This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:01] Eila Mell: Thank you.

[0:20] Eila Mell: This all happened by accident. See, if it had gone to plan, I should now be a retired high school art teacher. But what had happened was, my freshman year of high school of art and design, this kid in my class said that his mother was starting a community theater in Brooklyn and needed kids to come and make posters. I figured, why not? I don't know if it was the fumes from the magic markers, but I entered the basement of a Unitarian church in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and I found my community.

[1:07] Eila Mell: Hello and welcome to Behind the Awards. I'm Eila. As always, I'm here with Bruce.

[1:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Hello there, Bruce.

[1:26] Bruce Gotlieb: Good morning. How are you?

[1:28] Eila Mell: I'm good. I'm good. So that was Harvey Fierstein.

[1:33] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, this past year's Tony Lifetime Achievement recipient.

[1:38] Eila Mell: He's no stranger to the Tony stage.

[1:40] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, no, no. He's been winning Tonys for 40 years.

[1:43] Eila Mell: How good did he look, though, at the Tonys this year?

[1:46] Bruce Gotlieb: He looked great. His speech, you know, he always gives a good speech.

[1:50] Eila Mell: He does.

[1:51] Bruce Gotlieb: It just, you know, when people are good speakers like that, you almost get to the edge of your seat a little bit more, because you want to, like, settle into what they're going to say.

[2:00] Eila Mell: I know. I know. Yeah, his speeches are always good.

[2:04] Bruce Gotlieb: He's funny. He's, you know, poignant when needed. It's just, I'm waiting. I want the next. What's his next? I want more.

[2:11] Eila Mell: Yeah, right. Well, I want more theater from him. Is he writing anything, I hope?

[2:17] Bruce Gotlieb: I hope. I mean, that's what I hope, so.

[2:20] Eila Mell: I know. I guess we'll see.

[2:22] Bruce Gotlieb: We will. We will. He's no stranger to a book, so.

[2:26] Eila Mell: That's right. Well, speaking of theater, as if we would talk about anything else, you saw Joy, Joy the Musical.

[2:33] Bruce Gotlieb: I did. Joy the Musical. How was that?

[2:35] Eila Mell: It's good. Betsy Wolfe is starring in it.

[2:39] Bruce Gotlieb: The role that, obviously, when the movie was out, Jennifer Lawrence played.

[2:42] Eila Mell: She's great. I mean, she's a powerhouse. Her vocals, her acting, you know, she's definitely top-notch.

[2:48] Bruce Gotlieb: One of the cool things was, sitting in the theater waiting for the show to start, the director, Lauren Letaro, comes down to the front of the stage with the microphone in hand. So, any time that happens, you get a little, like, what's happening here? Is it bad news? What's going on? Very early in previews, it's an eight-week limited run, so, you know.

[3:06] Eila Mell: And she says, you know, we're working really hard at putting the show together. We're here rehearsing all day, and then we have the show tonight. She said, we have worked a new song into the show. We just went over it today, so we're excited about it. She might have some papers in her hand. You know, we're going to see how it goes. And with that, the show was off and running. The added song was, like, in that 11 o'clock number slot. I'm not sure if something else was there first or beforehand.

[3:33] Bruce Gotlieb: How did you know that that was the added song?

[3:36] Eila Mell: Because she was holding something?

[3:37] Bruce Gotlieb: She was holding paper in her hand.

[3:39] Eila Mell: At first, I thought, based on the scene, it made sense that she'd have paper in her hand. But then, when the lighting hit it, you could see it was more of a lyric sheet than it was a prop.

[3:48] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[3:49] Eila Mell: But the song was spectacular. She got a standing ovation after. So, I'm sure that song will stick around.

[3:57] Bruce Gotlieb: That's great. Good for them.

[3:59] Eila Mell: Yeah, so it's a fun show. It has that waitress vibe in terms of storytelling. To me, anyway, large ensemble cast. It's the story of the miracle mop and creator. And, you know, it's a good night of theater. I'd be interested to see where it goes from here. You know, they're definitely working on tweaking some of the elements, which always happens during this process. And I think that if they do, you know, kind of tighten it up a little bit, it could really be something really special.

[4:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, do you know who the biggest group of audience members are?

[4:45] Eila Mell: You know, it was a mix in the audience. But there were people that were at the show that have been there multiple times already. There was one guy who had, like, you know, a clear screen case on his phone. And he had the logo artwork inserted in it. So, his phone case was a Joy phone case.

[5:06] Bruce Gotlieb: Wow.

[5:07] Eila Mell: So, he's really, he's a super fan.

[5:10] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, my gosh.

[5:11] Eila Mell: And, you know, if you need a mop, you should also go to see this show.

[5:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, but you must be on an aisle.

[5:16] Eila Mell: Oh.

[5:17] Bruce Gotlieb: That's the trick. Because they do give out probably about, I don't know, six or eight mops in Act One, which then you can pick up from the coat room before you leave the theater.

[5:27] Eila Mell: I mean, that's great. That's a great gimmick. Personally, it would be a nightmare for me going home with a mop, having to carry that. But, you know, but I think that's great. That's a lot of fun.

[5:44] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, my God. People were just, lost their mind with the mops.

[5:50] Eila Mell: I know. Anytime you give away anything free, even if it's crap, which this isn't, but if, you know, it doesn't matter. Like, so, you know, when I would cover Fashion Week, they would give out these gift bags. And there was never anything good in the gift bag. I mean, very rarely. But it was always, like, dry shampoo, things like that.

[6:07] Bruce Gotlieb: No, people love a freebie.

[6:09] Eila Mell: Oh, my God. I would kill someone to get that bag. And then when I got it, I would just throw it away. I wouldn't even use the stuff in it. But, you know.

[6:18] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, by the way, someone who I would see all the time, and who I knew back then, was Joy, her actual daughter, Jackie. She also covers Fashion Week.

[6:28] Eila Mell: Oh, how funny is that?

[6:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes. So, was it similar to the movie? Was it based on the movie?

[6:34] Eila Mell: I mean, obviously, Joy Mangano has a story.

[6:37] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, I mean, it all comes from that same world. Honestly, I have not seen the movie.

[6:42] Eila Mell: The movie, from what I understand, in the movie, apparently, she has two children. In this, she has one.

[6:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, the most fun part of the movie is that Melissa Rivers plays Joan Rivers.

[6:53] Eila Mell: Oh, how funny is that?

[6:55] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[6:56] Eila Mell: That's great.

[6:58] Bruce Gotlieb: The woman who played Joan in this was very funny. She was definitely channeling her spirit, for sure.

[7:06] Eila Mell: Oh, amazing. I didn't even know that Joan Rivers was a character in the play.

[7:10] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, because, you know, she goes on to QVC.

[7:13] Eila Mell: Right.

[7:14] Bruce Gotlieb: And Jo, back then, certainly had some airtime on QVC.

[7:18] Eila Mell: Oh, boy.

[7:19] Bruce Gotlieb: That Joan Rivers, she was smart, huh?

[7:21] Eila Mell: She sure was.

[7:22] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, she was great. She'd probably be fun to go out to dinner with, or something.

[7:27] Eila Mell: Oh, my gosh. So, again, Fashion Week, I would see Joan Rivers there a lot.

[7:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, she was the fashion police queen.

[7:33] Eila Mell: She was.

[7:35] Bruce Gotlieb: So, you would see their little booth. It wasn't in a studio. Well, sometimes it was in a studio, but a lot of times it was just in this open space at Fashion Week, and they would shoot it there. So, you would see her all the time, and she was always surrounded by people and always seemed to be paying a lot of attention to her fans, which was just amazing because she didn't have to. I've seen people with security walking them around so no one bothers them, and she never, ever, ever did that.

[8:03] Eila Mell: I met Melissa, and she's extremely nice, too. You know, her tagline, can we talk? You can't have a tagline like that if you're not willing to do so.

[8:11] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, that's true. That's very true.

[8:14] Eila Mell: Well, Bruce, who is on our show? Who are we talking to today?

[8:17] Bruce Gotlieb: We are talking to our friend to the show, Jay Savage, off the heels of Smash, Empire the Musical. He was in Band Cinderella.

[8:24] Eila Mell: Elf.

[8:27] Bruce Gotlieb: Elf, yeah. Yeah, he's got quite the list of credits in his star rising career.

[8:32] Eila Mell: I know. He's very young. It's amazing that he's worked this much.

[8:37] Bruce Gotlieb: And with some of the names he's going to get into talking about.

[8:40] Eila Mell: I know. There are people on Broadway for how many years that haven't even had the opportunity.

[8:46] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right. Now, would Patti LuPone consider him a veteran?

[8:49] Eila Mell: Probably not.

[8:51] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Well, we love him. Let's bring him out.

[8:54] Eila Mell: Absolutely. Isla, how excited are you that we have our friend Jay Savage with us today off the heels of him dancing his ass off in Smash at the Imperial?

[9:09] Eila Mell: So excited. So excited. So proud of him. So happy that he's finally joining us. Welcome.

[9:16] J Savage: Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. It's been far too long.

[9:19] Eila Mell: Yeah. It has been. We've been talking about it, schedules, trying to coordinate and everything, but here we are.

[9:24] J Savage: Yes. Now I'm so unemployed. So I have the time. I don't have a job.

[9:29] Eila Mell: So we love Smash. We're so sorry. We think it should have had a much longer life. I'm sure that you feel the same way.

[9:36] J Savage: I do. Tell us about the experience working on it.

[9:41] J Savage: Oh, my God. It was such a great, great experience from the first moment I stepped into the audition to the first moment in pre-pro to the very last second. It was just such a wonderful, wonderful time. Stro and Josh are just freaking amazing. They know how to lead a room with love and compassion, but also with professionalism and to make the show happen. And to be surrounded by such incredible artists, from Brooks to Robin to Krista to John and Christine and Jackie and all of these people who are such vets, who know exactly what they're doing and how to make it work. You know, like it's so thrilling to watch them and be like, wow, we're making a Broadway show with Broadway people who know how to make the show. And it was so thrilling and fun. And I felt so able to, you know, be myself and throw my own bits in there and like, see what's stuck. And like, it's been, it's been, it was such a blast.

[10:52] Eila Mell: I've seen you say that that little bit you have at the bar where you're the waiter. How did that come to be? Did you throw it in during rehearsal and then it stuck?

[11:03] J Savage: Oh, I wish. No, it was written in. And I, when I, I got like a copy of the script for pre-pro, which was two weeks before we started rehearsal. And I read the script and I was like, I have to do this waiter bit. I was like, I don't know how I'm going to do it, but like, it has to be me. And every day in pre-pro I'd come in and they had like a preliminary tracking sheet and I'd like check it to see if it changed. And instead I was the waiter in that scene. And I was like, okay, I think it's me. But you know, these things might change. You never know as you're building a show. And we finally got to rehearsal proper and it had stayed intact. And then we were doing the SIDS probe scene, which is right after that bit.

And Stro was like, and you're going to enter late because you're the waiter in the prior scene. I was like, yes, yes. And she was like, okay. I was like, I'm so excited. I want to be the waiter so bad. And she was like, okay. Like thinking I was hitting, I was not. And so we finally get to the scene and they had already blocked it in the other room. So Leah or runnable associate, they were like running the scene. And Leah comes up with her binders and she was like, okay, so you're going to enter on this line with this property, you're going to exit and they're going to reenter on this line. You're going to have, I was like, oh, and she goes, and then you're going to like turn around and do something.

I said, Leah, I'll take it from here. So we get to that point in the scene and, and she goes, waiter, waiter, actor. And I turn around and I sing a scream, a high note, do like a pot of beret over the table. And everybody's laughing. It's true. It was like, wow, great. And I looked at her and said, I told you I wanted this bit. And she was like, that's great. It's so fun. I think we can do so much less. And I was like, sure, sure, sure. Of course, of course. I was like, but thank you for letting me try it. And she was like, of course. But it was just, it was so fun. It's like, get to like hold my own headshot on the Broadway stage and not be doing chorus line. It's unprecedented. Only in a chorus line can you do that.

Unprecedented. But the best part is I'm wearing a wig in that scene. So it's like, I have different hair in the headshot. It's so dumb, but I was so excited. So that's one of those where it's like, we kind of got to build it. There's another moment where in the very end of the show, I'm the house manager that rolls down the red carpet, which was a bit that was made from two separate bits in rehearsal. In rehearsal, the finale changed a lot. You know, in a new musical, it changed a lot. It was longer. It was shorter. The ensemble had a verse. So this meant.

[13:59] J Savage: And so, in rehearsal also, there's the ghost light scene, which is the who we gonna fire scene. And everyone, the whole running gag of the scene is, G'night, G'night, like interrupting important conversations so we can say G'night. And, I was not in that scene originally, I am not now, or ever, because the show's closed. But that bit, they were like, one of the stage directors came up to me and she was like, Hey, so when do you enter for this scene? I was like, Oh, I'm not in this scene. She goes, Oh, you are now. I was like, Oh, okay. And Leah comes up with her book. And the scene is happening in front of us. She goes, Okay, so you're gonna come at the very edge, you're the house manager. You have all these keys, a bunch of playbills, and a walkie.

And the scene now ends with, You gave her a book. And then a ba-ba-da-ba. And then they move on. But it used to be, you gave her a book. And then Krista would be like, I didn't give her a book, she took it. She took it. And that was supposed to be another running joke in the show. And then she kind of has this monologue as they're all walking off being like, What the heck? And I'd come on and be like, Good night. And she'd say, Go to hell. And that bit made it to our last run through before previews. And then they cut it because they wanted it to end earlier and it was a better scene. And then Stro was like, But hold on to that costume, because you never know. And lo and behold, right before our first preview, they're like, We need to bring back the vertical red carpet.

Who's going to roll it down? Jay, because he did a rehearsal. And who's he going to do it at? The house manager. But that's just such a classic story of how these bits come to be and these moments in shows come to be. They're like little things in rehearsal until you get to the final product. And that's just a story I love so much.

[16:44] Eila Mell: Are you ever in a position where you can request trying for one of those roles? Like you wanted to be the waiter. Is it cool to say, Can I try the waiter? Or does it not work like that?

[16:54] J Savage: In this situation, I don't think it would have. Especially because all of that tracking was already set. And I think I could have come off looking a little like, Don't you know how these things work? Yeah. Especially because there's so much pre-production before we even enter a room. So they know what costumes they need to be buying for us to be in certain scenes and this and that and who's going to be in which dance number because they have to end up early in this. But I think every show, if there's one thing I've learned, every show is a case-by-case scenario. You have the general structure. You come and you learn the show. You do it. But whether you're doing a new musical or you're remounting something regionally or something like that, there is so much variance in the situation.

So in the regional production of Smash, I encourage whoever is listening to this to go up and ask to do the waiter bit when you get your offer. But I don't think this was one of those times. So I struck gold. I was lucky.

[17:54] Eila Mell: When did you get involved in this project? Were you involved in any of the workshop stages? I know this has been kind of different incarnations over years trying to put it together.

[18:06] J Savage: Yeah, absolutely. I am very fresh to Smash. I joined for the Broadway production. I auditioned for the Broadway production. But it's so interesting to hear what it was like back then. I mean, everyone was having a great time and all the things that were different and how Ivy Lynn used to die and all of this. Did you guys get to see the workshop? No. But I heard how crazy it was. We had Rick Ellis. Oh, I love Rick Ellis. He's the greatest. Karen used to be super green and very loves Jesus and worships Ivy Lynn. They used to dance on Ivy's grave and all this different stuff. And so I think it was really fun for me to get to come in super fresh to it and get to hear those experiences. Like, oh, he used to be this.

And I'm like, oh, well, I'm not tied to that. So whatever. But it's interesting because when these auditions came out, everyone was like, oh, my God, I'm not going in for Smash. The workshop audition was so hard. It was apparently so difficult. They were doing triple turns to double tours to a layout to this to that. And I was like, I would have died if I tried to do that. So I almost didn't go to my Smash audition because of everything I'd heard about what the workshop was like in terms of that audition. And my agent was like, I don't think you should just go. And I was like, okay. And I did not think I was booking Smash. But lo and behold, here we are. But, yeah, I think it's been really special to like, especially Krista, who's been with it from the beginning.

And like Bob and Neil, who were there from the start. And Josh, who like the way that all came to be, he just choreographed a number for the pilot. And then it ended up becoming such an integral part of the series. And then he won an Emmy. It's such a special legacy.

[19:54] Eila Mell: And you are just, I mean, all the guys, like it's that true Broadway ensemble, big, dancy numbers. I mean, you guys are kicking and turning and lifting. And it's just, I can't imagine the puddle of sweat you must be after a show is over.

[20:04] J Savage: Oh my God. My boyfriend will not let me go to bed until I take a shower. He's like, and they're like, and rightfully so. Let's be clear. Yeah, we do sweat a lot, especially because it's the summer months. So like, and then like, but it's also the transition from spring to summer. So like the weather's constantly like bouncing back and forth. So like trying to balance the AC in the theater, either it's freezing in there or it's burning hot. So yeah, we, we are sweating up a storm, but what's great about it, the pacing of the show for us is the longest number is the opening. And then, and then we do national pastime, which is, you know, a cut of the number. So it's a minute and a half to two minutes.

And then we do 16 bars of a rehearsal version of cut print. And then I go sit at a table and then I sit on a bench. And then I do don't say yes, where I jump up and down a little bit. And then we do the Steve scene and then we do Mambo. And Mambo is like, we dance for 16 bars. We act for 16 bars. Then I go change my clothes. We dance for 16 bars, act for 16 bars. Then I go change my clothes, you know? So it's like, you don't ever get too exhausted doing Mambo. And then that's, you're done dancing for act one. And that's like halfway through act one. Cause then we have sitzprobe and then whatever. And so I'm like, and then I do, I will say, Let's Be Bad is the number I do dread the most. It is a great number and it's so fun, but you're wearing these like 30 pound heavy rhinestone suits.

And you're wearing this fedora on your microphone, which is like shoving it into your forehead. Maybe your hat keeps wanting to come off. So you're constantly just trying to like dance, but pull your hat back down. And it's just, all of the choreography of Let's Be Bad is hop, hop, hop, hop, hop. Just like these tiny little hops. You're constantly jumping. And like in rehearsal, there used to be these breaks, which you'll hear in the original recording from the TV show. It's like, da-da, da-da-da, da-da-da-da-da-da. And it would transition to the key change. But we took all of those out. So you don't get a breather in that number. So it just keeps going. But then we do Wolf and then we're done dancing for act two.

And so like, we did the cut, print, reprise. We run in a circle. And then I hide behind the bed while Robin Hurt is doing her Cassie dance. And then I rip the sheet off. And then I roll down the red carpet and we're done.

[22:06] Eila Mell: That's so funny that you say that because Bruce always refers to that moment as her Cassie moment.

[22:11] J Savage: It is, it's just like. Really her Cassie moment.

[22:13] Eila Mell: Yeah. But the best part of that moment is where the bed is hidden behind black velour. There are three very tall men just crouching behind that bed while she is giving the dance of a lifetime. So we could just tear the sheet off. It is so funny to me. That is pure Broadway magic. I love it. Especially because you see the pictures and it's the smoke and the lights and her. You wouldn't know there were people behind it.

[22:42] J Savage: Or a bed.

[22:43] Eila Mell: Or a bed.

[22:44] J Savage: Yeah. And I lucked out not having to do that sheet dance when the boys come out and wrap her in the sheet. That looks so hard and I'm so glad I don't have to do it.

[22:55] Eila Mell: Did you understudy anything in this show?

[22:58] J Savage: Yes, I covered Jerry and I covered Scott. So the John Bellman track and the Nicholas Matros track. Neither of them. Nicholas called out but I was not the first Scott cover. And you know, John Bellman never called out. And just like Gray Henson, he never called out his buddy the Elf. Those Shaq boys. They show up to work.

[23:17] Eila Mell: I guess.

[23:19] J Savage: That's a huge moment getting to understudy Buddy the Elf.

[23:22] Eila Mell: It is.

[23:25] J Savage: That's half the reason I wanted to do that job was just to get to cover that role and know that I could do it. My first New York audition, I was a senior in college and I drove into the city and it was going to be for the non-union tour of Elf and it was to sing Buddy and I was so nervous. I sounded absolutely awful. And I obviously did not get that job. And so for Elf to then get to do the Elf revival on Broadway and get to cover Buddy was such a dream. And to either run it in understudy rehearsal without a microphone to know that I could do it, that was all I needed from it. And it was so, so special. And Gray is so fantastic in that role. He was so singular. In a way that I don't think anyone would ever think to approach Buddy the Elf. Gray redefined what the role could be. And it was so fun to watch him work and so fun to get to be on stage with him. It was just... I mean, he dislocated his thumb. He still showed up to work that night. He is amazing. He is...

[24:30] Eila Mell: And that role, you never leave the stage.

[24:33] J Savage: Yeah. They were like... We were doing swing-outs and they were like, do you want to trail him backstage or watch? And I was like, well, he spends approximately two minutes offstage so I think I'm good to just... I'd rather watch from the audience. And they were like, oh, okay. I guess that makes sense. He is a beast. He's an absolute beast. We were so happy when we heard that you booked that. Did you feel like it brought you to the next level in your career? Because we sure did.

[25:03] J Savage: Oh, my God. It was... What's so interesting is I auditioned for Elf and Smash the same week.

[25:04] Eila Mell: Wow.

[25:06] J Savage: That was the longest week of my life because we had opened Empire like... Like Friday of the prior week. And then Monday was my Smash initial. So I did my Smash initial audition that I did a show that night. Tuesday, we recorded the Empire cast album. Wednesday, I had a two-show day but I auditioned for Elf at 10 o'clock in the morning. Wow. And then went in and sang World's Greatest Dad. Is that true? Or did I do that for the... No, I didn't. That was for the comeback. Wednesday, we did that. And then I had two shows. Thursday was my Smash callback. And then I had a show. Friday was my boyfriend's birthday. And then I had a show. Saturday, two show days and I had my Elf callback that morning.

Oh, my gosh. What a week. Oh, my God. It was the longest week of my life. And then the following week, I found out I booked Smash. I was like... I was very excited. And I thought Smash was going to be my second Broadway show. And I was like, wow, for Smash to be my second, girl, I made it. I made it.

[26:11] Eila Mell: And then...

[26:11] J Savage: Do you know Julio Rey?

[26:13] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[26:14] J Savage: Okay. I love this story. And maybe I shouldn't say this, but I'm going to say it anyways. Julio and I went to college together. We made our Broadway debuts together. I love Julio very much. I was in the Dressing Room Empire. And the person who was subletting with him sat next to me. And he was like, oh, Julio just booked Elf and Aladdin. But he can't do both. So he said, he booked the bunny cover. And I was like, well, I guess I didn't book Elf. Oh, gosh. Okay. Whatever. And so then, like... My agent says, like, I heard offers are going out. Like, did I book this? They're like, you're still in the mix. Like, they have... You did not not book it. We just don't know yet. So, like, hold on tight.

And that was the thing where everyone was, like, waiting to hear, waiting to hear, waiting to hear. And no one knew what was going on with Elf. And then I got a call from my agent. And he was like, hey, you booked Elf. And I was like, oh, for the bunny cover? And he was like, yeah. And I was like, oh, guess Julio picked Aladdin. So I constantly, like, credit Julio for the reason I booked my second Broadway show. Amazing. But, smash, I got all on my own, baby.

[27:22] Eila Mell: That's right. I mean, listen, everyone needs their Sutton moment, right?

[27:26] J Savage: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. And I'm so glad that Elf ended up being my second because there was something about, you know, when Badsend and Rattle closed, I was like, am I a one-hit wonder? Am I never going to work again? Yeah, of course. You know, am I never going to be on Broadway again? And for Elf to be my second, I'm glad that, A, it was, like, a limited run. So it was, like, low stakes. I mean, high stakes. It's Broadway. Right. But I was like, it's a limited run. And it's Christmas. And I was so glad that I got to get, like, my second Broadway show jitters out.

[27:57] J Savage: You know, I think the thing that I love about Broadway is that it’s such a collaborative art form. You know, you’re not just creating something in a vacuum. You’re working with so many talented people, and it’s just this beautiful melting pot of creativity.

[28:27] Eila Mell: Absolutely. And it’s interesting because every show has its own unique journey, right?

[28:43] J Savage: Exactly! And I think that’s what makes it so special. Like, for example, with "Smash," it was such a whirlwind experience from auditioning to closing.

[29:11] Bruce Gotlieb: What was that audition process like for you?

[29:41] J Savage: It was intense! I remember walking into the room and just feeling the energy. I had to sing and dance, and it was just this moment where I thought, “This is it. This is what I’ve been working for.”

[30:11] Eila Mell: And then you got the role!

[30:31] J Savage: Yes! And then to be part of such a beloved show was incredible. The cast was phenomenal, and we all just clicked.

[30:51] Bruce Gotlieb: That’s amazing. And you also understudied Buddy in "Elf: The Musical," right?

[31:11] J Savage: Yes! That was another incredible experience. I loved the energy of that show, and getting to step into that role was such a thrill.

[31:31] Eila Mell: What was it like stepping into that character?

[31:51] J Savage: It was a challenge, but also so rewarding. Buddy is such a joyful character, and I really had to tap into that energy.

[32:11] Bruce Gotlieb: And now, you’ve made your Broadway debut in "Bad Cinderella." How was that experience?

[32:31] J Savage: It was a rollercoaster! There were so many ups and downs, but ultimately it was a dream come true.

[32:51] Eila Mell: What were some of the challenges you faced during that process?

[33:11] J Savage: Well, there were a lot of technical elements to navigate, and I had to learn quickly. But the support from the cast and crew made all the difference.

[33:31] Bruce Gotlieb: That’s great to hear. And I know you’ve also been involved in "Joy the Musical."

[33:51] J Savage: Yes! That was another unique experience. The music is so uplifting, and it was a joy to be part of that production.

[34:11] Eila Mell: It sounds like you’ve had quite the journey!

[34:31] J Savage: I really have. It’s been a mix of challenges and triumphs, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

[34:51] Bruce Gotlieb: And you mentioned your one-man show, "Farewell to the West." How did that come about?

[35:11] J Savage: During the pandemic, I found myself reflecting on my experiences and passions. I wanted to create something that combined my love for the outdoors and musical theatre.

[35:31] Eila Mell: That sounds incredible!

[35:51] J Savage: Thank you! It was a cathartic experience, and I was able to share my journey through music and storytelling.

[36:11] Bruce Gotlieb: And you performed it at Feinstein’s/54 Below and The Green Room 42, right?

[36:31] J Savage: Yes! Those venues are amazing, and it was such a thrill to perform there.

[36:51] Eila Mell: What was the audience reaction like?

[37:11] J Savage: It was overwhelming! People really connected with the story, and it was so rewarding to see that.

[37:31] Bruce Gotlieb: That’s fantastic.

[37:51] J Savage: It really was. And now, I’m just excited to see where this journey takes me next.

[38:11] Eila Mell: You’ve got so much ahead of you!

[38:31] J Savage: I hope so! I’m just going to keep pushing forward and pursuing my passions.

[38:51] Bruce Gotlieb: And we can’t wait to see what you do next!

[39:11] J Savage: Thank you! I appreciate that.

[39:31] Eila Mell: And speaking of exciting things, we have to talk about Harvey Fierstein’s Lifetime Achievement Tony Award coming up in 2025.

[39:51] J Savage: Yes! That’s going to be such a monumental moment for him and for the community.

[40:11] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely. He’s such a legend.

[40:31] J Savage: He really is. His impact on theatre is immeasurable.

[40:51] Eila Mell: And it’s so important to celebrate those who have paved the way for others.

[41:11] J Savage: Definitely. It’s all about honoring the past while looking forward to the future.

[41:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Well said!

[41:57] J Savage: A lot of them have kids. I wish I had kids.

[42:00] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, wait, you have plenty of time.

[42:03] J Savage: I know. I know. And I can't afford it.

[42:05] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[42:05] J Savage: Yeah. And so you can trust everyone there to do their job.

[42:11] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, Robin Herter, you know, obviously is a mother and very, very devoted mother. So when she's the lead in the show, does that sort of set the tone for, you know, how things are going to be?

[42:22] J Savage: When Robin Herter leads the show, I mean, like, you all just have to jump to her level. There's no choice. I mean, like, and you want to, she makes you want to jump to her level because there is no excuse.

[42:36] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[42:36] J Savage: If you're tired, deal with it. Because no one is doing as much on a Broadway stage. I think it's fair to say, maybe Elphaba, no one is doing as much on a Broadway stage as she was doing as Ivy Lynn.

[42:46] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, Elphaba is not dancing.

[42:49] J Savage: Exactly.

[42:49] Bruce Gotlieb: That's true.

[42:50] J Savage: I mean, thrown over her head.

[42:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[42:52] J Savage: Being thrown in the air.

[42:53] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[42:54] J Savage: Screaming, like, singing, like, it is a Herculean task.

[42:58] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[42:59] J Savage: She's doing every day. And if you're tired, like, there's no expectation for you to suck it up. You know, that's not, that's not the thing.

[43:08] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[43:09] J Savage: It's just like, you're like, well, I'm not doing what Robin has to do. So I think I'll be okay.

[43:15] Bruce Gotlieb: That's very true. And, you know, on top of that, you know, she's opening a new show. So there's that pressure too. And she's got to do press and she's doing everything. She hadn't had a day off in like, at least a month. They flew her out to LA to do the Jennifer Hudson show and she flew back the next day to the show. Like, every day off, she was doing press and she came in every day with a smile on her face and not in the thing of pretending like, I'm okay.

[43:40] J Savage: Right.

[43:40] Bruce Gotlieb: Like, being honest about how she felt, but still being like, but I'm going to show up and do my fucking job. Like, I'm exhausted, but like, I'm here, baby. Because I, because I want to be, I want to be here because this is the role she's wanted to play. Like from the moment it was announced, you know, and, and she did it and she was like, I am savoring every single second of this and I'm taking every single drop of blood, sweat and tears and I'm making a potion and like, I'm, I'm here and she's in it to win it.

[44:11] J Savage: And to be it, it was absolutely thrilling to be a part of. She's an incredible leader.

[44:17] Bruce Gotlieb: She's, yeah, she was our first guest on our show.

[44:19] J Savage: That's true.

[44:20] Bruce Gotlieb: We had such a soft spot for her, but you know, she earned that spot and you know, anyone who comes in and is just blase about it as an audience member, I don't even want to watch them. I don't care. That's, I want to see someone who cares, you know, you can tell.

[44:35] J Savage: She cares so much. And like, to know how, how much she's worked towards her as her career has developed, she's worked to be here and she'll say, she goes, I have worked so hard for everything I've ever gotten. And it shows, you know, because that hard work pays off.

[44:51] Bruce Gotlieb: It pays off. And she's incredible.

[44:54] J Savage: It's like you were saying, you know, when people, you know, you have to be ready because you don't know, like you get called up to go on stage. You don't know who's sitting in that audience and it could be the next, whatever huge thing that they now saw you do this role. And all of a sudden your agent gets a phone call. Like you, you have to show up. You have to be ready for sure.

[45:15] J Savage: You have to show up. There are days when I'm like, oh God, I'm having a bad show. And I'm like, it's okay. So there's this balance of like, it's okay to have a bad show. Like the kid it's live theater. That's why it's live theater. But then you're like, but who could be watching today? That's why you have a bad show. So you got to get into this fight to like relax.

[45:36] Bruce Gotlieb: But you also can't judge yourself as you're doing the job.

[45:40] J Savage: You have to laugh at yourself. You have to laugh. And I think the best part of this company is like, if something went wrong or if like someone like flunked a line or flipped or fouled, like we all just laughed at it, you know, because these people, especially the principals, you know, and oh my God, not, I take that back. Especially our ensemble too. Like Katie Webber's done 16 Broadway shows. Casey, Ian, all of these people have done hundreds of Broadway shows combined, you know? So like there are veterans throughout that entire building and like, they just know how to laugh at it because that's what it is. We're doing live theater, right? It's the risk that we take every day stepping on that stage is that I might fall out of my turn or I might crack on a note or I might forget a line or I might fall to my face.

[46:26] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. And that's what makes what we do so impressive, right? You know, and makes it so fun. And so everyone in that building is just always ready to laugh at themselves in the best way possible. Speaking of understudies, we went to see Real Women Have Curbs and it was the, I forget what point of previews it was, but speaking of understudies, not having rehearsals and all that, it was very early on and intermission comes and we're all talking and I'm like, something's wrong. Like Tatiana, like something's wrong. Like you could just tell something's wrong. Like not, it doesn't sound bad. You just know something's wrong. They started the second act of an announcement that she can't go on. She, her voice is just done and her understudy comes on for the second act.

And first of all, the amount of the energy in that, well, in that building was unreal. Oh my God. People were calling for her so much. It was the nicest thing. She called for line one, but it took everything she had not to do it. And it was literally like she got the first word and then that she was off and running, but it was. And then you forgot that she was the understudy. I mean.

[47:32] J Savage: And you want to go on that ride with her. Oh my God.

[47:35] Bruce Gotlieb: You're watching history happen. Exactly. Exactly. Like those are the moments that you want as an audience member. It's amazing. You're part of it. You feel, you know, like we'll always, we see a ton of shows, but we're always going to remember that moment in Real Women Have Curbs. For sure. I mean, when Katie went on, she, we had started understudy rehearsal in, in back in rehearsal, you know, and she was being rehearsed for Karen and she was not being rehearsed for Ivy. And when we woke up and they're like, we're canceling the matinee Robbins out, we're going to be putting Katie Webber. And we're like, she hasn't had any rehearsal at all. And she stepped on that stage and she ran the entire thing.

And she was so calm and she was like, what is this? It's going to be what it's going to be, whatever. I'm going to take a beta blocker and it's going to be fine. Throwing her in the air. I mean, that girl's a fucking bro. And she went on and she killed it that night. She killed it. Like it was, there was some, and everyone was there to like catch her, but she never fell.

[48:44] J Savage: Hey, she never fell. Cause she was so ready. That's amazing. I don't know how she did it, but like, there's nothing that like is more exciting on stage too. Then when like someone's making their debut, especially in like something they didn't know was coming, it came like really last minute or if like a swing is on, like, like someone called out half hour and they're like, suddenly they're on or like a mid show swing on. You're like, you know, it's so fun. It's so fun. And it's thrilling and like theater theater. It does. And it's, I mean, you know, we say it a lot, but really you have to have a level of skill that in theater that you really don't need in other forms of acting because you know, you got one shot and you know, you have to show up and you have to be ready.

[49:30] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. A little skill and a mental fortitude as well to be able to put yourself in that position and to trust that you know what you know. It's it's yeah. It's a herculean task swings and outer studies. Hey, it's Jalen Levingston and behind the awards, we'll be right back. So I have a question, um, major Broadway debut in bad Cinderella. And you know, that's an Andrew Lloyd Webber show. So already there's a lot of anticipation for that because everyone wants to see what he's doing. Um, it must've been a thrill just to make your Broadway debut, but how did you feel? Because it wasn't universally loved, you know, by critics for sure. So it was that hard. I mean, what was that like?

[50:14] J Savage: It's showing, I, I wouldn't even, I would say bad Cinderella. It wasn't that it wasn't even universally loved. It was like universally bullied. Yeah. Like there was a level of hatred for bad Cinderella that I have not seen exist before. And you know, I'm not, that was my debut and I was really just getting into the, into the Broadway specific industry. So I, you know, I, I can't speak much to that experience, but from the moment bad Cinderella was announced and they changed the name and they introduced from the moment the vitriol was so negative. And I think a lot of it obviously comes from what happened with the West End cast, which is, I am not the expert on, I don't know exactly what happened, but I know a lot of people were upset with how that all went down.

So already people felt like they were rooting for us to fail in an attempt to be in solidarity with the London cast, which already set us up for failure. People did not want to like us from the beginning, from the beginning. And it sucks because every ounce of that show was so fun and the people were great. And like the, the experience was fantastic. It was a fantastic experience. It was a fantastic debut. The costumes were beautiful. The Imperial is such an incredible theater and so historic. And like there were, there were 16 debuts on that show, but also a lot of veterans. So it was a really fun mix of people and it was a lot of new energy and excitement. And, you know, so we, we were so excited and the opportunities that we were getting to do, like getting to be like one of the three hunks, the hunks got to do a lot. Like we did like New Year's Eve CNN, we got to do Watch What Happens Live, you know, like I got a lot of really cool things out of it. The vitriol was just so intense in a way that didn't make sense.

[52:24] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. The show didn't deserve it. It was better than what people were saying it was.

[52:28] J Savage: But it also was like acting as if like Bad Cinderella was actively harmful.

[52:33] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[52:35] J Savage: Right. Which it wasn't like there was there was no stereotype that was being projected. I mean, like the stereotypes that we rely on in the show of like is conventional beauty, which we work against. And the whole message of the show is, you know, to like be yourself and like don't conform. And it's OK to be gay, you know. And but the way people were acting was as if like we had hurt someone and people hate Andrew Le Lepper for some reason.

[53:07] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. But like not in a way like in Sunset, he's not getting that vitriol.

[53:12] J Savage: He's not getting that attack. He's not getting any of that.

[53:16] Bruce Gotlieb: I think that's like grandfathered in because people have already loved that.

[53:20] J Savage: I think they hate his success. They resent that. I think that's what it is.

[53:24] Bruce Gotlieb: I think they were mad. They were like they wanted the show to be better. And they were like, why? Why is it this way? And why are we letting him write new musicals?

[53:33] J Savage: And like they were mad because of what they felt he had done to the cast, which, again, I have no concept of what went on in the West End. I do not speak or provide judgment on what happened in the West End. I really am not as informed as I could be. But the cyberbullying that Lynette went through. The things that people were saying about her, the things they would tag her in to try and hurt her was just so upsetting to watch. Like she had the thickest skin for the shit she had to deal with. People were saying like, I'm not going to even repeat what they say because it was terrible. It was terrible. It was mean and it was unwarranted. And it was people did not live in New York who did not see the show and were trolls.

It's actually trolls online, you know. And like maybe some of them saw the show and felt they had the right to express their opinion. But like it was so mean. It was so mean. And if you look at it, I mean, she's talented and beautiful and I'm sure she's lovely. Right.

[54:33] Bruce Gotlieb: She's lovely in the show. She sounds amazing. She is an incredible leader and an incredible person.

[54:39] J Savage: She's incredibly talented. She was fun and funny and like never called out. She was so consistent, you know. Yeah. You don't get to be the lead in a Broadway show, especially one like that, where you are the star if you don't deserve it.

[54:55] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes. And so. So I actually ended up in an altercation. Have you heard of Sweaty Oracle?

[55:02] J Savage: Yeah. No. Oh, Bruce says.

[55:06] Bruce Gotlieb: I'm not going to speak to Sweaty Oracle because he is a person who expresses his opinions on theater. He also said that Smash was directed by Kathleen Marshall, which is incorrect. He he could use some fact checking in a lot of things that there could be some fact checking. When we weren't nominated for any Tony's instead of just leaving us alone, the people were like Bad Cinderella closing announcement in five, four, three, two, one. And like it sits right in my soul that Bad Cinderella didn't get any Tony nominations. Like, thank God Bad Cinderella was shut out of the Tony. And so it was like, leave us alone. Like, leave us alone. And I got upset because I was like I had posted something. I can't remember what it was, but I was like, why are you so upset about a musical?

[57:26] J Savage: I have been dating Eila Mell and Bruce Gotlieb for over a year now.

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