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[0:10] Charlie Murphy: Hello, hello, and welcome to Mapping the College Audition, a podcast where we explore the landscape of the college theater world and try to demystify this daunting audition process.

[0:19] Charlie Murphy: I'm your host, Charlie Murphy, director of MTCA. That's Musical Theater College Auditions. And today we've got my dear friend Elysia Jordan, otherwise known as Lisi, on the show. So fun to get to chat with her. And I think you're gonna hear a pretty loose conversation since Lisi and I have known each other since we were both literally teenagers, if you can believe it. Um, I think there's really a lot of great info in this episode, and we have a lot of fun, including bringing back the game, which I'm very proud of this one. You're gonna get a sample of how awesome Lisi is at repertoire knowledge as she really crushes this game. Um, no big personal updates over here. I know my seniors are still awaiting results and working toward their decisions as we approach May 1st. For those who were able to attend our last webinar, you're gonna know that we advise you to be gentle with yourself and generous with yourself.

Give yourself time, as well, of course, as finding that bounds of negotiating and arriving at a decision in a way that's respectful to the schools. But you've earned this time and you deserve to run your race fully and not cut your process off out of eagerness or pressure from school. So keep running through the tape, you're almost done. And for our juniors, I'm gonna see many of you at junior intensive this weekend. I can't wait. Whether that's online or in person, I'll be running the sort of hybrid elements of that um for you all. If you're listening to this on episode drop day, you have one more day to register. All the more reason to listen to these episodes right when they release. But if not, we'll catch you at our next events, which are gonna be our spring faculty masterclasses, and then, of course, our big summer faculty masterclass week and our monthly webinars.

It is a beautiful spring day. I hope some of you were able to get out here. I say this on a Tuesday. I am resolved to put a bit more positivity into the world. Uh, I feel like our next six months are gonna be pretty rough with negativity in the lead up to the election. And I'm gonna try to keep this space as positive as humanly possible. I've said that now, so you can try to hold me to it. Um, I hope you're all enjoying some sunshine, a little bit of the coming spring, and some love in your world as well. And I really hope you enjoy this interview with a pretty sunny person herself in Lisi. So enjoy.

[2:28] Charlie Murphy: Well, we are so delighted to be joined by Elysia Jordan, hereafter referred to as Lisi. Uh, Lisi went to Ithaca College where she got a BFA in musical theater. She's currently on the first national tour of the company revival. Uh, previously was on the first national tour of School of Rock. She's worked all over the place regionally. Her true claim to fame is she has been a song coach, song rep, and performance coach with MTCA for over a decade. But the real, real claim to fame within that is before becoming a song coach and a true leader within the MTCA team, she was one of my very first students. So we're excited to talk about that on her journey on the pod as well. Um, Lisi, welcome. How are you doing today?

[3:10] Elysia Jordan: Oh, I'm doing so well. Thank you, Charlie. So happy to be here.

[3:16] Charlie Murphy: We've been so excited to have you on since the very beginning. You know, I've told our audience we're sprinkling in our MTCA folks in there. We don't want to have it too MTCA only centric, and we're trying to have guests and outside perspectives, all those kind of things, but yours is definitely an MTCA perspective we wanted to have on since the beginning, and I'm excited to have it today. Let's start with your MTCA student perspective. So, you know, you are somewhere in between the you know, older guests we've had who say, I did three schools and they were all hard or whatever. You're like, okay, great, good for you. And then some of our newest grads, well, just actually the last couple episodes as recording this are with, you know, one is a freshman currently in college, one only two years out of school, so a little younger. So you're somewhere in between in that it was a certainly competitive, but still no pre-screens when you did it, right? You're still before the era of.

[4:00] Elysia Jordan: No. Yeah. Yeah, no pre-screens.

[4:05] Charlie Murphy: How well do you remember your college process? Do you remember a lot of the specifics of schools and all that kind of stuff as we try to take you down through memory lane?

[4:12] Elysia Jordan: Oh, totally. Like that time is just, you know, etched in my memory as such an exhilarating, super exciting, terrifying time. Um, but yeah, our founder, as you know, Charlie, our founder, um, Ellen Lettrick, she taught theater at my high school. And she actually left the year before I got there, which was a huge bummer for me at the time because I really loved her a lot. But she still said, you know, do you want me to help you with this college with getting into college? And um, I'm from like a really small town in Ohio, so I really jumped at the opportunity to have um someone help me, and she helped pick my songs and teach me about the process. And then at the time, what Ellen's passion really was as a teacher was connecting young artists in high school with older artists who were in college or had graduated from some of these incredible programs, and really introduced them to each other and be like, how can would you mind helping this cool kid who loves theater get into school?

And you know, that is how I ended up coaching monologues with you, like in the basement of Carnegie Mellon. And that really was how MTCA started. So it's such a beautiful thing since MTCA is still such a huge part of my life to think back to how it started from such a really special idea and connection then. Humble beginnings, but also really, I think authentic beginnings, beginnings of you know, the centered in the artist and centered in what's best for the kid and all those things I think that are still true for us.

[5:54] Charlie Murphy: We'll get into some of what MTCA is, maybe. Um, I love that you say sort of seared in your brain, you know, crystallized those years. I wonder how much that is. I always wondered for myself, I'm like, how much is that because it is just such a pivotal time in our lives, or because we then continue to teach it? And so it like re-crystallizes and everything. I'm like, that's we're this same process again. Here it is, going on your 20, going on your whatever. Um, but do you remember your for yourself, you know, when you were starting that process, you have Ellen helping you, maybe giving some guidance, certainly from the overarching perspective and helping you with songs. Do you remember like what your, you know, we sometimes talk about like what the student's mission statement is, or like what you were looking for in a college?

Like, you know, you probably knew you wanted to go to a good musical theater school, but like what else were you thinking about as you were looking at the list that you created, as you thought about how you're gonna approach the process? Do you remember sort of what 17-year-old Lisi was thinking about?

[6:47] Elysia Jordan: Yeah, totally. Well, growing up, I can't remember a single time that I thought about going to school for anything else. I'm one of those people who like, I love theater. I loved it since I started doing shows in community theater in like first grade. And my parents were super supportive and loving about it, and they, you know, completely believed in me. And um, so they I knew for a long time that I was gonna go to school for theater. So I was so looking to jump into like a um a conservatory style program where I would just be doing theater, musical theater specifically, all day, every day. Um, I wasn't crazy about the idea of going directly to New York because I was from such a sort of small town in Ohio.

I liked the idea of going to like a uh more of a bigger city, but not New York right away. So um, and then, you know, to be honest, I only applied to nine schools because even though Ellen was super, super, super informed on the process more than the ordinary person, it was a different time back then where there weren't as many of these amazing programs, but B, like I didn't really realize how hard it was to get into these programs even back then. So um we didn't throw the net that wide. It was like, okay, I'll audition at these eight schools. I'm I think one of those will at least work out and bada bing bada boom, then I'll go to college. And um I remember, you know, oftentimes you find out about some of the rejections before the acceptances. And so there was a moment where I was like, oh darn, I should have applied at more schools.

[8:47] Charlie Murphy: I mean you are speaking toward a process that was different. I mean, Lisi's very young, and if we're looking at the camera, we're gonna think she's 23, but it was a different time in terms of, you know, maybe you would have said I would a couple more than nine, but you know what people are doing now, it wasn't as competitive. There weren't as many applicants back then. There wasn't a pre-screen process, which of course makes people increase schools because you know you're gonna get those rejections even before you have a chance to audition. So, you know, yeah, nine, maybe if you wouldn't advise nine, it's not like you're crazy. And I never feel that when I'm when I talk to the older guests, I'm like, you only did three schools. It's not like oh you idiot, though three to me, even is it's small back then, but it just speaks of a different time. It was not competitive back then.

[9:26] Elysia Jordan: Yeah. Yeah.

[9:27] Charlie Murphy: And you know, I had friends like you, you, Charlie at Carnegie Mellon. I had lots of friends that went to Michigan because I grew up in Ohio, so it was more close to those places. Um, and I had never been to Ithaca. I auditioned for Ithaca at Chicago Unifieds. And the only reason why I auditioned there was because I really loved Carrie Butler, one of your former um interviewees. And I knew I read that she had gone to Ithaca, and I was like, ooh, that's that sounds like an interesting program. I liked that it was in sort of a beautiful spot in the country with the waterfalls and all the you know nature around. Um, so I decided to uh um audition for them at Chicago Unifieds, and I it was the only audition that my voice cracked on the money note.

[10:19] Elysia Jordan: So I walked out of the room and looked at my mom and said, We will never speak of this audition again.

[10:25] Charlie Murphy: No, Lisi, I used to tell this audition story all the time. I don't know if you know this. I used to tell it to all of my students because and it's around this time of year, it's so perfect for anyone who's just exiting um LA Unified, so I guess this is gonna come out a little bit post-unified. But when you talk about decisions coming in, I remember you saying, Well, I know for sure that's a school I didn't get into that's the one you go I don't know any I don't you don't know all the other things but you go that one's a definite no and partially one of the reasons you said it not only you cracked but because they didn't talk to you at all right they went thanks so much right right and then you're like a definite no if they didn't interview me or they didn't give me an adjustment right and so many of our people will come to our green rooms in New York Chicago LA and they'll say that was a great audition because I got this adjustment they love me.

These are the ones hated me they didn't talk to me at all and you go it doesn't quite work that way. It's not necessarily quite so uh obvious exactly sometimes they see what they need to see and they're like great done that's that's an in so yeah I remember that I my mom never asked me she didn't ask me how it went she didn't she was like okay she doesn't want to talk about this one and we didn't talk about it till I got an acceptance letter in the mail.

[11:31] Charlie Murphy: Do you remember the deciding? Do you remember as you're now narrowing it like because to me knowing you so well like Ithaca's vibe the sort of campus vibe of what Ithaca is fit so well with you though I guess I don't know for sure how much of that is the chicken and the egg of you going there and it's in that sparking in you but but did that feel like that was a was it with a visit was it what made you finally go oh this actually is such a great fit for me?

[11:32] Elysia Jordan: Great question and that makes me go oh when you say that about Ithaca because I do just love it so much there. And we're talking about a sort of crunchy granola that uh Lisi, you know a yoga hippie.

[12:08] Elysia Jordan: No, I'm just shazi yeah totally please yeah um so I after I had been accepted, I went to visit the school and um I went with my parents, and they it's so great once you're accepted to a school to visit because they really do a great job of letting you attend classes and you've learned so much about the program, more so than you would if you're visiting before you're accepted, I would say. So they really, you know, rolled out the red carpet, and I got to sit in on a scene study class. Um, this wonderful professor Norm Johnson was teaching, and I remember at the end of it, he came up to me and shook my hand and said, May the best school win.

[12:50] Elysia Jordan: Like yeah. Which was a hilarious thing to say at the time. And it just so happened that I was there was another prospective student watching on the exact same day. And he has become one of my great, my very best friends. I'm actually getting dinner with him tonight on the upper west side. But we we sat through all the classes that day and um MT workshop, a ballet class, um, uh that scene study class, we sat in on some rehearsal, and at the end of the day, he looked at me and said, Are you gonna go here? I think I'm gonna go here. And I said, Yeah, I think I'm gonna go here too. And we both signed the paper, like we put in the deposit, we were going by the end of that day. Um and he's a real soulmate friend in the end.

[13:40] Elysia Jordan: So yeah, you you I really truly believe that you are gonna be, if you walk into those auditions and you bring your your authentic self into the room and do pieces that you really connect with and you love, that even if you think you know where that place that you're gonna drive with the most is you can be surprised and led to a place that ultimately is gonna be even better for you, and you'll find your people. You know, and we spend all this time, and they should. They're all listening to these podcasts, they're gonna look up websites, they're gonna look up curriculum. There's so many like score sheets you're gonna make as you go. What feels right? And I think I'd want this X number of credits over Y number of credits for this school. But so often then we see year after year, it's like you find the fit of the people there. You find you go, these are my people, I found my people.

[14:27] Elysia Jordan: I'm there and they all feel like me, and I want to learn with these human beings. And that can often then trump the idea of like, oh, well, I wanted that one extra ballet class. Because you can find a way to make that happen if you go, but these are my people, this is where I feel like I'm gonna learn normally.

[14:40] Charlie Murphy: Absolutely.

[14:41] Elysia Jordan: I always use that friend's analogy of you know, Ross makes out the whole list and then someone's not Rachel, but the whole thing if it's like when you go, but this is just who I love, and this is what it is. That trumps all the long list of why the pros and cons should be X or should be this or all those things.

[14:54] Charlie Murphy: Totally.

[14:55] Elysia Jordan: And another thing, you know, there were, as you mentioned, there were things about being at Ithaca that became very important to this day of the adult that I grew into. One of them, to be honest, is teaching.

[15:08] Charlie Murphy: Yeah.

[15:11] Elysia Jordan: Because while I was at Ithaca, I ended up TAing a bunch of classes. I TA'd three different classes at Ithaca and had incredible professors that I, you know, assisted. And one of them was this really neat voice and speech class where on the Friday of every week, the TA taught the class. So I had to come up with, you know, an ongoing like curriculum that I would run by, you know, this teacher who's still like an unbelievable mentor of mine, Susanna Merriman. And I became so enamored with teaching as well. Like, oh my gosh, I really I love this. That then when I moved to New York, and Ellen had me over her apartment, and you know, we were she was coaching a student for MTCA, and she said, Lisi, what do you think?

And I gave a couple notes, and she thought, Oh, you do you like teaching? You should teach from MTCA. And then, of course, that is one of you know the most cherished parts of my life ever since. So you never know the things that you're gonna discover about yourself in those four years. And so it's really like really important that you stay open to the process and really listen to your heart and end up at the place that's best for you.

[16:22] Elysia Jordan: I love staying open as a, especially at this time of year as you're making decisions, because it's like being willing, having the bravery to potentially change. We always talk about what is that mission saving? What do you write down, you know, a year before advanced, 18 months in advance? But knowing it will change. You show up and you go, I didn't even know this was important to me. And now I need to be in nature every day. I visited Utah and I go, I need that to happen for me. Okay, that's a different situation. Like you wouldn't may not have known that until all of a sudden you go, now it is important to me. And then it's great to be able to listen to that if that happens.

[16:52] Charlie Murphy: Um and I love you know, also the idea of teaching. We didn't read it this in your bio, but you teach at SoCapa every year, right? And you help design curriculum there.

[17:00] Elysia Jordan: So cool that you were given the confidence and the empoweringness, the empowerment. I don't know what the word there is, but to be empowered to go, I can create curriculum. It's not just that I'm gonna grade tests, but I'm gonna come up with ideas and I know how to teach and that if they could give that to you, it's great.

[17:15] Elysia Jordan: Yes, and it's funny you mentioned SoCapa, because one other thing about that. So that program, when I was in college, one of my professors put out a note saying, This teacher from Cornell is looking for a TA for this summer program in Vermont, which was SoCapa. So, you know, I applied to do it and I got the job, and I ended up going to Vermont and teaching. It was like, you know, junior year of college. Again, like met this incredible teacher, Michael Kaplan, who I still teach with now and who's a huge mentor. And the film TA at that program and ended up being my husband. Like 13 years later, we got married. So it's just goes to show you that's another thing of like, you know, had I gone to Michigan or some or Carnegie Mellon, I even the personal repercussions of like being in that place to be referred to that job to meet that person, like it's just unbelievable how the web just weaves itself.

[18:13] Charlie Murphy: It's crazy.

[18:14] Elysia Jordan: How the web weaves.

[18:15] Charlie Murphy: Okay. Um, I want to wrap up your the your audition part of it. Just what do you think you did really well in the process? And is there anything that you feel like, hey, if I could go back and do it again now that I've coached and I know so much about the process that you would personally do differently.

[18:29] Elysia Jordan: Oh my God. Um that's such a good question. I would trust the process more. And as we were just saying, trust me, like less um less anxiety over, oh my god, I'm definitely not gonna get in. Oh, I that was the one school for me, and now it didn't work out, and I'm devastated.

[18:49] Charlie Murphy: Yep, yep, yeah.

[18:50] Elysia Jordan: That and but I think what I did really well, and it's funny because it's still so a part of my day today, is I loved the songs that I sang and the monologues that you did, too. And the monologues that I had, yes. But you know me, like I love acting a song. That's why I do musical theater. I love acting a song, I love choosing rep. I do it all the time with our students. And I definitely, even back in high school, had a really big curiosity for like listening to as many different songs and different types of musicals and knowing as much rep as I could, so that then I could like be really specific about what I was choosing for myself. Not because I wanted something that was so off the beaten path that I'd impressed the professor, but because I really wanted to be singing something that fit my voice and really felt like a song I loved.

[19:45] Charlie Murphy: Yeah.

[19:46] Elysia Jordan: That's a really cogent note to give yourself. Um, because I think it's something we talk about, all of our students that, you know, the idea of bringing joy into the room and wanting to be there and being excited to present this material, that's kind of like table stakes. Like you have to do that. That isn't to get into school, you have to want to sing your songs or do your monologues. That is something I think you have kind of in all aspects of your life, but certainly in this world, you have no problem bringing joy into a room. I think anyone who knows Lisi Jordan knows this person brings joy into every room she walks into. And that's what a what a gift it is. It makes people want to work with you, it makes people want to spend time with you, go to school with you. So that's it's great. Glad that you know that about yourself.

[20:22] Charlie Murphy: Um what about with your parents? If we were to give them some notes, um, what did they do really well? You mentioned them being really wonderful and supportive when we love mom not saying talking about the Ithaca audition when it didn't go well. Um, anything that they did really well and anything that if you could go back and give them notes now, if they had another 17-year-old going through it that you'd say, all right, but do this a little more.

[20:42] Elysia Jordan: Oh my gosh. Well, you know, for the college audition process, they were so amazing. They, you know, took me to all the schools and to unified. I remember so clearly being at the Palmer House with my mom and um her, you know, running me something to eat and her like, you know, sitting next to me and like calming me down as I steam my voice between auditions and like, you know, ironing my outfit and doing everything to try to like, you know, personal assistant type of vibe.

[21:11] Charlie Murphy: I love you giving me full charades here. This is a podcast, Lisi. You don't need to act it all out, and very little of this.

[21:16] Elysia Jordan: She's giving me ironing the violin, like she's really doing it.

[21:19] Charlie Murphy: Yeah.

[21:20] Elysia Jordan: Oh my gosh, so true. Um, yeah, so they were, but I think you know, for my parents, they had no idea. They believed in me so much that they had no idea how hard this life was in the process. You know, like they really didn't know. So I I know there were definitely times in my life as a young artist where I was just like, oh, like I can see how worried they are for me, and I and they're trying to, you know, make the best of it and still be encouraging, which they always were. But that I don't envy them in that position because it must be really hard to watch your kid get rejected. That must be so hard, and that's such um, you know, a part of our business. But the one thing that I will say is when I moved to New York, we I had a conversation with them once because I was non-union, so I was going, you know, waiting outside at 6 a.m. to go in and maybe sing, you know, 16 bars for the non-eq of Beauty and the Beast or something like that, you know.

And for those of you who don't know, that is, you know, a necessary thing as a young artist when you move to the city. Sometimes you're going to those ECCs, they're a good way to get in front of people, but like it's a cattle call audition, you know, it's like you're gonna go to a bunch of those, and maybe nothing happens from any of the things. Throwing talent down the well. I mean, that's what the feels like sometimes. It's like get out there and just get the work, but you don't know that you're getting anything back from that.

[22:56] Charlie Murphy: Totally.

[22:57] Elysia Jordan: So I had told my parents, you know, earlier in the week would be like, What are you doing this week? And I would maybe say, Oh, I have an audition for Beauty and the Beast or something. And I would wake up that morning to texts from like my mom, my dad, my neighbors. And the text would be, you know, like, shine your light in there, like you were born to do this. Like, we believe in you so much, you know, like as if it was how could they like the love and support as if it was the most important day of my life. And finally, I just had to say, I, you know, we had a really lovely conversation where I said, Mom and dad, I completely understand why you think that these texts would be um courage building and and hype me up.

And I I appreciate it so much, but actually it's super psyching me out. Can you not, can you not tell the neighbors when I'm going to an ECC? I don't want to, I don't want, I'm trying to make it an ordinary part of my artistic life to go to these auditions.

[24:00] Charlie Murphy: Yeah.

[24:00] Elysia Jordan: And as soon as they heard that, they said, Oh my gosh, of course, of course, we totally see why you feel that way. Yeah. Um, so I think it's so important, you know, to have keep a loving dialogue open with with your parents if you're the kid and with your kid if you're the parents, about like what about this is helping your sort of mental audition game? And what are the things that maybe are well intentioned but actually are not helping, so that you get better and better at communicating and supporting each other throughout this process and throughout being a young artist.

[24:32] Charlie Murphy: It's it's so true. And I think I think I've told the story on the podcast before, but my mother, she she was never the loving support. I mean, she was loving, but she she it wasn't like she would send in the in advance, though, but she would up, we would often have like debrief calls after an audition. She knows it's gonna happen. So right as I walked around the street, it was like helpful for me to be like, okay, here's what happened. And like my mom knows nothing about acting, but it was just a chance for us to like chat through or whatever. Which she was great, it was so helpful. I love that about my mom. And then in the next couple days, she would text me relentlessly to be like, Have you heard? Have you heard anything? Oh, and at one point I have to be like, Mom, I didn't just book the lead in an HBO pilot and not remember to tell you. Like, there's not like I'm not like holding that information back from you. I promise you'll be the first to hear.

[25:16] Elysia Jordan: Oh, now that you mentioned it.

[25:19] Charlie Murphy: Thanks.

[25:19] Elysia Jordan: Like, mom, come on.

[25:21] Charlie Murphy: And and she did. It took her a while. It took maybe three or four times I had to deliver that note to be like, Mom, I will tell you. Don't ask. I promise I'll tell you.

[25:26] Elysia Jordan: That's a good note for parents in general. Your kids will tell you. I promise they're not booking the big Broadway tour without calling you the first thing. It's gonna happen.

[25:36] Charlie Murphy: Definitely, definitely.

[25:37] Elysia Jordan: That's hilarious. That's so real. Let's transition into the Broadway tour. First, though, we have to at least touch on Ithaca. We did a little bit already. Um, you know, we just had our wonderful Ali Lewis Borsgi on the show.

[25:48] Charlie Murphy: Oh, Karen Butler, Kate Hamill. We've had some amazing Ithaca people here. I know you know Ali from the company tours.

[25:55] Elysia Jordan: Oh my dear Ali, he's the best.

[25:57] Charlie Murphy: Give me like a couple sentences, let's say two to three sentences on the Ithaca experience for you. What what was it? What was the biggest thing you feel like you learned from it? What do you carry forward into your teaching? What feels like it was the what Ithaca was for you as an experience?

[26:12] Elysia Jordan: Oh my gosh. Impossible to say in a few sentences, but um it really opened my eyes to how how how important always the acting first is. That, you know, at Ithaca, you're in class from eight in the morning to five at night, and ever uh at all times pretty much you're in for the four years, you're in like some sort of scene study class, whether it be like styles or scene or actual scene study. Um, you know, when I went to Ithaca the first two years, we were in a scene study class that at the end of every semester led to like our review where we'd have to do the scene in front of the faculty, and then we'd get a letter that you know was part of that cut process. Um, that I think I think that it's not exactly the way it was when I went there now, but you know, it was a big part of my experience when I was there.

Um what was good about that process was I got a letter every semester that said, here's what's going well, and here's what we want you to work on. And a lot of what they told me was you have been praised a lot for being really um accommodating and kind and polite. And we want to try to like see what's on the other side of that. So I was assigned, you know, spike heels, Oleana, like all these sort of like meteor, not very polite scenes, um, to sort of try to break me out of um the habitual my comfort zone.

[27:55] Charlie Murphy: Yeah.

[27:55] Elysia Jordan: Um yeah, yeah. So I would say that a big portion of my time at Ithaca was discovering what it meant to be a creative person, um, how to really stay present and notice things more, how to let your own point of view have the confidence to add your own point of view to things, and that how like the storytelling is the absolute most important part. So if you haven't done the homework before an audition with a sides packet to come in and tell the story, then like what are you thinking? Because that's the most important part.

[28:40] Charlie Murphy: Look at you with your amazing growth as a pleaser, no longer accommodating even the rules of two to three sentences that I gave you.

[28:48] Elysia Jordan: Oh my gosh! And that's good.

[28:54] Charlie Murphy: Um let's talk a little bit about because you know, I want to talk about touring and do some uh a little deep dive on touring. I want to talk about teaching a little bit with you too. But I also want to talk a little bit about, you know, because you are someone who just objectively has had this now really successful career, but was not an instant, oh my gosh, now I'm on Broadway. You you were not Ali, who's two years out of school playing a lead on Broadway, right? I mean, it's amazing, but that's not your experience. What was the showcase process like for you? What was those first couple years? It's you're working, right? You're you were a working actor. I saw you, you're off doing this thing, you're off doing that thing, but also seems like a lot of auditioning.

I mean, you know, you were like a model for me watching of going, boy, this is someone who gets in class, stays positive, does work your auditions into your life. Because some people that's what breaks them is they go, I can't do the rhythm of rejection, rejection, rejection and keep showing up joyfully. So you were doing that from this from the outside, it was like, man, she's doing great with this. What were those experiences like before you booked the first big Broadway tour? You know, what was that experience? Because that's a decade in the city before that happened, is that right? Something like that.

[29:52] Elysia Jordan: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, oh, uh everyone's path is their own. And this business, as we know, is so nonlinear that it can be really challenging mentally because, you know, as a thoughtful A plus student, like me and you, Charlie, not to toot our own horns, but yeah, you're a good one. Okay. Okay, fair enough. But like, you know, you want to like make logical sense of the trajectory you're on. And like, you know, with students all the time, we'll have kids say, um, you know, oh, I got an acceptance back from this school that I didn't even really like that much, and it was a rejection. So I'll never get into that school that I really love. And it's like, but the thing is, this is this whole career is nonlinear, you know.

So company was the best audition I had since post-COVID. I got told a lot of no's for a bunch of jobs that maybe I wanted or maybe I wasn't even all that interested in getting. And had I said, like, well, if I didn't get this job, I'll never get something like company, I would have brought that energy into that audition. And, you know, that's can be really um detrimental to a young artist's um spirit and also just the energy they're bringing into a room.

[31:12] Elysia Jordan: So yeah, I mean, oh, how do I want to say this? I guess it's that you're told all the time, like this business is really hard. There's gonna be a lot of rejection. And I think for a lot of young artists, myself included, I heard that and was like, okay, yes, I understand it's gonna be really hard, but I'm pretty good. So, like, I think that I think that I won't have that much rejection. And then when you feel that way, did you feel like hey, because oh you were, I mean, you were amazing in high school, you might you got praised voice and if you're acting. You so someone that you knew was talented and you treated well at school too. Did you feel like, hey, I think I'll be one of the ones who's two years out of school looking the Broadway show?

[31:54] Elysia Jordan: Well, I I think by the time I got to leaving school, I had an idea, a much better idea of what the reality actually was. But I will say that, like when it's you, it's so hard not to like start getting the inevitable rejection that's part of this, and not take it personally, not be like, what should I learn from this rejection? Should I learn that I'm not cut out for this business? Should I learn that I'm not gonna get and so to be honest, when I first moved to the city, there was a period of time where I was like got so nervous, like really, really nervous in auditions about like cutting it or something. I don't know, like, should I be in this room? Like, how am I gonna get to where I wanna be?

Like, it was very nerve-wracking. And then when I started to get some yeses, I learned like, oh, so those no's did not mean that these yeses weren't coming because it's nonlinear. So therefore, all I have control over is doing the work, which luckily is the part that I love, like working on these auditions, do making space for them in my life to really do the work and and feel proud of what I'm bringing into the room. And then I'm gonna bring it into the room. And actually, my self-worth as an artist is not on the line today. Like, you know, I had a teacher say, You bring your self-worth into the room and you bring it out of the room. You bring your sense of humor into the room, you bring it out of the room.

Like you walk in, you do the work, and then you walk out the door. And if you're proud of what you did, you let it go because the jobs that are right from you for you are gonna inevitably come. And once you start looking at the process that way, then it's a beautiful like loop of just working harder and harder and having a better and better attitude about the whole process. But that takes time sometimes to really know that that rejection, you don't have to take it personally. You can actually like let it be water under the bridge and keep going.

[33:55] Charlie Murphy: And of course, you so smartly pointed out how nonlinear it is and how there's not, you don't know A leads to B, leads to C leads to D. Do you feel like for that first school of rock booking, which of course was this big? Oh, now I figure I get something with a Broadway slap on it, and that's a validation from the outside world, and it's a big step. Like, I mean, I'll tell you, I remember where I was when you called me to tell you you booked it as a friend. I'm like, I remember so happy for you. Like this person deserves this book. Um, but but do you feel like, you know, when you say nonlinear, do you feel like was it just the right preparation meeting the right opportunity for you? Or was there something of like, I couldn't have booked this three years ago?

Like, was there something that you felt like in terms of personal growth that you got to a different place and were auditioning differently? Or was it like, hey, I just the thing that came across that actually what I was right for happened and I and everything, the stars aligned. Like, do you feel like it was one of those two things?

[34:43] Elysia Jordan: I think it's both. I think it's absolutely both. Like it's like if you keep doing the work, your skill set is gonna keep developing, and you're gonna be confident to walk into the rooms and hopefully like get into more and more rooms as you're in the city longer and you meet more people and you connect with more people. That ultimately, like if you're doing the work and then the right opportunity turns up, bada bing, bada boom, like, you know, but it's not that yeah, I think it's both. I think it's totally both in my experience.

[35:18] Charlie Murphy: Okay, let's get into tour life a little bit. So now you've gone on two tours, you're still on a tour. Though you're now in New York, uh, we guess between stops, right? Um, I'd love to hear about, I want to hear about tours in general, but I want to hear about also the differences. You did one as a young unmarried woman and now a happily old married woman. Um how different that is, of course. But let's start off about just your first tour. Like, yeah, what was that big surprise? I mean, it's something that a lot of people think of, like, oh, I'd maybe when I'm young, I'll go on tour. Uh easier said than done, of course, booking it. But but you know, what is that experience of like traveling around the country and you're not uh right out of school, you know, you have a life in New York and you're trying to navigate that. What was that first experience? Anything really surprised you anything um, you know, you learned from that experience.

[36:01] Elysia Jordan: Yeah, oh my gosh. Well, it's funny, the two shows that I've done are so different in every single way. But the first tour was School of Rock. So there were, I was traveling with a lot of kids, you know, kids and their parents, and children, which was not like kids out of school, you mean actual kids, yeah. Yeah, like nine to twelve year olds. Half the cast was nine to twelve years old. Um, and at that point, I was in the ensemble, um, playing Summer's Mom and one of the teachers, but I also understudied the lead, Rosalie, and one of the other leads, Mrs. Shinkoff. So yeah, it was a it was a really awesome experience to start that sort of like traveling around the country and um going to it's a neat thing because you you travel around the country and you go to the theater in every city.

In every city, you see what their theater is and you see what their audiences are like. And some of the theaters are these old, like historic theaters that um, you know, like the Fox Theater in St. Louis, we're gonna go there in a couple weeks, and it's like they give you a tour and they tell you about all the people who've performed there, and it's like, you know, this gorgeous um building that was built. I don't know what the date was that it was built, but you know, it's like these old historic theaters. Or you go to like, you know, a place like we just played Greenville, and it's a new theater, and every room has, you know, a monitor that plays the show, and there's a green room, and there's the it's so comfortable.

And so it's just fascinating to see, you know, what the theaters and in all of our biggest cities in the country are like. Um, and especially, you know, with School of Rock, to be honest, like people always went crazy when the kids started playing instruments, and we're just you know, that was such an absolute crowd pleaser, no matter what. Like, you know, those kids start playing instruments and the audience goes wild. Um, but with company, it's like the reception from city to city is radically different, you know.

[38:09] Elysia Jordan: Um, and that has been truly fascinating. But we're also connecting with all the Saundime lovers in the country, you know, like people who love Sondtime are coming to see company, and they're like, We're so glad this show is here because we don't get to see things like this. Um, but they're yeah, it's you know, it plays really different in Detroit than it does in Chicago. So that has been a very interesting thing. And also, um, like, for instance, in Chicago was the first and only place that when she said, I'd like to propose a toast, there was applause. Uh-huh. Which, you know, in New York, I'm sure that line got applause every single night. But in Chicago, it got applause. And for the first time, we were like, oh my gosh, wait, there it is, the applause.

But it doesn't get applause in Detroit or in, you know, Greenville. Not to not knock in those cities. No, those they're not, they're in unsophisticated in Detroit. Lisa says Detroit audiences. No. But you know, it's just, it's fascinating.

[39:14] Elysia Jordan: With all those different cities, too. I mean, I've never toured, and so I can only imagine like I am such a creature of ritual with shows. Oh, that like both in the show, you talk about monitors and that kind of stuff in terms of just like not missing your cues and all the things that you're you're used to about, you know, what is my in the show when I'm offstage relaxing. But to me, also just like, I mean, some shows I'm a kombucha before the show and I go do yoga here, and some things I'm I'm like getting a sweat on somewhere else. But like you have to find, I imagine very different routines based on where you don't have your same coffee shop, you don't have your same whatever. Like how do you come up with your different your kind of is there something systematized in your rituals? Just you finding I gotta find the local Starbucks or I gotta find the whatever. How do you make that happen for yourself?

[39:54] Elysia Jordan: Yeah, it's such an interesting part of it. I I mean I always try to find like a yoga or a Pilates studio in every city somewhere to work out. Um, and I've been using class paths, so that's kind of fun because you know, same thing. You see the theater in every city, you see the yoga studio in every city. That's kind of you don't need to be not sponsoring. But I like that too because it gives you gives me a very good reason to get out into the city and to leave my hotel room in the mornings. Um, and then the other thing that's interesting that you mentioned it's so different. In fact, the backstage in every theater is some are have a big spacious backstage, some it's very, very tight. So I so a lot of people don't know this, but we travel, our amazing crew travels like the entire not just the set, but also the floor that you're on.

So when you're standing on stage, it looks exactly the same. Like the set is exactly the same, the same spike marks are on the ground because we traveled the floor that goes on top of the floor. But the second you walk off stage, everything's different. And I remember at School of Rock the very first time we moved to a new theater, and I was on stage, you know, doing the scene exactly as is, everything looked great, and then I'm focusing on the scene, and I walk off stage to exit. And I remember being like, Where am I? Like this is a yeah, yeah. Yeah, so that's an interesting part of it. But but yeah, definitely we find places to work out in every city. Definitely we find a coffee place. I actually prefer as much as I love Starbucks, it's really fun to see what the local coffee shop, you know, to get on Google Maps and see what a great coffee shop is nearby, or a great museum in that city that you wanted to go to.

Um, or or like, you know, where is their live music? The cities that there's live music after the show in Minneapolis, that's where Prince um lived. So there's a really cool music scene there. You can go to Prince's house and tour it and go. We we saw a band at night that Prince used to play with, or in Memphis or New Orleans, like there's all this cool music culture that you can get into that is really fun, a perk of traveling around and going to all these cities. But yeah, I there are definitely some other moments where it's like, oh my gosh, I just figured out this city. And now I'm moving out to start all over again on Monday. Where do I get my groceries? Where do I get my, you know, where is the yoga studio?

Where is the coffee? Oh, now the theater takes me this long to get to how much time should I factor in before sound check? Okay, I get it's this. Like it is a lot of work figuring out the logistics of it all. And at times that's super exhilarating, and other times it's very, it's it's hard.

[42:43] Charlie Murphy: It seems like it's the romantic dream of a tour, of course, is that you get to see all the museums and see all the. I also hear a lot of people who are like, I mostly stayed in my hotel room. Like I just wasn't able to get out, and I wish I had on that moment. I was so tired or whatever. Um I wonder which one I would be. I probably would be more the hotel room person, even though I would want to be like, I'm gonna find this cool artistic jazz club. But I'd be like, I'm probably you gotta you gotta be well to do the show. So there is a balance for sure. Um, what about the combination of touring and covering? Like, does that make it maddening for you? Like, are people flying to Phoenix to come see you play a role? Like, how do you make like because you're like, I'm on for the lead now, but I'm in San Antonio or wherever you are.

[43:22] Elysia Jordan: Like, how does that work for you?

[43:24] Yeah, it's so interesting.

[43:25] Well, on School of Rock, the first time I went on was at the Benedom Center in Pittsburgh, which was so stupid.

[43:33] Right by your parents.

[43:34] Yeah.

[43:34] I know, and I had gone, you know, I had gone to see shows, touring shows there.

[43:40] So I could not believe that that was the first time I went on as Rosalie.

[43:43] And it was also really early in art.

[43:47] It was like show 20.

[43:48] Um, so I was thrown on with like, you know, we had so basically with the tours, in my experience, they can't really start rehearsing the understudies in their tracks until the show opens.

[44:02] Right.

[44:02] Right.

[44:03] So now at Company, you know, we've had months of understudy rehearsal.

[44:09] But at the beginning, if you have to go on at the beginning, there is a real leap that gets made from like, okay, I've done for School of Rock that time.

[44:18] It was like I'd done the, I had done one woman's School of Rock in my hotel room every night for, you know, but you did one School of Rock.

[44:27] It wasn't a roof.

[44:29] Your own school.

[44:30] Yeah, but what will it be like, you know, when I'm on the stage in the costumes, singing with the band, with the kids, with, you know, doing the show, all the entire trajectory of the role.

[44:41] And so all of a sudden, you're taking, you know, the second to last bow in a show that you did in your room a hundred times, but never on the stage.

[44:50] It's so, it's wild, it's exhilarating.

[44:53] Um, but so that is definitely understudying is this amazing thing because this time on Company, I am an offstage understudy.

[45:04] So because Company, you know, has all principal contracts, everybody's a lead.

[45:12] Um, there are, you know, a group of understudies that travel with a show who aren't on stage every night, but are offstage and know multiple roles.

[45:20] So I cover all of the wives except for Joanne, and I cover the Bobby Double, which you'll have to come see the show to find out what that is.

[45:30] Um, but basically, like, you know, we have understudy rehearsal, and we start on one role and you learn that role, and then we do a put-in rehearsal and get, you know, do the show on the set, and then we move to the next role and you start learning the next role.

[45:46] So instead of having one role that you sort of flesh out over a really long period of time, understudying is sort of like being an expert on the entire show as a whole, and you know, learning more and more and more and more and more about the show, and so you ultimately have all of the information you know, so that I could get a text at any moment saying, like, you know, tonight you're on as Susan, or tonight you're on as Sarah.

[46:18] And with Company, it's like a pretty delicious um theater exercise, really, knowing all the different scenes in Company and um seeing what it's like to play each of the wives because the little vignettes are so different from each other, and all of them are really cool.

[46:36] And yeah, someone who's so musically skilled.

[46:38] I mean, this is where I just you know I can sing, but I don't have that level of musical ability.

[46:42] The like if you're covering multiple parts which sing different harmonies, is that not impossible to like?

[46:48] I just feel like that would be the part I could never do is like I can learn a harmony, no problem.

[46:52] But then I have to learn the other harmony, and some nights is that does that maddening to your brain?

[46:56] Or is that like, no, I get it.

[46:58] I can keep these apart.

[47:00] You know, that part I get.

[47:01] Like, I know now I know all of Sondheim's harmonies in Company.

[47:05] I know them all.

[47:06] All the female.

[47:08] Yeah.

[47:09] Yeah, which is um that part's not as hard.

[47:12] The hardest part about the music in Company is that you know, the opening number is all Bobby, yeah, Bobby baby, like all of those.

[47:20] So learning like, okay, this role goes boo-boo, sweetheart, and this one goes, you know, like that kids we're asking.

[47:30] Like it's like really that is so that took a lot of time.

[47:34] And the danger of being missing the whole song, right?

[47:36] The danger is you keep it.

[47:38] Like, that's my line too.

[47:39] I know that line.

[47:40] That's neat.

[47:41] Well, you know what's crazy though, Charlie, too, is our production has these like pin lights that come on, like everybody's standing in a void.

[47:48] So like the light comes on you when you have your Bobby.

[47:52] Yes.

[47:52] So no, you can't sing.

[47:55] It's on you.

[47:55] If I say it's on you, you made me.

[47:57] You made you turn it off.

[48:00] What it's like a little bit with touring, because we're gonna get into teaching here in the second half.

[48:03] Just how did you, and uh just a kudos to how impressive it's been that you've done this?

[48:08] How did you balance teaching with touring, right?

[48:11] Because you've had kind of a foot in the New York City slash, you know, whatever the your students' time zones, even as you're in different places and you're you're on your own touring schedule.

[48:21] How did you balance sort of you you never lessened your teaching load while you were touring either time?

[48:27] Amazingly and impressively.

[48:29] But how did you balance that?

[48:30] What was that like?

[48:30] How did it affect the tour for you?

[48:32] Was it helpful?

[48:33] Was it like, oh god, this is such a drag?

[48:34] Like, how did that work for you?

[48:35] Oh, no, never a drag.

[48:37] I mean, the short answer is that I love both so much.

[48:41] I love teaching.

[48:42] So it's never ever a drag.

[48:45] Um, and in fact, it would have been really heartbreaking because I was so both years, I was so connected already to the students I was working with and their college audition process that it would have been harder for me to be like, I can no longer do this.

[48:59] That would have been hard.

[49:01] So it was easy saying to them, hey, I'm gonna be doing this tour.

[49:05] If it works for your schedule to still work together, I would love to do so.

[49:09] Um, and you know, I end up teaching between understudy rehearsal and the show.

[49:09] I end up teaching, like just staying at the theater with my computer and you know, teaching um in the little periods of time I have when I'm not being called.

[49:26] Um it's a beautiful thing because I'm learning new stuff all the time as an actor, working on these scenes that then I can like share with my students or talk about, or I see something going on in their song, and I'm like, oh, this would actually be really relevant.

[49:44] Um so I find that the two really feed each other because um I'm sort of you know talking about all this acting theory, and then when I go do my work, it's like, okay, now I gotta put my money where my mouth is.

[49:59] Am I doing the things that I told that student that they should be doing?

[50:02] So it's this, it's a beautiful thing, and I will never want to, you know, let go of one for the other.

[50:09] It's so it's great doing both.

[50:11] So true.

[50:11] I I have always talked about it.

[50:12] I I do really feel, of course, you know, anything you're doing professionally helps inform your teaching and helps your students, but I think how much the reverse happens that your your teaching helps you professionally.

[50:22] Like I would have classmates who'd be like, auditioning is so hard.

[50:25] I don't remember how to do this stuff.

[50:26] And I was like, I do.

[50:27] I teach it all the time.

[50:28] Like I remember because I've never stopped doing it because you keep teaching, like it keeps you fresh to be like, I have to remind myself of that.

[50:34] And am I actually doing that?

[50:36] It's so true.

[50:37] Absolutely.

[50:37] All right, let's take a short break on the back end of the break.

[50:39] We're gonna dive a little bit deeper into teaching and we will play a game.

[50:43] All you gay monger people out there.

[50:45] Games are back for Lisey.

[50:49] Okay, we are back with the grade Lisi.

[50:51] Don't call me Alicia Jordan.

[50:54] Um let's talk a little bit about teaching.

[50:56] So you've been teaching with MTCA for over a decade now, right?

[51:00] Is that true?

[51:00] Yeah.

[51:00] Yeah.

[51:01] Over a decade.

[51:02] Like 13 years.

[51:04] Isn't that crazy?

[51:06] Okay.

[51:06] Just we'll start you off with a softball.

[51:08] What is your favorite thing about teaching this age group?

[51:10] What do you love about teaching 17-year-olds each year?

[51:13] Oh, oh my gosh.

[51:15] Well, so many things.

[51:18] I every student's really different, right?

[51:22] So we have kids that come to MTCA who have worked professionally or have worked at the regional theaters around, and so they're they kind of are up on the acting lingo and they're ready to dive deeper.

[51:35] And that's really exciting because you get to sort of um start where they're at and really run with it from there.

[51:43] But also we meet kids who, you know, have never had an acting lesson, who maybe don't know that they're even supposed to act during their song audition.

[51:51] They think that it during the singing portion, I'm gonna sing, and then during the monologue portion, I'm gonna act.

[51:57] So that's a really exciting thing to sort of open people's eyes to know the storytelling is actually the number one thing they're gonna be looking for.

[52:05] And here's how we dive in and start to do that.

[52:08] And anytime you see a student feel it for the first time, that is a feeling and a moment that is just absolutely priceless and awesome.

[52:23] Um, because we're already meeting kids who are really passionate about musical theater, of course, otherwise they wouldn't be auditioning for schools.

[52:31] So um, watching them have those aha moments that are so important and exhilarating for them and helping facilitate those moments is so so amazing.

[52:41] I I couldn't agree more.

[52:42] I always talk about the I call them light bulb moments, but like those light bulbs for me, I have such memory of like oh my often I'll talk about with like Shakespeare or whatever, when it like, oh my God, this is what it is?

[52:52] I had no idea.

[52:53] I've been missing this whole thing.

[52:54] Oh my god, like was so exciting for me when I get to do that with students.

[52:57] I'm always just like it's like a nostalgia, it's like reliving my own experience of turning it on.

[53:02] And uh it's one dope new hit if we're gonna get scientific there.

[53:05] Oh, truly.

[53:06] What do you feel like what what's the biggest surprise?

[53:09] Now, so you know, at 13 years in, you know, what has been the biggest area of learning working with these same students year after year for yourself of going, oh, this is I would have thought it was like this, but actually this, like what what has has been a surprise or a new thing for you?

[53:23] A new thing.

[53:24] Um, well, of course, when pre-screens came to be, that was a very new thing.

[53:30] Um, and that was a big shift in the experience for us because I you mentioned earlier, like people are starting to hear about yeses and no's in the middle of the year before they even start their live auditions.

[53:45] So that is always a very interesting part because you have to try to help the students realize that even though it feels they want to be like, oh my gosh, this process is ending, actually, no, it's not, it's just beginning.

[54:00] And um, your mental approach to it is really important.

[54:05] So we have to sort of like you know, right size the boat and um and help them approach what we know is the long the long game of the process in the right way.

[54:18] Um, what do you think?

[54:20] So, and in the 13 years, what do you think?

[54:22] How have the students changed?

[54:24] So, you know, when you think about your first students that you had and what they were like, and now over a decade later, what these the class of 2024 is like, how does what does that change feel like to you?

[54:33] What how are they different, you know, in terms of the evolution of our students?

[54:37] Oh my gosh.

[54:39] Well, I mean, back then I was a lot closer in age to my students.

[54:44] Totally.

[54:45] I remember like you guys used to look up to me and now you think I'm your parents.

[54:47] Okay, cool.

[54:50] Yes, like, you know, back then I we were so close in age, and um, so that has a def def a different vibe.

[54:58] Whereas now, as I get older, um I feel like I don't want to say the students seem younger because that's not right, but they are younger in relationship to my age.

[55:11] And also like, um, I feel like of course, kids now are so like internet social media savvy, and that didn't, that was less a part of it um back then.

[55:23] So, you know, whereas before, like doing a a uh um coaching over Skype would have been like maybe the first time that student was ever on Skype and learning to work.

[55:35] Now it's like meeting on Zoom is just so commonplace that it's it's hardly so I I'd say that that's probably the biggest difference.

[55:43] It's so true.

[55:43] Yeah, I often talk about how the students it feels like they are more knowledgeable and less confident than in some ways, like the the naivete that they used to have because they didn't know anything.

[55:53] Like sometimes you had to be like, all right, let me knock you down a couple pegs.

[55:55] You think you know a lot and you don't.

[55:57] Now it's like they actually do know a lot, and sometimes you have to be like, you know more than you think, like you're doing great.

[56:01] Like you're not like stop comparing yourself to the standard of the best YouTube singer you've ever seen in your life and thinking that's what everyone is, because that's not where everyone is at 17 or all the same thing.

[56:10] Right, exactly.

[56:12] Um, okay, I'm gonna give you another softball.

[56:15] Okay.

[56:15] From your perspective, wonderful Lisi, what do you think makes MTCA MTCA?

[56:21] So, what do you think?

[56:22] Like, what's the heart of the company that differentiates us or that makes you I'm gonna make you brag about our company, but makes you proud to work for us.

[56:28] And you know, you really have been here since the beginning and see talk about those humble beginnings.

[56:32] What do you think makes MTCA different or make it makes it what it is?

[56:37] Well, the people um we have my colleagues at MTCA are so incredible.

[56:45] And I think that you know, from the start with Ellen, she was really careful that the people she chose were not just super talented artists and and great actors, great singers, great musical theater artists, but also that they were genuinely passionate about teaching, that they were great teachers who were gonna really care about the students, and who, even with all the you know, the ups and downs of their acting career would separately like um prioritize their students and and their trajectories as well, and not just the second they get a job be like, okay, bye.

[57:28] Like we we have people who are so such great teachers and really wonderful people who realize the responsibility of mentoring a young artist and what that all that entails.

[57:42] Um, and then because we that's the baseline.

[57:47] Then we're interested in getting a lot of different unique personalities and unique artists, and we never say, like, and here's how you teach acting a song.

[57:59] Elysia Jordan: We let that person do it in their own unique, wonderful, one of a kind way. And we're meeting a bunch of students who are also very unique. So then pairing each student with an artist that is gonna be the right mentor for them and they're gonna really jive with. I think the result is us being able to take really great care of the students that come to us and pair them with some remarkable artists who also are in it in teaching for all the right reasons and truly really passionate about it.

[58:34] Elysia Jordan: I literally could not have said it better myself and have said it worse myself. So that's what I'll say. I mean, it's so true the like cutting room floor of some big names with big careers who wanted to teach for us, and we go, I don't think this person's student centered. I think it seems like they're kind of looking for a little side job and they want to make some money, but I don't think they feel like they're really the heart of MTCA. And even if they are a big Broadway name or Tony nominee or Tony winner, they're people we've said no to.

[58:59] Elysia Jordan: Yeah. And you know, the song team, I have, of course, the most interactions with the song team, and I can't tell you how many phone calls and texts and whatnot that I get that will either be like, I have a student, and here's what they sound like, here's what their vibe is, here are some songs that I think would be great for them, but I want to go into that listening session with more that are really specific. What do you guys think? And we bounce ideas off each other because we're all a bunch of musical theater nerds who love talking about repertoire.

[59:32] Elysia Jordan: Humility to say I'm not the only one with the answers.

[59:35] Charlie Murphy: Right, right.

[59:35] Elysia Jordan: Or, you know, like this just happened with a student, and how can I help them? And there's just such a genuine level of care that goes into all the interactions.

[59:45] Elysia Jordan: Um that's really special in the world. That leaves me perfectly my last question about teaching, just now as you become more of a leader as a veteran, you know, 13 years, I can't believe 13 hours. Oh my god. But um now become more of a more of a leader to the other coaches. What have you learned in sort of coaching the coaches? What have you learned as you've helped uh train other song coaches and work with other song coaches? What has that experience been like and how has that changed your teaching as you're trying to help and teach other people?

[1:00:14] Elysia Jordan: Oh, you know, it's so funny because I it's just such a great group that when we're all together at the mock audition when we get to be in the same room with each other and watch each other teach. My reaction is always like, man, we have amazing people working here, and I wish we were all in the same room teaching together more often every day.

[1:00:36] Elysia Jordan: Yeah. Well, I think I mean, I already mentioned a lot, which is that we are in communication with each other. Um, whether it be asking about our students with the song team and bouncing ideas or communicating with one of the other, you know, that student's monologue coach or that your own student's vocal tech coach, sort of like figuring out ways we can best serve this student in their process.

[1:01:05] Elysia Jordan: Um I feel like as MTCA grows, I've learned how important and special it is to stay connected to the other colleagues and um and use everybody's strengths to serve the students in like the best way possible. And also that, like, you might think you know, you know, as a rep coach, I know a lot of songs. But every time we get a new coach, oftentimes like someone will bring a song into play that it's like, oh my gosh, that's incredible. I've never heard of that musical.

[1:01:44] Elysia Jordan: So now I'm gonna listen to that musical, and you find all kinds of gems to sort of like every artist is unique and comes with all their history and all of their passion about musical theater and what we can learn from each other when we collaborate is really it's such a cool network of artists that MTCA brings together, students and teachers.

[1:02:06] Charlie Murphy: Okay, unfortunately now you set yourself up for this game. We're talking about your strengths as a song rep coach. I think it's time we play a game.

[1:02:15] Elysia Jordan: Oh my god.

[1:02:17] Charlie Murphy: We've been playing fewer and fewer games as I've gotten lazier and lazier and taking the time to make them up. Just a little peek behind the curtain here. It normally takes about an hour to prep a non-game podcast, and sometimes it's almost another hour to make up the game for me to feel good about it. And I do feel good about this game, Lucy. I do.

[1:02:32] Charlie Murphy: So for me, it's not always the juice is not always worth the squeeze, but I did promise our listeners, some of whom love the games, that we would sometimes bring them back. And here they are, Lisi, my old friend. We go.

[1:02:42] Charlie Murphy: I thought I would put your MTCA song rep coach knowledge to the test in a little game called Oh my gosh. Name that lyric.

[1:02:50] Elysia Jordan: Okay, so we've played name that tune before, but unfortunately, our tech facilities are not good enough really for like our listeners to be able to hear it well enough. We've we've gotten that feedback before of like, I can't quite hear it right, and it's fun for you, but it's not fun for them.

[1:03:03] Charlie Murphy: But I think name that lyric is gonna be challenging, but potentially playable at home for our MT expert listeners. So here's all the only thing I'm gonna say as we do this is I wanna give a little pause before you answer, even if you know the answer immediately, just give a little pause to allow them to play at home. Sometimes we're quickly.

[1:03:21] Elysia Jordan: So as I cue them to you, if you know it, you can give a little mo just a half second um for that to be able to answer the I'm nervous, I'm nervous.

[1:03:29] Charlie Murphy: You should be nervous.

[1:03:30] Elysia Jordan: I'm gonna say honestly I made this game really, really hard.

[1:03:34] Charlie Murphy: Um I know, I know it's really tough.

[1:03:37] Elysia Jordan: Okay, I'm gonna read the lyric. I'm not gonna give you any kind of sing song. So it may seem like I'm not trying to throw you off. I'm just trying to read it without the pattern if such things have pattern. Makes sense.

[1:03:46] Charlie Murphy: Okay, sure.

[1:03:47] Elysia Jordan: Sure.

[1:03:49] Charlie Murphy: Okay, not too hard.

[1:03:49] Elysia Jordan: Okay.

[1:03:49] Charlie Murphy: You gotta stack those decks with a couple of extra aces.

[1:03:52] Elysia Jordan: And this queen has her aces in all the right places.

[1:03:57] Charlie Murphy: Bring on that boy, shall be a toy.

[1:04:02] Elysia Jordan: For Lola, right?

[1:04:03] Charlie Murphy: It's damn Yankees. Which you did in high school, didn't you, Charlie?

[1:04:06] Charlie Murphy: I did not actually do the show in high school.

[1:04:08] Elysia Jordan: Oh.

[1:04:09] Charlie Murphy: It was done in uh act one where I was, but that was not a year I did act one.

[1:04:13] Elysia Jordan: But I know the show well enough to know it.

[1:04:15] Charlie Murphy: That's so isn't that funny that I could know what material you were getting.

[1:04:19] Elysia Jordan: It was in the world of exactly the world of me, though I did not actually do that. I forget exactly why I didn't do that at some other commitment.

[1:04:25] Charlie Murphy: I think I actually had like baseball then.

[1:04:27] Elysia Jordan: Sadly.

[1:04:29] Charlie Murphy: Actual actual sports.

[1:04:30] Elysia Jordan: But have you named the song?

[1:04:31] Charlie Murphy: You've you sang some of the songs.

[1:04:33] Elysia Jordan: So it's damn, I know it's damn Yankees and I know that Lola sings it.

[1:04:36] Charlie Murphy: And it's like plus a little this uh, but a little that uh with an emphasis with an emphasis on the ladda.

[1:04:42] Elysia Jordan: What's it called though?

[1:04:43] Charlie Murphy: You sung the title for the most part, not, though you've not quite said the word.

[1:04:46] Elysia Jordan: What's the plan?

[1:04:46] Charlie Murphy: Same as with any man.

[1:04:47] Elysia Jordan: Ah, yeah, the fun, plus a little this uh and a little that.

[1:04:51] Charlie Murphy: Isn't it crazy that I know the whole song?

[1:04:52] Elysia Jordan: But I'm gonna fix the title.

[1:04:55] Elysia Jordan: It starts with these two things of the name of the song, but the plus a little this uh, but but but you start with two things.

[1:05:00] Charlie Murphy: What are the two things that you bring?

[1:05:01] Elysia Jordan: Oh, little brain's a little talent with an emphasis on the ladder.

[1:05:06] Charlie Murphy: Oh my god, we're gonna give you that one.

[1:05:08] Charlie Murphy: You got damn Yankees quickly. You knew you sang the song.

[1:05:10] Elysia Jordan: We're gonna give you a title right.

[1:05:13] Elysia Jordan: It's about getting the song.

[1:05:14] Charlie Murphy: Okay, so not too hard, right?

[1:05:15] Charlie Murphy: This is that's gettable.

[1:05:17] Charlie Murphy: It's gonna get much harder.

[1:05:19] Elysia Jordan: So maybe I'll my gosh.

[1:05:20] Charlie Murphy: Okay.

[1:05:21] Charlie Murphy: I'm not usually inclined to take up useless conversations with a taxi driver.

[1:05:27] Elysia Jordan: That is definitely gotta get out by Adam Guan.

[1:05:31] Charlie Murphy: And we and kids love that song.

[1:05:33] Elysia Jordan: Great song.

[1:05:34] Charlie Murphy: Okay.

[1:05:34] Charlie Murphy: So you're two for two, Lisa. You're doing great, but this is still the not too hard round, right?

[1:05:37] Elysia Jordan: Okay.

[1:05:39] Charlie Murphy: So I'm often running over the rail.

[1:05:42] Elysia Jordan: I'm going gunning after the quail.

[1:05:47] Charlie Murphy: That's on the other side of the tracks.

[1:05:50] Elysia Jordan: Heck yes, it is.

[1:05:51] Charlie Murphy: And Lisi knew it immediately, you can tell by her face, but she's doing such a good A plus student that she is. She's giving a little pause.

[1:05:55] Charlie Murphy: How did you do out there? Did you do well in the not too hard round out there, listener?

[1:06:00] Elysia Jordan: Okay, it's gonna get harder.

[1:06:02] Charlie Murphy: Here we go.

[1:06:02] Charlie Murphy: These are all great songs.

[1:06:04] Charlie Murphy: Wow.

[1:06:04] Charlie Murphy: Okay.

[1:06:05] Charlie Murphy: And so I need to say, I choose you anyway, I choose you anyway.

[1:06:10] Elysia Jordan: Oh.

[1:06:11] Charlie Murphy: Harder round.

[1:06:12] Charlie Murphy: So I need to say I choose you anyway.

[1:06:14] Elysia Jordan: That is from I love you because.

[1:06:17] Charlie Murphy: It sure is.

[1:06:18] Elysia Jordan: And I'm thinking, I choose.

[1:06:22] Charlie Murphy: Even though, even that's the title of the song.

[1:06:24] Elysia Jordan: In case it's not obvious, I'll never use the song title in the lyric.

[1:06:27] Elysia Jordan: It's often surrounding it.

[1:06:28] Elysia Jordan: So I'm like, gotta stop.

[1:06:31] Charlie Murphy: Okay.

[1:06:31] Charlie Murphy: So she's four for four.

[1:06:33] Charlie Murphy: I told you you're gonna do well for you.

[1:06:34] Charlie Murphy: Are you four for four out there?

[1:06:36] Charlie Murphy: I doubt it.

[1:06:36] Charlie Murphy: Okay, here we go.

[1:06:37] Charlie Murphy: No restrictions, no relations, no ridiculous demands.

[1:06:43] Elysia Jordan: No restrictions, no relations, no tatic.

[1:06:46] Charlie Murphy: Oh, no restrictions, no relation, no ridiculous demand.

[1:06:51] Elysia Jordan: Fly into the future.

[1:06:52] Charlie Murphy: Fly into the future is correct.

[1:06:54] Elysia Jordan: Another one.

[1:06:54] Elysia Jordan: I'm singing after MTCA Mox.

[1:06:57] Charlie Murphy: Oh my God.

[1:06:58] Charlie Murphy: It's so fascinating to know which songs you pick out as like, oh, it's that's that's a fascinating side.

[1:07:06] Elysia Jordan: I don't know otherwise.

[1:07:07] Elysia Jordan: So I don't know any of these shows other than Dam Yankees, I know, but I don't know any of these other shows other than seeing them as audition songs.

[1:07:13] Charlie Murphy: So I'm like, they're like randomly in my head.

[1:07:15] Charlie Murphy: Okay.

[1:07:17] Charlie Murphy: For a while, I will stand completely still.

[1:07:21] Elysia Jordan: Oh.

[1:07:23] Charlie Murphy: Uh for a while, I will.

[1:07:25] Elysia Jordan: Uh yes, my heart.

[1:07:26] Charlie Murphy: Yes, my heart is right.

[1:07:27] Elysia Jordan: I even threw you off there.

[1:07:28] Elysia Jordan: I ran right through the lyric.

[1:07:28] Charlie Murphy: That's it.

[1:07:31] Charlie Murphy: We would Shakespeare it for a while.

[1:07:32] Elysia Jordan: I will stand completely.

[1:07:34] Charlie Murphy: Didn't give it you that because I'm trying to make it harder on you.

[1:07:36] Elysia Jordan: You're six for six.

[1:07:36] Charlie Murphy: All right, so you can't.

[1:07:37] Charlie Murphy: It is hard.

[1:07:38] Charlie Murphy: It's hard when you read them out of like it's this is such a fascinating game.

[1:07:42] Elysia Jordan: Yeah.

[1:07:45] Charlie Murphy: Go super hard.

[1:07:46] Charlie Murphy: You're six for six.

[1:07:47] Charlie Murphy: We did the the not too hard in the harder round.

[1:07:49] Charlie Murphy: This is the are you kidding me, Charlie round.

[1:07:51] Elysia Jordan: Okay, oh no.

[1:07:53] Charlie Murphy: Like a shooting star.

[1:07:55] Elysia Jordan: That's all, like a shooting star.

[1:07:57] Charlie Murphy: That's it.

[1:07:58] Elysia Jordan: Like a shooting star.

[1:08:00] Charlie Murphy: Oh.

[1:08:02] Charlie Murphy: Oh my god, just that.

[1:08:04] Charlie Murphy: And this round does have hints if you need them.

[1:08:07] Charlie Murphy: If you need the hints, there are hints available for the round.

[1:08:10] Elysia Jordan: Wait, give me a second.

[1:08:11] Elysia Jordan: Like a shooting star.

[1:08:13] Elysia Jordan: Oh, oh my god, I know it.

[1:08:15] Elysia Jordan: It's I'm gone from Hands on a Hard Bible.

[1:08:17] Charlie Murphy: Sure is.

[1:08:18] Elysia Jordan: I'm gone.

[1:08:19] Elysia Jordan: That is the number one.

[1:08:21] Elysia Jordan: Lee Harrington catches me singing that song to myself.

[1:08:25] Elysia Jordan: He's like, are you singing hands on eyes?

[1:08:27] Elysia Jordan: But I'm like, I can't help it.

[1:08:28] Elysia Jordan: Uh it's in me.

[1:08:29] Elysia Jordan: It's deep.

[1:08:30] Charlie Murphy: Isn't that a great song?

[1:08:31] Charlie Murphy: Oh, it's such a good song.

[1:08:34] Elysia Jordan: Yeah.

[1:08:35] Charlie Murphy: That's impressive.

[1:08:35] Charlie Murphy: All right.

[1:08:36] Charlie Murphy: So you're seven for seven.

[1:08:37] Charlie Murphy: My God.

[1:08:38] Charlie Murphy: You're all this hard now in this round.

[1:08:39] Charlie Murphy: There, this is a difficult round.

[1:08:41] Charlie Murphy: Okay.

[1:08:42] Charlie Murphy: Put down the clover.

[1:08:46] Elysia Jordan: Your delivery.

[1:08:47] Elysia Jordan: Your delivery too is really something.

[1:08:50] Charlie Murphy: Put down the clover.

[1:08:52] Elysia Jordan: Okay.

[1:08:53] Elysia Jordan: Oh, oh, I know what it is.

[1:08:55] Elysia Jordan: It's notice me, Horton.

[1:08:57] Charlie Murphy: It's Notice Me Horton.

[1:08:58] Elysia Jordan: Absolutely.

[1:08:59] Elysia Jordan: You haven't had to go to your hints yet.

[1:09:01] Elysia Jordan: You've got your lifeline hints.

[1:09:02] Elysia Jordan: You just have to use them.

[1:09:03] Charlie Murphy: Well, that one was so obvious once I realized what it was.

[1:09:07] Charlie Murphy: It's like, what couldn't even take me that long?

[1:09:10] Charlie Murphy: All right.

[1:09:11] Charlie Murphy: Is anyone else out there eight for eight?

[1:09:13] Charlie Murphy: I doubt it, but let us know.

[1:09:15] Charlie Murphy: Here we go.

[1:09:15] Charlie Murphy: We got three more.

[1:09:17] Charlie Murphy: Loving you should be easier.

[1:09:19] Elysia Jordan: Oh, that I know it already.

[1:09:21] Elysia Jordan: That's say the word.

[1:09:22] Charlie Murphy: Yeah, out of town.

[1:09:23] Charlie Murphy: I thought that was really hard.

[1:09:25] Charlie Murphy: That was my hardest yet.

[1:09:26] Charlie Murphy: I thought I was stumping you.

[1:09:27] Elysia Jordan: I have a wonderful student doing that song this year.

[1:09:30] Elysia Jordan: So as soon as you said it, I like heard her voice singing it.

[1:09:33] Charlie Murphy: So funny.

[1:09:33] Charlie Murphy: That's yeah, that would be.

[1:09:34] Charlie Murphy: I'm trying to pick one that didn't have an easy cue, like clover or whatever.

[1:09:37] Charlie Murphy: Loving you should be easier.

[1:09:37] Charlie Murphy: Well, there you are.

[1:09:38] Charlie Murphy: Say the word.

[1:09:39] Charlie Murphy: Okay.

[1:09:39] Charlie Murphy: Yeah, all right.

[1:09:40] Charlie Murphy: Two more.

[1:09:40] Charlie Murphy: One chance to stump you.

[1:09:41] Charlie Murphy: Here we go.

[1:09:43] Charlie Murphy: The sounds I'm told.

[1:09:45] Elysia Jordan: The sounds I'm told.

[1:09:48] Elysia Jordan: That I think is a golden age song, is coming to me.

[1:09:54] Charlie Murphy: Sounds I'm told.

[1:09:56] Elysia Jordan: Oh, that's a quiet thing.

[1:09:58] Charlie Murphy: That is a quiet thing.

[1:09:59] Charlie Murphy: She's nine for nine.

[1:10:01] Charlie Murphy: Unbelievable.

[1:10:02] Charlie Murphy: Literally, the sounds I'm told, I thought, oh my goodness.

[1:10:04] Charlie Murphy: This is the one I'm making.

[1:10:06] Charlie Murphy: So I'm told.

[1:10:08] Charlie Murphy: Okay, we have one more.

[1:10:10] Charlie Murphy: Okay.

[1:10:11] Charlie Murphy: We would ride.

[1:10:12] Elysia Jordan: Oh, that's a great song.

[1:10:15] Elysia Jordan: That is He Wanted a Girl from Giant.

[1:10:17] Charlie Murphy: Unbelievable, Lisi.

[1:10:19] Charlie Murphy: Unbelievable.

[1:10:21] Charlie Murphy: Part of a line I gave you also stuck in my head often from Giants.

[1:10:25] Elysia Jordan: Oh, that's a good one.

[1:10:26] Charlie Murphy: Unstumpable, unstumpable.

[1:10:29] Elysia Jordan: She goes, 10 for 10.

[1:10:31] Charlie Murphy: Did anyone else 10 for 10 out there?

[1:10:33] Charlie Murphy: If you did, leave it in the comments.

[1:10:35] Charlie Murphy: Leave it in a show review.

[1:10:36] Charlie Murphy: See how well you did there.

[1:10:38] Charlie Murphy: If you got 10 for 10, and you're not lying, you can be the MTCA coach.

[1:10:41] Charlie Murphy: That's a you don't have to audition, you just get in automatically.

[1:10:45] Elysia Jordan: Yeah, true.

[1:10:46] Charlie Murphy: That would wow.

[1:10:47] Charlie Murphy: Oh, that was so that was really fun.

[1:10:49] Elysia Jordan: I was really nervous.

[1:10:50] Charlie Murphy: The isn't it crazy that the hardest one for me was the first one?

[1:10:53] Elysia Jordan: Yeah.

[1:10:53] Charlie Murphy: Well, it's just you're just trying to get into the rhythm of it, trying to get into the game.

[1:10:56] Elysia Jordan: Yeah.

[1:10:57] Charlie Murphy: I mean, I knew that game was really hard, but I was like, of all the people in the world, like you and Ellen, like there's a couple people I'm like, you would crush this game.

[1:11:03] Charlie Murphy: And Nathan, she took it.

[1:11:04] Elysia Jordan: And Nathan would crush this game.

[1:11:05] Charlie Murphy: I gave her a much skillier game, I think, than this one last time.

[1:11:08] Charlie Murphy: But anyway, okay, let's wrap up with a couple questions and then we're gonna let you out of here.

[1:11:12] Charlie Murphy: Um, I'd love to talk, you know, you mentioned sort of your own parent experience. What about in your interactions with MTCA parents? Do you have any advice of like what you would give um you know two other parents who are maybe uh junior in the process who's just starting, maybe have a senior as they're listening to this, but just from parents student interactions you've experienced, what advice do you have for the parents and how they can best support their kids?

[1:11:36] Elysia Jordan: Um thing that I would say is uh for especially for senior parents for to really embrace that idea of it being nonlinear, you know, because sometimes it's hard for the students to understand that, and it's even harder for their parents to understand that. And, you know, if you, if you as a parent can be like, I'm not worried because MTCA is telling us that this process can be nonlinear. So let's keep our spirits up and let's get you into as many, let's throw the net as wide as we can and just get you into as many rooms as possible and not try to make sense of what's coming back until the very end.

[1:12:21] Elysia Jordan: That is, I think it would be really helpful to kids because you know your kids can feel when you're worried about them. And that makes it more stressful for them. So if you can really grasp that idea and help your student grasp it in those trying moments, I think that's really important. And for juniors and younger parents, or younger students' parents, rather, um I'd say, like, you know, any work that your student does starting to put songs in their book and learning what it means to act a song and um work on some monologues and start adding monologues, that work is so important and so useful because it doesn't necessarily mean that the first two songs your kid picks out in their sophomore year are gonna be the songs they want to do for college auditions.

In fact, probably they're gonna be bored of those songs by the time they're seniors, but like they're gonna be building their skill set and they're gonna be starting to determine the things that make them love a song and the things that they don't love and building their storytelling skills. And then ultimately, when they go into these auditions, they're gonna go in with a book of music. So if the professor says, you know, what else do you have? We wanna have a lot of pieces that show off what that voice can do and what that artist can do. So it's not necessarily that starting early means that you pick that song and then you sing those two songs for two years, but each song that you add might come into play in college auditions very easily could, and also that work in getting to know yourself as an artist is really precious. The earlier you start, the more space you have to do that exploration in a non-pressurized way and really play around, and that can be super, super useful too.

[1:14:23] Charlie Murphy: It's so true. It's such good advice, and uh, you've inspired me. Almost certainly gonna do a little takeaway on this now. But you know, one of the things I feel like for that senior advice, I've said that for so many years to our parents of like your anxiety is making the kid more anxious. Stop it, right? Like, and now I'll just say my experience of being a parent is like, oh, I get it. Like you can't help yourself sometimes that like it's easier said than done to be like, oh, don't be anxious for your kids' future. Don't don't don't put yourself hypothetically in their shoes. I'm like, oh, I'm doing that with my two-year-old. I can only imagine an 18-year-old going to college that I wouldn't be trying to live vicariously through them. And you know, so uh hard easier said than done, I realized to all my old parents I gave that note to when I was 26 or whatever. I'm like, that's a little harder to do it.

[1:15:06] Elysia Jordan: Totally. I know I feel that about my younger brother too. Like, I mean, I can't imagine what it's like, but also just understanding that that nonlinear quality and really accepting it as the sooner you can accept that that rejections are not a foreboding sign of what's to come, but just a necessary part of this process, the more you're gonna be able to bring your most brave, courageous, specific artist into the room every time. So that's why it's important to, as hard as it is to grasp, and believe me, even as myself as an artist, I have to remind myself of this several times a year. But it is an important ingredient to bringing like the best, most um dropped-in, courageous artists into the room.

[1:15:54] Charlie Murphy: Well, and my last question, we talked a little bit about it in terms of your own experience, but what is your favorite piece of advice to give to your students around this time of year? Thinking this, I believe, is releasing in late February, maybe early March. I haven't done the math yet, but you know, they're in that mode of hearing results, starting to choose schools. What advice would you give directly to those students in terms of like what you like to say to them and how they should think about this part of the process?

[1:16:17] Elysia Jordan: Yeah, enjoy it. You've done all that work, and now you can really enjoy the very special moment you're in. What's gonna happen next? What's gonna happen next? But this time, these four years that you're gifting yourself to really like focus on your artistry is precious and actually is pretty fleeting. Like four years when you're 17 feels like a lifetime. But as you get older, you realize like what an actual like small portion of time that is. So make the most out of it. Follow your heart, follow your interests, pay attention, get as much of as much as you can from those years because then there'll be time to, you know, to stress about the career and the moving to New York and all of that. And you know, that's I guess there are some people who start auditioning and have that trajectory and and that's beautiful too.

But if that's not the trajectory you're on, student that I'm speaking to, don't be like, I'm behind, or I need to do, I need to waste my this this moment, this precious moment that I'm in worrying about what I don't have or what's next. Like just keep working hard and make the most out of out of that time.

[1:18:01] Charlie Murphy: Such good advice. And boy, the preciousness of that time, you know, you really look back on and go, God, uh, well, who wouldn't kill to be back in school just working on their style themselves and all that stuff. And you know, it's so funny because it's almost exactly the advice Ali gave. And that's somebody who um really booked about as fast as you possibly can. He's two years out of school and he's playing a lead role on Broadway, you know. But for him, it's about focusing on being in school. I wasn't distracted, I wasn't trying to get out and audition. He was like, I really enjoyed and worked on myself in those four years, and then was ready to hit the industry when the time came. And that's how he is. He's such a special person. Hi, Ali. Oh, I love him.

[1:18:34] Elysia Jordan: And that's how he was that's how he was on company. Like he was, you know, about to he knew pretty early on that he was leaving to go do Tommy, but man, was he present at company and giving his all every single night and like not right where he right where his feet was? Or how would you say that?

[1:19:03] Charlie Murphy: Like you were.

[1:19:03] Elysia Jordan: Yeah, I remember. Yeah, like be where your feet are, because that's how you learn the most, anyways, you know. And all that extra anxiety that we layer on is not useful.

[1:19:14] Charlie Murphy: So true. All right. Lise, um, this was fantastic. Thanks so much for doing this. If people want to check you out, we know they can do at LC Jordan. I guess that's on Instagram, I'm guessing. Um, anywhere else people you want people to follow you or send you mail or any of those kind of things.

[1:19:27] Elysia Jordan: Come see company. Come see company. It's such a magical, um incredible show. And yeah, if you're coming, um, let me know. Message me on Instagram, let me know that you're gonna be there and tell her you're a fan of the pod and she promises to take you backstage.

[1:19:42] Charlie Murphy: That's the you know what's crazy is they don't, since COVID, they don't really allow that. It's such a bummer.

[1:19:49] Elysia Jordan: I know.

[1:19:50] Charlie Murphy: But you won't be disappointed. It'll be great.

[1:19:53] Elysia Jordan: Yes. Thanks, Lisa. I really appreciate it.

[1:19:57] Charlie Murphy: So fun. Thank you.

[1:20:03] Elysia Jordan: Oh, yeah, the game is back sometimes, sort of.

[1:20:08] Charlie Murphy: And Lisa crushed it. I mean, that that was maybe our first perfect game. I don't want to listen back and see if that's true, but I think that's true. And that was not an easy game. I do not think. I I I tried it out on a few people and none of them got more than a half. And I didn't even give her the hints. I had hints prepared for that last round. She didn't even ask for the hints. Unbelievable. Did you enjoy it? Did you play along? Of course, if you went Ofer in this game, there's no shame at that, especially to any younger adults out there, younger students, if you're in high school listening to this. How are you supposed to know this stuff until you know it? I mean, people used to say that to me with Shakespeare monologues when they would like go up on a line and I'd be able to finish their line.

They'd be like, How can you possibly do this? I'm like, I've worked on this material a lot. I've spent over a decade working on these monologues, learning these monologues. I know them like the back of my hand because I've been doing it, right? I'm supposed to be able to do that. Where most people starting out, of course, would not be able to.

[1:20:54] Charlie Murphy: I said in the interview that I might do a little takeaway about parental anxiety, but then here I am, not particularly inspired to talk about that at the moment. Maybe a future takeaway, we'll do that. I do love Lisi's stories about her supportive parents, maybe her overly supportive parents, and her advice in finding that supportive dialogue with your kids. Um her mom telling the neighbors about their ECC calls and then them texting her to shine her light. That just had me laughing so hard and listening back. Uh, I really do think a lot of young adult actors will relate to that exact thing. Maybe not that exact, exact story, but the idea of what we were talking about in terms of our very eager fans, our number one fans in our parents.

Um, the longer thing I want to chat about today is just we're Lisi and I were talking about teaching and the joy of it, you know, and I think teaching is so helpful for young artists, and I kind of recommend it across the board to any of our students who are interested. You know, and if you're not interested in teaching, it might not be for you, but if you're interested in it, I would say go for it. You know, whether that's teaching uh younger kids while you're in high school or college, whether that's TAing classes in college, which uh both Lisi and I did, whatever opportunities come your way. Um, it definitely can be tricky in navigating the balance of your own performing goals with the allure of that steadiness that teaching can provide. That's when you get older. But I think the pros vastly outweigh the cons when you talk about the benefits of teaching.

[1:22:09] Elysia Jordan: Lisey and I talked about that idea of accountability, how helpful it is to tell a student something and then have to hold yourself to it. I think that is so true. I mean, any personal trainer would tell you that after spending hours and hours of instructing clients on proper form, they better use that form themselves. And then I think that same way that a personal trainer might feel, in spending time in our actor's gym, it just makes you so much more likely to work out. Like you're already there anyway, you know. I remember Alejandro and I when we used to live together, we used to like coach our students and then sometimes we would leave our sessions so jazzed up that we just like had to work on a piece ourselves.

We'd like to pull out a side or pull out a monologue. We got, I got I got a coach, I got to work with something, you know it's like art begets art and learning begets learning. And there's something just really cool about keeping yourself in a constant educational space.

[1:22:50] Charlie Murphy: You know the other thing I've talked about before on the podcast, and I think this varies from student to student, but for my nerdy students out there, you know, many more intellectual students, especially those who are those curious driven autodidacts, I've used that word for it, autodidact means like someone who teaches themselves that's the way they learn is sort of in self-teaching. I often find that I've only truly learned something when I know it well enough to teach it. Right? You're gonna discover areas you haven't fully investigated and the ways you haven't quite fully synthesized the information the first time you try to teach it to someone else. So when you go to teach it you're gonna realize oh wait maybe I don't know that as well as I I possibly could have you know I'm not gonna do a deep dive on like learning styles and teaching methods.

You're gonna have to listen to me to discourse on the Socratic method on a different podcast. I'll talk about something I'm not expert in. But I've definitely just found for myself that that is how I learn best. And I think I'm not the only person who's out there who feels that way right that I always feel if I can teach something I really know it. And if I can't teach it then I'm not done exploring it yet. I haven't really learned it well enough yet if I'm not ready to teach it.

[1:23:49] Charlie Murphy: And you know I I think there are other people out there who are very similar. And of course the other benefit to teaching is it is a great skill that you really can do while you're pursuing performing. You know people are often looking for what is that side job I might want to do and does that mean a minor? It could, but often this is something a lot of actors do is they help pay the bills by teaching or coaching or or doing something that's directly related to their art form, especially if they spend a lot of hours in a BFA program learning this art form, then teaching it might be something that's a really marketable, valuable skill that they have, rather than like minoring in Spanish and thinking I'm gonna make money off of Spanish or whatever that kind of thing is.

Um, you know, at MTCA, all of our coaches are active in the performing arts while they're coaching. Many of your professors at school are as well. You're gonna hear Michelle Pach, I believe, coming on next week from Wagner, was just in wicked while leading all of her classes, who's in a Broadway show and teaching at the same time. But you know, it is a really practical source of income that is like ancillary to your field and potentially additive, as opposed to, I think a lot of uh young actors will say, bartending or waiting tables, those have the great upside of flexibility, but they can really have downside in terms of like lifestyle difficulties. You know, if you're up till 4 a.m. bartending, it's really hard to get up for that easy C at 6 a.m. and shine your light in all those rooms, right?

It's just even just motivationally, it's like you start feeling like a bartender, you start feeling like a waiter in a way that if you're teaching, you're still sort of surrounded by art and you still feel like an artist and an actor in kind of a different way. I mean, to each their own with side jobs. That's not certainly not the only side job, but I do think there's a reason a lot of people want to do that is because it is less draining than some of the other things that can kind of suck your spirit out from you. Now, to all my former MTCA students who are listening, we can't hire you all. We love you, and I of course want you to apply. But just putting it out there, we're not gonna hire you to coach for us the day after you graduate from college.

And while we do love hiring our graduates, it is a very selective and very difficult job to book. I just have to say that because our we're gonna get flooded with applicants. We always do, all of our students often apply to, and they're gonna say, I heard it on the podcast, Charlie recommended it. Of course, do that. You can say that, and uh not to dash the dream. It can totally happen for you, the person listening, but just not the collective you. It won't be all of you who are listening. Well, on that depressing note, let's wrap up what has been a wonderfully positive episode of Mapping the College Audition, produced by Meghan Cordier and Kelly Prennegrass. Check us out at Mapping the College Audition on Instagram and at mtca.com for your individual coaching needs and help with this process.

If you feel like writing a five star rating and review for us, telling us to shine our light, we would very much appreciate it, neighbor or no, to my young artists out there mapping their journeys. Is it embarrassing for me that I used the not Rachim analogy from friends in back to back episodes? Didn't realize I did that. Okay, boomer, indeed. See you next week.