This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Brian Sedita: Hey everyone, welcome to Page to Stage.

[0:03] Mary Dina: A conversation with theater makers.

[0:04] Brian Sedita: We're your hosts.

[0:05] Mary Dina: That's Brian.

[0:06] Brian Sedita: And that's Mary.

[0:07] Mary Dina: This episode is part of our series on Six the Musical.

[0:10] Brian Sedita: In this series, we uncover the process behind the musical through our central question.

[0:15] Mary Dina: What role does history play in the storytelling of Six?

[0:18] Brian Sedita: A show that uses the history mix as a device.

[0:21] Mary Dina: We hope you enjoyed this episode.

[0:26] Brittney Mack: Hey, my name is Brittney Mack.

[0:29] Brittney Mack: I am currently playing Anne of Cleves in the Broadway show Six the Musical.

[0:35] Brian Sedita: Amazing. We're so excited to have you.

[0:37] Mary Dina: This is our second episode in our Six series.

[0:40] Mary Dina: And I'm just gonna repeat for you and for all of our listeners what our central question is that we're uh focusing these episodes on.

[0:48] Mary Dina: What role does history play in the storytelling of Six?

[0:52] Mary Dina: A show that uses the history mix as a device.

[0:55] Mary Dina: What I'm really excited for in this episode in particular is that a lot of what we do on Page to Stage is highlighting folks in the industry that we often don't hear from.

[1:03] Mary Dina: And most of the time, those aren't like principal actors on Broadway.

[1:06] Mary Dina: We hear from them pretty often.

[1:08] Mary Dina: You're the first person to join us on Page to Stage to discuss the process of playing a principal role in a Broadway show.

[1:14] Mary Dina: And what I find so interesting about Six's storytelling is that you guys all take turns being individuals in the spotlight, and then also work seamlessly as an ensemble.

[1:24] Mary Dina: So I'm wondering if you could just jump in and speak about what you did to prepare for the audition for Six and how to stand out as that individual, but also speak to if they had you guys read together for anything to like match chemistry.

[1:39] Brittney Mack: First of all, thank you guys for having me.

[1:41] Brittney Mack: I'm really excited to be here.

[1:42] Brittney Mack: Thank you so much.

[1:43] Brittney Mack: Um the short of it is um I didn't know anything about the show.

[1:48] Brittney Mack: Uh coming into the process.

[1:50] Brittney Mack: I had no idea what the show was, who wrote it, why they did it, and why it was important, to be perfectly honest.

[1:57] Brittney Mack: I did a general's, I came in for the general's call for uh Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

[2:03] Brittney Mack: I am from Chicago, born and raised on the South Side.

[2:06] Brittney Mack: And so I was uh it was the eighth and last audition of the day.

[2:10] Brittney Mack: And so uh I just went in for The Wizard of Oz.

[2:14] Brittney Mack: I was like, yes, I know the choreographer, I'm a shoe-in, let's go.

[2:19] Brittney Mack: And I was gonna get my munchkin on, but then they kept asking me to keep singing, and then was like, you know when you do the thing is, you know, as an actor, you go in the audition room and you'd be like, you know what?

[2:30] Brittney Mack: I just did that, nailed it.

[2:31] Brittney Mack: And then they're like, do you have anything else?

[2:33] Brittney Mack: And I'm just like, I'm sorry, what?

[2:36] Brittney Mack: Um, because I just nailed that.

[2:37] Brittney Mack: So that's kind of how I felt.

[2:39] Brittney Mack: Um, and then I kept singing and singing.

[2:41] Brittney Mack: They wanted to hear different genres and different things from me, and it was uh very interesting.

[2:46] Brittney Mack: I mean, my book is very vast.

[2:48] Brittney Mack: So I was like, all right, cool.

[2:49] Brittney Mack: Like, but now it's turning into a concert, and I feel like I should be getting paid.

[2:53] Brittney Mack: Um, so it was a little bizarre.

[2:55] Brittney Mack: By the time we got to callbacks with sheet music, I was like, get what?

[3:01] Brittney Mack: Get down.

[3:01] Brittney Mack: Get down where?

[3:03] Brittney Mack: What is this?

[3:03] Brittney Mack: And still hadn't had the I literally, I'm so smart, you know.

[3:07] Brittney Mack: I don't know if you know, I had no idea that, like what this monster was, how it was what it was, or anything like that.

[3:14] Brittney Mack: So that to say, by the time I get uh get down and I got callback material for don't lose your head, I was kind of like, oh, okay.

[3:23] Brittney Mack: Uh dear Siri, uh Google, um Alexis, what's your name?

[3:28] Brittney Mack: I need to know what this what this is.

[3:30] Brittney Mack: So by the time we got to that, I saw uh the concert that they did at the Edinburgh Fringe, and I was like, okay, so it's just a bunch of like really dope chicks singing a song.

[3:42] Brittney Mack: Okay.

[3:43] Brittney Mack: That was literally all the information I had was these like very regular looking women singing something about Henry the Eighth.

[3:50] Mary Dina: And you knew it was based on the history.

[3:53] Brittney Mack: No, no, okay.

[3:55] Mary Dina: Were you familiar with like the story of Henry VIII from like I mean, yeah, from like tutors and stuff like that from the tutors, literally, that's it.

[4:01] Brittney Mack: And I mean, we knew about Ambolyn, like those, yes, I know enough history to know, but the concept is not like anything you've ever imagined, right?

[4:10] Brittney Mack: And so um, I was like, Oh, this is kind of cute, this is a big deal.

[4:13] Brittney Mack: Okay, let me just add Spotify, and then I saw the music on there, and I was like, I'm not listening to it, I don't want to do it.

[4:20] Mary Dina: Was there a reason why you chose specifically not to listen to the music?

[4:24] Brittney Mack: Because automatically you're like subconsciously influenced, right?

[4:28] Brittney Mack: Um, and so I listened to everyone else's all the other songs, and um, so I was I but you still really don't really know what the show is, and I say that now on the other side of it, right?

[4:41] Brittney Mack: La la la, all of that to say we get to final callbacks, and I'm looking around like, wait, I'm in final callbacks with half of these Broadway.

[4:49] Brittney Mack: Wait a minute, what's happening here, right?

[4:51] Brittney Mack: So you've got like Adriana Hicks, you've got Anuzelli, you've got you know, Catherine's there.

[4:56] Brittney Mack: Um, oh god, what is that other child's everybody, everybody and their aunties was there, and they cousins and their little sisters, everybody, and so it was what was cool.

[5:05] Brittney Mack: Was is the callback situation was incredible.

[5:09] Brittney Mack: If you were called back for Amberlynn, all the Ambleins went in together.

[5:13] Brittney Mack: If you were called back for Anne of Cleves, you all the queens went in together, so there was not like listening at the door, like, mm-hmm are they gonna sing down?

[5:21] Brittney Mack: No, you're gonna just see, and we'll see how creative you are, right?

[5:25] Brittney Mack: So, mind you, we sang last.

[5:27] Brittney Mack: So, so going into these callbacks, doing this stuff, I never forget seeing Andrea Mackassette sing don't lose your head, and baby.

[5:38] Brittney Mack: When I tell you, this girl, first of all, her heels were like the height of her legs, okay.

[5:45] Brittney Mack: And I was like, come on, quads, let's go, calves.

[5:49] Brittney Mack: Serve me this ponytail.

[5:50] Brittney Mack: What's about to happen here?

[5:52] Brittney Mack: So, as you know, all the music has backgrounds, ooh hoos and all of that stuff.

[5:56] Brittney Mack: So, as the waiting queen, so the ladies in waiting, um, you're welcome.

[6:03] Brittney Mack: As these women waiting for our turn, if you would, um we were each other's backup, and I will never forget Andrea went up there, and when I tell you she did the dog on thing, I was like, I literally she sang, and I was like, You better let's go.

[6:21] Brittney Mack: Like, I don't because I'm a professional, but I couldn't help it.

[6:26] Brittney Mack: I could not help it, like that's how good it was.

[6:30] Brittney Mack: And she was just like, she like transformed, it was incredible.

[6:34] Brittney Mack: And then she was like, Okay, and just sat down, and I was like, I don't want to sing, I don't want to sing, and um, all that to say.

[6:42] Brittney Mack: So I went in, I went up and did my my amblein thing.

[6:45] Brittney Mack: Then Anne of Cleves came and um, you know, it it starts with you know, sitting here all alone, right?

[6:51] Brittney Mack: And so everyone was like, May I use a chair?

[6:52] Brittney Mack: May I use a chair?

[6:53] Brittney Mack: Here's the thing we had just danced for like I don't know what felt like 37 hours.

[6:57] Brittney Mack: I was they were like, Britney, do you want a chair?

[6:59] Brittney Mack: I said, No, because if I sit down, I'm not getting back up.

[7:04] Brittney Mack: And I was dead serious, and those are the words that came out of my mouth.

[7:08] Brittney Mack: They laughed hysterically and said, Okay, okay.

[7:11] Brittney Mack: And then we're in rehearsals.

[7:13] Brittney Mack: So here we are.

[7:13] Brittney Mack: Like it was kind of a blur like that.

[7:16] Brittney Mack: It was about building each other up and encouragement.

[7:18] Brittney Mack: It was about the illusion that the theater community gives off.

[7:21] Brittney Mack: That's what it was.

[7:22] Brittney Mack: It was about we, we there's this illusion, right?

[7:25] Brittney Mack: That oh, theater people all are the same because they that's why they're all theater people and they all love each other and love is love and all of this stuff.

[7:32] Brittney Mack: And it's really not, right?

[7:33] Brittney Mack: There's a lot of tension in our cast of theater folk.

[7:36] Brittney Mack: And so, but for once, for once in my entire history of being on stage, which is a long time, um, I was in the room with so there wasn't any side sass.

[7:49] Brittney Mack: You couldn't do that.

[7:50] Brittney Mack: Either you were there to support each other as women and as human beings, or nah.

[7:55] Brittney Mack: And or of course, other things like you weren't what they're looking for, all these different things, right?

[8:00] Brittney Mack: So then um what was interesting was I I remember thinking, and we were all sitting there, like, could y'all believe that that just happened?

[8:09] Brittney Mack: It was like it was crazy.

[8:10] Brittney Mack: It written I remember, I mean, I'm sitting next to Adriana Hicks, I'm across from Andrea Makassett, I'm diagonal from Anna Uzelle.

[8:19] Brittney Mack: Little did we know we would all be working together, but it was this understanding that, like, yo, that was really cool.

[8:26] Brittney Mack: And thank you for your support, and thank you for your support.

[8:28] Brittney Mack: And you better, and you better, and you better, because we were all in the same room.

[8:33] Brittney Mack: So you couldn't do anything but really just like hype each other up.

[8:36] Brittney Mack: It gave you the energy, the room was there for you, even if the table was weird behind the table, right?

[8:42] Brittney Mack: But having this group of women there, like, girl, listen, if you don't get it, I'm gonna get it.

[8:47] Brittney Mack: If we don't get it, they gonna get it.

[8:48] Brittney Mack: Let's go.

[8:49] Brittney Mack: And that's what was special about this entire process.

[8:52] Brittney Mack: And doing that, you knew, whatever this show was, whether you knew about it or not, that it was gonna be magical.

[8:58] Brittney Mack: And like that's what the show is about, too.

[9:00] Brittney Mack: Which is even more magical looking back.

[9:03] Mary Dina: Exactly.

[9:03] Brittney Mack: Exactly.

[9:04] Brittney Mack: Which I was like, oh, aha.

[9:06] Brittney Mack: And Toby, I never forget Toby said, honestly, Brittany, I knew that I wanted to work with you after Andrea sang.

[9:13] Brittney Mack: When she sang, and you were rooting for her like that, and you didn't really kind of care about the rest of the room or what anyone thought, and it was so genuine.

[9:22] Brittney Mack: He said, I was like, Oh, where's she from?

[9:25] Brittney Mack: And they were like, She's from here, she's from Chicago.

[9:27] Brittney Mack: And he was like, Oh my god, I love it, honestly.

[9:29] Brittney Mack: So, you know, I was like, Oh, thank you.

[9:32] Brittney Mack: You because you want to know what people think of you in the room.

[9:34] Brittney Mack: What oh, was that a little too much?

[9:36] Brittney Mack: Whatever.

[9:37] Brittney Mack: It's just who you are is enough.

[9:39] Mary Dina: I think that's so powerful, too.

[9:41] Mary Dina: That first of all, that you were all in the rooms, and the first thing as you were talking, the first thing that came to mind was like, Oh, the energy must have been like unreal, like banana unstoppable.

[9:51] Brittney Mack: I mean, we mean what what we saw on stage, you know, in March 2020.

[9:55] Mary Dina: Um the other thing I was gonna say was that I think what you just said about how it's not always your talent, it's oh it's it can be about your your energy that you're giving off and and your personality.

[10:06] Mary Dina: I think that is crucial for anyone, not just young people in the industry, but anyone in the industry to learn from because this is such a small community, and we only get where we are from the people around us, you know what I mean?

[10:20] Brittney Mack: So I love that.

[10:22] Mary Dina: I love that.

[10:23] Mary Dina: So I wanted to just talk briefly.

[10:26] Mary Dina: So we talked with Kevin in our last episode, Kevin McCollum, about the the touring of it all of all the different venues that you guys ended up playing at prior to landing on Broadway.

[10:38] Mary Dina: So you were performing the same show, you were you had the same blocking, I'm assuming in choreography for all the different stops along the way.

[10:45] Brittney Mack: What was it like doing that in the different venues?

[10:49] Brittney Mack: Um, it it was very different, right?

[10:52] Brittney Mack: It's it's like going on a tour.

[10:53] Brittney Mack: Um, I got a chance to join like the Memphis tour, uh geez Louise, two lifetimes ago, and I'll never forget, you know, what that experience was picking up a show and putting it in different venues is not the same show, right?

[11:08] Brittney Mack: Spacing may be different.

[11:09] Brittney Mack: And and um, for those of you who have seen the show, you're aware of this like epic opening kabuki thing, fabric thing that hangs that blows in the wind.

[11:20] Brittney Mack: And the kabuki is like literally the seventh queen, okay.

[11:24] Brittney Mack: Like she has her own way of operating, she do her thing, and I'll be like, girl, she's temperamental today.

[11:30] Brittney Mack: So, so even with just dealing with that, just the first aspect of the show or spacing or different things like that was very different.

[11:38] Brittney Mack: Also, Chicago Shakespeare, because we did the show in the yard.

[11:42] Brittney Mack: Um, it it, I mean, you're talking straight, vertical, straight up all the way up.

[11:48] Brittney Mack: And you're just you're like, okay.

[11:51] Brittney Mack: So then to go to somewhere like ART, where it's a little more straight out.

[11:57] Brittney Mack: Then you go to, you know, uh uh uh we went to the Citadel, which was you know, your standard proscenium up and out.

[12:03] Brittney Mack: We it was a lot of differences and variables that we have to consider because it is very much so like going to a regular concert.

[12:13] Brittney Mack: So we want to connect with everyone, and that is a part of our blocking.

[12:17] Brittney Mack: That was the other thing with casting and understanding what this show is, is that it's not about a fourth wall. There is no wall. We are there to tell our stories to you, and it's a competition, and may the best story win. And I'm just gonna say I always win, but that's neither here nor there, guys. It's not about a competition, it's about love and loving each other and support. No, it's not so so so the different venues kind of makes you um it it challenges you in a way that engaging doesn't become stale, right? And so to engage means to really invest and shift your focus and things like that. I didn't get a chance to go to the Ordway, um, which was one of the largest houses that um the Queens got to play um because I was injured.

So that was an experience that I didn't really get to have. Um, but Nicole, Nicole Lambert, um, she is everything on legs, and she got a chance to cover Cleaves um for the entire uh run of the show uh at the Ordway, and she just knocked it out the park. And so talking to her about it, she was like, girl, listen, oh my gosh. But it's nice to have even for her to be able to have that experience and be able to play because she also went on in every city as well. I'm not an actor, I'm not a performer. I I have so much respect for actors and all that they do. One of the one of them being the energy that you have to give off. I mean, thinking about obviously playing the same house eight times a week, but also having to play different size houses over the course of a year or so.

Um, do you find that you feel pressured to give off more energy for a larger house or adjust your performance based on the energy that you're reading, or do you always feel like it's like a hundred and fifty thousand percent all the time?

[14:08] Brittney Mack: Um, speaking for myself, uh regardless to how I'm feeling, sick, not sick, can't feel my toes, injured, um, because I have been injured since Chicago. So even at ART and even um at the Citadel, I was, you know, you just make it happen. Um because then you find out you're on this show that's on his way to Broadway. So you, you know, all that actor uh insecurity starts to kick in unfortunately. How some never no I'm not speaking strictly for myself, I'm not a person that can do less than what I do. I just kind of do my thing to be honest with you. I black out and then I come to um and so and and and so even not feeling well or whatever, you know, these are my sisters that I'm sharing the stage with.

So I get my energy from them. And if they're doing their thing, I can't help but if I'm supposed to be your backup, right? Or your support, then I gotta support I can't be like, do y'all thing shouty? And I'm just like marking in the background, right? And so um that and that is the show itself the momentum of the show depends on support. And that's one thing when you are there to support someone you have to be there 100% or don't be there at all. Right. And so that's literally what this show is set up to do to pull out that like real supportive person that um we that I think we all should be when the time comes right and so the songs go through so many different emotional roller coasters that depending on where we are that day, you know, women who Lord time of the month um you know breakups, family stuff, all of this stuff we need it, right?

And so it it it becomes that. So you really can't you, the universal you, in my opinion. Um, anyone, any uh actor striving anything to be a part of the six umbrella, there's no way to like half ass at all.

[16:01] Brittney Mack: If you take us back to like when you first got cast as your queen, what were the first steps that you took in terms of actually like delving in and doing research, or did you just wanna wait until you got in the room with everybody and with the directors and and the whole creative team? When I first got cast, I was in New York City on Eighth Avenue on my way to dig in after my callbacks for Justin. Listen, after my call back for uh the JCS tour, I got the confirmation that like they were going in another direction. I was like, love that, going to eat. On my way, I got an email that was like, Congratulations, and I collapsed like right in front of food emporium. So what is that like 50th kind of right there?

Um, and I just like collapsed in the middle of the street. And um, and I was with my friend Kenneth, and he was like, if you don't get out of this street, and I was laughing, and he said, What happened? I said, I booked six. Now, again, not knowing this was going to Broadway. Um, but but I remember I remember being like, This is it. Like, this is it. Whatever this goes, whatever this does, that yo, I'm so psyched, right? Because the swagger of the song itself put you in a mindset, whether you knew who she was or not, of what she was going to be, right? If this is her solo, I was like, that's that's outside Chicago all day. I could do that. That's fine. I didn't do anything else but kind of just get it in my system.

I listened to six on loop, and I listened to um um one one of the finale. And so if you could tell I'm in the show. Um, so I remember going into rehearsals and we and I'm looking at everybody we all looked at each other we went like that because we were incredibly blown away by by being a part of this project um and then I remember we did like a like a little table read if you would um and kind of walk talk through spoke through the songs as much as we thought we knew and I I was like yo this is so cool this is just so cool so I liked going in blind that that was not an issue for me because then I was really able to kind of put my stamp on who she was um to me right who she is in America uh who she is telling this story our show is actually very different than the West End the language is different they'll say like um in Don't lose your head when he when she goes and she goes uh mate just shut up I wouldn't be such a if you could get that so she goes I think in our show she goes bro you know what I mean like it's the slight little bitty things those little nuances that make it the Western cast that make it the American cast right um and and certain options and things that we do vocally so had I believe that had I dove into the world of six I would not have I would not have had the mental space to create whatever I wanted her to be you know I think it's harder to unpack a bag than to pack a bag like that so yeah I like that.

[19:15] Brittney Mack: Did you did you go into any of the history of the actual of course we did are you kidding me? We our Toby and Lucy were like fresh out of Cambridge. Like, are you like they are still students? They were like, Yeah, we just graduated yesterday. So here we are, guys, honestly. Um, so we're gonna do a project. And it was like, I want you to go, I want you to find out like what animal your queen would be if she was an animal. Like we did full of presentations. What animal did you choose for for your character? Oh, I don't freaking remember. I do remember, I do remember that the question was like, if your queen was like a seasoning or something, what would she be? And I remember saying that Cleves is cumin or cumin, depending on how you want to say it, because cumin is the that special flavor in taco seasoning that people love so much, but they don't really know what it is.

And they're like, what? I don't know what god, these tacos are so good, right? And but it's a sad thing about the seasoning, but cumin or cumin, depending on how you say it, is that very special ingredient that people use for tacos, and everybody loves tacos. I don't care what you want to put in it, vegetables, a pescatarian, paleotarian, aerytharian, vegetarian, whatever Tarian you want to be, everybody loves tacos. So I was like, Cleves is is the secret sauce and tacos, and everyone loves her by the time the show is over, whether you know of her story or not. That is a great question to ask actors.

[20:44] Brittney Mack: What love it? What's seasoning? Yeah. Because there's so many. There's so many seasonings. It's enough to make you feel some kind of way, but yeah. Because you guys were doing it in the States, you changed some of the language and and things about Americanizing it a little bit. Um, how much of the process was your own and your version of the of Anne of Cleves? Um, a lot, a lot of it, and a lot more than I thought. Um, and it was funny because there was one point where they were like, we were so tired and were so at the point of giving them what they want that they were like, okay, guys. So we need, you know, those incredible women that we cast. We need y'all to come back. We need y'all to like come back to these characters and like all we want you to do is just like put this little jacket on, right?

The the objective is to tell the story, tell their story as yourself. But in so the goal is, right? The the difficult part is you want to become these queens, right? But what you realize is you can't really become the the queen without having the rest of them. All of their stories are so intertwined. You learn that, like, you know, Anne of Cleves, she lived, she outlived all of the queens, even though even though it said that um Catherine Parr was the survivor. Um yeah, okay, sure. Yeah, girl, do your thing. History would tell us that Anne of Cleves outlived everyone. And so um that she was there at at um Queen Elizabeth's and Boleyn's daughter, Queen Elizabeth's coronation, that she was there for like her and Catherine Howard actually, you know, may or may not have had a thing.

And or just was like the best of friends, or both. Who knows? But that they were very close, right? And so um so it's it's very interesting that once you come see the show and you start to see the relationships that we as actors have with each other, it's important to have that because these women actually did have relationships. They knew each other. Catherine of Aragon, uh, you know, the first queen and Anne Boleyn, they knew who each other were. She was like, Oh, you do you the health was sleeping with my husband? I oh god, right? And just was freaking out. And she was like, Yeah, I'm her. Who gonna check me? Nobody swerve, right? And so it's so it was just this interesting, everyone knew each other all, so it wasn't a secret.

So having that relationship with each other, having um the history of it all made it that much easier to connect, made it that much easier to bring these women to life. The learning the history of it was just to just so we could resurrect them, if you would. The Lazarus effect. Give them life, but new life because we're retelling their stories from their perspective. They're all the history tells us is from King George's or uh King Henry's perspective, right? And a bunch of male perspective. Even what they look like is from whose perspective? Hans Hobai. So did she look like that or no? You know, were they porcelain and stunning? Yeah, okay, but did they really look like that, or was that his perspective?

So, casting wise, to have a black girl from the south side of Chicago with my locks, right? My natural hair to play a German queen who actually existed, you know, Toby Lucy, like they are so far ahead of their time, but not really, because why aren't we doing that now anyway? Ugh. So it's very interesting that uh that their concept isn't a new concept at all. It's just kind of what it should be, right?

[24:31] Brittney Mack: The storytelling of it. That us learning the history allows us to tell the story of these women with that much more clarity and that much more conviction. So if I'm saying, you know, Henry, you said that I tricked you because I didn't look like my profile picture. So then we're talking about, you know, the pressures of looks, you know, something that fades that men, women that all of us deal with, right? So that's when it starts to kind of tap into what we all deal with. Why are these things something that we are still dealing with now? Like all of these things. So it's freaking brilliant. It's brilliant. But learning the history of it allows us to tell it with that much more conviction and clarity.

[25:14] Brittney Mack: Yeah, I mean, when we saw it right before the shutdown, I didn't know. I mean, I knew of Anne Boleyn, but I didn't really know any really detail on any of the other queens. And I did not know, I did not listen to the music beforehand. I did not know what I was getting myself into. But there we like sat, you know, like I don't even we sat somewhere in the orchestra, I don't remember.

[25:37] Brian Sedita: Yeah, we did.

[25:38] Brittney Mack: We really did. So you were not ready.

[25:41] Mary Dina: You weren't ready.

[25:42] Brittney Mack: I was not ready. But also everyone around me was very well, like they were so ready. But the thing that didn't surprise me, but the thing that I like still kept with me after we left was the fact that these the things that each of the queens were talking about are still relatable, like they're still, you know, like what you were just saying about the looks. I was like, it's genius that they were able to take something like a portrait, but then like you know, associate it with like you know, dating apps or you know, swiping left and right. And I was like, What? Like, yes, it's incredible.

[26:18] Brittney Mack: And then, and then it's like, you hear, so I on the sound on the recording, it's like the House of Hobine seems to come out of nowhere, right? But then when you watch the show, you're just like, shut up. It does, it furthers the story so far ahead. And then it's like, oh, wait, that is the connection of all. So this one man gave us the visual perspective of all of these women. And if you look at the portraits that he did, do all the women not really kind of look alike, you know? And so what was that about, right? And so it just, I mean, it just kind of it's mind-boggling when you think of that or you just think of the writing itself, how clever it is. It's clever, it's intriguing.

[27:04] Brittney Mack: And um, we were in, we were at the I think we were at the Citadel, and there was a QA afterward, and an audience member, he was German, and he was like, Are any of you from Germany? And I was like, uh no, I know y'all got black Germans, but I'm not a black German. Sorry, my bad. And he was like, Because your German accents were gut, and we cracked up, we thought it was so funny because we I mean, when I tell you we worked on it, and I'm still working on it, you know, and it's one of those things where to get those like little doses, little affirmations and little things like no, no, y'all, okay, keep going, y'all doing that. And it's just like, oh, German's not easy, it is not easy.

[27:53] Brittney Mack: I took it for I think I took it for five years and I couldn't tell you anything that I learned. Like, I don't even know what's happening most of the time. And I'm just like, oh what? Say it one more time in my left ear, because I can't win my right. I don't know what's happening. So it's a good, it's one of those things where we had our work cut out for us, and you don't think that in this little 75 minute little bop, you know, nonstop, top to bottom, let's go. You know, I'm just like, there's no break, right? We don't leave the stage.

[28:23] Brittney Mack: And so what I like about it is there's no let up of the story because the things that these women went through, there was no let up in the timeline, right? It's just like bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. And Henry was just wilding, he was wilding out, just woman after woman after woman, sir. What you know, you deserve these ulcers because you was tripping. So you talk about this show like this big marathon, because it truly is. I'm wondering, as an actor, and maybe this has been different with other shows versus SIX, but once you're up and running, performing the show, do you typically continue to train voice lessons, dance, acting classes, or do you just consider the show as your gym?

[29:06] Brittney Mack: I think it depends. I am very much so an athlete to my core, so I have to run or do some type of like additional cardio, if you would. Not because I'm a perfectionist by any means, but simply because the show is just gonna kind of you're gonna peak, right? You're gonna just kind of come to a point physically, especially if you're using it for that. Also this show, and I'm just speaking for myself, vocally is challenging and not. It's challenging because it's very low for me. I am a soprano all day long. Ah ha ha surprise.

[29:45] Brittney Mack: So, you know, my like, ooh, was like to be the first black Glinda. Like, that's what my goal was, but that's okay, Brittany Johnson. I'll see you, girl. You could be the second. Listen, or you could be the first full-time. But no, but really. No, but Glinda's not a real. Anyway, so um it's one of those things that if I had some tea, I would have slurped, but I don't have any. Um, but it's one of those things that vocally I do have to continue to kind of work on myself to keep my stretch that I do have that I work so hard for and maintain my top because I'm so on the bottom and middle.

[30:31] Brittney Mack: I am like in the cellar with the wine, like that. It's low. So yeah, I mean the wine is good, so I'm fine, but that's gotta be so good for your top though, because they say if you got down there, you got up there.

[30:43] Brittney Mack: Yes. It's nice because I've never had this much range in my bottom. It's still um, it's still hard to find the resonance of it all. So that's what we're working on now. Um, and marrying my speaking voice to my singing voice. Um, so we're figuring that out in the middle of it all, but it's fun. It's fun.

[31:06] Mary Dina: That's really interesting, especially because it was, you know, you gotta think about people's like singing voices versus their speaking voices, and that that's really interesting, especially like when you talk about how it was first written. And um, did they change any keys for anybody? Was it like that kind of process?

[31:20] Brittney Mack: Oh, yeah. When I say that it's complete, like I guess the only difference is that we didn't originate the show here, right? But that's how different it is. Um, there are some nuances and things that we have done, little playing bits and stuff that are just true to us as people, like me, like me and Sam. Sam is like my soul sister. So, so and we just like, we just like screw around on stage, okay? It really is just, it really is just like, guys, are you gonna work today? And we're just like, well, get out of here. We're working, we're working.

[31:56] Brittney Mack: So, but we're not, we're just goofing around. So there's this bit we do, um Don't Lose Your Head. I think it is in one of the one of the songs, nope, nope. Where is it? Uh drop, yes, and don't lose your head. And I grabbed her ponytail. Recently, when the West End opened back up, I saw a photo of them doing the same thing that we were doing. And I was like, now who, which one of y'all went over there and told them that that's what we was doing, and y'all thought it was funny.

[32:24] Brittney Mack: Mm-hmm. But it's that, right? It's that whole thing. Also, that ponytail is so long. Like, I just want to touch it all the time. Like, let's be, we all just like want a Howard ponytail just to like twirl around. Um, but so yeah, so so it's really cool to be able to have our shows are definitely individual and I think independent of each other. Same show, yes, sure, but independent culturally, independent vocally, because my get down is a whole is a half step. It's a half step raised, it's raised a half step.

[32:59] Brittney Mack: Um, and then um, you know, there's some other little surprises in there. You know, Andrea takes the option up at the end of Don't Lose Your Head. You know, Abby Mueller, like, don't even, I can't even be bothered with I I there's not enough time to talk about what makes her song her own. You know what I'm saying? So it's that, you know, um the remix. There are certain things in the show that are just very different that we've changed, you know. It it's our uh what we call our Broadway glow-ups, right? We get to Broadway and it's just like, oh, so now y'all, this is where we at, and we're just like, what? Okay, well, we shock ourselves, you know.

[33:34] Mary Dina: I love that.

[33:36] Brittney Mack: So when did you guys find out that you were going to be coming back?

[33:43] Brittney Mack: Uh there was no shadow of a doubt from our creative team at all. So we knew when we when the shutdown happened, it was like, don't worry, guys, we'll be back. And we just stood on that.

[33:53] Mary Dina: Love it.

[33:54] Brittney Mack: We as in Broadway and we as in our show. No shame. Not to be like over cocky about it, but yeah.

[33:59] Mary Dina: No, no, no. I love that. And I have heard Kevin say that before. And I love Kevin had said last week that um or last episode that that the other musicals that are opening are going to let you guys have as it should be, you're they're gonna be the first musical to open back up officially in terms of you know, new musicals, which I I love, and I was hoping that was gonna be the case, um, because you guys definitely deserve it.

[34:23] Brittney Mack: Uh so do you know any po any point of like um I don't even know how to broach this because it's so it's so new to all of us of like how do we get back into the swing of things? Like we're gonna have to go back into rehearsals. Do you do you know what that process is shaping out to be?

[34:38] Brittney Mack: You know, to be honest, it's one of those things that, and Kevin words it wonderfully well, it's one of those things that we're all kind of waiting on baited breath um because it can change every day, right? And you know, from the production side, making sure that you know, 14 unions are are uh satisfied, happy, and not just to please the unions, but to please the people who are, you know, our employees associated with these unions, right? And to make sure that everyone feels safe coming back.

[35:08] Brittney Mack: So I will tell you, um, as far as as far as I know, for SIX uh Broadway, the first thing that we are looking forward to is to come back and just check in with each other. That's the first thing we're doing.

[35:22] Brittney Mack: Um, yeah, we we're gonna we have a sit down and we're just like so hi, my name is Brittany. How y'all doing? I will be playing and of course to re-introduce, right? Because the fact of the matter is we don't know each other. We really don't, you know, and and to meet each other on the ground level of I don't, it's crazy, but like humanity, you know what I mean? It's like bizarre the concept.

[35:43] Brittney Mack: But uh to come together as human beings and be like, hey, what's up? So how are you feeling? We've had people um in in under the SIX umbrella lose family during these times I have, you know, um, and and so we're not gonna be the same people with the same, you know. I you're talking however many thousand dollars of debt and back rent. Hey, my name's Brittany. Like, this is just real factual things, right? The effects that this last year has had, not to mention, you know, the murder of Brianna Taylor that is still, I don't know, in limbo for whatever reason, uh that conviction and and you know, George Floyd and all of those things that and and everything else that happened as we went on through this year, and you know, not just black people, not just people of color, but everyone, everyone.

[36:39] Brittney Mack: And I we had a meeting and I was like, I just need to just address the PTSD in the room because it's gonna be a thing.

[36:47] Brittney Mack: And we never know when that's gonna strike, right? We never know when because Glinda is up there singing, you know, uh, I couldn't be happier, right? There's a kind of a sort of cost. Like, oh my God, that hits a little differently after a global pandemic than it did before, right? And, you know, we've experienced so much that people kind of don't experience emotionally in a lifetime. So for six, and those of us under the six umbrella, you know, we are coming back with um, Kevin says uh a backpack full of um grace, you know, understanding, um, and uh not just empathy, um, and not just sympathy, but wanting to literally have the lens of, oh, let me put on your lens real quick. Let me try, actually, try.

We will never fully understand what each other has been through. I will never fully understand what it means to be a white male producer on Broadway that paid that like money is just like and you're just like, uh what? What? The responsibility that that is, right? So I think perspective is what's been missing in this entire thing. And so now that we're coming back, we have an opportunity to use perspective as the floor to kind of start to take these steps forward. Um, and I like to say um move forward to Broadway as opposed to come back to Broadway, because what was back, we should leave it back there. It was a little bit of a hot ass mess. But if we move forward to a new Broadway, right, to new light, then we could actually be that community that people think we are.

And I'm it's not Abercadabra, right? It's not bibity bobbity boob. Um is is it's not, you know, huzzah, but uh active. It can still be active. And that's all people want to see. That's all our Asian brothers and sisters want to see, active towards their safety. That's all black and brown people want to see more of us because we know they're there, but like, can we just for a second, right? Um, we just want to see it activate, button go, and then keep forward movement and momentum. Um, and and I think I think coming back, you know, to Broadway, that that concept, I think there are there's weights and baggage that comes with that. But if we move forward and we can kind of leave that stuff where it is, um, you know, pack rather than unpack, right?

Pack a backpack of grace, understanding, and and a fresh new perspective of the effects that this is gonna have on people and that it may hit at any given time, and that you know, we just need each other. We really do. So I think I think um moving forward to Broadway and having those things, that's what I'm excited for. I'm excited to be the to actually be a part of the Broadway that as a kid we thought it was the magic, you know, the seasons of love. We genuinely, we all thought like oh, we all hug each other and stand on stage and hold hands. Like that's what we thought Broadway was. Not that the business isn't what it is, not that all the and all the things, right? So, but that's where perspective I think comes from, right? And a little grace for either side in order to actually have a conversation and move forward. So I'm excited about that.

[40:22] Mary Dina: Amazing. Thank you for I mean, thank you for sharing all that. One of the things like came to my mind too, is that you know, we've been very patient waiting for the last you know year plus, but I also think what I'd have defin certainly have forgotten is that once we get to the you know to the openings again, there's gonna be a little bit more patience that's gonna have to we're gonna have to ride on. And I just that I have to keep reminding myself, you know, patience is gonna have to keep you know keep us moving through as well. So I love the the moving forward too is is perfect, and it's a great mindset to be in.

[40:59] Brittney Mack: Yeah, it's good stuff, yeah. It's it's like a campaign, you know, start that campaign.

[41:06] Mary Dina: Um, should we move into our lightning round?

[41:11] Brittney Mack: Yes, we end all of our episodes with like a little lightning round, and it's just like quick little things like you don't have to worry, you don't have to say it fast. We're not timing you. We're just not gonna like respond very much to the to the answers. We're just gonna say them and uh you're gonna answer them, hopefully.

[41:29] Brittney Mack: Okay. Some people like get stunned and they're like they like stunned by the fact that we say lightning, and they're like, I can't even answer this. I can't pass, pass. I'm I'm like low key, like all of a sudden I got gas. Like, I don't really know what's happening, but like I'm very excited. So it's great, it's great, it's gonna be great. You're gonna do great. It's fine.

[41:46] Mary Dina: I'm gonna give you the first question is what is one thing in the theater industry that confuses you?

[41:53] Brittney Mack: What a producer is like what they do. So Britt Brit Brittany just said that she hasn't listened to our episode with Kevin McCollum. With Kevin, and like, even though I've even sat with him, and he's like, yeah, Brittany. So, and what I love about Kevin is that he's very transparent, right? And he's like, you know, and and he he speaks for those who don't understand, like in layman's terms, right? And I love that. I listen, I'm sitting there, I just did the things, I but I don't, it doesn't. I mean, Mary works for a producer, and I have we've had three producers on the podcast now, and I still almost don't know what they do still. That's the thing. It's like like I get it, but like do you all? Getting fragments here.

[42:33] Mary Dina: Yeah.

[42:38] Brittney Mack: Because everybody's different, but that's that's that's what it is. Every every and because um we had a general manager, actually, we had a couple people on who were like, every show is a startup business. You're gonna have a different boss everywhere you go. It's good, they're gonna run that business differently. So I feel like it's just that mindset that we we're just you're never gonna get it. So see, Brian, it's not our fault.

[42:58] Mary Dina: It's not our fault, thank you.

[43:00] Brittney Mack: Sorry, okay, okay, lightning. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to explain. That was on that was Brian. That was Brian.

[43:06] Mary Dina: Um, what are three adjectives that describe your ideal working environment?

[43:11] Brittney Mack: Okay, uh, turn up fun, professional AF, and uh just like just like 100.

[43:18] Mary Dina: Is there something about your process that you find unique to you?

[43:18] Brittney Mack: In any show that I'm in, I have this thing where I'm when I'm on my way to the theater, and or uh as soon as I get off whatever transportation I'm on, train, bus, whatever, uh car, I call my mom. And there's I think there's a comfort to talking to her. She's like, You at the theater, uh-huh. So what hey, every and like everybody in the space talks to her, and and and it's not like she's like some just little cute little old little black lady. My mom is sassy as but she's just like the cutest thing you've ever seen, and everybody be like, Hey Ma. And I'm just like, She's mine. Um, so I I talk to my mom, and believe it or not, it serves as a warm-up for my voice. Um, way better than singing, ever doing a bunch of scales or buzzing or whatever ever could. So yeah.

[44:07] Mary Dina: Oh, I love that.

[44:09] Brittney Mack: Okay, what is one job in the theater industry that you would trade jobs with for one week?

[44:14] Brittney Mack: Casting.

[44:16] Mary Dina: That's a good one.

[44:17] Brittney Mack: What is the impossible dream role of yours that might not actually be impossible?

[44:23] Brittney Mack: Uh impossible is I I would love to uh okay. I would love to either play um uh Usnavi or uh in the Heights was the first show I saw on Broadway. Uh for free. Somebody paid for me to go, which it was insane. Thank you, uh Donna and John from Missouri. Um so I would love to have played Usnavi, or I would love to play uh Jimmy in Thoroughly Modern Miller.

[44:52] Mary Dina: Ooh.

[44:54] Brittney Mack: Needs to happen.

[44:55] Mary Dina: Okay.

[44:55] Brittney Mack: Um what is one hobby you have outside of theater?

[45:00] Brittney Mack: I craft and refinish furniture.

[45:03] Mary Dina: Oh, I love that. I need picks.

[45:08] Brittney Mack: Do you have any books or resources that you find helpful to you in your process?

[45:12] Brittney Mack: Um, guided meditation to sleep. Um, and um books. I read I read my Bible a lot. Um, and and in addition to my Bible, I also have uh like the Four Elements book. And so they're a bunch of different um my mom. Um I I am a believer, but my mom is raised us to be very well-rounded in religions. Um, and so uh, you know, my mom told me who, you know, taught me who Rue Paul was when I was like, I don't know how, you know, she was like, watch this movie. And that's RuPaul. Let's talk about drag queens. Let's talk about what it means to be gay, you know, things like that. So I have um like this this journal book thing that I've kind of kept um through my life that when I'm feeling where that I don't know who I am, a little less grounded, I go back and it's like things that my mom have told me over time, my grandma, friends, people that I've worked with, just like little quotes and little things.

And you know, when people give you those clothes and night cards, um, they're like in that. So it's not necessarily a scrapbook, but it's just one of those things to kind of help you bring you back to earth, remind you who you are, right? It's very Lion King esque of me now that I'm thinking about it. But it it gives me that um that groundedness. And also, I mean, Jolene, she's not a book or a uh podcast or anything, but my pup Jolene, she's the best.

[46:39] Mary Dina: Oh I love that name.

[46:42] Brittney Mack: That is such an adorable name for that. At first, I thought you were talking about the Dolly Parton song.

[46:45] Mary Dina: I was like, when I listen to Jolene, it really grounds me.

[46:45] Brittney Mack: It really grounds me, guys. You know, something about being a home wrecking hussy really just brings it all home for me. Nope, nope, my dog.

[47:00] Mary Dina: Um, okay, so uh I our final question is what's your favorite part of the development process of a new show?

[47:09] Brittney Mack: Rehearsals. Always. Always, always, always. Um, because rehearsals people pull out all the stops. And it's it's the go bigger, go home part of the process. And um you get to really see what people are like actually made of, like their artistry from the inside out. Um, and there's no like big eyes or little u's in rehearsals, everybody's just kind of like, and then you're so wowed by people's artistry, right? Like somebody does something, you'd be like, Sing the song, I pray you. Uh, and and it's just like you're just like, what just happened? Or someone's you're just like, oh my god, you're really funny. And thank you for being funny. So it's it's it's the rehearsal process. You really get to see who people are, which is nice.

[47:52] Mary Dina: Love it. Thank you so much for coming on here. Uh, can you just tell everybody where to find you on social media?

[47:58] Brittney Mack: Oh my gosh, yes. Please find me on Instagram only at um Brit Mac B-R-I-T-T, Mac M-A-C-K, and the number eight. Um, and from there, I have my workshop page, which is how to slay you. How to slay H O W T O Slay S L A Y, and the letter U is my workshop series um where we focus solely on growing um our youth artists from the inside out. Um, and so that's really fun too. So find me on Instagram, say hey.

[48:32] Mary Dina: Oh my gosh. Amazing. I'll put all that information in the description notes as well for anyone who wants to check that out.

[48:38] Brittney Mack: Yeah.

[48:39] Mary Dina: Thank you so much.

[48:40] Brittney Mack: Thank you.

[48:41] Brian Sedita: Thanks everyone for listening to this episode of Page to Stage. To keep up with us, you can find us on Instagram and Facebook at Page2 Stage Podcast. If you enjoyed this conversation, we have other episodes with theater makers from Six the Musical. Check them out until next time. That's Brian.

[48:56] Mary Dina: That's Mary.

[48:56] Brian Sedita: We'll see you later.