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- [00:00]
Benal Fanbrini
Guys, thanks for helping me carry my Christmas tree.
- [00:03]
Matt Tamineni
Zoe, this thing weighs a ton. Drew Ski, live with your legs, man. Santa.
- [00:06]
Benal Fanbrini
Santa, did you get my letter?
- [00:07]
Matt Tamineni
He's talking to you britches. I'm not.
- [00:10]
Benal Fanbrini
Of course he did.
- [00:11]
Matt Tamineni
Right, Santa, you know my elf Drew Ski here. He handles the nice list. And elf, I'm six' three. What everyone wants is iPhone 17 and at T Mobile, you can get it on them. That center stage front camera is amazing for group selfies. Right, Mrs. Claus?
- [00:25]
Benal Fanbrini
I'm Mrs. Claus. Claus much younger sister. And AT T Mobile, there's no trade in needed when you switch. So you can keep your old phone.
- [00:32]
Matt Tamineni
Or give it as a gift.
- [00:33]
Benal Fanbrini
And the best part, you can make the switch to T mobile from your phone in just 15 minutes.
- [00:37]
Matt Tamineni
Nice. My side of the tree is slipping. Kimber, the holidays are better. AT T Mobile switch in just 15 minutes and get iPhone 17 on us with no trade in needed. And now T mobile is available in U.S. cellular stores with sweeper. Monthly bill credits for well qualified customers plus tax and $35 vice connection charge. Credit sentinel balance due to payout earlier. Cancel Finance Agreement. 256 gates, $830. Eligible Ford in a new line, $100 plus a month plan with auto. Check out 15 minutes or less per line. Visit t mobile.com. Hi and welcome to a special interview episode of Broadway Radio. My name is Matt Tamineni. On today's episode, I'm in conversation with Benal Fanbrini, who is currently playing Johnny Cade in the national tour of the Outsiders. After a pair of preview stops, the tour officially opened in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the show is set earlier this fall. And now for the next week, it is going to play at the Dr. Phillips center here in Orlando, Florida. It is going to run from December 16th through December 23rd, which is a little unusual obviously because Christmas is on the 25th. Next Thursday, they're doing a little bit of a longer stay here in Orlando and then they're going to go to the Straz center in Tampa and start on Saturday and then stay all the way through January 4th. So if you are in central Florida, have friends and family in town, or have nothing to do in the lead up to Christmas, heading over to the Dr. Phillips center for the Performing Arts and checking out. This show should be very high on the list. As I'm sure many of you know, the outsiders won the 2024 Tony Award for best musical. It is one of the most visually stunning shows that I have seen in a long time. The staging by director Donya Taymor and the choreography by the Cooperman brothers. Really remarkable, as is everything that is happening with the technical aspect of the show. But now, and I talk about that, as well as what it takes to maintain the physicality of this show. If you are familiar at all with either the Outsiders novel written by Essie Hinton, or the Francis Ford Coppola film adaptation from the 80s, you know that it is a very physical and in many cases, very violent story of teenagers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from different sides of the track. Here he explains the process to make sure that all the actors are safe during the show, what it meant to be able to bring this show not only to audiences in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is where they opened, but also to all of the people who have read the book, seen the movie, and fans of the musical across the country. Of course. I will have information on where you can purchase tickets to see the Outsiders tour in Orlando at the Dr. Phillips center for the Performing Arts in the show notes, so make sure that you check that out. It would be a great early Christmas present. I will be there opening night December 16, then for the matinee on December 23 as well. So if you happen to be in the audience, maybe find the bald guy. I'll be somewhere down in the orchestra. I'm not sure where my tickets are, but say hi and. And we can wish each other happy holidays. All right, with all of that out of the way, here is my conversation with Banal Fanbrini. All right, so you are just about three months into tour. How's it gone so far? Are you adjusting to life on the road okay?
- [03:45]
Benal Fanbrini
Yeah. Tour is awesome. It's definitely been a little difficult living out of a suitcase, I will say. And, like, you know, being separated from home is definitely tricky, but it's. It's nice because, like, remembering that the entire cast is separated from home, and it's like a mutual kind of, like, understanding, like, we're all going through it together. That's super, super comforting. But no, it's getting nice. It's getting. I'm getting the hang of it slowly but surely. Yeah.
- [04:09]
Matt Tamineni
And I would imagine with a show like this, that is. I mean, the whole point of the story is about not only literal family, but found family and those bonds that tie us together. Are you developing those? Have those been forged already through the rehearsal process, the first few months on the road?
- [04:28]
Benal Fanbrini
Totally. I think definitely. Even since the rehearsal process, like, the team, Donya Taymor, the Kubermans, they've made such an effort in creating such a strong foundation for this show. For the first couple days in rehearsal, all we were doing is, just, like, mirroring exercises and, like, creating, like, bonds with one another. And I think, like, truly, like, I've forged such a nice second family. I had, like, a death in the family quite recently, and this entire company was there for me. Like, no, no else. Like, you know, like, they were reaching out to me every day, you know, like, spending time with me, making sure I'm okay, like, both on and off stage. You know what I mean? Like, they were really, like, truly, I love all of these people, every single one of them. It's amazing.
- [05:14]
Matt Tamineni
Well, I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm glad that you had that support. Like, that's awesome. Well, talking about this story, this is a show that is based on not only a book that, like, generations of people have read in school, but also, like, one of the seminal film classics of the 1980s. As you were starting this process, did you turn to those and, like, get all the research, get all the information you could, or did you want to keep your Johnny based just on the text of this show so you weren't influenced too much by Essie Hinton's writing or Ralph Macchio's performance or anything like that? How did you approach it?
- [05:53]
Benal Fanbrini
For me, I kind of used both the book and the movie and even Sky's performance on Broadway. Like, I would watch these, like, these. Like, what I would use is, like, I guess, guidelines, and if something would resonate with me. So, sure, absolutely, I would try and take it and hold on to it and use it for my own Johnny. But if anything, I find myself more developing the character of Johnny. Like, the more and more I perform him, you know, like, every single day, I'm finding new things that I can say or a new. New way that I can perform a line or whatever it may be, you know? But I think there's definitely things that I've taken from the book and more of Skye's performance on Broadway and use that to help create my own Johnny and make it true to myself.
- [06:40]
Matt Tamineni
What is something about your take on Johnny Cade that you would say is uniquely you, not better or worse, but, like, is just coming from you organically, I think.
- [06:51]
Benal Fanbrini
I like to think that, like, the. My Johnny has this vulnerability to him. Like, I know that's in the character itself, but I feel like I tend to show that a little bit more in my Johnny, or maybe that anxiety behind. Behind the character and everything. I feel like I. I tend to show a little bit more it's super. It's kind of tricky because Johnny, with him being this role, like, he doesn't have the most lines ever. He's a pretty quiet greaser, but again, there's so much complexity behind his quiet. So I've been really, really trying to dive in and find ways that I can express that well.
- [07:29]
Matt Tamineni
And to me, what always is interesting about Johnny, you mentioned he's not the most vocal. He's not really, like, the lead greaser, but he has these profoundly strong bonds with so many people that we see the actions of the show play out, especially in that second act, because of how much everybody loves him as a. As a person and as a brother who. What is it about this character that makes everybody else in the show respond so passionately when he is in. When he's in trouble and when he needs something and all of that?
- [08:01]
Benal Fanbrini
Well, at least I think, like, thinking about the show, that at least that I'll be performing every, like, all the time. Like, all throughout the scenes. Like, I'm interacting with all these greasers and, like, you are only seeing me, like, essentially be little brother. Like, even if I'm not in the limelight, even if I don't necessarily have a line in this moment, I'm always interacting with the greaser in some way, whether it's like, someone, like, putting their hand in my face or, like, give me a noogie. Like, whatever it may be. It's always, whenever you are seeing Johnny, it's. He's either being a little brother or, you know, then there's the violent scenes where then he's just like, okay, it's such a huge dramatic shift. So I think, like, seeing me or seeing Johnny on stage and only seeing, like, this, you know, smaller, more like lovable, like, little brother esque, and then having it completely flip and now seeing violence behind it or, like, pain behind it and everything. I think the switch is definitely super hard to see.
- [09:01]
Matt Tamineni
Well, you mentioned the violence, and I don't think that's a spoiler alert. Like we said, the book and the movie has been around forever, but I don't want to. Yeah, like, anybody who knows the Outsiders knows that there is some violence, but I don't want to get into necessarily, like, the specifics because one of the beautiful things about this show is kind of the visual surprises. But when you do have the big rumble scenes and the smaller fights and all of that, how, as an actor and as a company, do you go through to make sure that you are doing those things safely, but also in a way that is communicating the intensity of the story. I mean, obviously you've got the fight calls and the lift calls and the PT and all of those things, but how do you go through that process to make sure you're delivering on the impact that you want those scenes to have, but also not hurting yourself or, you know, jeopardizing the ability to do the show moving forward?
- [09:53]
Benal Fanbrini
No, you said, like the fight and lift call, that's definitely the most crucial. We're getting to the point now.
- [09:58]
Matt Tamineni
Explain what that. Explain what that is for people who don't know.
- [10:01]
Benal Fanbrini
So for fight and lift call, what it is, is that we'll get to the show maybe an hour, hour and a half early before, like, curtain will go up and we'll go through majority of the show. And what that means is, let's say we're gonna do the second violent scene that, that Johnny's in. What we would do is that we would do it at 20% effort. So, like, if I have to sprint across the stage, I'm just like, jogging. If someone's going to throw me onto the ground, there's only. It's only a 20% throw to the ground. You know, it's like essentially we're just walking through it, making sure, hey, we're all on the same page about this. We all know where our traffic is. We all know where we're going. And then after we do a run of 20%, then we'll go for certain scenes. We'll only do 90, or we'll do 90 and. But then, for example, the rumble will only do 65%. You know, it's all about holding back. Because once if we get too into it, if the violence becomes too genuine, for lack of a better word, then that's when things start to get dangerous. So we'll do 20% first, and then for my social, for the violence scene, we'll do 90%. Then after that, then we do it in the show. So again, like, we're getting really good about the physical aspect of it. Another super crucial thing is the mental aspect of it. You know what I mean? Making sure that, like, hey, like, you're about to throw me onto this car and then choke the hell out of me. We're still cool, you know what I mean? Like, we're. We're still friends. Like, I Like, you know what I mean? So that's. That's definitely a big part of it. But, you know, I feel super safe with everyone that I'm doing these scenes with always. So it's super awesome.
- [11:34]
Matt Tamineni
So. So beyond that preparation, what are you all doing to make sure. Because this is a physical show, I don't know if there. If there's a rake on the stage or not that always. But there's the. The jumping off of cars and all of that. The. The surface of the stage is different than most stages, which. I don't know that that's a spoiler, but, like, how do you make sure that physically it's not taking too much on your body, your joints and your ligaments and all of that so that you can continue to do this show across the country eight times a week?
- [12:00]
Benal Fanbrini
Absolutely. We're super fortunate to have a PT travel with us. And this PT is always occupied. Like, we are always. Someone is getting their ankle checked out or something checked out in some way, shape, or form. But no, the stage is definitely different. But it is. It is actually really nice to be able to, like, land on and, like, roll around on and slide on and everything. But, yeah, definitely, the PT is super important. But also now, you know, we were again, three months in, so we're finding that pocket and, like, showing what we. Figuring out what we do need, what we don't need. You know what I mean? Like, we're not gonna eliminate anything that, like, adds to the storytelling, but we're obviously gonna keep our bodies and our mental safe.
- [12:43]
Matt Tamineni
Okay, I have to ask. Like, I've sat in the very front row to see the show on Broadway, so I. At certain points, covered with little black pellets. They're just little, like. They're like rubber. Like. What is that?
- [12:58]
Benal Fanbrini
The technical term for them is epdm. Don't know if it's an acronym. Not sure what it is, but it's basically this antibacterial or antimicrobial turf, essentially. That's what it is. That's what the Coopermans had discovered works the best. They were done trial and error. They had sawdust. At one point, they were doing, like, trying mud, but then obviously, the mud would. Or the dirt would turn into mud during the rumble. And then just at the end of the day, that's what they settle on. So it's this little antibacterial turf.
- [13:30]
Matt Tamineni
Okay, The Cooperman brothers, the choreographers of the show. Yeah. And it's like. I feel like it's. Is it the same stuff? And maybe you know this or don't, but, like, it seems like it's, like, the same stuff that you watch free lock on. Like a football game that's on.
- [13:43]
Benal Fanbrini
That's what I think. That's What I think. Yeah, but it's just little different colors, you know, but I think it's totally just football turf. That's what I think it is.
- [13:51]
Matt Tamineni
That's what it reminds me. Yeah, it's just stuff like anytime you see a receiver, like, drag his toe, like, it's those little pellets of black stuff. That's.
- [13:57]
Benal Fanbrini
Yeah, that's the Outsiders a little bit.
- [13:59]
Matt Tamineni
Okay. All right. Well, good, Good. Well, you've. You've been on tour now for three months. You're doing this show. Obviously, this was a Tony Award winner for best musical. Now that you've kind of lived in this show from your perspective, what is it that obviously the story is iconic as we talked about, but, like, what is it about this production, Donya Taymor's, you know, show and conceit of what this looks like, that has connected so much with audiences. First on Broadway, actually out of town tryout, then on Broadway, and now across the country.
- [14:30]
Benal Fanbrini
I think. I mean, Danya does set the show up in such an amazing way where, like, her priority, at least what it seemed to us in this company is definitely, like, story first. Like, don't. Don't necessarily. Like, obviously the songs are beautiful. The songs sound amazing, but it's like, at the end of the day, it's like we are telling this message first. Like, this is what we want the audience to feel. This is how we make them feel this way. So it's very, very plot driven, very storyline driven. And then just the layers of amazing choreography and lighting and effects and everything like that, it's just developed in such. This amazing story. Like, even when I'm called out of the show or if I'd be swung out of the show and I'd get the opportunity to watch it, like, even knowing every single line, like, I find myself being brought to tears, not only just because it truly is such an amazing show, but also, like, you know, seeing my friends or my family now that I've made, like, also performing this, it's like there's. I can't help but feel this sense of pride knowing that, like, wow, we made this. And, like, it's such an unbelievable story to tell every single night.
- [15:37]
Matt Tamineni
Yeah. You know, the story is obviously what it is. It's iconic, but, like, the visuals of this show, what everyone is able to create. And I'm so glad you mentioned, like, the lighting because that's something that so often people don't talk about in a show, but it is so impactful in this show. And, you know, there's there's certain scenes that you are key to in certain parts of this show that I don't want to get into. That, like, the lighting. You're like, holy crap. Like, that is. It's magical to see. Really. So much of this show is visually magic.
- [16:08]
Benal Fanbrini
No, really, you.
- [16:10]
Matt Tamineni
Like I said, you. You've been on the road for three months. You had a couple, like, preview stops, but then you officially opened in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where the story is set where Essie Hinton was in high school. This. And that's what other people don't realize. Like, Essie Hinton was a high school, I think, senior when she wrote this book. And it has gone on to have such an incredible life. And she's still like. And what's crazy about that is, like, she's still only, like, in her mid to late 70s. Like, she's still around, even though she doesn't do a whole lot. But so many people have in that city, I'm sure, have grown up with that story. Probably grew up with S.E. hinton. Like, what was it like to do this show for that audience?
- [16:47]
Benal Fanbrini
Yeah, no, I mean, it was soup. First off, Tulsa was amazing. Like, they truly laid out the red carpet for us. Like, every single person, you would say, like, oh, we're here for the outsiders. And, like, next, you know, like, they're sparking up, like, this crazy conversation or telling their experience with the outsiders or, like, whatever it may be, you know, like, we were all over the town. All over. All over Tulsa. I'll be honest, going into Tulsa, I definitely felt a little nervous, you know, just performing this again, like you said, multi generational story in its hometown. Like, you can't help but feel, like, this pressure behind it. And I'm sure, like, numerous people in the company had felt that as well. But again, after just being in Tulsi and seeing how welcoming everyone is and, like, how excited people are just to even see, like, the musical rendition of this show, like, all that nervousness went away, and it was just more of like, okay, let's give this one thing thousand percent every single night. Like, you know what I mean? Let's really do this story justice, you know, especially performing it in its home. But it was amazing. I missed Tulsa. Tulsa was amazing.
- [17:50]
Matt Tamineni
Yeah. I. I've loved how even dating back to before the show kicked off on Broadway, Like, I know the cast went there for, like, some promotional stuff. And so to see you guys open the. Officially open the tour in Tulsa, I. I loved how. I've loved how much the city has been integral to this version of the Outsiders. But you are currently in North Carolina, I believe, and gonna head down to Orlando on your travel day. It's a little cold right now, but I think it's gonna be mid-70s when you get here, so not bad for. For a week before Christmas. Obviously, it's right around the holidays, but do you have anything that you're looking forward to doing while you're here in Central Florida? Totally.
- [18:31]
Benal Fanbrini
I. My three closest friends live actually down in Florida. We all used to live in Jersey now. Now they're all down in Florida, so I'm going to be super hyped to be able to see them then. You know, Christmas time's coming up, New Year's is coming up, so I'm going to be. I think we're going to be doing some stuff as a cast for some people who are staying with the company. I know some people are choosing to fly home, which is totally cool, but I think it's exciting. It is super cold here. I'm from Jersey, though, so I kind of did miss this little colder, layered weather just recently. Just getting out of Texas and It was like 98 degrees the other day or something like that. I was just like, okay, this is. I'm done with this. You know, Florida's super hype. I'm going to be seeing my closest friends. I think my family's going to come down as well at some point like that, so I think it'll be awesome.
- [19:12]
Matt Tamineni
Yeah. Not. Not a horrible time to. To be in Central Florida. Like, the holidays are pretty great here. You get the balance of the weather, but also kind of the. The Disney Universal magic in the air, too. So. Very cool. Very cool. Well, I. I wonder. You mentioned, you know, either being swung out or. Or calling out and watching the show, but whether it's that or, like, even if you're on stage or off stage or in the audience, is there a moment in the show every night where you're like, I need to, like, witness this, or there's something that you look forward to every night.
- [19:42]
Benal Fanbrini
Okay, there. It's because I'm on stage for this moment, but my back is turned to the rest of the audience, and I'm facing upstage with my eyes. I'm pretending to sleep. But it's the song throwing in the towel. It's the three Curtis brothers just talking about their love for each other. And it's such an. An unbelievable song. Both, like, our singers that we have performing the song, but also, like, the orchestration is unbelievable. And, like, I want to just Watch and see, like, this brotherly love on the stage and everything, but I have to lay down facing away from them every single night. So I, like, I'm lucky enough to be able to hear it on the stage, but I sometimes I just want to, like, roll over and be like, ah, yeah, this is. This is good.
- [20:23]
Matt Tamineni
This is cool.
- [20:23]
Benal Fanbrini
Like, you know.
- [20:24]
Matt Tamineni
Yeah. I mean, I roll over in the middle of the night if you're asleep. It was natural.
- [20:29]
Benal Fanbrini
It's a natural.
- [20:30]
Matt Tamineni
Yeah. I don'. All right, what about for you? What is the. Is there a moment in the show, a song and so a line in the show that you are a part of that you enjoy the most?
- [20:43]
Benal Fanbrini
I will say I do love that ending song. Song called Stay Gold. It's like a very sweet, you know, like, it's a very nice moment and then just like, hearing the audience after the song because, like, it is one of, like, the not climaxes of the story. Definitely not that, but it's more like a lot of. For a lot of people, that's when, like, the floodgates kind of open and then from then to the rest of the show, that's when it's really just coming down. But I think Stay Gold is definitely my favorite to be able to act through and perform, personally.
- [21:13]
Matt Tamineni
Yeah, I mean, like, that's become kind of the. I don't know, it's on all the merch. Like, that's the. That's the takeaway from. From this show in a lot of ways. So. All right, well, I'll wrap this up and. And let you go. I'm sure you've got a lot to do before beforehand, but this show has become not only just, you know, obviously, like we said, Tony Award winner for best musical, it's part of this long legacy of the outsiders, but it has really developed a fan following of its own. I mean, I think the fact that there's a lot of young, attractive men in the show has really spoken to a certain demographic of theater fan audiences. But as you go through, you know, the first three months of this show and you've seen people at the stage door or as you mentioned, like, even in Tulsa, just like saying, we're part of the outsiders, like, what has it been like to kind of join this show and this story in this legacy that has such a fandom and has such passionate people coming to see it every night and then obviously to interact with you either in person or on social media and stuff like that, it.
- [22:14]
Benal Fanbrini
Truly is so surreal at times. The social media aspect is. It's like, it's awesome. It's cool. Like, you know, I've seen a lot of people, a lot more people, like, wanting to know more about, like, the show and like, about our lives as the actors and everything, which is definitely, definitely cool to see. And we try and be as public as we can without obviously, you know, giving too much for ourselves. But being at the stage door is what's super surreal for me. Like, I read the book in seventh grade and I haven't touched it ever since I booked this audition. I went for this audition and then so to me, Outsiders, like, I knew the Outsiders. It wasn't like this staple in my life or anything like that at the time. But then now being at the stage door and seeing, like, children dressed up as, like, Johnny Cade or like children dressed up as Cherry Valance or like, whatever it may be, or, like, people will show me, like, their tattoos of the show and everything like that, or like tattoos of Stay gold. It's just. It is really eye opening just to see how impactful it may not have been, like, unbelievably impactful to me in seventh grade when I wasn't the biggest fan of reading a book, but now seeing it and seeing especially because it's all over the country so far, seeing how impactful it is to the story, it is super surreal to think about and to witness. But we've gotten nothing but support. The fan base is so unbelievable. I cannot tell you how many bracelets I have of Johnny or whatever it may be. But it's always, always so support, and I love them. The fan base is amazing. The fan base is super nice. Yeah, it's great. It's great.
- [23:54]
Matt Tamineni
Well, you are going to be down here in Orlando kind of a little, little longer. A little weird tour stop because of the Christmas coming up. So you've got like a week and a half here. So I hope you guys have a great stay in Orlando. I think you're going to love the Dr. Phillips. Have you ever been to the Dr. Phillips center before?
- [24:09]
Benal Fanbrini
For never.
- [24:11]
Matt Tamineni
Okay. It's a beautiful theater. I think you're really going to enjoy it. And the audiences in Orlando are just gonna flip for the show. I'm so excited to be able to see it here. I'll see it. I think I actually see it on both Tuesdays. Is that right? Yeah, Tuesday night and then Tuesday afterwards. So I'm really looking forward to seeing.
- [24:29]
Benal Fanbrini
It right after the day off. We're all fresh and everything like that. It will be feeling. Yeah, that'll be good.
- [24:33]
Matt Tamineni
I can't wait. Well, enjoy the rest of the time in North Carolina. Get down here safe and have a great holiday.
- [24:39]
Benal Fanbrini
Thanks, Matt. I'll see you around.
- [24:41]
Matt Tamineni
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