Alyssa Milano's Broadway Debut! Plus, Adam Lambert & Auli'i Cravalho

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Broadway Show: Uncut — Episode: Alyssa Milano's Broadway Debut! Plus, Adam Lambert & Auli'i Cravalho

Release Date: September 27, 2024

In this riveting episode of “The Broadway Show: Uncut,” host Tamsen Fadal delves into the bustling world of Broadway with two major segments: an exclusive interview with TV sensation Alyssa Milano as she marks her Broadway debut, and an insightful conversation with pop icon Adam Lambert alongside a new cast member from the latest revival of the classic musical Cabaret. This episode offers listeners an in-depth look into the challenges, triumphs, and behind-the-scenes intricacies of bringing beloved characters to life on stage.

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Alyssa Milano's Broadway Debut as Roxie Hart in Chicago

Bringing Roxie Hart to Life

The episode kicks off with Tamsen Fadal welcoming Alyssa Milano, who shares her excitement about portraying Roxie Hart in the Tony-winning revival of Chicago.

• Alyssa Milano (00:04): Discusses the complexity of Roxie Hart, emphasizing her multifaceted nature: “She’s funny and fearless and dynamic, ambitious, all those incredible, incredible things” (00:29).

Character Exploration and Relevance

Milano delves into how Roxie Hart remains relevant three decades after the original production, highlighting the timelessness of the script, music, and character traits that resonate with modern audiences.

• Alyssa Milano (01:23): “I find that interesting, the fact that it’s still so relevant. Yeah, 30 years, you know, and I think that that says something about the writing, about the music, about the intention, about the emotion, the relatability” (01:23).

Preparation and Challenges

Facing the daunting task of learning choreography and vocal pieces within a tight three-week rehearsal period, Milano candidly shares her journey:

• Alyssa Milano (03:28): Reflects on the intensity of preparing: “I realized is the thing that makes my Roxie different is, you know, I’m only 52 on a really proud day. I’m not a professional dancer. I’m not a professional singer” (01:23).

• Milano (03:46): Admits to the overwhelming experience of hearing the orchestra: “Until my opening night, I had never heard the orchestra do any of the songs. No wonder” (03:46).

Support System and Personal Motivation

Milano attributes her courage to pursue Broadway to her family, especially her daughter, who is actively involved in musical theater.

• Alyssa Milano (06:30): “My daughter was really instrumental in helping me find the courage both my kids. Oh, wow. She’s 10 and she’s in musical theater and she auditions for things all the time” (06:30).

Insights on Live Performance

Discussing the dynamics of performing live, Milano highlights the unpredictable nature of live audiences and the adaptability required from performers.

• Alyssa Milano (08:17): “I love having the audience there. And it always is like another character in the show because it changes the dynamic of the performances every single night” (08:17).

Future Endeavors and Advocacy

Beyond acting, Milano touches upon her involvement in advocacy work, particularly focusing on perimenopause and menopause awareness, reflecting her commitment to influencing positive societal change.

• Alyssa Milano (13:32): “It’s about perimenopause...something that does not get discussed” (13:32).

Notable Quotes:

• “Roxie is a little. Not naive.” (02:26)
• “Life is long and you could. Do all the things much longer than we realized it was going to be in these years.” (07:20)
• “Don't give up. Just keep trying.” (13:25)

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Behind the Scenes of Cabaret with Adam Lambert & New Cast Member

Introduction to the Revival

Transitioning from the spotlight on Milano, the podcast introduces Adam Lambert and a new cast member as they prepare to take on roles in the visionary revival of Cabaret at the iconic Kit Kat Club.

• Paul Wontorek (15:47): Opens the segment with enthusiasm: “Welcome to Broadway” (15:47).

Personal Journeys and Broadway Dreams

Lambert reflects on his transition from pop music to theater, sharing his emotional journey and the fulfillment of long-held dreams.

• Adam Lambert (16:30): “I’m on that emotional journey, roller coaster whether I like it or not” (16:30).

The new cast member recounts their Broadway aspirations, highlighting the serendipitous nature of their career path.

• New Cast Member (16:42): “Coming back to this is like, oh, yeah, this is what I wanted when I was a kid” (16:42).

Experience with Immersive Production

Both performers discuss the unique 360-degree stage design and the immersive nature of the production, which blurs the lines between performers and audience.

• Adam Lambert (19:05): Explains the interactive elements: “Importantly, you're introducing everyone like they are truly here in the club with us” (19:05).

• New Cast Member (19:25): Describes the necessity of adapting to a round stage: “It’s abstract, it’s cool” (19:25).

Themes and Representation

Lambert and the new cast member emphasize the production’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, noting the presence of gender-fluid and transgender individuals in both cast and crew.

• Adam Lambert (22:19): “We are so blessed that our cast, but also our crew, our stage hands, our stage managers, are also gender fluid” (22:19).

• New Cast Member (25:16): Highlights the show's reflection of contemporary societal issues: “A lot of what we’re dealing with now in our culture is reflected in this piece” (25:16).

Artistic Challenges and Growth

Lambert shares his desire to shed film expectations and embrace the spontaneity of live theater, while the new cast member looks forward to expanding their acting repertoire beyond music.

• Adam Lambert (26:07): “Removing my own expectations is the goal and hopefully what I get to” (26:07).

• New Cast Member (27:43): “I’m really excited about that. And proving it to myself and digging into that and exploring the character and finding some little new things every night” (27:43).

Notable Quotes:

• “The Kit Kat Club... there’s so much about that in the experience of coming.” (20:22)
• “It is frightening. And you know, what part of this show and what makes it so incredible is that it’s scary.” (25:19)
• “That’s your Roxie and that’s my Roxie. Don’t give up. Just keep trying.” (13:25)

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Conclusion: Embracing the Broadway Spirit

The episode concludes by celebrating the vibrant energy that both Alyssa Milano and Adam Lambert bring to Broadway. Their stories underscore the dedication, resilience, and passion required to excel in live theater, serving as an inspiration to aspiring performers and Broadway enthusiasts alike. As “The Broadway Show: Uncut” wraps up, listeners are left with a deeper appreciation for the artistry and behind-the-scenes efforts that make Broadway productions like Chicago and Cabaret unforgettable.

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Key Takeaways:

• Alyssa Milano showcases her versatility and dedication in taking on a complex Broadway role, balancing personal growth with professional challenges.
• Adam Lambert and his fellow cast members reveal the transformative experience of immersive theater, emphasizing themes of diversity and societal reflection.
• The episode highlights the enduring relevance of classic musicals and the continuous evolution of Broadway through fresh talent and innovative productions.

Final Thoughts: This episode of “The Broadway Show: Uncut” masterfully blends personal narratives with professional insights, offering a comprehensive look at what it takes to shine on Broadway. Whether you’re a longtime theater aficionado or new to the stage, the discussions with Alyssa Milano and Adam Lambert provide valuable perspectives on the evolving landscape of Broadway entertainment.

Transcript

[Tamsen Fadal]

Hi there. Welcome back to the Broadway show Uncut. And it's a big one. We're hanging out with the new stars of Cabaret on Broadway. But first, TV star Alyssa Milano is making her Broadway debut this fall in the Tony winning revival of Chicago. She's playing Roxie Hart. We had a chance to chat. Let's jump in and talk about bringing Roxie Hart to life. The. Because that has to be just the most fun.

[Alyssa Milano]

It really is fun. It really is. She's such a complex character with so many layers and, you know, just on the page, you know, if you were just to take it for what's on the page, maybe, you know, you don't find the nuance. But I've really done this deep dive and learned to really love her. She's funny and fearless and dynamic, ambitious, all those incredible, incredible things. So it's really has been a wonderful, fun experience to get to explore her.

[Tamsen Fadal]

How do you pull those layers apart? Because this is a character we've known for. I feel like if you know theater, you've known Roxie Hart. But I do feel like she's all those things that we tell women to be, bold, ambitious, all the things that we're telling girls to be in so many different ways.

[Alyssa Milano]

I find that interesting, the fact that it's still so relevant. Yeah, 30 years, you know, and I think that that says something about the writing, about the music, about the intention, about the emotion, the relatability. It's tricky because when you're jumping into an institution that is Chicago, you only really have three weeks to learn the dances, to learn the songs, and to find all of that. What I've realized is the thing that makes my Roxie different is, you know, I'm only 52 on a really proud day. I'm not a professional dancer. I'm not a professional singer. And so what I bring to this character is someone who wanted to be all those things but didn't quite have what it takes. My Roxy is a little. Not naive.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Naive.

[Alyssa Milano]

Perfect.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Naive is a good word because I.

[Alyssa Milano]

Don'T want to call her ditzy because I think Roxy is so smart. You know, she always knows how to. How to get her way and she always is falling up.

[Tamsen Fadal]

You know, that's a good description of falling up. That's exactly right.

[Alyssa Milano]

So. And to me, someone who falls up all the time has to be really intelligent and street smart.

[Tamsen Fadal]

So three weeks to learn that and music and all of that and going to, like you said, an institution like Chicago with people who have been there and the ensemble for a long time and are very welcoming. I know, but it's still, you know, you're it. You're the.

[Alyssa Milano]

A lot of things are firing at once.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah.

[Alyssa Milano]

And it took me, I would say, until like, three days ago to really. For my body to go, oh, oh, we're doing all of this at once. Because you don't also. The other thing is you don't rehearse it all at once.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Okay.

[Alyssa Milano]

You do singing, and then you go to a dance rehearsal. So it wasn't until the first night that I listen to this. I had never worked with anything other than the piano until. What do you mean, the first night?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, my gosh.

[Alyssa Milano]

That I performed. Until my opening night, I had never heard the orchestra do any of the songs. No wonder.

[Tamsen Fadal]

It's only been three nights ago that you felt comfortable.

[Alyssa Milano]

I literally was like, I remember the first. Second night, I'd be sitting there, I'd be like, is that a banjo? Like, to like, turn around and be like, we have a banjo. That's amazing.

[Tamsen Fadal]

But the audience doesn't realize any of those things that are happening. They think like, yo, you got this. Done this a thousand times.

[Alyssa Milano]

No. And I would. I would come home and, you know, I'm traveling with my best friend Ella, and we've been best friends for 30 years. And he's like, I don't understand. Why are you only there three hours a day? You're going on in, like, two weeks. Like, shouldn't this be like a. I was like, well, they're all performing, right?

[Tamsen Fadal]

They're busy.

[Alyssa Milano]

So it's me and the piano and a dance captain and the stage manager.

[Tamsen Fadal]

So the first time you went on with everybody was live, Real live, really?

[Alyssa Milano]

They call it a put in, but it's like, yes.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, my gosh. Even more so to your Roxy.

[Alyssa Milano]

Isn't that amazing?

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's astonishing. I don't think anybody would ever really understand. I mean, I can't even imagine what it takes, but to even just comprehend it. Right?

[Alyssa Milano]

I mean, they kept saying to me, and I felt a little bit of relief in this. You know, Nobody's ever not been ready.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Nobody's ever not been ready. Okay. Okay.

[Alyssa Milano]

You know what I mean? They've never pressured something to go on when they didn't feel totally ready. And the last couple of days of rehearsal, I kept saying, yeah, I'm ready. Because not that I felt ready, but I just felt like everything I could learn from that part of the process was done.

[Tamsen Fadal]

You and the piano had gotten to know each other very well, yes, I.

[Alyssa Milano]

Knew the piano bits.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's. That's really incredible. It's wild. It's wild. To even understand three weeks is wild, but to understand all the rest of that is unbelievable.

[Alyssa Milano]

I would say total on the stage, maybe what, seven times before I performed. Seven times total on the stage with only the piano. Stage manager, dance captain.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Is it always something you wanted to do? Is this always something you want to do?

[Alyssa Milano]

Well, you know, I started in Annie, my second national touring company, when I was 8 years old. But then life just sort of kept going, you know, and I got who's the Boss? And so I don't. I never thought that I'd get back to this. And, you know, when I. When the audition came up, I was like, wow, this. This would be really amazing. But do I want to put myself through the process? And then what if I don't get it? Like, that's going to kill me. I don't know if I want to feel that at this point.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I don't feel like rejection.

[Alyssa Milano]

So, you know, my daughter was really instrumental in helping me find the courage both my kids. Oh, wow. She's 10 and she's in musical theater and she auditions for things all the time. And.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Great.

[Alyssa Milano]

She's like, mom, did I tell you what part I got in Peter Pan? She's doing Peter Pan. I said, what part? She said, smee. Oh, that's really cute.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That gives you courage?

[Alyssa Milano]

Yes.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That gives you courage. Yes, of course.

[Alyssa Milano]

And I want to make my kids proud. And I think there's something really lovely about showing them to never give up on your dreams. And that sometimes things are really scary, but do it anyway.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah.

[Alyssa Milano]

And it's okay.

[Tamsen Fadal]

And sometimes things happen not at the time frame that you think they're all supposed to perfectly happen. And I think we're learning that, you.

[Alyssa Milano]

Know, life is long and you could.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Do all the things much longer than we realized it was going to be in these years. Which is really interesting. Which is really interesting. So any of your who's the Boss? Co stars giving you advice on Broadway?

[Alyssa Milano]

No real advice, but I went to see Tony last week.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, you did?

[Adam Lambert]

Okay, good.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah, Carlisle.

[Alyssa Milano]

I saw his show and he'll come see.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's great. That's great.

[Alyssa Milano]

But he just sends me these texts every once in a while that says, like, lys, you're on Broadway. You know, with like five exclamation points.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, that's really cool.

[Alyssa Milano]

Very sweet.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's very cool. That's very him.

[Alyssa Milano]

Just. I mean, he loves performing. I was just Sitting in that audience at the Carlisle the other night, feeling so blessed to be. To. To be in a room with someone that. That truly loves it as much as he does still. And it's so inspiring.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Well, it's exciting when somebody just. I think that they draw energy from that live audience. Do you feel like that?

[Alyssa Milano]

Yes.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Do you feel different with a lot? Well, so a live audience is different for you in a lot of ways now, right?

[Alyssa Milano]

Yeah. I mean, who's the Boss? Was done in front of a live audience.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, that's right. That's right. Okay. Okay. So maybe that's not so different, you.

[Alyssa Milano]

Know, And I always consider, even when I'm doing tv, the crew is like the live audience. I mean, if I can make a crew member laugh, I'm like, well, this must really be funny if I'm making the grip over there laugh. But, yeah, I love having the audience there. And it always is like another character in the show because it changes the dynamic of the performances every single night, which I think people don't realize how much of a give and take that is and how if there's an audience that wants to laugh, we all feed into that and we lean into the comedy of the show. If the audience, if they aren't big laughers, you'll see that the show takes a more dramatic turn. And that's really, really cool, I think.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I don't think the audience realizes sometimes what a part they play and that you can feed off of their energy and feel them.

[Alyssa Milano]

Yeah.

[Tamsen Fadal]

You know, and I think that that's really interesting.

[Alyssa Milano]

Well, I was singing nowadays last night, and all the way up in the mezzanine. Mezzanine? Is that what that's called?

[Tamsen Fadal]

The upper level?

[Alyssa Milano]

I saw someone take out their cell phone and I actually had like a blip in my head where I was like, you know, so the audience and their attention, like, if there's just one disruptor, you really wind up feeling that.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Wow. I didn't realize that you could see all of that so clearly.

[Alyssa Milano]

Yeah. The audience, it's very, very dark. Especially in a show like Chicago, where it's. The lighting is almost meant to make everything look like it's a black and white movie, like a Vogue film.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[Alyssa Milano]

And that's why we're all in black.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah.

[Alyssa Milano]

That's why we all have the red lips on. That's why all the spotlights aren't warm spotlights, they're blue spotlights. Meant to. So everything is really dark out there.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Okay.

[Alyssa Milano]

So.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah, but when you see something like that. Wow, that's really interesting.

[Alyssa Milano]

The other thing that's interesting about Chicago is because the. The orchestra is on the stage, it's harder to hear the audience.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh. Because that's drowning everything.

[Alyssa Milano]

Normally the orchestra's in the pit, and so the laughter comes above the orchestra.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, that's interesting.

[Alyssa Milano]

Yeah. So it sometimes can be very hard to get that immediate feedback.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, that's interesting. I never thought about that. I never thought about what. Everything. You've got so many different inputs coming at you at the same time. Really. At the same time. Not just you and a piano anymore. You've all grown up.

[Alyssa Milano]

Nope.

[Tamsen Fadal]

You know, you do a lot outside of. Outside of this, with advocacy and your voice and spearheading women and just making sure that you go beyond what your career is. Where do you see things going for you and what you're interested in doing next? I mean, do you want to do more Broadway, you think? Is that. I don't know. I think I should wait for that.

[Alyssa Milano]

Question for, like, another few months. The beauty of. I mean, of course, but I think the. The beauty of. I really attribute my longevity in this business to not having a plan.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I love that.

[Alyssa Milano]

Or having a plan outside of the business that enables me to feel fulfilled and complete. And so I just kind of roll with the punches, you know? And when an opportunity comes up, that is something that is intriguing for me, I hope that I always take that opportunity to the fullest extent, no matter what that is, whether it be writing a book or writing scripts or my advocacy work and my activism, but just to really take advantage of the opportunities that are given to me. And I think that if I keep doing that, then life will continue to surprise me.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I think it's a beautiful thing. And I think that that's what you teach your children, right?

[Alyssa Milano]

Yes.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Is that everything is not on that perfect time frame, that we get disappointed by things that don't work out, because I think eventually they do.

[Alyssa Milano]

You know, they do where you're where.

[Tamsen Fadal]

You'Re supposed to be, even if it doesn't always feel like.

[Alyssa Milano]

You told my son. My son plays baseball pretty competitively. He's 13. And, you know, baseball's a really hard sport. You strike out most of the time. Tim and I tell him all the time that baseball, and this is true for life, will always reward the people who wake up the next day and forget about yesterday and continue to put one foot in front of the other and go after your dreams or, you know, hit for the fences or whatever it is. That's your roxie and that's my Roxie.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That is your Roxy.

[Alyssa Milano]

Don't give up. Just keep trying.

[Tamsen Fadal]

So I have to ask you this one question. I know you are executive producer, I think, on docuseries for menopause, Is that right? Yes.

[Alyssa Milano]

I'm excited to hear about that balance. It's about perimenopause.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Perimenopause, right.

[Alyssa Milano]

Is something that does not get discussed. But you know what? I think things are really changing. Not only are we trying to do our part with this docuseries, but also I was backstage bringing it back to Chicago and some of the ensemble boys who are married were sharing this link for a podcast. And I was like, what are you sharing? And it was a link about perimenopause and menopause. And I was like, look at you guys. And they're like, well, our wives are, you know, going through it right now. And I just thought that that was so amazing to see these guys sort of sharing that information with each other. So I think things are changing and I think that that is amazing. And I also think, you know, like, my son. My son came over to me last year. So he was in seventh grade. He's in eighth this year. Yeah, seventh grade. And he said to me, mom, what do I do if, like, if like a friend gets a period or something and doesn't? Like I said, well, you know, take your hoodie or whatever and you give it to her to tie around her waist. And, you know, so I think that's incredible that, you know, a kid's asking those questions and that's all we could hope for.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's awesome.

[Alyssa Milano]

That's all we could hope for.

[Tamsen Fadal]

My nephew is 13. I do a lot of menopause advocacy. And he said, he was listening to me on Instagram and he said to his mother, she was like having a hot flash. And he goes, are you having the menopause that Aunt Tamson talks about? And so he is very aware.

[Alyssa Milano]

Love it.

[Tamsen Fadal]

13 year old little boy, like, you know, that's not what he wants to be talking, but he's. But he knows. He knows.

[Alyssa Milano]

Love it.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah, it's pretty special.

[Alyssa Milano]

Well, good for you for doing that. It's really special.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Good for you. Thank you.

[Alyssa Milano]

Thank you.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Welcome to Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club. It's sexy, it's sinister. It's a visionary new revival of the classic Broadway musical. Here's Paul Wontorek.

[Paul Wontorek]

I love saying this. Welcome to Broadway.

[New Cast Member]

Yay.

[Paul Wontorek]

How does that feel? I know you both have had dreams of this moment of making a Broadway Debut for a long time.

[New Cast Member]

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

[Adam Lambert]

I mean, at this point, we're nearly a week away. I'm. It's funny. We started off in, of course, a rehearsal space and I felt so strong there. And then moving here because our stages in a round, I'm spinning like a top. I go where is upstage and downstage. Thankfully, the music brings me back. I'm on that emotional journey, roller coaster whether I like it or not. So that's helpful. But we. We still have some time to get rehearsing and. And I'm going to need it.

[Paul Wontorek]

Yeah. Where are the emotions for you right now, Adam?

[New Cast Member]

I'm excited. You know, it's such a full circle feeling. You know, I feel like I was on this trajectory in my 20s. I did a national tour of Wicked.

[Paul Wontorek]

Yeah.

[New Cast Member]

And then I took the fork in the road to go on American Idol. And that took me on this. The last 15 years of this other thing, which I've totally enjoyed. And I'm still on it. But coming back to this is like, oh, yeah, this is what I wanted when I was a kid. Like, this is what I thought I was going to be doing. So it feels like I've gone back in time in a way. I feel like I'm in my. I feel like I'm like 30 again because I'm doing what I was doing then, and it feels really good. Feels really good. And I love being in a cast on a stage. I missed theater people. I missed the community. You know, pop music is really fun. Rock music is really fun, but it gets a little lonely. And working with a cast and a team like this, I really missed it. It changes it.

[Paul Wontorek]

I have to tell you, I actually first met you 20 years ago this month at the Kodak Theater.

[New Cast Member]

It's a long time ago.

[Paul Wontorek]

You were starring in Ten Commandments musical. We all needed a Ten Commandments musical.

[New Cast Member]

I don't think anybody wanted it. I think they thought someone thought we needed it.

[Paul Wontorek]

And I specifically remember in the show having one of those moments in the dark of my playbill and going like, who is this? Who is this kid? Who is this kid? Because you were so fantastic. So it's taken a while, but we're thrilled you're here.

[New Cast Member]

Thank you.

[Paul Wontorek]

So cabaret, obviously it's a classic musical. I think you guys both know classic musicals. I don't think. Do either of you. Have you did a lot of classic musicals when you were a kid?

[New Cast Member]

I'm a show pony. I'm a theater queen.

[Paul Wontorek]

Is there like a 13 year old version of the MC that there's a video of.

[New Cast Member]

Duh.

[Paul Wontorek]

Have you played the mc?

[New Cast Member]

I sang a couple of the songs, yes. In a recital format. Yes. Yeah.

[Paul Wontorek]

And what about you?

[Adam Lambert]

I grew up in a small island in the middle of the sea. So, no, there are no videos of me playing Sally. I truly was not introduced to the story until I was in my late teens and I watched Queen at Liz Minnelli in the film. So coming to this now to say it's a dream come true, I didn't even know this was possible. I was like, a theater kid who didn't have an outlet. So I, like, was tortured by playing piano. Every Saturday, my mom tried to get me into dance or not baton twirling.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Not the same.

[Adam Lambert]

Not the same, by the way, as.

[Paul Wontorek]

You can maybe throw that into your Sally balls, but some baton twirling.

[Adam Lambert]

No. Do not tell anyone that I am not looking for any more choreo.

[New Cast Member]

My parents were trying to get me out of baton twirling.

[Adam Lambert]

Yeah.

[New Cast Member]

I was just doing all sorts of things in my bedroom. They were like.

[Adam Lambert]

I'm happy to be here now.

[Paul Wontorek]

Yeah. This production is wild. And it's very. 360. It's very immersive. What was it like when you first saw it and sort of entertained the idea of being up there in the middle of it? I mean, you really are working this entire club. It's wild.

[New Cast Member]

It's interesting. It's like a new muscle that you have to kind of tune into because so many of us are used to just the regular proscenium where you flatten everything out. You know what I mean? This is different. It's abstract, it's cool.

[Adam Lambert]

Yeah. And like you said, it's very immersive, like, truly interacting with these front tables. And the emcee does a wonderful job of this. And it's truly your job to also introduce everyone like they are truly here in the club with us, which helps on that emotional journey also of starting out in this tawdry, beautiful place where everything and anything goes till the very end of our show, where we're all in suits and all buttoned up very tightly and seeing that rise and fall. I think for the audience who have been included in this story, like, it emotionally affects them, which is, I think, the entire point of theater.

[Paul Wontorek]

It's also such a beautiful, queer, safe space. The Kit Kat Club. Right. There's so much about that in the experience of coming. I actually saw this show again a few weeks ago, and it was a very sort of tourist crowd. Right. It's been playing for a while, and it was really fun to watch them all sort of experience it. I love that. Is that exciting for you?

[New Cast Member]

That's one of the things that drew me to the show. And this role and this show in general, I know, have always been very subversive. And, you know, the queer sort of through line of it has always existed since the beginning, but has gotten pulled out more and more, I think, over the years, which I also really love. I think one of the things that's really exciting about this, too, is that, you know, coming in to replace two incredible stars obviously is a little intimidating. But what's been amazing is that the creative team have been very open and collaborative. They've been like, how do you see the part? What do you want to bring to it? And I think that's what's going to make it such a valuable theater experience for those of us on stage and for the audience is that it's coming from reality. We're drawing on bits of ourselves for these parts, and we've been given the freedom to do so.

[Paul Wontorek]

But you will be wearing the little, cute little birthday hat.

[Adam Lambert]

Oh, yeah.

[New Cast Member]

Which I might not rock down the street, but, you know, Tom's design of this whole thing is another thing that drew me to it. It's just. It's so pretty. It's so cool that there's a. There's like a fashion language happening. You know, it looks like an editorial. I love that.

[Paul Wontorek]

And as you mentioned, Liza Min La already, and obviously, so many incredible performers have played these roles in past Broadway productions and on film, and it's exciting to get to put your. Yourself into it. Right. So what about Sally Bowles? It's so fun to watch you, Disney girl, explore all the sides of yourself. Also in the Mean Girls film. You were fantastic in that. Thank you. What is it like to get to play someone like Sally Bowles?

[Adam Lambert]

Oh, it's a dream. I have been fighting for my life to get out of playing high school roles. Just there's such a meat to Sally. There is. You know, starting off with Don't Tell Mama where this is a large number. She is larger than life. She is Beyonce on that stage. And by the time we get to Cabaret, when she's washed all her makeup off and in a men's oversized suit and having, depending on who plays it, lost the child already or is making the choice to go through with an abortion. These themes are ones that I am so ready to take on. I am also, I believe, the youngest Sally to come Onto Broadway. I am the first person of Aapi descent for a specific Islander, that's for sure. And I love that we're including all of these flavors into this story. We are so blessed that our. Not only our cast, but also our crew, our stage hands, our stage managers, are also gender fluid. There are trans individuals who are part of our cast, as well as our stage management team. And that just allows that vibrancy to live and thrive, not only on stage, but also off of it, where we all feel safe to come to the Kit Kat Club and give parts of ourselves and then also to get it back at the end of the show, which is equally as important for these long runs when Eight shows a week, baby.

[New Cast Member]

Yeah, I think that's. It is really cool, because I think you have a show that's been around for a long time, so there's gonna be people that were buying tickets that have loved this music since the late 60s when it was first premiered on Broadway. And then it's a bit for a new generation as well. There's a lot of youth injected into this production and new ideas and sort of reflecting the world that we're in now and blending those two worlds. You can see it in the design. You can see it in some of the choreography, the choices that we're making on stage. It's very cool. It's very interesting.

[Paul Wontorek]

How do you see the emcee in this production?

[New Cast Member]

He's a bit of an orchestrator. He tends to sort of exist in a real space in the nightclub, in the KitKat club. But also he starts to sort of break out into the abstract a little bit, which is cool. He reflects in an abstract way. He reflects sort of what Sally's feeling in certain moments. He's reflecting what was going on in Germany at that point in time. The second act is a lot darker than the first act. And, you know, we start dealing with the themes of anti Semitism and fascism and misogyny, and, you know, you name a list of the things that we deal with societally. A lot of what we're dealing with now in our culture is reflected in this piece. So it's very timely 60 years later.

[Paul Wontorek]

Very timely.

[New Cast Member]

Yeah.

[Paul Wontorek]

I mean, that's what's wild about it, right?

[New Cast Member]

Yeah.

[Paul Wontorek]

And it's fun to get to, you know, make people look at their world in the context of a classic musical, Right? I mean, a classic musical, but then you're actually, like, holding a big mirror up to everybody.

[New Cast Member]

It's what makes it, I think, so strong is that it's so true to what we're going through right now. And that's. It's. It is frightening. And you know, what part of this show and what makes it so incredible is that it's scary. It is scary. The second act, you go, dang, that's. I feel uncomfortable. Great. Art's gonna make you, you know, shake in your boots and shift in your seat. And I think if you leave this place humming a song but also thinking about some stuff, I think we've done our job. I think that's the goal. Yeah.

[Paul Wontorek]

What's your biggest dream of your Broadway run? I mean, you're about to enter a Broadway run. What are you hoping the next few months of your life will be like?

[Adam Lambert]

I'm hoping to remove the expectations that film has put on myself. Honestly, that I don't know that I will have a perfect run, a perfect show. And I think I have trusted my editors and my directors to cut kind of the best parts of myself in film and put that as the final piece. And the joy of theater is doing the homework and then letting it go and trusting everyone else around you and trusting your feet. Especially when we're in a round like this, knowing where my up and down stage is, whatever that means, when we're in truly a circular stage, east, west, north. Knowing that I will probably never set up the trunk perfectly in the middle of the stage, but that I'll kick it into place during some point in the number. Like, that's the joy of also working with a live audience, like letting it breathe, letting it live. Removing my own expectations is the goal and hopefully what I get to.

[Paul Wontorek]

And like you said, the sort of the family of the show. This show specifically feels almost like a troupe of actors who. Who are like, you know, coming in and doing this sort of wild production in front of you. But those relationships are really unique to theater. Right?

[New Cast Member]

Yeah. I mean, for me, I think, you know, I've been singing now, you know, for the past 15 years, putting out albums and being on the road with Queen and doing my own tours.

[Paul Wontorek]

You're good at that, by the way. Very good at that.

[New Cast Member]

The vocal part of it to me is that's sort of a given for me. Like, that's what people know me to do. I'm really excited to dive into the acting side of this. You know, I started as an actor, I missed it. And getting to create a character and speak in a German dialect and tell a story, you know, that's beyond just a three minute pop song. I'm really excited about that. And proving it to myself and digging into that and exploring the character and finding some little new things every night. I'm excited.

[Paul Wontorek]

You both have a lot of. There's a lot of excitement and energy about both of you coming here, so I can't wait to see. I can't wait to see at the Kit Kat Club.

[New Cast Member]

Yay. We're excited to see you.

[Paul Wontorek]

Welcome to Broadway.

[New Cast Member]

Come taste the wine. Come beer the band. Come on.

[Paul Wontorek]

Do I say stem from ten Commandments, or.

[New Cast Member]

Wait, what? I think it's a still Broadway bound. Yeah, I think it's still Broadway bound.

[Paul Wontorek]

I like to think of it as Broadway bound.

[Tamsen Fadal]

And that's gonna do it for this week's episode of the pod. Until next time, I'm Tamsen Fadal, and this is the Broadway Show Uncut.