← All Of It with Alison Stewart
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- [00:08]
A
Okay. This is gonna be fun. You are listening to all of it on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. It has been 20 years since the Broadway show the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee debuted, and now it's back on stage in an acclaimed revival. The New York Times named it a critics pick and called it, quote, a perfect salve for an ugly world, the gift we didn't realize we desper needed. The eclectic crew of middle schoolers is back with all their character quirks and hilarious songs, and we're excited to have some of them here in our CR5 performance studio. We've got Kevin McHale, who plays the gifted and confident William Barfay. Tony nominee Jasmine Amy Rogers. Hi, Jasmine.
- [00:51]
B
Hi.
- [00:51]
A
Who stars as the talented, friendly Olivia. Tony nominee Justin Cooley, AKA Leaf Coney Bear, the unlikely and endearing contestant, and Leanna Ray Concepcion, who plays the prolific polyglot Rose Marcy Park. The 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has been extended all the way through September, so you have plenty of time to see it. But for a preview of what is in store, we're going to start things off with some music. Jasmine, what are we going to hear first?
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C
Yes, this is actually my friend, the dictionary. And my character's name is Olive, which is fine.
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A
You're fine. What did I say?
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C
Olivia?
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A
Oh, Olive.
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D
Olive, dictionary.
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A
No, you're good. You're good.
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C
But, yes, this is my friend, the dictionary. It's one of the first. It is the first solo in the show, so, yeah, let's hear it.
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B
I saved a chair for my dad in the eighth row on the aisle, and it may take him a while, but when he gets here, that's his
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E
chair,
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B
because my mother's in an ashram in India, and I saved a chair for her, too, though it's merely symbolic, as daily she cleanses herself in the Ganges, and I live in a house where there's an oversized dictionary that I read as a girl on the toilet. I love my dictionary, and I love the indented border. Every word's in alphabetical order.
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C
Order.
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B
Ergo, lost things always can be found. And I wrap my head around the fact that in one book is the entire language of our species, which is a favorite term of Nietzsche's, who is the great grandfather of Christina Ricci's. Yes, I joke, but the words in the dictionary are the friends that I'll have forever more than the friends I have made in school.
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F
She's such a lovely girl with a lovely little voice.
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E
And I heard that she's pro choice.
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B
Though still a virgin.
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E
And she talks into her hand. An often used technique.
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B
What you do not understand is once I say it, then I've said it.
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E
And so much to her credit, she talks into her hand and turns aside.
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B
So I will not make a mistake and be disqualified. My friend, the dictionary is a very reliable friend. Do.
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A
I'm in the studio with the cast members from a new revival of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. So, Kevin, you made your state debut at the Kennedy Center.
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D
Yes, I did.
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A
In spelling bee in 2024. How did that opportunity come up?
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G
I just auditioned. You know, I had never done theater before, and my manager, whose family at this point, I've been with her since I was 14 years old.
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D
Yeah.
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G
And now I'm 16, so that's crazy.
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F
Oh, gosh.
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D
That's amazing.
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G
Yeah. Thank you. She had been trying to get me to do theater for so long, and I was so resistant to it. And this came up, and I was just obsessed with it. I thought I was gonna be auditioning for the part. Actually. Justin plays Leaf.
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C
Oh, really?
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G
Yeah. And I was like, okay. I think they messed up. I don't know why they want my audition for Barfay, but sure. And after reading the script and listening to all the music, I realized that I was like, oh, yes, Barfay is correct. And the casting directors do know what they're doing.
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A
Yes.
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G
And so I auditioned, and I was very excited. My boyfriend also. This is his favorite musical, and he was very excited. So I was like, okay, great. You're coaching me. And forced him to, like, sit in the room. And I just. We'd never done that before. And I was like, is this good? Is this funny? And so he could give me all the notes. So he was my cheat code. And here we are.
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A
So, Leanne, you were in that production as well?
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E
I was.
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A
What made you want to come back to do it?
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E
Oh, my gosh. I mean, it is a joy bomb, right? So the show that I did previous to this, it was 2 hours and 45 minutes, so almost a 3 hour show. Very heavy. And then when we got to do at the Kennedy center, we only did 11 shows. And it was so much fun, like, not just for us on the stage, but also just everyone that was in the audience. And I was like, how can I not want to do this again and bring it home to New York City as well and bring the revival back? And I think it's cool to be able to bring the show to a new generation of, like, theater goers and lovers. Because this show is so many people's favorites, and also not a lot of people know about it, so it's really exciting to see people experience it for the first time with us.
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A
So, Jasmine, last time you were here
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H
was for Betty Boop.
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C
It was.
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A
And that's a show where you are front and center, and this is very much an ensemble production. What do you like about being part of an ensemble?
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C
I love sharing the load. I think, you know, it's nice to be front and center sometimes, but it's also nice to just exist amongst each other. And this cast is so wonderful in that we really do support each other throughout the entire show. It's so different, and it's so lovely and so joyous and fun, and you get to kind of explore relationships in a little bit of a different way. And I really. I really love it. I love that it's not all on me.
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E
I will say that for all the world.
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C
Yeah. You know, it's not that. Boop was all. All on me. We had incredible cast of people doing everything. It was incredible. But this is just so completely different. It's really, really nice.
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D
Yeah, you get to just, like, sit in a chair.
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E
Yeah, right.
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A
Spoken by the guy who was in Kimberly Akimbo.
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C
Right.
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A
Justin, what has it been like to follow up that show, Kimberly Akimbo with this show?
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D
Yeah. Wow. You know, it felt like such a great opportunity for me to, like, kind of grow into myself as an actor, because I did Kimberly Akimbo when I was 18 and was not very experienced and was not even a professional actor, actually, objectively. So, you know, there was something I got so much love, and I had incredible people I was working with. Victoria Clarke was my co star, and she was just so kind, so great, so talented. But, you know, I, like, had a little mama bird kind of pulling me
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I
around at that time.
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D
So coming to my next thing where I was coming in, you know, as Justin Cooley quotations or whatever was really intimidating. Right. To follow up that big thing. But it was like, you know, you know how to do this. You know what you're bringing. This is an opportunity to just grow into yourself even more. So it was really exciting to kind of do that big second show in New York.
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A
You also get to talk about spelling again, because your character.
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D
How many more shows involve spelling? Because that is the only way I get hired.
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B
You know what I'm saying?
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D
Keep writing them, please. These spelling shows.
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A
Was anybody ever involved in spelling bees
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D
when you were kids?
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G
No, I think I did one in, like, maybe fourth Grade. And that was the first and last time it did not go well.
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C
I think I remember, like, I almost said auditioning for one when I was in, like, fourth grade, and I misspelled the word it. I think I missed the apostrophe. And I was like, that was a trick question.
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I
So the answer is only, they're too strong.
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E
I was never considered. They just knew. They said, that's not for you. And I said, no, it's simply not.
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D
I did spelling bees in third, fourth, and fifth grade.
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E
It worked.
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D
Yeah. But I had deafening stage fright at that time. It was so traumatic. I remember walking off and, like, crying with my mom after I got out. It was so sweet. But I was really brave in giving it my all.
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G
Yeah. Two years in a row.
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C
Aw.
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D
Yeah. Yeah. I never made it to counties, so this is dream fulfillment.
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A
I'm in studio with the cast members from the new revival of the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. We've got Kevin McHale, Jasmine, Amy Rogers, Justin Cooley, and Liana Rae Concepcion. Jasmine, this is interesting. You told Broadway direct Olive was a character that I didn't think I'd ever get to play and also someone I wasn't sure was right for me to play. What made you unsure?
- [10:12]
C
Well, I mean, you can hear my voice. I talk in the basement. I, you know, for the longest time considered myself an alto, and this is very much not an alto role. And so I remember in high school listening to one of the songs that she sings in the show, the I Love youe song, and just thinking it was something that was out of my range, both vocally and acting wise. It was. I've never gotten to play this sweet, quiet, innocent girl before. And coming off of Boop, which was just so full of life and energy, I didn't know if people saw me that way. And I'd like to think of myself as a very capable actress. I want to do everything, and this is part of me showing the world that I can do everything. But I really did not think it was something that was for me. And especially being a black girl growing up in this body and watching Olive have been previously always a white woman. I didn't think it was something that was for me. And I think what's nice is that, you know, the character isn't about her race necessarily. She's just a girl. And, you know, if that's the experience you have growing up, that's the experience you have growing up. But it's been really, really nice to kind of bring, because I'm Also a very boisterous, loud person in life. It's kind of nice to show people that, you know, I also have another side to me that is this very shy, kind of reserved little lady. And it's nice.
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A
Kevin William Barfay has an unfortunate name, unfortunately. He's got one working nostril.
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G
Yep.
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A
He's a know it all, because he is right. How do you approach playing him in a way that is both funny but also empathetic?
- [11:52]
G
You know, Leanne has talked about this a lot in interviews, and I'm gonna steal it a little bit. But I think the magic of the show, and Danny, our director, really was focused on this, is that we're not making fun of any of these kids. They are so pure, and for better or for worse, they're so pure and they're showing up because they all want to win. They all want to fit in, and they don't know how that's going to happen. And the beauty of the show is that them being so genuine with all their little quirks and odd things is funny, but at no point are we making fun of them, you know, And I think so. For me, with Barfay, it's like, yeah, he's a bit of a bully, but it's because he's been bullied. And so, like, that's his. He has to play offense. And he's loud. And the sinus issues, I don't really have to act for that because I, too, have chronic sinus issues, but sort of the opposite of Jasmine, where, like, I'm not. I'm not a loud and boisterous person normally. And for me, Barfay was scary because he is loud and he's confrontational, and he's not afraid to say what he wants to say. And I'm sort of the opposite. So it has been, like, a really wonderful way for me to learn that part about myself and to. With all these characters getting to, like, sort of go back and play kids when you're so awkward and uncomfortable and, like, your body's changing and, like, your nose is too big for your face and you don't know, you know, like, it's nice to actually be able to go back and revisit that and remember that, but also remember, like, we're not always this way. And so it's. I think, for all of us, it's. I don't wanna speak for all of us, but to be able to, like, dip into that and reimagine ourselves as kids again has just been, like, a
- [13:40]
A
real gift Marcy park, man, she's on steroids. Overachieving student if I've ever seen one. How did you think about your role in taking her from just being really two dimensional?
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E
Oh, thank you for that question. You know, it is something that I actually struggled with so much at the Kennedy Center. We didn't really have any rehearsal, and I didn't know the show or her at all. So I actually like my performance of Marcy at the Kennedy center, like, haunts me. But I'm so happy that we had the year away from it, so I could really figure her out, because I think actually Marcy park, you know, was. Is. Is. Is an Asian woman, and was. Was originated by an Asian woman. And I think over the last 20 years, has gotten a lot of stereotypes, like Asian stereotypes placed on her. That actually is not even in the text. Actually, everything in the text about Marcy is the antithesis of how she has been consistently played for the last 20 years. So the thing that I take very seriously is making sure that any young Asian person who is seeing my body on stage, having them understand that they are more than just all of these stereotypes. She's actually not even a overachieving student. She's just very good at everything. She actually doesn't really care about this. It's actually not what she wants to
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C
be doing at all.
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E
But she's being asked to do it because she can. And I think that's why the. The her, like, come to Jesus moment, not even in quotations, is my favorite part of my journey with her. Because she finally has the freedom to make a choice for the first time in her life and makes the choice that she actually doesn't want this and that is okay. And she has an understanding that she does have choice. And I think that that is, like, such a strong message. And I just. I love her and I hope I'm taking care of her. And I hope that we are showc young Asian people who are maybe pushed to do things that they necessarily don't want to be doing, that they have the freedom of choice to do what it is that they are pulled to do rather than being asked to do. Leaf, Coney Bear is.
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A
How would you feel in that sentence? Leaf, Coney Bear is what? Justin?
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I
Wonderful.
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F
He's wonderful.
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I
Whimsical, silly, splendid.
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E
What makes him so endearing?
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G
Aw.
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D
I think that Leaf is so endearing because he's a kid full with a bunch of love, but who just doesn't quite know how to live in this world in an elegant and digestible way, you know, he's kind of like a little. A little wrecking ball or a little, you know, a little cloud above everyone. And that's something that's severely relatable to me and my experience growing up and kind of like Kevin was saying, revisiting our childhood selves, like, leaf feels like me reconnecting with everything that actually was embarrassing to me and that I slowly, slowly socialized out of myself over the years. And now it's like, take all of that, expose it, and find the light in it. And that's just been a really beautiful process. And it's true. I think being an adult and being. To look at that kid and being able to see the audience look at that kid, it's like, oh, he is trying his best, and he just loves everyone, and he's just kind of in his own. He's kind of in the clouds a little bit. But that's special. That's special and beautiful in its way.
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A
Well, let's hear your song you're gonna sing.
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E
It's called I'm not that smart.
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D
Thank you so much.
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I
I'm not that smart My siblings have been telling me that for years that I'm not sm. We're schooled at home. They've seen who's bright. It breaks my heart.
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D
I'm not that smart Guess what? I'm gonna tell you a little story.
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I
I have a gentle personality do, do, do which you'll all agree is anathema to my more aggressive family. Everyone keeps swatting dumb kid. Everyone keeps yelling dumb kid. How could a flea such as me think he'd be good at spelling?
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A
How? I don't know.
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D
I like my hair
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A
really.
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I
It is pleasant to the touch I toss my hair a bit too much oh, it doesn't move it simply sits I make a part I'm not that smart.
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F
Doodle doodle, doodle doodle do do.
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I
I might be smart My siblings can't believe I got it right But I got it right, right I didn't change, no I saw this light and it was me I like to laugh I like to spell I like to never hear the bell and if this competition's hell at least I'm finally apart I feel my heart begin to swell I like, I love to spell. I like it a lot but
- [20:11]
A
we'll have more with the cast of the 25th annual Putnam county spelling bee after a quick break. You're listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. I'm in the studio with cast members from A new revival of the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. We have Kevin McHale, Jasmine Rogers, Justin Cooley, Liana Rae Concepcion. And on piano, we have Elizabeth Doran. And the cellist is Sasha Ono. Hello to you, and thank you for being here as well. You know, this show has such a long history. So many people have been in the show. I saw this with Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Leash and Celia Keenan Bolger as Olivia. Jasmine, has any of the others who have been in the show come to see it? I mean, Greta Lee was in the.
- [21:08]
C
We had Greta Lee not too long ago. The entire original cast has now seen it. And so it was just really, really an honor. A lot of them came to opening. It's really been amazing because they have so much love for the show and also so much respect for the characters and the new life that we've brought to them. And so it was really nice to get to share that with them, opening night and beyond, because they've come at different times, but it's. But it's been so special.
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A
Liana, why do you think this show has legs?
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E
Because it is fun. And I also think, too, I think, like, in terms of commercial ability for shows, it is also how it's going to work regionally and how it's going to be accessible for young people. And this show does. And I think something that's cool about when you do a professional production, there's a lot of doubling, but when you bring it to, you know, a small high school in Alabama, those doubling parts can be played by other students or there can be an ensemble in the show. So it just gives the opportunity for kids to be kids, which is also exciting, and to really tell such a beautiful story that'll resonate with everyone seeing the show.
- [22:18]
A
So if you're thinking about Broadway right now, Kevin, it's like a Glee reunion. You've got Lea Michele in chess and just Jonathan Groff, and just in time, Matthew Morrison's gonna take over for him. Darren Criss, from your experience on Glee, what is something that you use in musical theater regularly?
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G
Oh, almost everything.
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A
Yeah.
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G
And, you know, they would all tell me that, because we would talk about it a lot, because half the cast had basically come from the theater world, and half of us had no experience doing musical theater. And I would always talk about how daunting theater seemed. They're like, what we're doing here is almost the exact same thing, minus the very big difference of doing it live in front of people. But I'm. I mean, we were shooting music Videos basically every day. And so when we were on, you know, albeit fake, an auditorium stage. And so I feel like the characters we were playing and that also in a similar way to, like, what I'm doing now and spelling bee pull from, like, a similar experience and, you know, dance rehearsal, learning all these parts, like, all those things that I had to sort of do. Our schedules were so crazy during Glee, and any job after seems a little easier. But, you know, it's like, back then, we would say, like, oh, did you have an ultimate Glee day? Which was, like, recording studio, dance rehearsal and filming and a fitting, and we would do that. And so it's like we're doing all of those things. Everybody in theater is doing all of those things at different times. But that all. Having that experience and having done it is so useful, and I feel so lucky because it is tapping back into those things and, like, how does your body work going through all of that? And again, we went on tour, so, like, we did get to have the live component. It was a little different. It was in an arena, but, like, you're still doing. It's all the same thing. Like, your body reacts the same way to it. So it does feel very familiar to me. And. Sorry. There's so many of us, and we're all over New York. You can't get away from us.
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A
Justin, in the show, you bring up spellers on stage. Sometimes they're people like, Annalee Ashford is what my producer saw. When I went, it was four normies on stage, but the kid could really spell.
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D
Oh, yeah.
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A
Which was wild. Tell me who's come to the show, who's been on the stage being a speller?
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D
Oh, my gosh. We've had so many great people. We had Daniel. Daniel Radcliffe, which was amazing. He was so sweet.
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I
Who else have we had?
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D
The lady we had. We had Lin Manuel. Oh, my gosh. The audience was crazy. Stephanie J.
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G
Block. Al Roker.
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C
Yeah, Al Roker.
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D
See, everyone's helping me. There's been so many.
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A
What do you do when you get a Normie, though, when you just had. We had four normal people on stage.
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D
It's honestly a lot of fun. I think they seem a little bit more shaken. They don't know how to, like, do the thing on stage. So it's really fun. I love talking to them in character, and they're like, who are you? It's so fun.
- [25:26]
G
And I will say the producers do a very good job, I think, protecting that. Where, like, it is really fun to have famous people and celebrities come. Do It. But there's actually sort of like they don't want that all the time. It is about. Anybody can come see the show and sign up in the lobby before and have a chance to be on stage and make their off Broadway debut. Yeah.
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A
Let's hear our last song. What are we gonna hear?
- [25:51]
G
Oh, good old magic foot.
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A
All right, explain this for folks who haven't seen the show.
- [25:57]
G
So a lot of the kids have their own special way of spelling. And my character William Barfay's unique way to spell is to spell with his foot. And so this whole song is about that and celebrating his love of his very talented foot. This is magic foot.
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F
Magic foot.
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G
Take me to the final round. Magic foot Barely lifted off the ground.
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F
Magic foot. Do it without making a sound.
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G
Sh.
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F
Magic foot.
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G
We're right. Write the letter. Magic foot.
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F
Write the perfect letter. Magic food.
- [27:09]
G
It's an Alphabet way to spell.
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F
Okay, let's see what you got here.
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G
Foot.
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F
H, A, S, E, N. Hossen,
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E
P,
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F
F, E, F, fowl, E, R. Let's go.
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G
Magic food.
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F
Be specific. Magic floor. It's all right if I give you not specific. Magic foot.
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G
It's terrific when you make a word with your foot.
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F
Magic foot, Magic foot.
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B
Magic foot.
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F
Magic foot, Magic foot, Magic foot. Magic foot. Don't go kaput.
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G
Foot.
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F
Magic foot. Magic foot, Magic foot. Write the goddamn letter.
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E
Magic foot.
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G
It's an alpha.
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F
Better way to spell. Write that letter. Magic. Write that stupid letter. Magic.
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G
Magic foot.
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B
Magic foot, Magic foot.
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G
It's an alpha.
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F
Better way to spay good.
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G
Magic.
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F
Magic
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B
foot.
- [29:00]
A
I have to read you this text before we go. This text says, I loved being in the audience. I don't usually go to musicals, but this show revitalized my heart for participating. Spelling bee ignites the heart of a child in all of us. The audience roots for each character, so we are immediately connected. The musicians and performers have a magnetism that embraces us all.
- [29:26]
G
That is beautiful. It's from one of our listeners, and that is exactly how we feel doing the show. And it's exactly why we do the show and want everybody to come see it. That is the best review possible.
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A
We have been with the cast of the 25th annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Thank you so much for being with us.
- [29:44]
G
Thank you for having us.
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A
Really fun.
- [29:48]
J
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- [30:18]
H
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