This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Jayke Workman: Wait, okay, you guys, do you know this video of this little Irish girl who's so mad at her sister because I guess she likes used her her iPad charger and she goes, thanks a lot, Rachel. Now it's using your iPad instead of mine. I love her.

[0:23] Jayke Workman: Oh my god, did you hear? Did you hear? Did you hear? Oh my god, guys. Jake guys, hi. Hi, Jake is a podcast. Oh my god, oh my god.

[0:36] Jayke Workman: Oh my god, you guys What's up, everybody? My name is Jayke Workman, and this is Oh my pod, you guys, a musical theater and pop culture podcast. You guys, I just have to start the episode by giving a huge shout out and congratulations to my darling diva dear Miss Emma Flynn, who is starring as Elle Woods at the Angamin Theater on Long Island.

[1:03] Jayke Workman: You guys, I went and saw her play Elle Woods, and it was uh just so beyond perfect. Uh Emma is, I mean, she's always been a star. We've all known. Duh. Everybody who knows Emma knows it's sickening Broadway boots. But this was sincerely the most perfect portrayal of Elle Woods I could have ever even imagined. It was amazing.

[1:30] Jayke Workman: So congratulations to everyone in the show, but Miss Emma Flynn, you are a shining star, and I love you, and I can't wait to see where you go, and I can't wait to see you play Glinda. Okay. Moving on.

[1:44] Jayke Workman: You guys, we of course have to dive right into this week's Broadway World recap, brought to you by my amazing pals at BroadwayWorld.com because we have a lot of things to discuss. First of all, you guys, Broadway World shared the very exciting casting announcement that in addition to Queen Alyssa Milano joining the Broadway Company of Chicago, we now have Orfey coming in to play Matron Mama Morton.

[2:11] Jayke Workman: You guys, you guys, this is going to be so insane. When I walked into the stage management office the other day before the show, and I just saw Orfe standing there, I was like, what is going on? What? I was like, is she visiting a friend in the show? And they were like, oh yeah, Orfey starts next week. She's gonna be Mama Morton. I said, girl. It's gonna be insane.

[2:37] Jayke Workman: You guys are not ready for Miss Orfe singing When You're Good to Mama. That's all I will say about that. But a huge congrats, yay. We love you. Welcome to the Chicago Familia to Miss Orfe.

[2:52] Jayke Workman: Next, you guys, Broadway World shared that all of the original cast members from the out-of-town tryout of Swept Away at Arena Stage are set to return to reprise their roles in the show on Broadway this fall. And you guys, I have to give a special shout out to my darling friend John, who was in Wrinkle in Time with me at Arena Stage and was also in Swept Away and is now going to make his Broadway debut with Swept Away. I am so so very excited for you. Congratulations.

[3:20] Jayke Workman: And you guys, this show and this cast is crazy. It's the Avit Brothers, Avid Brothers, I don't know how you say it. Uh, Tony Award winner, John Gallagher, Tony Award nominee Starks Sands, Adrian Blake Ensco, and Wayne Duval are all going to reprise their roles that they previously played at Arena Stage Company. And I am so excited about this show. It's gonna come to um the Long Acre Theater in October. So we have that to look forward to.

[3:49] Jayke Workman: But congratulations to everyone and especially to my baby John Saigar. I am so proud of you, and I can't wait to see it. Next, you guys, Broadway World shared a really exciting first look of Arkansas Reps' new production of Hello Dolly, starring none other than Amber Iman. And you guys, when I first heard this, I was like, wait a second. What Amber Iman, who just was nominated for the Tony for playing Rafaela in Limpika in the 2024 season, she's playing Dolly.

[4:19] Jayke Workman: She's not who I would typically. She's like so stunning and youthful, or at least, you know, she she was in in Limpica. And so to see her do this, I was like, whoa, this is something, this is so, it's such a different take. But I mean, she is out of this world unbelievably talented. When I saw Limpika, I said out loud, she is going to be nominated for a Tony Award for this. And she was.

[4:50] Jayke Workman: But you guys, you have to check out this amazing first look on Broadwayworld.com. She looks absolutely gorgina. I wish I could say that I'm gonna get my ass to uh Arkansas to see this, but unfortunately, I guess the the promotional materials will have to suffice. But don't forget to check out this incredible video of Amber Ramon singing before the parade passes by on Broadwayworld.com. It is wild.

[5:16] Jayke Workman: And lastly, you guys, none other than Kristen Chennewith was spotted in a new promo for the Wicked movie, and I think that they're kind of like pissed that they let this slip. You can barely see her, and it's for like one tiny second. But I don't think the editor is quite meant to include the the sort of secret, you know, Easter egg of Kristen being in the movie.

[5:43] Jayke Workman: So um we have that to look forward to. I am still looking at the photo like, is that really Kristen? Is that did that really do that? But um, you guys, I mean, I'm over the moon excited to see this movie, and I I was not at first, but I cannot wait for the wicked movie. The new trailers and the new things that they've released look so beautiful, and I can't wait.

[6:05] Jayke Workman: And now we know Miss Kristen Chennowith makes a little appearance, which is so exciting. So you can check that out on Broadwayworld.com as well. And you guys, this has been the Broadway World recap.

[6:18] Jayke Workman: Oh my pod, you guys. I am so excited to welcome my next guest to the show. She is currently starring on Broadway as the alternate Satine in Moulin Rouge. Please welcome Miss Hailee Kaleem Wright.

[6:35] Hailee Kaleem Wright: What is up? Hurry! How are you doing? How are you doing? How are you doing?

[6:41] Hailee Kaleem Wright: So good. Thank you so much for coming on the pod. Would you tell the listeners where are you calling in from on this fine day?

[6:47] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Um, I'm calling in from East Orange, New Jersey. Woo! Come on, East Orange represent.

[6:56] Jayke Workman: Oh my gosh. I live in the city, but my partner is in New Jersey, so we have to make the trek for them.

[7:07] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Well, thank you so much for being here. I am so so excited to chat with you. We have much to discuss about your incredible career. Um, but I think first we must talk about the Moulin Rouge of it all. I mean, what is the T how long have you been there?

[7:22] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Okay, so I got to Moulin Rouge in May. Okay. Or I like debuted in May. I started rehearsals in April. And it's just been a beautiful journey. I'm obsessed with the show. I'm obsessed with the show.

[7:34] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I'm up I did just say it again. I'm obsessed with this show. I think for me, I'm a person that gets bored easily. And I love the thing I love the most with our show is that I can go and see something I never I didn't see the last time. Like I catch new stuff all the time. Our cast is just insanely talented.

[7:56] Hailee Kaleem Wright: They are I mean, they literally when I went to see it the first time, I I cried because I was just I could like just in the opening. I I couldn't believe that these human beings had this much energy, and we had just done like um uh like a put in a rehearsal and some other stuff. You know, there was the schedule's the schedule, honey. It doesn't stop right.

[8:15] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Okay, and yet they come out and they give this fantastic show and the it it's just yeah, I'm I'm so in love with Moulin Rouge. Mass leaps.

[8:25] Jayke Workman: It's so insane. I mean, it I think it's such a an exciting show to be a part of, or I would imagine it is because it's such a celebration of queerness. There's so much gender diversity and fluidity on that stage, even just the the sort of um like rhetoric and and vernacular used like heels ensemble and flats ensemble. Like we're we're making strides towards um, you know, diversity and inclusion just in the language that we use, which is so exciting, and it's so pretty to look at.

[8:56] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I mean, my god, the it is giving rich yes, money. They said money, yeah. Yes, I mean your entrance girl, like what best entrance on Broadway. Like, I I just don't know what what I will do to top that feel like there's just nothing else than entering in the spotlight with glitter falling from the sky and then just coming in like a freaking goddess, like hanging from the rafters. Insane. Insane.

[9:32] Hailee Kaleem Wright: And it's one of the things that so I uh uh my in my last show, we got invited to the museum of Broadway. Yes, and I didn't take like I'm a I'm a person that likes to kind of just sit in the moment and like take it all in. So I didn't take a ton of pictures or stuff like that. Because I was like, I'm gonna soak all this in. I've never seen any of this stuff before.

[9:51] Hailee Kaleem Wright: But the one picture, the one picture I took was of Satine's costume in the swing in the swing. It just blew my mind. Like I saw the feathers and all this, and and and my mom to this day, she's just like, I can't believe because I I'm a big believer in manifesting, and sometimes I do it just with pictures. I'll just screenshot something and then I'll look up and a year later or three months later I I'm either experiencing. You're there or I've met that person or whatever.

[10:17] Hailee Kaleem Wright: So it was definitely something going on with that because I just so vividly was like, I want to do that. That looks cool. Wow.

[10:25] Jayke Workman: Oh, how amazing. And then cut to, yeah, you're on stage at the Al Hirschfield. Sophie and Allen. It's amazing. I have to come and see you in the show. I've I saw the show once, but it's been years now because the show has been running for five years, which is astonishing. But I have to come and see you make that glittery entrance.

[10:46] Jayke Workman: But wait, okay, so tell me about the experience of being an alternate, being a standby. That I that is what I do. And so I understand the sort of like ready set. Hold on. You you must be ready. But for a role as big as Satine, as sort of iconic and and huge. And then also to be standing by for someone like Jojo. Girl, what is the tea?

[11:17] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yeah, it's nuts. It's so nuts. I I have to give like such a big shout out and and uh love to Courtney Reed, who was my first Satine when I came in. Yes. She just opened her arms up, opened her door up to me, and she made my entrance into this to this new space so easy. And I I gave her so much love and hugs when she, you know, had her happy trails because I just I had to let her know how special that was because it can't it doesn't always work out that way, you know.

[11:48] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Some egos and things, you know. So I was just so appreciative of of how she ran the space and how she was just such a queen of of the castle, and oh gosh, not to once once a queen, always a queen, but I didn't even need to say that anyways. Uh but yeah, she just she just ran it with so much love, and and so she she made my my entrance uh so so peaceful.

[12:15] Hailee Kaleem Wright: And then now that I got my reins, I was there for a little bit, and you know, I was able to get my feet wet because being a standby, like you said, it's ready set and go when they need you. I get one show a week, which is really nice. Most standbys or alternates don't have like a guaranteed show. And so that can be even more challenging. I'm really lucky to at least know I'm gonna have that one time on stage to touch the material, touch the stage, look everyone in the eye, and have a moment of communion on stage and stay with the character. But as things happen, you know, it wound up going like I came in, I did my put in, I went on and debuted with a two-show day debut. Okay. And then subsequently I wound up going on for like almost, well, I did all eight shows at one point because you know, that's just what the life requires.

Work. Go on. And so I was able to really sink my teeth into the character. I mean, this role gives you everything, you know. Get the comedy, you get the drama, you have the Beyoncé of it all, the, you know, single ladies of it all. Yes, like you just get a little bit of everything that at least for me as an actress, I've wanted for a minute now. And I'm so and the pop score of it all is also so helpful for someone like me who kind of never fit in with the empty vocal stylings of the industry. I was not looked at as someone favorable to work in the industry because I had a pop voice. And that was often used as like a way to kind of keep me from thinking I could aspire. Of course. In this show that's been running for five years on Broadway, and to be covering this role, it's just a real dream come true.

A genuine dream come true. And I'm having so much fun. It's so exciting. And I also think too, it's just so amazing and refreshing that a black woman can step into this role, and it's not a question. It's not a like, well, she doesn't look like the person who does the role full time, whatever that means. Like, we can take turns, darling. This is not like it's not about that. Yes, it's about capability. Right. You know, and that she said capable. Thank you. And that's what it should always be. And shout out to Oyoyo, who was, you know, a beautiful dark-skinned black woman in the role, playing, you know, Satine. And so I think those things matter. I've had so many young black girls who are into theater or just like seeing theater, they might not even be actresses, and they've said, You're my first black Satine, or it's so nice to see a black woman in this role.

And you know, so I don't take it lightly. It definitely is one of the things that I wear with pride, you know, of like, yeah, I'm representing more than just myself and you know, my family, but I got a whole tribe of people who are also like hell yes, and that's cool.

[15:22] Jayke Workman: And you look gorgeous doing it, honey. You come down with that hat on. Woo! Shout out to Kathy, those are sick. Truly. I mean, and I have to say too, like the attention to detail on all from all departments has just been something to marvel at. Like, I was in like a couple, like a couple, four or three hour fittings, like just and like just really making sure every single costume fit me to perfection, and then you know, the team over at the theater, wardrobe team at the theater is just absolutely remarkable. Like, yeah, I've just I have such great respect for all the departments because everyone comes together to make that spectacular spectacular.

[16:08] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yes, absolutely. And I would imagine too that on some level it's a very different performance experience for you than doing something like SIX, where you are basically on stage the entire time. It is a concert. We have handheld mics and in ears. Like, what is the difference in the sort of like stamina and like day-to-day upkeep for you in your experience?

[16:37] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Oh my gosh. I mean, I will say this, and I think any girl that's done SIX, whether alternate or not, but I definitely if you were like a, you know, on stage every eight show a week queen, you can literally do anything after that. The way that that show, it's like P90X and what's the other word, like crossfit on steroids. You know you have to go in knowing you're not touching some water for a while, you're not touching a fan for a while, and you gotta give the show that people want to see. And especially playing Aragon, which was like, you know, I guess the Beyoncé of the group, if you will, that's how they wrote it. I'm not, that's not, oh, I will. Yeah, that's how they wrote it. And you know, and that's a lot of pressure.

The first wife, the first song, but like so and and my costume was quite a number to be in, you know, it's a heavy costume and a lot of, you know, arduous physical, you know, the choreography is, it doesn't look like it, but when you're doing it, you're like, hey, it's hard, you know. So I feel like, you know, it was a tour de France and it really is that right, Tour de Force or Tour de France. I didn't make, I'm country honey. I love it. We gonna go with that. But it was hard. It was really hard. I'll just say that. And it but it was it was such a growth spurt for me as an actress, as an entertainer. It really helped me grow on stage and it put me in the fire and I feel like I was made better for it.

And now to play the diamond, it just feels like all that prep work has led me to this moment because maybe for the first time in my career, I don't think I actually had imposter syndrome. Like I really felt like no, I'm ready for something like this and I'm growing and learning every day with Satine. You know, I'm learning how to be softer and but yet still strong and carry my life, my real life experiences into this character and try to find where me and Satine meet and then leave the parts that we don't meet. And right so and then with having so I started off with Derek McClina and then now I'm with Aaron Tovey, which is crazy. Like such like, you know, these are different men, you know, they're different men and they're and so listening on stage and really just allowing the newness to be a part of my new show, you know, or part of the show.

So yeah, there's just been so much that SIX prepared me for, I feel like for this role. And then I feel like I'm growing for all the other parts of things that I want to do in the future. So it's amazing. I will never forget Satine.

[19:29] Jayke Workman: Was Bella there while you were there?

[19:31] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yes. Girl, Miss Bella. She I had her on the pod and we just fucking giggle gaggled. I adore her. And Bella's so freaking talented. It's insane. Like I will say our my SIX girls, like or our us SIX girls, our voices blended so well together. Like I and I am and having the inner ears in, I mean, I'm hearing the raw sound and I'm like, these girls are sick. Like singing. Singing. Singing down.

[20:00] Jayke Workman: Was that hard for you having the in-ears? I always find any time I've ever had to sing with monitors like that, it is so disorienting at first. I'm always like, whoa, I need way less of me and I need way more of everyone else.

[20:19] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yes. How do you find that balance? It was actually so I've I started in the recording industry. I started like as a songwriter. And then I have done gigs with inner ears before. And I just know what a help it is for you vocally. Theater, it's so easy to because you're singing to a thousand people or so, you know, it's easy to over strain your voice. And so I felt like for that show, I was super grateful for the inner ears. And I just kind of like took the learning curve of figuring it out. And then once I got my settings, I was like, oh, this is the life because I mean I hit a high C every night. Right. So I want to be able to do that as specifically and technically as possible. Yes. And I definitely feel like the inner ears were a major, major help for getting me there.

[21:11] Hailee Kaleem Wright: So I love you're also you have your, you know big solo moments in the show, but you're also fully as you said, you have to blend with everyone because you're backing up every single other girl's song. Yeah. And dancing. Like, what the hell? That is insane.

[21:27] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yeah. Such a fun, but such a fun show. Like, who can say, like, there's not many theater girlies that can be like, yeah, I played a full on pop star. Yeah. Off of real pop star and like had my own special song and my own special cut. Like, it's cool. Like it's really cool. And I look back on it. Like, oh, it's pretty good. I want to do that show so fucking bad. I made it to finals for Miss Boleyn, and I was like, ladies, it's now or never. I want to do it.

[21:55] Jayke Workman: I think it's definitely time.

[21:55] Hailee Kaleem Wright: It's an NB Queen. It's time. I mean, I'm like, Toby and Lucy. Put your NBSs in the show. Come on now. Hello. But you know, you know how it is.

[22:08] Jayke Workman: Of course, of course. But wait, so what was your road to that show? What did you just do audition, audition, audition, and I was I funny, my SIX journey is kind of silly. Like my first audition for SIX was two days before the New York City shutdown with COVID.

[22:28] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Okay. And I was like, what is SIX? I mean, it was still in rehearsals at the time, right? I think they were supposed to debut the day it shut down.

[22:36] Jayke Workman: Mm-hmm.

[22:37] Hailee Kaleem Wright: So I think I was coming in probably for like an alternate or something role. I don't even remember anymore. But that was my first time hearing about SIX, it was in 2020. And then I auditioned for it right before I joined Paradise Square in 2021. And then they were across the street from Paradise Square. So I was at the Barrymore Theater on 47th Street, and I would see SIX all the time. And I was like, you know, I was so happy to be making my Broadway debut. I also made my principal debut in that contract too. But I was like, I want to be a principal, you know, I want to be a leading lady.

[23:10] Jayke Workman: Yeah.

[23:11] Hailee Kaleem Wright: And I saw the show every single day when I went to my stage door, and I just would imagine myself going into the stage door, and lo and behold, the audition came up, and it was in the middle of Tony season. So we're rehearsing for the Tonys.

[23:25] Jayke Workman: Oh my god.

[23:28] Hailee Kaleem Wright: We're doing eight shows a week, and I'm doing callbacks, final callbacks, coming back, coming back, coming back. I think I did three or four auditions while doing the Tonys rehearsal time. And then Paradise Square closed and they emailed me at some point in between then, and then I was out. That was like my last round of audition. So I think in total I might have done like six or seven callbacks.

[23:55] Jayke Workman: SIX is fitting, I would say.

[23:56] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yeah. But it was so funny because I originally came in thinking I would be Parr.

[24:02] Jayke Workman: Be Hearst.

[24:03] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yeah. And then it was like they handed me the Aragon stuff in the room, and I was like, I don't know. And okay. So it's so interesting when people see something in you, you know, that I didn't even see for myself. Cause I was like, oh, I don't know if I can do that, you know.

[24:18] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Goes back to that thing. That that audition process was so different than anything I had ever done before because of the way that they do it with like the groups and how the girls are all together. And I kind of loved it. I was like in the group.

[24:30] Jayke Workman: Did you sing in the groups?

[24:33] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yes. I didn't do that. I well, actually, when we sang in groups, it was only me and one other woman who was in for the same role. So that was kind of fun because it was just like a we'll just go in together and do the whole thing together. But I don't know if it had been like 10 other girls, I would have been like, I don't like this.

[24:54] Jayke Workman: See, I've heard of some situations like that. And I was like, ooh, I don't know how I'd fare.

[24:59] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Not this. Because I for me, auditions, and the reason like I know for actors, some people love self-tapes, some people hate them or whatever. I think I just love personal interaction. Like I like that one hundred percent. Because I feel like, and I think all actors should look at this. This is an audition for y'all too. I want to see how y'all's energy is. You know, I'm trying to see if I like working with y'all that part.

[25:22] Jayke Workman: Well, if you encourage, you know, so I enjoyed getting the just the table and me singing. Now we did do like a round robin of like the beginning scene.

[25:35] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Uh-huh.

[25:36] Jayke Workman: The light be yeah, we did like a round robin of that. But everything else, yeah.

[25:40] Hailee Kaleem Wright: So that's so wild. That's amazing that you were in for that though. I think it that makes me happy. It feels like we're getting closer then, you know.

[25:49] Jayke Workman: Definitely.

[25:49] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I feel I feel that way. That I have said it before, but I felt like that was really the first time that I felt like I was actually being taken seriously as like a non-binary person in an audition room. I was like, oh, okay, you guys have the imagination to understand that like I can shave the mustache, and I'm again comes down to capability. It's like if I can do it, why not?

[26:11] Jayke Workman: Sorry, yeah.

[26:12] Hailee Kaleem Wright: That's so cool.

[26:13] Jayke Workman: Well, switching gears a little bit, I would love to ask you because you have spoken so openly and so beautifully about your road to becoming an artist and living in New York City. And your story hit my heart so closely just because of how special your bond is with your mother. And I my mom is like my biggest person in my life. I'd love to know how sort of like where you have landed now, and then like, you know, retrospectively looking back and like looking at your path to here. How has it been like living in New York and doing what you set out to do when you were 16?

[26:57] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Uh shout out to 16, 17 year old me. She really had some hut spa. I gotta give her love and credit because I feel like I've made her proud. That's how I feel. My journey in New York, I feel like I've satisfied the dreams and desires of my 16, 17 year old self. And the beautiful part of where I'm at now is like setting new goals for myself when I'm 60 to look back in this time and say, Yeah, girl, you did that. So that's the place that I'm in right now.

[27:26] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I mean, for people who don't know who are listening to the pod, I basically for the first three and a half years in New York City where it was houseless, in shelters and all kinds of, you know, just insecure environments, you know, just kind of trying to make it and fighting, fighting for my dream. And it's such a be like I have pinch me moments all the time going back to Museum of Broadway. Last year they did a six exhibit and they had all the costumes for the girls, and I got to bring my mom and you know, we both cried because it was just like this is insane. Like I'm in a museum, and actually, Paradise Square is in that museum a little bit too. So I all three of my shows now have been represented in this museum. And I just thought it was crazy because we went to the Moulin Rouge exhibit, and it was just the teen costumes.

[28:23] Jayke Workman: Yeah.

[28:24] Hailee Kaleem Wright: And I was just sitting there like, what in the world? You know, and then what really brought me to tears was that when I first lived in New York, I lived off of 169th off of the F train. So it's like the second to last stop, I think, or the last stop in Queens. And I would take the F train to my job at Forever 21 in Times Square, and I would pass that building.

[28:49] Jayke Workman: Yep.

[28:50] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Those theaters every day. Every day. And it just I just have so much gratitude, you know, for all the hands and souls that have helped can encourage me and push me along this path and see something in me sometimes, like I said, that I didn't even see in myself. And then to be in this position and such a successful show and be getting an opportunity to showcase, you know, other parts of myself, and you know, I just I don't take any of it for granted, and I really do my best to be present.

[29:29] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I'm a very goal-oriented young woman and I get I you know, I'm a Virgo if you're into astrology, so you know Virgos, okay.

[29:39] Jayke Workman: Oh, what's your birthday?

[29:41] Hailee Kaleem Wright: September 12th.

[29:42] Jayke Workman: Yes, the first of it.

[29:45] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yes, I knew as soon as you hopped on the call, and I was like, This is a Virgo.

[29:52] Jayke Workman: I live, I live.

[29:53] Hailee Kaleem Wright: So yeah, so you understand, like, there's just a level of my brain works really fast, and sometimes I can see so far into the future that I get really upset that it's not happening in this right now.

[30:05] Jayke Workman: Yes.

[30:07] Hailee Kaleem Wright: And so I'm really constantly just learning how to practice the things that I practice when I wasn't even close to Broadway, you know, when I was working at Brubber 21 and just go back to that level of it's gonna happen faith and, you know, just really like staying the course. And so I think that's my biggest takeaway from all of this is just saying stay the course. Stay the freaking course.

[30:31] Jayke Workman: And I think that's such a testament to your strength and you know, your ability as you mentioned earlier to manifest and to put energy into the goals that you want to achieve. But I also think that everything that you have been through and that you have worked for only now can help you inform how you approach a role, specifically like Satine, but anything where you have the inherent innate ability to empathize, you have been through it and you have connected with these people on an actual personal level.

[31:11] Hailee Kaleem Wright: So now you could literally step into anyone's shoes on stage and be able to tap into your own personal experience and put it on the stage so that people connect with you. It's just it's incredible. I have spoken to so many amazing artists from all, you know, facets and realms and everything, and like regardless of whether or not you are the person on stage who the audience is getting the story from, or if you are the lighting designer or the hair designer. Like I always I come back to the conversation that I had with Nikia Mathis who designed, she's designed everything, but when she was doing Ja Ja's African hair braiding, I was like, you don't even I mean maybe she does know, she probably knows, but I was like, you don't even know how like effective your storytelling is as the hair designer of the show.

[31:59] Jayke Workman: Like it's just so amazing.

[32:00] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I'm just I'm seeing the fact that she's an actress I think is such a gag. Yeah, you know, I love that. And I think the way that the storytelling was so incumbent upon how those wigs were designed.

[32:11] Jayke Workman: Yes.

[32:12] Hailee Kaleem Wright: To tell because I lived for I actually I saw it, did I say it twice? I think I saw it twice.

[32:17] Jayke Workman: Yeah.

[32:17] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Because it was just like the set design and everything was incredible.

[32:20] Jayke Workman: It was incredible.

[32:22] Hailee Kaleem Wright: But yeah, I think yeah, any anybody in the arts, anybody doing this, whether you're in whatever department, you bring something special and people glean that they're such super fans, especially of like shows like six, shows like Moulin Rouge.

[32:39] Jayke Workman: Yes.

[32:40] Hailee Kaleem Wright: And you hear from people who are like, I have no interest in ever being on a stage, but you moved me. You touched me in a, you know, so I just I'm incredibly honored to be a part of this amazing world, this community of theater. I feel like I've had such a home with that level of empathy, like you were talking about. Like we empathize for a living.

[33:02] Jayke Workman: Yes.

[33:06] Hailee Kaleem Wright: We put ourselves in other people's shoes for a living. And sometimes you don't agree with their choices or decisions, and or sometimes you do, and you validate, you know, and so it's I actually felt like this role helped me kind of cathartically get through some things.

[33:24] Jayke Workman: Sure.

[33:24] Hailee Kaleem Wright: You know, from my past, to set myself up for a better future. So yeah, I think art is so healing in that way, and what we do is so healing in that way. And so if my journey had to be what it is to get me here to be able to feel, feel and empathize for not only other people, but my these characters as well, then it was all worth it.

[33:47] Jayke Workman: And how's your mom?

[33:49] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Mama's good. Mama's so good. You know what? She actually, I'm so proud of her. She just finished doing Rock of Ages. She was Justice. And I'm just kind of I'm gonna put it in the atmosphere. I really want to see her maybe do a little, I don't know, maybe a little Laud Chacolade Moonlight.

[34:08] Jayke Workman: Oh I don't know.

[34:10] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I think that would be kind of cool. Mother daughter on Broadway. Maybe she comes over, she can do Mama Morton with us at Chicago.

[34:16] Jayke Workman: Oh yes.

[34:20] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yeah. Cause she's that type. Like she's like the Queen Latifa, like you know grassy, she was, you know, motormouth mabel. She's that chick. She's that girl. So yeah.

[34:30] Jayke Workman: I think that would be sick. Well, before you made your Broadway debut, you had been out on the road with Beautiful.

[34:38] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yeah.

[34:39] Jayke Workman: Did you enjoy doing a show on the road? Is that something you would do again?

[34:45] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I think that this particular type of tour I was on, no, because it was like one nighters every single night. That junk is hard. It's just hard. But I think touring with that show, I'll say was really cathartic for me because I'm a songwriter first. I started off as a songwriter in the studio. That's had a record deal of the whole bit. So to sit and watch and listen to a woman's story based off of her. Like I just thought this shoe was such a badass because it's like, girl, you so fierce that you wrote songs that are iconic to this day, put other people in their positions to have iconic careers, and then are so fierce that now we have a show about it, and now I get to get paid because you wrote a song. That's crazy to me.

[35:30] Hailee Kaleem Wright: It is crazy. That's crazy to me. So for me, I really was like in tune with the story, and I was so inspired. I actually started writing and releasing music while I was on the road, even with the one nighters, because I was just like, this is inspiring. And it spoke so much to like the a deeper part of me, like another part of me that sometimes musical theater my friends in the theater industry don't always understand. So it yeah, I really enjoyed Carol's story. And I'm so grateful that I got to hear her story every single day because it kind of helped me feel more confident and just going for it because that's that's what she did constantly. She was just going for it.

[36:10] Jayke Workman: So that's so cool. Is your music still like available to stream?

[36:14] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yes, it is. You can stream it. Hayley Clean Wright. I have singles out, I'm making more music. Now that mama had a little more time, okay. And the fucking funds. That shit is so expensive.

[36:28] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Baby. I was at the studio last night, honey. Oh my god, dropping claims. She's a working girl. Come on. Oh, honey, I play it. You know what it is. You know what it is. Wow. Oh my god, I can't wait to listen. Yeah, you have to listen. I still have songs. I used to go under a pseudonym of Sapphire Heart, which is the birthstone sapphire. It was a whole thing when I was 19, and I kind of came found myself, and so now I'm releasing music under my name. But yeah, I will always write music. I will always, you know, have that as a channeling source that's kind of bigger than me. Um, but I feel like now I get to do it because I actually love it and I don't have to put a whole bunch of pressure on myself.

[37:08] Jayke Workman: A hundred percent. Well, and now that you have sort of like an established career, the trajectory would most likely look like you have the time to be here in the city. So even if you are in a full-time show like this, like uh Satine in Moulin Rouge, you have the ability to connect with other artists in this city and, you know, with this city.

[37:30] Hailee Kaleem Wright: And in East Orange, New Jersey. And the East Orange, New Jersey. And and and also too, it's like I'm so grateful. This is like this alternate role in this position was such what I needed after Six. It's like that's such a like I think as artists and in musicals, we feel like, oh, I gotta get to the next lead role and the next lead role and the next and it's like this is a lead role, but I get to take a bit of sit like just to sit down just a little bit, you know, and rest and recover and take care of myself and rehabilitate and give pour back into myself. I poured into audiences every single night for a year. So it's nice to pour into myself a little bit. I don't think we all often give ourselves the opportunities to do that. Um and now I'm doing a show at the Nines. I would love for you to come.

[38:15] Jayke Workman: Oh my gosh. Yay, when are you doing that?

[38:19] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Um, so it's on August 26th on a Monday. I have a 6:30 show and an 8:30 show. And it's a fabulous, it's literally called New York's Sexiest Lounge. Period.

[38:30] Jayke Workman: Oh my god.

[38:32] Hailee Kaleem Wright: And the food is bumm. Wait, wait, what? Is it a solo show?

[38:37] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yes, it is. Yes, it is. Kaleem, right? What the hell? It's kind of nuts. Kind of nuts. So that was I did it last month and by popular demeanor. Period. After sold out, after two shout-out shows. But who's counting? Um they asked me to come back. They asked me to come back. So I'm just absolutely thrilled. And it's just me, like the first set was more like musical theater Broadway songs. And then I had thrown in like pop and like other stuff, and they were like, actually, we want you to do more of that pop stuff. So now I'm really gonna do it. And so the theme is like just love songs of past, present, future. So future being some of my music. And you know, you know, we're doing it.

[39:20] Jayke Workman: That is so exciting. Oh my god, I will literally be getting tickets today. And I'll put the little like link or something in the episode description.

[39:27] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yeah, let people know. Yeah, I don't know when this comes out, but uh either way, I'd you're good energy, so I just would love to have you.

[39:34] Jayke Workman: That would be so fun.

[39:35] Jayke Workman: Well, Hailee, you are just such a delight. Before I let you go, I have a series of musical theater rapid fire questions that I ask every guest. Not trivia, but questions specifically to you. Are you ready?

[39:49] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yes, I am.

[39:52] Jayke Workman: Sondheim or Andrew Lloyd Webber.

[39:55] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Whoo! Slash, wait, have you seen Cats: The Jellicle Ball?

[40:01] Jayke Workman: Oh my gosh, I'm so sad. No, I haven't.

[40:03] Hailee Kaleem Wright: We're on the same schedule. Have to see it. They just extended again. They just extended. I'm craying because we were on a weird schedule. We were off on like we had 12 shows, 12 shows in a row. It was crazy. But I wanna go and see it. I haven't seen it. I am the queerest, blackest, transist, happiest, most joyous thing I've literally ever seen.

[40:25] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I've only heard amazing things. I want to see it so bad, and I'm such a fan of Jalen, the director. Like I need to be in the space. I need to be in the space. Um I haven't seen it. I'm gonna have to say the Barbara Streisand version of "Putting It Together" is my absolute fave. And that is Sondheim. So I'm gonna have to go with Sondheim.

[40:44] Jayke Workman: Um sweatpants or jeans.

[40:50] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Damn. Okay. Where are we going? The Virgo planning. I know. Like, uh I'm gonna have to say jeans. I'm a jean girl. I do love jeans.

[41:00] Jayke Workman: Do you have a favorite musical?

[41:05] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Favorite is hard. Oh I don't think I do. I love them all. I love them in so many different ways. But I think it my my like very close, close, like if I'm gonna have to pick a favorite.

[41:26] Jayke Workman: Do you have a least favorite musical?

[41:31] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I don't even I'm a I'm gonna keep it real with you. I am so empty, like basic bones, like bare bones. So I no, I can't even I don't even have a qualifying like understanding of MTSA. No, I did not. I did not.

[41:46] Jayke Workman: Um would you ever like to do a Broadway play?

[41:50] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Oh, yes. That that's absolutely what I would love to do. I'd love to be in a play with some like real, real life circumstances. I would love to not wear a corset on stage in a play. What a concept that would be. I have not done a show in my entire career, minus Beautiful, but like on Broadway without a corset. Yeah, even Paradise Square. You guys were all corseted.

[42:13] Jayke Workman: Yeah.

[42:13] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah. Good lord. Um, are you a morning person or a night owl?

[42:16] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Night owl.

[42:20] Jayke Workman: Me too. Night owl.

[42:22] Jayke Workman: Um could you think of the craziest thing a director has ever asked you to do, either in the rehearsal room or in an audition setting?

[42:32] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Ooh, you know what? Was it crazy? I don't know. It was more like intimidating. Oh. Um, but it was like he took his chair to the back of the room after I'd finished doing the scene. It was like, make me feel it back here. I was like. Okay. So just sing louder or just it was it was for a scene. So I was like, okay, I guess I need to speak louder. I don't know. But my friend actually was in the audition. Now she's my friend. She wasn't at the time, but she she was like, you adjusted so well, and that's what we knew. So I was like, okay. We love to hear that. I don't know if that's crazy, but that was that's the thing.

[43:07] Jayke Workman: Um Golden Age or Contemporary.

[43:10] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Contemporary.

[43:11] Jayke Workman: What is the favorite role that you've ever played?

[43:15] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Satine.

[43:16] Jayke Workman: Gorge. Coffee or tea?

[43:19] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Tea.

[43:20] Jayke Workman: Down. Loosely.

[43:22] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Ooh, loose leaf. I'm a loboji with my tea.

[43:26] Jayke Workman: That's fancy.

[43:26] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I gotta get into that gig. Um, what is the hardest show you've ever done?

[43:31] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Six: The Musical.

[43:34] Jayke Workman: Um, do you have a favorite costume you've ever worn?

[43:40] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Oh, that's tough. That's tough. Literally every costume that I've worn on Broadway has been either Tony nominated or won a Tony for that's insanity. Crazy. Uh I have to say the green fairy or the red Duke dress that she comes out the spectacular diamonds, the diamonds golf. Are you kidding me? You're gonna make me all go to Moulin Rouge.

[44:10] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yeah, yeah, yeah. All of yeah, Moulin Rouge, all of them.

[44:14] Jayke Workman: Um, who is the silliest cast member in Moulin Rouge?

[44:19] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I think it has to go to Courtney Reed. She's not even in the show anymore, but Courtney, hands down, she's so silly. I don't even know how she had the time. Second silliest person is Andre.

[44:29] Jayke Workman: Yeah, I was in Babe said Andre. Andre for sure. He's a fool. I love it.

[44:35] Jayke Workman: Um do you have any pets?

[44:37] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I don't not yet.

[44:39] Jayke Workman: Me neither. Someday.

[44:40] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I want a dog.

[44:41] Jayke Workman: I want a dog too, but I'm too afraid to commit.

[44:45] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Right? With this schedule, it's tough. Yeah. And and yeah. But at once once once we lock in with like more time, I think it'll be right.

[44:54] Jayke Workman: Have you ever or could you think of the uh biggest on stage mishap that you have had?

[45:02] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Oh god. You know what? In Six, I would jack up that dang monologue. Not all the time. I won't say all the time, but it got me at least two to three times. Three to four. It might have been three to four. Where I because it's a timed monologue, uh it's a tracked monologue. So boom, doom, good, got, boom. Cool. And it's such a track. If you don't, if you get off, if you if you have a moment of like, wait, where am I? You're already off, and then it's like the rest of it's off. I'm the Aragon is the only one with a track monologue, mind you. So by now, nature, you know, you have a white room moment, and then it's like, oh god, how do I even get back on? So, honey, yeah, they got an abbreviated version of what happened to Miss Aragon a couple times.

Um but I think the funniest one, the one that the girls will probably tell you about if if you interviewed anybody else, would be I literally started off with Cleves's like the end when they do their reprise of all the songs is like I did Cleves's, which is the same melody line as Aragon's, but I did her words, and then I went, What are the words on the only way to talk to one another? Because if you don't talk to the mic, we can't hear. So it's like help me. They didn't know the words, they were all dying laughing. It was the more the funny talking for sure. I was like, I can't happen.

[46:25] Jayke Workman: Um, well, my last question for you, Miss Hailee is a question I ask every single guest, which is what is one thing that you would tell baby Hailee?

[46:33] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Um, baby Hailee. So many things. Um you got it. You got it, kid. You got it. So so don't worry. Just enjoy your life. Love.

[46:53] Jayke Workman: Yeah. Love it. Well, Hailee, thank you so so much for coming on the podcast. You are an absolute delight. I can't believe I haven't met you in person yet.

[47:02] Hailee Kaleem Wright: I know we need to fix this.

[47:03] Jayke Workman: Absolutely. Well, and I of course I will be coming to your solo show on August 26th. But uh, would you tell the listeners where they can find you on socials slash um where they can stream your fabulous music?

[47:16] Hailee Kaleem Wright: Yes, you can go to Instagram, TikTok, Hailee Kaleem Wright. Um, and I have my website, hkwright.com. Oh, so gmail. HKWright.com is my website. Um, which, you know, she's a work in progress. So maybe just go to my Instagram. That'd probably be the best. But yeah.

[47:39] Jayke Workman: Work. I cannot wait to see your show. Thank you so much for coming on the pod.

[47:44] Hailee Kaleem Wright: My absolute pleasure. I've been wanting to do this podcast for so long. I always get the emails on Broadway World. So I'm really yes, she's on Broadway World Diva.

[47:54] Jayke Workman: Here we go.

[47:59] Jayke Workman: You guys, that's it for another episode of Oh My Pod, you guys. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe anywhere you listen to the show. And you can follow the show on Instagram at ohmypoduguys. And also stay tuned very soon on the socials because we are implementing a new video element to the pod.

[48:19] Jayke Workman: That's right. You've heard it here first. We're going global. We're going on video. So we have that to look forward to. So stay tuned. Thank you so so much for listening. Talk soon. Bye.

[48:31] Jayke Workman: Oh my god. Oh my god, you guys.