Class Notes: Cherry Torres in “Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody”

Summary

Podcast Summary: BroadwayRadio – Class Notes: Cherry Torres in “Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody”

Date: June 17, 2026
Host: Lauren Klasschneider
Guest: Cherry Torres

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Episode Overview

This episode of “Class Notes” on BroadwayRadio features host Lauren Klasschneider in conversation with Cherry Torres, who plays Shane’s mom and various other roles in “Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody,” now playing at the Culture Club. The conversation dives into Torres’s path to joining the show, her experience juggling a multitude of characters, reflections on her previous career highlights (such as “Hamilton”), and the collaborative environment of this inventive parody musical inspired by the hit HBO Max series about a complicated romance between hockey players.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cherry’s Introduction to “Heated Rivalry”

• Initial Familiarity: Torres reveals she was a fan of the original series before becoming involved with the musical.
  • Quote: “I got very sick and I binged watched it. In the matter of, I want to say, three days, I binged the entire series and absolutely loved it.” (01:25)

2. Casting and Audition Process

• Non-Traditional Entry: Cherry did not audition in the conventional way; instead, she was directly invited by producer Alan Kleifer.
  • Quote: “It didn't. Alan, one of our producers, reached out to me directly and my agent...It came kind of at the perfect time in my life.” (01:47)
• First-Time Collaboration: This was her first project working with Alan Kleifer. (02:23)

3. Embodying Multiple Characters

• Unexpected Variety: She initially only knew about two roles, Shane’s mom and possibly Svetlana, before discovering she would play many more.
  • Quote: “I believe I knew about Shane's mom and potentially Svetlana...Oh, wait, this is about to be so much fun. We're all wearing so many different hats.” (02:43)
• Acting Approach: In rehearsals, the cast delved into their diverse characters, aided by Dylan Mercurell’s layered script.
  • Quote: “It's such a well written show that, honestly, Dylan made it so easy for each character to feel fully developed and to jump back and forth through them.” (03:14)

4. Working with Creator Dylan Mercurell

• Creative Process: Torres describes Mercurell, the writer-composer-lyricist-orchestrator, as humble, kind, and a creative powerhouse.
  • Quote: “He is one of the kindest humans I've ever met. He's so humble and...always willing to help.” (04:04)
  • Quote: “You are a genius...the way your brain works. I must know more because I feel like he's just wearing them all at once at any given moment.” (04:49)

5. Portraying Shane’s Mom

• Character Arc: Shane’s mom is depicted as a “momager” who ultimately finds acceptance for her son’s identity.
  • Quote: “She has a really beautiful arc at the very end. Just kind of finding acceptance and letting him be himself, which is a really special thing to try to capture in 75 minutes.” (05:19)

6. Performance Space and Previous Experience

• Theatre vs. Cruise Ships: Cherry compares the intimacy of the Culture Club (audiences only inches from the stage) to her earlier years performing on cruise ships.
  • Quote: “Cruises have a bit of a formula when it comes to shows...it was really wonderful training...to kind of open up what Broadway and Off Broadway have felt like.” (06:03)

7. Choreography and Collaboration

• Co-Choreographers: Tiffany and Brooke Engen, twin sisters, bring a uniquely collaborative and intentional style to the show’s movement.
  • Quote: “They are twins, actually the most related you can be. They are phenomenal at what they do.” (07:00)
• Organic Movement: No typical dance breaks, but all movement feels motivated and tailored to the cast’s strengths.
  • Quote: “Everything felt very organic and very easy and...very intentional.” (07:41)

8. Audience Participation: The Role of Scott Hunter

• Volunteer Role: A significant character, Scott Hunter, is played by an audience member, making each performance unique.
  • Quote: “We've gotten really lucky...Ryan...is such a wonderful, like guide to each audience member...makes each one of them feel comfortable.” (08:23)

9. Cherry’s Background & Broadway Career

• Musical Upbringing: Torres grew up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in a musical family, and acted from a young age.
  • Quote: “My mom is a background singer and my dad's a sound engineer...I did a few singing concerts as a little kid with my cousins.” (09:22)
• Touring with “Hamilton”: Played all three Schuyler sisters as a swing, and eventually Peggy/Maria on Broadway for the 10th anniversary.
  • Quote: “It truly was such a big part of and is a big part of my life and my career. It was so very special.” (10:09)

10. Sustaining Eight Shows A Week

• Contrast With “Hamilton”: “Heated Rivalry” is shorter but still demanding, and Torres values the extra preparatory time.
  • Quote: “Hamilton being a very dense show that's three hours long, Heated Rivalry kind of became a breath of fresh air.” (10:58)
• Routine & Readiness: Cherry stresses the importance of keeping body and mind in shape, regardless of show length.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the creative team:
  • “He wrote the book, the music and the lyrics, and did the orchestrations.” – Lauren Klasschneider on Dylan Mercurell (03:54)
• On versatility:
  • “We're all wearing so many different hats.” – Cherry Torres (02:43)
• On performing eight times a week:
  • “The most we can do is right, like ready our minds and our bodies as much as we can.” – Cherry Torres (10:58)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:54 – Introduction of Cherry Torres and the premise of "Heated Rivalry"
• 01:25 – Cherry discusses familiarity with the series and how she joined the cast
• 02:43 – On learning about her many roles in the show
• 03:14 – How acting rehearsals and the quality of the script helped shape the roles
• 04:04 – Working closely with writer-composer Dylan Mercurell
• 05:19 – Cherry's process for portraying Shane's mom
• 06:03 – Insights on performing at the Culture Club vs. cruise ships
• 07:00 – Collaboration with choreographers Tiffany and Brooke Engen
• 08:23 – Experiences with the audience-volunteer Scott Hunter
• 09:22 – Cherry’s musical childhood and starting out in performing arts
• 10:09 – Her journey with “Hamilton” and transition to current work
• 10:58 – How she physically and mentally prepares for eight shows a week

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In Summary

This episode highlights Cherry Torres’s dynamic journey from her musical childhood in Puerto Rico, through the rigorous demands of “Hamilton,” to the playful and inventive world of “Heated Rivalry.” Torres offers candid insights into the creative and collaborative process that defines this musical parody, the joys and challenges of rapid character transitions, and the electric energy of interacting with audiences—sometimes literally on stage. Fans of both theater craft and the original series will find her perspective deeply engaging, warm, and full of admiration for her colleagues.

Transcript

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[Lauren Klasschneider]

Hi, I'm Lauren Klasschneider with Class Notes for Broadway Radio. I'm here with Cheri Torres, who plays Shane's mom and many others in Heated Rivalry, the unauthorized musical parody at the Culture Club. Welcome. Hi.

[Cheri Torres]

I'm so excited to be here.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Oh, boy. We're going to hear about you and all of your characters related to and inspired by the hit HBO Max series about a complicated romance between two professional hockey players. Heated Rivalry, the unauthorized musical parody follows star eyed golden boy Shane Hollander on his journey from power center to power bottom. Now, Cherry, were you familiar with Heated Rivalry before reading the script or before auditioning?

[Cheri Torres]

You know, I was. Prior to being in the show, I was doing Hamilton and I had a week where I got very sick and I binged watched it. In the matter of, I want to say, three days, I binged the entire series and absolutely loved it.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

So how did the audition come about for you?

[Cheri Torres]

You know, it. It didn't. I was, I, Alan, who is one of our producers, reached out to me directly and my agent and through them they, I. They lined it up so that. And invited me to a reading and from then we got started. But it came kind of at the perfect time in my life. I didn't expect it, I didn't audition for it, but he was able to put this awesome group of humans together.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Oh, my goodness. So is it producer, director, and is that Alan Kleiffer you're referring to?

[Cheri Torres]

Yep, yep. Alan Kleifer.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Yeah. So had the two of you worked together before?

[Cheri Torres]

We have not, no. Boy, I know.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Now, did you know that you were auditioning for roles that include sm, Susan, Svetlana, Maria, hockey player, Russian schoolgirl, waiter, nurse, as well as Shane's mom? No.

[Cheri Torres]

Coming into it, I believe I knew about Shane's mom and potentially Svetlana once we read through it the first time. Oh, my goodness. I was like, oh, wait, this is about to be so much fun. We're all wearing so many different hats,

[Lauren Klasschneider]

which kept it super simple, I would imagine. Now, from an acting standpoint, your characters are each so distinct. As an actor, how do you go so quickly from one to the Other, even in this broad musical parody environment,

[Cheri Torres]

I think honestly, over time, in rehearsals, we got to kind of dig into each one specifically. And after the. After the movie, after watching the series, you get a really great understanding of a lot of them and then you get to play off from there the way it's written. It's such a well written show that, honestly, Dylan made it so easy for each character to feel fully developed and to jump back and forth through them.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Well, kudos to you as an actor being able to do that. And yes, they are very well written. Written by Dylan Mercurell.

[Cheri Torres]

Yep.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

So he wrote the book, the music and the lyrics, and did the orchestrations. Now, for you as part of this original company, what was it like to be in the room with him?

[Cheri Torres]

Oh, my God, it was amazing. He is one of the kindest humans I've ever met. He's so humble and. And sweet and always willing to help. Back when we did the reading, I want to say we had maybe three rehearsals before the first time we got to do the reading at the Laurie Beachman. And he was so, so helpful in making sure that all of us felt secure, even though we had, like, three days to put all of this together.

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[Cheri Torres]

Yeah.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

And he's wearing so many hats.

[Cheri Torres]

He really is.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Do you get the sense that he's got the book writer talking to his brain? That's the lyricist, that's talking to his brain, that's the composer.

[Cheri Torres]

He is one of those people that I'm like, you are a genius. Like the way your brain works. I must know more because I feel like he's just wearing them all at once at any given moment. And for him to also write this musical so quickly, I'm just so impressed by his brain.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

The main character that you play is Shawn's mom. Fill us in on your approach to her character. She goes on quite a journey.

[Cheri Torres]

Yes. Well, Shane's mom in this series and herself, you can see she's a bit of a momager. You know, she has a bit of a well structured. Everything is just all I do is anything I can do for my child to succeed. And she has a really beautiful arc at the very end. Just kind of finding acceptance and letting him be himself, which is a really special thing to try to capture in 75 minutes.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

And you do it beautifully.

[Cheri Torres]

Thank you.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

This show's being done at the Culture Club, where the closest audience member is about, oh, eight inches away from the stage. And you've also performed on cruise ships?

[Cheri Torres]

I have, yes.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

How are they different or similar?

[Cheri Torres]

Well, that's a really good question. I. I think different in the sense that I think cruises have a bit of a formula when it comes to shows. I performed in different. In four different ones, so I did some of Disney's, which is a little closer to what we got to do. But the other cruises were more of review style shows that some were like concerts. And it's also, you know, just you're basically sailing with your audiences and your guests and getting to know them. So it is different in that bit. But I think cruises were really wonderful training in a way because I did them when I was very young to kind of open up what Broadway and Off Broadway have felt like, I would imagine.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

And this show is co choreographed by Tiffany Engen and Brooke Engen. Are they related and how do they work together?

[Cheri Torres]

Yes, they are twins, actually the most related you can be. They are phenomenal at what they do. I was so impressed by their ability to just make every bit and every moment feel even truer. Um, it was really, really impressive because. Especially with parodies, right. They're not like a typical musical in the sense that it's not, you know, we don't have dance breaks or anything necessarily, but they were just able to elevate every single scene they choreographed. Yeah, they're phenomenal.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Were there challenges in the choreography for you?

[Cheri Torres]

No, I wouldn't say there were challenges. They were really, I think, in tune with not just the show itself, but what we could bring to the table. So everything felt very organic and very easy and in a. In like a motivate, like every. Intentional. It felt very, very intentional.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Let's talk about the role of Scott Hunter, which is played by an unsuspecting volunteer or not volunteer in the audience. And it's not an insignificant role. No. How do those on stage acting and interacting with him respond from performance to performance?

[Cheri Torres]

You know, we've gotten really lucky in a way. We've had pretty wonderful Scott Hunters throughout our run. Ryan, who plays Ilya's dad and also he plays Kip, who, who is Scott's romantic interest, is such a wonderful, like guide to each audience member because I think he's the closest to them and he's able to like guide them and play with them and interact with them in a way that I think makes each one of them feel comfortable. I do my best from the other side, but I'm mostly eavesdropping the entire comments conversation. But yeah, we've gotten pretty lucky. We've only had really wonderful Scott Hunters so far.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Glad to hear It a little bit about you.

[Cheri Torres]

Yes.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

I've read that you're from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and that you started performing when you were 10. How did that happen for a kid so young?

[Cheri Torres]

Oh, my goodness. Well, I come from a very musical family. My mom is a background singer and my dad's a sound engineer. So I think I was just kind of in the world. And I did a few, you know, singing concerts as a little kid with my cousins. And then eventually in middle school, I auditioned for the school musical and it absolutely blew my mind. It was like a way to incorporate music and storytelling in a way that I don't think I had seen before. And from then on, it was. It was over.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

That's what it sounds like. Now you've toured the country in Hamilton as a swing for all three Schuyler sisters. What was that experience like?

[Cheri Torres]

Oh, it was a dream come true. I think. Hamilton came into my life in 2018, and I getting to play each one of those roles was so, so, so, so special. I basically ended up traveling for up until, I think, 2022, then was able to move to Broadway and eventually end up as Peggy Mariah on Broadway in the 10th anniversary, which was like, it truly was such a big part of and is a big part of my life and my career. It was so very special.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Absolutely. To go from that to where you are now, how do you prepare to do the show eight times a week with the type of style that it is and what it requires from you as an actor?

[Cheri Torres]

Well, I think it's interesting because Hamilton being a very dense show that's three hours long, Heated Rivalry kind of became a breath of fresh air. So coming a three hour show to a 75 minute show as well, if anything, gave me more time to prep to, you know, keep my body, keep my voice, keep my mind in shape to be able to do things, to be able to do this show specifically eight times a week. But it always is a challenge. I think no matter what, the most we can do is right, like ready our minds and our bodies as much as we can.

[Lauren Klasschneider]

Well, I give you so much credit for being able to do that and hitting it out of the ballpark eight times a week. I thank you. Thank you. I'm Lauren Clash Schneider with Cherry Torres, who plays Shane's mom and many others in Heated Rivalry, the unauthorized musical parody at the Culture Club. Thank you.

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