This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Joel Crump: What's up everybody, it's Joel Crump back with another very exciting episode of the Weekly Dose of Joel.

[0:06] Joel Crump: As you may know, it is finally Broadway Awards season. I've been having the best time interviewing so many stars at all these events. I'm taking you to the Drama League Awards, the Chita Rivera Awards, the Lucille Lortel Awards, and the Tony Awards Press Junket. Expect interviews with Eddie Redmayne, Nichelle Lewis, Camille A. Brown, Brody Grant, Bernadette Peters, Kenny Ortega, Lisa Mordente, and Eli Gelb. I'm also going to give you some industry updates to let you know what's going on in the biz right now. So without further ado, let's get on to this fascinating episode of the Weekly Dose of Joel.

[0:38] Joel Crump: So before I share the interviews today, I want to give you guys an update about what's coming to Broadway next season because in the past week there have been like four shows announced and you guys need to know about them because I'm really excited and I'm sure you will be thrilled like me. First up, it was announced that Maybe Happy Ending will be coming to Broadway. It is a new Broadway musical which is always very exciting and it's going to be starring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen. This new musical will be playing at the Belasco Theater with an opening night on October 17th and it is directed by one of my absolute favorites, Michael Arden.

[1:15] Joel Crump: It was also announced that Death Becomes Her, the musical, will be coming to Broadway. I'm so excited. I mean, listen you guys, this cast is absolutely unbelievable. It's starring Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard and also in the cast is Christopher Sieber and Michelle Williams and it's coming to Broadway to one of the most beautiful houses on Broadway, the LaFontaine Theater, and it's directed by Christopher Gattelli, which if you guys don't know, Chris Gattelli is somebody that I interviewed during the pandemic and it was such a huge deal because he is the choreographer of one of my favorite musicals, my all-time favorite musical, SpongeBob the Musical. Don't laugh at me. I know it's a little silly, but it's what made me fall in love with theater.

[1:52] Joel Crump: So I'm very excited to see this new show, especially with a legendary cast like this one. Also announced last week, I know last week was a huge week for Broadway musical announcements, but it was announced that the Encores! production of Once Upon a Mattress will transfer to Broadway starring Sutton Foster. So I'm extremely excited about this show. I love New York City Center productions and unfortunately I'm not always able to see them because they're only for a week and if you didn't know, I actually live in the Washington D.C. area, so I have to go up to New York for the day and then go back for all these different events and it's not always easy to go see a show while having that busy schedule, but this show is coming to Broadway.

[2:36] Joel Crump: It's going to be at Broadway's Hudson Theater and listen, Sutton Foster is reprising her performance as Princess Winifred and we all love Sutton Foster. She's like the queen of Broadway. She's done all her favorite shows. The clips I saw from her playing Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd made me laugh for days. I mean, what a fantastic performance. So we need to get excited to see Sutton in Once Upon a Mattress. And the last Broadway musical announcement of last week is very exciting, you guys. I need to calm down because I'll be too excited to talk the entire episode about this show because it was so good in D.C., but you know I'm talking about Swept Away, the Avid Brothers musical, and it was killer in D.C.

[3:17] Joel Crump: I did not know the Avid Brothers music and when I finally listened to it, I was like, this is so, so good. This is incredible and this musical is going to blow you all away. This cast is going to blow you away. So it's coming to Broadway this fall. We do not know dates or theater yet. We know it's going to be a Shubert Theater, which is good to know so we can think about, you know, where it could possibly go. But you guys need to get excited now. If they have a pre-sale, if they have anything, get your tickets because this show is going to be a hit. I'm saying it right here today on this week's episode. This show will be a hit. It is so good.

[3:51] Joel Crump: And now that I think about it, all these shows are going to do so well. The stories for all of them are so brilliant. The casting is phenomenal. I'm just really excited. If you can't tell for each of these musicals, so keep on listening. We have to wait a couple months. I know I'm like, I cannot wait, but keep on waiting. And then when these shows are here, who knows, we'll probably have interviews, reviews, all the special stuff that we do when these shows open. But now, drumroll please.

[4:18] Joel Crump: It's time for some interviews. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. I mean, I am excited for this episode because I'm choosing some of my favorite interviews that I did over the past couple of weeks at all these award shows and sharing them with you guys. And these celebrities care so much about the business, care so much about what they're doing, the roles they're playing. And it's really just an awesome time speaking with them. So let's get right into it. To start off, let's start with Academy Award and Tony Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne, who's playing the MC in Cabaret. You know, Cabaret, me and my mom saw it. And it was so amazing. You guys, you have to go see this new immersive production.

[5:00] Joel Crump: And that opening number will come in is stuck right in my head. But without further ado, here's my chat with Eddie Redmayne at the Drama League Awards. Hey, you guys, I'm here with Mr. Eddie Redmayne. We're here at the Drama League Awards. How does it feel to recognize this season?

[5:09] Eddie Redmayne: Oh, it feels so wonderful. And these awards are such a special day, an eccentric day. I seem to remember having come here once before many years ago that everyone sits on this dais and eats and you get watched eating. So I've been practicing my table manners. Make sure that I eat with my mouth closed and get low complaints.

[5:28] Joel Crump: And this is the Drama League Awards. I don't know, what's a dramatic moment or memory you remember having doing theatre growing up or even doing theatre now?

[5:37] Eddie Redmayne: A dramatic moment. There's always the fear of forgetting your lines. And that happened to me once at the Royal Court Theatre in London. Oh, my God. And it was that thing you have always dreaded. And when it actually happens, it's kind of like your head starts distorting and you have this moment going, wow, this is the thing I've dreaded all my life. And it's happening right now in front of a thousand people. And what am I going to do? And it was weirdly surreal and calm. I mean, catastrophic, but calm.

[6:07] Joel Crump: And I'm sure you held it well.

[6:07] Eddie Redmayne: I really did not. I did not.

[6:13] Joel Crump: Thank you so much, Eddie. That was my favorite question of the day at the Drama League Awards, hearing their tragic stories, their dramatic moments, because you were at the Drama League. But just hearing their stories was so much fun. Next up, my chat with Camille A. Brown at the Lucille Lortel Awards. If you guys don't know, Camille A. Brown is a brilliant choreographer and director on Broadway, and she's the choreographer for Hell's Kitchen on Broadway, you guys. And her choreography is so amazing. You know, we don't get to see the dance style that she brings to Broadway that much.

[6:49] Joel Crump: So seeing more of a kind of like cool, trendy, pop block type style moves on Broadway is always the best time. And I love chatting with Camille. So here's my chat with Camille A. Brown.

[6:54] Joel Crump: Hey, you guys. We're at the Lucille Lortel Awards. Only thing I want to know about is, what was it like transitioning Hell's Kitchen off Broadway to Broadway?

[6:58] Camille A. Brown: Yeah, I mean, definitely we're talking about a more intimate space at the public theater, and then finding ways to expand that, realizing that at the public theater, we were just dealing with one level. And now moving into the Schubert, we're actually dealing with projecting to three levels. So what does that feel like? What does that look like? Expansion.

[7:19] Camille A. Brown: I know more about the music and the orchestrations. I've been able to sit with it between the public and the Schubert. So like, what are the layering? How can I strengthen the movement to better support? So it's just a lot of stuff like that.

[7:37] Joel Crump: Yeah. And to be nominated for so many awards, the Lucille Lortel, Tony Awards, all the different things. How does it feel to have your work recognized?

[7:41] Camille A. Brown: Oh my gosh, it feels incredible. Incredible. I'm just thankful and really honored. And it feels good to be seen.

[7:49] Joel Crump: Yes. And if you haven't watched the Kaleidoscope music video choreographed by Camille, you have to go watch it on YouTube. Kaleidoscope is a song from Hell's Kitchen written by the one, the only Alicia Keys. Now it's time for my interview with Kenny Ortega and Lisa Mordente at the Chita Rivera Award. If you don't know, Miss Lisa Mordente is the daughter of the beloved Chita Rivera. I was able to build a relationship with Chita while interviewing. Me and Chita actually shared vocal coaches. Shout out to Miss Celeste Simone.

[8:17] Joel Crump: So it was always just the best to see Chita on a carpet. She would always tell me, oh, you're getting so tall. And she was just really just a truly beautiful person. So it was an honor to share what Chita meant to me with Miss Mordente. And to see my man, Kenny Ortega. If y'all don't know, Kenny was the camp director at a camp that I do every year.

[8:37] Joel Crump: And in the episode, in the interview, I talk about how he's a part of the reason I can dance. And that's not a joke. Listen, we worked hard. And even when I was there last summer, he choreographed one of our numbers. It was hard. It's not easy work, but he taught me to persist and to always have a purpose for anything you're doing in life, which is such an important message. So here's my interview with Kenny and Lisa.

[9:03] Joel Crump: Hey, you guys, we're here at the Chita Rivera Awards. You know, this is such a special night to be here honoring dance. And I tell you, how does it feel?

[9:07] Kenny Ortega: It feels fantastic. It really does. It really does. It feels correct.

[9:15] Kenny Ortega: It feels like everything's right with the world, you know, and she represents this art form better than anyone. So this is the good stuff.

[9:28] Joel Crump: The energy in the room and the love for Chita is palpable. I mean, it's extraordinary. From the minute you step out of the car and stepped onto the sidewalk, the energy and love here is beyond. It's here.

[9:41] Lisa Mordente: And deserved. You guys don't know, Kenny is a part of the reason why I can dance a little. I mean, at camp, we busted it out every day. Tell me, what are you guys' favorite dance moments in dance history?

[9:55] Kenny Ortega: Oh, my goodness. I grew up in the middle of most of them. But I'm going to say what always pops in my mind is the prologue to West Side Story.

[10:10] Lisa Mordente: Yes.

[10:11] Kenny Ortega: Yes. It's one of the most brilliant pieces ever created. Not a word of dialogue, but, you know, every single character.

[10:20] Lisa Mordente: Every single moment.

[10:21] Kenny Ortega: Every single moment. Terry Robbins.

[10:24] Kenny Ortega: Well, my mentor, one of my mentors, Gene Kelly, you know, I mean, yeah, he was actually responsible for teaching me the art of designing choreography for the camera.

[10:31] Kenny Ortega: Right. So, yeah, but his dance, choreography and dance direction, how he shot dance for film was really extraordinary.

[10:44] Kenny Ortega: And everything Chita did, everything, everything.

[10:46] Joel Crump: Right. That was such a special interview for me. You know, I love Kenny Ortega so much. I love Miss Chita Rivera and I miss her truly. And so to see Kenny and talk about Chita and see Miss Lisa was the best thing ever.

[10:59] Joel Crump: It's Tony time. And I'm going to share my interview with Brody Grant, who has received his first Tony nomination while also making his Broadway debut in The Outsiders, which is just like, whoa, what an experience for him to make your Broadway debut.

[11:42] Brody Grant: Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown.

[12:12] Brody Grant: Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown.

[12:42] Brody Grant: Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown.

[13:04] Brody Grant: Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown.

[13:24] Brody Grant: Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown.

[13:54] Brody Grant: Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown.

[14:24] Brody Grant: Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown.

[14:50] Brody Grant: Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown.

[15:20] Brody Grant: Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown. Bernadette Peters. Camille A. Brown.

[15:49] Bernadette Peters: The last thing I want to know is, of course, this is the Drama League Awards, so what is a dramatic moment you remember having growing up doing theater?

[16:09] Nichelle Lewis: I think for me, a dramatic moment, even though I didn't know I was going to do theater at the time, would probably be when I put on shows in my house every day for my mom and my dad. And they'd be like, oh my gosh, when is this girl going to stop? And I was like, never.

[16:30] Nichelle Lewis: Never. And now you're on Broadway as Dorothy.

[16:33] Nichelle Lewis: Exactly. Thank you so much, Nichelle. Nichelle is bound to have a huge career on Broadway with her amazing voice. I mean, it was awesome. Her performing "Home" was a highlight of the night for me.

[16:46] Brody Grant: Now I'm talking to Ms. Bernadette Peters, who is being honored at the Chita Rivera Awards. Bernadette Peters is such a Broadway legend, and she deserved this honor so much, of course. And I'm really excited that Bernadette Peters is going to be an old friend on Broadway coming up this season.

[17:01] Brody Grant: I'm absolutely thrilled with Leah Salonga, of course, who was also at the Chita Rivera Awards. But here's my chat with one of the honorees of the night, Bernadette Peters.

[17:10] Brody Grant: Hey, you guys. I'm here with Ms. Bernadette Peters, who are here at the Chita Rivera Awards. You are being honored here tonight. Tell me, how does it feel?

[17:17] Bernadette Peters: Well, I just love Chita, and she was an inspiration, and she still is an inspiration to me and will continue to be an inspiration. So I couldn't think of a better place to be.

[17:30] Brody Grant: Yes, and we're about to have you back on Broadway in "Old Friends." You know I'm thrilled. Tell me, what can we expect in that new show?

[17:36] Bernadette Peters: Oh, it's all a secret. You have to come and see.

[17:40] Bernadette Peters: That's right. It's all Sondheim music. It's all Stephen Sondheim, so it's really wonderful.

[17:45] Brody Grant: I'm excited. Thank you. What a legend. I mean, come on. She is just Broadway royalty, and it's always such an amazing time to talk to Bernadette.

[17:54] Brody Grant: Last but not least, one of my all-time favorite actors forever because he's always so kind and always spends time interviewing with me. It is none other than Eli Gelb, who is really—and I'm not even joking. Eli is nominated for, like, every award this season because he gives such a stellar performance in "Stereophonic."

[18:12] Brody Grant: This is his Broadway debut, and he's nominated for Tony, Drama League, Lucille Lortel, everything. The list goes on and on because he's giving a great performance in "Stereophonic" on Broadway. And every time I see Eli, even if it was just like two days ago, he will come and do an interview with me, which means the world. So here is my interview with Eli Gelb.

[18:31] Brody Grant: Hey, you guys. I'm here with Eli Gelb. We're here at the Tony Awards Press Junket to make your Broadway debut and be nominated in the same year. Talk to me about that. What does that feel like?

[18:41] Eli Gelb: It's an incredible thing, and for this play in particular, it's just such an honor to be a part of it. And to, you know, to see it recognized is really a thrill and to have contributed to its success because I just love it so deeply.

[18:59] Brody Grant: Yeah, 13 nominations. To celebrate this with this group, what has that been like?

[19:03] Eli Gelb: You know, so many of you got nominated. What has that been like for you guys?

[19:06] Eli Gelb: It's so exciting. I mean, you know, I think like everybody in this cast is so deserving and the entire creative team, which I think pretty much everybody on the creative team that could be nominated was. And most of the cast, the rest of the cast is just as intrinsic and just as incredible in their work.

[19:27] Eli Gelb: So, you know, it's almost like I didn't expect for as many of us to get nominated as we did.

[19:36] Brody Grant: I mean, that's incredible, too. And also like I wish it could have been all of us.

[19:40] Eli Gelb: Yeah, totally. It is such an ensemble show and we really can't do it without each other and without each other sort of like doing it as well as we do. I mean, it's really a special experience to feel like this much trust and play within a play with other actors to be so sort of supported by each other. But yeah, we're all really excited about it.

[20:10] Brody Grant: Yeah. And the last thing I want to know is where were you and what were you doing when you found out you were Tony nominated?

[20:19] Eli Gelb: I was like actively trying to sleep through the period of time that I knew the nominations were going to come out.

[20:29] Brody Grant: I don't blame you.

[20:30] Eli Gelb: I was like, if there's good news, I'll get some text messages and let me just find out about it later. But I couldn't sleep. And so I decided to watch it.

[20:39] Brody Grant: Yeah. And sure enough.

[20:41] Eli Gelb: Yeah. Saw some names pop up that I'm familiar with and I was very happy.

[20:46] Brody Grant: Yes. Congratulations, Eli. Great to see you. If I was ever Tony nominated, that's how I want to find out. I just want to try to rest, calm myself down and then see the phone just buzz up, which I'm sure is such an exciting experience for all these nominees.

[21:01] Brody Grant: Whether it's the Tony Awards, the Drama League Awards, the Chita Rivera Awards, the Lucille Lortel Awards, which I'm so grateful for all of them. I want to thank all of them for having me at their red carpets and their meet the nominees events. It is such an honor to be Broadway's youngest journalist and to share my passion for theater with you all.

[21:18] Brody Grant: It's truly the best. That is a wrap for this week's episode of the Weekly Dose of Joel. Y'all, I'm having the best time ever. Next week, you can expect another obviously exciting episode with more and more and more celebrities who you love and people that are being honored this season, which is so important to me to be able to shine a light on those who are being honored and shine a light on those who are giving stellar performances this season.

[21:43] Brody Grant: I also want to give a huge shout out to one of the producers of our show, the Weekly Dose of Joel, the Broadway Podcast Network, who helped me get to some of these red carpets, who helped me be there. It means the world to be represented by a network that loves Broadway. It's crazy that we have a Broadway Podcast Network, but it's so needed because this is the thing that many people love, including myself.

[22:04] Brody Grant: Anyway, I will see you next week for another thrilling episode of the Weekly Dose of Joel. Until then, go see some theater, go watch some interviews on AskJoelPubOfficial, and have the best week. I'll see you next time.