This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Joe Rosko: Hey, what's going on? Welcome to Built For The Stage Podcast. This is Joe Rosko, founder and host of Built For The Stage, Broadway's number one fitness platform. With clients in over 20 Broadway shows, the West End in London, Australia, Tokyo, Disney, and collegiate stages across the globe, we are your one-stop shop for all things theater and fitness. Check us out, BuiltForTheStage.com. Special thanks to BPN, Broadway Podcast Network, for producing this episode.

[0:40] Joe Rosko: All right, on to our special guests, special guests as always. Currently, you can see them in The Book of Mormon on Broadway playing Elder McKinley, but they're not just like a one trick pony. They're on Broadway, but they're an entrepreneur. They're putting shows on and events on. They're not just on the stage, they've been on the screen as well. Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Madam Secretary, one of my faves, love it. You're also going to see our guests coming up in Kiss of the Spider Woman with none other than J-Lo. But we're also excited to talk about a project, an event, a show that our guest is putting on downtown that's a variety show in New York City. It's called Stage Time. And it's hosted by none other than our guest, PJ Adzima. Hi, PJ.

[1:30] PJ Adzima: How are you doing?

[1:32] Joe Rosko: I'm doing great. Good to connect with you. I'm loving like, I don't know, this is your apartment, whatever's going on back there with the painting and the guitar and that exposed brick over there. Like this is it.

[1:45] PJ Adzima: Thank you very much. Yeah, this is my studio. So this is the Stage Time studios. This is my office uptown here in Harlem. And it's kind of the clubhouse. This is the like PBS playhouse of Stage Time.

[1:56] Joe Rosko: Yeah. Okay, amazing. All right. Well, I'm excited to hop in. Let's just rewind. Are you in New York? Or where are you from? You from Alaska? Where are you originally from?

[2:06] PJ Adzima: Oh, boy. Well, I am from I grew up on a farm in Massachusetts, a little town called Belcher Town, Massachusetts, which is just as provincial as it sounds. And I moved here at 18 to study musical theater and acting at Marymount Manhattan College on the Upper East Side. So I have been here my entire adult life in New York City.

[2:26] Joe Rosko: What's it like growing up wanting to do musical theater in a farm town?

[2:30] PJ Adzima: Oh, fabulous. I actually, you know, I for as far as I had to travel to leave the farm to get to the nearby cities and towns that had theater, there really is a thriving, like local community theater scene. And I would refer to myself as the prince of community theater for Western Massachusetts, I would drive an hour each way to get to a rehearsal for Oliver, and then you know, do my homework, you know, backstage, and then you go go wake up and do it all over again. So I've always I've always had to, you know, put in the work to get to the goal. And honestly, that kind of grit has followed me to today. So it's I've always I've always been willing to hustle.

[3:15] Joe Rosko: Okay, okay. So if that's the town you're living in itself wasn't like, providing any type of arts or musical theater, who got you into the arts? Was it something you saw on TV? Or where did that all spring about?

[3:28] PJ Adzima: I was lucky enough to find it really early. I was put into like a theater camp for kids and I was like eight years old, and it was associated with a local Shakespeare company. And so when that Shakespeare company was putting out a production of Richard III, the Duke of York is a child character and they pulled from they were like, Hey, remember that kid who is like who really loved it in that camp. So that really changed my life. I was like 2003 I think I think summer 2003 it was I was scooped up and got to spend like a summer doing outdoor Shakespeare with a bunch of adults like pretending to die and sword fighting and I was like, I'm gonna do this forever. And I truly have since I've been ravenously pursuing the live performing arts ever since I fell in love with it that summer. And since then, you know, just have been working as tirelessly as possible to keep this keep staying in the next show.

[4:20] Joe Rosko: Yeah. Okay. So when you graduated, did you find yourself booking these on screen gigs first or did the red carpet roll out and you found yourself in The Book of Mormon? Or did we hit some valleys and we really had to bite and scratch your way up like, Oh, I was starting.

[4:38] PJ Adzima: I found myself catering for sure. Um, bite and scratch is a great way to describe it. I am. I'm a street cat. Really, at the end of the day, I think that that is that has always been my philosophy. I've I've really had to work and grind and network and hustle for pretty much every single opportunity that I've had. I, you know, really, I've done every single job in New York City. I've been a bartender, bus driver, worked in a warehouse fitness instructor, cater waiter, butler, nine to fiver, corporate recruiter, you name it, I've done it. And all of it has been, you know, I took me I think 11 years before I finally made my Broadway debut. So in all of that, I was, you know, it was in national tours, it was in, I was lucky enough to be a part of the Book of Mormon family and companies around the world.

I did the Australian company, before they they I got the call and then moving to Broadway. But in between, I really I really with the COVID of it all as well, I'm no stranger to hard work. And that philosophy really propelled me when I did Book of Mormon full time to start my own company. And to kind of keep that hustle muscle going.

[5:44] Joe Rosko: Okay, okay, that's where I was going to go back to the hustle muscle. Where did this come from? Again, like I was asking, where did the love of theater come from? How about the hustle muscle? Because this is something I feel like all performers need to have and putting yourself out there and being willing to like, step up to the plate and strike out but keep stepping up to the plate. You know, where did that come from? How did how did you develop that muscle?

[6:08] PJ Adzima: I'm gonna I mean, I'll point you back to the fact I'm a farm boy. Like you it's you it's about you reap what you sow. And I do you know, that philosophy has always stuck with me since from my upbringing, like you are always planting always harvesting. And this is a blue collar job at the end of the day. Broadway is the most luxurious blue collar job that you can possibly have. And so love that. It is it is I'm sorry, I make money with my body. If I if my body's not on stage, I ain't getting paid. So like this is a this is a working class job. And I come and I'm a working class guy. So that's you know, you can't be afraid of that hard work. You can't be afraid to get messy, get dirty and do you got to do to get the gig. So that's always I love that.

[6:52] Joe Rosko: Yeah, the glitz and glam of being on the stage is like 5% of it. And the 95% is getting your hands dirty, right?

[6:59] PJ Adzima: Yeah, I mean, even the glam is, is, is dirty. Yeah, the glam is taking a nap on your dressing station in between two show days. Those rhinestones and sequins are dripping with sweat. Like this is not I think it's like that idea of a luxurious, like romantic, like it is romantic, but the work is romantic. You are in love with how tired you are and how depleted and fulfilled you can be at the same time after a two show day or three show day in my case, like, you have to, you have to love the work, because it will always be work. And people I hear all the time being like, well, when it's going to get easy, it's never going to get easy. I it's funny to be talking to you, you know, as as you know, for built for the stage.

And obviously, athleticism is is at the center of everything that you do. And I couldn't agree more. I like to say, all the time, one of my philosophies is, you know, there are less people on Broadway than there are in the Olympics every four years. So you have to treat yourself like an Olympian and have a relationship with this thing to the point of devotion, the same way that someone who's going to expect to make it to the highest level of any professional sport would. And I think that that is not something that's very common. And I think that that's a headspace that is really, is really rare to find. And that's, that's going to be the thing that that that grit and that, that hustle is is something that you need to find for yourself. And because it's the only it's the only fuel that will ever get you there.

[8:40] Joe Rosko: Go ahead, PJ, keep going. Let's go. I want another hour of this. Let's talk baby.

[8:50] PJ Adzima: I mean, if I'm on that soapbox daily, so I like when, when someone when someone else is finally stepping up there with me or for me, I love to step off and be like, see, listen, I'm not crazy. Like y'all think I'm just going to show up and do this physically demanding mentally demanding job eight times a week for however long your show runs. And you're just going to kind of walk up with no physical preparation. I mean, come on, come on.

[9:18] PJ Adzima: And it's mental preparation. And this gets back to the philosophy, right? So I will now talk about Stage Time, which is my company that I started. And basically it's an old school vaudeville company. Vaudeville is, you know, the bedrock of our of our industry, you look back to Gypsy, the revival right now is a wonderful history lesson as to kind of the roots of where we came from, we would travel the country, putting in reps doing our thing over and over and over again. And my philosophy being if you want to be an Olympian, and be an Olympic swimmer, it's hours in the pool. If you want to be a professional performer, it's hours on stage, it's your stage time. How much time have you put in, and not just in your room, and not just in rehearsal, I'm talking hours on a stage in front of a paying audience, who's bored and a little dissatisfied.

Yeah, that's, that's okay. Good. That's where you get good. Those are okay. I was exactly when you said, three shows a day in your case, that's where I was going to segue to you and this whole other entity that is a part of your professional career. So walk us back to like, a little bit more on the backstory of stage, stage time, even more about this vaudeville.

[10:36] PJ Adzima: I am a New York based actor and comedian currently playing Elder McKinley in The Book of Mormon on Broadway.

[16:13] Joe Rosko: What for the month of June, Pride-wise, are you doing at Stage Time bringing people together?

[16:44] PJ Adzima: Making art that is provocative, especially like these downtown performing artists are really throwing all of their artistry into activism. And putting that work front and center right now is necessary. And I think that, you know, the answer to oppression is expression. And while we're living through a scary time, and there are a lot of people who feel like this is the time to pull in a bit and be a little bit safer, I believe it's our job as artists to actually push the boundary. This is the time to get weirder and more in your face and more provocative. Because it's a bit of a standoff right now as to where American culture is going to go. And it is the role, I believe, of the artists to push that envelope further when it's game time.

I don't know if you've noticed, but it's game time, brother. Like, it really stakes the state we have, we are now also entering a different level of importance where I really believe, for the first time, culture has become counterculture. Right? To be, you know, we've had a long, we've been very fortunate to have a long period of progressive political leaders. And that time's over. Which means we need to be getting art back to its activist roots and back to the place that where it was an essential thing and not just a commodity. Right? Like, we've been fortunate in our privilege to get put out some toothless stuff. Right? Like we grew up with the Macarena being the most popular song. It was a nonsense time.

It was great. And now we really need to be getting back to these torch songs and getting back to realizing that we can wield the cultural power in this country if we choose to. And yeah, there is an essential need for the artists in society right now. And we're a part of that.

[18:48] Joe Rosko: So what is so obviously with this on the forefront of your mind, what kind of plans do you maybe have for the future shows or themes or things that might be coming up with Stage Time?

[19:00] PJ Adzima: My gosh, it's always at the front of my mind. I really, you know, there's I always like to say, you know, to get back to that social thing, I think that what people need more than ever is a room to gather in. And, you know, I say I throw a show to get the after party, right? Like, it's about the night of entertainment, but it's also about then sharing a drink and a room with the people who came out and just having these spaces to look each other in the eye and be like, Hey, you good? You okay? You need anything? Like, we're all gonna get dinner after this you want to come? Like, even just providing these spaces is an important thing. And also, really, some programming, like I mentioned, we've got these studios up here we've I've been, you know, investing more in, in the problems that we've been missing as far as these community outreaches.

And really having spaces to gather is a big part of that, right? And so up here at the Station Studios, we're having more events, we're having more parties, we're having more like industry mixers that we're not advertising, like we really are welcoming people into that thriving New York scene that you were promised moved here, right? And that we haven't really found I hadn't found in 14 years. And so I realized, Oh, I think, I think we just got to build it ourselves. So we're ringing the dinner bell and saying, Come on down, come on out, see a show and be a part of this community, because we only are as strong as.

[20:33] Joe Rosko: Yeah, absolutely. So with that said about, you know, come on down, or ringing the bell, obviously, people, if they want tickets, they can go to the website, which I'm going to put in the description of this episode. It's also on your Instagram and the Stage Time Instagram, I'll be putting those on the description of this episode as well. But performers or like, I don't know, people behind the scenes, if they want to get involved, how would they do so?

[20:54] PJ Adzima: Well, that's a good question. We definitely are always, you know, looking for talent. With producing five variety shows a month, we're always looking for talent. And actually a big part of that we've had a lot of input we've had, like, and we had an audition form that we put up on our website.

[21:13] PJ Adzima: For me, it's, you know, why it resonates with audiences so well is and it's TikTok on stage. You know, like, it's, it's a sad thing, a happy thing, you know, a song, a juggler, you know, a comedian, someone's naked, like, like you, our brains are really wired to appreciate variety right now. Right. And so I think the problem right now with a lot of nights out is, you know, I, by the third singer at 54 Below, I'm probably checking my phone. Like, because I've seen these nights out of musical theater, how many times, like, we've had a very little, you know, a night at Green Room 42 is going to be a night at Green Room 42. And there's no shade to that. I just, we haven't had a lot of innovation in nightlife entertainment in a long time.

And I believe that we as a Broadway community are really desperate for that mid level night out, right? Especially with Broadway tickets being $900. Like, how come? Ooh, baby, either I've got to pay, you know, a $50 with a two drink minimum to watch my friends sing Jason Robert Brown songs, or I got to pay $900 to watch George Clooney fart in a bag like what, what there has to be something in between, darling. And God damn it, you know, we do have the best of the world here in New York City. So why are we settling for anything less than that? And that's another commitment that I have is to quality, which is when I say I found you the best drag queen I could find, I mean it. When I say I found you the best comedian I could find, I mean it, that keeps my standard high.

Because it means when you book stage time, it goes on their resume, right? It becomes something where you're like, oh, not everybody can do this, right? That is a part of the caliber of being a Broadway actor. That is the caliber of comparing yourself to an Olympian, right? Like, it is not something everyone can do. And I think that that is the romance of being an excellent entertainer as well. And I think that's the dream, right? Like, this gets back to why do you do it? You know, to do this thing at a very high level. And I think that that's another part of just kind of the fitting into this ecosystem and finding the need that we all kind of have right now. Got it. Travis Martin wanted to say that they love you. Do you see that little comment there?

[25:33] PJ Adzima: I love you too. Hey, Travis, I love you too. Well, you're obviously a great marketer, promoter. You have all these one line zingers that you've just been winging out. But on the producing end, was this your first go at it? Or had you done something before stage time? Were you learning on the job? Yeah, tell us a little bit about that.

[25:55] PJ Adzima: Oh, my God. I've been learning on the fly this whole time. I've just been like, yeah. What have you learned? Oh, my God. How taxes work. And I need to pay somebody else to do them. That's how I've learned that they work. I've learned my strengths and I've learned to trust people. I've learned to delegate to that team. I've learned to really surround myself with smart people. And really, I've just learned to trust my taste. I think like anything else right now, I'm really proud to be a producer who's an artist. And not just an artist, but an artist who's doing it actively. And this gets back to my dreams and aspirations for stage time is not just a variety show, but we're a production company. I really want to be growing and I have a future as a producer and will be so on Broadway one day. That's very much a plan of mine. And I think there is a big disconnect between the people who are running this industry and have the ability to get up and do it themselves.

[27:00] PJ Adzima: Yeah, I do not believe that, you know, if Broadway, we just finished this giant Tony season, and it's and it feels like a, you know, the art of Broadway is a mysterious and fluid thing. And if it is basically horse race betting, you know, I'm the jockey. I know what these horses like, I know what it's like in here. And my perspective is different than the person who's in the box, who, you know, is picking things and making decisions based on a myriad of other things that I don't know about yet. But goddamn, I'm I know it makes a good show because I do it eight times a week. And I think that I am excited to continue my producing journey and to keep making exciting nights out because I know what an audience wants. Because that's how I book my job. That's how I make my money is by is by giving people an entertaining night out. Because if I don't do that, I'm bartending again.

[28:05] Joe Rosko: Yeah, yeah.

[28:05] PJ Adzima: So that's real. Whereas you can be a producer on Broadway for fun, because you've got enough money, and you love show tunes. And that's great. And we love those people. But when those people are the only people, you know, that are that have so much sway in an industry, it leads to some frustrating decisions that I think we all watch these pieces come to Broadway and we go how and why and for $25 million did this thing happen?

[28:37] Joe Rosko: Yes. Yes. All right. Last question.

[28:41] PJ Adzima: Anyway,

[28:41] Joe Rosko: No, and you don't have to what please?

[28:44] PJ Adzima: No, please. And again, it's like, it's I could dab on that for for all. But again, yeah, we are we are we are it's it's as members of this community. I think we we are it's it's it's important that we are able to talk about the ecosystem that we are that that literally makes or breaks our our lives and hopes and dreams. And so I think it's important to be having those conversations too. And it's it's all part of the same soup. So yeah, it's always

[29:13] Joe Rosko: Yeah, yeah, we have to push the envelope have to say something. If nothing's gonna be said, nothing's gonna nothing's going to change. So you're here to that. Last question on your making this thing happen, your passion to create, you're not just wanting to do the survival, typical survival jobs of the bartending and all the other things you did bus driver, that was one that caught my attention. If I'm someone sitting out there that maybe isn't in a show or even isn't a show like you are, but I'm feeling stagnant, and I want to create I have this idea I have this thing, what's a what's one piece of advice or a handful of things that you would tell this person?

[29:55] PJ Adzima: I'd say make it exist and then make it good later. Well, just start, just do the first one. Like, yeah, I you make a state like I made stage time because I booked the theater. And I went, Well, on this date, there will be a show. Like so many people wait in their room to get it done. And you're gonna get it done on stage. It will be birthed in front of people, and it's gonna feel like shit. And that's, that's the philosophy, right? Is it like, just do it, because then it's over. And then you have that experience. And you're right, and you're ready for next time. So you don't have to ask permission to do anything like that. It can be putting on something in your living room. It can be it should be putting on something in your living room, right? Like it should be because if you can hold that room for five of your friends, then you can hold another room for 15. And then probably 50. But you'll only do that if you start. So just fucking start.

[31:04] Joe Rosko: I love that. Love you, PJ. I mean, come on, this, this soapbox of yours, this. I don't know this. What are the TED talk? You're bringing like a TED talk here to us at built for the stage podcast. Thanks so much for joining us, PJ. Again, if you want to check out PJ will have his handle in the description of this episode as well as stage time as well as the website. All those things. PJ, thanks so much for being on the podcast.

[31:29] PJ Adzima: Joe, such a pleasure. Keep killing it. Later.

[31:38] Joe Rosko: All right. Thanks to PJ there. Give him a follow give stage time a follow on built for the stage. Check us out at built for the stage.com. Actors are athletes train like one.