This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Joe Carroll: So an actor is saying his lines, and then out of nowhere, he just starts singing.

[0:07] Dan Tracy: Fox 670.

[0:15] Joe Carroll: Don't cry for it.

[0:18] Dan Tracy: Okay.

[0:19] Joe Carroll: It's guys who like musicals day.

[0:23] Dan Tracy: Welcome to Guys Who Like Musicals.

[0:28] Joe Carroll: Shave it a haircut.

[0:29] Dan Tracy: Two bits. I was um I'm really excited because in a couple of days I get to get a haircut and grow my beard out, which is the opposite of a shaving haircut.

[0:38] Joe Carroll: Um I guess it's a grow your beard and a haircut.

[0:40] Dan Tracy: Um yes, welcome to the final week of Joe and Frozen on Broadway.

[0:45] Joe Carroll: Yep.

[0:45] Dan Tracy: That's it.

[0:46] Joe Carroll: Joe's reign as Broadway's Joe Carroll is once again.

[0:49] Dan Tracy: It's over to an end.

[0:50] Joe Carroll: Briefly.

[0:53] Dan Tracy: I'm sure you'll be back soon, but well, uh, I have no prospects.

[0:57] Joe Carroll: Actually, in like a great well, as we record this, it's like I had a couple auditions last week, and then like the week before I was kind of busy, but like there is nothing happening as of like, you know, Saturday morning I had an audition, and now it's like I'm just chilling.

[1:13] Dan Tracy: And now we are it's fun. People are coming to the show and they're like, they're like, so what's next? And I'll and I can honestly say the podcast.

[1:21] Joe Carroll: Yeah, you're right, right.

[1:22] Dan Tracy: Yeah, the podcast. It's just the podcast and and uh and maybe some.

[1:26] Joe Carroll: Wait, I want to touch on this for a second because I only have two weeks left here at Gun and Powder as well, and then I also have uh nothing but the podcast lined up uh looking forward.

[1:38] Dan Tracy: And what is that question, man?

[1:41] Joe Carroll: What is that question?

[1:42] Dan Tracy: Why's everybody gotta ask you what's next?

[1:44] Joe Carroll: Here's the thing. I I had a I had um one of my best friends from grade school uh came to see the show this week with his wife, and his wife is uh ER, uh an intensive care nurse, and she just was asking like really um like provocative questions in a great in a great way it was like it was one of these conversations she knows nothing about Broadway or about what we do and and I was so kind of blown away by the questions and here's what I kind of thought about it it came to I it's like the second level of questioning right so we like we talk about that in in improv sometimes like going from A to B to C.

[2:22] Dan Tracy: She was just like taking my experience and instead of asking about like what job are you doing next, she's like, How do you get work? Do you have like an agent or like how do you like what when you're in between things, uh do you like what do you what does that mean? Are you auditioning? Like like she was it was like that that first layer, and then it was just like the second layer of questioning that I just so appreciated. She like actually cared about like our bit like this business, which is kind of insane, but she knew nothing about it, and so it wasn't this like this question that drives us nuts, which is when people are saying, What's your next job? And it's like, hey, I have absolutely no idea what my next job is. And frankly, if I do know what my next job is, telling you about it is probably gonna make me feel weird because it's gonna make me feel like I'm bragging, you know.

[3:10] Joe Carroll: So which is a whole other thing.

[3:12] Dan Tracy: Yeah, that's so interesting. Like because we always feel like we have to be humble and that if we're talking about exciting news that we're bragging, yeah.

[3:19] Joe Carroll: That's a trap as much as so how are like the question is feeling bad to say, like, because I've been I've been for the first time in my career, like owning nothing.

[3:30] Dan Tracy: Yeah.

[3:30] Joe Carroll: Yeah. The answer. The answer being nothing. Owning, saying, like, what I have planned, what what's next for me? I'm going on vacation with my beautiful girlfriend twice.

[3:40] Dan Tracy: Right.

[3:40] Joe Carroll: Right. And we're planning a third one.

[3:42] Dan Tracy: That's badass.

[3:43] Joe Carroll: And I don't care what comes up in the meantime, I'll self-tape for them because I'm going. You know, that's and and I think there's nothing wrong with that.

[3:53] Dan Tracy: Yeah.

[3:53] Joe Carroll: And I think that so many people genuinely want to, like these people who love you, right? The people not like the people who don't suck. Like it's the people who don't suck who want to know how to ask that question. And I think it's just about like whatever you think that first level of a question is, like, what are you doing next? Uh, you know, what's your next job, you know, or whatever. You know, just go to the next level and be like, Do you have any plans when the show's over? What are your plans when the show's over? Or like, how are you feeling about closing? Uh, congratulations on close, you know, or whatever. It's not about like, you know, what's next, because 99% of us have no idea what's next.

And if we do know what's next, we probably don't want to talk about it too much because we might, you know, I just don't like it because I don't like sounding like an arrogant asshole when it's like, hey, so yeah, I'm going to I just booked a series and I'm gonna go, I'm shooting I'm like moving to California to shoot a TV show. It's like that would sound awesome. I'm I'm not doing that, by the way, but I have you know, I don't know.

[4:53] Dan Tracy: So yeah, but I all I uh to play devil's advocate, I also don't think that it makes you a pompous ass to say that you have something lined up either. So it is a slip, it's it's an interesting thing. I think it's like it's a conundrum.

[5:06] Joe Carroll: Right.

[5:06] Dan Tracy: It's okay that you're not working, it's also okay that you are working. It doesn't mean anything about you.

[5:11] Joe Carroll: Right, right.

[5:11] Dan Tracy: I just think that like the question you so interesting to just kind of go to that second level uh was was what she was trying to do. And it made it made me feel really seen and appreciated that you know, yes, yes, our job is ridiculous, but it is a real job, and you know, you know, we took we got to talking about what it's like, you know, what our health insurance is like, and we got to talking about what you know cool like thing things that just are one more level than so what is the next Broadway show right you know um right because that's not how it works like one of Alex's this like this like uh distant friend it was like not even a real friend uh once asked her um so what's the next show you're gonna be in and then she had to explain well no you know I don't have anything next and I'm gonna audition and it was very you know one of those painful conversations and then the woman was like so you don't just choose your next Broadway show like no oh god no I wish I wish that's how it worked I would that I could just be like actually and I choose and you just like flip through a book and you're like I want to be in Hades Town you know like like that's the sign me up sign me up um which I would like to be in Hades Town but um yeah same yeah um but that's yeah so it's all good we're coming to an end on Sunday and um it's it's very bittersweet.

[6:28] Joe Carroll: I feel I feel good about it but it is you know, it's sad. Right now they're doing a bunch of tech stuff at the show at Frozen they're re-teching and we actually get into this um uh this is a decent segue to our interview this week with Noah Ricketts uh who plays Christoph and Frozen right now they're doing um a lot of the changes from the national tour that Frozen made when the national tour went out um back in the fall they're now taking some of those changes and putting them on Broadway.

[6:54] Dan Tracy: So cool the show has gone back into tech this whole week they are changing some things some some musical moments, some some lines, some choreography, some stuff that yeah.

[7:05] Joe Carroll: And so I talked to Noah about that actually. You know, how does how do you do that? Because um, you know, he has been with Frozen since the very beginning and went out to Denver with it.

[7:14] Dan Tracy: And um, and so we get to talking about all of that, and it's very interesting because right now they're all in tech.

[7:20] Joe Carroll: So they're rehearsing from you know, 12. I think they they go into rehearsal at 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning and uh then do the show at night.

[7:28] Dan Tracy: So it's kind of crazy.

[7:30] Joe Carroll: That's a tough life.

[7:30] Dan Tracy: That's a tough schedule.

[7:31] Joe Carroll: Yeah, tough schedule. Especially for someone who has done it forever.

[7:34] Dan Tracy: And he was originally the understudy, right?

[7:36] Joe Carroll: And has was promoted after the first year.

[7:38] Dan Tracy: Yep.

[7:39] Joe Carroll: And we talk about that. He um was the Christoph understudy, and then when Jelani left the show, uh, the original Christoph left um last, you know, last January, February, whenever that was when we went in, um, uh Noah was promoted. And we talk about that, which doesn't happen a lot. We talk about how Yeah, that's such it's such a testament to how strong Noah is and how much they wanted to keep him around for sure.

[8:02] Dan Tracy: Right.

[8:02] Joe Carroll: And people ask this question like, think about okay, so if you're an understudy, right? Um, you're in the ensemble, you're understudying one, two, maybe three roles, or maybe you're a cover off stage and you know multiple roles. From a purely business standpoint, and I would love to hear like a producer, director, or or or casting director's take on this. You know three or four roles, and therefore you are so valuable to that production because you know so much content. So you may be the world's greatest Christoph cover, but sometimes they won't promote you when that role becomes available because you know so much. You know four roles instead of just one.

[8:40] Dan Tracy: So it's and it's much harder to teach one person four roles than teach one person, one role.

[8:46] Joe Carroll: Exactly.

[8:46] Dan Tracy: So we talk about that a little bit, and it is such a testament to how good Noah was in this role because the cards are, you know, kind of, I don't want to say stacked against you as a as an understudy who knows multiple roles to then be promoted. But uh But it's just such a rarity talking about.

[9:03] Joe Carroll: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

[9:04] Dan Tracy: And it happened to me during once I I was passed over for uh one of the sort of promotions, like when a role became available on stage, I was still in understudy, but I knew four or five roles at the time. Like I I totally got it, you know, it it happens. But um Noah was promoted to play Christoph, and uh he's just so good. And you were we were just kind of geeking out about it for a second a second ago. I was like, you know, Dan, you don't know Noah really well, but I was like, what do you know about him? And you're like, I know that I saw him in Frozen and he's amazing. It's like yeah, and we and we used to cater together before he was booked, like maybe his first like right when we got out of school, I would say, or maybe right after that. I I kind of forget the timeline now, but you know, he's a handsome guy, so I'd see him at these events working for staffing companies and stuff like that.

[9:54] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[9:54] Dan Tracy: And uh I j I th I I just have heard, you know, either videos or things like that, and I just like know how he can do pretty much like he's like Gaiusha in that he doesn't do anything bad.

[10:06] Joe Carroll: Right, right.

[10:07] Dan Tracy: He couldn't be bad if he tried, right? You know, right?

[10:10] Joe Carroll: Yeah, yeah.

[10:11] Dan Tracy: And it like it he just is like such a charismatic dude, and we had a great conversation. It was also awesome because I just walked over to his apartment from my apartment. He lives right down the street from me.

[10:20] Joe Carroll: Um we didn't really even have to coordinate.

[10:24] Dan Tracy: It was like, hey, it was like, hey, what are you doing? Like, I'm coming over, and I'm bringing the microphones, and they worked this time uh with uh so everything sounds great. Um but we talked and like I after the end, like he we didn't even get into this whole thing. He worked with Alex, um uh my wife Alex on uh at wagon wheel theater in Indiana right in college. And so the Alex and Noah have known each other since college they did a production of Tarzan that Alex always jokes about uh because they the the the monkeys wore like these these headdresses that looked like shamwows that looked like they and and they kind of have this shared experience that I love like the production was just completely insane and um they uh they share this this incredible summer stock experience um you know and that's one of the coolest things like for people in college and stuff like those those really um I guess intense summer stock experiences uh doing theater for no money in the middle of Indiana will go down uh in your memory as some of the fondest theatrical experiences you'll ever have um and those people will just continue to pop up yes and in your life just on uh I'm totally rambling now but in that production of Tarzan that Noah and Alex did together our friend Brian Martin was in it.

[11:43] Joe Carroll: Brian Martin just found out he's going to be making his Broadway debut in Mrs. Doubtfire that's coming to Bro he's just one of my best friends and so I got a shout out to him because he's he's been he's such a good dude he's been working so hard. We grew up in Grand Rapids together doing theater um in high school we did chorus line together when we were 16.

[12:02] Dan Tracy: He's just like oh chorus did you do chorus I sure did I was a dance she was a dancer.

[12:07] Joe Carroll: I wonder if there are any pictures of that oh yeah there's some pictures we're gonna put that we're gonna put that up I think I'm gonna post I want to post a picture of me and Brian backstage like for his opening night or something because we look ridiculous.

[12:21] Dan Tracy: Yes, I love that.

[12:22] Joe Carroll: Yeah, but anyway, so just a little shout out to Brian Martin. Um, we're really uh excited for him. Um, but yeah, so Noah's uh conversation. We uh, you know, we talk about again everything that we just recapped. Um CCM uh was where he went to college.

[12:37] Dan Tracy: So, you know, getting a Bachelor's of Fine Arts Musical Theater from there.

[12:40] Joe Carroll: Uh we talked about um how he has this crazy story where he went on in previews um in Frozen in Denver.

[12:49] Dan Tracy: So the show had been bare like barely uh, you know, they had barely frozen uh you know that's that's a bad joke.

[12:56] Joe Carroll: Um sometimes when when a show is going through changes and then they stop making changes to the show, they say the show is frozen.

[13:03] Dan Tracy: So the when the show Frozen was frozen, um Noah I hate it, uh went on uh for Christoph uh and did like didn't have a costume, you know, didn't have didn't have a put in, like didn't have a rehearsal at all.

[13:16] Joe Carroll: They were like, you know, scrambling together, you know, trying to get it together, like right. I think it was like the first performance right after they officially opened uh Jelani Adleringitis or something crazy. So he talks all about that. Um and he's just uh you know, we talk about staying positive. He's got these great um things that he does on a daily basis to be grateful, like gratitude lists and and things that are just super inspiring. And um, this is a great uh conversation. And um, I get a chance to tell him how much I love him. Uh and this is kind of the next couple of weeks is just me getting to tell these people at Frozen how much I care about them uh and how much I love them as we uh leave leave Aaron Dell and go on to uh whatever the hell is next.

Hopefully, tons of revenue from uh guys who like musicals, the podcast, which is still sponsored by no one. No one. We're doing our best. Yeah, but we're selling t-shirts, and uh, we're again so grateful for you guys to listen. Thank you for listening. And yeah, for sure. Let's let's jump into this episode.

[14:15] Dan Tracy: Let's do it. Here we go. Here's Noah.

[14:16] ♪ Musical number: "The Opening Song" — performed by Noah Ricketts ♪

[14:20] Noah Ricketts: What is this hollow kind of helplessness? I'm feeling this type of terror is new. The fact that I can hardly breathe is now revealing how much I've changed because of you. You light the world from the shooting song bee ball outside of the school. A couple of guys who have to know. Sorry to make it trouble in my neighborhood. I got one little fight. My mom got scared. She said, You move in with your auntie and Apple Bell. I've been playing a game. I can't, I can't. Well, it's just we're just checking levels. And now this is the world's greatest intro through a podcast. Or maybe I do I now have to get probably have to get like the rights to it. Yeah, maybe you do. I don't know. Who knows? Smith will give them to you.

[15:14] Noah Ricketts: Hey.

[15:15] Joe Carroll: Good morning.

[15:16] Noah Ricketts: Good morning. It's early. You hear my morning voice?

[15:18] Joe Carroll: Yeah, mine too. Um, it's early, and it's but this is maybe already my favorite interview. First of all, we just had a great conversation off Mike about a whole bunch of crap that we can't put on the podcast.

[15:28] Noah Ricketts: So much dish you'll never know.

[15:30] Joe Carroll: So much dish you'll never know. And I also think it's my favorite because I had to walk like four blocks to get here.

[15:35] Noah Ricketts: Oh, yeah.

[15:36] Joe Carroll: Like we're you're in my neighborhood.

[15:37] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, knaves.

[15:38] Joe Carroll: Or neighbors. Um, and I I love your apartment, and I've never been here, but thank you. This is fantastic.

[15:43] Noah Ricketts: Thank you so much.

[15:44] Joe Carroll: And I didn't have to like, I didn't have to go anywhere.

[15:46] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[15:46] Joe Carroll: Just rolled out of bed.

[15:48] Noah Ricketts: Come over anytime. Roll right in, honey. I'm here.

[15:50] Joe Carroll: Literally Rapunzel. I never leave.

[15:53] Noah Ricketts: Come up to your tower and you're you're walk up and just hang out.

[15:56] Joe Carroll: And I hide from the world.

[15:57] Noah Ricketts: That's it.

[15:58] Joe Carroll: Yeah, yeah. That makes sense. I feel bad. You're sitting on the floor.

[16:00] Noah Ricketts: No, I like it. It's good.

[16:01] Joe Carroll: Yeah?

[16:01] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, it's good. Trust me.

[16:03] Joe Carroll: Okay.

[16:04] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[16:04] Joe Carroll: All right. Well, thank you for letting me talk to you for a little bit on our morning. Now, what's happening at the show? Can you explain to me and explain to the good people at home? Cause because we'll we're gonna get uh we're gonna jump all around because I I have questions for you, but also like frozen is changing.

[16:20] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[16:20] Joe Carroll: And you're going back into like changing some stuff, right?

[16:24] Noah Ricketts: As I'm about to get on my like Kegasis and fly off into the sunset. I just was thinking about uh the image I had in my head was the the um uh the never ending story. Do you remember that movie?

[16:36] Joe Carroll: No, what is that?

[16:38] Noah Ricketts: It's this movie from the 90s where this like dog, this like flying dog flies off the room.

[16:43] Joe Carroll: Oh, I do know you know what I'm talking about.

[16:45] Noah Ricketts: Yes, I do. All right, I don't know why that image spotted. So like that's what that's what I'm doing. I'm flying off into the the sunset.

[16:49] Joe Carroll: I know we're sad about it. It sucks. Well, what's going on?

[16:54] Noah Ricketts: So what you guys have rehearsal in like two minutes.

[16:56] Joe Carroll: Yeah, I've got rehearsal in two minutes.

[16:58] Noah Ricketts: So we're going through what's good what they are calling a frozen reboot.

[17:01] Joe Carroll: The reboot.

[17:02] Noah Ricketts: Reboots. Um, and so basically we're going into tech for not the first, not the second, but the third time.

[17:08] Joe Carroll: Hashtag third time.

[17:09] Noah Ricketts: Yeah. And so we are redoing the show, and I think it's something that they've like wanted to do for a while. And so the tour got set, and so you know, it's out and about and doing very well. And so now was their chance to like put that stuff on our company.

[17:22] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[17:23] Noah Ricketts: And so we're going through this big change of like cutting a song, adding a song, changing scenes, adding effects, like adding like like layering more stuff on what is already a pretty epic musical.

[17:35] Joe Carroll: Totally.

[17:36] Noah Ricketts: And so that's what we're doing. We're like retecking this thing and representing it to the world like frozen part du.

[17:41] Joe Carroll: It's crazy.

[17:42] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[17:42] Joe Carroll: But not frozen too. Just like frozen one dot two.

[17:46] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, one-two.

[17:49] Joe Carroll: But I I do think there are some, you know, you never heard it from me, but like little frozen two references.

[17:55] Noah Ricketts: Oh.

[17:56] Joe Carroll: Because you know Disney likes to do that.

[17:57] Noah Ricketts: They love to do that. Well, Patty just told me the like this was a couple of weeks ago about the the hidden Mickeys and stuff.

[18:02] Joe Carroll: Oh, you didn't know that?

[18:03] Noah Ricketts: No, I didn't know any of that.

[18:04] Joe Carroll: Oh yeah.

[18:05] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[18:05] Joe Carroll: The queue. What are the other ones?

[18:07] Noah Ricketts: Because if people who don't know, at like the parks and in the movies and stuff, they have these hidden, like the hidden Mickey ears.

[18:13] Joe Carroll: And so everywhere. They're all over the place.

[18:15] Noah Ricketts: Um and in our show, I know that they're in the candle abras, the torch ears that come on during the ball.

[18:20] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[18:20] Noah Ricketts: Um, there's like little um there's like little mouse ears cut out of the the thing.

[18:25] Joe Carroll: Yeah, yeah.

[18:26] Noah Ricketts: And then you know about the proscenium, right?

[18:28] Joe Carroll: Uh-uh.

[18:28] Noah Ricketts: Oh, okay. So the whole proscenium is I've been there for a year.

[18:32] Joe Carroll: I know, right?

[18:33] Noah Ricketts: It's like stuff you'd really never know or ever be able to see.

[18:36] Joe Carroll: Right.

[18:37] Noah Ricketts: But like the whole proscenium is like these cave-ish drawings of like every Disney story.

[18:43] Joe Carroll: Like Cinderella, like they, and they do like the modern ones.

[18:46] Noah Ricketts: They've got like like Moana in there, they've got like all of them, and they're etched all around.

[18:52] Joe Carroll: Oh my god.

[18:52] Noah Ricketts: Christopher Oram does this like beautiful like cave-like design thing.

[18:56] Joe Carroll: It's I'm not explaining it well, but it looks really really cool.

[18:58] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, no, I know what you're talking about, but like I didn't never notice that.

[19:02] Joe Carroll: Yeah, those are our and then you know about the Hugo house.

[19:04] Noah Ricketts: No.

[19:05] Joe Carroll: Oh, you don't know that?

[19:06] Noah Ricketts: No, I I don't know.

[19:06] Joe Carroll: This wow, man.

[19:07] Noah Ricketts: I showed up, I I just like you know, slipped into this this this you know current of uh you know we should have a f like a fun fact.

[19:15] Joe Carroll: There should be a book about this because it's really actually cool.

[19:18] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[19:18] Joe Carroll: And so in the Hugo House, so every day I actually try to find something new because like I'm upstage and I don't have anything to do.

[19:23] Noah Ricketts: I'm waiting for my line.

[19:24] Joe Carroll: Right.

[19:25] Noah Ricketts: So waiting for my cue. And so when Oaken's shop opens up, there's all these little trinkets in there for sale, basically.

[19:32] Joe Carroll: And so there's like there's little Lilo and Stitch, there's an a like a genie lamp.

[19:37] Noah Ricketts: There's a Star Wars thing in there.

[19:40] Joe Carroll: There's there's every show, like every Lion King mask, like there's little tiny like figuring trinkets.

[19:46] Noah Ricketts: And I swear to God, I like can find something new every day. Cause there's so many little tiny like Disney references that are just stashed in there.

[19:53] Joe Carroll: That is so cool.

[19:54] Noah Ricketts: I know it's really smart. And it's like, how did you guys even think of that or have time?

[19:58] Joe Carroll: It's so crazy.

[19:58] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, and so detailed.

[20:00] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[20:00] Noah Ricketts: So much detail. Well, that's that's really cool. And I guess the one thing that I I and I've been talking to a lot of people in the building about this, because it feels like when they reboot, when they when they take the changes from the tour, um, you know, they take the tour out, and you guys have you guys have been building this thing for I mean, you've been in the process for what now, four years, three years.

[20:19] Joe Carroll: 104 years.

[20:20] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, no, three years.

[20:21] Joe Carroll: No, right three years, yeah.

[20:23] Noah Ricketts: Since Denver and everything, yeah.

[20:25] Joe Carroll: So, like, it doesn't this is the cynical actor in me that says it feels like it's undermining the work that you've done up to this point, but I know that that's not true.

[20:34] Noah Ricketts: It's like you guys just get a fresh chance to kind of look at some stuff, yeah.

[20:38] Joe Carroll: You're taking like like six or seven minutes off the show, some things are being cut.

[20:41] Noah Ricketts: I mean, they're trying to make it better, yeah.

[20:43] Joe Carroll: Um, it just that was the one thing that I always you know, when when people come in and talk to the the troops who have been doing the show eight times a week for years and years, it's like we're gonna change something, and it's like, well, but what's what's wrong with what we've been doing?

[20:57] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, and then it's hard for I think for the creatives to convey that no, nothing is wrong with what you were doing, yeah.

[21:02] Joe Carroll: That doesn't diminish what you were doing.

[21:03] Noah Ricketts: We're just trying to like, hey, let's let's make it even better if we can.

[21:08] Joe Carroll: Yeah, it's definitely a challenging thing.

[21:09] Noah Ricketts: Like that was definitely in my head yesterday. I was like learning new blocking to something I've done for like a hundred years.

[21:14] Joe Carroll: And it's like, wait, why?

[21:16] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[21:17] Joe Carroll: And like it's so crazy because they're in that process. Like there's so much going on.

[21:21] Noah Ricketts: There's a hundred people out in the seats alone, like just like teching and lighting that there's no time for those questions to be answered.

[21:27] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[21:27] Noah Ricketts: So it's a weird, it is a weird process, but like you have to kind of like check your ego at the door and like do it and honestly like figure it out yourself.

[21:35] Joe Carroll: Totally.

[21:35] Noah Ricketts: And like it's a trust thing, you know, like you know when you work on a TV show or something like you you don't know what you see.

[21:41] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[21:41] Noah Ricketts: You're in the middle, you're just you're doing your thing and then you just have to trust these people that are sitting out in the house and telling you hey listen this is really working.

[21:47] Joe Carroll: This is a new thing.

[21:48] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[21:49] Joe Carroll: It's gonna feel a little strange but like hey just give it a shot.

[21:52] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[21:53] Joe Carroll: You know so and and I remember seeing the run through we got to see did you go to the run through for the tour in the studio?

[21:57] Noah Ricketts: Yes I did.

[21:58] Joe Carroll: So when the tour the tour went out before they they went on the road uh we all got to go uh to a studio at New 40 new 42nd Street studios and watch a run through of it and those changes like it was so kind of remarkable to be like wait a minute oh you guys did reinvent some stuff yeah in a in a way that totally works yeah it's like you know it's it's very interesting something that you think can only work one way actually yeah you know it is really cool.

[22:22] Noah Ricketts: I'll tell you like the trippiest thing for me so far is been hearing like these music changes.

[22:26] Joe Carroll: Yeah I didn't realize like how reliant I am upon like the music of the story because like as soon as those little like cuts and stuff happen I'm like wait what I like I like freak out because it just sounds different.

[22:36] Noah Ricketts: You know what I mean?

[22:37] Joe Carroll: Yeah yeah yeah I've got this soundtrack of what I think is the show in my head.

[22:40] Noah Ricketts: Right right and then there's like all of a sudden new keys and new cuts and I'm like oh no I don't know anything.

[22:45] Joe Carroll: No.

[22:45] Noah Ricketts: And it's like it's like sand in the microchip a little bit.

[22:47] Joe Carroll: Like you're like clipping along and then something happens and it's like, wait, yeah, and I like seize up.

[22:53] Noah Ricketts: I'm like, I don't know.

[22:54] Joe Carroll: So it's it's definitely been a weird and interesting process.

[22:57] Noah Ricketts: Like I'm I think it'll feel good in like a month or so.

[23:01] Joe Carroll: Sure.

[23:01] Noah Ricketts: But like right now, I'm like, this is so strange.

[23:04] Joe Carroll: I know, I know.

[23:04] Noah Ricketts: But it is cool in a way, like, you know, I've never been in a show long enough to feel sort of I don't know if this if I would feel this way, but like a little abandoned, you know, like because I wonder you've been in this now, and and there for uh you know, it's been on Broadway for two years, and still the creative team is saying we we're invested in your show, we're invested in you, we want to make it the best that we can.

[23:30] Joe Carroll: And I imagine if you've been in something for two, three, five years and like you never see the creative team, you know, that would be even harder in a way, you know?

[23:39] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, it is. It's definitely interesting to like see faces we haven't seen in a long time.

[23:43] Joe Carroll: Yeah, and they're like, We're we want to make it even better. Like, yes, it's working, yes, it's been running, but like we're not just gonna sit back on our laurels, you know.

[23:51] Noah Ricketts: Right, right.

[23:51] Joe Carroll: And I think that's the good thing about Disney.

[23:53] Noah Ricketts: It's like that's an expensive thing to do to like reboot a show, like totally to go back into tech with everyone.

[23:59] Joe Carroll: That's pretty crazy.

[24:00] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, that was I thought that for immediately. It was like the dollars, like dollars and just like you know, putting all these people on overtime and rebuilding things, yeah.

[24:09] Joe Carroll: It's just like everything.

[24:10] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[24:11] Joe Carroll: So it is good that they like, you know, have faith in the show and the history of the show and everything and really want to like put the best foot forward.

[24:16] Noah Ricketts: So that's good.

[24:17] Joe Carroll: Yeah, that's very cool. So so this, and we've talked about this a little bit. Um you so you're going into now year three, yeah on Broadway.

[24:25] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[24:27] Joe Carroll: Uh so we'll move, I kind of we'll move kind of backwards but very presently, you're you did beautiful on the for three years, four.

[24:27] Noah Ricketts: Three years.

[24:37] Joe Carroll: Three years, yeah.

[24:38] Noah Ricketts: So so what is the key to year three for Noah? Like, what do you have to do? Because like this is a long whatever way you cut this, you've been with this thing a long time, and it's incredible. Like, I just want to I want to pick your brain truly about how you stay happy, healthy, focused, and sane.

[24:55] Noah Ricketts: Oh my gosh. You know, it's it's a wild journey. So, like, it's so weird because like I feel like on paper my resume looks like very short, but in the span of life, yeah, I've worked like for six years, eight shows a week nonstop. So it's really weird, you know. But like when I was doing beautiful, I did a year and a half on Broadway first, fresh out of school.

[25:16] Joe Carroll: So I like literally graduated and like within four weeks I was on a Broadway stage.

[25:20] Noah Ricketts: And it was hooray.

[25:22] Joe Carroll: That's crazy.

[25:23] Noah Ricketts: I literally did not know the subways, so I had I was like struggling to get to rehearsal.

[25:28] Joe Carroll: Oh my god.

[25:28] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, so that was pretty epic. So like I don't know what the key to longevity is besides like trying to be like grateful. And I will say that like it is so not an easy task, like sometimes.

[25:39] Joe Carroll: Yeah, um, like you know, you get down, you get tired of hearing the same thing, you get tired of doing the same thing.

[25:45] Noah Ricketts: And like I definitely learned like about gratitude lists and like checking my ego at the door.

[25:51] Joe Carroll: Gratitude list.

[25:52] Noah Ricketts: So you like write stuff down.

[25:53] Joe Carroll: Yeah, I do.

[25:54] Noah Ricketts: I do like I've been trying to do it every day.

[25:56] Joe Carroll: That's a great at least 10 things a day.

[25:59] Noah Ricketts: And it really does help. It really really does help.

[26:01] Joe Carroll: That's a great thing. Where'd you come? Where'd that come from?

[26:04] Noah Ricketts: No, like I'm I'm like, I love like self help things.

[26:09] Joe Carroll: Like you look over there, there's like a million self help books.

[26:11] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, and like I don't know. I think it's just something I picked up along the way, but it definitely helps. And I think that's the thing for longevity is like reminding yourself of why you're grateful to be there in the first place.

[26:23] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[26:23] Noah Ricketts: And I think also it's a whole thing of being real and knowing when it's time to absolutely go.

[26:28] Joe Carroll: Totally.

[26:29] Noah Ricketts: You know what I mean? So yeah, I would say just gratitude. And with Beautiful, I definitely hit a point where I was like, I'm out.

[26:38] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[26:39] Noah Ricketts: Like, yeah.

[26:39] Joe Carroll: Well, that's good.

[26:40] Noah Ricketts: Well, and that's good. So, what is that? I mean when uh oh there's we're gonna cut to commercial.

[26:49] Joe Carroll: Okay, yeah, because so some guys just came in to picture your apartment.

[26:53] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, I don't know what the hell that was.

[26:55] Joe Carroll: Yeah, well, we'll just like we'll come back from that with like um some song from Beautiful. I'll just like put some music from Beautiful in the middle of it.

[27:02] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, perfect, and then we'll just come back and just figure out what that happens. I don't know, but thank you for sitting here.

[27:07] Joe Carroll: That no, it's easy. Um and but we were talking about the gratitude list. And like how you st how you stay grateful because that's yeah, that's like this change in your mindset thing that like I'm really and and Bobby Creighton is obsessed with this at our show.

[27:19] Noah Ricketts: Oh, he is?

[27:20] Joe Carroll: Yeah, well, just about like you can choose how you feel about something, yeah.

[27:24] Noah Ricketts: Um you know, and I'm a big fan of I think it's the East Coast that has like made me more cynical and dark, but when I'm like everything is terrible all the time, actually makes me feel better, yeah, as opposed to being like I'm happy, I'm really happy. Well, no, actually I'm not, and I don't want to pretend like I'm not, but there is something that to be said, especially for gratitude, because you can you can see things, you know, if you choose to write stuff down, you see things you wouldn't have seen.

[27:48] Joe Carroll: Yeah, totally.

[27:49] Noah Ricketts: And you know, like I will say that's one of the things I love about Bobby, like as crazy as he is, he's fucking nuts. Yeah, like I do really admire his positive spirit and his energy, and I it is something that you have to work on. Like, yeah, I think you people forget that. Like it takes work, and so I think like that's how I survived, not survived, but that's how I thrived three years doing the same thing, was like trying to remain grateful as possible.

[28:13] Joe Carroll: Yeah, and it's definitely not easy. And like I just knew when it was time to go. So like one day I woke up and I was like, I'm never gonna sing this song again.

[28:21] Noah Ricketts: Uh yeah.

[28:22] Joe Carroll: And that day hit, and I always said to myself, if I feel that way, I'm just gonna leave. And so it was scary because I was working consistently fresh out of school and did Broadway, and then I opened this huge national tour and did this whole tour and was making a ton of money on tour. And like I think like that's an interesting thing about school. Like they teach you how to get a job, or like hopefully get a job, but they don't tell you like when it's time to go.

[28:45] Noah Ricketts: Oh, interesting.

[28:46] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[28:46] Noah Ricketts: Totally, because I always say that they don't teach you, like, we all get into this because we like doing the high school musical, and that's like three shows.

[28:52] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[28:52] Noah Ricketts: Then you do your college show, which maybe is like six shows.

[28:55] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[28:55] Noah Ricketts: Then you do uh Wagon Wheel Theater Company.

[28:58] Joe Carroll: I worked at Wagon Wheel.

[28:59] Noah Ricketts: And we're gonna talk about that. And you do like maybe like 20 or 40 shows.

[29:02] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[29:03] Noah Ricketts: Then you graduate from college and they're like, okay, so you're gonna do 400 performances of Cinderella on Broadway. You're gonna do 900 performances of Beautiful. I mean, do you know how many performances you did?

[29:13] Joe Carroll: Oh my god.

[29:14] Noah Ricketts: I th at at least at least 900.

[29:16] Joe Carroll: Yeah for sure.

[29:17] Noah Ricketts: For sure.

[29:18] Joe Carroll: That's crazy.

[29:18] Noah Ricketts: Which is so crazy to say out loud. And then they don't, but they don't teach you when it's time to go because like yeah, we didn't get into this to stay in a show for 20 years. I mean, there are people that do that and put kids through college and you know buy houses, and that's fantastic. But it's like, you know, I think we got into it because we like doing the spring show and then the fall show, and then the you know, doing doing the you know things differently.

[29:40] Joe Carroll: Um so you you woke up one day and you're like, it's time.

[29:43] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, I woke up and I was like, it's time. And so I like had to figure out like I had to get in the mindset for that. And like one day I walked in and I turned in my notice, and they were all kind of like kind of gagged to be honest.

[29:54] Joe Carroll: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[29:54] Noah Ricketts: And they're like, Well, what's happening? And I'm like, I'm just leaving. It's time, yeah. People looked at me like I was crazy, and you know, I got all the side eye in the world.

[30:02] Joe Carroll: Totally.

[30:03] Noah Ricketts: Because like they're like, This is a production contract tour, like, what the hell are you doing? And I'm like, I'm sorry, but like this ain't for me. Like, I have to go.

[30:09] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[30:09] Noah Ricketts: And then because otherwise you're gonna go you're gonna go nuts, you're gonna be a miserable person. And it's the one thing, like, well, we've all seen the people who stay at the shows too long.

[30:17] Joe Carroll: Yeah, like you're like, yo, you're you're whore uh nobody wants to be around you now.

[30:22] Noah Ricketts: I mean, and and you gotta go, and it's okay, like you'll get another job.

[30:25] Joe Carroll: Yeah, like it's that trust, it's it's it's just fear-based, you know, when you don't leave sometimes, I think. Because if you're still happy, like stay, right? Like stay and be happy.

[30:33] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, but if you're not happy, like no one's forcing you to be there.

[30:37] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[30:37] Noah Ricketts: And so the real kicker was that I they were like, Well, what are you gonna do next? And I was like, I'm going to Russia.

[30:44] Joe Carroll: Oh, right, you did that thing, the teaching gig.

[30:47] Noah Ricketts: Yeah. So like I immediately I worked for this organization called Broadway Dreams, and I was like, Hey guys, I'm leaving the show, I'm finally free. Like, what's going on? Like, I want to come hang and teach. And they're like, We're going to Russia. Do you want to come? And I was like, Yeah, I wanna come. You gotta tell this story. Can you talk about like tell as much of that as you can with like oh my god, like being followed and oh my god, yeah.

[31:09] Noah Ricketts: So, like, wow. So the long and short of it is I left the show, I was headed to Russia, and like I had to fly by myself because I wasn't coming from New York with the group, I was coming from like home because I had tour stuff and whatever. So I went from like home home, which is Louisville, Kentucky, to DC to Germany to Russia. I think that's the way I went. So I had to travel alone. And so like it was just like an interesting journey. It was totally fine. Like Germany was great, and then I got into Russia and I was totally through everything, and I was leaving for like had my bags in my hand. Like the driver's gonna meet you on the other side of the thing, like once you have your bags. I'm like, great. I'm walking through, and I see this woman point at me, and I'm like, oh fuck. She just points. Like a like a security person.

[31:54] Joe Carroll: Like a secret.

[31:55] Noah Ricketts: It's like a border patrol. Yeah. And it's a woman, and she is stern and she points at me, and she's like, come here. And I walk over there, and they had told me, like, when you're over there, just say as little as possible, do not fight back. Like, you will not get into the country. You will be, we can't help you if you get stuck.

[32:12] Joe Carroll: Oh my gosh.

[32:13] Noah Ricketts: I was like, oh fuck. So this woman points at me, she pulls me into this room, and she's like grilling me. Like, what are you doing here? And I'm giving her like one word answers, like acting. And she's like, What? I'm like, um, teaching. Like, I'm just like, I don't even know what to say.

[32:28] Joe Carroll: Oh my god.

[32:28] Noah Ricketts: And she's like, Well, where are you saying? And I'm like, uh, this hotel. And like, she's grilling me. And so then she makes me put my suitcases. I'm in a room by myself. She makes me put my suitcases on this metal table, and she opens it and she starts undoing everything. And keep in mind, I'm over there for like two and a half weeks. So like I have a lot of stuff. A lot of stuff. She is pulling out every shirt that I folded, shaking it, every book, opening it, shaking out the bookmarks, Googling every pill bottle I have, like yeah, laying out the pills, making sure that it she brought in a guy, he helped her, and I just had to stand there and like watch my stuff get destroyed for 45 minutes.

[33:10] Joe Carroll: Oh my god.

[33:10] Noah Ricketts: And they like couldn't find anything, I guess, to like keep me on. And so she was like, you can go. And she just walked out, and all my shit was everywhere.

[33:19] Joe Carroll: Oh my god.

[33:20] Noah Ricketts: Oh, it's craziest. So that was my introduction. Welcome to Russia.

[33:23] Joe Carroll: Welcome to Russia.

[33:23] Noah Ricketts: Oh my gosh. And then I try to get on the subway, and I was randomly tapped to get to security search every time into the subway and out of the subway.

[33:33] Joe Carroll: Oh my God.

[33:34] Noah Ricketts: And I learned like they really don't have like black people over there. And so they definitely don't have mixed people over there.

[33:41] Joe Carroll: Right.

[33:41] Noah Ricketts: And so the closest thing that I looked was Muslim.

[33:45] Joe Carroll: Yeah, Middle Eastern.

[33:49] Noah Ricketts: They had a field day with me.

[33:50] Joe Carroll: Oh my God.

[33:51] Noah Ricketts: But all that to say, it was an amazing time. And once you got to teach and got to the art of it, I'm sure the people were amazing.

[33:58] Noah Ricketts: Amazing. And the talent was unreal. Like the talent I've never been in a dance call of 300 people where every person can dance like they get all it's like in their culture. It's amazing.

[34:09] Joe Carroll: Right.

[34:10] Noah Ricketts: Like I mean, the ballet culture, and you know, they do respect the I mean they have such a lineage of the arts and stuff, you know. It's beautiful, like to see. And like I learned so much from the artists over there, and we had these huge discussions and huge talks, and everyone cried about like how alike we are, even though our countries are kind of a hot mess right now, and all that stuff. And it was a really beautiful experience. And I and I've been waiting to go back, and I have a huge Russian fan base now. It's just hilarious.

[34:35] Joe Carroll: Well, yeah, I mean you got 300 people in a dance call and like you know, all of these people, and it just spread, I'm sure, like, you know, degrees of separation.

[34:44] Noah Ricketts: It's so funny at the stage door, like I'll have random Russians and stuff.

[34:47] Joe Carroll: Really?

[34:47] Noah Ricketts: Oh yeah. Like people you taught, or just people from fans of the theater that I came over there. Because I sang over there and I sang at the Russian embassy and I did all types of things.

[34:56] Joe Carroll: Wow.

[34:56] Noah Ricketts: And so it's just super funny. But I had a great, great time when I was there. It's a beautiful country, but you know it's got its shit just like ours.

[35:03] Joe Carroll: No, totally. That is so cool. And it was so what year was that then?

[35:07] Noah Ricketts: Oh, that was uh 2017.

[35:09] Joe Carroll: Okay, I think.

[35:10] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[35:10] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[35:11] Noah Ricketts: So right in the thick of just, you know, we don't like them and they don't like us.

[35:15] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[35:15] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[35:16] Joe Carroll: That's fascinating.

[35:17] Noah Ricketts: It was crazy.

[35:17] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[35:17] Noah Ricketts: Right. Then I came back to New York, and two weeks went by, and my agent was like, hey, so Frozen.

[35:24] Joe Carroll: And I was like, yeah.

[35:25] Noah Ricketts: And they're like, they're still looking for like a track. Do you want to go in? I was like, yeah. And so I did, and then I got the show.

[35:29] Joe Carroll: And then it was.

[35:30] Noah Ricketts: And that was for Denver.

[35:31] Joe Carroll: It was for Denver, yeah.

[35:32] Noah Ricketts: Yeah. And a funny, a funny story before that, Frozen. I actually auditioned for Frozen the first time around.

[35:39] Joe Carroll: Okay.

[35:39] Noah Ricketts: For like the lab, the Timbers production.

[35:41] Joe Carroll: The Timbers production.

[35:42] Noah Ricketts: Yeah. And I flew in from Tour. I was in Detroit at the time. I flew in from Tour to audition, and it went super well and blah, blah, blah. And then next week I had a vacation. And I hadn't had a vacation since I couldn't even tell you when. And so I had planned to go on a cruise with Max Clayton.

[36:01] Joe Carroll: Yeah, of course.

[36:02] Noah Ricketts: I was going to ask what you guys did in Amsterdam together, but we could still separate it. I think that's a whole different podcast.

[36:09] Noah Ricketts: And so I auditioned for this Frozen and went well. And then of course I get back to tour and they're like, hey, they want to see you. They want to see you again to read and dance and da-da-da-da-da next week. And I'm like, I'm supposed to be on a cruise next week in the middle of the motherfucking ocean. I can't, I can't relate to anything more. Every time I've ever planned a trip, I get an audition or a job or something, and it just drives my family and my wife crazy.

[36:33] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[36:34] Noah Ricketts: Especially because that doesn't happen to Alex. Alex will like, she'll be like, okay, I'm going to, you know, like I'm going to Italy.

[36:39] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[36:40] Noah Ricketts: You know, and she's great. And you know, it doesn't happen. And then I'm like, I'm going to Italy. And then I get some something comes up like that. But I you want if you want a job, leave town.

[36:49] Joe Carroll: You literally leave town.

[36:50] Noah Ricketts: Yeah. And so I was like, oh fuck, of course. And it's like the final round and the you know, the whole thing. And I'm like, what do I do? And blah, blah. And I went back and forth and I was like, well, there's absolutely no way I can fly from a boat to New York City unless I rent a literal helicopter, which I'm not doing. So I was like, uh I don't know what to do, agent. And he's like, you know, what will be will be. And so I passed on Frozen One.

[37:15] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[37:15] Noah Ricketts: And I'm glad I did because everyone got the chop.

[37:19] Joe Carroll: Right, right.

[37:20] Noah Ricketts: They went through that process with the lab with Timbers and uh and then every there were only a couple people that remained after that process.

[37:28] Joe Carroll: Very few people stayed.

[37:29] Noah Ricketts: Yeah so had I like made all like jump through hoops and rented that helicopter I might have not been in the show for the first place. And again like what truly what will be will be and you gotta make those those calls where it's like do I move heaven and earth right to make this happen.

[37:43] Joe Carroll: Right.

[37:43] Noah Ricketts: Or do I prioritize my mental health and do I prioritize this personal thing. You know that's yeah because now you're here. I mean then you might not have been here.

[37:52] Joe Carroll: Totally you know totally so that's that's the story I don't very cool.

[37:58] Noah Ricketts: No that and that's what I wanted to I didn't know the story. And I I guess the other thing that I I'm really excited about that I was really excited about when we came in together was just this idea of um frankly understudies don't get promoted very often you know and so when you did get promoted from the KRISTOFF understudy to the to actually playing KRISTOFF it it's one of those moments where I feel like there's hope you know for anybody you know who is understudying or you know things like you know, because of course, like you want to play roles and you want to do the things, but I was so excited when you got that promotion. And I I just wonder how that how it felt for you, what the process was like to actually go on for that role a bunch, which you did in previews once, right?

[38:47] Noah Ricketts: Right.

[38:47] Joe Carroll: You like when he got sick in previews, and so you've been doing it consistently for a year.

[38:52] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[38:52] Joe Carroll: And then to be like, hey, let's let's go, trust me. Like I can I can do this.

[38:56] Noah Ricketts: That was crazy. So like for everyone that doesn't know what the story was like we were out in Denver, and like setting up a Broadway show is just insane. So like I had my regular duties of like my own ensemble track, which was very, very, very, very dance-heavy and crazy. And so like we were constantly changing choreography and songs and all that thing.

[39:15] Noah Ricketts: So like it was just hard to keep up with our own stuff, let alone like the understudy stuff.

[39:19] Joe Carroll: Right.

[39:19] Noah Ricketts: And so, you know, opening night comes, I've got like so many friends and family there, and I'm at the mall putting on shoes, trying to get the perfect white shoes for my suit.

[39:29] Joe Carroll: Yep.

[39:30] Noah Ricketts: And I get a call from Lisa Dawn, our stage manager at the time, and she's like, "Honey, you need to get to the theater now." And I was like, "What do you mean?"

[39:36] Joe Carroll: Oh my god.

[39:38] Noah Ricketts: She's like, "You might be going on tonight." And this is like opening night of out of town Denver, like the big night. And I'm like, "You can't be serious." She's like, "Yeah." So I like with my friend, I throw the shoes, get in an Uber, I send him to my apartment with my keys to get my script. I run in and I go to the costume shop first, and they my costume is all like leather, you know, that's like just leather and sweaters. It's like the hottest thing you can ever wear.

[40:02] Joe Carroll: Which yeah, I could that's another podcast about the the green coat that I wear is the warmest winter coat I've ever worn, and it's like 80 degrees in the theater at all times.

[40:12] Noah Ricketts: So, you know, yeah, you sweat it all out. Yeah, so yeah, your costume is leather and sweaters, leather and sweaters with armor underneath, like skin tight. It's like the worst.

[40:21] Joe Carroll: So I'm in this costume shop. They are draping slabs of leather over my shoulder. Like they have nothing put together. I mean, literally nothing.

[40:30] Noah Ricketts: Right. And so they're talking to me, they like everyone's freaking out. And like at this point, we've had one hour of understudy rehearsal.

[40:38] Joe Carroll: Whoa.

[40:39] Noah Ricketts: One hour where we like half sang through the music, which had changed at that point.

[40:44] Joe Carroll: Totally.

[40:44] Noah Ricketts: It's all changing.

[40:45] Joe Carroll: All changed.

[40:46] Noah Ricketts: And like didn't even know it do any of the blocking. And so I was like, okay, this is crazy. So I leave them. I'm like, you guys, I have to go. Like, if I'm on, I have to rehearse this thing. And I meet like all the associates up in this rehearsal room, and we start like plowing at it from top to bottom.

[41:01] Joe Carroll: So we start like right away, and I'm like, all right, tell me, tell me, tell me. And we just bang, bang, bang, scene, scene, scene, scene. All this blocking. And so we get through like an hour of work, and we have to stop because it's half hour at this point.

[41:14] Joe Carroll: Oh my gosh.

[41:15] Noah Ricketts: And the show's about to start.

[41:16] Joe Carroll: Oh my gosh, it's a crazy day.

[41:18] Noah Ricketts: And Lisa Dawn comes up and she's like, okay, um, she's like, all right, so Jelani's in for tonight, but I've been, you know, I've been in this profession for a long time, and I wouldn't be surprised if he calls out act two, so be ready. And I was like, that's the act we haven't gotten to. I don't know anything.

[41:35] Joe Carroll: I was like, we just got to intermission. We just got through act one.

[41:39] Noah Ricketts: And I was like, oh God, this is just so rich. And so I'm doing the show starts, and he's doing it, and I'm running around doing my show with a script, my giant script, and I'm writing down his blocking and watching him and trying to do my own choreography.

[41:55] Joe Carroll: Oh my god, it was so stressful.

[41:57] Noah Ricketts: Oh my god. And so the show ended. He actually made it through the whole thing, which was great. And I went to the party for like five minutes because during Act Two, they're like, "You're a hundred percent on tomorrow."

[42:07] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[42:07] Noah Ricketts: And I was like, oh fuck. I was just sick as a dog, like just trying to get through it.

[42:11] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[42:12] Noah Ricketts: Like, it's like you're a hundred percent on tomorrow. And I'm like, okay. And so I went to the party for five minutes because I had people there, and I like said hello, and I took one picture and I ran out of that place.

[42:22] Noah Ricketts: And on my way out, I got stopped by like Tom Schumacher and Ann Quard and all the executive producers at Disney Theatrical.

[42:28] Joe Carroll: Yeah, and they're all like, "We're gonna come, we're gonna stay, extend our time to see you tomorrow. Go on." And I'm like, "No, please don't."

[42:34] Noah Ricketts: Oh yeah, please go home. Just go ahead and stay. That's it. Please go back to the please go.

[42:37] Joe Carroll: So I went home and I studied that script, like, I mean, you never seen. And I didn't sleep. And they made it had an emergency put in, you know, two hours before the show, and I did it. And it was just one of those things of like, thank God for CCM. Like, holy crap.

[42:55] Noah Ricketts: Because I knew the story, and I knew what I needed to sing, and I was like, I will get to A to B to C to D somehow, some way.

[43:07] Joe Carroll: Right.

[43:07] Noah Ricketts: It might be my way. This curtain will go up and this curtain will go down. That's right. And we will get this story. And but I just had to like, it's one of those moments where it's like fight or flight, and you have to like trust in yourself. And I did the show, and I just like was a hundred percent myself and did the story, and it was great.

[43:23] Joe Carroll: Like it was terrifying, and I like about blacked out at the end, like you know, by the time I was done. But it was it was great, and I think that was the moment where I really had the chance to prove myself and be like, I can really do this right and not hold back. And like those are rare moments, like they don't they don't really come.

[43:41] Noah Ricketts: Totally. And so that's where it kind of all I think you know, I proved my worth there with the company, and so do you remember? I my my mom always talks about when when like there's moments of incredible stress or excitement to try to remember one thing? Because like if you try to if you try to focus on one thing, then you know you'll remember you know this particular snapshot. And if you try to remember everything, like you won't remember anything from the day.

[44:08] Joe Carroll: Like my wedding day and like my Broadway debut, she was like, she was like, just remember one thing. And I remember very clearly walking into the Jacobs Theater. Um, and there's this old timey uh sign above in in the alley between the majestic and the and uh the Jacobs that says the curtain is up and it's free it's gotta be from the 1920s. And it like it lights up, and I just remember that being this like really sort of Broadway quintessential kind of moment.

[44:29] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[44:30] Joe Carroll: Do you remember one moment from this like ultra stressful you're going on and you know for the first performance, you know, second pro performance of Frozen in November?

[44:40] Noah Ricketts: I do, because I was like, I do remember one moment. It's it was like right when Anna gets frozen.

[44:45] Joe Carroll: Uh-huh.

[44:46] Noah Ricketts: And it's like a pretty sad, I mean it's a really sad moment. And so I remember like feeling weepy and sad, and then I was just a flood of tears. Because like I think like regardless of her dying, I was just like, I made it through. So like I remember like not being able to stop like sobbing for like you know, till the vows. Like, I was just like a hot mess.

[45:09] Joe Carroll: So I that's what I remember is just like looking and like blurry eyed because I was just like just a well of tears because so much I had just put it all in myself into this thing.

[45:17] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, and it finally was like nothing left. And she's fro and from that moment you basically stand there downstage, right?

[45:24] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[45:27] Noah Ricketts: You've done it now. Like you can actually say that's so cool.

[45:32] Joe Carroll: That's what I remember the most.

[45:33] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, so it's unreal. It's just crazy. So I yeah, that was the journey. I mean Jesus. And now it's the beginning of year three and gratitude lists.

[45:43] Joe Carroll: Gratitude lists, yeah. What do you do? What do you do? What's your like um your creative sort of side hustle? Like, like I wonder, you know, when you're in something, you know, whether you know, beautiful for a long time, this for a long time. Is there something else that you do creatively outside of this stuff that that keeps you sane?

[46:03] Noah Ricketts: Keeps the fire, fire burning. You know, I I'm like kind of the worst at that, and I've always been the worst at that. Like, I always see people like even while you're doing like a podcast or people like write musicals or like do whatever. I'm totally like, I do my thing, and like I don't sing, I don't do like I don't really do anything else artistic.

[46:22] Joe Carroll: No, but that's like that just keeps it. That's what you do.

[46:23] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, like I do conserve you, you you're a homebody, you kill your Rapunzel in your tower. You come home, you watch you know, watch Netflix.

[46:32] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[46:33] Noah Ricketts: But you know, it's like what remember you text me that thing, and you're like, this reminded me of you. What did that like meme say that was like I've worked too hard, I have to like go out and party or something?

[46:41] Joe Carroll: Uh oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[46:42] Noah Ricketts: It was basically like I'm gonna go. I actually kind of want to look it up.

[46:46] Joe Carroll: I was like, look that up.

[46:47] Noah Ricketts: It was something like like I want to, I'm gonna just you you said to me one night, you were like, I just need to go out and live my best gay life.

[46:56] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[46:56] Noah Ricketts: Is what you said. And and and I was like, what do you mean? And like you're like, I I'm going out, and and that was one thing. It was like you were like you were like going to the club, or you went to the club or something.

[47:07] Joe Carroll: Uh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[47:09] Noah Ricketts: You said it said uh it was this meme from the drunk bitch that said, I need a ratchet ass night out. I've been civilized for weeks.

[47:14] Joe Carroll: Yeah, that is a hundred thousand percent me.

[47:20] Noah Ricketts: I think that's what I do. I've been civilized for weeks. I've been civilized for fucking weeks.

[47:24] Joe Carroll: No, I think that's what I do. Like, I will work so hard, like auditions, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah for like six weeks, and then one day I'll be like, I have to go party and like live my life.

[47:34] Noah Ricketts: Yes.

[47:34] Joe Carroll: Yes.

[47:34] Noah Ricketts: And I think like that release is like the best, like going to Brooklyn and like dancing my little ass off. Like those are the moments where I'm like, okay, I'm like fully living my best gay life.

[47:45] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[47:46] Noah Ricketts: And so I think that's what I do as opposed to doing like making a musical or like doing a thing. Like I just go out and I like drink with my friends and we party. Like I'm a Libra and I feel like I'm very much Libra.

[47:57] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[47:57] Noah Ricketts: And my scales, like sometimes my work scale is a little too tilted. So I gotta balance it with the party scale.

[48:03] Joe Carroll: I love that.

[48:04] Noah Ricketts: No, and that's that's that's exactly it. Cause also, like, you know, we miss a lot of things on this schedule. You miss a ton of birthdays and weddings and all sorts of stuff. So like you gotta get you gotta get the dancing in somehow.

[48:16] Joe Carroll: You gotta go to the club somehow.

[48:17] Noah Ricketts: You have to.

[48:17] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[48:18] Noah Ricketts: Like, it's just like the best. Like, I have like go out and have a good Kiki, and then I'll be ready. Then I'll be ready for the work week.

[48:24] Joe Carroll: Yeah, and like ready, like you are one of the most consistent performers that I've ever worked with. And that's what I wondered, you know, with this whole like you do shows for a long time and you stay, you know, vocally, every night you sound like a million dollars. You're in every scene a hundred percent. You're not like and that so I'm always so curious about how the people who are really consistent, how they do it, you know.

[48:48] Noah Ricketts: Cause like I I feel like like some nights you can, you know, some nights are significantly better than others.

[48:55] Joe Carroll: No, inside Joe's Carol's performance.

[48:58] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, um, but that's amazing. That's amazing. So sometimes you just gotta let it out. Um I've taken up a massive chunk of your morning and um, and I just the we kind of finished these things up with like a couple of little stock questions, but I wonder, um, and this is Dan's question. We can't he can't be here, unfortunately. But he says I always um what would you tell 15-year-old Noah? Like, is there any advice that you'd look back and say to 15, 17, 18 year old Noah?

[49:26] Noah Ricketts: Hmm, I'd probably say like your hard work will pay off because you never know if that shit will pay off.

[49:31] Joe Carroll: Right.

[49:32] Noah Ricketts: And I also think I'd say, like, just breathe. Like, and I think I I probably like 15 years from now, I probably if I got the same question would be like, just breathe, bitch.

[49:41] Joe Carroll: Yeah, yeah, just breathe bitch.

[49:43] Noah Ricketts: Because I can get like wound up and like anxious and stress and all that stuff, and I think I would just look back at myself and be like, just breathe, motherfucker.

[49:50] Joe Carroll: Take it easy, yeah.

[49:51] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, yeah.

[49:51] Joe Carroll: Yeah, I love that. And then mine is what you know it's it's this question that listeners are probably like, get to it, Joe. Like, you don't have to explain it, you know, now 20 million times. But um, it's my uh what's your impossible dream question. So, like if you we all set out on this journey whenever however old we were to get to Broadway, yeah, you know, and that has happened for some people, and uh it did happen for us. And so what do you what's next? Like, what do you see on that like that horizon that you're kind of like okay? Now I think I'm going after this thing.

[50:24] Noah Ricketts: I mean, I think what's next would be a series regular.

[50:27] Joe Carroll: Love it.

[50:27] Noah Ricketts: Which would just be so great, and and I would love to balance that out with a nice Broadway show. Like a little bit of both would be good.

[50:34] Joe Carroll: Totally.

[50:36] Noah Ricketts: Like, I like to have my toes on a couple of things.

[50:38] Joe Carroll: Me too.

[50:39] Noah Ricketts: So that would be the dream, like a little bit of back and forth, and then also weekends off.

[50:44] Joe Carroll: Right?

[50:46] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, that's the ultimate dream. Just a Saturday.

[50:48] Joe Carroll: Even just one.

[50:49] Noah Ricketts: Just like one.

[50:50] Joe Carroll: Saturday or Sunday.

[50:51] Noah Ricketts: I'll let the work pick. Like, whatever.

[50:53] Joe Carroll: Totally.

[50:53] Noah Ricketts: Just the either one would work for me.

[50:55] Joe Carroll: So that's the that's the impossible.

[50:57] Noah Ricketts: I've yet to find dream.

[50:58] Joe Carroll: I love that. Well, I d I just said do you remember um do you know Conrad Rick Amora?

[51:02] Noah Ricketts: Oh yeah.

[51:03] Joe Carroll: He I just remember when he was doing um uh King and I with um my friend Ashley Park.

[51:09] Noah Ricketts: Oh, she was like, he was flying back and forth to California shooting how to get away with murder.

[51:14] Joe Carroll: Oh my god.

[51:14] Noah Ricketts: Um, and doing King and I at the same time. And I was like, that is the that's the dream.

[51:17] Joe Carroll: That's the dream.

[51:22] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[51:23] Joe Carroll: To be able to just do like fourteen different things at the same time.

[51:27] Noah Ricketts: Yeah.

[51:27] Joe Carroll: Yeah.

[51:27] Noah Ricketts: Yeah, I'm totally with you.

[51:28] Joe Carroll: Yeah, I'm totally with you. And then when you get your series regular, you have to invite me over to your country house.

[51:33] Noah Ricketts: Oh my god. Anytime.

[51:34] Joe Carroll: Anytime.

[51:36] Noah Ricketts: Um Buddy, thank you for letting me bug you.

[51:39] Joe Carroll: Oh my god, thanks for having me.

[51:40] Noah Ricketts: I love it.

[51:42] Joe Carroll: Thank you.