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Jasmine Forsberg (Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, Six, Here Lies Love) - INTERVIEW
00:25:12
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- [00:00]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Hey.
- [00:01]
Jasmine Forsberg
Oh, my God.
- [00:01]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Hey.
- [00:01]
Jasmine Forsberg
Jasmine Forsberg.
- [00:03]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Hi. How's it going? Mickey, chill.
- [00:04]
Jasmine Forsberg
It's going very well. It's very nice to meet you here at the beautiful Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, where you're part of the company of Stephen Sondheim's old friends. How's it going with you?
- [00:13]
Mickey Jo Theatre
I'm thrilled, honestly. We are getting so close. And next Sunday, this coming Sunday is the Tony Awards. And it is so beautiful to be a part of a production that in its own right. All of the. All of the individual Stephen Sondheim shows that have been in this show have been so celebrated in their own way. And performing alongside legends every single night for only four more weeks. I mean, it's limited engagement. It's just. I'm savoring it. Savoring it is probably the perfect word for this season.
- [00:42]
Jasmine Forsberg
Yeah. We'll talk about all of the delicious, juicy details of this show and how you came to be a part of it. But let's take a really long walk up to that. And I'm curious the earliest thing that you can recall that made you feel like, I need to be performing on stage.
- [00:57]
Mickey Jo Theatre
The first thing that just came up in this moment, I was doing a production of Annie at Theater Downtown, directed by a childhood mentor of mine, Steve McKinnon. And at our closing party, it was very much, you know, the high school thing to do, and I was 10 years old at this point, but the high school thing to do or the community theater thing to do was go to Steak n Shake after you close. Like, it just is so quintessential. And I remember it was either. I think it was the day that we closed or maybe the day that we opened. I don't know, something like that. And I remember standing on the booth and Steve was like, I'll give you $20 if you stand up and sing in the middle of the steak and shake. I have no clue why this is the memory that's coming to me, but I just remember being okay, being vulnerable, having the courage to be vulnerable and just, like, sing in a restaurant and see what sticks and. And it's a memory that I look back on so fondly, and I. I can trace so much of my love for performing to specifically Steve McKinnon, to my childhood working at the Orlando Repertory Theater, now called Orlando Family Stage, and the Winter Park Playhouse. And it's just been such a joy to find my footing throughout the last 20 years of performing and now standing alongside people who've been doing this their entire lives, too. It's just so beautiful to see how anybody from all walks of life, we all have this beautiful thing in common and we can come together in a unique time and build something beautiful.
- [02:21]
Jasmine Forsberg
Yeah. Yeah. I hope that the wrap party for Stephen Sondheim's old friends is as exciting as going to the Steak n Shake.
- [02:27]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Well, well, Steak and Shake in Orlando on East Colonial Drive. You have some tough company to beat there.
- [02:32]
Jasmine Forsberg
So what did you sing? What did you get up and sing?
- [02:35]
Mickey Jo Theatre
I sang. And I am telling you from at 10.
- [02:39]
Jasmine Forsberg
At 10.
- [02:41]
Mickey Jo Theatre
At 10. I don't even think I got through the whole song, but the fact that that was coming out of my mouth at 10. Diva. Diva. Yeah.
- [02:48]
Jasmine Forsberg
She knew where she was going. It's absolutely fine. Now, this is Broadway show number three for you. We're seeing it later this weekend because we only just got into town, but I have seen you in the other two as well. I saw Here Lies Love twice. That was a great show that deserved a longer life on Broadway, I think.
- [03:06]
Mickey Jo Theatre
I could not agree more. I think Here Lies Love was one of those. I mean, I didn't realize. I'm actually. I'm dressed. Coming from the AANHPI brunch to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander performers and theater makers from this Broadway season. Being in that room surrounded by all AAPI theater makers kind of just put me back into summer of 2023. I didn't realize at the time how special it was to be in an all Filipino company, even just to have a role at not just telling a story that was Asian, but telling a story that was Filipino. It just made. Oh, my gosh, it was so deeply special to me. And I look back at that experience for what was happening not only on stage, but backstage as well. But on stage, I mean, wow, that score by David Byrne was so electric, so fun, and I don't think Broadway has seen anything like it since. And I don't know, honestly, I hope we open doors for the future. I remember on our closing performance, one of our dear producers said, this isn't a closing. It's an opening of a new chapter of theater making that requires bravery. But when people are brave and they have the courage to be brave and courage to be vulnerable, like beautiful things can happen.
- [04:22]
Jasmine Forsberg
Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was a phenomenally talented cast, yourself included. You had this exciting moment dramaturgically where you gave voice to a particular emotion within Imelda's life. And the show had had development before it came to Broadway, and there had been regional productions and there was a UK production years before Was that how that character had already been conceived? Were you sort of stepping into a track or did something change a little with your version of it?
- [04:49]
Mickey Jo Theatre
This track was very much created and molded by Maria Christina, who originated the role at the Public. And I remember when we, when I joined the Broadway company, my team and I were very passionate about having the role be named in some capacity. So Maria Luisa, where the name comes from is that she was actually one of Imelda's blue ladies who kind of helped do Imelda's bidding and was like in that socialite world. But it was so really Maria Luis's function was as Imelda's inner voice. And so it really gave this, you know, while Imelda, as this politician, had to, had to. In many ways, politicians have to shield their emotional selves. Specifically, women are thought of as being so overly emotional or that is seen as a weakness, when in reality it is. One of our greatest strengths is to be able to connect and be empathetic. With that said, it was so apparent that Imelda was pushing down all of this emotion. She couldn't show it because she was a public facing figure. And so having this character be able to reveal to the audience the rage and the hurt and the fear that she was experiencing while belting her face off, it was really fun.
- [06:07]
Jasmine Forsberg
Yeah, listen, I think you should go Broadway show to Broadway show and sing the rageful thoughts of the leading actresses who aren't able to articulate them.
- [06:16]
Mickey Jo Theatre
I'll take it. I'll take it. Let's write another one, Mickey Jones.
- [06:18]
Jasmine Forsberg
Yeah. Yeah. Now that was such an exciting experience from an audience perspective to be in that completely unique setup. What was that like as a performer to be looking out to the Broadway Theatre with like a club, nightlife, dance floor audience?
- [06:34]
Mickey Jo Theatre
It was unlike anything I've ever experienced before. And I've performed in three quarter thrust stages before, so I'm used to, I've been used to exploring the elements and being, you know, this close to an audience member before, but it was so neat. It was really interesting, not just having the dynamic of the people that were right here, but also an entire dynamic of people who were in the traditional mezzanine seating. And the Broadway theater is one of, if not the biggest houses on Broadway. So to, to have. It was so interesting. The, the hanging disco ball, the mirror ball that was hanging. If you looked up when the lights were on, when the, when the house lights were on, you could see that it was hung right where the proscenium normally was on. The stage. And so to think that, like, sometimes I would forget, I would walk into that space and be like, this isn't a Broadway theater. Like, it just. It completely transformed. And so it was really cool to. When you were standing at the back of the stage, in theory, of what the traditional house looks like, if you looked all the way to the back of the house, they were like ants. I mean, that space is massive. And so it took a lot of practice and major props to our sound designers, Cody, Spencer and Mutt, for being able to really take time to design the sound that was, like, all encompassing. And depending on where you were in the space, let's say you were in the mezzanine on one of the satellite stages. The sound was primarily coming from that area. I thought that was really, really neat and kind of reminds me of my experience in six on Broadway. We had these trackers that tracked where we were on stage, so the sound reflected that as well. It's really, really cool, what? And genius how these people can create a soundscape that's like that.
- [08:20]
Jasmine Forsberg
Yeah, yeah. Now six is the next time I got to see you on stage, and you'd done the role on tour already, and it was the first time I heard you do Heart of Stone. I'd seen six for years beforehand. I saw it back when it was at the end of a fringe. I've seen literally. Yeah, yeah, yeah. All through its lifetime, I have seen and heard literally dozens of different performers. And when you sang Heart of Stone, I felt like it was the vocal choice heard round the world. When we got to that last little section, and everyone was like, she's doing what? She's. She's scooping it up to where. And we're ending up here. Like, all the love to Natalie Mae Paris, who sings that song so immaculately and sounds every single time. I think I've heard her do it, like, 10 times over the years. Every single time exactly the same way. She is a vocal machine. And then you get to, I guess, come in and say, like, that's a great version, and I'm gonna make this different, thrilling choice. Please talk me through in as much detail how you put all that together. I assume it wasn't the first, like, audition moment. Like, you hear the song and, like, and I'm gonna do this. This, this.
- [09:26]
Mickey Jo Theatre
No, no. Very much so. Something that I usually do in an audition room is really just kind of read the ink as much as I can. They. You know, we've been taught in school, or at least I've been taught, like, the art, or, excuse me, the composer wrote it that way for a reason. So if they give you permission to do things in the rehearsal room, amazing. Also, you know, this is not to say don't give yourself permission to make bold choices either, but in the rehearsal room, or, excuse me, in the audition room, I stuck with what was written. I didn't really. And, like, actually, what's written is ad lib.
- [09:59]
Jasmine Forsberg
So you did that.
- [10:01]
Mickey Jo Theatre
So I did ad lib, but it was not the extent of what I landed on. So, yeah, I found out I got the job November of 2021 for the Aragon tour, the first national tour. And I was home for the holidays that year. That's the last Christmas I got to spend home over the last four years or so. And I was in. My best friend, Maddie Walker. I was in her kitchen, and I was like, okay, Maddie, I have this idea. I'm gonna go. But then I don't know where to go from there. Where do I go for I'm unbreakable? I don't know. And she. She thought of. And so it was. That was interesting. And that's one of the first times I was like, oh, okay, that could be something really cool. That could be something really unique. And so I took that with me to the rehearsal process when we started rehearsing Valentine's Day of 2022. And our music supervisor, the U.S. music supervisor, Roberta Duchak, really encouraged us to find our own way into these roles because, as you mentioned, Natalie Perez, stunning blueprint vog, obviously. And then. And then on Broadway, Abby Mueller, her. Her rendition is just gut wrenching. It's so beautiful. And for truthfully, for the riff that happens a little bit earlier on in the song, I actually was taking from Abby Mueller because I thought her riff was just so beautiful. And I was like, you know what? Let's try it. Let's use it as a blueprint. And it was during tech, when we were teching the show in New Haven, Connecticut, Roberta was like. And she said this with so much love, but she encouraged me to just find my own way into it. She said, Abby Mueller took the time to craft that riff for herself, and it was meaningful to her. And so Roberta said, bobby Dew is what we call her. Bobby Dew said, I want you to find that same thing for you. And so she took me down into the music director room, just one of the dressing rooms at the Shubert Theater in New Haven, and we started playing around, and she kind of just. We just kept doing the phrase. And my audio recorder was on, and we kept doing the phrase and finally just. It came out truthfully. And then we finally worked our way up to be a little more whistly and whatnot. And I remember Bobby D stopping playing the piano after I got through a passage. He was like, ooh, nobody's done that fifth. Nobody's done that fifth before. We like that one. We should really play with that one. But it was. It was a team effort. I wish I could say, oh, my gosh, I'm just a musical genius. And I thought of all this myself, but I wasn't. I mean, and that's part of the beauty of six is that it's all about working together, and we're stronger as a whole than we are individually. And so I'm so lucky that I've had mentors and friends in my life who I can lean on. And I respect their opinion so greatly. This is kind of tying it back to what we're doing right now here in Old Friends. But one of the biggest things that I've learned about being in this show alongside quite literal legends is that there is no singular way to star power. And with our two leading ladies, Leia Salonga and Bernadette Peters, it's so interesting. We all. There's, there's. This show is a matrix of internal coverage. And so when Leia's out, for example, and she's been out earlier on in this run, we all like, her single track becomes like an eight part split track. And I get to do Loving youg from Passion. I was working with our music director, Ann Britt, and she had said to me I was a little nervous because I wasn't expecting to go on that night. I'd rehearsed, of course, but, like, you never know when the first time you're gonna make that debut is. And Anne Britt said to me, one thing about Lea Salonga is she is so consistent. She does the same show every single night. You know what to expect from her as a music director, as a conductor. She was saying that she knows what to expect. And then she said about Bernadette that Annebren is chasing her across the stage every single night, because Bernadette is constantly making new choices. And I just love that both of them have their different strengths and they're both so legendary. And something about Leia, and I think I identify a little bit more, a little bit more with Leia of, like, once I make a choice that I like, I'm gonna stick with it. That's not to say that I don't love to play, But I just. It feels right in my heart. If I made that choice for a reason, that's what kind of resonates with me. And I think that'll be a challenge for myself going forward. I would encourage myself as an artist. I'm just talking into the ether here. Like, don't be afraid to, like, shake it off and make new choices going forward. But I admire Leia's consistency, and it's something that I try to adapt in my own life as a performer as well. And so I think doing that riff eight times a week was like, I committed to it and delivered. You did.
- [14:54]
Jasmine Forsberg
Oh, you did. Definitely did. I always said this is a great show of everything that you knew Bernadette could do and that you've loved Bernadette doing for years, and a lot of stuff that a lot of people never knew Lea Salonga could do because she's always been phenomenal. But even the way that she sings some of this material, I've never heard her singing like this before. And it's such a robust and powerful vocal. And when she's doing, like, the Gypsy stuff in particular, it was like, I love that Audra's doing Gypsy. Right. When that one's done, let's have a Lea Salonga gypsy.
- [15:28]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Just slot in. Just slot in. No, it's perfect. I think it's Leia's ability to stretch her range. I mean, that's one of the beautiful things about this show is it's a celebration of all of Stephen Sondheim's work, and you're gonna walk out of it falling in love with. And, like, there might be different interpretations given that it's all kind of pulled, not necessarily out of context. Like, we really try and set up the scene as much as we possibly can, but, I mean, you're getting a sampling of into the woods, you're getting a sampling of Gypsy, you're getting a sampling of Follies, and it's so beautiful to see once again with this internal matrix of coverage. Everybody's different artistic interpretations of it, because each song kind of does act as this standalone piece within. Within the greaterness of Sondheim's old friend. And so, yeah, it's really. It's really cool to see everybody come together and support one another and pull off these insane performances every single night.
- [16:27]
Jasmine Forsberg
Yeah. Yeah. Obviously, we're hoping to see all of the terrific company when we see the show at the weekend, but in my mind, without you yet telling me otherwise, your version of Loving youg has, at some point, a Scoop up into a higher octave and then just a sustained upper octave phrase.
- [16:43]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Oh, my God. Now I'm gonna need to rehearse a version of that.
- [16:47]
Jasmine Forsberg
Not at all gratuitous. I think it serves the moment. Steve would have loved it.
- [16:51]
Mickey Jo Theatre
He would have loved it. He wouldn't have loved it. Oh, my gosh.
- [16:55]
Jasmine Forsberg
Staying on Leia for a little minute. This is your second Broadway show. Working together because she was very involved in Here Lies Love. What's it been like working with her as a performer and as a person?
- [17:07]
Mickey Jo Theatre
I'm just kind of realizing that she left Here Lies Love. She was doing a limited engagement there to go do this show in London. And I did not know back in 2023 that this would be my 2025. And that's just like, I'm kind of just putting those pieces together right now. So that's really wild. But when it comes to Filipina icons, she is the standard. She is the ultimate, the top of the mountain. And I, as a young artist, people would say to me all the time, like, you're like a young Lea Salonga. And I think in part, that's, as I just said, like, there weren't many other people to compare to because she's so singular. And being a part of this moment in Broadway history where there are so many AAPI nominees at the Tonys specifically, it's just so special. It's so, so, so special. But speaking of Leia, working with her on Here Lies Love, I definitely had the. Oh, my God. I'm starstruck because I've looked up to this woman quite literally my whole life. And this time around, I feel it feels nice to really develop a friendship and a lovely rapport that is not just mentor mentee, but just like friends. Like, she's my atelia. She's my big sister. And so it is so special to have such a relationship with somebody who I never knew when I was a little girl that I would, you know, grow this close to. It's so special.
- [18:32]
Jasmine Forsberg
Yeah. Yeah. And she was somebody who was acknowledging and celebrating the brilliant and extensive AAPI representation on Broadway this season. And not just in new Tony eligible shows, but replacing and. Cause she was posting on Instagram saying, isn't it great that there's six of us? And then she was like, no, it turns out there's nine. And it just kept going and going. And there's so much brilliant talent, perhaps maybe even at a point of diversity that we've never really seen before. This might be sort of the most shows on Broadway featuring terrific AAPI talent. And there are still, like, Tony milestones happening that probably ought to have happened a really long time ago.
- [19:11]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Yeah, I couldn't agree more. And, I mean, there was a Tony graphic going around celebrating AAPI nominations and whatnot, and just kind of like giving a by the numbers glance. And it's wild to me that Leia is the only best leading actress winner. And so to have nominees across the board in so many different categories, it's just so exciting. Whether they win or not. Like, the recognition is just so beautiful. And then this is not the first of its kind. Of course, we've had Philippa Sue. Of course we've had Eva Noblezada, you know, but, like, I hope this is the standard that we are now operating at this or better, you know, so it's just. Yeah, it's a really exciting time, and I'm just so. I'm honored to be a part of this community. That luncheon this afternoon, I feel like I've had with Here Lies Love and with Broadway barkada, which is a beautiful affinity group celebrating Filipino culture on Broadway. I've had instances of acknowledging and feeling deep community with Filipinos on Broadway, but even to just acknowledge the greater AANHBI community as a whole, this luncheon this afternoon was so special, so, so, so special.
- [20:15]
Jasmine Forsberg
So when we spin off from this production and Leia mounts a full production of Gypsy, and she's playing Rose, the question is, do you want to be a June or a Louise? This is what I'm won.
- [20:26]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Well, I have not seen Audra Gypsy just yet. Cannot wait. But Joy woods is a dear friend, and I look up to her so much. She's my peer, but I look up to her so, so, so much. Her work in the Notebook was. Did you get to.
- [20:42]
Jasmine Forsberg
Oh, she's stunning. Yeah.
- [20:43]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Oh, gosh. Just so beautiful. And so. I don't know. For that reason, I kind of want to follow in her footsteps and throw in a little Louise action.
- [20:48]
Jasmine Forsberg
Sure.
- [20:49]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Yeah, sure.
- [20:49]
Jasmine Forsberg
I'd love to see it.
- [20:50]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Okay, let's make it happen. Well, I need to call Clint Ramos and tell him that we should do a Gypsy in his theater in Manila where Leia's about, where she's doing the into the Woods. Yes. Into the woods with Arielle Jacobs as well. And so, I don't know, we'll make that happen.
- [21:03]
Jasmine Forsberg
As you begin to see sort of the horizon of the end of the journey that has been Stephen Sondheim's old friends, is there one particularly great crystallizing memory or experience from the run that you've had so far, or has it just all been unanimously delicious?
- [21:21]
Mickey Jo Theatre
It's been a journey through and through. I mean, it's really cool. Also, just so you, just so the viewers know, we're right across the street from the Lena Horn where Six is. And so it's been beautiful to be right across the street from my old home. But one of the most challenging things to let go of when you're leaving a long running show, I mean, 6 is very much still running on Broadway. And I hope it runs forever and ever. Is like letting go of those friendships and not knowing what comes next out of your relationships with cast members and whatnot. And I am so grateful that I found friends for life in this company. My old friend Maria Weary. We went to school together. I was a freshman when she was a senior. She is my, my girl in this show. I think probably the happiest memory that I have in terms of like dream fulfillment alongside your friends is when I was first auditioning for this show. After a week of going in multiple times for the team, we were doing this chemistry read of sorts in front of our creative team. And Cameron McIntosh and I see Maria there and at the time, I don't know if we're going in for the same track. Like, I don't know how many people are coming total. We finally go into the room and it's Maria and I and three other men by the end of the. And like, we're just, you know, gabbing together because we are genuinely old friends. And it was so lovely to have that energy and trust in the room. And by the time the audition's done, Cameron McIntosh comes up to her and I, he puts his arms around and he's like, we're just so excited to have you like this. It's gonna be a, you know, you're gonna have so many features. The rehearsal process is gonna be so fun. Like, just gonna be a really great time. And we're looking at each other like, what is happening? Because as far as I knew, we just came in for, you know, another callback of sorts. And here Cameron McIntosh is giving us the part, telling us he's. We're gonna be in the show together. And for Maria, it's her Broadway debut. She did Dear Evan Hansen before this, but didn't like, break the leg of the stage in the Broadway company. And so to get the role, to be offered the role by legendary producer, theater maker Cameron McIntosh and then have the casting, yeah, the casting department followed a sound. They were like, did he just tell you what's happening? And we were like, we think so. And he said, great, go call your moms. Like, we're gonna call your agents. Like, you got the part. And it was. It was just to have that happen alongside an old friend. I think that's symbolic of what this show is, is bringing people together and celebration. And I brought up my experience with six because those were my girls. Like, I was just so deep. They were my sisters, my six sisters. And in my dressing room, we have the young ladies of the show. Myself, Maria, Alexa, and our wonderful dance captain, Paige. And we call ourselves the Jams. The P Jam. Including Paige, but she's often out of the dressing room because she's doing her dance captain duties. But we laugh constantly. We're constantly laughing. We're constantly up to no good. We have our own production company. Catch us, Denzel Washington. If you're watching this, we have an offer for you. Okay. There's a movie coming out. It's called the Reckoning, I think is what it's called. But that's the antics that we get up to. You know what I mean? And so it's just. That's, I think, my favorite memory of this show and something that I will easily take with me is, like, my relationships with everybody in the cast, but specifically those girls.
- [24:52]
Jasmine Forsberg
For sure. Can't wait to come and see the show. And I can't wait for the bright Broadway career ahead of you.
- [24:57]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Thank you. Thank you. Mickey. Josh. So great to chat.
- [25:00]
Jasmine Forsberg
Thank you for taking the time to chat to me for 10 more seconds. I'm Mickey Jo Theatre. Oh, my God. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day.
- [25:11]
Mickey Jo Theatre
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