This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:01] Alexia Khadime: My name is Alexia Khadime.

[0:03] Christine Allado: My name is Christine Allado, and you're listening to Eleven, the Official Theatre Podcast.

[0:18] William J Connolly: Hello and welcome to Eleven, the official theatre podcast that brings the biggest stars and creatives together in one place to discuss life in the arts. Now they're two of the finest talents currently treading the boards in the West End in the musical of all musicals. Epic by size and equally matched in story, the infamous Dominion Theatre in London is playing host to the official stage adaptation of The Prince of Egypt with new original music and of course some signature classics that we all know and love by Grammy winner Steven Schwartz. And you just know this includes the Oscar winning duet When You Believe. But no strangers to performing, these leading ladies have credits in shows including The Book of Mormon, Les Misérables, The Lion King, Wicked, From Here to Eternity, Here Lies Love, Sweet Charity, and Hamilton, to name but a few.

They've also performed in some of the biggest venues in the world, including the Royal Albert Hall and the Mall of Asia Arena. So here now, in this exclusive conversation and direct from a rather busy backstage at the Dominion Theatre for The Prince of Egypt, the pair joined together to discuss their initial reactions to hearing the news that the signature story and of course movie was to be adapted into a stage musical. Why The Prince of Egypt is a show that truly lives up to its epic status and how the story relates to the real world events of the last few months, finding themselves in their respective characters, which has also allowed them to bring those animation characters from the movie to life.

Why they're very respectfully not trying to be Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey when it comes to performing When You Believe, being part of one of, if not the most diverse cast in the West End, and how this is being reflected in their audiences, both on stage and the people that work backstage, and why representation informs the individual about their limitless possibilities in life from any age, and why they hope that the West End will continue to promote every type of voice. Some of their experiences of why Miss Saigon and The King and I felt like one of the only shows seemingly available for their casting, and switching the narrative around women of colour playing roles, including Eliza in My Fair Lady and Éponine in Les Misérables.

The impact and conversations brought on by making history as the first black woman to ever play Elphaba full-time in any worldwide production of Wicked, and what it's like being celebrated for your authenticity and awesomeness in shows like Hamilton and In the Heights, and finally their open call to the West End to represent other minority voices, including transgender performers and those people that are disabled. So strap in as it's the remarkable talents together of Christine Allado and Alexia Khadime here now on this, the next episode of Eleven, the official theatre podcast. To ensure the safety of all involved in this episode of Eleven, Christine, Alexia, and I connected for this conversation digitally. So please forgive any brief moments while we wait for the internet to catch up. Enjoy.

[3:11] William J Connolly: Please help me welcome to this, the next episode of Eleven. It's two of the fiercest and instantly recognizable voices currently on a West End stage. It's the rather fabulous Alexia Khadime and Christine Allado. Hi, ladies.

[3:22] Alexia Khadime: Hi.

[3:23] Christine Allado: Hi.

[3:24] William J Connolly: Oh, it's so nice to hear both your voices. I'm so looking forward to this. And I should say that this is actually very exciting for me because not only do I get to talk to literally two of my favourite voices on the West End, but you're also doing this actually backstage from a real life theatre. Like you're actually allowed in theatres again. It's actually happening. Does it just feel amazing?

[3:41] Alexia Khadime: Yes, we're so glad to be back.

[3:43] Christine Allado: We're streaming live from Alexia's dressing room.

[3:47] Alexia Khadime: Um, it's gorgeous. I can tell you it's spick and span, full of, you know, ginger drinks and delicious food. And yeah, we're so glad to be back. It's really exciting and it's nice, kind of, I guess being in a theatre and just the buzz of the theatre and audiences and just hearing that applause every night. So we've missed it.

[4:06] Christine Allado: Lexi's is super clean in a safe space. Is yours really messy, Christine, or is yours the same?

[4:10] Christine Allado: Do you know what? I've gotten better. I think mine needs to be because when we had opening night, you know how there's this tradition where you give people cards and presents?

[4:18] Alexia Khadime: Yeah.

[4:18] Christine Allado: And I think mine basically, my cards and presents exploded in my room, and it was filled with like shoes from opening night, dress options from opening night, but I think I've gotten it under control now. Yeah, it's not that messy. It's not as bad. It used to be really bad.

[4:35] Alexia Khadime: Almost feel like you've literally got like a second bedroom because like you live there, obviously, pretty much. So it's like, oh, do I have to sort of tidy my dressing room as well as my room? That sort of feels like you got the worst of both worlds.

[4:46] Christine Allado: So true, because you can't just hide it from the world, you know? People go in there, and you know, it's not just you, it's not just your little hole, it's kind of, you know, you have your dresser, stage management comes in, dozer comes in, and I'm like, don't look, it's messy.

[5:01] Alexia Khadime: I would absolutely be messy, so I'm totally with you. Sorry, Lexi.

[5:04] Alexia Khadime: I try to keep it tidy, it's very organized. I try to because it just starts to make me itch because then I just think I can't find something, and that makes me more wild.

[5:14] William J Connolly: Cool. Less about dressing rooms, more about how amazing you both are in a show that I have actually had the privilege of seeing. I saw it just before the lockdown, and I'm obsessed. Like, I absolutely adore the film, so I was like already winning before we started. But The Prince of Egypt on stage, I mean, before we talk about specifics, it feels like the craziest but most brilliant idea in the world. And I wondered, was that your initial reaction when you heard it was going to happen?

[5:38] Alexia Khadime: Well, I think the movie, I remember the movie when they first pitched it, an animation for children about this story that's so, you know, obviously it's a biblical story, but it's also very dark. And I think when the movie came out, it was like, what the heck? And it worked. And I think similarly to this, it had to become a stage show, in my opinion, because it's such a story that's, you know, that's like owned by so many different cultures, different faiths, and you know, we try to represent it with respect and with integrity, but it didn't seem like a crazy idea to me. It felt like finally it's the same show, and oh my gosh, we get to be a part of it. That's how I felt.

[6:17] Christine Allado: Yeah, it resonates with so many people. Um, so so many people can relate to so many moments within the show. It's definitely one that what you would call epic. You know, and it's then got the amazing songs in it too, like When You Believe, Deliver Us, Heaven's Eyes, those are the ones that people will know from the animation. But there are there's new material too, which is really stunning. You know, I know you said you saw it before the lockdown. I want to say most people who come back to see it, they say it's a completely new show. And I don't know if that's because of what we've gone through as like a collective, or if people have just brought this sense of, you know, gratefulness and just everyone's just joyful and glad to be back.

But there's just different energy in the air, and um, I feel like the stakes are higher, the story is even more poignant and even more important to tell, especially with what's going on overseas in Afghanistan. It's just there's no better story to tell at this point in time. And you know what? If you saw it before the lockdown, I urge you to come back because I think you'll find that it's got a different feel to it that will kind of hit you in the heart even more than it did.

[7:27] William J Connolly: I think it's what's so interesting about, you know, we mentioned about the film and obviously it being iconic and us being aware and having loved the film, but it feels like you guys really get the opportunity to make these characters your own, but also take ownership of them in a way that feels authentic to you, and being an iconic piece on film and then transferring it to the stage, that feels exciting, but also a bit of a privilege. I guess how did you go about not replicating what we'd seen before, but also making it feel authentic to yourselves?

[7:53] Alexia Khadime: Personally, like I was such a fan of the film. It was one of my favorites growing up, and I always thought it was Disney, but it isn't. And the character of Sephora was just, I don't, I loved her. I actually really, really loved her. And so I was quite terrified to play her because it's kind of, I needed to honor how I felt about her, but also how everyone else felt about her in a sense of who she represents, like in a biblical story, but also in people's childhoods, that kind of thing. And I think with any kind of theater piece, you can only bring your essence to the character, and you know, you have to trust that you were cast because you have a bit of that, whether that's, you know, her fire, her passion, but also her sense of empathy and the growth that she goes through in the story, is kind of I had to kind of go through and find that in myself and not really replicate it, but just kind of find her journey through my eyes kind of thing.

[8:50] Christine Allado: Yeah, I think that's important. Um, the animation is the animation, but what these are real life people. Um, and so that was important to make sure that we're um interpreting that on stage and that we're not trying to be characters that, you know, animated characters. Um, so we all did um our research within the characters to kind of dig a little bit deeper and make them real and be able to bring out all those layers that you kind of um maybe don't always get in like some animation, you do. I mean, it's great you do, but like is to remember that they are real people, so yeah.

[9:30] Alexia Khadime: Oh gosh, I don't know if you can hear it, but we have our Jochebed just vocalizing next door, and it's really she's gonna do Deliver Us, like the big thing. And I'm just trying to like, what am I saying? I'm just trying to stay tuned um to what you're saying.

[9:44] Christine Allado: No, I can hear it, it sounds cool, don't worry.

[9:48] William J Connolly: You know, you're in the theater, you know. Anybody that listens to Eleven will have heard an interview that I did with somebody that you guys know very well, and that is Mr. Stephen Schwartz, who of course wrote the beautiful music for this show. And one of the things that he spoke about very fondly was reimagining this story for the stage in a fresh way and getting the opportunity as a, you know, as a creative to be able to write new material, and for you getting to work with a music icon, I think it's pretty fair to say like him and to get to create original work, things that people haven't sung before. I mean, it's kind of like a bit of a bucket list moment, I could imagine.

[10:20] Alexia Khadime: Yeah, honestly, it was brilliant. Like he's an idol, like he's incredible, and he's paved the way for so many incredible stories to be told. And what was cool is when I'm when what personally, when I was working with him, I just you could tell how passionate he was about his work, and he wasn't just that kind of person who was like, you know, that that's fine. Because he's done so many things. You'd expect that maybe someone is a little less kind of passionate, maybe, but he was so attached to it. He was so specific to what he wanted. He had such a clear vision, and he also shaped things around you. I remember he kind of wrote something for Armosus a little bit like a little kind of pre-chorus to something to suit his voice.

And he just kind of gave myself uh free reign to find things that would work in my voice. So it's incredible because it's a great balance of he's got incredible integrity in his musicality and his storytelling, but he also trusts his actors to do their job as well. He is very giving at the same time as I've written this piece. He's um very open to everyone's interpretation of once the music has been placed in front of them.

[11:30] Christine Allado: Chrissy and I had the big thing of like Whitney and Mariah to constantly think about we're not trying to be Whitney and Mariah. I did try for a while, but you know, you know, like um this is um this is the stage version, and this is the Stephen Schwartz version, and this is Alexia and Chrissy's version.

[11:50] Alexia Khadime: Yeah, so it's our interpretation of how how we hear it and how not just how Alexia hears it or Chrissy hears it, but how Alexia as Miriam hears it, and how Chrissy's Sephora hears it. So the pop song is the pop song, but funnily enough, in our show, I think it comes at a moment where you you don't really expect it to come. It comes out of the blue, but it also comes exactly when you need it to come, and it just hits you like a ton of bricks, yeah, in my opinion. And it's it's not something, oh my god, the pop song, it's it's like, oh, we needed this, we needed hope.

[12:22] Christine Allado: Yes, we needed this injection of faith and a miracle, essentially. And that's stunning on what it comes along. It's the relief um through the journey that he's been through at that point that he needs. And it's it's the message that everyone needs to hear at that point within the piece.

[12:41] William J Connolly: I think you're completely right when you talk about ownership and about the fact that it's not trying to replicate or be, of course, like yes, of course, When You Believe was made famous by Whitney and Mariah, but you are making your own version of it and sort of building on that. And I feel like ownership of the song for you as individuals for Steven's version for the stage is perhaps why it's successful, because it stands alone in this piece. Do you agree?

[13:01] Alexia Khadime: Absolutely.

[13:02] Christine Allado: Yeah, and the storytelling of the song is impeccable. The lyrics are just beautiful, and and then the Hebrew comes in and it's gone. Like your emotions run amok because it's it's so it rings so true.

[13:16] Alexia Khadime: Yeah, and hence why we couldn't do it as a pop song, like as like the big riffy song, because it had to be truthful and had to be honest.

[13:25] Christine Allado: And that's that's one of the things at that point where it needs honesty. Um, kind of like here I am, this is you're bearing yourself at that point, you know.

[13:36] William J Connolly: I think one of the questions that surround theatre generally at the moment is just around safety, you know. Am I gonna feel safe going back to the theater both as an audience member as well as somebody that's on the stage? And I know there've been quite a few unfortunate hurdles with getting you guys back on the stage, but now you're there and you're sort of within the world of performing. I guess from your experiences, do you feel safe? Do you feel comfortable being in this environment?

[13:55] Alexia Khadime: Theatres are safe, and they are so thorough, front of house.

[14:01] Christine Allado: People get a time slot for when they should come, you know, um, to be escorted to their seats, and honestly, everyone's doing their part, you know, like we still ask audience members to wear masks. Not everyone is vaccinated. And as much as we're entering into this new normal, this virus is still here, is unfortunately making people, you know, unwell. But our theatre is doing everything. And we don't unfortunately at the moment have like um backstage guests or anything like that. Um, but it's for the safety of everyone. We know that everybody in this building has tested negative, you know, and we do it every day. And like I said, including our day off, because if somebody does test positive, we're able to then nip it in the bud at the beginning of it, as opposed to two, three days have passed, and then you take a test and you probably had it two days ago.

So we're and the producers have been phenomenal, and everyone is so wanting to be here, and everyone wants to look after each other as well. It's beyond kind of like, oh, I just want to be back at work. It's I want to be back at work and I want to be safe back at work, and we all want to look after each other and also want our audiences to know that they're safe too. So when we're walking down that aisle, know that we are negative.

[15:19] Alexia Khadime: Is it amazing now to see those full audiences and to feel that magic, that thing that is literally, you know, you can't replicate it anywhere but inside of that space that you call home, which is a theatre. The love that the audience has been giving us is insane. Like it's making me like emotional right now because they stand up every day, not just that, you can see in their faces, like that they just witnessed something that they needed to see, whether that's because they're going through a tough time, or they just need to escape something, or they just needed to be reminded that things, good things are possible. Like it's it's moving every day. Like I in the curtain call, I'm always so surprised and moved by how much the audience members want to give back to what they've just seen on the stage. It's honestly incredible.

[16:07] Christine Allado: Yeah. I mean, like even when we were looking out initially, we're like, oh gosh, you're socially distant, what will that be like? Sort of thing. But it was quite surprising that we would look out and it just felt false. Um, and like Chrissy said, the reactions have been absolutely phenomenal. Really, really amazing. I'm one of those people who looks at Twitter and stuff sometimes, and it's been so positive. It's been so kind of grateful, and just like everyone's always just saying, you know, how how lucky they feel to have seen the show and the cast and all that. And it's it's really nice because it's just reinforces that you're doing good work. And you know, obviously, this is a job, but it's also a passion, and it makes you feel like it's all worth it. Like 15 months away was worth it because at least now we get to do what we love and and move people at the same time.

[16:57] Christine Allado: I'm always curious as to the why for things. I always try and ask myself if I'm ever sort of unsure as to what to do, you know, why would I want to do that? You know, both good and bad. And this I always find it's quite a quite a good way to level myself out. And I guess I wonder, Lexi, why you think now is the right time for The Prince of Egypt and this story to be told.

[17:15] Alexia Khadime: Oh goodness, look what we've been through. It's and the thing is nobody's been through this alone. So we all can understand it because we've all been it, the world has been through this together. Usually it's individual things, right? So some people usually can understand something and others can't because they've not really been through that. But we've all been through something that we never foresee at all. And now I think more than ever, it's the relief that we need. It's that we're in this together. It's that, you know, like our bats have been pushed against the wall. But you know what? Hang on in there, that belief that that faith that, you know, like that we can make it and that there is this light at the end of the tunnel.

I think, correct me if I'm wrong, I think we are the most diverse company on the West End. Like, correct me if I'm wrong, but we have all different races, faces, cultures, continents represented on that stage, and it is remarkable. Like what a time to be in this industry. It's I love how theatre is pioneering the fight for diversity and representation because it's powerful and our audiences are diverse. I've never been part of a show where I've looked out at the audience and I see all colours under the sun. It's beautiful. And like for them to be represented on stage is so important and remarkable. And also shout out to our producers because they're making sure that backstage is the same, that diversity is reflected backstage.

And you know, it has to keep going. We have to keep improving, we have to have diverse, you know, um, backstage crew, wigs, makeup, lighting, automation. Representation is really important because it informs you, I think, from a very young age about what a possibility possibly could be. I know for me growing up, I didn't necessarily see it as much. And so it always remained, I think, something that only certain people could do, or only a select could do that. So it was never really a reality. It's important seeing that because it just is for the new generation up and coming, you know, like there's so much talent pouring out of the UK. And sometimes I feel like it goes amiss because they don't see the possibility of themselves, you know, and that yeah, that needs to be reflected.

And I like the direction that is going, and we need to keep on doing the good work throughout the West End. So this isn't just for our company. This is something that I really hope to continue to see throughout the West End.

[19:45] Christine Allado: I remember when I went to drama school just a few years ago, let's not count. But I I don't even look at certain shows and certain material because I was like, I'm never going to play that in my life. I only looked at Miss Saigon, King and I, literally, that I think that's all I looked at. And that's not that long ago. And like, you know, recently I had an audition for My Fair Lady, I was like, I would never have looked at this material in my life. And the fact that that's shifted in a few number of years is astounding for me. And it's so exciting for new generation, as Lexi said, because the possibilities are endless. It doesn't matter what color your skin is, like how you look how tall you are, short you are, whatever, if you can tell the story and tell it well, you should have an opportunity and a chance to be on stage or on screen, whatever you want.

[20:30] Alexia Khadime: Absolutely. It does definitely need to um open up. And I hope that drama schools, not just dance theatre, also start to reflect that within their students, that they're not kind of boxing them into the idea of like Chrissy saying that you only learn this because that's what you're going to be seen for. I didn't go to drama school myself, but I still was informed, even though not being in drama school, that you know, like I sing this kind of material. And even though I have played roles that go against I guess at the time, you know, like what you would see um as a black girl playing, um, like Elphaba, you know, um, when I was asked to audition for those, like Chrissy, I was like, what? Yeah, why? And that shouldn't be a thing for people of colour to be saying why you auditioning me.

[21:21] Christine Allado: You paved the way though, right? You paid the way.

[21:22] Alexia Khadime: Well, you know, there's many, you know, as well, who have been who's been doing the good fight, but that language, I think I pray will no longer be a thing at some point where it's just normal. Yeah, you know.

[21:39] Alexia Khadime: Lexi, do you still feel and have interactions with individuals around the impact of your casting in Wicked? Do you still have those conversations where people talk about their experience because of the visibility that you gave them?

[21:49] Alexia Khadime: Yes, I do. And there's even people who are now in the West End who um reached out to me last year, um, especially after the Black Lives Matter um movement and said, seeing you in Wicked informed me that it was a possibility. You know, my journey through Wicked was a tough one. Like I I've said this before. If someone wants to ask me, would you do it again? I would do it again because it's informing people that you can do it. And it's not necessarily just one race that, you know, can do it, because I mean it's it's a role and she she's green. That's a start. Nobody's nobody's green, that's a start. You know, we it's telling a story ultimately, you know, and that's what we're here to do, tell stories to transport an audience away from their everyday and their normal life and to to live out that whether it's a fantasy or something that was real life and brought to stage to see a to peek a bit into what their life once was, you know, like this is what we're doing.

Only in like obviously things like Hairspray, where you would have that divide where it was that, you know, like that's okay, that's fine. We we get that because it's telling that story, you know. But we need to break this up and continue to break this up. But yes, it has it has been very touching. Um, my tears were worth it. Um, because it just means that other people are being able to live out their dreams. I'm not saying under being a lawyer endorph as to why they're living out their dreams. But if I was just the little bit of their journey to get to where they wanted to get to, then I feel blessed.

[23:28] Christine Allado: Christina, I can imagine you had a similar experience being in shows like In the Heights and Hamilton as well.

[23:33] Christine Allado: Yeah, I mean, I I don't know. Like it's funny when I went to drama school, I because I was surrounded by Caucasian people. I even said to them, I was like, I forgot I look the way I look, because I've just forgot. Like, and then they saw me as as this, put me in a box. Um, but I refused to see that, I think throughout my entire career. Like it was just, I don't care that I'm Asian. I don't care. I'm gonna, I'm gonna bring what I bring to the table, sing the thing, and you're gonna want to cast me. That's how I've always what I've led with. Um and yeah, I've played kind of characters that are um of an other ethnicity. I've never I don't think I've ever played like something that's been traditionally Caucasian.

And I've been part of of kind of shows that have been have broken boundaries, which is incredible. But yeah, I mean I've I've loved doing it. Uh played the Latina, I've played like, I don't know what Mariah Reynolds is supposed to be, but whatever she is. Um, but yeah, I just I think at the same time, yes, diversity is important and representation is important, but also excellence is important. You should still be the best that you can be, um, regardless of your your skin tone or where you come from. You should still aim for excellence.

[24:43] Alexia Khadime: As a queer person, I feel very hopeful about the possibility of the future. I and the fact that we're having these conversations. The fact that others are being brought in feels like so often the battle that we just can't even have the conversation. And I wondered if you shared the same hope that I do.

[24:57] Christine Allado: Yeah, totally. I mean, just as you were kind of just saying there, so I kind of my brain went on a little bit, but I'm so sorry. But even like with transgender actors and actresses, like there's not enough representation, even it's beyond it's beyond race, is it's disability, it's it's so many like there's so much talented people in this country who just maybe have walked away from this industry, which is painful because they didn't see themselves. Yeah, there's so many stories to be told, and there that's what's exciting is I think we're at the beginning of this journey, but it's it takes it's taken so long to even just kind of break down this one wall, and it's not even fully broken down, but then you see kind of there are still so many walls to break down, and we just have to keep fighting that good fight. And like it's it's writing stories as well. Writing it has to start from the the writers and the creatives. They have to create the material that represents the people who don't who aren't seen.

[25:55] Alexia Khadime: Yes, but also that's I think letting through or getting through, I should say, um, also other diverse writers, directors, because that also gains perspective, and and and it's you know, because you come, we all come from different walks of life, and what all of our backgrounds bring something different to a piece or to a character, or to the perception of the way that you would direct something, or the way that you hear something, and so you would write music, or the way that you would write because of your experience. Like it all of those things just completely matter. To be honest, I think that is the next step. I think you know, people you see on stage and backstage are diverse. I think the next step step is for the creatives, the producers, the theater makers.

They need like diversity has to be injected into that kind of echelon. And that's beyond my pay grade. I don't do nothing, none of that. All I do is like sing and wiggle on stage. So, but you know, I could see that that needs to be the next step forward.

[27:02] William J Connolly: Also, I feel like I need to correct you. It's not all you do, it's literally the best thing in the world that both of you.

[27:08] Christine Allado: I'll wiggle, I'll wiggle.

[27:09] William J Connolly: So let's just absolutely stop you there. Now, I get to say a sentence that I've not been able to say in a significant amount of time. I'm going to take great pride in saying this, and that is that we're going to actually have to end the interview because you actually need to go and do an actual show. It's so so exciting. But just thank you so much for giving me your time today. Good luck with the show. I could literally cannot wait to come see it. And just most importantly, keep killing it because I'm obsessed. So thank you.

[27:31] Christine Allado: Well, thank you for sweetheart. This was awesome.

[27:34] Alexia Khadime: Yeah.

[27:36] Christine Allado: Thank you so much. And I'll see you very soon.

[27:38] Alexia Khadime: Bye guys.

[27:38] Christine Allado: Bye bye.

[27:39] Alexia Khadime: Bye.

[27:43] William J Connolly: You've been listening to Eleven, the official theatre podcast. Find out more about Eleven at elevenpodcast.com or via the Broadway Podcast Network.