AMDA Magazine vol. 2, number 2 by AMDA

VOL. 2, NO. 2: 2015 NEW YORK + LOS ANGELES

KYLE SCATLIFFE

lands ‘Les Mis’ on Broadway with a London audition NEWS & EVENTS:

Alumni reap big awards noms, break radio records, ink deals, and dance for a good cause

CONTENTS COVER STORY Sam Underwood discusses making his mark in roles such as twin killers on “The Following” and a serial killer protégé on “Dexter.”

FEATURE For Kyle Scatliffe, an eventful year and an unusual audition culminate in a big Les Misérables role on Broadway.

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AMDA NEWS & UPDATES 1

GALLERY

EVENTS & PERFORMANCES 4

ON THE COVER:

Sam Underwood at Comic-Con International, San Diego, CA, July 2014. Photo by Smallz+Raskind/ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

AMDA Magazine is published by

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Copyright ©2015 AMDA College and Conservatory of the Performing Arts. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited. Submissions, Updates, Feedback Please send alumni and faculty updates, news tips, comments and suggestions to Alumni Relations Manager Tim Valentine, tvalentine@amda.edu.

AMDA Department of Media and Communications Michael Lloyd Director mlloyd@amda.edu 323-603-5989 Eric Almendral Art Director ealmendral@amda.edu 323-603-5907

Sam Underwood as the murderous Luke (left) and Mark on FOX’s “The Following”

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AMDA NEWS & UPDATES

LEON JIMENEZ AT CLOAK PHOTOGRAPHY

Jason Derulo Topples Timberlake’s Top 40 Radio Record Jason Derulo has achieved another career milestone with the new song “Want To Want Me,” the biggest-ever Top 40 U.S. radio launch. Shattering the previous record (of 126) held by Justin Timberlake, Derulo’s single was added to the rotations of more than 150 radio stations. At press time, the song’s video has more than 100 million YouTube views. Derulo commented (referring to a near-fatal neck injury in 2012), “I still can’t believe this ride. I couldn’t walk two years ago and now I am breaking records.”

Selyna Warren (left) and Marissa Shields

Dynamite Duo Comedic partners ink deals for two original shows It’s shaping up to be a breakthrough year for AMDA alumnae Selyna Warren and Marissa Shields. Warren recently appeared in season four of Showtime’s “Shameless” and in the TVLAND comedy “Teachers.” You might also recognize her for her portrayal of the Audi Elf in the automobile company’s holiday television campaign. Shields appeared in the indie film What We Can’t Have and has been performing in numerous Los Angeles improv venues, including the Groundlings and, with Warren, Stupid Songs. Now the duo’s work as writing partners is seeing fruition. They’ve sold two of their original shows into production. The first, called “Foursome,” will be six single-camera episodes with Disney’s Sheryl Levine handling casting. In addition to their writing duties, Warren and Shields will both play parts in the series. The second show was sold to a network (which can’t be named at this time due to non-disclosure agreements). The R-rated, female-driven comedy will be a starring vehicle for Warren and Shields.

JOAN MARCUS

2015 Drama League nominee Tyne Daly in It Shoulda Been You

Honors and Accolades for Tyne Daly in ‘It Shoulda Been You’ Legendary AMDA alumna, six-time Emmy winner, Tony Award winner, and American Theatre Hall of Fame inductee Tyne Daly continues to reap honors for her performances. The indefatigable actress has been nominated for a Drama League Distinguished Performance

Award for It Shoulda Been You. The role also earned her Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle nominations. Next, Daly shifts her focus to the big screen as Evelyn in the upcoming film Basmati Blues, which costars Donald Sutherland, Scott Bakula and Brie Larson.

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JOAN MARCUS

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Left to right: CoCo Smith, Pepe Nufrio and Francesca Capetta

Three AMDA Grads Featured in Prestigious Broadway’s Rising Stars Talent Showcase

Sarah Stiles in Hand to God

Invite to the Party Sarah Stiles garners first Tony nod “I dreamed about being nominated for Tonys since I was a little girl,” alumna Sarah Stiles says. “Ever since I knew what the Tonys were, I just wanted to be invited to the party!” That dream came true for Stiles when she received her first Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play for her performance as Jessica in Hand to God. “As actors we all say that we don’t care about awards and recognition but, of course, we do,” she says. Her portrayal of the awkward yet levelheaded teen was widely lauded. The Hollywood Reporter wrote, “Stiles is dryly hilarious but with moments of disarming sweetness and a surprising ballsy streak.” Variety called her “a sly charmer.” Hand to God is Stiles’ second foray into acting alongside puppets. Previously, she worked on the Broadway musical Avenue Q, which boasts more puppets than human characters in its cast.

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Now in its ninth year, Broadway’s Rising Stars has become an essential showcase of outstanding new talent from the country’s top performing arts schools. The revue, held in Manhattan’s historic Town Hall, attracts scores of agents, scouts and industry VIPs, but is also open to the public. More AMDA graduates have been selected to perform in the series than those from any other school. This year, alumni Francesca Capetta, Pepe Nufrio and CoCo Smith were among those honored with a spot in the July 13th show. Huffington Post critic Josh Getlin wrote that the audience wasn’t disappointed when the performers took the stage, each starting with a song from the Disney canon. He specifically praised CoCo Smith, writing that, “Her muscular voice, swaggering presence and spot-on comic chops wowed the crowd with a snarling ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ from The Little Mermaid.”

One Year, 30 Alumni, 25 Broadway Shows From long-running, blockbusters (Wicked) to recent hits (Matilda the Musical, Finding Neverland), 25 different Broadway productions during the past year featured more than 30 AMDA alumni. Four of the 2014-15 shows had more than one alumnus in the cast. Leading the way with four graduates was Motown: The Musical. The revival of Les Misérables had three alumni in starring roles: Caissie Levy (Fantine), Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras; read our interview on page 10), and Brennyn Lark (Eponine). The performances merited abundant acclaim and many awards nominations, with alumni scoring nods for a Tony, the Fred and Adele Astaire Award, and the Drama League, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards. If you’re taking in a Broadway show this year, chances are you’ll be seeing AMDA alumni performing.

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Unlike most actors in the business, Lee Tergesen seems to always have a gig, seldom taking a break from an almost non-stop run of television and film roles that’s lasted nearly two decades. There’s a reason some in the industry kindly call him “the hardest working actor in Hollywood.” After appearing in more than a dozen series — including “American Horror Story,” “The Americans,” and “The Blacklist” — in the past year alone, Tergesen is currently filming Equity, the first female-driven film set on Wall Street. The movie is slated to land in theatres in 2016.

CRAIG BLANKENHORN/FX

Lee Tergesen: the Hardest Working Actor in Hollywood?

Lee Tergesen, from his eight-episode run on FX’s “The Americans”

Jesse Karlan Sings, Records and Writes for a Cure When Jesse Karlan was seven, her best friend was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a degenerative genetic disorder. Karlan took action, creating the musical revue Sing for a Cure to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In addition to numerous performances of the show, Karlan has sold CDs of original music to benefit the cause. According to Karlan, she has raised more than $100,000. She’s currently working on a music video to raise awareness of the disease. The industrious Karlan has also recently self-published her first novel, the adult fantasy The Garnestone. The first in a series, the book is available on Amazon.com in paperback and for Kindle.

Straight to the Stage Getting cast as one of the most sought-after roles on Broadway — Eponine in Les Misérables — is a remarkable achievement. For Brennyn Lark, landing the role was even more exceptional; she snagged it before graduation. Taylore Burke and former international students Kahlia Davis (Australia) and Georgina Moore (Canada) also wasted no time starting their professional careers. The three dancers landed spots on the 42nd Street national tour just after their graduation. Lark, who trained in musical theatre at AMDA New York, capitalized on the opportunities for industry exposure the program offers students in their final semester. She made a strong impression during Industry Panel Night, when students perform for invited performing arts and entertainment professionals such as casting directors, agents and managers. Afterwards, students receive invaluable written feedback from the panelists with comments regarding all aspects of their work. As Lark explained to Playbill.com: “It was through a panel night at AMDA, where you have agents and casting directors come. I managed to get an agent through that. I’m signed to The Mine agency, and then I went on an audition — they just told me to go to Les Miz — and I said okay.” Not every path is as direct. It was only by chance that Kahlia Davis auditioned for 42nd Street. While in class, Taylore Burke asked her, “Are you going on Monday?” Davis replied, “Going to what?” Once informed, Davis decided she had “nothing to lose” and opted to take advantage of the opportunity, which was her first professional audition in New York. “Two weeks later, after a

WILLIS ROBERTS FOR AMDA

Four recent alumnae graduate to Broadway and a major national tour

Brennyn Lark, in the AMDA Industry Panel performance that led to a big role in Les Misérables

series of callbacks, I had booked my first professional job in the U.S.!” she said. Georgina Moore explained that AMDA’s faculty was integral to her success as well. “They helped me understand the process of auditioning: what to wear; how to choose a headshot; how to build my book; and how to speak to casting directors and directors. We all leave as performers — triple threats.”

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GALLERY

AMDA LOS ANGELES EVENTS

ALVIN AILEY MASTER CLASS: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater company member Samuel Lee Roberts visited the AMDA Los Angeles campus in April to teach a Master Class to some of our talented Dance students.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS: Los Angeles Residence Assistants hosted excursions for hiking through the Hollywood Hills in Runyon Canyon (top row) and a day at the beach in Malibu (bottom).

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DREAMGIRLS: Summer BFA Music Theatre production

AMDA NEW YORK CITY EVENTS

GALLERY

“RED NOSE DAY” DANCEATHON WITH NICK CANNON: On May 20, “America’s Got Talent” host Nick Cannon kicked off the inaugural United States “Red Nose Day” benefits with a 24-hour danceathon at NBC’s Rockefeller Center studios. AMDA Dance Theatre alumni were among the performers helping raise money for children’s charities around the globe. The event was livestreamed on NBC.com.

CINCO DE MAYO: Stratford Arms residents celebrated

WATERFIGHT NYC: Students beat the heat this July by joining

the May 5th Mexican holiday with an outdoor fiesta.

hundreds of New Yorkers for the annual Waterfight event held in Central Park.

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BY CARINA MACKENZIE

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SMALLZ+RASKIND/WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT INC.

SHOWTIME

“I’m so sorry,” Sam Underwood says,

the unmistakable sounds of New York City street life in the background. “I’m literally just walking out of my apartment to drop my laundry off, so if I stop for one second, that’s what I’m doing. I’m very sorry.” Over the course of our conversation, the enthusiastic, polite 26-year-old actor will apologize twice more for the momentary pause he takes to exchange friendly pleasantries with his dry cleaner. It’s difficult to reconcile the amiable voice over the phone with the characters Underwood plays on television — and not simply because Underwood is British, and thus far, his TV characters have spoken with unfaltering American accents. The AMDA alumnus has made a name for himself playing deeply disturbed sociopaths, criminals, and serial killers. The Monday after our interview, the season two finale of FOX’s ”The Following“ will air, in which Underwood — playing murderous, necrophiliac identical twin brothers Mark and Luke — will engage in a climactic, bloody gun-vs.-knife fight with Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy. The episode will be so violent it requires an on-screen warning after every commercial break in order to meet broadcast standards for its 9 p.m. timeslot. In addition to twisted twins on “The Following,” Underwood has recently been seen as the title character’s serial killer protégé on “Dexter,” and a teen who shoots his brother before breaking out of a mental health facility on “Homeland.” So how did this pleasant, clean-cut young man — with endearing penchants for posting Instagram selfies with his girlfriend and live-tweeting runs to Trader Joes — become television’s go-to villainous creep? According to Underwood, he doesn’t look for depraved characters in particular, but has made a career from actively seeking roles that take him further and further from his own experience. “What I look for on a regular basis is characters and material that challenge me, that I find intriguing, complex and multilayered, and, honestly, far away from myself in a number of different ways,” Underwood says. “I always look for the projects that are going to stretch

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Titular serial killer “Dexter” (Michael C. Hall) has a tête-à-tête with Sam Underwood’s Zach Hamilton.

me and take me out of my comfort zone, which this absolutely does in a number of different ways. I like finding gravitas in young characters that have a multifaceted complexity to them. And most of the younger characters now days that have that in them are a little bit more... disturbed, you might say.” When he auditioned for “The Following,” Underwood wasn’t aware that he’d be playing more than one character. “I actually didn’t know until I went in for my final screen test at the studio with the network and Kevin Williamson, the creator of the show, that he wanted twins,” he explains. “I was under the assumption from the get-go that it was one character potentially with a split personality disorder.” To play Mark and Luke — two very distinct characters with distinguishable tics and mannerisms — Underwood worked opposite Shan Agish. “[He’s] not just a body double,” Underwood clarifies quickly. “He’s an actor himself. And he has the hardest and the most thankless job in the world right now, because there’s so much responsibility on him to help me deliver the scene that I want to deliver for both my brothers.” In order to do the many scenes that required both brothers to be on screen interacting with each other, Underwood took a bit more control than an actor usually might be permitted, guiding Agish so that the performances would later match up when the scenes were edited together.

Underwood explains, “Marcos Siega, the executive producer and director of the show, sat me down before we started and said, ‘You have a certain amount of directorial leadership when it comes to working with Sean on the twins because you’ve got to direct him to give you what you’re going to want to give yourself as a performance.’ It’s really been terrific as an actor and challenging, but also very collaborative. I’ve been very lucky to have that very open communication and a great collaboration with [Agish] that helps deliver the performance that you see on screen.” Of course, before “The Following,” Underwood wasn’t unfamiliar with taking a more hands-on approach to his craft, even off-screen. When he graduated from AMDA, the pressure was on for him to quickly land a job, especially because he had emigrated from Woking, in Surrey, England. “The pressure is on even more to get jobs so you can put it towards getting your work visa. So, yes, the stakes are definitely high,” says Underwood, who is currently in the US on a visa for “individuals with extraordinary ability.” Though Underwood was able to quickly secure an agent thanks to AMDA’s showcases, he recognized the need for more opportunity for international actors in the New York area. “After a while of working good acting jobs, I had a bit of a dry spell as an actor, so what I wanted to do was set up a theater company that was all in the aim of supporting international artists,

SARAH SHATZ/FOX

international collaboration through the arts, through theatre and film,” he says. In 2010, Underwood founded The Fundamental Theater Project with business partner Nicola Murphy, an Irish actress, and managing director Katrina Denney, a fellow AMDA graduate. “[Nicola and I] were both coming up against the same kind of obstacles as international artists, you know, from an immigration standpoint. We both also had a love for (and wanted to be more involved with) the producing and the creation of art and telling stories, not just as actors, but as directors and producers. So we decided to set up the Fundamental Theater Project to start a community for international artists to get together and work on their craft,” Underwood says. Despite his extraordinary success in the television world this year, Underwood still manages to find time to be active as Artistic Director for Fundamental Theater Project. He frequently participates in audition workouts, helping up-andcomers hone their skills and put themselves on tape for potential projects. In addition to emerging talent, the company has also caught the eye of more seasoned professionals, like Alec Baldwin and writer Sir Peter Shaffer, both of whom worked with Underwood on a 2010 production of Shaffer’s Equus. Underwood starred as lead character Alan Strang, a disturbed youth who blinds six horses with a hoof pick. (“I go for mostly dark,” Underwood admits. “I do seem to get that a lot.”) Given Underwood’s dedication, it is unsurprising that he has always wanted to be an actor. “I was a musical theater kid from a very, very young age. I was dancing at the age of five. I’ve always known that New York was a place I wanted to

alma mater, and now teaches acting at AMDA. Surrounding himself with like-minded individuals stoked the flames of Underwood’s passion for the work, and that fire has never gone out. Years after the initial rush to get work in order to obtain the necessary visa, Underwood still talks about acting with a sense of urgency rarely held by actors who are as successful as he has been over the past year. Underwood’s not content to rest, despite having completed the second season of “The Following” and having a contract to return to the series Sam Underwood as Luke for the third (and final) season. on FOX’s “The Following.” He confesses that his idea of “downtime” mostly involves more work. “That pressure, all those stakes of wanting to work as an actor — they never leave me. I still feel it now, even when I have a five-month hiatus between seasons. I still want to work,” he says. Though one might classify Underwood as a workaholic, he considers the five-month hiatus between seasons of “The Following” as a blessing, not a curse. “It’s been pretty go, go, go for the last year, but, yeah, it’s nice to have a little bit of breathing time to spend more time getting back and hands on with the theater go study,” he says. “I moved over here to company because my shooting schedule study at AMDA in October 2006. I’ve been has been very sporadic... We’re excited to do here ever since.” a main stage at the end of this year, so the Underwood says he chose AMDA out of company is in preproduction for that.” his desire to learn in a focused program “There are a couple of hiatus projects, that would propel his professional independent films and plays that I’m aspirations. “What I wanted was a very looking at doing, “ he says. “So in a way, it’s intense course that was going to give me a kind of exciting. I have time to audition lot of material to cover and give me a wide for a new job to do while I’m on hiatus. It’s spectrum of methods, techniques, different definitely been a busy and exhausting, but teachers,” he says. “I wasn’t looking to very thrilling seven months of shooting, spend four years in school at that point. but now I’ve been here in New York, Just seeing the program and the energy reading a lot of new scripts, auditioning for when I walked into the building, the people a lot of different projects. There’s a whole — it’s exactly what I gravitated towards.” lot of things I want to do.” Since finding regular work on screen After all, there’s always a way to go and stage, Underwood has returned to his darker.

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THEO WARGO/GETTY IMAGES FOR TONY AWARDS PRODUCTIONS

Kyle Scatliffe performs onstage with the cast of Les MisĂŠrables at the 68th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in 2014.

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KYLE SCATLIFFE

An eventful year and an unusual audition culminate in Les Mis on Broadway BY CARYN ROBBINS, BROADWAYWORLD.COM

here are several milestones in the career of a stage performer that indicate not just success but also a recognition of their talent and mastery of the craft. AMDA alumnus Kyle Scatliffe achieved two of these in 2014, with an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in The Scottsboro Boys in London’s West End followed by his Broadway debut, originating the role of Enjolras in the revival of Les Misérables. Famed producer Cameron Mackintosh, who brought Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s classic French Revolution musical back to Broadway, was instrumental in seeking out Scatliffe for the role. New Jersey native Scatliffe is no stranger to achievement, racking up awards, recognition and acclaim from the moment he graduated. In 2009, he took top honors in musical theater from the National Association of Teachers of Singing NYC Chapter competition. The following year, he received the Kurt Weil Foundation for Music’s annual award for excellence in music theater singing, the Lotte Lenya Competition. He has also won over a legion of fans, inspiring a Kyle Scatliffe Appreciation Club on social media; they refer to themselves as “Scatliffers.” For the production’s second year, a (mostly) new Les Misérables cast was introduced and Scatliffe ended his run with the show. He has since performed regularly, with appearances including the Broadway by the Years series and a concert performance of Children of Eden alongside original cast members. We caught up with Kyle Scatliffe before he left Les Mis to speak to him about a casting experience he describes as “surreal” and his reflections on taking on a big role in an iconic show.

the show opening night! Then I get an email again from my agents saying that Cameron saw the show and he wanted me to come in on Sunday and go over some music, then on Monday go to the Queen’s Theater and audition for the show. It was like one of those moments when someone says something like that and your mind’s just like, “Ah, cool, Cameron Mackintosh wants to see me for Les Mis… okay!” I go in Sunday and go over the music with Laurence Connor, one of the directors. On Monday, I go to the Queen’s Theater. I was expecting there had to be a voice room somewhere in the building, or that there would just be some sort of room where they hold auditions for the theater, but, lo and behold, as one of the stagehands is walking me to the building, I start to get a feeling that I’m walking closer to a stage. I ask, “Where am I going?” and she says, “Go right through there.” I thought, “Are you serious?” I walk out on the stage and Cameron’s right there and says, “Hello!” He’s got the creative team sitting with him. I’m thinking, “I’m standing on the stage; this doesn’t happen. This is one of those things your teachers tell you about. This is how they used to audition, from the stage.” Cameron walks up, shakes my hand and tells me how much he liked Scottsboro Boys. I’m overwhelmed, but at the same time, I’m thinking, “He’s never going to cast me.” Claude-Michel [Schönberg, who composed the music for Les Misérables] came up to me and gave me some notes for “ABC Cafe” and for “Red and Black.” I went over the material, then Cameron came over to talk to me about the revival. He asked, “Did you know we’re trying to do the show? Do you know Les Mis?” I said, “Yes, it’s my favorite musical, so yes!” You know when someone’s pitching something to you but you don’t really get that they’re pitching it to you? That’s what was happening. The next day I get a call from my agent and he asks me, “Hey, how would you like to make your Broadway debut in Les Mis?” I just fell over; I literally fell in my seat! It was a pretty surreal experience. It was crazy.

“THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS YOUR TEACHERS TELL YOU ABOUT. THIS IS HOW THEY USED TO AUDITION, FROM THE STAGE.”

How were you cast for the role of Enjolras? It’s really an amazing story. I was in London performing in The Scottsboro Boys on the West End. I received two emails from my agents telling me that they were casting for Les Mis. The first one said, “Hey, this came for you. I know you’re in England and can’t really audition for it, but just so you know, this came in for you.” I just thought, “Oh, that’s cool.” A week later I received another email from them. This was during tech week [for The Scottsboro Boys], and they were saying that they hadn’t found anyone yet. They asked if I could put myself on tape or send them anything. But because it was in the middle of tech week, I wasn’t able to send them anything; I was just too busy. Opening night rolls around, we perform the show, and at the end of the show, one of my cast mates said to me, “Hey, did you see Cameron Mackintosh out there? He was sitting in the center?” I said, “What do you mean? No, I didn’t.” Then we go out for the bows and sure enough I see Cameron sitting dead center, just watching

What was it like making your Broadway debut in such an iconic show? The first thing we did that day was have a rehearsal, as we normally do before a preview. Then we all got on stage together and we had a little minor celebration for the people who were having their Broadway debuts. Will gathered us on stage for a little celebration. The thing that was the most amazing was that when those CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 »

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first two notes hit, it got so loud… We were all smiling, and the curtain was still down. We were all smiling, but then we were like, “We have to get into the show!’’ Before a single actor had appeared on stage at a recent performance, the orchestra hit those two opening notes and the audience erupted in cheers and applause. It was an exciting and unique moment. It’s happened a couple of times so far. It energizes us at the same time. When it happens, we all look at each other and go, “Hey guys, we’re in Les Mis!” [laughing] Even the very first day we were with the orchestra, as soon as they played those two notes, we all freaked out. They must be the two most powerful notes in music, it’s just “DUN DUN,” and that’s it!

Kyle Scatliffe (center) and cast on ABC’s “Good Morning America”

“WE’RE ALL VERY BIG FANS OF THIS MUSICAL. FROM DAY ONE, WE’VE BEEN LIKE KIDS PLAYING IN THE TOY SHOP.”

Les Mis has been translated into 22 different languages, had productions in 42 countries, and has been seen by an estimated 60 million people. What do you think it is about this story that makes it so universal and appealing? One of things about the story that makes it universal is actually one of my favorite parts about it, and that is the redeeming quality of man. Jean Valjean goes from rags to riches, which is a dream that a lot of people have, but it’s a strange way that he does it, because he doesn’t care about the money. There’s a selfless nature to everything he does. If you look at Jean Valjean from where he is at the beginning and what he becomes, he is almost the personification of what a perfect Christian would be like. I think that is another really big thing. Whether someone believes in God or doesn’t believe, if all of us could be just like him, it would certainly make it easier for people to have faith. I also think that everybody, in their belly, has a little bit of revolutionary in them. They can relate to what the revolutionaries are fighting for. Then of course, you have the love story. While most musicals usually have one of those three central plots to them, this show has all three. You get to enjoy three different types of musicals all at once in a three-hour span. Les Mis is more familiar to audiences since the 2012 film adaptation. Does that put a responsibility or added pressure on you and the rest of the cast to uphold audiences’ expectations? It’s kind of an interesting thing. We do feel a kind of fan pressure, but at the same time, it’s our own pressure because we love the musical as well. We’re all very big fans of this musical. From day one, we’ve been like kids playing in the toy shop. On the first day of rehearsals, even people who have been on Broadway for years were nervous because it’s Les Mis. To us, it’s like the Holy Grail. It’s a very sacred thing, so we want to do it justice. We have one cast member who has done ten Broadway shows since 2000; he says this is the most fun he’s ever had on stage. He just loves doing this show. So the pressure really comes from within. The movie doesn’t

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add to that because it came out about two years ago now, but I do feel that a wider range of people know the story because of it. There is also the UK tour, which sparked the 25th Anniversary production. A lot of things in the movie are based off of that. This production includes things from the movie and the original production all put together. You also mentioned the seasoned cast that you are working with, as well as the talented creative team. What has that experience been like? What have you learned from them? It’s been like walking through a dream at all times. Someone asked me how I was feeling. I said, “I just hope I never wake up!” It’s been pretty amazing, working with Cassie [Levy, a fellow AMDA alumna], Will [Swenson] and Ramin [Karimloo]. They are all such veterans. Even Andy [Mientus] is a veteran. Though this is his first Broadway show, he’s been in Off-Broadway shows, he’s been on “Smash.” I’ve been learning a lot of the business side of things from them — from Nikki [M. James] and all of them — because they know it so well. I’ve been learning a lot about how the whole thing runs, how the whole machine works on Broadway. That’s been a real learning experience. The creative team has been incredible. It’s crazy to have the actual creators of Les Mis there; we even have the original costume designer. To have them all there has been amazing. Any notes you get from the directors are like, “Make sure that this is in there because that is what the original intent of things were and this is what we’re trying to do as well.” Then you swirl them all together and it makes a new show. It’s quite interesting what they’ve been able to do together because of the show’s age and also because of the fact that the show used to be more of a “stand and sing.” Now it’s got so much real life grit to it. So, yeah, I’m living the dream. I’m literally walking around living a dream! A version of this story previously appeared on Broadwayworld.com.

IDA MAE ASTUTE FOR DISNEY/ABC TELEVISION GROUP

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