This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eila Mell: This is Hannah Kruse and you're listening to Behind the Awards.

[0:12] Eila Mell: Hello and welcome to Behind the Awards. I'm Eila. Now usually I'm just here with Bruce, but today we have a whole panel that I'm so excited about.

[0:22] Eila Mell: We have Ashley Hufford, we have Kristen Hopkins, and we have Alan Seals. Welcome everyone.

[0:29] Ashley Hufford: Hello.

[0:30] Kristen Hopkins: Hi.

[0:31] Alan Seals: Hey.

[0:32] Eila Mell: Good morning.

[0:33] Alan Seals: Good time of the day, depending on where you're listening.

[0:35] Eila Mell: That's right.

[0:36] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[0:39] Eila Mell: So Bruce, what are we doing today? This is fun.

[0:41] Bruce Gotlieb: So with the start of football season and people doing like fantasy football teams, we came up with this idea that why not, you know, make it a little bit theaterized and draft our Broadway teams.

[0:55] Bruce Gotlieb: So we're going to be picking, you know, costume designers and composers and directors and veterans, rising stars. We're going to build a whole team and we're going to defend our picks and kind of go through and see what everyone comes up with.

[1:11] Bruce Gotlieb: And then once it gets out there to all our listeners, we can't wait to hear who you would pick or who maybe you think has the strongest team.

[1:19] Bruce Gotlieb: And I think it's going to be a lot of fun.

[1:21] Eila Mell: Who'd we get wrong?

[1:22] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, I mean, you know, there's a lot of I think, you know, as with theater, everything's subjective. So who you think is a rising star? Somebody else might not. And who you think is the best choreographer? Somebody else might think you're crazy, but the heart wants what it wants, I always say.

[1:38] Eila Mell: That's true.

[1:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, I think the most shocking part about whatever's going to happen today is that there's a theater fan who also loves football.

[1:48] Alan Seals: I'm happy to be the one.

[1:50] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[1:51] Eila Mell: That's right. OK, so, Bruce, I'm going to let you take the lead on this and you guide us through.

[1:58] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. So we did a, you know, a random generator to do our picks. I'll be kicking things off with the first pick. Our first category is past performer.

[2:09] Bruce Gotlieb: So somebody who is, you know, deceased, that is no longer with us, but that we was kind of going to be the anchor for our team. For me, I am going with Chita Rivera.

[2:24] Eila Mell: OK, does anyone have to adjust their list?

[2:26] Ashley Hufford: Yep. Oh, yep.

[2:29] Kristen Hopkins: That was my number one.

[2:30] Bruce Gotlieb: OK, yeah, I had a feeling she was going to be a lot of people's number one. You know, you have to have like when developing these lists and levels of who do I pick if someone else picks? That's where it gets really dicey.

[2:42] Eila Mell: OK, all right. Who's next?

[2:44] Kristen Hopkins: You are up next.

[2:45] Ashley Hufford: Oh, OK. So I'm picking someone who is not known primarily for Broadway, but he's certainly done Broadway. And that's Robin Williams.

[2:56] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, that's a good one.

[2:57] Kristen Hopkins: Nice choice.

[2:58] Alan Seals: That's a good one.

[2:59] Ashley Hufford: Thank you. Wait, is this the first time you've done this fantasy draft for Broadway?

[3:03] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[3:04] Alan Seals: OK, OK. You know, like you would pick Robin Williams every time. That's great.

[3:07] Kristen Hopkins: OK.

[3:08] Alan Seals: Yeah, well, I'd just pick him for anything.

[3:11] Kristen Hopkins: All right, Kristen.

[3:18] Kristen Hopkins: I picked Gavin Creel.

[3:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, perfect.

[3:23] Kristen Hopkins: Always him.

[3:24] Eila Mell: Always him for me.

[3:25] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, I can't even believe that I didn't think of that. That's a perfect, perfect choice.

[3:30] Ashley Hufford: Oh, he's your professor.

[3:32] Kristen Hopkins: I know. I think I haven't fully accepted that he's not here.

[3:35] Ashley Hufford: I have not.

[3:36] Kristen Hopkins: No.

[3:37] Ashley Hufford: I have not. Even when you see clips, you're still like, oh, OK. I wonder what he's like. What's next kind of thing?

[3:41] Bruce Gotlieb: All right, Ashley.

[3:44] Ashley Hufford: OK. I feel like this one's kind of obvious to you, but I have to go with Ethel Merman.

[3:48] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, wow.

[3:49] Kristen Hopkins: I love it.

[3:50] Ashley Hufford: I love it.

[3:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, sorry.

[3:52] Kristen Hopkins: Sorry.

[3:53] Ashley Hufford: No.

[3:54] Bruce Gotlieb: I thought she might get sniped.

[3:57] Ashley Hufford: I was like, got to figure right here. Number one and number two.

[4:01] Kristen Hopkins: Oh, no.

[4:02] Ashley Hufford: No one sounds like her, you know?

[4:04] Kristen Hopkins: It's true.

[4:05] Ashley Hufford: I love a weird voice. Like, I always say this. Like, this is one thing I miss kind of on Broadway. You don't have these, like, weird voices anymore. And I just, I love them. And it's amazing that, like, this many years later, she's still one of a kind.

[4:19] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, absolutely.

[4:20] Alan Seals: All right, Alan.

[4:22] Alan Seals: Well, I'm last. All right. Well, this is not knocking my third choice. They're all good choices. I'm going with Zero Mostel.

[4:30] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, that's a brilliant choice.

[4:32] Alan Seals: That's a great choice. Like, fiddler, funny thing, forum. I mean, like, comic energy, larger than life presence. I mean, kind of in the Robin Williams camp. So I'm with you.

[4:42] Kristen Hopkins: Oh, my gosh. When I was little, my grandfather gave me this book. And it was called Zero Mostel Reads a Book. And it was just all photos of him reading a book, making funny faces. And as a kid, it was, like, the funniest thing I ever saw.

[4:56] Ashley Hufford: That is funny.

[4:57] Kristen Hopkins: That's amazing. Like, who would think of that, right?

[5:00] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[5:01] Alan Seals: I know. It's going to get published today, I can tell you.

[5:04] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, Alan, you get the first pick of the next round. So this is going to be for our director slot.

[5:11] Alan Seals: All right. Hal Prince.

[5:14] Bruce Gotlieb: There you go.

[5:15] Alan Seals: I mean, who's better?

[5:17] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah.

[5:18] Alan Seals: OK. I mean, Cabaret Company, Sweeney Todd, Evita, Phantom. I mean, just the way he brought larger than life again. The way he, like, imagined outside the box in pretty much everything he did. Just, that's what I want on my team.

[5:34] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. I mean, he created the concept musical.

[5:36] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah.

[5:37] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[5:38] Eila Mell: Mm-hmm.

[5:39] Alan Seals: He just changed the landscape of musical theater in so many ways.

[5:43] Ashley Hufford: That's the perfect choice.

[5:44] Eila Mell: Mm-hmm.

[5:45] Bruce Gotlieb: I'm very excited to be. I'm very excited because I was very passionate about this one. And I, again, this might be a little, whatever, no. I'm going with Rachel Chavkin.

[5:52] Ashley Hufford: I love Rachel Chavkin.

[5:53] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[5:55] Ashley Hufford: I will travel all around. I just went out to California. She directed The Lunchbox, which is one of my favorite shows I've seen this year. Like, incredible. And I think what Rachel does on stage is so neat and different. I went and saw Gatsby up in Boston. Like, I will travel for Rachel's. If I hear she's involved, I'm in. So, I have to go with Rachel Chavkin.

[6:16] Kristen Hopkins: That is a good choice.

[6:17] Ashley Hufford: Did they grab your hair?

[6:18] Bruce Gotlieb: Great. I love that.

[6:20] Eila Mell: All right, Kristen.

[6:21] Kristen Hopkins: Whitney White.

[6:22] Ashley Hufford: I have seen all of Whitney White shows.

[6:24] Kristen Hopkins: I don't think she's done any wrong.

[6:26] Ashley Hufford: Come for me for the last five years. I don't care. I will defend it until the day I die. I love Whitney White.

[6:31] Alan Seals: And I will see anything she does.

[6:34] Kristen Hopkins: She was the next one on my list. I was like, she's so neat.

[6:36] Ashley Hufford: Yeah, she's on my list, too.

[6:40] Kristen Hopkins: Queen of Transition. No one does it better.

[6:45] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[6:46] Eila Mell: Is it me?

[6:47] Kristen Hopkins: It is you.

[6:48] Eila Mell: I'm next. Someone who I think is just so, so undeniably talented, and that's Alex Timbers.

[6:54] Bruce Gotlieb: There you go.

[6:55] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah.

[6:56] Alan Seals: I actually thought you might take mine, Eila.

[6:59] Eila Mell: I was a little concerned.

[7:00] Alan Seals: Oh, OK. Who is it?

[7:02] Eila Mell: George C. Wolfe.

[7:03] Alan Seals: I think that, you know.

[7:05] Kristen Hopkins: He was my number two.

[7:06] Alan Seals: OK. You know, putting up a show and just creating such magic in everything he does, really. And also, some of his shows, you know, they really need him to take shape because they're an idea more than like a script sometimes.

[7:23] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure.

[7:24] Eila Mell: So, you know, you need such vision for that.

[7:26] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah, for sure.

[7:28] Bruce Gotlieb: So, we're going to move on to choreographer, which is kind of funny because you have, you know, some people who could fit into both. So, that was also something I also was thinking in my head. Are people going to pick, you know, somebody for director that they might pick for choreographer and vice versa?

[7:42] Ashley Hufford: So, for me, for choreographer, I'm going with Susan Stroman. I just think, you know, just one of those classic, you know, if you're putting up a show and you call her up, you know, you're not getting anything bad happening, so.

[7:53] Bruce Gotlieb: Never.

[7:54] Ashley Hufford: I'm going with Chris Gatelli. Just beautiful, beautiful dance.

[7:56] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah.

[7:58] Alan Seals: I believe in going full out.

[8:01] Bruce Gotlieb: So, Jerry Mitchell.

[8:02] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah.

[8:03] Ashley Hufford: There you go. I feel like we all kind of had the same four or five on the list.

[8:08] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[8:09] Kristen Hopkins: Just a matter of what order they go in.

[8:10] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[8:11] Ashley Hufford: OK.

[8:12] Ashley Hufford: This was tough. This was really tough. Could I give a few honorable mentions? I'll give two real quick honorable mentions.

[8:55] Kristen Hopkins: Yes.

[8:56] Ashley Hufford: So, the Coopermans.

[8:58] Kristen Hopkins: The Cooperman Brothers.

[8:59] Ashley Hufford: Love them. I just love, love, love The Outsiders' choreography. Like, in my mind, that is great. But I don't want to pick them because of one great, one great performance. I want a whole series. So, like, Bob Fosse was another very close second.

[9:06] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[9:07] Ashley Hufford: Yeah.

[9:08] Alan Seals: But my number one draft pick is now Camille A. Brown.

[9:09] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah.

[9:10] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, gosh.

[9:11] Ashley Hufford: Mm-hmm.

[9:12] Kristen Hopkins: Excellent.

[9:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[9:15] Ashley Hufford: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, just, I love how she's bringing, just brings everything into her work culturally. And it's a style that we, I think we need more of.

[9:20] Kristen Hopkins: Absolutely.

[9:21] Ashley Hufford: And I just want to throw an honorable mention out for Debbie Allen, too.

[9:22] Kristen Hopkins: Amen.

[9:23] Bruce Gotlieb: Amen.

[9:24] Ashley Hufford: She was on there and I was like, oh.

[9:26] Kristen Hopkins: I'm surprised you didn't go in there.

[9:27] Ashley Hufford: I know. I know. It was a selfish choice, a lot of these.

[9:30] Kristen Hopkins: I know.

[9:31] Bruce Gotlieb: I know.

[9:32] Ashley Hufford: I know.

[9:33] Kristen Hopkins: I know.

[9:34] Bruce Gotlieb: I know.

[9:35] Eila Mell: All right. What's next?

[9:54] Alan Seals: Allen, kick us off with your composer.

[9:55] Alan Seals: Oh, Sondheim, number one.

[9:56] Bruce Gotlieb: We knew that would go fast.

[9:58] Alan Seals: I'm glad I went first on that one.

[10:01] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[10:02] Alan Seals: Yeah. I mean, what more can you say? Like, it's, it's Sondheim.

[10:04] Kristen Hopkins: Yes.

[10:06] Alan Seals: Gotta have, gotta have the goat on your team.

[10:08] Ashley Hufford: Yeah.

[10:09] Bruce Gotlieb: Which is hard, because now I'm like, I mean, I figured I was not gonna guess Sondheim but I was like, I'll think about it when I get there. Now it's my turn so I have to decide.

[10:18] Ashley Hufford: At least you're going second, though.

[10:19] Bruce Gotlieb: That's true.

[10:20] Ashley Hufford: That's true.

[10:21] Eila Mell: I'm really from between. I've only picked women. I'm going to stick with that. I'm going to do Janine Tesori.

[10:25] Kristen Hopkins: Sorry.

[10:26] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[10:27] Eila Mell: She was my number two.

[10:29] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah.

[10:30] Eila Mell: I just feel like she, her music is so interesting and unique and like, I even got to go see the opera that she wrote. Like, I just find her fascinating.

[10:34] Ashley Hufford: She's a good utility for an app.

[10:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, for sure.

[10:40] Kristen Hopkins: Cool.

[10:41] Eila Mell: All right, Kristen.

[10:44] Kristen Hopkins: So this person doesn't have a lot of music, but their most famous musical runs the gamut of different types of genre. So we know that they can do a lot. And I'm going to say Jonathan Larson.

[10:54] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, yeah.

[10:55] Kristen Hopkins: There you go.

[10:56] Alan Seals: That's a great one.

[10:57] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah. Because like, Red has rock, it has gospel, it has pop, it literally has everything.

[11:02] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[11:04] Kristen Hopkins: So it's like, he can do it all.

[11:05] Alan Seals: Right.

[11:06] Kristen Hopkins: And we can only imagine that he would have just done so many incredible scores.

[11:09] Bruce Gotlieb: 100%.

[11:10] Alan Seals: Yeah.

[11:11] Kristen Hopkins: I am going with someone also pretty contemporary, Lin-Manuel Miranda, my number two.

[11:19] Bruce Gotlieb: There you go.

[11:20] Kristen Hopkins: I mean, just for in terms of being able to do it all, he too. Just Hamilton alone has so many different styles.

[11:27] Ashley Hufford: Yeah.

[11:28] Kristen Hopkins: And it's like the one show when any song from it comes on the radio. I'm excited.

[11:32] Bruce Gotlieb: Yep.

[11:33] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah, I get that. And I'm excited because we don't know a lot about Warriors. We have that score and the score is so good. But I'm just like, how are they gonna make this happen on stage? I don't know.

[11:44] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[11:45] Kristen Hopkins: But I'm thrilled to find out because I love the music already.

[11:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[11:50] Alan Seals: I'm going with somebody who obviously has Broadway credits, but also stretches over into movies. Also, I'm going with Mark Shaman. I also feel like everything he does, I just like it lives, like it stays with you and you're humming along. You're doing your thing. So I just, I want that type of joy in my life. So plus, you know, very few can be that funny.

[12:17] Ashley Hufford: So funny.

[12:18] Bruce Gotlieb: Mm-hmm.

[12:19] Alan Seals: So actually, you'd appreciate this. My number three was Anais Mitchell.

[12:22] Ashley Hufford: Yeah.

[12:23] Alan Seals: She was also my number three. I did not think her number two would win Broadway credits, but she was over there.

[12:34] Bruce Gotlieb: Anybody else have any honorable mentions we want to throw out there?

[12:37] Kristen Hopkins: Just my number two is Stephen Schwartz. I'm surprised that he didn't go, but yeah, he was also incredible.

[12:42] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[12:43] Alan Seals: Yeah.

[12:44] Kristen Hopkins: On my list.

[12:45] Bruce Gotlieb: There's so many.

[12:46] Alan Seals: Yeah.

[12:47] Kristen Hopkins: I've done candor. Like he's on there.

[12:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Of course.

[12:50] Alan Seals: Right.

[12:51] Bruce Gotlieb: And Rodgers and Hammerstein. I mean, there's so, you know, there's so many.

[12:53] Kristen Hopkins: So many.

[12:54] Bruce Gotlieb: Jason Robert Brown.

[12:55] Alan Seals: But we only get one.

[12:56] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[12:57] Kristen Hopkins: Yeah. I mean, it's just, you know, again, how do you pick?

[12:59] Bruce Gotlieb: I know.

[13:00] Alan Seals: Yeah.

[13:01] Bruce Gotlieb: One choice.

[13:02] Eila Mell: So we're going to get into a little bit more, I think, harder choices with some of the start of the onstage. So the ultimate swing, that person that is, you know, getting their gypsy robe and been like show after show after show. I was going like back and forth with like all of this and researching names, which was really interesting to me to see how many, you know, people and all that. But I'm going with Afra Hines.

[13:25] Ashley Hufford: I love Afra.

[13:27] Kristen Hopkins: What a queen.

[13:29] Ashley Hufford: I'm obsessed with her.

[13:33] Kristen Hopkins: Like, you just look at even the credits alone. I'm like, are you tired? I think you need a vacation or something.

[13:41] Bruce Gotlieb: Literally, I've missed the Broadway season and like, like years.

[13:45] Ashley Hufford: Yeah.

[13:46] Kristen Hopkins: Wow. And it's like you have like 15 credits. It's like every single season.

[13:50] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. That's pretty amazing.

[13:53] Alan Seals: All right. I'm going with Jess Leprado.

[13:56] Bruce Gotlieb: OK.

[13:57] Alan Seals: He's just such a great dancer. He's swinging in Schmigadoon right now. And he seems to go on pretty often, which is great for him.

[14:04] Bruce Gotlieb: That's fantastic.

[14:05] Kristen Hopkins: All right, Kristen.

[14:07] Kristen Hopkins: So my swing is Corrie Michelle Pettnod, who's currently in Hadestown. She's one of the fates. But she has done so, so much. I saw her in dance and I saw her. She's been in so much. She was in Lempicka. She's just incredible. I follow her on Instagram and she just gives me just all the feels when I see her dance and her voice is so sultry and incredible as well. So obsessed with her.

[14:30] Ashley Hufford: Excellent.

[14:31] Alan Seals: I'm going to go with my second, who is Nathan Lucrezio. I think that's how you say his last name. He's been in opera. I've been in, I think, three shows in a row together now because he's also in Schmigadoon and they both did Tommy together, I think, or and they both did Pirates together and something else. But anyway, he's been in a million things. I follow them because he was in Diana the Musical, but I didn't talk about Diana the Musical.

[14:52] Bruce Gotlieb: He was the reporter, and I've just followed him for many years. So I'm a huge fan of his, and he plays the farmer, I guess, in Smiggy & Alan in the ensemble, and it's just great. I love that. Okay, my number one, I'm glad nobody took this, is Cassie Silva. Cassie, I met her back when she was an understudy for Rock of Ages, and then, like, she became a universal swing for Six, knows all those tracks. Now she knows, like, she's, I think, isn't she dance camped for Ann Juliet right now? But she's understudy for Anne Hathaway and Angelique and a bunch of other ensembles. Keeps straight in her mind, just baffles me. And she's a great person on top of it, so.

[15:35] Eila Mell: Alan, has she been a guest on your show, the very popular theater podcast?

[15:39] Alan Seales: She has, yes.

[15:41] Eila Mell: Excellent. Well, I hope people will go listen to that episode, because it must be super interesting hearing what she has to say about her job.

[15:48] Alan Seales: Oh, yeah, for sure. And I just have to throw an honorable mention out. I wasn't sure if Bruce said it was okay, but I figured I would stick to, like, traditional swing, but I just want to throw out Harrison Bryan's name for understudy. He's not doing musicals, but still, he, you know, he stepped in for Ethan Slater in Marcelle on the Train and was just, made it his own. Really, really great. My second was Julie Benko.

[16:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, yeah.

[16:15] Eila Mell: I love Julie Benko.

[16:16] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[16:16] Eila Mell: The people's Fanny Bryce.

[16:18] Bruce Gotlieb: Literally, the people's Fanny Bryce.

[16:20] Eila Mell: Oh, yeah. She's got on, like, just to have such a great solo career now, like concerts and stuff, because of everything she's done, like, understudy-wise. Yeah, I love Julie, too. She's like the modern-day Shirley MacLaine, who actually became a star from being an understudy.

[16:34] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, yeah. I mean, I didn't know how to interpret this category at first, and I'm glad I went last on this, because anybody, like, so many people who are principal actors now that we know as legends started as understudies.

[16:47] Eila Mell: Right, exactly. And what I'm like, you know, I was just like...

[16:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Sun Foster?

[16:50] Eila Mell: Yeah, Sun Foster, Andre De Shields, Danny Burstein, you know, like, Stephanie J. Block, so many people, like, yeah, an understudy is a badge of honor.

[17:02] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, for sure. Whenever we have somebody on, whether their career started that way or they're currently that way, I'm always, I always ask them, like, okay, what's the mechanics of your brain? Because everyone's different, and there are days I leave the house to get three things from the grocery store, and I buy three things, but they were not the three things that I set out to get.

[17:23] Eila Mell: I don't know how you're remembering three different tracks and harmonies, and it just, it blows my mind.

[17:29] Bruce Gotlieb: So, okay, I want you to go to the grocery store and rehearse three different paths.

[17:35] Eila Mell: There you go. Buy three different things, ten times each, and then come back to me and see if you can figure that out.

[17:40] Bruce Gotlieb: Exactly. Well, it's the one that, like, six, that I think is, like, crazy makes it, like, it's, like, six, you're sitting in, like, slightly different spots.

[17:47] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[17:47] Bruce Gotlieb: Like, how do you, like, remember, like, the five spots out of the three spots? I'm, like, that's nuts.

[17:52] Eila Mell: Like.

[17:52] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. I know. Some of the things, I'm, like, okay, like, if the paths are different enough, I get that you can kind of, like, figure it out. But that, like, you know, I was humming a line, I'm singing, I'm the five guys, I'm all six of us. They're so tight. The harmonies are so tight. I don't know how they figure it out.

[18:06] Eila Mell: I know. There's studies, like, for cats, where, like, literally, you can kick someone in the face if you're in the wrong place, or be kicked in the face.

[18:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, those people impress me.

[18:15] Eila Mell: Yeah. We have an episode coming up with Brandon Contreras. I know you've had him, too, Alan. And he says the harmonies, that's the hardest part.

[18:22] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[18:23] Eila Mell: Keeping those straight. I think sometimes it's hard to sing melody when someone else is singing harmony.

[18:29] Bruce Gotlieb: For real.

[18:30] Eila Mell: Strong next to you. So to keep all of those straight, it's really, it's a very, very hard job.

[18:36] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, for sure.

[18:37] Beth Leavel: Hi, this is Beth Leavel, and behind the awards, we'll be right back.

[18:44] Beth Leavel: Don't go anywhere. Don't do it.

[18:48] Bruce Gotlieb: All right, Alan.

[18:49] Alan Seales: All right, where do we stand?

[18:50] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, we are going to start with our set designers. This is, this is tough. I'm going to pull an audible here. I'm going to tell you my number two. Okay, so I'm going to tell you what was my number one. Ming Cho Lee was my number one.

[19:01] Eila Mell: Legend.

[19:04] Bruce Gotlieb: Legend. Taught everyone who's working today, pretty much. Yeah, but I'm going to go with David Rockwell.

[19:10] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[19:10] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. The Hairspray, Rocky Horror, She Loves Me.

[19:13] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[19:13] Bruce Gotlieb: The Tuck Everlasting set, just beautiful.

[19:16] Eila Mell: Beautiful.

[19:17] Bruce Gotlieb: Plus, on top of that, he's like this famous, famous architect of Nobu and I mean, all these hotels and just amazing.

[19:26] Eila Mell: I'm thrilled because that means that I get Rachel Haack as my number two.

[19:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, well.

[19:31] Eila Mell: There you go. And I had to go with Rachel for many reasons. I think she's amazing. That's the way some of the coolest set design, obviously Hadestown. I just, I love her work. And I, I think she does some really unique stuff with Broadway staging or with theater staging in general. The, the lamps in Hadestown. There's nothing more beautiful.

[19:50] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[19:51] Eila Mell: Yeah, yeah. I was there last night. So I feel like it's really fresh in my brain.

[19:54] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure.

[19:54] Eila Mell: And I mean, when the set, it's nothing. And also, let's not forget her gorgeous set for Goodnight, Oscar. That was so great.

[20:01] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, beautiful, beautiful.

[20:03] Eila Mell: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And she's incredible on top of that. Just a great person.

[20:07] Kristen: All right, Kristen. I'm going to go with David Korins.

[20:11] Eila Mell: I love a David Korins set. He has two to three sets every, every season we have, but I think they're all beautiful and they're unique. And I'm always obsessed.

[20:23] Bruce Gotlieb: I, that was my number one, so I'll have to pivot, but yes, I'm right there with you.

[20:26] Eila Mell: Okay. Well, anyone who knows me is not going to be surprised that I'm picking Derek McClain. We wrote a book together, you know, so clearly I think his work is fantastic. But Moulin Rouge is just next level detail and just gorgeous. And, but, you know, that's just one of so many gorgeous sets. But last season, The Ballisters, you know, I loved it.

[20:50] Bruce Gotlieb: That one was so good.

[20:52] Eila Mell: Yeah. So, you know, I could, I could list a hundred sets of his that are equally good, but that's my pick. One of my, one of my favorite things that he does though is, and not to say that others don't, but specifically like Moulin Rouge, Death Becomes Her and Just in Time, you walk in and you are just surrounded by everything that he wants you to feel. You know, it takes your breath away the minute you walk in and nothing's even happened yet. So he just loves, like wraps you up in, in the environment, which is something I love.

[21:22] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. So for me pivoting a little bit, I am going to go with Scott Pask as my set designer. I think that I just love a good set. I love sitting down and Isla knows because we go to see so much together that, you know, the curtain opens, it's, you know, just being immersed into that world. And I think he does it in a really creative way.

[21:45] Eila Mell: I don't think anyone else could have created that Schmigadoon set the way he did because, I mean, just the painting that he did on that is stunning, right?

[21:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Insane. And plus, you know, Pillow Man, if you go back to that, just crazy good sets. And just interesting and Book of Mormon, you know, there's so much.

[22:03] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[22:04] Bruce Gotlieb: So I'm happy to kick off costume design because I was nervous about where I was going to wind up. But I had like, really, I'd be happy with any of my picks, but I have to go with Paul Tazwell because how do you know?

[22:16] Eila Mell: It's my number one.

[22:19] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, my God.

[22:20] Eila Mell: Sorry.

[22:21] Bruce Gotlieb: I know.

[22:21] Eila Mell: Oh, my gosh.

[22:23] Bruce Gotlieb: I know. The Wiccan of it all. I mean, really.

[22:25] Eila Mell: The Wiccan, the Hamilton, the Depth Becomes There, like so much.

[22:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. So much. The dream girls, whenever it comes.

[22:33] Eila Mell: That's right. But you know, it's in good hands.

[22:37] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[22:38] Eila Mell: Yeah. All right. Well, I am glad that mine didn't get scooped up by Bruce. It's Queen Jean.

[22:43] Kristen: Oh, my gosh.

[22:44] Eila Mell: I'm sorry.

[22:45] Kristen: That was my stupid.

[22:47] Eila Mell: Just that fashion show that happened in Cats. I, you know, I can't imagine anyone doing that any better. That was such perfection. Plus, the whole, you know, the whole Jellicle ball was an explosion of gorgeous costumes.

[23:03] Kristen: But Liberation, too, was.

[23:04] Eila Mell: I mean, Liberation was some of my favorite costumes.

[23:08] Kristen: Me, too. Me, too. I was hoping for a double win at the Tonys, but it's okay.

[23:13] Eila Mell: She won. I think you were also hoping for some of the costumes to be left on your front step.

[23:18] Kristen: Yeah. Oh, those boots that Crystal and Lloyd wore. I wanted those boots.

[23:21] Eila Mell: Stunning.

[23:24] Kristen: Yes, yes, yes. Kristen, who did you pick?

[23:27] Kristen: Oh, my goodness. I didn't pick more than two because I didn't think mine were going to get picked. But that was so, so dumb of me to not do that. So, you know what? I'm going with Clint Ramos.

[23:38] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[23:39] Kristen: Yeah. We love Clint. He is just, I feel like he just does so much and he does it well.

[23:46] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[23:47] Kristen: And yeah, Clint. And he's so thoughtful, too, about his choices.

[23:50] Eila Mell: Very.

[23:51] Kristen: Indeed. And I would so wear the outfit for maybe Happy Ending any day.

[23:57] Eila Mell: Mm-hmm.

[23:58] Kristen: It's such a cute.

[24:00] Eila Mell: So chic.

[24:01] Alan Seales: All right, Ashley.

[24:02] Ashley: I want to do DDS. Like, I was obsessed with her work. Yeah, I love African hair braiding, wedding stuff. Like, her costumes are just stunning. And like, I feel like they're only, like, she's someone who's becoming just such a staple, I think, in theater now. And I just, I love DDS. And also, her work is, she does a lot of modern day.

[24:22] Eila Mell: Yes.

[24:23] Ashley: Costuming.

[24:23] Eila Mell: Mm-hmm.

[24:25] Ashley: And that gets very underrated.

[24:26] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[24:27] Ashley: Yes. I agree. I totally agree. And I get, I think, yeah, yeah. I think of my Days of White and Roses, which is like, there was like, I just love the costuming in that. Like, even though it's like, very specific. And I'm, I see, just great. And I mean, I don't know, a lot of people may do this, but something that I appreciate that she does is that she talks to the actors and says, you know, what would you like to add to it? What would make it feel more personal to you? Because she, you know, she gets that they have to wear it and it has to, you know, she wants to.

[24:52] Eila Mell: Well, she didn't prove this year. And I was like, every time Kara walked on stage, I was like, Donna, you look so excellent. Like, everything.

[25:00] Ashley: Yes.

[25:02] Eila Mell: All right, Alan?

[25:03] Alan Seales: Greg Barnes. Aladdin, Mean Girls, Drowsy Chaperone, Follies.

[25:06] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[25:07] Alan Seales: Just, I know a Greg Barnes costume.

[25:10] Bruce Gotlieb: Tableau. That's what I'm going for.

[25:12] Alan Seales: I know when he's been part of a show.

[25:13] Bruce Gotlieb: There you go. And let's just shout out Jane Greenwood and Anne Roth too, just for, you know, veterans. And, and also Emilio Sosa.

[25:20] Eila Mell: Always Emilio.

[25:25] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, yeah. I wasn't seeing Hilferty because of, you know, again, all that.

[25:29] Eila Mell: Yeah. Well, the veteran category, which I think is going to be maybe a little more highly contested. Alan, you get to lead us off.

[25:36] Alan Seales: I'm so glad I'm leading this off. I'm picking the one and only Brian Stokes Mitchell.

[25:44] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[25:44] Alan Seales: Scorch. Just, that man can do no wrong. He is perfect in every role they give to him. Like, just, chef's kiss, no notes. And that voice is like no other.

[25:57] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, yeah.

[25:58] Alan Seales: No other.

[25:58] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, yeah. Like butter.

[25:59] Alan Seales: Yep.

[25:59] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[26:00] Alan Seales: Yeah. Well, I'm so thrilled because this is my number one pick of the whole draft. And obviously, it's Audra Dunn.

[26:07] Bruce Gotlieb: That one's the one.

[26:08] Alan Seales: I was like, I was like, I'm not getting Audra. There's no way that's exact Audra. Thrills, thrills, thrills, thrills. Obviously, I guess I was just at the festival, the, like, theater festival in upstate. Getting to see her, like, the range of her performance is just insane. Like, it's just watching her. Like, there's no one on earth who's like you. And obviously, she and Brian have, like, the most insane. Like, it was, she was getting up there and we're, like, getting to the end. And I was like, are they really not? Are for Brian not going to sing? And then she's like, you know what I was saying? If you got him, smoke him. Brian Stokes Mitchell, come on.

[26:41] Bruce Gotlieb: I do love her, so.

[26:42] Alan Seales: Bruce, do you have to pivot now?

[26:43] Bruce Gotlieb: I know she's probably your number one.

[26:45] Alan Seales: She was, but yes.

[26:46] Bruce Gotlieb: And all right. I think I've seen a lot of you of everyone. I was like, it's like, I was like, I'll not for an elector. I don't care. Like, whatever.

[26:56] Alan Seales: All right, Kristen.

[26:57] Kristen: I'm going to go with Patina Miller.

[26:59] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, I am so happy. She's going to be back on Broadway this fall in Schoolgirls, the African Mean Girl play. And I just love how versatile she is. Her voice is so unique and different. And I feel like with a lot of especially Black performers, there's not a lot of room for different voices. And they kind of want all Black women to sound the same. And so like with Audra, with Patina, their voices are so unique and so different that I'm always obsessed with her with whatever she does.

[27:27] Alan Seales: Excellent. Well, Bruce is not going to be surprised at this because I love him so much. But I'm going with Samuel L. Jackson.

[27:36] Bruce Gotlieb: Nice.

[27:37] Alan Seales: Complete. And a complete. I would say, I think, pivot from just what everybody, the expectation of what you would think.

[27:45] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, really?

[27:46] Alan Seales: Well, okay. I think, you know, obviously, we've had three musical or primarily musically based.

[27:52] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[27:52] Alan Seales: Not to say, you know, Audra's obviously won Tony's for everything. So yeah, but that's, of course, no surprise.

[27:59] Bruce Gotlieb: You love him.

[28:01] Alan Seales: I love him so much.

[28:01] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[28:01] Alan Seales: So now that I, now that my number one is taken, that now becomes even more of a struggle for me because what direction do I want to go? And I have to go with, I think I like a guess with Heather Headley because next to Audra, there's literally like a paper thin line.

[28:20] Bruce Gotlieb: She's my number two.

[28:23] Alan Seales: I think about that in the New York City Center, like at least once a week.

[28:27] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[28:27] Alan Seales: Like all the time. I mean, without Patina Miller, again, not, you can't go without Patina Miller. But like, I'll never give up. I'm, anyways, I just love her. I love her. I love her so much. Can't wait for her to come back in something. I know there's a rumor floating around, but I guess we'll see what happens.

[28:45] Bruce Gotlieb: So your rising star, which I guess, you know, is somebody who's, you know, kind of making a splash or made a splash. It hasn't had their biggest role yet, maybe.

[28:56] Alan Seales: Maybe. Yeah, it's kind of subjective who's a rising star and who's not, but that's okay. I think it might upset some people, but I have to, not upset. I mean, upset people on the panel, because I'm going to take Jasmine Amy Rogers. I just don't, I mean, there's nobody who's.

[29:10] Bruce Gotlieb: I mean, the versatility.

[29:19] Alan Seales: But I think after, sorry, Bruce.

[29:22] Bruce Gotlieb: No, I was just gonna say the versatility of like, going from Boop to seeing her, you know, in Spelling Bee, which is so different, but just as much tension. And like, it's her performance was exquisite. I can't wait to see what she does with Sound of Music. All of it. I'm here for her. And at the wild party, like I was mesmerized the entire time by her. Like she was just so.

[29:45] Eila Mell: At the festival, she did a concert, a 30-minute set of a bunch of her music. And she sang some, like, I forgot she did that one night in Oklahoma, where she was Ato Annie. And I was like, you know, I wouldn't even know this was you. Like, because it was like her performance, her body, her voice is completely changed. I was like, this is insane. Like, it's so good. She can even transform her look so much that you don't know. She disappears into roles in a way that many people just can't do. From books she's telling me, you would not know it was the same actress. But I think that this is the last time we can call her a rising star. I get the sound of music. That's it. She's a star.

[30:27] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Oh, it's me, right? So I am going with Jack Malone. Nice. Love him. Nice. I am going to go with so he is a West End star, but he's making his Broadway debut. And it's going to be Bradley Jaden. I saw him in Les Mis, and my mouth was wide open. And I know in Wanted, my mouth will be on the floor.

[30:49] Eila Mell: And how exciting that he's stepping into that show.

[30:52] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes. So it's already my favorite show. So I cannot wait to see what he does with the role. It's funny, because we just had him on a couple of weeks ago, just specifically to talk about Les Mis. And we said, you know, like, what's coming up? And he's like, nothing, I'm going to, you know, to do, you know, Chicago in like, Tokyo, like, that was it. And he's like, I just gonna see what happens. And then I think it was like, a week later, we were like, Well, I guess this is what's happened. And so excited.

[31:17] Eila Mell: Yeah, I found this category really hard, because I was like, what counts? Because it's someone like a Dwayne Woods, like last year on it. But now that she's too big, she's a star. Like, she's never, she's led multiple shows. She's a star. I wouldn't like a Celia Pfeiffer, where I'm like, to me, like, she's already kind of a star, like, not really, you know, like, wherever I saw, I'm going with someone who I, I would say, to me is a true rising star. And that's Steven, who is just that cast at Rocky and Rocky Horror was in Sunset Boulevard, as in the ensemble, but also understudied for Joe. And then it was most recently, my favorite, obviously, Shane Hollander in the off Broadway, he arrived, I think they are incredible.

And I think watching what Demon does, I went to their first show in Rocky, I thought they were so good. I thought they're the sky's the limit. They're at Penn State, New York, Peter grad, young, I think, like, 24, 23, like, someone who I just think is going to be someone to really keep an eye on over the next few years and careers.

[32:15] Bruce Gotlieb: Love it. I've changed my answer. After every one of you have gone. Based on what you said, not because you've taken my choices. But because of what you said has made me rethink things. Celia Pfeiffer was number two, Joy Woods was is on my list. But like, like joy, joy. I mean, it rising star, I guess it's somebody you know, is really good. That isn't a principal role. I'm a major principal, a leading role on Broadway. I Yes, joy was, but if, okay, I'm gonna go with joy, unless I'm not allowed to have to go with Okay, all right. Okay, joy. I was gonna pivot to Malia joy moon, but I'm going joy.

[33:00] Eila Mell: Yeah, she's got a Netflix show coming to you. And not just any Netflix show. I know, different world. I cannot wait. I know. I know. But I think in both of their cases, joy was Emily a joy moon, even though she has a Tony. I still think the best, you know, like there's bigger stuff coming for them. So that's why I think they totally qualify.

[33:24] Bruce Gotlieb: I almost think Diego, Diego Rodriguez is going to be probably I don't think it's going to be enough in a Vita was a you know, it was a was in sunset was Jay in a Vita in the last time. Well, I'm assuming, again, only it's been announced will be shipped. Like I think he is such a superstar. And I'm like, I just can't wait for him to explode. So good. And I thought I also included Helen Jason, who again, I've like, let it bottle itself. Yeah, I feel like again, like we're right on the cusp of Helen just being the star.

[33:51] Eila Mell: Yeah, yeah, yeah. She was on my list too. Yeah. All right. One more category, right? One more category. This is our import category. Alan, kick us off. I want to bring in Amy Atkinson, who is getting imported. Okay. Okay. Because the one of the original six Catherine Parr has just been like, on people's radar ever since and now they're bringing her in for like this final. She's gonna be part of the closing cast, right? And like, is the idea? So yeah, yeah, they haven't announced any other changes. Yeah, but I'm very excited to see her locally here in New York, because she is getting imported.

[34:26] Bruce Gotlieb: Amazing. I'm thrilled because this one I almost picked as composer. And she's been very much on my mind because she's a superstar in her own right. But Sarah Brown says she I've been following Sarah since I was like in college, but I have loved her as a musician for years and years. When I found out she was writing a musical, I was like, this is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Watch her just bloom into the like actress she's become is because I went and saw her early in waitress and I was like, Oh, she sounds amazing. And then now you're like, Oh, this is like, she's an actress. And she's like, it's amazing to watch. I can't wait to see the interesting things like one of my most anticipated shows of next year. I'm going out to ask to add services because see it like I just love her. And I'm really happy that she's on my team.

[35:11] Eila Mell: Did you see the clip? Yeah, it's kind of making its way around from I guess she did. With Good Grief coming out. She did, I guess an interview talked about she wrote waitress after not getting cast into the woods prior to the one that she just had all these feelings and like, she put it into writing a musical, which I think is just so awesome.

[35:36] Bruce Gotlieb: I'm going to her they're doing today they're doing a one night or heard the releasing her documentary, the documentary in theaters. So that's my my evening plans tonight. I just love that I don't like one to both her radio city music shows. I just like I'm obsessed with her.

[35:51] Eila Mell: So I can't that's amazing. Fantastic. All right, Kristen. I'm importing Halle Bailey. She is just the ultimate Ariel to me. I saw that movie probably five times in theaters and I hate going to the movies. And I saw her other movie that she just did. The rom com. I saw that three times in theaters. And again, I hate going in movies. I just think she's so perfect. She's so sweet. Her voice is stunning. And she can do no wrong in my eyes. There you go.

[36:23] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. I'm so glad no one picked my choice because I'm so excited about this because I think she is just such a great actress. Well, she's hilarious, but she's great dramatically too. And it's Nisi Nash.

[36:32] Eila Mell: Mm hmm. I like. Yes, that's an excellent choice. I would love to see her on stage.

[36:39] Bruce Gotlieb: That's a really good choice. I wanted to go Hannah Waddingham. Oh, yeah. That's a great, great movie. Yeah. But she she hasn't been on Broadway, but she's got a big West End career. I just yeah, Hannah. And it's not just about it. She wanted to be on Broadway to be on Broadway.

[36:54] Eila Mell: Yeah, sure. I think. But I don't think anyone's turning her down.

[36:59] Bruce Gotlieb: No, I feel like every year there's like rumors of what she's going to do and they're like, oh, maybe she'll come to Paddington or she'll come do that becomes very like nothing has happened yet. But like, it doesn't matter.

[37:05] Eila Mell: Yeah, I agree with that for sure. She was on my list also. And, you know, going back and forth with who I want to go with. And I decided ultimately to go a little bit newer. So I'm going with Sam Tuddy because I just love two strangers. And he definitely is an important and I can't wait to see what he does next. So I know he's such a delight.

[37:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Yeah. So now we have these amazing teams, but we can't do anything with them. It was the joy of putting it together.

[37:37] Eila Mell: Oh, my God. So can we do it all over again?

[37:44] Bruce Gotlieb: I mean, we could. Yeah. Can we can we do like a fake sports, put them all in as a fake sport and see what team wins? I don't know. Can we give them stats? I'm sure they're part two. There's a way to figure it out.

[37:57] Eila Mell: Well, yeah, I don't know. Maybe like behind the scenes, we can we could assign real stats and wins and losses based on current things happening. But I don't know. I don't know what to figure this out. I think there's a way.

[38:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, Bruce had some other ideas, but it would have had to have been for people who just have shows this season. But that was cool, too. Like you get what were the kind of things like you get?

[38:23] Eila Mell: Yeah. So you can get points like if you are part of, you know, original Broadway cast album, if you're nominated or when a Tony like, you know, so there could be certain benchmarks, but we would have to then say, OK, we can only pick people that are involved in the current season.

[38:39] Bruce Gotlieb: We should do this again when nominations come out in the spring. Yeah. And we can only choose from the drama desk and Tony nominee pool.

[38:47] Eila Mell: Oh, I like that. That'd be fun. Yeah. The whole of the awards play and you can grab.

[38:54] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. OK. All right. All right. Take a date and we'll reconvene.

[39:07] Eila Mell: Me picking very young in every category.

[39:10] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, I know. But it's like a real thing. You'd only pick one person from one category. That's going to be.

[39:16] Eila Mell: Yeah. All right. Perfect. Great idea. We will do it.

[39:21] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Well, thank you so much for joining us. This has been one of my favorite episodes we've ever done. This is so much fun. Absolutely.

[39:28] Eila Mell: So. All right. So I know that our audience is going to want more of all of you. So Alan has the theater podcast. Mm hmm. How else can people find you, Alan?

[39:36] Alan Seales: Alan Seals dot com. I'm on Instagram. I'm Alan Seals and theater underscore podcast. I spell it the T.R.E. way. Yeah. Just find me at the theater podcast dot com or Alan Seals dot com. Those are my two leaning spots.

[39:48] Eila Mell: Excellent. And Kristen, where are people finding you?

[39:53] Kristen Bria: You can find me on Instagram and TikTok at at Kristen Bria, K.R.I.S.T.I.N. underscore B.R.I.A.

[40:01] Eila Mell: Yes. Follow Kristen, Ashley and Alan and Ashley, where are people finding you? You are so busy. So we love seeing everywhere that you pop up.

[40:07] Ashley Hufford: Yeah, mostly Instagram and TikTok. And with my name, Ashley, H.L.I., Hufford, H-U-F-F-O-R-D, lots of theater to come. It's going to be a busy, busy fall. So I'm really excited for everything.

[40:22] Eila Mell: Yeah. And it's a good idea. Yes. Oh, my gosh. We love this. And it's a good idea, Alan, to come together at the end of the season. This way we can reflect.

[40:31] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right. So just one last question for everybody. Just before we go, what are you most excited to see this season? Mine is Wanted. I love that musical. I saw it twice at Paper Mill and I will be seeing it multiple times when it opens. I'm already taking a church like my group at church to go see it. So it's already it's already everything that I already want and more.

[40:55] Kristen Bria: Excellent. I was so disappointed that I didn't get there at Paper Mill. I was trying to and it just like the date like it just didn't align. And then when I heard it was coming, I was because I do love to see, you know, the level of incarnation.

[41:06] Eila Mell: Yeah. Ashley, how about you? What are you looking forward to?

[41:12] Ashley Hufford: I have to one is so like literally a decade ago, I saw African schoolgirls at MCC downtown at Bloor Springs. Let's help. Like, and so I'm really excited to see it on Broadway. I'm like, so then I think that I still think 10 years ago, I'll probably that's all coming to Broadway. That's wild. I'm really excited for that. And then I'm really, really excited for that. And like, every one of my friends has been like, it is. London is like, it is so good. It is so good. It's so good. So I just can't believe I'm finally gonna have the opportunity to see it on Broadway.

[41:43] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, for sure. Alan.

[41:45] Alan Seales: Either wanted and wanted in Warriors in my top two.

[41:48] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, yeah. 100%.

[41:50] Alan Seales: Yeah, I'm excited for this bad to see who's gonna be such a battle. And I'm like, last season was just kind of is great. But it's like a weird season. And this year, I'm like, it is so competitive already. Like thinking about like the best actress category, where you have like Sulea and Jasmine and Rachel, I'm like, it's just gonna be insane. And like, they just announced the rest of the Galileo cast just came out like seconds ago. Like, it's just gonna be a thing.

[42:15] Bruce Gotlieb: I think I mean, I'm going back and forth. I'm so excited about the cast for other desert cities. I think that it's so exciting to see all of them. I'm super intrigued to about Jasmine, Amy Rogers in how depending on how they go with sound the music and casting and stuff. So those are the two Oh, and of course, Evita to throw that in.

[42:37] Eila Mell: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And for me, it's other desert cities, because you know, that cast is going to be brilliant. Ed Harris, anything he does is for seeing Angelina Jolie, Dreyfus and you know, but also warriors I want to see. And, and then you know, I have to give credit, because I've already seen it to paranormal activity. I was very excited to see that.

[43:00] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, yes. I need to figure out what I'm doing.

[43:02] Eila Mell: Yeah. I'm too afraid to see it.

[43:05] Bruce Gotlieb: It is scary, but it's really good. It's a good story to on top of it. But yeah, like a doll's house jump scary.

[43:16] Eila Mell: It's both.

[43:17] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, because that got me. I would jump scares on in live theater, but okay, I can't wait for this.

[43:24] Eila Mell: I don't consider I get startled at jump scares. But that doesn't make something scary to me just because it's just your body's reaction. But there are things in paranormal activity that are scary. So I appreciated that. I like scary. So I appreciated that.

[43:41] Alan Seales: I mean, I wanted to be actually scared. It's like, I did great. I really liked gray house. And it was really dark. It's so good. Great. Great. Great house. Yes.

[43:54] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. I really liked it. I just wanted to be scared. And I wasn't really scared. And I wasn't people. But we look at paranormal activities actually scary. So

[44:01] Eila Mell: Right? Yeah. Same playwright, but just a better story this time around.

[44:05] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[44:06] Eila Mell: And it has nothing really to do with the movie, except that it's the franchise.

[44:09] Bruce Gotlieb: Interesting. Because they do away with the found footage, which is smart for the stage.

[44:14] Eila Mell: Yes.

[44:15] Bruce Gotlieb: You know, I did watch this screen of found footage for two hours.

[44:19] Eila Mell: Yeah, I was wondering what are they going to do with that? But yeah, but it's better this way.

[44:24] Eila Mell: So. All right. Well, thank you, everyone, once again. And we will see everyone next time on behind the awards. Bye.

[44:31] All: Bye.

[44:32] Eila Mell: Thank you.