read of the writers’ new draft. And after I did that, I said to myself – I will play this role. (I’d recently read The Secret.) The version we’re doing is very new, so even the cast members who were previously involved are learning a whole new show. It’s very exciting! And the creative team – their prior experience with the show has only made them into better leaders for this process. They are able to guide us with confidence, knowing what this show has potential to be. Seriously, this show is going to fuggin’ rock!

Question 4 for Teddy Toye: When you get offered a show how does that come about?  On TV, they seem to tell you right there or over the phone.  Is that really it?

TT: I've never gotten a job where they have told me right in the audition room. I usually get a call from my agent; sometimes it's a few hours after an audition and sometimes it's weeks after an audition, and they are the ones that tell me if I'm getting the offer for that show. 

Teddy Tweets an #SIP for
Bring It On: The Musical

Question 5 for Teddy Toye: Congratulations on booking the Bring It On tour!  Describe for us how you reacted to the news!  What will your role entail?  What are you most looking forward to?  Anything have you a little nervous? 

TT: Thanks! I was thrilled and shocked! I didn't think that I would ever be hired for a cheer show without being able to tumble. I am actually going in as a temporary replacement for Michael Mindlin, who is leaving to go get married. So I will be taking over his track in the show for an entire month, as well as covering the principals Twig and Steven. I'm looking forward to learning how to stunt and do all the crazy cheering stuff.  I'm definitely nervous about it!  I just hope I don't drop anyone! (Laughs)
UPDATE: Several of you have asked, "Will Teddy be in the show when it comes to Broadway?"  Here's his answer! : As of right now, I'm not going to be with them at the beginning. I'll most likely be a vacation swing, or once a track opens up, I'll be with them, since I know 4 tracks in the show now.

Alex Wyse (center) and the cast
of Triassic Parq

Question 5 for Alex Wyse: Congratulations on booking Triassic Parq!  Describe for us how you reacted to the news!  What will your role entail?  What are you most looking forward to?  Anything have you a little nervous?  How fun will it be to work with Lindsay Nicole Chambers again? 

AW: Thanks!! I was eating lunch with my very talented friend Corey Boardman when I got the call from my agents. And I screamed a little. And then I made friends with the sweet lady sitting at the next table, who rejoiced with me. In the show, I play the Velociraptor of Innocence. I am the show’s heroine. Yes, I play a little lady dinosaur, discovering the world. I am looking forward to all of it – this show is hysterical and heartwarming, and this cast and team are totally stellar. I can’t wait to make NYC laugh. And Lindsay! What’s great is that this time we actually get to do scenes together. In LJ , we didn’t have a single moment of interaction on stage together. Isn’t that funny? We existed in separate worlds. But now we get to do scenes, songs, and sweat on each other. Nice. And what I’m nervous about? I’m nervous about the absurd amount of singing I have to do! Right now, I’m learning how to pace myself… this show is a marathon! I look forward to all you sexy people seeing it.

Thanks for taking time from  your busy schedules to chat with me!  We'll talk again soon!

• For more about Alex Wyse, click HERE.
• For more about Triassic Parq, click HERE.
• For more about Bring It On, click HERE.

Jeff

3.271

@jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (email); Comment below (Blogger)

CD Review: Lysistrata Jones

Cast Recording new kid on the block, Broadway Records, is three-for-three!  Following their previous two releases, Bonnie and Clyde and the Nick Jonas EP How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which were top-notch recordings and superior quality in production, comes the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Lysistrata Jones.  An unlikely candidate for such treatment despite being one of the best reviewed musicals of the entire season, the show ran for just 30 performances last winter.  Thank goodness someone saw fit to set this score to a permanent record.  And with such a high quality treatment!  That said, on its own, without benefit of the sassy, smart book by Douglas Carter Beane or the staging and choreography of Dan Knechtges, the score by Lewis Flinn at first listen is an iffy proposition.  But after a few listenings, I have found the score to be quite entertaining and full of several little gems.  Granted, I have the benefit of having seen the show twice and can visualize some of what is going on from memory. When you get this OBCR, and you should, give it a few plays before you decide how you feel about it.  I admit that it probably won't be one I listen to over and over all the way through (Bonnie and Clyde is still in my CD player getting start-to-finish play daily), but there are several numbers that I'll listen to regularly.  And when I want high energy, fun music to make me smile, this disc will be a go-to for sure!

GRADE: B+

Title: Lysistrata Jones

Artist: Original Broadway Cast Recording

Label: Broadway Records

Number: BR-CD00312

Format: Single CD

Case: Single Jewel Case

Booklet: Full color, 32 pages.  Production photos by Joan Marcus and Michael Gottlieb; complete synopsis by Douglas Carter Beane, complete lyrics by Lewis Flinn; liner notes by Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn.

Bonus Track: Jennifer Holliday sings a gospel/blues version of "Hold On"

The Lysistrata Jones Company

THE TOP 5 REASONS YOU NEED TO ADD THIS RECORDING TO YOUR COLLECTION:

5.  To support the quality recording of modern theatre scores, allowing smaller shows a better shot at future life beyond Broadway.

I've said it before, and I've said it often.  And it bears repeating.  As lovers of musical theatre, we must support any and all efforts to preserve not only the rich past of the genre, but perhaps even more, we need to support and nurture modern voices on the Broadway scene.  And that means taking chances on shows that take chances, with or without the critical huzzahs that more middle of the road fare generally gets.  Often, I hear people complain that shows don't take enough risks, or that when they do, they second guess themselves half way through.  But then, when a risky show comes along, so many are quick to judge without even seeing the product they are against.  I think it is more than terrific that Broadway Records has seen fit to fill in the gaps left by other companies, and has taken a chance on a show that took a lot of chances by recording Lysistrata Jones.  Aside from having it as a keepsake from a show I enjoyed thoroughly, I am pleased to see that future productions are even more likely with the advent of this cast recording.  It gives potential producers one more tool in deciding whether or not Miss Jones and the Athens University Spartans will be a part of upcoming seasons.  And I'll bet that this high-quality recording and package will have the show being seen all over the country in no time.

The Girls of Athens U: Kat Nejat, Lindsay Nicole Chambers,
Patti Murin, LaQuet Sharnell and Katie Boren

4.  The first-rate treatment of the recording's accompanying booklet.

I'll venture a guess that if you are reading this, you are a lover of musical theatre like I am.  I don't know about you, but I hate cast recordings that come with little or no booklet.  Well, Broadway Records and designer Van Dean have outdone themselves with the booklet for this CD.  Much like the booklet for Bonnie and Clyde, this represents a real souvenir of the production, which didn't run long enough to produce a program.  And this booklet is as creative and quirky as the show it represents.  Set up like a yearbook of sorts, it has the "Dean of Athens University," Douglas Carter Beane providing both liner notes and a sharp, funny plot synopsis, and from "the Music Department," aka Lewis Flinn, more liner notes and the complete lyrics (and I mean complete!).  There is also the "Student Body" page with head shots of the entire cast, along with character captions that are a riot.  Throughout the rest of the booklet are dozens of production shots, some not seen before this, along with clever, silly and snarky "handwritten" notes about the pictures, presumably written by Lysistrata Jones herself.  The whole thing - all 32 pages of it - is a fun way to remember a fun show for those of us who saw it, and great way to get acquainted with a new friend for those who missed it.

3.  The preservation of a surprising and surprise-filled score.

Upon my first listening of the CD, I was surprised to find that I didn't actually like it as much as I recalled from seeing the show.  It is one score, even after several repeat hearings, that is definitely more understandable if you have both the context of the book scenes and the visual of the truly exciting staging and choreography of Dan Knechtges.  Part of the reason for that, I think, is because Lewis Flinn's compositions and lyrics are so specific to the story and the characters.  Without the benefit of more dialogue, which would have improved the CD quite a bit - and I've seen the show twice - a lot of the humor will likely go over the heads of some (be sure you read the plot synopsis), and parts of the songs may not makes sense unless you REALLY know the story.  For example, there is a character named Robin, and references to "Robin" made by one of the guys on the team.  His girlfriend assumes he's hooking up with the character Robin, but that is not the case at all.  "Robin" refers to Batman and Robin, and a relationship problem the girlfriend doesn't see coming.  It shows up in one of the later numbers on the CD.  I laughed, but I also wondered if anyone could get that without having seen the show

That said, I advise you to listen to the CD a few times all the way through.  I think you'll find plenty to like about it.  I often hear fans complain that music and lyrics (even of the greats like Sondheim and Rodgers and Hammerstein) are full of "things these characters would NEVER say" or that the songs "don't match the story or time period."  You absolutely can not say that about Flinn's eclectic score or lyrics, which are a virtual study on how to write for character and time period.  The score has a huge range of styles in it, from Gregorian Chanting to hip hop rapping to Michael Buble-esque pop, plus a generous portion of competitive cheer leading style arena rock and dance rhythms.  Given that the majority of the musical centers of a cheer leading squad and a basketball team, it isn't a surprise that there is a lot of that "Let's get ready to rumble!" style of music.  And given that these are modern day college students, it is completely right that a great deal of their sung dialogue is in the hip hop rap style so popular with club DJs these days.  

Mick vs Lysistrata: Josh Segarra and Patti Murin

The Athens University Men's Basketball Team:
Ato Blankson-Wood, Alex Wyse, Josh Segarra,
Alexander Aguilar and Teddy Toye

Actually, it is quite funny to hear in the score that they make point of calling out the white kids who sing in that idiom, while the Latinos and African-Americans mock them for sounding "ghetto." (I sincerely don't mean that to sound as racist as it may seem - it is very telling joke throughout the show, ultimately showing everyone in a good light, honest!)  Since the show has that college athletic context and a cast of 20-something characters, it makes perfect sense that a lot of the score is in that style.  For me, it is a little too much of a good thing, and makes it sound more repetitive in isolation than it is when it plays on stage.

But what really works for all of those huge numbers is that within each, the style might change 4 or 5 times within a song, matching tone and character perfectly.  And I dare you not to chant along - I can't stop saying "right now!" "hold on!" and "give it up!" in my head, it is that infectious.  What also works for this score is that when the big cheer-game production numbers are over, in between you get some really great pop and r and b tunes and, wait for it, some serious 70's funk, reminiscent of the films "Super Fly," "Car Wash," and "Shaft." Complete with what sounds exactly like a Wurlitzer organ (popular in 50's roller rinks, too) and funky wah wah guitar, these numbers are laugh-out-loud funny, calling to mind, and appropriately so, pimp daddies and their stables of hookers.  Even though the sound is a throw back to a long ago era, it makes sense that today's kids would sing and dance to that style when the tone is sleazy, dirty sex.  Ask any kid today to musically characterize porn, and they'll probably sing, "Bow chick-a wow wow!" EXACTLY the tone of the numbers involving trips to the Eros Motor Lodge for some, um, release. 

Like I said, there is a lot to this score.  Don't dismiss the pop sound or the simplistic, repetitive lyrics (but with a very smart edge to them all).  If you want to hear the nearly perfect union of music and lyrics to time, place and character, this score is a master class in it.

"Hold On": Patti Murin and Jason Tam

2.  Several stand out numbers

Taken in isolation as one must when listening to a cast recording, it is interesting hear which songs stick with you the most.  Are they the same ones that you loved when you saw the show, or are there songs that you like the more you listen to them?  Lysistrata Jones has both.  In the theatre, I loved the huge opening number ("Right Now: Opening"), the equally huge climax number ("Right Now: Operetta") and the sweet "Hold On."  I loved the first two because they were exciting to watch and full of plot twists and turns condensed into about 20 minutes altogether.  And I loved the latter because I really enjoyed Jason Tam's adorable performance and the chemistry between him and Patti Murin.  The CD only makes me love all three even more.  I also find the tribute/parody to the High School Musical style (with definite college growth) to be hilarious and almost mind-numbingly infectious in both "You Go Your Way" and "Give It Up." Both songs sing with after-school special platitudes about being yourself and fighting the status quo, and both manage to send up the sentiment and yet seem to believe it sincerely.  And I have really come to enjoy one song I don't even remember from the show, "Lay Low," an intoxicating, erotic Latin flavored tune that sounds like it could have been in In the Heights. I also love that it is funny and blunt as sung by the horny guys who aren't getting any and are re-grouping to beat the girls at their own game.  The cleverness of the slow tune against the sexually charged lyrics is an awesome counterpoint.

"No More Giving It Up"

1. The performances by an energetic, youthful cast.

I have a feeling that years from now, when I look back at the cast list of Lysistrata Jones, it will read like a who's who of Broadway (and probably TV and film) stars. With the exception of a few numbers, most of the songs a big group numbers.  And it speaks to the quality of every single cast member that with in each song their distinct voices and firm grasp on their characters comes shining through song after song.  Even after each is literally introduced in the opening number, even those hearing the score the first time will have no trouble telling each actor apart, and you won't go away wondering what these people are all about.  Lindsay Nicole Chambers, Katie Boren and Kat Nejat probably have the least to do on the recording and yet come across like stars of the show every time they are on. (Ms. Chambers has a significant role in the show, and the recording only reinforces my feeling that I wish she got to sing more on her own.)  LaQuet Sharnell is a powerful singer - watch out Beyonce! - and her "Don't Judge a Book" is as well sung as it is funny.  As Goddess/narrator Hetaira, Liz Mikel is even better on the CD than she was live on stage!  What a diva!  I hope she gets back to Broadway and FAST.  

Go, Spartans!

Josh Segarra and Liz Mikel

On the male side, Alexander Aguilar, Ato Blankson-Wood and Teddy Toye have the least amount of CD time, but all three make a definite impression as the Latin Lothario, bookish smart guy and shy geek, respectively.  In the play, all three have much more to do.  Alex Wyse is a scream as a Jewish Hip Hopster (their term, not mine); every time he talks I laugh, and he sings very well, particularly in duet with Ms. Sharnell in "Don't Judge a Book."  As I mentioned earlier, Jason Tam really shines in "Hold On," both on stage and on this recording.  A lot of what makes his character interesting (like Ms. Chambers) is in the dialogue.  I really wish there was a bit more of it included.  Josh Segarra  really does well on the CD, sounding even more vocally sure of himself than he did onstage in his two big solos, "Lay Low" and "When She Smiles." 

Patti Murin is Lysistrata Jones

Patti Murin comes across especially well, even without a lot of her speeches, and proves that she can, in fact, handle a leading role.  She's the pert and perfect blend of silly girly girl and smarter-than-she-lets-on woman.  Murin gets the joke and plays it to the hilt.  And the gal can sing!  Just listen to her let her belt out as she powers through the act one closer, "Where Am I Now?" Can you say, "audition song"?  

I look forward to watching this talented group grow.

The play on which this show is based, Aristophanes' Lysistrata, is a bawdy, silly romp of a sex farce - one of the very first ever written.  How totally cool it is that bawdy and silly still works today?  Keep that frame of mind when you listen to Lysistrata Jones, and you'll find a super good time.

Read my review of the Broadway production HERE.

(CD Cover from The Broadway Records release of Lysistrata Jones; production photos by Joan Marcus; photo of Lewis Flinn and Douglas Carter Beane at the Opening Night of Lysistrata Jones on Broadway from Getty Images)

Full disclosure statement:  I received a complimentary copy of this cast recording from Broadway Records, who approached me, with the objective of writing a review of the recording.  It was very clear, for both myself and the production company, at all times, that I was under no obligation to write a positive review.  The above opinions are mine alone.


Jeff

3.259

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TheatreScene Chat: Teddy and Alex: Life After Broadway

The Off-Broadway Logo

By most standards, the 2011 - 2012 theatre season was a very successful one for two young actors.  They both made their off-Broadway debuts in a critically acclaimed brand new musical.  That musical is written by a critically acclaimed playwright, Douglas Carter Beane and a relative new comer, but also highly regarded composer, Lewis Flinn.  They got to work with another "it guy," director/choreographer Dan Knechtges.  These guys have had the great fortune of not one, but two critical raves from The New York Times.  And the glory of making a Broadway debut, to many, the pinnacle of an acting career.  But they also know the agony of empty seats, low-grosses, and a sadly short run on the Great White Way.

The Broadway Logo

Now, two of the stars of Lysistrata Jones, Teddy Toye and Alex Wyse have been afforded a couple of ways to gain full closure with their biggest jobs to date: they just finished making the Original Broadway Cast Recording of the score, and soon they will reunite with their friends and cast mates for charity concerts of the show.

Recently, I had the opportunity to ask the guys about the ups and downs of the past year, missing their cast mates and the fun of recording a cast album.  In the following weeks, I'll be touching base with both young actors, as one embarks on his next job, joining a National Tour, and the other starts a new project altogether.

5 QUESTIONS FOR TEDDY AND ALEX

Question 1: 
I’m guessing that for you, professionally, the past year has been a roller coaster ride!  Tell us what it is like to make your Broadway debut.  How was it doing so with such a small company with a variety of New York experience?

Alex Wyse (AW):  When I got cast in Lysistrata Jones at the Judson Church, I was just thrilled to finally be making my off-Broadway debut. I never dreamed it would lead to a Broadway debut as well. I couldn’t believe it. It was always my dream, but I thought it was the kind of thing that happens to other people… not to me. I didn’t think I was one of the “chosen” ones. Then when I got there, I realized – oh – this is just a job.  It’s a great job, and I’m fortunate to be doing it… but this doesn’t make me “chosen,” and it’s not unattainable  It’s a job. What really made this past year for me was the people I got to do it with. So many of us made our Broadway debuts with LJ. And even those who had done Broadway shows, no one had played their own principal role before. So, in a sense, it felt like we were all making our Broadway debuts together. We were a tight group who went through it all together… the highs and lows – there were definitely both highs and lows.

Teddy Toye (TT):  Making my Broadway debut was amazing! I mean its been my dream job since I decided when I was in high school that theatre was what I was going to do for a living, and to say that I reached my goal at 22 years old I cant really complain. The greatest part about Broadway for me honestly was all the people I got to meet along the way. [Basketball Hall of Famer] Chris Mullin, [Broadway pundit] Rosie O'Donnell, [actor] Jason Biggs - these are all people I would have never have met on any other basis and be able to talk to them casually. I also think that having such a small company as we did was a gift because we were all able to get really close with each other. I know a lot about each of my cast mates, I don’t know if others can say that about their cast when they have 30-40 people in them.

"The first time I saw a subway ad for our show!"
- Alex Wyse

Question 2:
I personally loved Lysistrata Jones, both off-Broadway and on.  How did you feel about the show moving to Broadway?  Were you surprised at the audience (or lack of) response once the move was made?  How about the critical response that was overwhelmingly good vs the short run of the show?

TT:  Thanks! I was honestly shocked when we found out we we're transferring. They told us our closing night of the Off-Broadway run and it was one of those surreal moments, I couldn’t believe the words they were saying. I mean I loved the show and I knew we all put a lot of hard work into it but I mean, we were in a church basement off of West 4th Street! So it was definitely a big shocker! And, yeah , I was extremely surprised with the outcome of how many people were showing up to our Broadway run. When I thought of Broadway, I always thought of packed houses, but I guess that's really only the case nowadays when you have a "movie musical" or a "STAR" in your show to carry it through, neither of which we had. But at the end of the day, I’ll take the good reviews and a short run over terrible reviews and a long run. I feel like people in our industry respected our show and what we were bringing into the musical theatre world, so I guess that's all that matters to me in the end.

AW:  I mean… it was freakin’ incredible. I couldn’t believe we were all there, doing this wacky, heartfelt show together. I don’t think any of the cast members were surprised that we weren’t getting audiences. We didn’t have stars and we were a new show. That wasn’t news to any of us. But we were all very hopeful that it would turn around. We only wish there would have been the money to run the show so word of mouth could build. As far as the reviews, we were grateful to get the reviews we did, and we hoped it would bring in audiences.  But… life happens. And just as elated as I felt opening a show on Broadway – that’s about how sad I was to close a show on Broadway. It was tough… but the experience was unlike any I’ve had. And I’ll carry those lessons with me forever.

Alex and Teddy in their
Broadway dressing room

Question 3:
I e-interviewed both Josh (Segarra) and Lindsay Nicole (Chambers) during the run of the show, and both commented on how close the cast was.  Do all of you stay in touch?  Is everyone pretty much spread out now?


TT:  (Laughs.) Yeah, we're all really close with each other. I mean these people are some of my best friends! The guys try and make an effort to hang out whenever we get a chance with all of our crazy schedules!

AW:  I love those fools. We’re still hanging out, chatting online, texting.  Lots of texts. In fact, I can give you a clue here… I’ll be doing another show soon, with one of my cast members from LJ! That’s all I can say right now… but be excited!

The cover art for the
Original Broadway Cast Recording

Question 4:

So, I know all of us LJ fans are super excited that you are making a cast recording!  What is your feeling on this?  Are looking forward to going back to your character, if even just for the day?  How do you think this will affect the future of the show?

AW:  It’s my first original cast album!! AH! I love being in a studio… probably because no one cares how you look. That’s liberating. Right?  Also, I’m excited to see everyone again, and sing these fun tunes. And having a permanent record of the show will certainly help get it licensed, which will be so great for Doug (Carter Beane) and Lewis (Flinn). I can’t wait to take a road trip with the boys to see a regional production of the show we originated. That would be SICK.

TT:   I was extremely happy when they told us we were going to be doing this. Being on a original Broadway cast recording is one of those "bucket list" items that ive always wanted to do. And its going to be a blast, I mean im going back in with all my best friends to just document this show that we worked so hard on and I think it will def expand the life of the show to the people who weren't able to see the show. I remember I would listen to the cast album of Assassins all the time when it first came out, even though I never got to see the show, it painted the picture enough for me to really get into it. 

The Men of Lysistrata Jones at the recording session:
(L to R): Alexander Aguilar, Ato Blankston Wood, Alex Wyse,
Teddy Toye, Jason Tam and Josh Segarra

Question 5:

Finally, would you tell us about the experience, first-hand, of making an Original Broadway Cast Recording?

AW:  Alright, now I’m back from the studio. It was SO MUCH FUN! We recorded all the guys and girls’ stuff separately. Girls got the first half of the day, we got the second half. We overlapped in the middle for a couple hours. We laughed, we made dick jokes over the mics… the usual things, you know? I imagine this is what Bernadette Peters does when she records. And then we got Q’Doba on our dinner break. The queso sauce… I can’t even.

TT:  It was awesome! We met up in the morning at the studio, the girls got to record their stuff first. We went in, Ato [Blankston Wood] and Jason Tam were in the same little booth as me, but the other guys were across the room and I could only hear them in my headphone. We went through each track and did all the little fillers and things a few times for each songs along with our adlibs and stuff like that, and then we were done. It was surprising a quick process but a lot of fun in the making of it. 

AW:  In all seriousness - recording our album along with the concerts we’re doing next week is such a meaningful way to close out one of the experiences of a lifetime.

(Photos courtesy of  Alex Wyse.  Cast recording image from Amazon.com)

• Click HERE for my review of Lysistrata Jones off-Broadway.
• Click HERE for my review of Lysistrata Jones on Broadway.
• Click HERE for my interview with Josh Segarra.
• Click HERE for my interview with Lindsay Nicole Chambers.

Jeff

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@jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (email); Comment below (Blogger)

Looking Back at Winter

Before I offer up my preview of the coming spring months of theatre-going later this week, I thought I'd take a look back with a review of the previous three months, December - February.  As usual, there were great shows and not so great shows, and even a surprise or two.

December had three of my best theatre-going experiences of the year:

• Bonnie and Clyde (A) with its GREAT SCORE, awesome performances from Laura Osnes, Jeremy Jordan and Melissa Van Der Schyf. 

• Lysistrata Jones (A) with a hilarious, smart book, and stand out performances from Patti Murin, Josh Segarra and Lindsay Nicole Chambers. 

• And the very cool opportunity to see a "tech-in" performance (and the very 1st performance of the National Tour) of American Idiot, which I did not review, but loved more than the Broadway version.  How truly disappointing that both Bonnie and Clyde and Lysistrata Jones closed so fast.  

January proved slower, but not uneventful.

• I made a return visit to Follies before it closed and it was as good as, if not better, than the first time I saw it!  (Man, Bernadette Peters and Jan Maxwell were amazing!)  I didn't re-review it - it is still an A+! 

• The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (C+) with all of its controversy proved, for me at least, to be much ado about nothing.  Boring, overwrought and ugly to look at, the show had all of its merit in five central performances: Joshua Henry, Nikki Renee Daniels as the loving young couple doomed to fate, Philip Boykin as the evil bad guy, and Porgy and Bess themselves, Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald.

• I did finally get to see Harry Connick, Jr., which turned out to be a disappointment, as he showed little stage presence, and his legendary voice struggled to be heard over the orchestra.  On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (C--) proved to be a disappointment over all.  With a truly ugly set, lackluster staging and a concept that had great potential but played way too safely, the show was still somewhat entertaining, due largely to a debut performance from Jessie Mueller, and a cuddly, warm performance from the always charming David Turner.

February was a light, but good month of going to the show.

• The Encores presentation of Merrily We Roll Along (A-) did not disappoint at all!  The score sounded great, and it was a real treat to see an all-star cast perform it.  I especially enjoyed Colin Donnell, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Celia Keenan-Bolger and the always delightful Elizabeth Stanley!

• The truly amazing theatre experience of the month (and for some time) was Other Desert Cities (A+).  The gripping script by Jon Robin Baitz was wonderfully executed by the cast, led by Rachel Griffiths, Judith Light and the incomparable Stockard Channing.

• Silence! The Musical (A-) ended the winter with a snow flurry and a side-splitting laugh fest.  Jenn Harris and David Garrison are a scream!

There was the good.  There was the bad.  But there was always something of value to see in each production I saw this winter.  And Spring started with an amazing show...

Jeff
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JKTS Interactive: HOT and HOTTER: Round 6: Dueling "Lyssie J" Guys"

BE SURE TO ALSO VOTE IN THE BRAND NEW MONTHLY POLL - 
TO YOUR LEFT!

With their most recent show, Lysistrata Jones, much in the news lately - a reunion concert and cast recording are now in the works - this latest round of HOT and HOTTER seems even more appropriate than I originally planned.  Both of these rising Broadway stars are cute as a button with great smiles, short stature and dancer bodies - and they can "play" basketball, too.  Add a great sense of humor, which they both have in excess, and this week's showdown will surely be a close one!  

PLEASE REMEMBER:  You are rating BOTH guys.  The guy you think is HOTTER should get the higher number; the guy you find less "HOT" should get a lower rating.  Love them both?  Give them both "10"!  Not into either? Give them both a lower score!  BUT SCORE BOTH GUYS!

ROUND 6: DUELING "LYSSIE J" BOYS: TEDDY TOYE VS. ALEX WYSE!

A "photo album" of both follows the poll if you need help choosing!

                                         TEDDY                                                 ALEX

HEADSHOTS:

AT WORK:

Teddy in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Alex in Lost in Yonkers

Teddy in Spring Awakening

Alex in Speech and Debate

AND IN LYSISTRATA JONES:

Teddy (left) with his lJ partner; Alex (right) with his lJ partner

Teddy and Alex with the "Team" at "Practice"

Teddy and Alex after the "game"

The Guys "On the Court"

And in "The Locker Room"

These cast mates and real-life friends

even have yuletide spirit!

REMEMBER: RATE BOTH OF THESE BROADWAY BABES!

Keep track of the "HOT and HOTTER" bracket and full results by clicking on the "HOT/HOTTER" tab at the top of this blog!

Jeff

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"Comment" below (Blogger); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (e-mail); @jkstheatrescene (Twitter)

Another Good Bye... and More Hellos!

Just yesterday, I blogged about the bittersweet nature of shows coming and going.  And just today, I got a healthy dose of the bitter and the sweet.  First, the sweet:

RENT - Good bye, Adam, Matt and Ashleigh!  Hello, Josh, Justin and Emma!

Good bye, Matt, Adam and Annaleigh!

As much as I didn't care for the revival of RENT, I have to admit the announcement of the replacements for the roles of Mark, Roger and Maureen excites me.  I actually saw Justin Johnston as Angel in the original production of the show, and he was pretty darned good.  I am really looking forward to seeing what he does with the role of Roger when he replaces Matt Shingledecker.  One former Spring Awakening alum is leaving, and another is joining.  Emma Hunton was good in Awakening, and she was truly amazing in the next to normal National Tour.  I can't wait to see what she does with the more "grown up" role of Maureen.  She takes over for the uneven (in my opinion) Annaleigh Ashford.  (Hunton begins performances on January 13.)  I can only imagine his chemistry with Mimi!

Welcome to Alphabet City, Josh, Emma and Justin!

Finally, I love Adam Chanler-Berat, even as Mark, but I'm glad that he's leaving the show, because chances are good that he's leaving to be part of the Broadway cast of Peter and the Starcatcher, bringing his critically acclaimed off-Broadway performance to a larger audience.  (I'm seriously keeping my fingers crossed.)  But Josh Grisetti is reason to contemplate a return visit to RENT.  I missed him in Brighton Beach Memoirs, and every subsequent New York appearance of his - all critically-acclaimed.  This might just be my chance to see what all the fuss is about.  Apparently, Enter Laughing won't be entering the Broadway scene as soon as previously thought.  (Both Johnston and Grisetti begin performances on January 20.)

LYSISTRATA JONES - Goodbye, Lyssie J., Mick, Robin and gang!

Good bye, Athens U!  And thank you...

Somewhere there is the audience for a Broadway show that is smart, funny, really meant to only entertain and is fresh and new.  You know, the show everyone bitches about that is missing from Broadway.  Yet another show that Broadway fans scream for but no one will go to - I'm thinking Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Scottsboro Boys - now Lysistrata Jones joins the ranks of failed critical darlings,  Thank God the writers of such bold, boundary-pushing works don't give up.  Do we really need more Mamma Mia and the like?  Once people realize and can respect that these types of shows will always be polarizing, and respect the polarizing opinions as BOTH being viable, the sooner these shows will stand a chance.  I'm just saying... if you don't like a show, fine.  But don't hate on the people who like it!

Maybe the only good thing to come of this sad departure is that another theatre is now open.  Perhaps for Peter and the Starcatcher?


Rate this blog below and leave your comments there, or email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com, or Tweet me!
Jeff
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