This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eila Mell: Hello, and welcome to Behind The Awards. I'm Eila, and I'm here with Bruce.

[0:18] Bruce Gotlieb: Hello there.

[0:19] Eila Mell: It's been a bit of a rough couple of days.

[0:22] Bruce Gotlieb: It has been. At the time of recording, you know, yesterday we had the announcement of Tim Curry's passing.

[0:29] Eila Mell: The day before, the world, the entire world, I think, was shaken by the announcement of Dolly Parton's passing.

[0:37] Bruce Gotlieb: Two icons.

[0:40] Eila Mell: Icons. Literal icons.

[0:43] Bruce Gotlieb: Somebody said to me, when the Dolly Parton announcement came out, and I just think it's so true, said, but I thought she'd always be there.

[0:51] Eila Mell: You never thought she would leave.

[0:56] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, in a way, she will always be here with her music.

[1:00] Eila Mell: Yes, for sure. Now, you know a little bit about, like, what, because there's stuff happening with Dolly even still. Can you tell us about that?

[1:09] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah, so I read yesterday this article that came out that she has recorded and all of this stuff, this blueprint kind of has been given to her team, you know, whoever's in charge of these things. But she's already recorded a song that she wrote to be released on her 100th birthday.

[1:29] Eila Mell: Wow.

[1:30] Bruce Gotlieb: And then in between there, there are these tentpoles of not only music and creative points where things are going to be happening, but on top of that, you know, she was very philanthropic and really entrenched in community and giving back and all these things. So there are also tentpoles of, you know, this is going to happen in September of this year, you know, with this organization in Tennessee. And then it just keeps going year after year of all of these things that she wanted to accomplish that were really important to her and important to see that they continue to fruition, which I think is so spectacular and feels like almost, it feels like, like you said, like she'll always be there. Like she will continue to have the goodness that she brought into the world.

[2:23] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[2:24] Bruce Gotlieb: You know, forever, which gives me a warm feeling.

[2:27] Eila Mell: Well, that's what I hope she's remembered for even more than her music, how she took care of the world.

[2:32] Bruce Gotlieb: You know, she...

[2:33] Eila Mell: Literally.

[2:34] Bruce Gotlieb: She funded a vaccine for the, you know, during the pandemic. Personally, she could have had so much more money. I mean, not to say that Dolly didn't have plenty of money, but she could have had probably 10 times the amount of money she had that she gave away so much to help other people.

[2:52] Eila Mell: And that's more important than anything that she accomplished artistically, just, you know, which was massive. You know, she had one of those really, really rare careers where she just accomplished more than anyone probably could.

[3:07] Bruce Gotlieb: I saw a video clip yesterday that apparently Elvis wanted to record I Will Always Love You, and he loved the song so much. But when it was presented, they said he wants to record this song. And she said, great. And they said, but we want publishing. And she's like, no, I'm not giving up the publishing.

[3:28] Eila Mell: Good for her.

[3:29] Bruce Gotlieb: This was, of course, before Whitney recorded it.

[3:31] Eila Mell: Right.

[3:33] Bruce Gotlieb: But, you know, how smart and how she was really smart.

[3:38] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[3:39] Bruce Gotlieb: Some people probably would have been like, oh, my God, Elvis is going to record it, give him what he wants. But she knew how important those publishing rights were.

[3:46] Eila Mell: Not to take anything away from Elvis, because Elvis is, you know, another one once in a lifetime.

[3:52] Bruce Gotlieb: But she's Dolly. She didn't need Elvis. And I know you're going to agree with me that the right person recorded that song.

[3:59] Eila Mell: Oh, my gosh. Yes.

[4:02] Bruce Gotlieb: Also, the things that I've read that she's done with the money that she made just from that recording, she's put back into so many establishments. And she has the Imagination Library, which is still going on. And even the post of her passing said, in lieu of flowers, please donate to this organization.

[4:21] Eila Mell: It's just incredible. They literally mail books to children once a month.

[4:25] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[4:26] Eila Mell: To promote literacy. And it's just you can't ask for a better person, you know?

[4:32] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[4:33] Eila Mell: And she never got a big head on the set of Steel Magnolias. I mean, there's that famous story where people were complaining and someone turned to her and said, aren't you upset, you know, about whatever they were upset about? And she said, when I was young, I wanted two things. I wanted to be rich and famous, and I have both of them, and I never complain.

[4:53] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[4:54] Eila Mell: And she does. She literally never did.

[4:56] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah.

[4:57] Eila Mell: And she's just a really, really incredible, exceptional person who, like I said, took care of the world. And, you know, it's just so sad.

[5:07] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, they did say that her musical will continue because it was something she wanted.

[5:12] Eila Mell: Yes.

[5:13] Bruce Gotlieb: Very important to her.

[5:14] Eila Mell: Yeah. So we do have Dolly the Musical to look forward to, and it's, you know.

[5:18] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely. It's not the actual Dolly, but it is her story, and she was part of creating it.

[5:24] Eila Mell: Yeah, she did the book and the music. So it'll be, you know, I'm sure at least at this moment, people are going to be clamoring for it.

[5:35] Bruce Gotlieb: I think they would have before, but now it just takes on a different.

[5:38] Eila Mell: It's different, yeah.

[5:40] Bruce Gotlieb: And also, you know, and let's give some attention to Tim Curry, too. I mean, an absolute legend, icon.

[5:49] Eila Mell: I mean, of course, Rocky Horror, but Grooster and Annie, it, you know.

[5:54] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. So many.

[5:56] Eila Mell: What about Mr. Body and Clue?

[5:59] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. And, you know, since Broadway is our thing, he was the original Mozart in Amadeus on Broadway.

[6:07] Eila Mell: Yeah.

[6:08] Bruce Gotlieb: You know.

[6:09] Eila Mell: Both of them, their careers, it just touched so many people, you know, the breadth of their work.

[6:14] Bruce Gotlieb: And they paid tribute to him last night at Rocky Horror, which is wonderful.

[6:20] Eila Mell: They did, which was lovely. I mean, he was also one of a kind in the way that he was able to be a chameleon and change himself into all these characters.

[6:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Right.

[6:30] Eila Mell: You know, it's a real talent.

[6:31] Bruce Gotlieb: Absolutely.

[6:32] Eila Mell: Yeah. Have you ever seen his movie Times Square, where he plays a DJ?

[6:35] Bruce Gotlieb: No.

[6:36] Eila Mell: Oh, it's so good. I mean, it's not, but it's so, you know, there's something really fun about it. These two runaways, one rich girl and one not rich girl.

[6:45] Bruce Gotlieb: Of course.

[6:46] Eila Mell: 1980s Times Square, really cool.

[6:49] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, perfect.

[6:50] Eila Mell: Yes, yes, yes. Before it got Disney-fied.

[6:53] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, that's right. Before we had Elmos and Batmans and all kinds of things walking around.

[6:58] Eila Mell: In very sad costumes, let me say.

[7:00] Bruce Gotlieb: Sometimes without a head.

[7:01] Eila Mell: I know.

[7:03] Bruce Gotlieb: That's a no-no if you go to Disney.

[7:06] Eila Mell: It's a big no-no.

[7:07] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. All right. Well, now that we've had a chance to celebrate these wonderful people, let's move to something a little happier.

[7:13] Eila Mell: Our guests today, and we're really excited to have them. They're three wonderful actors, and one is a playwright, and they're all working on this great new show, To Have and To Hold.

[7:29] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, and they come from years of knowing one another, from college through now adulthood, and you could just see how much fun a night watching them perform must be just to see them interact with one another.

[7:43] Eila Mell: So let's bring them out. Let's welcome playwright and actor Laura Lapidus, other cast members Tedra Millan and Yuriy Sardarov.

[7:55] Laura Lapidus: Hello, everyone. Welcome.

[7:57] Tedra Millan: We're so happy to be here.

[7:59] Yuriy Sardarov: Thank you for having us.

[8:00] Laura Lapidus: This is very fun. We're so thrilled. We know how busy you guys are, so we thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to come and chat about this new play with us.

[8:08] Eila Mell: So To Have and To Hold, now it's based on Taming of the Shrew. Is that right?

[8:13] Laura Lapidus: Yes. It's funny, like, the whole adaptation idea is, like, a little bit, like, cringy to me. I like to say, like, it's not really an adaptation, but with, like, dashes, you know, like it's not really an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, but it takes the sisters from The Taming of the Shrew, and it takes sort of the central issue of The Taming of the Shrew, which is this idea that women must get married in order to count as people. So in that way, yes. And we do borrow some of Shakespeare's texts because I'm a loser.

[8:57] Bruce Gotlieb: And I think that, I think it's worth, you know, as frustrating as it is and, like, archaic and outdated and all of these things, it's a real part of the fabric of theater and us, whether we like it or not.

[9:17] Laura Lapidus: Is it more that it's the story that you want to tell and you kind of retrofit Taming of the Shrew?

[9:22] Laura Lapidus: So I started very much with the question of, like, how does Kate from The Taming of the Shrew, this, you know, sort of iconic, even in pop culture in a way because of, you know, we have like 10 Things I Hate About You, even, like, Kiss Me Kate. Like, I really wanted to understand in terms that I felt connected to and not just like, oh, in, like, Shakespeare's world or in, with these changes. Like, I want to, I wanted to understand how she comes to this, all these things that she says at the end that's like, I'm ashamed that women are so simple. Basically, like, I give up trying to go toe-to-toe with men because I realize, like, I'm meant to be soft and weak and smooth. And they're the ones who are meant to, you know, toil in trouble in the world.

And I'm meant to be at home as a helper. And it just struck me that I think that that's still, like, that still happens to a lot of women, that that's like, you know, people, like, that's not actually this super old idea. And I think we get really confused by The Taming of the Shrew because of that because nobody knows how to handle it. And I was like, I think we know exactly how to handle it, unfortunately. So I wanted to sort of write Kate and Bianca and Peter in a way that was more recognizable to us while still coming to terms with this kind of loss that we face at the end of the play.

[11:15] Eila Mell: Yeah. And does any of it come from your actual life?

[11:20] Laura Lapidus: Luckily, I mean, of course, many. So the play ends up very much being about we really get to understand Kate and this journey through Bianca and Peter and the sisterhood. I don't have a sister. But the sisterhood is very much a stand-in for female friendship and close friendships and, you know, lifelong friendships. And these connections that we have in life that are so informative and so precious and tender and fragile. And Teddy, very luckily, is one of those people to me in real life. So, you know, in that way, it's, like, pulled from little things. And it's also, the play also tries to understand in The Taming of the Shrew, Kate and Bianca don't have a mom. Like, she's just, like, not there and it's never spoken about.

So it tries to figure that out. And I'm very lucky my mom is alive. But she was very sick with breast cancer for much of my childhood. So there's things, you know, there are little things everywhere that come from my life. But I am married and I don't feel that I had to sacrifice myself in order to get married. So that's good.

[12:43] Eila Mell: Clearly, you're, you know, a busy working playwright actor. In creating this piece, I guess, really for your co-stars then, were they people that you envisioned being part of this project initially? Or what was the process, I guess, for you guys to get involved in it?

[13:03] Laura Lapidus: Well, we all, you said you don't have a sister, but you kind of do. And she's this square right now. Well, we all went to college together.

[13:12] Tedra Millan: And we were 18 years old when we first met.

[13:15] Laura Lapidus: At the University of Michigan?

[13:17] Tedra Millan: The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

[13:19] Bruce Gotlieb: Great program.

[13:20] Tedra Millan: Great program. We were only eight of us for four years. So we took care of each other very well.

[13:28] Yuriy Sardarov: Too well.

[13:29] Tedra Millan: Yeah. I think, Teddy, you've been part of the process pretty much from the beginning, right?

[13:35] Tedra Millan: I've been. Now, Laura started writing it around 2020, although she will tell you that it was not a COVID project.

[13:42] Yuriy Sardarov: You're taking her talking point, Ted.

[13:47] Tedra Millan: See, well, I did the very first reading of it. We did a Zoom reading over COVID. And I've been I've done a few readings. My husband used to read the Peter part. So I've seen the play grow, which has been really cool. And yeah, so I've been kind of part of it from the beginning.

[14:10] Laura Lapidus: Thank you so much for having us. We're really excited to be here and talk about our play, "To Have and To Hold."

[14:40] Tedra Millan: Yes, it's been such a journey bringing this modern adaptation of "The Taming of the Shrew" to life.

[15:11] Laura Lapidus: Absolutely! We wanted to explore the dynamics of Kate and Bianca in today's world, and I think we've done a great job of that.

[15:31] Yuriy Sardarov: The characters are so relatable, and the themes resonate with contemporary audiences.

[16:01] Laura Lapidus: Right! It's all about love, power, and the complexities of relationships, which are timeless.

[16:31] Yuriy Sardarov: And the humor! We’ve infused a lot of humor into the script, which makes it enjoyable for everyone.

[16:51] Tedra Millan: Plus, the chemistry among the cast really brings the story to life.

[17:11] Yuriy Sardarov: It’s been a fantastic experience working together.

[17:41] Tedra Millan: I think audiences will be surprised by how much they can relate to these characters.

[18:11] Yuriy Sardarov: Definitely! It’s a fresh take that still pays homage to Shakespeare.

[18:31] Tedra Millan: And the setting is so vibrant and modern, which adds another layer to the story.

[18:51] Yuriy Sardarov: We really wanted to make it feel relevant and engaging for today's audience.

[19:11] Tedra Millan: The feedback we've received has been overwhelmingly positive, which is so encouraging.

[19:31] Yuriy Sardarov: It’s great to see people connecting with the material.

[19:51] Tedra Millan: And we’re just getting started!

[20:11] Yuriy Sardarov: Exactly! We have so many exciting plans for the future of this play.

[20:31] Tedra Millan: I can’t wait to see where it goes next.

[21:01] Yuriy Sardarov: It’s a thrilling time for all of us involved.

[21:21] Tedra Millan: And we hope to keep the momentum going with more performances.

[21:41] Yuriy Sardarov: Yes! We want to reach as many people as possible with this story.

[22:01] Tedra Millan: It’s all about sharing the experience and the joy of theater.

[22:21] Yuriy Sardarov: And we’re so grateful for the support we’ve received from the community.

[22:51] Tedra Millan: It really means a lot to us.

[23:21] Yuriy Sardarov: We hope everyone comes out to see the show!

[23:41] Tedra Millan: Yes, get your tickets!

[24:01] Yuriy Sardarov: You won’t want to miss it.

[24:21] Tedra Millan: It’s a unique experience that we’re proud to share.

[24:41] Yuriy Sardarov: And we’re excited to keep the conversation going about the themes in the play.

[25:01] Tedra Millan: Absolutely!

[25:21] Yuriy Sardarov: Thank you for having us on the show to discuss it.

[25:41] Tedra Millan: Yes, thank you!

[26:01] Yuriy Sardarov: We appreciate the opportunity to share our passion.

[26:21] Tedra Millan: And we hope to inspire others through our work.

[26:41] Yuriy Sardarov: That’s the goal!

[27:01] Tedra Millan: Let’s keep pushing the boundaries of theater.

[27:21] Yuriy Sardarov: Yes, let’s do it!

[27:41] Tedra Millan: Thank you again for this wonderful conversation.

[28:01] Yuriy Sardarov: We’re looking forward to what’s next!

[30:20] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[30:40] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[31:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[31:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[31:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[32:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[32:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[32:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[33:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[33:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[33:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[34:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[34:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[34:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[35:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[35:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[35:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[36:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[36:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[36:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[37:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[37:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[37:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[38:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[38:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[38:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[39:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[39:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[39:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[40:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[40:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[40:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[41:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[41:24] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[41:44] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.

[42:04] Yuriy Sardarov: I’m the co-founder and executive producer of To Have and To Hold.