This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:01] Christine Ebersole: Sweet frozen fudgesicles, it's Christine Ebersol from 42nd Street.

[0:05] Rod: Oh, I love you, Christine.

[0:07] Christine Ebersole: Oh, well, thank you.

[0:09] Rod: I don't believe we've met.

[0:11] Rod: Oh, hi, I'm Rod. I'm a puppet, and I'm also a Republican.

[0:17] Christine Ebersole: A Republican puppet?

[0:19] Rod: That rings a bell.

[0:21] Christine Ebersole: Oh, Christine. You're too much, Christine.

[0:31] Rod: You.

[0:33] Christine Ebersole: Oh.

[0:37] Rod: You charmer, you.

[0:39] Christine Ebersole: Oh, Christine, this is such a thrill for me to be here because, you know, I live for musicals.

[0:44] Rod: I mean, the lights, the costumes, Alan Cumming.

[0:49] Christine Ebersole: Call me.

[1:01] Eila Mell: Hello, and welcome to Behind the Awards. I'm Eila.

[1:04] Bruce Gotlieb: As always, I'm here with my guy, Bruce. Hello, Bruce.

[1:09] Bruce Gotlieb: Hello there, Eila. How are we doing this afternoon?

[1:13] Eila Mell: Very well. That was John Tartaglia in Avenue Q as Rod.

[1:19] Bruce Gotlieb: As Rod with Christine Ebersol. They were doing an introduction from the 2006 Tony Award ceremony.

[1:26] Eila Mell: Amazing. Two of our guests together.

[1:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Two of our guests, and just, you know, funny as Rod can be.

[1:34] Eila Mell: And Christine Ebersol is pretty funny, too.

[1:36] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, she plays a good street man in this trio.

[1:42] Eila Mell: A thankless job having to work opposite a puppet, I think.

[1:47] Bruce Gotlieb: Probably, because, I mean, that's the focus, right?

[1:51] Eila Mell: No matter what.

[1:52] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, you're going to be upstage.

[1:54] Eila Mell: You have this felt creature with eyes.

[1:56] Bruce Gotlieb: That's quite a situation there.

[1:58] Eila Mell: Situation, yeah, for sure.

[2:00] Bruce Gotlieb: Do you ever see, like, the old, old, like, first years of Sesame Street, those clips with the kids?

[2:08] Eila Mell: And they think they're really talking to, like, actual living creatures.

[2:11] Bruce Gotlieb: It's so sweet to watch.

[2:13] Eila Mell: It is, because, I mean, I think as a child, you know, everything's, you know, face value is very big.

[2:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[2:21] Eila Mell: As inquisitive and curious as children are, they take a lot for what it is.

[2:26] Bruce Gotlieb: Even though they can clearly see the puppeteer.

[2:29] Eila Mell: Right.

[2:30] Bruce Gotlieb: I guess, like, they block that part out and they really connect with the puppet, which is amazing.

[2:35] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[2:36] Bruce Gotlieb: And who doesn't love a puppet and a Muppet?

[2:38] Eila Mell: It's pretty good.

[2:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Pretty good stuff.

[2:41] Eila Mell: Speaking of pretty good stuff.

[2:42] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes.

[2:43] Eila Mell: I don't think, I feel like we, our intro is almost going to be a little short today, because we have Montego Glover.

[2:50] Bruce Gotlieb: I mean, listen, she is doing something that only few people could really do.

[2:56] Eila Mell: And she is stepping in to, not replace, but to give Audra McDonald a little break.

[3:04] Bruce Gotlieb: Audra needed some time off from Gypsy.

[3:06] Eila Mell: Yep.

[3:07] Bruce Gotlieb: She covered her vacation.

[3:08] Eila Mell: There was a week that she was going to be out.

[3:10] Bruce Gotlieb: And then she, you know, they asked her to stay to give Audra a little bit of breathing room.

[3:18] Eila Mell: I mean, she's been going.

[3:19] Bruce Gotlieb: Which seems fair.

[3:20] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[3:21] Bruce Gotlieb: I mean, you know, it's one thing, and we've talked to so many people who say how much work it is to put on a show.

[3:28] Eila Mell: Right.

[3:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Those eight shows a week.

[3:30] Eila Mell: And not only putting on the show in performance, but the build beforehand.

[3:35] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[3:36] Eila Mell: Rehearsals and, you know, all of that's involved.

[3:39] Bruce Gotlieb: And Mama Rose is no small part.

[3:42] Eila Mell: It's not like you're walking in for a scene.

[3:44] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[3:45] Eila Mell: It's different than a lot of other roles and a lot of other shows, even, you know, starring roles in other shows.

[3:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Mama Rose is a very, just, it's all-encompassing in this show, really.

[3:54] Eila Mell: So to give Audra a little time off seems very fair.

[3:58] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[3:59] Eila Mell: And, you know, it gives, as you've said multiple times, it gives the audience, people who love Gypsy, people who love theater, an opportunity to go back and see it again with somebody who's just talented from head to toe.

[4:15] Bruce Gotlieb: It's like the theatrical version of Who Wore It Best.

[4:18] Eila Mell: That's right.

[4:19] Bruce Gotlieb: That's right.

[4:20] Eila Mell: So without further ado, let's bring out Montego Glover.

[4:25] Eila Mell: Well, Bruce, I've been chatting with Montego Glover for a few minutes already off the air, and I can tell you that I already love her.

[4:34] Eila Mell: I already feel like we're old friends.

[4:36] Bruce Gotlieb: So let's bring her on the show.

[4:37] Eila Mell: Welcome, Montego.

[4:38] Montego Glover: Hi.

[4:39] Eila Mell: Hi.

[4:40] Montego Glover: Hi, guys.

[4:41] Eila Mell: Thank you so much for joining us.

[4:43] Montego Glover: We're thrilled to have you.

[4:44] Eila Mell: It's my pleasure.

[4:45] Montego Glover: Thank you.

[4:46] Eila Mell: I can't believe that you have time to do anything but star as Mama Rose.

[4:51] Montego Glover: What's going on, Montego?

[4:54] Montego Glover: Listen, you make time for the things you love, right? You just keep making space. That's how it works.

[4:59] Eila Mell: Absolutely.

[5:00] Eila Mell: Okay, so let's backtrack. For the two people that might not know, you have stepped into the role of Mama Rose this summer.

[5:07] Montego Glover: Audra McDonald is not doing every show. She is taking some time.

[5:09] Eila Mell: And audiences are so lucky because they get to see the show for the first time with you, or they get to come and re-experience this beautiful production with you starring as Mama Rose.

[5:22] Montego Glover: You seem way too young to play Mama Rose, but I know that you can pull it off.

[5:26] Montego Glover: You are very kind, and thank you.

[5:29] Montego Glover: Yes, I have been very, very privileged to stand in for Audra while she was away on vacation and then, you know, step into the position of alternate.

[5:39] Montego Glover: So she and I together are doing this thing, and it's really, really quite wonderful.

[5:43] Eila Mell: How did they come to you, the opportunity?

[5:45] Montego Glover: It was really very simple. The phone rang, and it was casting and creative saying, would you have a conversation about this role? And I said, of course. We did, and it was a very, very good phone call. Very, very good.

[5:59] Eila Mell: And then it was time to schedule first day of rehearsal, and off we went.

[6:05] Eila Mell: How far back was that phone call?

[6:08] Montego Glover: I started rehearsals in late May, so that was probably two weeks prior, so mid-May.

[6:16] Eila Mell: Had you seen the production?

[6:17] Montego Glover: Absolutely.

[6:18] Eila Mell: Okay, let me be clear. I'm a theater kid, so the minute it was announced, I jumped for joy for all the reasons.

[6:25] Montego Glover: It's Gypsy. It's Audra. It's George Wolfe. It's Camille Brown choreographing. I was like, yes, yes, yes. The Majestic is getting the return after such a long sojourn with Phantom.

[6:37] Montego Glover: So I was delighted, and I bought my ticket right away. I went alone just to be there and commune the way theater kids do. It was special. It was magical. I was moved. I was delighted. I laughed and laughed, and I was so pleased and so proud for every single person involved.

[6:53] Montego Glover: Little did I know, I just had no idea that I was going to find myself on the other side of the gorgeous seating in the Majestic today.

[7:03] Eila Mell: Yeah, how could you? I mean, the seats are great.

[7:07] Montego Glover: They are.

[7:08] Eila Mell: Was this a role that you had always wanted to do?

[7:11] Montego Glover: Truthfully, it wasn't quite on my radar. I didn't see Mama Rose coming, and not because I didn't know Gypsy. I went to acting school. Of course I know who and what it is and how it is and how magnificent and huge and important it is, but I just had my eye on other things and other projects.

[7:29] Montego Glover: I'm so lucky I get to work in so many different media and platforms, so I just had my eye on other things in the way of live performance. When the phone rang, no one was more surprised in the best possible way than I was.

[7:44] Eila Mell: Did you get time with George then in rehearsal?

[7:47] Montego Glover: Does he come back to work with you?

[7:49] Montego Glover: Yes.

[7:50] Eila Mell: Wow.

[7:51] Montego Glover: That alone is all the reason that you say yes, right?

[7:55] Montego Glover: It is. Really, and I've known George a long time. We've never gotten the opportunity to work together in this way, so it was very special in that way.

[8:04] Montego Glover: I still have my student copy of The Colored Museum, so I was clutching it at one day in rehearsal, just living in the moment as we were talking.

[8:17] Montego Glover: How to say this? Giving me such insight into his vision for Gypsy, his lens, and it's so special. I think it shows up in every single morsel of the play, and I was very, very grateful to have him in the room with me as I was putting together something so large and so important.

[8:39] Montego Glover: You don't want to play telephone, right? You don't want to hear the message from an associate who's qualified and wonderful, but when it's somebody's vision and somebody's thought, you want to hear it directly from them so you can really grasp it.

[8:54] Montego Glover: Yes. I was so lucky because I had George and his associate, and so it was complete. It felt like someone who had the idea and then his right hand who could help implement those ideas because it is a lot of time spent in a room just moving through text, moving through things, and so we got to have both the macro and the micro. I'm very, very grateful for that.

[9:21] Montego Glover: Mama Rose is rare in that it's such a huge role. Usually, in musicals, there's not as much of a heavy lift for an actor, so all the more reason that you really need to delve into his vision of this character and you and how you see the character.

[9:39] Montego Glover: Yes.

[9:40] Eila Mell: Yes.

[9:41] Montego Glover: It's very collaborative. I know that he doesn't expect you to do Audra's version of it. You have to find Montego's version of it.

[9:47] Montego Glover: Yes.

[9:48] Montego Glover: Very true. That's a big undertaking, opening yourself up to the idea of what your Rose can be and not being afraid to go for it, to really lean into it because the show gratefully demands it.

[10:05] Montego Glover: But that's why I think it's so much fun to go see a show when someone else steps into a role because the show, it can't help but get new life because it's coming from, it's the same show, obviously, and technically, it stays the same. But there's at least a little bit of a perspective shift because someone's bringing their point of view that couldn't have existed with the other person who had a wonderful point of view as well.

[10:29] Montego Glover: Yes. In a word, it's unique. Every single Rose is unique.

[10:33] Eila Mell: Right.

[10:34] Montego Glover: Yeah.

[10:35] Montego Glover: I had the privilege of seeing Audra very early on in previews because it's Audra and it's everything. And then I also had the privilege to see you when you covered the vacation cover that first, I want to say it was the Wednesday matinee. And it was beautiful. It was touching. It was warm. It was all of these things that was so unique to who I perceive you to be because I hadn't had the opportunity to meet. And so much, when I've heard Audra be described as this like tornado, this like force of energy on the stage and your Mama Rose was also a force, but it was a

[11:50] Montego Glover: All of the energy in The Majestic and the place went wild. Absolutely wild. Oh, gosh. Oh, wow. That song is truly a piece of high art, in my opinion. I very often refer to Rose's Turn! as a song in five acts. Yeah, that's great. And it just demands that, you know, there be there be a. Oh, what's the word for me? It's it's muscularity and intensity, but also deep exploration. It's it's all there and so many more things mixed in. But it's all there. You know, it's interesting that you say the things you were saying, Bruce, because I do really believe and have discovered and continue to discover that there are some wonderful common spaces and places with Rose that any actress who picks her up, I think, will discover that we all sort of overlap in these places and spaces. And then there's much space left for that unique quality. That is, you know, how you would describe one to another.

[12:54] Montego Glover: Yeah, it's so special. Like Eila was saying, you get the opportunity to see these different versions of the same character. And it's so special to be able to be in that space. And there were many people during intermission, you know, you chat with your community that you've built in your row. And there were many people that you hear within the chat that were back not only just to see you, but to see, you know, another version of the same character, because, you know, Rose comes along every X amount of years, let's say. Yes. And now you have the opportunity within a small time to see that two of them. It's really exciting.

[13:39] Montego Glover: It really is. It's one of the reasons when the show was announced, I ran to get my ticket because I thought Gypsy is one of those that just doesn't come along very often in the way of revivals or even really being done around the country. You know, you just I don't feel like I don't see it as often. So it's a rare and delightful opportunity, I think, to see it raised entirely in a full production. And this one's to my eye, to my spirit, stunning. And so many people regard it as one of the best female characters ever written.

[14:11] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes. Yes, most definitely. Did you know when you signed on to do the cover that you would continue with the production?

[14:21] Montego Glover: That wasn't entirely laid out. We had an idea, but honestly, there was much to be done in the immediate space. Audra had been working very, very tirelessly leading and performing in the play, and she just needed some time off. So we just wanted to be sure that what we did first and foremost was cover her vacation week away. And then once we had a sense of it and it felt right to maybe build in some relief for her, then my taking on position of alternate made all the sense in the world. And of course, I was happy to do it to serve the piece, to live out my dreams as a theater kid, and also to serve the production. That is a lot of work, though, and a huge undertaking to only do it for a week if it were to end there, but I'm sure it would have been worth it.

[15:19] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely. I get asked that very often. What if it was only for the week? I said, well, that's really what I signed on for. That's what I said yes to. Of course, I'm happy to do it. What a beautiful thing, and I'm thrilled to be asked. Of course.

[15:32] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. You've had the opportunity to come in and play the witch in Into the Woods. So there's these iconic, really strong women characters. What is that like to put your stamp on these, whether it be the witch, Mama Rose, these icons of the stage?

[15:56] Montego Glover: First and foremost, it's the stuff of dreams. It really is. Again, being a lover of the theater, a working actress, a theater kid, it's the time and the real live space and place to play in the way that you've been taught in school that I've always dreamed of doing in my craft, one. Two, it's wonderfully hard work, which I like. I will say, I think I'm built for speed and endurance, and so roles like that interest me because they challenge my athleticism, both vocally and physically, emotionally, mentally. It's like being a gymnast on the beam. So I am drawn to that kind of thing, which is not to say I wouldn't do something that's less of a heavy lift, obviously, but mixing it up has always been the most fun for me, the most fun for me.

And they occupy such different spaces. People have very definite ideas about the witch in Into the Woods, who she is, what she is, how she is. So coming up with discovering what it is I know to be true about her and getting to really form that and then play it out and play it out in the company of other actors who are equally excellent at what they do, it's the stuff of dreams.

[17:19] Montego Glover: I love that. It's funny you say that because to me, the witch could be anything. There's so much play with that.

[17:25] Montego Glover: Yes, she could be anything, and she has been, historically, and will likely continue to be. She was a wonderful discovery, and there were many moments that I was so arrested by her beating heart. I feel like both of those characters, I'm going to kind of lump them together, but they're both kind of, people want to classify them as the villain or the bad guy in the story, but at least in the way that I've seen them portrayed, I think that there's more humanity in both of those parts. Is that something that you really had to dig for, or is that the way you envisioned them to?

[18:06] Montego Glover: It was already there. It was not something I needed to stretch to find. It was something that I needed to feel confident holding and confident exploring and continuing to explore and build into the role, because in my opinion, without it, there's a substantial piece of the woman missing. And stay with me. I mean, that song just shows where the witch is coming from, so we know that she has good intentions. She may not carry it out in the way that most people would, but it's coming from a place of fear and hurt.

[18:43] Montego Glover: Yes, I mean it when I say a beating heart. She has a beating heart. It's serious. I will share this with you. While I was working on Into the Woods, I asked more than a few of my friends and family members who are mothers, I said, what was your favorite song in Into the Woods, or what song really spoke to you? Time and time again, stay with me.

[19:06] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Oh yeah.

[19:07] Montego Glover: Stay with me.

[19:08] Bruce Gotlieb: Sure, it makes total sense. It's there.

[19:12] Montego Glover: Yeah, absolutely. And Rose, you know, she also, her approach might not be maybe the easiest to embrace, but I mean, the things that she's doing, as unconventional as they might be, are, you know, for the love of her children, although it might not feel that way in some scenes.

[19:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, yes. She, you know, like all humans, she's so intensely human. She's very complex. There's what I like to call a vast root system with Rose, and the way she moves through space is so connected to things that are very, very real for her. It's intensely human, which is part of why she's so interesting to play.

[19:55] Bruce Gotlieb: And don't you think it's that her dream is so strong, she can't imagine anyone not having that dream?

[20:00] Montego Glover: Exactly. Yeah, exactly. Now, we know that Rose is based on a real person, but the world doesn't really know the real Rose Hovick, right? Did you do any research into her?

[20:12] Montego Glover: Not that you need to. I mean, you can create the character any way you want, but did the real Rose come into your portrayal of this character?

[20:22] Montego Glover: Yes, because as a scholar, you know, in my work and in the craft, I just like information, especially when I'm in the first stages of the building process. I'm really making that foundation. I'm very interested in all kinds of background information. So yes, we have a great team at Gypsy who were imparting information left and right. George was full of information. His assist was full of information. Our PSM, full of information, all of it, really wonderful, both visual and, you know, anecdotal, otherwise. And it was really, really helpful to have something to begin to sit my Rose against. You don't necessarily use every stitch of it because how could you? You know, there's only so much time in the run of a show and only so much you can bring forward to the surface. But again, as I'm laying the foundation, the root system can benefit greatly from anything that, you know, anyone can offer. So I took advantage of all of it.

[21:14] Bruce Gotlieb: Is there any recorded footage of her that people can see? Do you know?

[21:20] Montego Glover: Very little. And I didn't go searching intensely, like, you know, intensely for a lot of it. I just wanted to be sure that I had an idea of how she might be, because of course the visual is so very strong. And I'm one of those kids that like it will imprint in a way. So if I spend too much time on a visual, I might be tempted to imitate or I might be tempted to draw in a way when, in fact, I need to be carving on my own form in space. Right. Of course, because Arthur Lawrence, you know, he took dramatic license. You know, of course, it's not a documentary. So, yes, yes, it's only a seed. The real person.

[22:06] Montego Glover: This is Montego Glover and behind the awards, we'll be right back.

[22:10] Montego Glover: Had you ever before Gypsy, the phone call and all when you're doing your own concerts or your own events, had you ever worked any of those songs in into your shows? No. Or was this the first time?

[22:22] Montego Glover: No, this was the first time I had never picked up the score. You know, I say this very often. It's one thing to know a score from the outside. You know, I go and sit in the audience and take in this revival of Gypsy. And then you have that moment where I thought, this is the last time this is the last time I'm going to see the show from this space. I'm now.

[22:41] Montego Glover: In like fan mail so many people go, you know, when I was a certain age I played insert the role. Everyone has touched or been touched by Gypsy. Well, you know, around, you know, I mean we grew up with it. It was there before we were born, so you know it's wonderful and we don't realize how present it is in our lives. I mean, how many times have you heard someone say "sing out, Louise"? Exactly what it's from. You're like, oh my gosh, it's Gypsy. It's all there. Exactly right. I have a gimmick. Oh my gosh, it's in Gypsy. So many roads lead back to Gypsy. Even that Brady Bunch episode where they did "Together, Wherever." Yes, and I have to say this might not reflect that well on me as a kid, but I thought that Natalie Wood doing that striptease was the most glamorous thing I had ever seen. I was very taken with that. You're allowed. You're allowed. Now I'll own it.

[23:40] Montego Glover: To go back a little bit in your career, obviously Memphis was a huge marking point for your career. Tony nominee, Drama Desk winner. Thank you. Is there a big difference when you're, because you were in obviously workshops, you have the luxury of creating this role and the experience of that. What's that like differently than coming into an existing role already?

[24:19] Montego Glover: Ah, for me, the task of creating a role means that there's going to be a process that is much longer than entering a company already up and running. So from the beginning, the timeline is very different. We spent 10 years developing Memphis, and over that decade, I was continuing to grow and learn and be, as a woman, a citizen, an artist, so on and so forth. So I felt very sure that every time we came back to the piece, you know, over that decade, I was hopefully bringing more maturity, more insight, more agility to the role and the creative process, and I'm very grateful for that. I could see the maturation. Also, when you're creating, there's that very necessary thing of being able to roll with it, really roll with it.

You know, you're going to come in and there are going to be whole songs gone, whole scenes gone, things replaced, things moved around. You know, what you loved is now gone, and we have to replace it with this for the wealth and health of the piece, so on and so forth. So there's a real skill set in being able to roll with it and pivot. Collaborative energy is so, to me, very specific, and when I'm building a character for the first time with people, that ability to really collaborate, to really listen, and really ping pong the lives of these people back and forth in space through time is a skill set, and it doesn't always exist when you're creating for the first time.

[26:04] Montego Glover: Is it hard not to take it personally when some of your stuff gets cut?

[26:24] Montego Glover: I don't take it personally. Yeah, I mean, I think it is though. I think that is hard. You know, if you, I don't know, if you feel you only have one song in the play and then that song is cut, how can you not take that personally? However, I have always, always, always said the most important thing is to be of service to the play. The play really is the thing. By the way, I call plays and musicals plays. Everything's the play, right? No, got it. The play really is the thing, so let's lean in. You know, you just have to trust that it's all right, and frankly, I've always thought if it's not, the theater gods will reveal to us that that was a mistake. We can always put the song back or always put the scene back, but you have to be willing to try, and that's what I mean by the collaborative spirit. You just have to be willing to try it, to try it, and that requires trust and agility.

[27:26] Montego Glover: When entering as a replacement or entering a company already running, for me, it's about observing what exists now. So much of that work has been done for you. I said this just recently in another talk with others. You know, I wanted to enter Gypsy at a pace because this company has been up, running, and moving together for a number of months. So most importantly, I want to serve the piece in the role but enter at a pace so that I can at least crawl to walk to canter to run, do you know? Yeah, and that was the most important thing. It just makes the job not easier but more focused.

[28:04] Montego Glover: Do you find that you get a lot of people, you know, at the stage door that have seen the show multiple times?

[28:10] Montego Glover: Yes, it's one of those favorites, so yeah, I'm not surprised to hear that. Yes, yes, people who are great fans of Gypsy, the piece, no matter where it's happening, yeah, and great fans of the music. They have very fond memories of it. It was, you know, the first show they were taken to as a little or so many things. I actually got a piece of fan mail this morning saying I'm coming all the way from Ireland to see you in Gypsy.

[28:32] Montego Glover: Wow, that's incredible. I know, really lovely. So very, very specific things, you know, that bring people to the show. Yeah, when I was online the first time I saw it, there was a bunch of us chit-chatting waiting to come into the theater, and somebody flew up from Florida just to see it. Somebody else, I think, I want to say was from Kansas and grew up watching Gypsy and was there for Gypsy. She knew nothing else other than Gypsy was playing, so it speaks to that.

[29:10] Montego Glover: Do you have a favorite moment of the show?

[29:10] Montego Glover: Gotta have a gimmick. Gotta have a gimmick. It's just a permission for me to giggle, giggle, giggle, laugh, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, laugh, laugh, laugh, sing along. So fun. There's something about watching those women just be themselves doing what they're doing and very proud of it. Do you know we've been, it's performed stunningly, like beautifully, and so, so fun, so fun by our three ladies.

[29:42] Montego Glover: Oh, absolutely. It's always a scene stealer. It's always just one of the most fun moments of the show, and again, that's to the writing. Yeah, and again, all these great roles for women. I mean, there's at least five or six amazing roles for women, and that doesn't happen very often in a musical or in a play even. Yeah, I mean, it's just so stacked, as we say. It's so stacked.

[30:04] Montego Glover: Absolutely. We've been so fortunate to have a few people on from your company of Gypsy. We had Camille, we had Kevin Solak, we had Bill Berloni, Joy Woods. Yes, Joy's daughter. So, um, it's, see, we get the sense, you know, and we feel like we're able to say now that it's just a company of very special people who seem to be having a unique experience with this show, that it really is just, there's such goodwill there.

[30:30] Montego Glover: Absolutely, 100% true. And that was overwhelmingly apparent to me when I joined the company. You know, you come through the stage door at the Majestic, and everybody is so kind, so open, supportive, offering help in any way that I need it, and ready to get started playing, you know, ready to get into it.

[30:56] Montego Glover: And you're sharing a stage door with Operation Mincemeat and The Outsiders. Do you guys cross paths? Is that fun?

[31:02] Montego Glover: If we were sharing a stage door, I think we'd all like run for the hills. We do, however, share an alley, and that's its own thing. You know, every theater mercifully has its own stage door, but we do share the alley, and you would think that it would be like the most busy interstate of all time with three such huge shows sharing one alley that leads to the stage doors. Quite the opposite. It's like a library back there.

[31:31] Montego Glover: Amazing. I'm so impressed and delighted by it. Yeah, that's like, it's such reverence for the space. There's signs that say "speak quietly" because there are shows going on, literally doors like open to the seating for all three theaters, and it is wonderfully quiet and serene and always full of smiling faces. Everybody's like, you know, going about their business but giving good energy, throwing up hands, hello, kind eyes, you know, very, very good. I, and it's my first time playing the Majestic, and I didn't honestly know that its stage door was set up this way. I've never played a Broadway house that shares an alley with two other enormous houses in a setup, so it took me a minute to sort of understand that it was okay for all of us to be there at the same time and we're okay to share, you know. It was just like a minute, and now I've got the hang of it, so it's kind of like being on a campus, like you're in a theater department with these people.

[32:26] Montego Glover: It could be, except it's quiet. You know, they're different. They quiet. Very long. Very true.

[32:33] Montego Glover: Yeah, what's it like for your first entrance to come from the theater from the audience?

[32:41] Montego Glover: Oh wow. Surprise, surprise. It's always funny to me that there are people who don't know it's coming. You know, they don't know it's coming. It's a great way, a great way to meet Rose. It's a great way to meet her, just the visual. You can hear her before you see her, and that's very difficult, yeah, in many ways. And it's the one time, other than the other two or three times that she moves on our passerelle, it's the one time to really sit amongst the bodies, to be amongst the bodies. And you know, Rose is not there for terribly long, but that moment when, you know, a curtain is drawn and I get to walk into the space and just be in the quiet in the dark with everyone else on the other side of the fourth wall as Rose and then break it, do you know? It is unique. It doesn't always happen for a character, and it's a great way to introduce her and to meet her as the alternate.

[33:39] Montego Glover: Now, do you get, so I mean, obviously you and Audra aren't sharing costumes. You know, you have your costumes made for you. Is it exactly the same as Audra's, or are there alterations made, you know, for your version of Rose? And is it Tony Leslie James who's doing the costumes?

[33:56] Montego Glover: Yes, Tony Leslie James. They're stunning, by the way, and they are very much the same with just a couple.

[34:02] Montego Glover: Just a couple of departures. For example, there was a dress that I have that I wear for the scene in the Chinese restaurant that is the same design as Audra's, but the print of my dress is a little bit different. And I just think it's normal things. Like, oh, by the time we got to Montego's costumes, there was no more of that fabric, so Tony chose this one. With me in mind, with my skin tone, all of that. But other than that, absolutely. Down to the shoes we're wearing, I'm wearing the exact same ones, only, you know, chosen for me and my size.

[34:36] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. That's amazing. Because the costume gives you so much about the character, you know, there's so many clues.

[34:44] Montego Glover: Yes.

[34:45] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, even in the hat.

[34:48] Montego Glover: Yeah, yes. And again, our hats are like similar versions. But mine is, you know, my traveling hat is gold, but slightly different. My opening hat is blue, but slightly different. So in these slight differences, do you have a conversation with Tony Leslie James then? And do you discuss or is it just practical differences?

[35:03] Montego Glover: These are practical things.

[35:09] Bruce Gotlieb: Okay.

[35:10] Montego Glover: Practical things. And I happen to be one of those actresses who's very trusting of my creatives. So I always say, please, you know, render however you like. You'll only hear from me if I'm having difficulty in functionality. Like, you know, it keeps flying off or, you know, it's poking me in the eyes. Other than that, I trust you to make the thing what it should be. You know better than I do in this case.

[35:33] Bruce Gotlieb: She's incredible. She knows what she's doing. So of course, you would feel very comfortable with Tony Leslie James.

[35:38] Montego Glover: I sure do. I sure do. And it makes my job so much easier because then I can just ingest all this wonderful information she's giving me through her lens, which is immense. Through her lens, I can just take it in and start to file and paint and sculpt and continue to do that.

[35:55] Bruce Gotlieb: The way women dressed back then was very different from the way we dress today. So how does that inform how you play this character? What does that change for you?

[36:04] Montego Glover: For me, it starts really with the visual. I remember the first time I put on an opening wig, the jacket, all the things. And I looked in the mirror and I said, oh my gosh, that's my grandma. Wow. Who was a young woman, like who was, you know, just about to marry my grandfather and starting her family at about the time this is set. It reveals a lot to me about how carriage is so important in what we wear. And that's always been true, whether it was, you know, prehistoric man up to, you know, 20 minutes ago. It's so important. It sculpts our bodies and it shows you how to be inside of a character. I always love that because it just gives me permission to let go of anything that's not useful.

[36:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Right. And it also takes away the modern day, right? Because you're not going to stand the same way. You're not going to feel the same way in your clothes.

[36:57] Montego Glover: You are not. You are not. And that's good. Right. Rose lives in these clothes, so she should be present. Her body should be present in these clothes.

[37:04] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Did you, you know, seeing your grandmother's, you know, likeness, did that then, does your Rose draw from any story she might've told you about when she was that age or her experiences?

[37:18] Montego Glover: Um, I'm still discovering that. What I can tell you heretofore is that I know that my Rose is part me, part three or four women in my life who are a generation above me. Yeah. And so it's, um, real, it's been really beautiful to discover what parts of them are finding their way into my Rose. And some of it is, are things communicated directly to me. Some of them, much of it are things that I've observed being a little one, a daughter, a niece, a granddaughter, um, in their lives for all my life. And it's fine. Those things that I've observed about these really incredible, miraculous women are finding their ways into like the soil of my Rose. I love that. I continue to discover it and it's really exciting and moving, really moving.

[38:26] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. And it gives you a connection with them on a whole different level.

[38:30] Montego Glover: Yes. It gives me a way to express what I see and know of them, but also in ways that they cannot express. Yeah. Rose's turn is a way for her to express in a way that she has never really been able to, but also I know women who are dear to me, who I love in my life, who have never been able to express in that way. And that's my opportunity to do it for them.

[38:56] Bruce Gotlieb: Is it because of the time they lived in or just their circumstances?

[39:02] Montego Glover: All of the above and so much more. Yeah. Yeah.

[39:08] Bruce Gotlieb: The one exciting thing that we're seeing, I think more now is, you know, some pro shots being done and some encapsulation of these shows in a period, you know, to be able to then continue, you know, Hamilton's on Disney Plus and you have all of these things that are wonderful for theater lovers. You know, we can sit down in our living room and pull them up again. So what's it like having Memphis on just when you want to have it?

[39:34] Montego Glover: Surreal. I think my version of having Memphis when I want to have it is like me singing one of the songs in the shower. I haven't sung it in like, you know, a part of a song in the shower because I haven't sung it in like five years or, you know, a decade or something like that. I think my version of having Memphis handy is a little different from others who've been like, I have my, you know, DVD and I watch it. I mean, I have a DVD, but I can't tell you that I'm watching it, you know, on the regular. Probably a good thing. You know, I don't know. I don't know. You know, I watch it for my cast members, you know, to be like, look at us. We did the thing. I remember every single second, every single shred of every single second.

But it's it's it's wonderful because, as you say, it's so it makes the show so available to people who otherwise might not have it. And it allows them to be close to a piece that was an original piece of theater and lets them discover the writers, the actors, the piece itself, the history behind it. It just sort of opens up the circle of information, but also expression in art. And that keeps widening. And that's what I've discovered over the years. That's what I really love about having it out there, having it out there. And there are things that I forget only because it's in there. I just don't sit with it every day. But, you know, once in a while someone will throw me like the end pose that appears on a lot of the artwork with myself and leading man.

And it's just so funny to me because I think, of course, yes, that's a that's a that cuts a figure in space. Yeah. People know that image. You know that image. And so they'll throw it to me once in a while, which is always oh, my gosh. Yes, of course. Thank you. That's so fun. That's a fun little wave. Yeah. Across the way.

[41:30] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. So I thought it was so innovative and that, you know, this season that we had good night and good luck as a live stream. I was like my mind was blown that that we were able to get to a place where that can happen because, like you said, opening up accessibility for people that aren't in New York, you know, a lot of people only get to see the Tonys and that's their dose of theater.

[41:54] Montego Glover: Yes. So to be able to open up availability for people, I think, is important for the craft and longevity of it.

[41:59] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes. And, you know, there's accessibility to the theater, which can be present in many places and spaces in small towns and big cities and so on and so forth. But Broadway is its own thing. You know, it's unique to this culture, this country. It only exists in these blocks in the theater district in the United States. So it is I very often said this. It is one of the world's stages, you know. Yeah. And it people come from all over to experience a Broadway show, a Broadway show. So having it on some kind of platform that honors what it is, but also makes it accessible across thousands and thousands and thousands of miles is helpful, at least so far.

[42:37] Bruce Gotlieb: What was the first Broadway show you ever saw?

[42:42] Montego Glover: I think it might have been a production. What was it? I think it was like, it might have been like the very early, I was a kid, like Les Mis or something.

[42:50] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Was that when you said, okay, that's what I have to do with my life?

[42:59] Montego Glover: No. What was that moment? No, it wouldn't be magical if that were true. It wasn't. It wasn't. I was on a trip for school and, you know, to New York and, you know, you throw in a Broadway show and it was, I thought, this is amazing. But I already knew that I wanted to be an actress. So it was like a way to experience the magic in real time in a Broadway show. Do you know that was it? It was, I was already there. So no means it was not the point of inflection, but it was certainly like the affirmation.

[43:41] Bruce Gotlieb: I'm sure it reinforced everything that you had thought of before that.

[43:48] Montego Glover: Yes. It was magical. Well, Montego, I know that you're very busy with Gypsy now. Are you staying till the end of the run?

[43:55] Montego Glover: Yes. Excellent. So people have some time to see you. So, I mean, I would encourage everyone to go out and see Gypsy. If you see it, see it again with Montego, because it's well worth it. Is there anything else coming up that you can tell us? I know you might not be able to talk about certain things yet.

[44:12] Montego Glover: I would love to tell you, and I can't tell you.

[44:18] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, you can tell us. We would love to invite you back. Of course. And that just makes people, you know, that much more excited because there's, ooh, what's coming, you know? What's coming.

[44:30] Montego Glover: Yes. Thank you. Thank you. I'm always, there's always such wonderful things going on and much, you know, movements and excitement. But, you know, you have to take it at a pace. And what's wonderful is that right now, and I love these moments, I can say to myself, I see that it's all out there. But right now we have, you know, three more weeks of Gypsy. You know, I'll be in as Mama Rose for two more performances, and then Audra will take the last, and we'll all hold hands and close our play. So it'll be really special. That's the thing right in front. So August 3 and August 10, I'll be there.

[45:01] Bruce Gotlieb: All right. Well, like I said, once you're here, you're family. So anything we can do in the future, let us know. And otherwise, we encourage everyone to get out there and see Montego in Gypsy.

[45:07] Montego Glover: Oh, thank you guys.

[45:15] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, our absolute pleasure. And we will see everyone next time on Behind the Awards. Bye-bye.