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[0:00] Joe Rosko: Hey, what's going on? Welcome to Built For The Stage Podcast. This is Joe Rosko, founder and host of Built For The Stage, Broadway's number one fitness platform with clients in over 20 Broadway shows, the West End, Australia, Tokyo, Disney. We are your one-stop shop for all things theater and fitness. BuiltForTheStage.com. Check us out. This is episode 263. We've done 263 of these. We're excited for this special guest. They're over in London right now in the revival of EVITA and quite a bit of buzz going on about the show. Our guest is no stranger to the West End, to London. They've been in My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Sister Act, Grease on tour, Mamma Mia. So yeah, we're in good hands here. Excited to hear about them just in their trajectory of a career in theater. They're also a big fitness buff. They're cool, have a motorcycle. I don't know, this person's it. So let's bring on our special guest. Please welcome to Built For The Stage podcast, Damian Buhagiar.

[1:22] Damian Buhagiar: Hello.

[1:22] Joe Rosko: Hello, hello.

[1:23] Damian Buhagiar: Hello, hello.

[1:25] Joe Rosko: All right. Let's see if the internet gods will allow us here. Yes. Okay. So back to where we started. It's 2 p.m. ish around in London. You've gotten your workout in. Yeah. Tell us about your workout.

[1:41] Damian Buhagiar: Yeah. I mean, fitness has always been an important part in my profession because obviously it's important to keep fit, not just to look good or to feel good, but also because it's a discipline that, you know, I'm a dancer myself and I consider myself an athlete. And to be an athlete, you have to look after your body and your body has to look after you. So I think fitness collaborates is an important, most really important factor in your in my daily schedule as an actor, as a dancer, as a performer and as an athlete. So, yes, today I went to the gym. I thought it was a good, good mindset. I was in a good spirit. You know, it's a good start for the day. You know, I did a little chest workout today.

I thought chest was a good idea. Chest is my favorite. So it makes me feel good and, you know, I can give it a good pump. And then I went to the steam room and did a little swim, just a couple of laps here and there. But I just find it's important to, as well as lifting up weights, it's important to also wind down and stretch. I think that's very important and allow my muscles to release certain tension because the show, Evita, is quite heavy. It's quite a dynamic show. It's very intense. It's a workout, basically. It's a two-hour workout and, you know, my body needs that recovery and it's important to find ways of balancing that level out, I think.

[3:20] Joe Rosko: Yeah, I love that. So you have a show tonight, I'm assuming, right?

[3:23] Damian Buhagiar: I have a show every single day. Two on Thursday, two on Saturday and one day off on Sunday.

[3:29] Joe Rosko: Okay, so you worked out, you swam, you did all this stuff and you still have a show tonight, right?

[3:35] Damian Buhagiar: I still have a show tonight and I'm still smiling.

[3:41] Joe Rosko: Okay, so tell us, not me, I don't need to hear it, please tell the Built for the Stage clients, tell the performers out there, how is it comparing, in comparison to when you train before a show in comparison to when you don't and you just take the day off? Yeah, does the training before the show help you?

[3:57] Damian Buhagiar: It does a lot. Obviously, as I said, as I mentioned earlier, this show is quite intense as it is and it is a workout. It is a lot of cardio. So I don't tend to do a lot of cardio in the gym. I tend to just try and gain a bit of mass in my muscles. So that's what I tend to go for. But yes, I do usually on a normal show, like for example, Mamma Mia or any other show that I've been on, I would be a bit upset that I haven't gone to the gym or I felt a bit lazy going to the gym. But that's not necessarily a bad thing because your body needs a recovery and there's no point going four or five times a week and just giving your full energy and you might potentially increase the risk of injuring yourself.

So sometimes it's good to listen to the body to say, you know what, today my body just needed a bit of recovery and a bit of rest to catch up and then I get stronger tomorrow. So that's that. But in this show specifically, because I'm doing a lot of cardio and I'm putting my body through a lot, the stage is all stairs, not to give anything away, but it's all stairs, deep stairs. So obviously that in itself is hard. So when I don't go to the gym, I use it as a recovery and I use the gym to facilitate my muscles and I use the gym to get my muscles a bit stronger as opposed to release that, to avoid injuries, basically, especially on my legs, a bit of squats, but not too heavy because I don't want to make it too heavy.

I just want the muscles to work and to engage. That's the most important thing. So yes, before the show, I do love going to the gym and I feel great and I feel energetic and I feel like I'm in good spirits for it before a show because I know I've worked out and my muscles are already engaged and toned and warm.

[5:54] Joe Rosko: Perfect. Okay. Thank you for saying that. Everyone, rewind, listen 10 more times and go do your training. Okay. You touched on the steps a bit. How has this production been different in comparison to others that you've been a part of? What was it like working with Jamie Lloyd in the rehearsal room? Yeah. What's this, what's this been like for you?

[6:11] Damian Buhagiar: I mean, honestly, I have never imagined that I'd be working with Jamie Lloyd and also the choreographer, amazing choreographer, Fabian. They're both like creatives that I've always wanted to work with. And I think I've been telling this to everyone, to my peeps and my family back home that, you know, this is the peak of my career. Like I feel like this, I love being in shows where I can challenge myself. And it's every day I go on that stage, it's not relaxing. Every day I go on that stage, I have a battle with my mind to be like, oh my God, oh my God, my body can, can it, can, can I get through this? Can I, you know, am I going to manage two shows or am I going to get injured? You know, I always have that battle in my head, but that's the excitement.

Once I'm on that stage, I literally, I feel like a superhero. Sometimes before I go on stage, I literally think, you know, Iron Man has that kind of circly little light. I go, breathe and like, I'm in that mode, you know, I'm a different person. I'm ready. So the mind just switches off all that's out of that stage and I'm just concentrating and invested in the whole story and in the production itself. So yeah, I mean, I'm giving my all in this show because it's, it doesn't come, come around often and you know, I'm just so grateful to be working with such a talented creative team, such a talented cast and we all get through it together.

[7:37] Joe Rosko: How much of, how much was the show just already kind of mapped out for you in the rehearsal space and how much did Jamie allow the cast, you all to contribute to that creative process of creating this piece?

[7:51] Damian Buhagiar: Oh, a hundred percent. So the piece itself, like I really like how Jamie Lloyd has a vision and he will make it work somehow, like he, and it will work. It's very clever. It's a genius ideas. And I just think that like the way he brought us to put that, like a bit, the touch of colours in it, our own personal hit to the, to the number makes it so dynamic and it just works. Compared to other shows that I've done, we haven't had like a lot of directions from him, but once you understand his vision, you automatically just embody that character and give, give, give your own take on it. Yeah. And obviously that not, doesn't say the least is the, the, you know, the choreography is just amazing. The choreography just is telling the story. The set doesn't move. You get what you're given, like it's just theirs. So the, us as a cast, we have to come together to create the story.

[9:04] Joe Rosko: I love that. You talked about, about having this kind of a mental battle each night because of the intensity of the show or the demands of it. How do you overcome that, that doubt, especially initially maybe in like tech or opening or how did you overcome that doubt? Was it just proof of your past?

[9:19] Damian Buhagiar: Since the 28th of April, like first day of rehearsals, it was a meet and greet and then straight onto the stairs, starting with Buenos Aires. I was like, whoa, this ain't a joke. So you initially have to train yourself. Like our choreographer Fabian was really good with disciplining us from day one to have that mindset, to get out of our heads, to mark things, so that our body can get used to certain things. And yeah, now I can just, I'm able to like switch that switch to be like, boom, I know what I'm doing. I'm confident with my steps. I know what I need to do. Just breathe, focus on the breathing. You know, you're in an amazing show and we're going to get through it together. I think that's what gets me through is that I'm not by myself in this track. I'm with the cast and the whole cast is feeling the same. So we all push through together. I think that's the most important thing. That's when a cast comes together and that's when the magic happens on stage.

[10:27] Joe Rosko: Do you think that is just from the people in the room or do you think that Jamie Lloyd or someone from the team has provided that? The reason I'm asking is that the Sunset Boulevard cast, when I speak to them, they say that same thing about that togetherness on the stage. And now you're bringing it up as well. So I think, yeah, did that just, yeah, tell us.

[10:49] Damian Buhagiar: I think the Jamie Lloyd companies themselves, like they know, they have a feeling on auditions and stuff. They know how hard we're going to work. They know how focused we're going to be. They know that when we're a cast that come together. So I think that happens naturally. And yeah, I just think it's very cleverly put together as a whole. Obviously, there are the challenges, but I think even in warm up and we do safeties to check in together. I think that's a Jamie Lloyd thing that we never leave anyone behind. And we say this on stage after warm up every single night, we come in a circle and we all just say, you know, what an amazing cast we are. We're so grateful to be sharing the stage, especially with Rachel Zegler, you know, and we're all a team.

We're a team. We never leave anyone behind. I got you, you got me. We always say this after every show and that just gives the spirit you want before a show, you know, just to kin with each other and say everyone's okay.

[12:04] Joe Rosko: Yeah, Bella, we got to meet during her time in Hadestown. So it's been cool to see her now in the show as an ensemble, you all play just as big of a role in an understudy going on for the lead because there's so much of like that uplifting either energy or little nods or nudges of like, hey, how can we help you in this way?

[12:28] Joe Rosko: You mentioned Rachel, but I also saw sometime last week that Bella Brown got to go on as, yeah.

[12:34] Damian Buhagiar: Magnificent. What a talent.

[12:31] Damian Buhagiar: Was there any of that when Bella went on for the lead? I think we just knew obviously how talented Bella is as a person, and not just on stage, but also backstage. She's so humble, so down to earth. She's just incredible. So I think we were just giving her all the support we wanted. It was just great. It was great, and we all supported and came together to make that work.

[12:59] Joe Rosko: Yeah. Okay, cool. Well, I can't wait to see the show. Everyone in London or in the UK area, go see EVITA. If you're not in the London area, buy a plane ticket and get your butt in a seat. All right, let's rewind before you book this show. When does theater happen for you? Were you always a performer at heart? Yeah, when did you seriously start pursuing a career in theater?

[13:25] Damian Buhagiar: So this is... I'm from Malta. So I don't know if anyone of you has been, but I am from a little island in Malta. I've been, you know, I've lived there all my life, done my GCSEs. And then obviously, we have stagecoach on Masquerade. So I used to go to stagecoach, did my musical theater training. And then one of my teachers used to go to Tring. And she had suggested for me to pursue this career after my GCSEs and audition. So I was like, okay, why not? And got them through to a school, Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. And then we were just like, shall we go for it or shall we not? And we decided obviously me and my parents, which I thank incredibly from my heart, because I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them with all the support and all the love they've given me.

And so yes, I decided to pursue this career. Little did I know how hard and challenging it's going to be. But I went for it. You know, I went wholeheartedly. I knew that, you know, the feeling of going on stage is something you cannot beat. You cannot just express, it just happens. And I think that's why I'm still here today, having a chat with you and, you know, to help inspire other people out there that want to do this, because it could work, but it has to come from your soul. And it's unexplainable. So after that, I've done my two years of entering musical theatre and A-levels. And then I pursued my career in ArtsEd, Arts Educational Schools in London, Chiswick, where I did all my training, full on professional.

And obviously, they had the contacts for us to be in touch with agents. And then obviously, that's when my career hit off with the amazing production In The Heights. That was my first job. And I played Sonny in that one. So that was a good kickstart, because the hype about it was just amazing. And then after that, it just kept working hard. And obviously, job after job, I have gained much more experience, experience on the way I speak to people, how to take things professionally, how to adapt with people, the culture, because obviously, it's a different culture completely. And you know, you see certain ways of how creatives work, how they like to work. And yeah, and here I am now working with Jamie Lloyd and Fabian and all the creatives on this job. Like, it's just incredible from where I started to now. Yeah, more and more.

[15:58] Joe Rosko: Congratulations. Besides you obviously being talented, what do you think it's been for you to be consistent in this career? You kind of hinted at being adaptable depending on who the creative is that comes into maybe direct or choreograph. Is that a part of it? What would you attest your success to besides being talented with your consistent career?

[16:22] Damian Buhagiar: I think with my career, I've always been down to earth. And I've always been honest. I've always been true to myself. And, you know, I am very hard working. I'm very I know that I'm very focused when I go in the room. I'm giving you what you've actually employed me to do. So I'm always going to give you the focus. I'm always going to give you hard work. And I'm always going to give you full out. Because that's what I've been trained for. And that's who I am. Because I'm not here to waste time. I'm here to actually pursue what I wanted to do. I've sacrificed so much. You know, I've left my hometown, I left my family, you know, my parents, you know, and I'm here. Yes, with my motorcycle with my partner, you know, so it's, it's a lot of sacrifices that I've done for this career.

So the least I could do is enjoy it and, you know, make the most of it. And, you know, creators like that, you have to be professional. And you always have to be on the ball because people talk in this industry. And, you know, you want a good reputation. And that's something that I always hold within my heart, always be true to yourself. And so that, you know, you have a good reputation. And you just, you know, people will remember you for the good things, you know?

[17:38] Joe Rosko: Yeah. Okay. You also mentioned like the ups and downs during those downs. What has that been for you? Has that just been like in between jobs where you're maybe in a callback process, and it doesn't go your way? Has there been times of you thinking, what am I still doing in this industry? I want out of here? What's kept you in it?

[17:56] Damian Buhagiar: Yeah, as a performer, you always have these doubts. And you always have, you know, little thoughts like that. And on a daily basis, it's not just going on stage and happy, go like, you know, there are the hard bits and hard moments and downsides, you know, auditions getting cut, you know, you go through first round, second round, third round final, get cut in the final, you know, it's all it's all in the package. And the way I deal with that is, you know, just take a deep breath, you know, find out ways of how you want you can approach something different, like a plan B, use your talents, like I like to draw, I draw, I'm a, I like to design cars and motorcycles, etc. So I want to, you know, I just try to make things work, you know, and make a business or do like a side hustle, because, you know, there's other there's life outside of the industry.

And you know, that's what one thing I, I believe in, you know, but again, the gym is very important, touch base on, you know, the physical side, you know, I want to, you want to feel good, and you want to feel good about yourself as well. You know, that's, that's part of the mental health as well. It's important to look after yourself.

[19:11] Joe Rosko: Yeah. Yeah, you brought up the like, first round, second round, third round of callbacks or auditions. What was your audition process like for Evita? Was it you, you booked it after a video self tape? Or was it long, laborious, like one after the other? How did how did that go?

[19:27] Damian Buhagiar: Oh, no, I definitely traveled on that motorcycle for two hours. One way. I was in My Fair Lady at the time in Leicester. So, you know, I remember it was like six rounds for Evita. But you know, we sacrifice, you know, I sacrificed my life to be here. So, you know, I have to make it worth it. You know, thank God I was like, you know what, I'm not going on a motorway for two hours or four hours a day to not get this job you have to and that's one thing a good as well at the mindset, you have to get the mindset right? You can't go in as a failure, you have to go in, I'm getting this job. You know, there are other things in callbacks where it doesn't depend on you, where it depends on how tall you are, you know, it depends on so many different things. And you can't control that. But you what you can control is to be yourself have a good time get be focused and just get through the round. Really?

[20:25] Joe Rosko: Yeah, yeah. Okay, you brought you brought up the motorcycle again, I have to ask about it because there's not a lot of musical theatre performers that are driving around on a motorcycle. So how long have you? It's a risky game, isn't it?

[20:37] Damian Buhagiar: Yes, some would say so. When did you start? And like, when did your love for motorcycles begin?

[20:44] Damian Buhagiar: I mean, it started with how expensive London is getting with travel. I just think I just think it's the best feeling. I think it gives you that. It's therapy, you know, when I put on that helmet, to go off, like, that's one thing I look forward to after a whole day's work or after a show, I just want to put that helmet on, put some music. And just I use it as therapy, you know, my mind just, my mind just focused on the road and nothing else. I just love that feeling as well to just zone out, you know, to switch off for a bit. And I just think it's amazing. And you know, also, I'm never late. So that's great. I'm gonna leave my house and I'm not I'm gonna get there. Parking's easy. And I think it's just the best way to travel in London.

[22:20] Joe Rosko: Right? You could you could park it on the sidewalk next to the stage door. I'm sure they wouldn't want you to but 100%

[22:29] Damian Buhagiar: 100%.

[22:30] Joe Rosko: Okay, so you mentioned, was it because you didn't want to do the payments for a car and the hassle of parking a car? Was it really that that's why you got a motorcycle?

[22:40] Damian Buhagiar: If you say that, but I do have a car. But at the moment, it's just sat in the driveway. I just use it to go to Aldi, which is a food store. Yeah, that's the only reason I use it. And that's it. But I have the car in case I go on tour. Obviously, you do need a car when you go on tour gives you the freedom. And, you know, to go from one place to place. But obviously, because I'm in London, motorcycle is just the best way to travel, I think.

[22:58] Joe Rosko: Yeah. With this is a limited run, right? It goes till September. What's the date on it?

[23:05] Damian Buhagiar: September the sixth is the last performance we have yet.

[23:09] Joe Rosko: Okay, have you have experience and being in limited runs where like, you know, your end date, does that change? Are you auditioning more heavily while in the show? If you've had time to?

[23:17] Damian Buhagiar: Yeah, what has that been like? I do have time to do that. And obviously, limited runs are always a risky game, because not even risky, but obviously, because everything seems so rushed, and you need to get the new job and you start panicking and you overthink. And that's why we have agents to help us push through that. And, but I am very lucky enough to obviously have a hometown in Malta. So I don't, I can go visit my family. So sometimes I can decide myself whether I want to stay here, or else whether to take myself in Malta, have a little break, you know, go to the beach, spend time with my family. So I'm very grateful that I have a place to go to, you know, a holiday from home. But it is important to keep auditioning, keep on track, keep my profile intact, stay in shape as well.

This is one thing why, you know, Evita does give me that, you know, that push to, you know, for my body to be consistent, and to be able to approach other people and auditions for other things. And so yeah, I, you just have to keep at it, really.

[24:03] Joe Rosko: Amazing. Well, thanks for all this inspiration and all this great, just advice to people that they're listening and aspiring to be where you're at. All the congratulations to you, super excited for the show and seeing you up there. So thanks so much, Damian, for being on the show.

[24:15] Damian Buhagiar: Thank you so much. Thanks for having me. Thank you for the for inviting me. I feel very privileged and very grateful. And obviously, always stay focused, always give your full out and just be yourself. Never change for anyone. And yeah, believe, I'd say believe.

[24:32] Joe Rosko: Love it. All right. See you soon up on the stage. I'll talk to you soon.

[24:35] Damian Buhagiar: Thank you.

[24:37] Joe Rosko: All right, everyone. Damian Buhagiar from West End's Evita. Make sure you give Damian a follow on the gram. We'll have his Instagram handle in the description of this episode. I'm Joe Rosko with Built for the Stage. Actors are athletes. Train like one. Later.