Robert Downey Jr.'s Broadway Debut! Plus, James Monroe Iglehart

Summary

The Broadway Show: Uncut – Episode Summary

Episode: Robert Downey Jr.'s Broadway Debut! Plus, James Monroe Iglehart
Release Date: October 2, 2024
Host: Tamsen Fadal
Guests: Robert Downey Jr. & James Monroe Iglehart

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Introduction

In this vibrant episode of "The Broadway Show: Uncut," host Tamsen Fadal delves deep into the exhilarating world of Broadway with two prominent figures making significant strides on stage. The episode spotlights Robert Downey Jr.'s highly anticipated Broadway debut and features an engaging conversation with Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart about his portrayal of Louis Armstrong in "A Wonderful World" at Studio 54.

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Robert Downey Jr.'s Broadway Debut

Interviewed By: Paul Wontorek
Key Highlights:

• Transition to Broadway: Robert Downey Jr. shares his unique journey from Hollywood to the Broadway stage, expressing profound enthusiasm and dedication. He remarks, “[00:47] Robert Downey Jr.: ...this is now my home. I spend more time here than I do anywhere else,” highlighting his commitment to his Broadway role.

• Choice of Play: Downey discusses his selection of the play, a thought-provoking piece by novelist McNeil, which intertwines themes of a health crisis and a Nobel Prize within a narrative that explores humanity and the essence of art in the near future. He states, “[02:24] Robert Downey Jr.: ...this is a preeminent voice, and I believe now that more people are going to understand that literature is alive and well in America.”

• Integration of Technology and Art: A significant aspect of the play involves a "metahuman" digital likeness of Downey’s character, a concept he explores alongside the Russo brothers. He reflects, “[03:52] Robert Downey Jr.: ...this stuff only goes so far. It’ll never be us, will never be it. But I think that we have to come to some sort of homeostasis of understanding how to be good stewards of this emerging technology.”

• Perspective on AI and Modernity: Downey emphasizes a balanced view on technological advancements, noting, “[04:55] Robert Downey Jr.: ...American Artists... comfortable with owning the power of ourselves as innovators... McNeil represents this kind of dying out generation of American folks who are willing to explore and not feel too daunted by it.”

• Expectations for the Audience: He builds excitement by assuring the audience that the production will offer unexpected and thrilling experiences, concluding, “[06:03] Robert Downey Jr.: ...I think we're going to put on a good show.”

Notable Quote: “I’ve learned more here in the last couple weeks than I did in the entirety of all the theater experience I ever had.” – Robert Downey Jr. [00:47]

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James Monroe Iglehart in "A Wonderful World"

Interviewed By: Tamsen Fadal
Key Highlights:

• Character Development: James Monroe Iglehart elaborates on his role as Louis Armstrong, detailing the complexities of portraying the jazz legend. He shares insights into the rigorous process of embodying Armstrong’s voice and mannerisms, stating, “[09:30] James Monroe Iglehart: ...we have a dialect coach, so now it's like, not just getting the voice, but actually getting the way he said things.”

• Exploration of Louis Armstrong's Life: Iglehart discusses the depth of research involved in understanding Armstrong’s life, including interactions with his wives and the impact they had on his career. He says, “[14:00] James Monroe Iglehart: ...we were like, eek. Well, we want to honor that, but we also wanted to give the wives a very strong voice...”

• Balancing Historical Accuracy and Artistic Expression: The conversation highlights the challenges of staying true to Armstrong’s legacy while introducing compelling narrative elements. Iglehart remarks, “[16:22] James Monroe Iglehart: ...they have to know those names. They have to.”

• Personal Reflections and Growth: Iglehart shares personal anecdotes about maintaining his authentic self amidst fame, emphasizing the importance of staying grounded. He reflects, “[17:04] James Monroe Iglehart: ...let's stay grounded. Let's not let an award show or a nomination or a new role make us think that we're bigger than we are.”

• Co-Directing Role: Balancing his acting responsibilities with co-directing, Iglehart discusses the collaborative nature of directing a Broadway show while performing on stage. He humorously admits, “[20:51] James Monroe Iglehart: ...Whoever thought they should do that is a complete idiot. Oh, that's me, right? Co-directing has been wonderful.”

Notable Quote: “Louis Armstrong wanted to make people happy with his music. His music was happy music.” – James Monroe Iglehart [17:22]

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Conclusion

This episode of "The Broadway Show: Uncut" offers listeners an intimate look into the lives of two distinguished performers embarking on significant Broadway ventures. Robert Downey Jr. brings his legendary screen presence to the stage, exploring new dimensions of his craft, while James Monroe Iglehart embodies the spirit and complexity of Louis Armstrong, offering a heartfelt portrayal enriched by thorough research and personal dedication.

Both guests emphasize the profound connection between art, technology, and human experience, underscoring Broadway's role as a vibrant platform for storytelling and innovation. Their discussions provide valuable insights into the dedication and passion required to excel in the competitive world of Broadway, making this episode a must-listen for theater enthusiasts and fans alike.

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Stay Tuned: For more in-depth interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from Broadway’s brightest stars, tune in to "The Broadway Show: Uncut" every week. Visit www.thebroadwayshow.com for additional content and updates.

Transcript

[Tamsen Fadal]

Welcome to the Broadway show Uncut. I'm Tamsen Fadal. This is a place we talk about Broadway's biggest shows and, of course, where we also get a chance to go in depth with Broadway's top talent. It's a Wonderful World. Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart is back on Broadway playing Louis Armstrong in A Wonderful world at Studio 54. But first, Robert Downey Jr. Is here talking about making his Broadway debut in a play that's perfect for this moment. McNeil, here's Paul Wontorek with the interview.

[Paul Wontorek]

Well, welcome. Welcome to Broadway. How does it feel to be in Lincoln Center? I mean, we're in sort of the rehearsal room of Lincoln Center. You are treading the boards of the Vivian Beaumont. I mean, what does all this mean to you?

[Robert Downey Jr.]

Well, first of all, this is our large rehearsal space, and this is now my home. I spend more time here than I do anywhere else. I've learned more here in the last couple weeks than I did in the entirety of all the theater experience I ever had. But I'm able to bring all the experience I've had and other mediums back to here, and so it feels unnaturally natural.

[Paul Wontorek]

Yeah, I love it. You know, there's this new. When I sort of first fell in love with Broadway, you didn't really get people that's sort of the peak of their career coming to Broadway. And there's this new beautiful wave happening. I mean, you know, Jessica Chastain actually came right after winning an Oscar as well. I love this. I think you beat her, though. You're coming even a little quicker. A little quicker. So why is this the time? And I know that you did theater as a kid.

[Robert Downey Jr.]

Yeah.

[Paul Wontorek]

I know about Stage Door Manor and your showdown at the Joyce.

[Robert Downey Jr.]

Okay.

[Paul Wontorek]

Yeah. And up in Rochester. And I know you've done some theater.

[Robert Downey Jr.]

That is correct.

[Paul Wontorek]

But you're back and you're doing it. Why is now the time?

[Robert Downey Jr.]

You know, I'd like to pretend that I have some grand design about how things happen. Susan Downey handed me this script. I looked at the title. I said, that's a cool title. She goes, it's theater. I love this writer. I'm not going to say anything. I'm not going to try to color your experience of reading this. And I. I knew I was doing it practically from jump.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Wow.

[Robert Downey Jr.]

I was absolutely certain I was doing it before I was done reading it. Which when that happens, there's no why. You just feel like, oh, because I feel like, oh, my God. Like, this is a gift.

[Paul Wontorek]

So this guy McNeil, very successful novelist, finds out he's sort of in a health crisis.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Yep.

[Paul Wontorek]

Beginning of the show.

[Robert Downey Jr.]

Yeah. And this is Eyad. You know, I think he's a preeminent voice, and I believe now that more people are going to understand that literature is alive and well in America, and theater is one of its primary points of expression. So imagine just this. If I'm pitching you as an actor who's kind of, you know, had a pretty good career. Okay, so a guy basically gets a terminal diagnosis and is awarded the Nobel Prize in the same day. You go, like, I'm in. Yeah, but then that's not enough. The journey of what AAD has to say about humanity, about why art matters, about why the soul of the cultural kind of expression, of what it means to be human is still relevant and can only be expressed by humans. But this takes place in the near future, where that's all in question. And then you add Bartlett Cher to the mix, and I'm like, oh, my God. And I was. I was not incorrect. It's been astonishingly cool.

[Paul Wontorek]

So there's also a metahuman digital likeness. Is that the phrase? Sure of you. Have you met your metahuman digital Downy.

[Robert Downey Jr.]

We call it for short. I was working with the Russo brothers, who I'll be working with again. And between Avengers films, we were capturing this just because nowadays it's almost like insurance against identity theft. And so that was another connection point. When this came, I was like, oh, let me put my team with Jake Barton, who's doing a lot of the tech design. And, yeah, so it was just pretty synchronistic. Look, this stuff only goes so far. It'll never be us, will never be it. But I think that we have to come to some sort of homeostasis of understanding how to be good stewards of this emerging technology.

[Paul Wontorek]

In addition to this play being sort of a ripe human drama, you have a lot of great other actors to play off of. And telling McNeil's sort of the people in his life, right? Yeah, but you're also. The character is experimenting with AI. Is AI something that keeps you up at night? Obviously, it's been a hot topic. Been a hot topic in Hollywood and everywhere.

[Robert Downey Jr.]

Well, I'm not jaded. I've just seen so many. Just even in my usual day job, you know, films and television stuff. Like, I've seen so many technologies come through that people are like, oh, my God, this is a game changer. And 20 minutes later, it's boring. And I think that particularly as an American Artist. We're very. We have contempt for those things that are trying to tell us that it's out of our reach. We're very comfortable with owning the power of ourselves as innovators, as. And I think that that's a quintessentially. Not to make a blanket statement, but American trait. So I'm really glad that McNeil represents this kind of dying out generation of American folks who don't quite understand the implications, but they're willing to explore and not feel too daunted by it.

[Paul Wontorek]

What do you think audiences are in for? It sounds like such a forward, modern play, and it's gonna be a beautiful physical production from what I' Yes. At the Vivienne Belmont, which I think is one of the grandest Broadway venues.

[Robert Downey Jr.]

It's bananas. I mean, I think audiences can expect the unexpected. It truly, truly. As we're fleshing it out, I'm realizing more and more that Susan Downey was right. This is the right next move. And Ayad and Bart and this absolutely fantastic cast. I think we're going to. I think we're going to put on a good show.

[Paul Wontorek]

Theater is very special because, you know, when you're sort of locked in a room with a bunch of people for a couple hours, it's exciting. I mean, exciting things can happen. And, you know, I was reading the story that Philip Seymour Hoffman saw you do the play up in Rochester when you were a teen.

[Robert Downey Jr.]

Yes.

[Paul Wontorek]

And was inspired. I mean, which is such a beautiful thing to hear. And that's the type of stuff that happens on Broadway. People come see something. And are you excited to have that interaction with a bunch of humans in a room?

[Robert Downey Jr.]

Of course. You know, and I've always gone and seen my peers who were doing theater. I went and saw Jeremy with Enemy of the People, Jeremy Strong. But, you know, we're all kind of in an escape room right now, and the only way out is to put on a show.

[Paul Wontorek]

I love that. I can't wait to see the show.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Thank you.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Tony winner James Monroe Iglehart's back on Broadway playing Louis Armstrong in a Wonderful world at Studio 54. Louis Armstrong is one of the most important and influential figures in the history of jazz, and of all music, for that matter. I had a chance to sit down with James Monroe Iglehart at so and so's. All right, well, let's just dive in. We talked a little bit about this last time. Some time has gone by. How's everything going now? Third week in rehearsal, we are right.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

At that section where we're learning what is working and what is not. And I think when people hear that, they may think it's a negative. And. No, actually, it isn't. It's actually a really positive moment to like, okay, we've gone through chapter one, chapter two. Oh, you know, when we sat down and wrote it or thought about it, we thought this was going to be the most brilliant idea. Now that we've put it up, this is awful. We need to change this right now, and we need to have an extra meeting about it. Then we'll go back, have an extra meeting, go back in the next day and go. That's what we were looking for. You know, we're at that place now where when we're putting the pieces together, we're going, wow, that seemed like a good idea. But in real life, it's not. Or something that we went, oof. I don't know if that's gonna work. And then we watch it and we go, damn, we were smarter than we thought. That's beautiful. You know, we're right there.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Brilliant.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Yeah, we're right there right now, which is a great place to be because we still have, you know, three weeks left of rehearsal in the room. We also have, you know, tech, and then we have preview. So we're right in a really good place right now.

[Tamsen Fadal]

It's really exciting. Are you still learning new things about Louis Armstrong or his life?

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Yeah, I think the things now we're just learning, like, little bitty things. Like, you know, you learn this, like, this giant arc of the man, but then once you start getting into the weeds, you start going, well, was he there at that time? And if he was, can we do that? So it's little nitpicky things now. Also, we have a dialect coach, so now it's like, not just getting the voice, but actually getting the way he said things. Like, you know, we say heard, and he say heard. You know, I talked to my girl and I was heard, and it's first time, and it's first. First and heard. You're like, holy crap, I gotta change my who? The way my lips talk just so I can, you know, really? Like, the voice is one thing, but to actually talk like the man is something else. So listening to tons of interviews or listening to the way he sings or where. What words he extends in songs and what words he doesn't when he's speaking, it's very interesting.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Did you realize the nuance of that when you said, this is. This is what we're gonna be doing? I mean, that is.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

I did a little bit of it, you know? Cause I like. I do, like, imitations. I like imitating people from my friends. So there was little. You usually pick, like, one thing to do, but when you're playing a role, you're like, oh, it's not an imitation. I have kind of embody what the guy is. So I knew it was coming. I just didn't know, you know, there is. We just have different dialects. And to get his dialect, which is a mixture of New Orleans, Chicago, New York, but also just the jazz world he lived in with the guys where they made up words, that's a whole different thing too.

[Tamsen Fadal]

You know, they made up words.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

What do they make up? Oh, God. You know, if he didn't know people's names, they were pops, he was cats. It was like, you know, he would, like, the heebie jeebies moment. He's like, is that what I get? You're like, what did he say? And then his wife would say, he just makes up stuff. You know, he'll be in a song, and he'll just, like, take a word, like, do something weird with it. You're like, okay, that's it. It's really fun to watch.

[Tamsen Fadal]

How. How have you transformed your voice and kept it healthy at the same time?

[James Monroe Iglehart]

That is the. That's the challenge. There's really no healthy way to do it, but we're finding healthier ways to do it. As you hear in the morning, my voice is. My voice is always deep in the morning, but I am here right now. And that's because, you know, when I'm doing his voice during the daytime. And basically, the best way to do it is I warm up before I do his voice, I warm down after, and then I don't talk. You know, with this role, I won't be. Most people know that I go out at the end of a show and sign autographs all the time, and I talk to the fans for, like, a good hour. I probably won't be able to do that with this one. So I'm trying to figure out a way that I can connect with the fans after the show that they know that they'll still know I love them and everything. But just understand, this is one of those shows. I won't be able to go out and talk as much just because I have to use the voice for the show. But don't get me wrong, I'll still be out there doing weird stuff and, you know, telling jokes and being.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I have a feeling I'm gonna come by You. And I'll be like, I thought you said you weren't coming out right.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

I know. I say all that. My wife's like, you were out there for how long? See, what happened with it was this kid. And once I see kids ask me questions, I, like, forget everything.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Oh, gosh. And kids are gonna love this.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Gosh, I love this.

[Tamsen Fadal]

They're gonna love this. Okay, deep your voice. Deep. His voice, deep. What's the difference of the.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

His voice got deeper over time.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Okay.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

I kind of have my dad's voice. Like, if you listen. Not that you would, but if you go on Amazon or Prime and see some of the films that my dad said, I have my father's speaking voice, which is kind of fun. But with his voice, it got deeper over time, especially when his voice started becoming more scratchy. And so, like, when he was younger, he was like, you know, when I first studied it, so it's still New Orleans. But as he got older, he would talk about Joe Glaser and things like that, and all of a sudden, his voice was like, really here? And even the way he sang, he didn't change keys that much, but his voice definitely got deeper also. You know, at the time, people thought drinking and smoking was health. You're like, oh, my God, I have a cold. We should have a cigarette. No, no, no. That's the wrong thing to do. Which did not help his voice at all.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah, little tweaks here and there. This is told from the point of his four wives.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

To a certain extent, certain things have changed. When we were out of town, it was definitely narrated by the wives, and we've kind of shifted more to. The wives are with him, definitely in their very strong presence. But Louis kind of telling is because we found out that he's one of the only jazz legends that wrote his own autobiography. And he had this specific need to tell his story, and so we were like, eek. Well, we want to honor that, but we also wanted to give the wives a very strong voice, because without them, Lewis would not be who he is. So the wives have a very strong voice in each chapter. And we're kind of going through his, you know, his version of the story, which I always find funny. And what I mean by. By that is I don't know if women do it, but I know men do it. When a man tells a story when he's 16, it's one way, and then he gets to 30, and all of a sudden, the story kind of morphs a little bit more to make him more of the hero, of course. So by the time he's 70 years old, no one helped him. He did it all himself. It was amazing how far this man got with no one's help. And Lewis is very. If you read his books, like the first book he wrote, like, the last one, it was like, wow, you did everything, didn't you?

[Tamsen Fadal]

I know what you did.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

And so it's one of those moments. What I love about Louis, I say both Louis and Louis, he was a product of his time. He's a male of his time.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah. Yes.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

And I think a lot of his views or things would change if he was in 2024. But because he's from the 20s and, you know, a man growing up through civil rights and things and angry at certain things as he told the stories, they morphed over time. So we're kind of doing that moment of how he wanted to tell his story. And the wives are kind of like, nah, that's not what happened.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Is there one in particular. Is there one in particular that made you go, what?

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Yeah. Lil Hardin, his second wife.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Okay.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

If she had been a man, and, you know, I don't want to take that lightly, but if she had been born male, she would probably be one of the greats of jazz. But because she was a woman, the men, you know, treated her a little bit like, well, you go listen to a woman. She was one of the best piano players in the world. Most people don't know that A lot of Louis music originally was arranged by her. She really helped out King Jo Oliver, who was Louis mentor. I mean, this woman was a. A powerful, amazingly talented woman in jazz, but they kind of buried her. And when he first talked about her, he talks about how wonderful she was and how much she helped him, and she was the first one he could read music, but she's the one that said, you should start playing classical music. You should start playing this as well as jazz. If you have your chops in classical and in jazz, you will be amazing at what you can do. And as he got older, through his third wife and fourth wife, by the time he talked about Lil again, all of a sudden he was like, well, you know, Lil wasn't so great. I did things on my own, and everybody was. We were there. That's not what happened.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That might be a man tendency that might.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

You know, it was amazing how all of a sudden she wasn't as. You know, as prominent in his decisions. She was right there making them. She's the reason. I mean, this is. I'm not Telling people anything they won't see in the story or don't know. She's the reason why he left King Joe Oliver. She said, you are a wonderful porn player, and you need to be first. That was one thing. She's the one that came up with some of the songs that they recorded that were his famous songs. She is the one that the entire time. She is the one that tried to get him to stop going out with gangsters and stop hanging out with the brothers. She was the one.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I love that tried to. I love that you're bringing her story to life.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Yes. And she shaped Louis into Louis Armstrong. He was very okay with being second fiddle. She was the one that pushed him out to become Louis Armstrong that everybody knows. She was the one that pushed him out front, you know, saying, you should sing, you should do these things. And for him to go back and be like, yeah, yeah, I did it all myself.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I was like, what was her name?

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Her name, right? Yeah. Lillian Hart, AKA Lil Harden. She is an incredible, incredible jazz great. Honestly, you could do a whole musical about Lil. You could do a whole show about Lil on her own, and she's got. She also made her own records. So when I think about the two ladies in his life that were the most important, I think about, to me, the other wives are there. I mean, Daisy shaped him as well as Alpha, but as far as Lewis and being who he is, Lil Harden and then his last wife, Lucille, are the ones who really kind of, you know, made him.

[Tamsen Fadal]

But I love that. I love that you're bringing their stories to light, and then people are gonna know those names.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

They have to.

[Tamsen Fadal]

They have to know those names.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

They have to. You know, in his case, it is so true that behind every great man is a great woman. And in his case, there were four.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Is there anything in particular that really speaks to you in terms of his music? Is there something. I mean, there's everything to everyone, but is there something that speaks to you day in and day out? After hearing it all these years, I.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Think what I love about Louis and it resonates with me the most is because this is how I try to live my. He really just wanted to be happy. He really just wanted to be positive. He didn't like conflict. He didn't like fighting. He really just. He liked good food. This is terrible. So he liked good food, good women, and good music.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

And that's really what he wanted to do. Well, you know, when you say that, I know. It always makes it seem like the women are different, but it was a different time. But I think that's what he really enjoyed. He loved being with friends. He loved laughing. But the music he made, he wanted it to be infectious. He had this saying. He was like, look, if the music is. If it sounds good, then it is good. And that's how he felt. He felt like all these people trying to, you know, play these different styles and saying, my style is this my style. Look, is the music good? Then that's all that matters. And so if you listen to music, if you listen to Lewis's music over time, it's really about happiness. Even when he's talking about heartbreak, he's got some rhythm on it where he's laughing through it. He just wanted to, you know, make people happy with his music. And that's one of the things that I love about him. His music was happy music.

[Tamsen Fadal]

You're so perfect for that, though, because every time I see you, you're so happy all the time. I think of the iconic characters you've played and roles that you've taken on stage and taken on in challenges, and it's just really a cool one to add.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

To be honest, I don't like conflict. I know there has to be. I know you can't have a good story without it. I know life is not a life without conflict. But I also know that we don't have to give in to the negativity of everything going around. There's a positive silver lining in everything. I know sometimes it may be hard to find, but that's just how I am. And I. I would rather laugh with people than, you know, than argue with them. And if I can, you know, play a happy role, no matter even if there's negativity and there's got to be a happy. There's got to be a silver lining. There's got to be a rainbow somewhere. So that's kind of how I live my life. My wife and I do, too. We're like, nah, we're gonna be happy.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I'll never forget your story after the Tonys of going to get fast food. That is.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Oh, gosh. Yeah.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Was it McDonald's, or was it McDonald's? I'll never forget that Lindsay and I were talking about it before the interview.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

No, we just, you know, we want to be grounded. This is all I wanted when I was a kid was to be famous. Cause I thought that was gonna make things better.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

I thought that was gonna make me better.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Yeah.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

And I got. I'm not famous. I got a little bit of fame. I got a little bit of notoriety. And I realized I was still a little bit unhappy, and I didn't know why. And I realized, oh, I'm still me. That hasn't changed. And I know that's so cliche, but I'm still me. When I wake up in the morning, people go, hey, oh, my God, you're James Iglehart. And I'm like, yeah, I'm still James Igerhart. I was really hoping something would change. I'd be different. And now that when I think about it, my wife and I just go, okay, look, so what makes us happy? Let's stay grounded. Let's not let an award show or a nomination or a new role make us think that we're bigger than we are. My mama had this saying. She was like, don't play big when little's got you.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Ooh.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

And that has stayed with me forever. And not that I'm little, but, like, I always try to live by that. I'm like, look, man, you know, keep it simple.

[Tamsen Fadal]

That's what we all need to hear.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Like, you know, ice cream and french fries. I'm cool. I don't need. I don't need fancy parties. I don't need all that. I mean, we'll go. Cause you're supposed to, you know, you always have to, you know, schmooze people. Hi. How are you doing? Hello.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Anyway, I'll take the trophy.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

I'll take it. I'll take it. And then you get like, did we have the salad and the beef? Yeah. Where we going now? We are going to Burger King. Cause I don't know what we had tonight. You know what I mean?

[Tamsen Fadal]

Let's talk about co directing. Sure. Co directing and being a on stage at the same time.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Yes, it is. Whoever thought they should do that is a complete idiot. Oh, that's me, right? Co directing has been wonderful. I love it. I've always wanted to direct. And with ours, it's a little bit different because there's three of us. So it's really about us getting together in a room and talking about exactly what our objectives are and to make sure that the way we speak is in one voice, whoever it's coming from. The cool part is because I'm on stage, there is a rule that actors don't direct other actors. So I do my best not to direct the actors directly unless they have asked me for a note or something. But usually what I do is I'll give my notes to my colleagues. My colleagues will give them back, or we'll discuss. And then when it's time to do a scene, they'll step in and I'll step into the role. And then if my alternate steps in for rehearsal, I'll step out, look at it, you know, say so and so and so and so and so. And they'll look at it, and then they'll go and execute. So I am, you know, I'm not the silent partner, but I am directing. But I'm trying not to overstep the bounds that we as theater creatives have, you know, made over the years. But it is fun, and we have been shaping the show. I have a lot of say in what is being done, what is being shown, and what is being put up there. And I'm hoping that when this wonderful production goes on without me, I will step into a director's role for other projects. I have some other projects on the back burner because, you know, I can't do a cartwheel forever. I mean, I can, but they'll have to pay me more to do it. Cause I'm getting older. So being behind the table and going, go here, go here, go here. You know what I'm saying? You gotta know where you are. And this directing thing is something I really want to do. I have some heroes. Christopher Ashley, of course, my boy Tommy Kail, Casey Nichola, Kenny Leon, you know, George C. Wolfe, those folks. So Lear, who worked on Hercules as well as the wonderful into the Woods. You know, when I think of these folks, I go, okay, yeah, I'd like to be in that group with those folks.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Well, I'll see you back here for that interview.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

That's gonna be fun.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I always enjoy our time together. I really do. I'm so happy for you.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

Thank you.

[Tamsen Fadal]

I really, really am.

[James Monroe Iglehart]

You've always been wonderful to me. And whenever you call, I'll be there.

[Tamsen Fadal]

Aw, thank you, sir. And that's gonna do it for this week's episode of the pod. But be sure to check out the Broadway show on television. You can check your local listings at the broadway show.com. until next time, I'm Tamsen Fadal, and this is the Broadway show Uncle.