Star Power Vol.33 by NYOTA Magazine

[NYOTA

MAGAZINE]

STAR POWER

Kevin Csolak Volume 33

from the editor HELLO THERE, READER! In this Star Power issue, we got to chat with actor, singer, and dancer Kevin Csolak about his role in West Side Story and his advice for aspiring actors. We also have a quick chat with actor, singer, and dancer

Layton

Williams

who

starring

Everybody's Talking About Jamie at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre. As usual, I hope you enjoy reading the issue and that it inspires you to go after your dreams and maybe watch a musical or two.

YOURS TRULY, Carol Wright EDITOR IN CHIEF @_CAROL_WRIGHT

contents 1. Editor's Letter 3. Get to Know Kevin

4. Kevin's Playlist

5. Star Power: Kevin Csolak

9. Kevin's Top Picks

11. Quick Chat: Layton Williams

#StarPower

Could hold a rhythm on a drum set before I could walk.

I can snap with my toes.

Get

Hate oysters with a burning passion.

KnOw

Kevin

I LOVE “Mike’s Hot Honey”.. Spicy honey and it goes great on every-damnthing.

Had to give up playing baseball (which I played all my life) when I made the decision to act. But the first job I got once making that decision was a star High School pitcher in a feature film.

#NyotaMusic

Kevin's Playlist Jungle // Cherry

Earth, Wind and Fire // Fantasy

Mac Miller // Blue World

Mk.Gee

// Cz

Hablot Brown //

Reasons

David Bowie // Let’s Dance

Arin Ray // Reckless

Drake // Passion Fruit

Jungle // Casio

Bren Joy // Upper East Side

#StarPower

Kevin Csolak Interview by Carol Wright | Photography by Reto Sterchi

Actor Kevin Csolak grew up surrounded by the arts, so it is no surprise that he became a performer himself. After being a part of productions like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Mean Girls on Broadway, Csolak is shining on-screen as Diesel in Steven Spielberg's West Side Story. Csolak spoke to NYOTA about playing the role of Diesel and how stage-artists have come together during the pandemic.

Due to your mother owning a performing arts school did you know that you wanted to be a performer from a young age or did it take time for you to become interested in the arts? Growing up in my mom’s performing arts school most definitely sparked performing as a way of life for me. It’s funny, it didn’t ever feel like a choice I had to make because it was something I saw my family live and breathe from the moment I could comprehend the world around me. My mom ran her studio 24/7 and still does inspiring, training, and guiding young artists to ignite their passions. My dad is a percussionist, taught music during the day, and would come home racing to his drum set. Both of my older brothers, Kurt and Steve trained in performance and participated in school musicals and the marching band. I grew up surrounded by this healthy love and expression of feeling through this art form. How could I not become a performer, is what I honestly wonder.

With New York only being a train ride away from New Jersey did you often try to find opportunities in the city? Oh, New York was my home away from home. From the age of 10, when my mom got my brother and I management. I was in and out of the city three to four times a week attending auditions, callbacks, and bookings. I would do anything I could, to stay in the city which was feeling more like home every visit. When I booked my first Broadway show, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I was ecstatic to know I’d be in the city every day except Monday. And growing up, even if I wasn’t in a show or auditioning, I’d stir up any excuse to create a day in the city; taking a dance class, acting class, seeing a friend, or simply going to explore the greatest city in the world.

#StarPower You can now be seen in the critically acclaimed West Side Story. What drew you to the role of Diesel and what did you do to step into Diesel’s shoes? I would say the entirety of what West Side drew me in initially. I’ve had a love of this story and musical for a long time and when I initially got the audition, there was something in me that felt hopeful. The thought that this would be my moment to finally dive into this iconic material and imprint myself into the story in some way. Diesel, one of the members of the Jets, is a man of few words and I am definitely a lot like that. In the gang, he is an older brother to Baby John as well as an overseeing eye to the gang. I approached the role first by understanding the condition and state of Manhattan, specifically San Juan Hill, from 64th st - 72nd on the West Side. Understanding the world around Diesel was my jumping-off point to create his back story. From there, I found relative aspects of myself that I could expand on and others that I needed to diminish to be able to play the role. A little secret to knowing Diesel is his match-stick. If you look close, you catch it in my mouth in certain scenes. Though he seems calmer than the rest of the gang… Don’t let that match spark up or you’ll find out the reason why his name is Diesel.

One of my favorite scenes in the film was the “Gee, Officer Krupke” number. Can you talk a bit about the rehearsal process for that scene and how you and your castmates worked together to bring it to life? We rehearsed Krupke along with the other dance numbers in the film for about three months prior to filming. Krupke was enormously exciting to collaborate on not only with my castmates but with the genius of both Steven and our incredible choreographer, Justin Peck. The “slap-stick” aspect of the number really allowed us to drive the movement from a comedic, physical standpoint while at the same time emotionally driving the story. Transitions within Krupke were so important and aspects of the choreography changed daily even on set. It required all of us to be firing on all cylinders to inspire and suggest solutions to any adjustments. This collaboration was invigorating as we worked together toward the final version. It required character perspective and both emotional and physical acting skills from each cast member. And this all while being wound up juvenile delinquents locked inside a police precinct. These became a sum of factors that would inspire what you saw on the screen.

"It required all of us to be firing on all cylinders to inspire and suggest solutions to any adjustments. This collaboration was invigorating as we worked together toward the final version."

#StarPower All musicals tend to have a sense of magic to them but West Side Story truly feels like the epitome of what a musical should be. Did you feel that magic while working on the film? 1,000%. Every single artist who worked on that set felt it. We had the most memorable summer. The creative process was immensely welcoming and that lent us, the cast, to feel secure and willing to bring our true selves to the material. Extreme care was brought into this process to learn, respect the cultures and the world of Manhattan in the mid-1950s. We developed a deep-rooted respect for one another and we created a West Side Story which I feel had not been seen or properly represented before. Steven Spielberg and his team brought this truth and delicate respect and I feel it ignited the authentic magic of the film. What did you learn from working with Steven Spielberg? I learned the power of preparation, respect, and trust in a creative setting. What it can truly do to spark that magic we mentioned above, is remarkable.

You’ll next be seen in the show Animal Kingdom. Do you feel as though you get to stretch yourself as an actor playing Andrew? Having to play the younger version of a character on a show was a gratifying challenge. Shawn Hatosy’s work is inspiring to say the least. Andrew was a kind of new soul that I had never gotten the privilege to explore, so definitely tested me. I had a blast searching and playing within the realm of Andrew and I believe the fans/audience will be pleasantly surprised by his journey. What advice do you have for aspiring actors? Like many have said before, “Fall forward.” Jump into the uncomfortable and do NOT be afraid to fail, look goofy or be embarrassed. What’s on the other side of those problems (opportunities) is progress and bliss.

Broadway has been hit hard due to the pandemic but performers have been showing a lot of resilience. How have you seen the performing arts community come together during this time? It has been hit hard. The support I’ve seen fellow stage artists give each other has been endless. A community of people who were already so close became rock solid and more supportive than ever. By showing up for one another, checking in, and creating other means of collaborative expression through technology, the community has gotten through. With OffBroadway and Broadway back up, I would be remiss to not acknowledge the swings/understudies who have been the bedrock of keeping stage performance alive during these times.

#StarPower

Kevin's Kevin'sTop TopPicks Picks

Fashion Trend: Sailer Beanie is THE only trend I need

Book: The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

TV Show: Breaking Bad

Movie: The Harder They Fall Jeymes Samuel

#QuickChat

Layton Williams Interview by Carol Wright | Photographer: The Other Richard

#QuickChat

NYOTA got to chat with actor, singer, and dancer Layton Williams who first caught audiences' attention when he played the titular role of Billy in Billy Elliot. Now, he is responsible for bringing the hit-musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie, to the states after a successful run in London's West End, and according to Williams, audiences are loving it. Do you remember the moment you fell in love with performing and wanted to pursue that full-time? Yes, it was my opening night and West End debut as a child. I played Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical, and it was my 1st experience playing a character on stage, ever. I knew that night after I took my first bow that this is what I wanted to do. You started performing at a young age. How much do you feel you’ve grown and changed as a performer since making your West End debut in Billy Elliot? I feel like I’ve grown so much. Every job I do I learn something different. Yes, I went onto train professionally after Billy, but I feel so lucky to have not stopped working since I graduated college. Whether it’s stage, screen, or film, I’m continuing to learn so much about myself and this industry. I’ve even started to feel more confident about creating my own work of recent, which I love.

Tell our readers a bit about Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. What initially made you want to be involved in the show? I just fell in love with Jamie as soon as I heard about the story. Jamie is a sixteen-year-old boy and wants to be a drag queen. It’s not a story about a boy coming out, he is very much so already out of the closet. I actually remember watching the original documentary on BBC when I was young. Never did I think all these years I’d be playing the role, especially in L.A.!

After working on Everybody’s Talking About Jamie for quite some time have you found a kinship between yourself and your character Jamie? I have certainly become more confident in myself whilst playing Jamie. The timeline has spanned across three years now because of the pandemic. I don’t think wearing a feathered gown on a red carpet is something I would’ve been comfortable doing yet… there I was, in full glam at the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie movie premiere in London. I have Jamie to thank for that. I’m just out here living my best life now and it’s fab! How has it been bringing Everybody’s Talking About Jamie to the states? Have there been any major differences between how audiences in England interacted with the show versus audiences in California? Honestly, Americans are just loving it. Thank goodness, too, because I was a little worried they might not get what’s going on! I dunno what it is. Obviously, I love my Brits, but sometimes we are a bit British and polite about things. Especially theatre etiquette, which, of course, is a must but… for example, when I bring out my red heels for the first time it gets huge applause sometimes. It’s really refreshing to experience an audience that has a different outlook and a whole new set of priorities. Makes for a fun ride for us all, truly. What advice do you have for aspiring performers? Be you, work hard, keep the hope… and SLAY!

NYOTA Magazine STAR POWER TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF GRAPHIC DESIGNER

CAROL WRIGHT

WWW.ISSUU.COM/NYOTAMAGAZINE

CAROL WRIGHT

HTTP://NYOTAMAGAZINE.COM

COVER ACTOR

PUBLISHING

Kevin Csolak

CONTRIBUTORS PHOTOGRAPHER

Reto Sterchi

PHOTOGRAPHER

The Other Richard

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