This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:07] Rory O'Malley: Hey everybody, Rory O'Malley here, living the dream. Thank you so much for listening. My guest this week is Mathenee Treco, the Mulligan Madison of the Hamilton Tour.

[0:19] Rory O'Malley: Um, Mathenee and I did not know each other before the tour, but we have a connection through his brother Gregory Treco, who is currently the standby for Burr and for George Washington on Broadway. Gregory and I were at Carnegie Mellon University at the same time, and then Mathenee, who is a few years younger than us, went to Carnegie Mellon as well.

[0:43] Rory O'Malley: And he has been on American Idol, and he has auditioned and really put his heart into what he loves, and this is a really big moment for him being in the show. So he was a perfect person for me to begin what I hope is conversations with every single cast member of the Hamilton Tour as a part of Living the Dream. That's such an amazing group of people.

[1:13] Rory O'Malley: We are in San Francisco, and they are just so enthusiastic. And I think that you will, when you hear Mathenee's story, which is the story of a lot of the folks in this cast, that when they got the call to be a part of Hamilton, it was such a wonderful, wonderful moment, and I love hearing Mathenee talk about it.

[1:36] Rory O'Malley: So it's great, and also because Mathenee was bartending at the time, and he is incredibly talented. It's just a wonderful thing when you see someone living their dream on a stage who has put in the time and effort and is in the right place at the right moment, right where they're supposed to be.

[2:00] Rory O'Malley: And it's also such a great story because of his brother, Gregory, my buddy from college, who is in the Broadway production, and that connection as well as you'll see. So please enjoy my guest, Mathenee Treco.

[2:15] Mathenee Treco: Or there's something that you're like mathing up too real on that point.

[2:17] Rory O'Malley: I'm sure you'll edit things out or whatever.

[2:19] Mathenee Treco: We'll see.

[2:22] Rory O'Malley: Yes.

[2:24] Mathenee Treco: I will definitely be making some executive decisions.

[2:29] Rory O'Malley: Expect.

[2:30] Mathenee Treco: But um, we'll be fine. Honestly.

[2:34] Mathenee Treco: Yeah.

[2:35] Mathenee Treco: This is where John drums.

[2:36] Rory O'Malley: In the show?

[2:37] Mathenee Treco: Yeah.

[2:38] Mathenee Treco: This is where he drums in all of the mics to, you know, so like he can have his sound and how does he see?

[2:45] Mathenee Treco: He has the model right there.

[2:47] Rory O'Malley: Oh my gosh, bless his heart.

[2:49] Mathenee Treco: I know, right?

[2:51] Mathenee Treco: We're in Hamilton and Hamilton for God's sakes.

[2:54] Mathenee Treco: Here we are in glamorous Hamilton in the basement of the Orpheum Theater.

[2:59] Rory O'Malley: Yes. How does that feel? Is that weird for you?

[3:03] Mathenee Treco: Or are you like accepted that and now it's just uh Absolutely not like it's weird actually, like I still when it comes to this show, as many times we've even done it.

[3:14] Mathenee Treco: There's still an element of not being aware that I'm a part of Hamilton still. Do you know what I'm saying? Even when you're signing autographs to people at the end of the show, it's still this like I don't know.

[3:23] Mathenee Treco: Maybe because it was so grand and big before I even became a part of it that I still have this like kind of you were on the outside looking in, so totally, and I'm like now like I'm in the center of it, and I'm just like, wow, how?

[3:34] Mathenee Treco: How did I end up here? Do you know what I'm saying?

[3:36] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[3:36] Mathenee Treco: No, but like it's crazy.

[3:38] Mathenee Treco: Yeah, I mean, and we're just a week after opening.

[3:41] Rory O'Malley: That's where it. It's gonna feel like this for a while.

[3:44] Mathenee Treco: It's gonna be like this for a while.

[3:45] Rory O'Malley: Totally.

[3:45] Mathenee Treco: Yeah, hey, I've been around for a year now.

[3:48] Rory O'Malley: Is it been a year yet?

[3:49] Mathenee Treco: Yeah, it's been a year.

[3:51] Rory O'Malley: Wait, you it's oh my gosh, I forgot where we were in time right now.

[3:54] Mathenee Treco: Like you literally went into the show April of 2008.

[3:59] Rory O'Malley: Here we are.

[3:59] Mathenee Treco: 16.

[4:00] Rory O'Malley: And here you are in San Francisco.

[4:01] Mathenee Treco: Yeah.

[4:02] Rory O'Malley: It's amazing.

[4:02] Mathenee Treco: I know.

[4:03] Rory O'Malley: You're okay.

[4:04] Mathenee Treco: I think this thing.

[4:05] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[4:05] Mathenee Treco: Okay.

[4:06] Mathenee Treco: It's pretty loud.

[4:07] Rory O'Malley: See there.

[4:08] Mathenee Treco: See that little Yes.

[4:10] Rory O'Malley: We're making noise.

[4:11] Mathenee Treco: Making those noises.

[4:12] Mathenee Treco: Yeah, it's pretty hot.

[4:15] Mathenee Treco: It's hot mic.

[4:15] Rory O'Malley: Hot mic.

[4:16] Mathenee Treco: Hot hot mic.

[4:18] Rory O'Malley: Um, okay, so uh what I love to do is like kind of find out where people came from originally, how they got into the business.

[4:25] Rory O'Malley: Uh so where where did you have a very interesting story?

[4:28] Mathenee Treco: It is.

[4:29] Mathenee Treco: And I know some of your story because I was at Carnegie Mellon at the same time as your brother.

[4:33] Rory O'Malley: You were Gregory.

[4:34] Mathenee Treco: Yes, you were.

[4:34] Mathenee Treco: Gregory Treco.

[4:36] Rory O'Malley: And so you where did you where were you born? Where did you grow up?

[4:38] Mathenee Treco: So I'm originally from Nassau, Bahamas.

[4:40] Mathenee Treco: Uh-huh. And I was born and raised there, and um the family moved to Denver of all places, right?

[4:48] Mathenee Treco: Um, when I was about six years old.

[4:51] Mathenee Treco: And um, I was lucky enough to like go back and forth between the Bahamas and Denver until I'm about 16, just so I could make sure that like I still was connected to my Bahamian roots and that you know it's it's it's uh a lot of things down there in the Bahamas are you know about culture and about um family and stuff like that.

[5:09] Mathenee Treco: And I think coming from such a big family, my parents want to make sure that I, you know, was still involved in the family.

[5:14] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[5:14] Mathenee Treco: Um so from there, um when I turned to sixteen, oh my gosh, I started working in let's get into it, six flags, like summer theme park shows.

[5:23] Rory O'Malley: So that was your brother doing that too?

[5:26] Mathenee Treco: Yes, totally.

[5:27] Mathenee Treco: Right, right, okay.

[5:28] Mathenee Treco: It was kind of like I remember that.

[5:30] Mathenee Treco: It was like this big deal randomly, like in Colorado.

[5:32] Mathenee Treco: Like you were you're in the six flag shows, oh my gosh.

[5:35] Mathenee Treco: Like that created stamina and just like longevity, like literally just like singing five times a day, right?

[5:42] Mathenee Treco: Like 30 minute shows.

[5:43] Mathenee Treco: Um and then after doing that, I got accepted to our alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University.

[5:51] Mathenee Treco: Um, and yeah, it was to be honest, it was like the first year was like a major adjustment.

[5:56] Mathenee Treco: Yeah.

[5:57] Mathenee Treco: Do you know what I'm saying?

[5:57] Mathenee Treco: Like having to like, you know, have many focuses in high school and then to like only be focused on acting in theater was a big transition for me.

[6:04] Mathenee Treco: So after I took I did a year and then I took a year off from school and then I came back.

[6:08] Mathenee Treco: Well, actually, I did some regional theaters on my year off.

[6:10] Mathenee Treco: Just like was making sure like because theater's a commitment, you know what I'm saying?

[6:13] Mathenee Treco: Like I was like, am I gonna do this? Am I really gonna do this?

[6:15] Mathenee Treco: And I decided, yeah, that's what I'm gonna do.

[6:17] Mathenee Treco: So I went back to school.

[6:19] Mathenee Treco: Um graduated in 2009, and then that was the beginnings of just like everything changing.

[6:26] Mathenee Treco: So I like graduated from musical theater, and then I'm from Carnegie Mellon in musical theater, and then from there, showcase happened.

[6:33] Mathenee Treco: So I had, you know, all these opportunities to work with managers and agents, and I turned all of them down.

[6:38] Rory O'Malley: Okay.

[6:39] Mathenee Treco: And it was the beginnings of me being on American Idol.

[6:43] Mathenee Treco: Right.

[6:43] Mathenee Treco: Yes.

[6:44] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[6:44] Mathenee Treco: So with I was hoping we'd be getting into that.

[6:47] Mathenee Treco: Here we go.

[6:48] Mathenee Treco: All that.

[6:49] Mathenee Treco: So it so the how American Idol works is like you can't do anything else.

[6:53] Mathenee Treco: You can't be represented by anybody else.

[6:54] Mathenee Treco: Yeah.

[6:54] Mathenee Treco: You know what I'm saying?

[6:55] Mathenee Treco: So like you'd drop everything that possibly would get in the way of your hopes of becoming an American Idol.

[7:01] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[7:02] Mathenee Treco: Um, and so the crazy thing was I did it.

[7:05] Mathenee Treco: I auditioned, and I didn't make it very far.

[7:08] Mathenee Treco: So, like that was the first thing that I said right out of school.

[7:08] Mathenee Treco: Right out of school.

[7:12] Mathenee Treco: So I'd had all these opportunities to like, you know, be with agents, be with managers, and I turned it down and then did not get on American Idol the first time I auditioned for it.

[7:19] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[7:19] Mathenee Treco: So like it was the first time that I was like, Oh, I guess I'm moving to New York City right now without any of the benefits that a lot of us are rewarded from going to Carnegie Mellon just like having an opportunity to perform in front of agents.

[7:30] Mathenee Treco: You know what I'm saying?

[7:30] Rory O'Malley: That's a big deal.

[7:31] Mathenee Treco: Yeah.

[7:31] Mathenee Treco: And all of that work that I had done had been thrown away.

[7:34] Mathenee Treco: So I had to go to New York City and figure out everything on my own.

[7:38] Mathenee Treco: And it was I'll probably like in the long run, very grateful that I had to go through that, but it was very difficult.

[7:44] Mathenee Treco: Do you know what I'm saying?

[7:45] Mathenee Treco: Having to like find, you know, my own representation, you know, find out auditions and like find out things that are good for me, and then like so it was just it was a really trying time.

[7:54] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[7:55] Mathenee Treco: Unless my first time in New York it was it was more difficult um than I expected.

[7:59] Mathenee Treco: Also me being such a tall guy and me being racial.

[8:02] Rory O'Malley: How tall are you?

[8:02] Mathenee Treco: I'm six two.

[8:03] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[8:04] Mathenee Treco: I'm six two and I'm I'm over two hundred pounds.

[8:06] Mathenee Treco: I'm like a broad guy, do you know what I'm saying?

[8:08] Mathenee Treco: And also like racially ambiguous, and at that time it wasn't a lot of things for me out there.

[8:12] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[8:12] Mathenee Treco: And I was like auditioning like a beast, but then you know, I would make it to callbacks, and I would see myself in a room with all of these people, and I clearly was the odd man out.

[8:21] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[8:21] Mathenee Treco: And it was like if they wanted to go in this direction, I would be a choice, you know what I'm saying?

[8:24] Mathenee Treco: I'd be a choice for them instead of what they probably were looking for.

[8:26] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[8:27] Mathenee Treco: Um, and I got a little discouraged, I got a little discouraged, and then um I saw a way out.

[8:32] Mathenee Treco: My family was going through some family issues, and I was like, I think I have to go be with my family right now.

[8:37] Mathenee Treco: So I left New York and then I moved right back to Colorado.

[8:41] Mathenee Treco: Um, and my sister had just had a baby and I was taking care of um Marley, who's the best.

[8:47] Mathenee Treco: Um, and then of course, guess who comes knocking on my door again?

[8:52] Mathenee Treco: American Idol.

[8:53] Rory O'Malley: So then that's when I finally got it got on American Idol.

[8:56] Mathenee Treco: And um, the first year that I did American Idol, I actually made it on the TV.

[8:59] Mathenee Treco: I was in the top 60.

[9:01] Mathenee Treco: Second time I did it, I made it, I was on the top 20.

[9:03] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[9:04] Mathenee Treco: Um, and it was great, it was cool, like it was an amazing experience that I would not take away from the like I wouldn't I wouldn't delete that part from my life.

[9:11] Mathenee Treco: But what it did, I was a the downside to doing American Idol, especially being someone who I was 26 at the time, right?

[9:18] Mathenee Treco: You had to drop everything you were doing.

[9:19] Mathenee Treco: Do you know what I'm saying?

[9:19] Mathenee Treco: You'd be able to like run to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, wherever they need to send you.

[9:25] Mathenee Treco: On a win.

[9:26] Mathenee Treco: Like, I literally would get a call, Rory, on Monday, going, so the next round of auditions are happening on Thursday in Oklahoma City.

[9:33] Mathenee Treco: And I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait.

[9:35] Mathenee Treco: How am I supposed to deal with this?

[9:36] Mathenee Treco: And they go, figure it out.

[9:37] Mathenee Treco: Because someone will be the American Idol, and you don't want to be this the reason why you didn't make it.

[9:41] Rory O'Malley: Do you know what I'm saying?

[9:42] Mathenee Treco: So I'm confused though.

[9:43] Mathenee Treco: So like they would call you up and say, like, you have to come to Oklahoma City to come into this first round, or to be like, so that's what it was.

[9:51] Mathenee Treco: So like after I would already been in a part of the family, they kept eyes on people and you know, had like, you know, reached out to some folks and like, yo, we'd like to see you audition again and stuff like that.

[10:01] Mathenee Treco: But then, you know, the every year this the the city switch where they have the audition.

[10:05] Mathenee Treco: So um, you know, conveniently one year it was Denver, the next year it was Atlanta, and so like I had to fly my behind all the way to Atlanta, but there's four rounds, Rory.

[10:14] Mathenee Treco: So like I fly out there once, fly back to Denver, and they'll go, We need you back here on Thursday.

[10:19] Mathenee Treco: Fly my behind right back out there, and then I'd be done, make it past the next round, fly back to Denver.

[10:23] Mathenee Treco: So it literally was this constant flying back that I was funding, I was in control of Jim Sang.

[10:28] Mathenee Treco: So it was a it was uh it was a choice, and I get it why kids who are younger, it's easier for them because you know they don't have to like take care of you know, rent, yeah, yeah, facilities.

[10:40] Mathenee Treco: Yeah, it's like, well, of course you're gonna put everything you can into this opportunity, but as you get older, you're like, so am I going to put money towards this minuscule chance of getting something, or am I going to have a 100% chance of staying in my apartment?

[10:55] Rory O'Malley: Exactly.

[10:55] Mathenee Treco: And I'll say that like things happen.

[10:57] Mathenee Treco: I I had to move in with my parents for a little bit there.

[11:00] Mathenee Treco: I um was couldn't keep and maintain a job because of the, you know, I kept on leaving at random times.

[11:07] Mathenee Treco: And that's that's actually I think something that people don't talk enough about that like being able to maintain a side job is such a tricky thing.

[11:17] Rory O'Malley: It's so important, but it's hard when you're being when things are going semi well.

[11:23] Mathenee Treco: Totally.

[11:23] Mathenee Treco: You know, like that you you know, so many times when I had a job, a side job, and I would get like a small feeder production of something that paid me way less.

[11:34] Mathenee Treco: I gotta go take it.

[11:35] Rory O'Malley: So you have to have a job that like will let you go do that.

[11:38] Mathenee Treco: Exactly.

[11:39] Mathenee Treco: That's tricky.

[11:39] Rory O'Malley: Especially in New York sometimes, right now it was a it didn't seem to be like for me to get off for an audition in New York, yeah.

[11:44] Mathenee Treco: It was it was hard, you know what I'm saying?

[11:46] Mathenee Treco: And because it's not it's not their priority, right?

[11:50] Rory O'Malley: You know, they want to keep their business afloat and running, and and so like I get it.

[11:54] Mathenee Treco: It it it's it it wasn't easy, but then the reward of when you get to perform or the reward when you get to see an audience just like going mad about you know, like the work you just did, it's overwhelmingly just so satisfying that like you're like, you know, who needs hot water?

[12:11] Rory O'Malley: I don't need that.

[12:13] Mathenee Treco: No, but um, but no, but like, yeah, so it it was a it was a struggle, but I found myself here and I all I I'm a strong believer also in like things happen for a reason.

[12:21] Mathenee Treco: I was on American Idol, I I I gave up certain opportunities to be on that show, but I don't I will say if I wasn't on that show or if I didn't, you know, pass up those initial rounds of showcase offers, I don't know if I would be in this room talking to you right now.

[12:37] Rory O'Malley: And that's something to be very grateful for.

[12:39] Mathenee Treco: Do you know what I'm saying?

[12:40] Rory O'Malley: Yeah, I'm I I it leads you to where you need to end up.

[12:43] Mathenee Treco: And I'm right here right now talking to you, and that's right.

[12:46] Rory O'Malley: And you're also here in a you are so grateful and aware of the moment that you're in.

[12:54] Mathenee Treco: And I think that the the less trouble you have to get to a moment like this, the harder it is to enjoy it.

[13:02] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[13:02] Mathenee Treco: And th for me, you know, I look back at those uh at many, many years of of struggling and and working many side jobs as the greatest gift.

[13:13] Mathenee Treco: It you know, it doesn't feel like a damn gift when you're doing it.

[13:16] Rory O'Malley: At all.

[13:16] Mathenee Treco: At all.

[13:18] Mathenee Treco: But I think that a lot of people, especially people who are listening to this, are in those jobs, you know, and know uh how uh disheartening it can be to wake up early and go to them.

[13:31] Mathenee Treco: And I you know, I think it's important when you're in this moment to realize that those jobs are not just something to be grateful for, they're the reason why we're here.

[13:31] Rory O'Malley: Exactly.

[13:31] Mathenee Treco: They're the reason why um we got here. So you are going through this American Idol flying across the country situation, which I didn't realize that I of course they're just calling you up and saying, pretend like you're from Oklahoma City now. Right? Like that kind of. I mean like literally like it's it's um I always thought of it as like, you know, how do you condense somebody's life into a 30-second yeah little what did they call them? I forgot what they call them. You know how they do that.

[14:10] Rory O'Malley: Exactly.

[14:10] Mathenee Treco: A little 30-second package, like this is Mathenee Treco. And it's I and it it it didn't ever really make sense because it was I mean, I guess that's what American Idol is about. They're trying to make an audience connect with who I am, right? Whatever that means. Do you know what I'm saying? Um but I mean, what was the question? I totally just forgot.

[14:27] Rory O'Malley: No, I was just I was just saying that must have been really crazy or about that. But you know what? I'm gonna say because I want to bring it up because I'm obsessed with it, is the Great British Baking Show. And you may be wondering why are you bringing this up?

[14:38] Mathenee Treco: Exactly.

[14:42] Rory O'Malley: I'm bringing it up because uh I guess it's my podcast and I want to talk about it.

[14:45] Mathenee Treco: Whatever you want.

[14:47] Rory O'Malley: But I'm obsessed with it. And if you are not watching it, Mathenee, I suggest that you brought it up to me already.

[14:52] Mathenee Treco: Like oh, I brought it up with everyone who's come across my path. I'm I need to get into it. Everyone in this cast thinks I'm a lunatic because I've been talking about it like crazy. But it just came on Netflix this month, and it is mesmerizing, but it it's a reality competition show from Great Britain. And the reason I bring it up is because they have those quote unquote package things about the contestants, yeah, but they're literally a half-second. They'll be like Excuse me. They'll be like, Thomas enjoys cycling in the park, and they will show him for one second cycling in the park, and then they'll go back to the thing and like back to baking. They don't they don't like try to like figure out how you can sympathize or how you connect to each contestant. They're like, you just have to like their baking that you can't taste.

[15:38] Mathenee Treco: I'm into that, actually.

[15:39] Rory O'Malley: I'm kind of into that.

[15:41] Mathenee Treco: Like cycling that's it. Let's get to the baking. Get back back to the pastry.

[15:46] Rory O'Malley: Yes, you know, and I just thought, like, that's so different from an American Idol that literally is like going through the family diseases, milking, the you know, the poverty that like which absolutely is a wonderful when it's a wonderful story, but sometimes they're like really stretching or something.

[16:07] Mathenee Treco: And it's also like I think not always gonna get you the best singer because they're looking for a story as well.

[16:17] Rory O'Malley: Exactly.

[16:17] Mathenee Treco: And that's what I always used to say. When I was I was being in that environment, and you know, like when I finally got to Hollywood, you know what Hollywood Week is, you know. Yeah, like I'm literally surrounded by some of the most brilliant people I've ever met in my entire life. Like I'm hearing these voices, and I'm like, oh, I'm getting cut tomorrow. I'm getting cut tomorrow. And like they would get cut tomorrow, and I would get I would have no real understanding of how.

[16:39] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[16:39] Mathenee Treco: And then, you know, being doing it two years in a row, I start going, oh, it just is that this person, in their opinion, just doesn't have enough of a storyline to push them further.

[16:50] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[16:50] Mathenee Treco: But if they wanted to find, honestly, Rory, I'll say this, I will say this to the day is over. If they wanted to find the best singer in the country, they were there.

[17:02] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[17:02] Mathenee Treco: Did they make it? Most likely not. Right. Like, I don't I ooh, I I wish I remembered all their names. There's so many brilliant people that I was around.

[17:11] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[17:11] Mathenee Treco: And you were like, and they just didn't make it through.

[17:14] Rory O'Malley: They didn't make it through.

[17:15] Mathenee Treco: Is that must be kind of uh an amazing experience to go through before you're in the business that we're in because it's rare that you're in a big audition like that, watching other people's talent, you know, like you have 15 minutes in an audition, in and out. Sometimes you hear the person or two before you through the door, but you were immersed with uh a pack of really incredibly talented people watching them go away. And I'm I su I suppose that isn't just about their story, it's really like they're casting a TV show with a diverse group of people of of men, women, and all different types and stories.

[17:59] Mathenee Treco: Absolutely.

[18:00] Rory O'Malley: And it's it's gotta it really must have been a crash course on casting for you.

[18:06] Mathenee Treco: Absolutely. Because I when you I think of it as being in this world that we're in right now. Yeah, you you said it so perfectly. It's casting, it's not about like if they wanted to get the ten best singers in the in the world, they would just do that. But it's a matter of like, you know, I don't know what's on their their casting list or their or the sheets they go off of to figure out who's gonna be on the season this year.

[18:23] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[18:24] Mathenee Treco: But there's something. You know what I'm saying? They we need the this, we need the this guy, we need the that girl, we need, you know, the one who can give us this kind of moment. They're they're figuring it out. Um and you know, I I just assume that that year that I made it very far on idol, which was the Nicki Minaj Mariah Carey season, right? Um I just felt that I just wasn't in their list of what they wanted cast.

[18:52] Rory O'Malley: Do you know what I'm saying?

[18:52] Mathenee Treco: Like I just wasn't.

[18:53] Rory O'Malley: Were they even paying attention or just going at each other?

[18:58] Mathenee Treco: Oh my gosh, it was literally the tension was so thick, and I couldn't tell sometimes if it was being, you know, uh fueled by the producers or if these women really had some genuine beef, but like it was it was probably like I saw it, I felt it. Right. Um, but I it it was it was also so something like, you know, like I formed relationships with them. Like and Nicki Minaj was my home girl. Mariah Carey, I know that we had formed a relationship with each other, but it was the the day. You know, my husband is the biggest Mariah Carey fan in the world, without any irony, he adores her.

[19:34] Rory O'Malley: Well Absolutely and now you are the most important person.

[19:39] Mathenee Treco: Push me aside.

[19:40] Rory O'Malley: He won't care about me.

[19:41] Mathenee Treco: And that's why when he came to see the show and read your bio must he was like, he was on American Idol. I guess that's how I know him. And I'm like, oh, okay. He that now I know exactly why he Oh we always watch American Idol, but I know that Did you watch my season?

[19:54] Rory O'Malley: Yes.

[19:55] Mathenee Treco: Of course.

[19:55] Rory O'Malley: Oh my gosh, it's so crazy.

[19:57] Mathenee Treco: Of course. I can't wait to talk to him about that. I'm gonna give him all of the tea. He's gonna love it. He's he's gonna need it. Oh my god. Especially after finding this out. Okay, so you go through that experience and it's crazy.

[20:10] Mathenee Treco: It's crazy. You you leave the that experience having learned a lot. And but where do you go from there after you've gone through it twice?

[20:17] Mathenee Treco: So I had just so I'd finished, I I got back to Colorado and I was just like, hmm. It's big big shift, you know what I'm saying? I'm just being like I'm LA for the past months. Here I'm in Colorado and I went, Oh, I guess I'm moving to New York City. Right. I guess that's what's happening right.

[20:31] Rory O'Malley: But then I kinda got screwed because in my contracts for Idol, I wasn't able to really do anything. Do you know what I'm saying? I'm not able to I was contracted to them for a certain amount of time and in that amount of time I wasn't able to do basically make any money off of any creative art. And me being the guy that I am, I s I'm a songwriter, I choreograph, do you know what I'm saying? Like those are the things that I do. So it was like a little bit of a here we go again, Mathenee not knowing how to, you know, hold on a job because the things that he's good at I can't really really do. So I found myself, you know, I was uh serving, I was um doing basically things like that. I started getting into wedding bands and stuff like that.

[21:08] Rory O'Malley: Oh, yeah.

[21:08] Mathenee Treco: Great interesting time of my life. Um, but then as soon as my contract ended, I was like, okay, here we go. Like it's good. So we are going to New York City, and we are going to get this life back on check, and we are going to do what you came here for. I came here to do.

[21:23] Rory O'Malley: Sure.

[21:24] Mathenee Treco: And I literally land. And two months later, guess what show I saw at the public theater on their final preview?

[21:32] Rory O'Malley: Wow.

[21:33] Mathenee Treco: Hamilton. Right. And it was lit. I've never in my life had such a clear, honest like thought where I went, Oh, that's what I'm about to go do. Like, that's I made a clear decision in my mind. I was like, I'm gonna fight for that. I want to be a part of that. Right. Rory, when I saw the show, I don't know if I've told you this. I saw the show with the public. I literally had to, like, after the show was over, Bow's happened. I ran out of the theater and stood in a corner and literally manic cried for about 30 minutes. Just like literally, and my brother had to come get me. He was like, Are you okay? And I was like, I think this is what awe feels like. I'm in absolute awe right now of what I saw.

And I was like, I have to go do that. I was like, I want to go be in that. I want to go be in that. And that was literally the beginnings of me claiming what I wanted and doing everything I possibly could to make sure that I was at least in the room for to make that a possibility.

[22:29] Rory O'Malley: So I just made a reference to our show.

[22:32] Mathenee Treco: You sure did.

[22:32] Rory O'Malley: I wasn't gonna highlight it.

[22:34] Mathenee Treco: I really was, but you know, you can't, you can't like I mean it's part of you.

[22:41] Rory O'Malley: It was so this was also the it was about getting back in and trying to find an agent, trying to find a manager, and um, that was one thing I was saying. I love our school and I love what they taught me. One thing I didn't know how to do was honestly how to go about getting, you know.

[22:55] Mathenee Treco: I'm sure you had a you had a manager right out of college.

[22:58] Rory O'Malley: I don't know if you're the same person that do you have the same manager?

[23:02] Mathenee Treco: I doubt it.

[23:02] Rory O'Malley: No, my podcast listeners have heard my story. I yeah, no, I did have I did have a manager. I doubt very highly it was the same one in Los Angeles.

[23:12] Mathenee Treco: How did you did you and did you have a struggle? Or a struggle did like do you know how to go about it?

[23:16] Rory O'Malley: It's a struggle.

[23:17] Mathenee Treco: No, no, no, no. I had a I had a struggle out the gate. Like I didn't have any agents want to work with me.

[23:22] Rory O'Malley: You didn't?

[23:23] Mathenee Treco: Oh no, no, no. I didn't have I had I had one manager, God bless her, who you know, uh who who did who got me out on some auditions, but um it was like crickets after my showcase. I didn't have anything in New York. It's so my the only thing I had in New York was one casting director said she wanted to meet with me, and when I called her to set up the appointment, she said, Oh no, no, I must have checked the wrong box. We don't need to have a meeting, I just need your headshot. And I was like, Oh, but I'd really like to so I can say to someone that I met with somebody in New York.

[24:01] Mathenee Treco: But isn't that crazy?

[24:02] Rory O'Malley: And like, look at you now, though. Like, look at all that you've accomplished, all the things you've done like that's also shows you like showcases in the real. You know, a showcase or really anything. Any you can't base anything off of one audition because right after that, after my showcase with Carnegie Mellon, which you know that it the the build up to it is like this is when everything's gonna pay off and you're gonna have like all these opportunities. And I really had none. I really didn't have any. And I but I I can't say that I had none. I had one little sliver of somebody who said they would help me, and I said, Okay, then that's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna move to Los Angeles, which was not in the plan. I totally and I am going to work with this manager. And I started working at Gary Marshall's theater.

[24:48] Mathenee Treco: Yeah.

[24:48] Rory O'Malley: And uh was playing Richie Cunningham and Happy Days the Musical, and you know, earning just a few dollars for every show and working at the Irish pub across the street, Timmy Noah. And that, you know, you you can't draw a line forward, you can only draw it backward. But I can draw that line back from this moment of being in this show back to being in Los Angeles in that theater and and working at a at a bar, and I think that you're right though. The struggle of of going about getting an agent, getting representation, getting just doing this stuff in this business is almost harder uh for people that come out of the the conservatory situation um because we're just looking for that just out of showcase experience.

And then if that doesn't work out, then what? If those are over, then what? A lot of people I think that came from conservatory. As soon as their first agent or manager doesn't work out or they they get dropped or something, they're like, screw this business.

[25:58] Mathenee Treco: Totally.

[25:59] Rory O'Malley: I'm not, you know, I'm not gonna and you know, for me it was like figure it out right off the bat.

[26:04] Mathenee Treco: Yeah.

[26:05] Rory O'Malley: So it was like sink or swim.

[26:06] Mathenee Treco: So yeah, so you had struggle then figuring out how to insert yourself back into absolutely business.

[26:12] Mathenee Treco: And I'll say that I had I had um I started freelancing with a few people, and you know, and I I never understood it until I understood it, but like, you know, you could have a manager and you can have an agent, but sometimes they just don't work for you. I'm like, you just don't mat you don't make sense together. And I didn't know it. I thought it was just like, well, you know, it's always been a struggle with me. I'm weird, I'm tall, do you know what I'm saying? Like, I this is just my life. And then I ran into this guy who was really interested in signing me. And I was like, okay, whatever.

[26:45] Mathenee Treco: And so we just meshed well, the people, and then out of nowhere it was just like audition, audition, audition, audition, audition. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm not used to this. What is this? And he was like, oh, this is how we roll here. Like, I'm gonna get you a job very soon. And I was just like, okay, sure, okay. And literally, Roy, when I tell you that, like, I got signed, and I had Hamilton two months later.

[27:09] Rory O'Malley: Wow.

[27:10] Mathenee Treco: And I even got some big auditions. I went in for Aladdin, do you saying? I had an audition for that I just turned down because I made, uh, I got Hamilton, Charlie Char, uh, Charlie Chocolate, and Charlie, what is that show? Charlie Chocolate Charlie Chocolate. Charlie chocolates. That's just like condense. Charlie and it's chocolate. You know what I'm saying? So, like, it's just a matter of like, you know, someone that you vibe with and someone who gets what you're actually trying to do.

[27:26] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[27:26] Mathenee Treco: You know what I'm saying? When I realized I had that, we were just, we were, I was flying through it. You know, granted I didn't get everything, obviously, but I got something that I was, oh my, just getting in rooms. It's so important.

[27:43] Rory O'Malley: Exciting because it's you realize how hard it is just to get into the auditions.

[27:50] Mathenee Treco: Absolutely. I remember when I first got started, there was some quote of, uh, actor saying, I think Christopher Reeve saying that, you know, for you every 100 auditions, you might get one, and that makes the other ninety-nine worth it. And I was like, I would kill for 10 auditions. If I had 10 auditions and one of them was a callback at that at this point, you know, it's hard to get them. I was like, yeah, Christopher Reeve, you know, this beautiful leading man right out of college, tons of auditions, and that seems normal. But you know, for guys like us, it's not as typical.

[28:26] Rory O'Malley: So you find the right person, which I think is so important.

[28:31] Mathenee Treco: And you're right, people just want to get quote unquote signed, and they think that they'll just start getting sent out. If somebody doesn't understand you or get you or isn't excited about you, it's not gonna really do you much good just to have a piece of paper signed between the two of you.

[28:47] Rory O'Malley: Exactly. So tell me about your audition or your s how you found out or how you got into Hamilton.

[28:55] Mathenee Treco: How Hamilton happened. So it was a, it was crazy, it was such a cool thing. So, like, I have been waiting. Like, and how you know, you know what it works like Hamilton was without original Broadway cast, like it was like locked in, do you know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, they weren't leaving it anytime soon, so there were no need for like real auditions for Hamilton for a little bit. But then, um, long story short, um, David had left, and I think he'd just gotten, um, his television show, so like it was a quick adjustment that needs to happen on Broadway.

[29:19] Rory O'Malley: Uh-huh.

[29:19] Mathenee Treco: And so they called out a lot of guys who had just shown up for the equity open call. Right. And I literally was there the day before, and they'd seen me. So they're like, do you mind coming in?

[29:28] Rory O'Malley: So you went to that equity open call?

[29:29] Mathenee Treco: Yes. Yes, that was the first time that I ever been seen for Hamilton. Um, so I went, I saw then they called them like just learn all this Lafayette and Jefferson information, um, information, uh, sides, just get that done, and then come in and we'll get this party started. There's so much information, it really is in the world.

[29:46] Rory O'Malley: So much information.

[29:48] Mathenee Treco: Let's be real about it. Yeah, it was the whole show, guys. I learned the whole show.

[29:51] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[29:52] Mathenee Treco: No, but there's the crazy thing is that Greg was in the same audition. So Greg and I were going in.

[29:56] Rory O'Malley: Wow.

[29:56] Mathenee Treco: Greg's my brother, everyone. We went in for the same audition.

[30:00] Rory O'Malley: Wow.

[30:00] Mathenee Treco: And um, we both made it past three rounds, and then I got cut after that third round, and Gregory continued forward. Gregory eventually didn't actually not get the role. They ended up, they eventually gave it to Seth. That's when Seth got took over the role.

[30:12] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[30:13] Mathenee Treco: And then from there, um, I don't know, I think another thing happened where they did a quick replacement of something, and then Greg got called in, and Greg got cast as the Burr and George Washington.

[30:23] Rory O'Malley: George Washington cover.

[30:25] Mathenee Treco: Yeah. And so, but then Greg was like, you know, kind of like, yeah, I hear that you know that they might call you back in. And I was like, okay, whatever, cool, whatever.

[30:32] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[30:33] Mathenee Treco: And um, out of nowhere, they called me in for the ensemble. And I had this, I, I was very slow at the time. I didn't realize that they were calling me in for the West Coast company.

[30:41] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[30:42] Mathenee Treco: Um, so I was like, I was just grateful to be called back, and I was like, let's do this. So the ensemble track that I was gonna cover was gonna cover Mulligan and Washington. And so I went in and they were like, could you just do the Mulligan stuff to see if we're good to go? And I was like, let's go. And I did it, and you know, just did my thing. And the casting director was like, hold on. And I was like, what? And they were like, will you just focus on Mulligan? And I was like, sure. Still like Rory, unaware of anything. I was like, well, you know, just doing my job.

[31:09] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[31:10] Mathenee Treco: And then I left, and then I got a, and then I got on my callback notice, and it said, just focus on Mulligan. Like, we feel like Mulligan would be a good fit for you. And I was like, cool, whatever. And then I went and it's so amazing. I met with Patrick.

[31:21] Rory O'Malley: Uh-huh.

[31:21] Mathenee Treco: And Patrick was my second audition.

[31:23] Rory O'Malley: The associate director.

[31:24] Mathenee Treco: Yes, the associate director. And yes, who's the best?

[31:28] Rory O'Malley: Um, and we had a little work session with each other, uh, on the second day, and I don't know, it just felt like, you know, like you know, when you feel like this audition's going correct, like you're feeling the vibe.

[31:39] Mathenee Treco: We're going, we're going at the right tempo.

[31:41] Rory O'Malley: When it feels more like a rehearsal, exactly audition, exactly.

[31:44] Mathenee Treco: It felt like that. We were all vibing and we had like good communication with each other, and then um, they were like, okay, so we're just gonna, you know, do it for Tommy and for Lack, and for I was like, okay, all right, here we go. And so then the next day came in, and I always say this. There was a sense of calm. I don't know how your audition was for Hamilton, but I had a sense of calm and a sense of just like I knew that this is what I wanted, and I was not going to be the person to get in the way of that.

[32:10] Rory O'Malley: Right, and you know that it is we always get in the way of ourselves.

[32:13] Mathenee Treco: It's like, you know, oh, am I gonna hit this note or oh, they're gonna like me, or ugh, you know, it's all these things get in the way. And I walked in and I felt like I was just meeting with my director and my musical director. We were about to work on this scene together. Yeah, I had the job already in my brain. I was like, I act like I have the job, I'm gonna get this job. And I walked in there and I did, I did the entire role of Mulligan Madison, let's be real. It was a lot of it, yeah.

[32:35] Rory O'Malley: And um, there was this moment, I never told Tommy Kell this. I saw Tom Tommy Call was sitting for, he sat back, and then he put his arm around Lack and whispered something into his ear.

[32:48] Mathenee Treco: Uh-huh.

[32:48] Rory O'Malley: And that was the moment that I went, did I just get the show?

[32:52] Mathenee Treco: Right. Did I get the show? And I was like, but no, wait until that wait till that call comes, all right? So don't be jumping ahead.

[32:58] Rory O'Malley: Um, you're a very different person than I am. Because I would have had the I would have been like, that's when he whispered in Lack's ear, he's not gonna work.

[33:09] Mathenee Treco: He was smiling though, so I was like, this feels positive. This feels like positive. But then I walked out of the room, like, do you mind chilling out there for a second? It's like, sure. Josh was outside waiting to go in right after me.

[33:20] Rory O'Malley: Wow.

[33:20] Mathenee Treco: Right? So crazy. Um, and then they called me back in, and then they were like, great, all right. All right, so we just, you know, want to thank you so much for all of that brilliant work you just did. I was like, thank you. I'm just grateful to be here. And they were like, great. And then I left. And I literally assumed that I'd at least be called back in for a dance callback.

[33:39] Rory O'Malley: Right.

[33:39] Mathenee Treco: They called me the next one and offered me the role. And roaring, the knees buckled, and I fell to the ground. Because it's such a great moment when you know that, like, you know, at the time I was bartending.

[33:50] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[33:51] Mathenee Treco: At a bar that with all love and respect I didn't want to be at anymore. It's just, you know, when you I didn't want to be doing that with my life. And then to know that I was going to have the opportunity to use my degree.

[34:06] Rory O'Malley: Yes, you carry it with you at all times.

[34:08] Mathenee Treco: All of the time. Unlike Nathaniel, you don't have to carry that with you to the stage.

[34:12] Rory O'Malley: It's on me at all times.

[34:14] Mathenee Treco: Literally, I'm doing Mulligan Madison holding my degree, okay? And how many kids do this?

[34:25] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[34:26] Mathenee Treco: And don't even get an opportunity to be in. Do you know being remote was a big moment for me that I was just really grateful for. And I'm so grateful. I told you I still don't know that I'm in the show. Am I in the show right now?

[34:37] Rory O'Malley: You are. You just you were in between shows.

[34:40] Mathenee Treco: Yeah, yeah. No, I think that's a beautiful story. And I think that you are, you know, there's a re I want to talk to everybody in the cast. But I knew that I wanted to talk to you first because, you know, I think that getting a call to be in Hamilton while you're bartending is such an important story for all of us to remember and know that that bartending is part of this.

[35:14] Rory O'Malley: The gig.

[35:15] Mathenee Treco: It's part of the live in the dream. As this podcast is called Living the Dream.

[35:19] Rory O'Malley: Yes.

[35:19] Mathenee Treco: And that is part of it. And I think that, you know, the positivity and gratitude that you bring into every performance and every rehearsal, it makes you a better actor. It makes you, Mathenee, a better person to work with. And I know that's the feeling that I get from everyone in this cast, but you know, I think that's where it comes from, you know, is knowing what you have.

[35:45] Rory O'Malley: And um I know that sounds crazy. People are like, who wouldn't know what they have in Hamilton?

[35:50] Mathenee Treco: But it's and I would say that most people do in the Hamill fam. But sometimes, you know, it's hard to remember how difficult it was out there, and for you to go straight from the bar to Madison Mulligan. What's it like? What's it like now that you and Gregory are both in the Hamill fam, your fam, the trick of fam is in the Hamil fam.

[36:18] Mathenee Treco: Um what is that like?

[36:21] Mathenee Treco: It's crazy. I don't know if I said this to you. Greg and I have the exact same life. Like literally, like the exact same life. Like we both went to Carnegie Mountain. We both were on, uh, our television shows, like he was on Pop Stars, I was on American Idol.

[36:34] Rory O'Malley: Right, pop stars.

[36:36] Mathenee Treco: Right. Oh my god. I forgot about pop stars. I was in New York when he was on pop stars, I went to go visit him.

[36:44] Rory O'Malley: Oh my god.

[36:45] Mathenee Treco: And now here we are in Hamilton together.

[36:47] Rory O'Malley: So you are you you guys are so similar.

[36:50] Mathenee Treco: That's why I've told you. I feel like I know you way better than I do because I'm just like I went to college with you, even though you're a younger man than I am. I didn't go to college with you, but you're so much like your brother.

[37:01] Rory O'Malley: We are very similar.

[37:02] Mathenee Treco: But like so dramatically different at the same point. There's something about us that's so same so different. Uh, but I just the idea that I get to do this with my brother, my best friend. And then we're also doing it, but like doing different things and getting to experience different sides of this is something that I never assumed would have happened. And then at the same point is something that I don't know if it will ever happen again.

[37:28] Rory O'Malley: And so like I'm being very I'm trying to like live in these moments and be grateful that I'm sharing an experience with my brother, whether or not being in the same company, I'm sharing this with him as well.

[37:38] Rory O'Malley: Yeah.

[37:38] Mathenee Treco: And we get to, you know, I can call him and talk about things about Hamilton, and I don't have to preface anything. He knows, you know what I'm saying? So it's just it's really, really cool.

[37:45] Rory O'Malley: No, and you know, and you also you were there for your brother when he made his debut.

[37:51] Mathenee Treco: Yeah.

[37:52] Rory O'Malley: And had you didn't know at that time.

[37:54] Mathenee Treco: I literally, that's that's I love that you just said that. I went in for my first audition for the for these rounds for the West Coast tour. The Friday before, Gregory went on for the first time on Thursday. I found out that Monday I'd been cast as and it was so funny. We never I remember, remember we were there at the theater till for like 30, 40 minutes.

[38:16] Rory O'Malley: Yes.

[38:16] Mathenee Treco: And walked out. It was such a great moment celebrating your brother being the show. I had no idea that you were going through the process.

[38:24] Rory O'Malley: You didn't know at the time.

[38:25] Mathenee Treco: No, no, I didn't know that you were that you were going through that. But um, I think that it's really beautiful that you were able to give that love and support to your brother in that way.

[38:39] Rory O'Malley: I think that can be tricky.

[38:40] Mathenee Treco: I think that it's hard for, you know, couples in the business, siblings in the business, to remember that somebody else's success is not your failure.

[38:49] Rory O'Malley: Totally.

[38:50] Mathenee Treco: And to watch you watch your brother, I thought was such a, it was it was so beautiful and how perfect that that was not repaid, but that you know the the positive energy that you gave to your brother is something that came back to you.

[39:08] Rory O'Malley: And you guys can support each other in the Hamill fam.

[39:13] Mathenee Treco: Hamel fam.

[39:13] Rory O'Malley: Hammel bros and the Hamill fam.

[39:15] Mathenee Treco: It's really awesome.

[39:16] Rory O'Malley: On different coasts.

[39:17] Mathenee Treco: It's really amazing.

[39:18] Rory O'Malley: It's crazy. Well, thank you so much for doing this. That was pretty painless, right?

[39:20] Mathenee Treco: Yeah, absolutely.

[39:23] Rory O'Malley: All right.

[39:23] Mathenee Treco: It's lots of fun.

[39:24] Rory O'Malley: Okay, well, you gotta tell the rest of the cast so that they'll be able to do that.

[39:26] Mathenee Treco: I will be your biggest supporter. Be like you guys, you have to talk to Rory.

[39:32] Rory O'Malley: Rory helped me through everything I was going through.

[39:36] Mathenee Treco: Yeah. Tell them it's a therapy session. I'm sure they'll love to come.

[39:40] Rory O'Malley: They'll love it.

[39:41] Mathenee Treco: All right. Thank you so much for doing this. I really appreciate it.

[39:44] Rory O'Malley: Thank you. This was fun.

[39:45] Mathenee Treco: Anytime.

[39:46] Rory O'Malley: All right. Let's let's give John the drummer back his room and go do Hamilton.

[39:51] Mathenee Treco: Let's do this again.

[39:52] Rory O'Malley: All right.

[39:54] Mathenee Treco: Audition side job, swimming upstream. Believe it or not, you'll live in the dream.