Charl Brown (2:57)

I turned off news altogether. I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything. It's the rage bait. It feels like it's trying to divide people.

Buzz Knight (3:11)

If we got clear facts, maybe we.

Charl Brown (3:13)

Can calm down a little.

Buzz Knight (3:17)

NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America, Limu, Gaymouth and Doug. Here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us. Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty. Liberty Savings Ferry underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.

Charl Brown (3:58)

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Buzz Knight (4:31)

Well, Charles, welcome to Taking a Walk. It's very nice to be with you.

Charl Brown (4:34)

It's great to be here. Thanks for having me.

Buzz Knight (4:36)

I wish we were taking a walk in person, but I do, too. I know.

Charl Brown (4:40)

Beautiful day.

Buzz Knight (4:42)

Well, we're going to talk about that, but we're going to first talk about if you could take a walk with somebody, living or dead, do you know who you would take a walk with and where would you take that walk?

Charl Brown (4:55)

I do know. I think anyone who knows me will know that my answer is Beyonce. And my walk would be from backstage to onstage with the microphone in my hand.

Buzz Knight (5:04)

Oh, making the magic happen right away.

Charl Brown (5:07)

I mean, if we can live in the dream world, I might as well be honest about it.

Buzz Knight (5:11)

That's fantastic. Now, do you ever walk through the theater district differently now than when you first came to Broadway with Sister act back in 2011?

Charl Brown (5:23)

Absolutely, I do. I have a lot of memories now, to say the least, in the theater district. You know, now having been in four Broadway shows and two off Broadway and a bunch of readings and things that rehearse in the district. It really, you know, I'm actually gonna be celebrating 20 years in New York next month.

Buzz Knight (5:43)

Congrats.

Charl Brown (5:43)

And so, you know, there's. Every time I'm walking anywhere in that theater district area, I have a specific memory about most of the places that I've either worked in or I've. Shows I've auditioned for and haven't gotten, or the ones that I have, or things I helped create, you know, did readings or workshops of, but didn't necessarily do on Broadway, things of that nature. So it now has a lot of really great memories in that area.

Buzz Knight (6:11)

Now, you were in Harlem, right? That's where I'm in.

Charl Brown (6:13)

Harlem, yes.

Buzz Knight (6:14)

Yeah. It's. What's your favorite part of that neighborhood to walk in?

Charl Brown (6:18)

Well, I live now in the Hamilton Heights section of Harlem, and I live one block from the Hudson River. So my actual favorite thing to do is to walk over to the riverbank park over here. And it's just beautiful. I mean, there is. There are restaurants, there's a carousel, there's a roller skating rink slash ice skating rink, all of the trees and places to picnic and to barbecue. I ride my bike through there for my cardio day. So, you know, the river aspect of my neighborhood is actually what keeps my mental health together, because I can just like, hop over there one block and all of a sudden be in nature and out of the busyness of the city. So I think that's been really important for me.

Buzz Knight (6:57)

Now, since playing Smokey Robinson, do people walk by you and go, wait a.

Charl Brown (7:02)

Minute, could that be not so much now, but that, you know, it does happen? Especially if I'm at an event in the theater industry, people will definitely, you know, recognize me from that and from other things that I've done on Broadway and off. But, you know, when the show was running, that happened a lot.

Buzz Knight (7:22)

Now you earned a Tony nomination for playing Smokey Robinson. Take me back to when you first got that particular call. Where were you?

Charl Brown (7:33)

So I, at the time, was living in the East Village, and I didn't even really remember that the nominations were coming out that day. When I tell you, it took me by surprise. I really was not expecting it at all. But for whatever reason, my body woke me up early that morning, and I looked at my phone, as we often do, unfortunately, first thing, and I noticed that the nominations were coming out within the next 10, 15 minutes. So I was like, you know what? I might as well watch and see if our show gets nominated. I had lots of friends. One of my best friends, Stark Sands, who was nominated that year for Kinky Boots, I wanted to see if he was gonna get nominated. I wanted to see how well our show would do. Not really thinking that I would be nominated, but also in the back of my mind, it was my first time being eligible, so I thought, if it's gonna happen, I wanna be awake to see it happen live. And lo and behold, especially with my last name being Brown, I was the first one in my category to be named, and my picture went up and then my phone blew up and the rest is history.

Buzz Knight (8:36)

How do you prepare to embody someone as iconic and still living as Smokey Robinson?

Charl Brown (8:43)

So for me, it was really about his iconic sound. I think you have to get that right in order to play someone with such a legendary voice. And I mean, speaking voice as well as singing voice. So I think the first thing I did was try to, quote, unquote, imitate his sound, but also bring my own spin to it and also my own interpretation to it as well. So that was the first thing I tackled. Luckily, you know, we live in a day and age that we have U2, and so I can. I could research a lot of the clips of him being interviewed and singing. So I tried to get that down first. But then also, of course, I read his autobiography, which really gave me a lot of insight to his point of view and his mindset, what he may or may not have been thinking throughout the show. So with those two things combined, I definitely was able to craft my interpretation of the legend and the iconic voice and person that he is.

Buzz Knight (9:37)

And you were ultimately able to bring that performance to London's West End? Yeah. How did UK audiences respond? Was it anything different, the way they responded to you?

Charl Brown (9:51)

It wasn't different, but that's what surprised me, because, you know, it. Motown being such an American art form or an American music label, I didn't realize the impact that it has had globally and overseas. Of course, I didn't know about it intellectually, but I didn't quite understand that until I got there. But people came to the West End to have a good time. The audiences were rowdier on the West End than they were on Broadway, which I found to be very surprising because Americans are known for our outgoingness, we'll say. But the UK audiences were. Were even more so. So much so that we even had to stop the show a couple times, if I recall, because of the rowdiness of the crowd. So that was actually pleasing for me to have them be so engaged in the story and to understand and know the music and the songs so well. And I think that also Was having worked with Mr. Gordy, Barry Gordy himself on Motown in America and in London, I came to understand that that was really important for him to take the Motown brand global. And I think, you know, when they had their first hits in the uk, that really was an important moment for him, which is why he was so determined to make sure it happened on the West End. And I think that that came full circle with Motown the musical. So I was very honored to be a part of that and the only one from the Broadway company who got to experience that.

Buzz Knight (11:13)

Well, take us to back to Tony and I what was it like, that moment? And describe what that's like, being there and obviously being nominated.

Charl Brown (11:23)

So I have been acting for 30 years. I started, you know, when I was a preteen. I went to a performing arts high school. That's where I got bit by the bug of theater. And so the Tony Orchard has been on my radar for a very long time. And so to be pulling up to the red carpet after having done my matinee from my Tony Award nominated performance, to get out of the car and have the cameras flashing and be on me and people wanting to interview me on the Tony's red carpet, I mean, I will start crying if I start talking about it too long. Like it really was one of the best moments of my life. And then to be greeted with such kindness from everyone in the community. A lot of people had nothing but kind things to say about my performance. And then to be sitting there when they announced my category and to have not gotten the award, I really though felt for the first time what they mean when they say it's an honor to be nominated. Because I wasn't sad or disappointed whatsoever. In fact, I was relieved in a way. Cause I didn't have to make the speech that I had been practicing since I was 12. But. But I was just. I had a feeling that I did not expect, which was, you know, what, like, no matter what, they can never take this away from me. I will forever, you know, be a Tony nominee until I'm a Tony winner someday. But, you know, and so I think that that sense of gratitude really set in. I remember very distinctively it set in, in that moment that I have nothing but pride for having, you know, gotten to that point and gotten that far. And then directly after that, being whisked away to go do my first Tony Awards performance with my cast in Motown was another magical experience. So that entire evening was like, I, you know, I think about it now and I feel like I was Living through a dream. And I was living through a dream, but it almost doesn't seem real.

Buzz Knight (13:16)

And there's another part of your story that's a bit of a dream. You break your arm in an All Star baseball game.

Charl Brown (13:22)

Oh, you've done your research. Okay.

Buzz Knight (13:24)

In eighth grade, which led you to being cast in Annie. How do you have a moment like that going from a trial by fire and then suddenly it turning out to be your path to a career, you know?

Charl Brown (13:42)

Yes. So it should be pointed out I come from a very athletic family. My dad and uncles were all high school and college football stars, Both of my brothers, high school and college football stars. My dad just retired this past season, but was a high school football coach, you know, my whole life. So, you know, athletics was a big part of my upbringing and was sort of like, quote, unquote, expected of me. So I didn't like football. I wasn't into the running or the tackle, but I really found a knack and a, a, a talent in baseball. So, you know, I played that all throughout my childhood. And then in the eighth grade, in the All Star game that summer, I was sliding into second base, who. I don't know why I was sl. Into second base. I was in the eighth grade, but I was sliding into second base, and I broke my arm, and so I couldn't play anymore. And that very same year was the year not only did my parents take me to Broadway for the first time that summer, but also I started at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. So my whole world and thought process shifted in that one year when I thought I would go on. You know, I had high school recruits who had been following my career because they knew my dad and stuff that were wanting me to come play for their high schools in baseball. But then I got into the performing arts school, and that became my passion, that became what I do still. So it was a very integral time in my life, the eighth grade.

Buzz Knight (15:07)

What are the parallels here to being an athlete and being conditioned and prepared and the parallels of the rigor of the work that you do as a Broadway performer, which astounds me when I think about that, you know, that work, that discipline. So what are the parallels in your mind?

Charl Brown (15:29)

I love that question, because there are a lot of parallels, and it's taken me a while to quite grasp the fact that actually we are athletes. You know, what we do is not only very athletic, but you have to have the same discipline and conditioning off the stage or off the field that the athletes do. So for me. It has been a testament to my upbringing in athletics and with my, you know, what I naturally gained from my family as far as discipline and conditioning. But thinking of it in that way adds another level of respect. I think that we all deserve, especially those of us who do eight shows a week. And you know, on top of eight shows a week you have auditions throughout that same week you have rehearsals when you're in the preview process, six days a week on top of doing the eight shows a week. So it really is really taxing on your body and your mind and everything and your spirit and everything else. So I think in many ways my father especially has come to now understand that I am following in his footsteps and that I actually am an athlete. And we won't even get into all the stairs you gotta climb backstage and the costume changes and the backstage choreography of it all. So it really is like, you know, going out there and playing the game.

Buzz Knight (16:39)

We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast. This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. Travel is one of the most precious things in my life and the memories of each of the experiences live on forever. Chase Sapphire Reserve allows me to travel with ease with a $300 travel credit and access to a curated collection of hotels through the edit. So no matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more with Chase sapphire reserve@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.

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Buzz Knight (18:37)

Limu Emu and Doug. Here we have the Limu emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us. Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty Liberty Liberty. Liberty Savings Fairy, underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates, excludes Massachusetts. Hey, audiobook lovers. This week on the podcast I'm sitting down with musician, producer, and walking encyclopedia Questlove. We're talking about Mark Ronson's memoir, Night People how to be a DJ in 90s New York City. All right, like we talked about before, Mark Ronson found sanctuary in the DJ booth. What's a tool or piece of equipment in the studio or on stage that gives you the most control?

Charl Brown (19:32)

So I have two microphones on stage. We have the microphone that you hear as the audience. Then we have a second microphone in which we communicate with each other.

Buzz Knight (19:42)

I feel like that second microphone kind of saved all of our friendships.

Charl Brown (19:47)

No band likes each other after 20 years or 25 years. The Beatles broke up in seven and.

Buzz Knight (19:54)

A half years, and we're going on 35. Listen to earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Commercial/Announcer (20:10)

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Buzz Knight (20:43)

Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast. I'm going to be speaking with F. Murray Abraham, who is, as you know, starring as David Siegel in the musical the Queen of Versailles. So, from one Broadway performer to another, do you have a question for F. Murray Abraham?

Charl Brown (21:08)

My question would be, what is your ritual before the show? Because we all have our own rituals and things that we do every, you know, every before every show in one capacity or another. So that would be my question.

Buzz Knight (21:20)

Oh, that's awesome. Thank you for. For doing that.

Charl Brown (21:23)

Yeah.

Buzz Knight (21:24)

You toured Europe with with Hair for two and a half years, and you became close friends with Adam Lambert. He. Is it true he had to lend you clothes in the south of France?

Charl Brown (21:35)

You are a great interviewer. Oh, my goodness. Yes. Wow. So when we. Okay, so this was back in 2003. We had just begun the tour and our producer, Wolfgang Bosch, concerts. At the time, they had booked us to go to the Grand Prix and be on a private yacht with these other pop stars named no angel, which was a pop group back then. And we were all, you know, the cast of Hair and no angel were the. We were the talent on the group on the ship during the Grand Prix for this very select, you know, group of people who were also passengers on the ship. So we fly into Nice from Germany, and, you know, for those of you who understand the geography, it's about an hour or so drive from, like, from the Nice airport to Monte Carlo, which is where we got on the boat. So I got to the airport, and my luggage was lost. I had no clothes. I'm in Monte Carlo for the first time in the south of France, trying to live this extravagant lifestyle on this, you know, exclusive yacht. Parked. I mean, we were literally docked or, you know, we were anchored right across from the Onassis boat, the Onassis yacht. I mean, it was insane. And I have no clothes, so Adam Lambert was my roommate, and he was the only person tall enough for me to borrow clothes from, so I had to borrow his clothes the whole trip.

Buzz Knight (22:57)

That is great.

Charl Brown (22:58)

Yeah.

Buzz Knight (22:58)

Wow. So let's talk about the Doo Wop project. You're now touring with it. The Avengers of Doo Wop.

Charl Brown (23:05)

Yeah.

Buzz Knight (23:06)

How do you go from playing Motown legends to preserving Doo Wop?

Charl Brown (23:11)

Well, you know, it's sort of a natural progression. You know, all of us met doing Jersey Boys on Broadway, which is, you know, which. The Four Seasons were basically a Duart group. But, you know, sounds of the 50s and 60s is really kind of what we focus on. And then I did Motown after that, so I already had sort of a background in this style of music. But we decided to start the group because we need side gigs. You're not always gonna be starring on Broadway or in hit Broadway shows that run for a long time or being able to act in a TV show that runs for a long time. So we, you know, naturally need something other than, you know, performing in those mediums to do. So we thought it would be a good idea to just get a group of guys together who enjoy the same style of music, and we have a pedigree in this style of music. On Broadway, two of the guys in our group played Frankie Valli on Broad. Another Dominic Nolfi, he played Tommy DeVito and it was in the original cast of Jersey Boys. I, of course, played Smokey Robinson. And then we have our bass man, Duane Cooper, who did Hairspray. He didn't do Jersey Boys with us, but he was in Hairspray, which was across the street from the August Wilson Theater where he did that show. So we all naturally have an inkling for this style of music as it's been a big part of our careers. So we thought we could help make ends meet by touring the performing arts and the symphony circuit with our show. At the time we were only doing like five, six gigs a year. It's now grown to about 75 gigs a year. And we just released our fifth album and we have a brand new show called Echoes of the Street. So it's kind of been this little engine that could. I don't think any of us saw back then that 15, 16 years later we'd actually still be doing this and thriving and there would still be a demand for it all across the country and the world. We've gone as far as China and Bermuda. So it really is. Has been quite a blessing in disguise. It's like one of those things that you never could have thought would work the way it has, but there is a demand for it. And a lot of people love this music. I think it's universal. I think, you know, our songs are about. Mostly about love or about the experience of loving, you know, breaking up and things like that. And it takes a lot of people back to a more innocent time in their lives. The best part is that four generations of family members can come to the same show. And I think that's what makes us so unique. You can bring grandma and your mom and your kids to the same show and have it be appropriate for all the age groups and even the kids will find something new in this music. And we also do op ify pop songs, so we make it relevant for the younger generation. And we also are. We have the nostalgia for the older generation and there's good music throughout. So it really is for everyone in between.

Buzz Knight (25:57)

Talk about community and in terms of certainly the way you just described audiences and all different types of audiences and why, you know, certainly Broadway and community around music is so important more than ever.

Charl Brown (26:13)

Well, the reason why I think it's more important than ever is because we're seeing the advance of technology and we're seeing, you know, things like AI that are coming for different parts or different corners of our industry. But the one thing that is irreplaceable is the experience of live music or live theater together with other beating human hearts in the same place, having this one experience in these four walls together. And I think that's something that hearkens back to the beginning of mankind itself. I think there has always been the ritual of coming together and expressing oneself through song or through spoken word or through dance or through visual arts or some sort of. That really is what makes us human. And you can't replace with machines or technology. So I think now to be on a journey to save Doo Wop and this specific style of music I think speaks just to the universality of music itself. I think we can all respond well to good sounds and good stories and good memories. And I think that's what we've tapped into and I think that's what keeps us going is because on one level or not, every human can relate to love. Even the kids can relate to loving their parents. Teenagers can relate to their first love. And adults can remember all of the above and break up. And all the things that we sing about are universal themes that no matter what your ethnicity is, no matter what your financial status is, no matter even what country you come from, I think that was the biggest thing to discover when we went all the way to Beijing, that there were fans out there who knew all the words in English and knew the music and could relate to it and they still, you know, stream us on Spotify and things like that. I think it's because music is a universal language that we all speak.

Buzz Knight (28:02)

And speaking to the rigors of Broadway, how does touring with the Doo Wop project differ from doing a mere eight shows a week on Broadway?

Charl Brown (28:11)

A me or eight shows a week. So there are ups and downs to everything. The eight shows a week is definitely not easy. We don't, we don't do, we don't typically do eight shows a week. You know, I think we cap it, we try and cap it at six shows in any, you know, especially when we're on our annual Florida tour, we'll pack them in because we can perform, you know, Monday through, through Saturday out there. But it's, it's different in that, you know, we're not home all the time, we don't get to sleep in our own beds and it's typically one nighters or a couple nights in the same town if we're with a symphony or so. But you know, you really have to. The travel is what takes a lot out of us. And like, as I Said, we've been doing this for over 15 years, so we're not as young of men as we used to be. So having to age, you know, while touring, on the road and all the things that come along with being so mobile and not being with your family and your loved ones takes a toll on you. And I think that's why all of us too do appreciate when the Broadway shows or the off Broadway shows do come along, that we do get to sit home and only do eight shows a week.

Buzz Knight (29:17)

Yeah, only.

Charl Brown (29:18)

Only.

Buzz Knight (29:20)

Now you mentioned with my F. Murray Abraham question, the rituals. So how do the rituals differ from the Broadway rituals versus the touring rituals?

Charl Brown (29:32)

So for me personally, I have one ritual that is the same, which is I will work out at the gym. You know, harkening back to the athleticism of it all, I'll make sure I work out at the gym every day. Every time I have to sing, I will make sure that I get a workout in that day, which not only keeps me fit for, you know, what it takes to do the show, but also I found that when my body is warm, my voice is warm. So it's sort of like my. My warmup is to go to the gym. And I feel like I can sing a lot better once I've done that. As far as, you know, the rituals, doing in shows a week and being at home, what makes it nice, especially once you get into the flow of the show, is that I can make my dinner at home and I can plan out when I'm going to eat a lot easier. When you're touring, they will provide a meal before the show, but, you know, all throughout the day, you have to try to figure out how to eat and how to eat healthy, which is another a thing I try and do. Because when you're traveling so much, you need your immune system to be good because you're around people on airplanes and trains and automobiles and the like. If one of us gets sick, we all get sick. We just went through this last month where one person was sick, and by the end of it, all five of us have the same sniffles and head cold by the end of that month, because that's just the nature of things. So I think that for me, that's the difficult thing is trying to figure out how to stay healthy and to get enough rest and to get the workout in when everything is so on the go and you can't depend on there being, you know, the kind of gym or the kind of food that you really would rather have.

Buzz Knight (31:05)

Is there a dream role that you haven't played yet, a character or a show that you're just dying to do?

Charl Brown (31:12)

Ah, well, it's a tricky question. So, yes and no. There is a dream role that I have that I haven't been able to play yet on Broadway. My favorite show is Dreamgirls. I've been able. I've been fortunate enough to play Curtis Taylor Jr. A couple times in my career regionally, most recently last summer at the Muny, which is the largest regional theater in America, actually. So I would love to get to play that part again in New York on Broadway. So I think that would be my dream role. But I always tell people, too, my actual dream role is something that hasn't been written yet or that we're unaware of yet. I really want to originate another character out of the blue so that people haven't come to know yet but will come to know as me first.

Buzz Knight (32:00)

And would that be something that you could envision creating from scratch?

Charl Brown (32:04)

Yeah, I love that process. I've been a part of lots of workshops and new musical, 29 hour readings we call them, and things like that. So, yeah, something that I can really sink my teeth into and my creativity, my artistry into and create from the ground up that, you know, has all to do with me, but also to do with that character. And for me, it would have to be something, a role that sings and dances and acts. And most recently, the show that I did off Broadway was called Joy the Musical. And I played Dan, who was Joy's boss from qvc, who hired her and gave her the opportunity to sell her miracle mops. And that has been one of my favorite roles that I would love to do again and do on Broadway because I got to do all those things. I got to sing, I got to. And I also got to do dramatic and comedic acting. So I really love getting to exercise all the different facets of myself and my artistry in one role. And that has so far been one of those roles where I get to do all those things.

Buzz Knight (33:06)

Charl Brown, thanks for bringing us the joy and bringing us everything that makes us. Makes us happy, man.

Charl Brown (33:13)

Yeah, my pleasure. Thanks for having me.

Buzz Knight (33:17)

Thanks for listening to this episode of.

Charl Brown (33:19)

The Taking a Walk podcast.

Buzz Knight (33:20)

Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking a Walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert Chase Sapphire Reserved is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the Club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.

Commercial/Announcer (34:31)

Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line, but first, there the last one. Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes.

Buzz Knight (35:00)

ABC Wednesday it's the CMA Awards Live.

Charl Brown (35:03)

That's what I'm talking about. With performances by Lainey Wilson, Kelsey Ballerini.

Buzz Knight (35:08)

Zach Topp, Ryan Lee Green, Ella Langley, Kenny Chesney, Megan Maroney, Brandi Carlisle and the hottest collabs, Miranda Lambert and Chris.

Charl Brown (35:16)

Stapleton, Jabuzzi and Stephen Wilson Jr. Big X the Plug featuring Luke Combs. It's country music's biggest night hosted by.

Commercial/Announcer (35:23)

Your girl, Lainey Wilson.

Charl Brown (35:24)

The CMA awards run Wednesday, 8, 7.

Buzz Knight (35:27)

Central on ABC and next day on Hulu.

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