This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 107 of Take A Bow.

[0:04] Eli Tokash: I'm your host Eli Tokash, and this week we're doing things a little different, and we have a guest co-host.

[0:12] Eli Tokash: Everyone, welcome to the show, Gabe Escobar.

[0:15] Gabe Escobar: Hello.

[0:16] Gabe Escobar: I'm happy to be here.

[0:17] Eli Tokash: What's up, Gabe?

[0:18] Gabe Escobar: How's it going?

[0:18] Gabe Escobar: Uh I'm pretty good.

[0:20] Gabe Escobar: I just saw Six, um, which rounds off my Broadway season, and I've now seen every nominated Tony musical.

[0:28] Gabe Escobar: Um, so that was a really big accomplishment today, and I'm I'm very I'm very happy.

[0:34] Eli Tokash: Yep, I'm super happy because that gives us wonderful um knowledge on what we're gonna be doing a little bit later, which is giving our Tony predictions uh for all the categories going on that we will be seeing this Sunday.

[0:48] Eli Tokash: Very excited for that.

[0:50] Eli Tokash: Uh it's the season that we've all been waiting for uh as theater fans and all of that stuff.

[0:55] Eli Tokash: But for those of you who don't know Gabe or who Gabe is or anything like that, um Gabe is a TikTok creator who currently goes to Temple who's and is getting a BFA in musical theater.

[1:09] Eli Tokash: Um, and he is kind of blew up on TikTok for posting musical theater-y kind of content.

[1:15] Eli Tokash: So, Gabe, where does your musical theater background come from and what gave you this idea to start like posting about it?

[1:22] Gabe Escobar: Yeah, so that that takes me way back.

[1:25] Gabe Escobar: So I just as a background, I'm the youngest of three boys.

[1:29] Gabe Escobar: Um I'm the youngest of three boys.

[1:31] Gabe Escobar: I have two older brothers.

[1:33] Gabe Escobar: And growing up, I always just sort of did what they would do.

[1:37] Gabe Escobar: Like in middle school, they all or both of them joined band.

[1:41] Gabe Escobar: So when I was in fifth or sixth grade, I joined band too.

[1:45] Gabe Escobar: And both of my brothers in middle school were in their eighth grade musical because at the time only the eighth graders would have a musical every year.

[1:52] Gabe Escobar: And both of them were the leads in their respective shows.

[1:56] Gabe Escobar: So naturally, I had to follow in their footsteps, and I was like, I have to be the lead my eighth grade year.

[2:04] Gabe Escobar: And then when I went into sixth grade, when I entered middle school, they opened it up to an all-school musical.

[2:09] Gabe Escobar: So this changed the game.

[2:10] Gabe Escobar: I could be in it from sixth grade on.

[2:12] Gabe Escobar: So that automatically gave me an advantage.

[2:14] Gabe Escobar: So I was an ensemble member in sixth grade.

[2:17] Gabe Escobar: And then I beat both of them by one year by being cast as the lead as a seventh grader.

[2:23] Gabe Escobar: So from that point on, I was like, musical theater all the way.

[2:26] Gabe Escobar: This is a huge accomplishment.

[2:28] Gabe Escobar: So I did the musical every single year, seventh, eighth grade, and then all through high school, I did shows at a private all-girls school that needed boys.

[2:39] Gabe Escobar: I did all the shows at my high school.

[2:41] Gabe Escobar: Um and I just really fell into theater.

[2:43] Gabe Escobar: I loved doing it.

[2:44] Gabe Escobar: And then when it came time to apply for college, I was thinking, what do I like?

[2:48] Gabe Escobar: What what do I like to study?

[2:50] Gabe Escobar: And theater and Broadway and like doing the musical and doing the play and being in choir and band and all those things were what I loved to do.

[3:00] Gabe Escobar: It was the best part of my day in high school, and I loved every single second of it.

[3:03] Gabe Escobar: So I was like, if there's a way that I can study this in college, that's all I want to do.

[3:09] Gabe Escobar: So I pursued a BFA and I ended up going to Temple University, which is right down the street from where I grew up.

[3:14] Gabe Escobar: So it all worked out really well, and I've I've loved doing Broadway forever.

[3:20] Gabe Escobar: So naturally, when I started TikTok the summer of my junior year of high school, it just sort of wove its way into what I would do.

[3:27] Gabe Escobar: I don't post like entirely Broadway content.

[3:31] Gabe Escobar: I don't really think that I have any sort of need on TikTok.

[3:35] Gabe Escobar: I post all kinds of stuff, but it's something that I love, and it's something that I would post about.

[3:39] Gabe Escobar: Like I would post on my Instagram, I would post on my story.

[3:41] Gabe Escobar: Hey guys, I'm gonna be in Les Mis this spring.

[3:46] Gabe Escobar: So naturally, it just sort of wove its way into the TikTok content that I would make.

[3:50] Gabe Escobar: And I would follow a lot of creators that would do a lot of Broadway stuff because it's what I love to watch.

[3:50] Gabe Escobar: It's what I love to talk about.

[3:56] Gabe Escobar: So I've sort of developed a platform that a lot of Broadway people have ended up like finding just because it's something that I'm really passionate about.

[4:08] Gabe Escobar: And while it might not be my niche, it's something that I will always love.

[4:12] Gabe Escobar: So I'm happy to talk about it anytime, right now being a great example of that.

[4:16] Gabe Escobar: Um so that's yeah, yeah.

[4:18] Gabe Escobar: So that's sort of how I how I ended up making Broadway content.

[4:23] Gabe Escobar: And then this year, um, sort of a very random turn of circumstances.

[4:30] Gabe Escobar: I ended up being mutuals on TikTok with the Waitress musical TikTok account.

[4:36] Gabe Escobar: And then one day I was just sitting in class and I got a DM from them.

[4:36] Gabe Escobar: I got a DM from the Waitress account saying, Hey, would you like to go to the Phantom of the Opera reopening?

[4:46] Gabe Escobar: I was very confused, but I said yes.

[4:49] Gabe Escobar: And it turns out uh like the marketing for a lot of Broadway shows are done by different groups who will run a lot of shows, and that's why I got reached out by one account to go to another show.

[5:00] Gabe Escobar: And then from that, I just started working with different marketing companies and sort of promotion groups for different Broadway shows, and because of that, I've gotten to go to over 50 live theater productions this year.

[5:15] Gabe Escobar: Um, most of them have been musicals, most of them have been in New York itself.

[5:20] Gabe Escobar: Um, and I feel really, really lucky.

[5:23] Gabe Escobar: And having the opportunity to have all these experiences and get to post about these shows and tell people about them and spread the word about especially shows that people might not know as much about, like Flying Over Sunset.

[5:36] Gabe Escobar: I saw that earlier this year.

[5:38] Gabe Escobar: And it's one of my favorite shows of the season that just sort of the casual theater goer might not hear about.

[5:44] Gabe Escobar: Same with Paradise Square, same with A Strange Loop.

[5:47] Gabe Escobar: It's things that I would I love to put out into the world so that everybody else gets to have these great theater experiences, apart from sort of the hits that you might normally just talk about when it comes to Broadway.

[5:58] Gabe Escobar: So that's what I've really loved to do, and just getting to interact with Broadway people, getting to talk to other theater influencers, getting to meet all these wonderful people in this industry that I love so much has been a real honor.

[6:11] Gabe Escobar: And uh I've had so many experiences this year that I'll never forget.

[6:15] Gabe Escobar: So that's sort of the quick rundown of how I ended up where I am right now.

[6:20] Eli Tokash: It's so cool.

[6:21] Eli Tokash: It seems like ever since you know Broadway kind of reopened, you've just been like you were at the opening night of Mrs. Doubtfire, and you've been able to go to all of these shows and go to all these events and everything.

[6:33] Eli Tokash: It's been so cool to watch that journey that you went on because you then you go and then you like post about it and you do you like share photos with the cast members and all of that, like at the parties and stuff like that.

[6:45] Eli Tokash: It's so cool to see all of the cool stuff that you're doing.

[6:48] Gabe Escobar: Yeah, and I I think it's a really cool look into sort of the behind the scenes of like of theater because when I was a kid, I would when I was a kid, like I would always go to the stage door.

[6:58] Gabe Escobar: Like in high school, that was one of my favorite parts of the theater experience was getting to go to the stage door and talk to the actors afterwards, especially in regional productions because they would always have like more time to chat with you.

[7:09] Gabe Escobar: And it really helps you realize that yeah, these people up on stage are insanely talented.

[7:14] Gabe Escobar: Yes, they are like sort of mythical beings when they're up there, like they're characters, they're immersed in a story, but when they get out, like they're just normal people like you and me.

[7:26] Gabe Escobar: And it makes them so much more attainable as a kid who loves Broadway, because like I would be getting ready to be in my high school production of The Little Mermaid, and then I would go see like a professional theater production, and I would talk to the actors afterwards, I'd be like, wow, you're just I don't know, a few years older than I am, and you're doing what I would love to do on a much bigger scale.

[7:46] Gabe Escobar: It makes it so much more accessible.

[7:48] Gabe Escobar: And now that I like have come to think of myself as peers with some of the actors that I see up on these stages, um, and I've gotten to speak to them more at length, it really feels like they're just people doing what they love.

[8:03] Gabe Escobar: It's people going to work and they happen to love every second of it.

[8:07] Gabe Escobar: And I think that's really cool because it makes it so much more real, and it makes it a really cool experience to like know the people behind the characters that they're playing and sort of know everything that goes into a Broadway show.

[8:21] Gabe Escobar: So getting to learn more about that this year and getting to talk to people about that has been something that I've thought is really interesting.

[8:28] Gabe Escobar: And I love to sort of share behind-the-scenes things when I can when I go to events or after parties, or I get to chat with different actors.

[8:36] Gabe Escobar: I love to tell people about my experience so that I can sort of share that with others.

[8:40] Eli Tokash: Totally.

[8:41] Eli Tokash: So is that kind of like is Broadway the eventual goal for you?

[8:46] Eli Tokash: Or is it like, do you like sticking with this media kind of side and bringing the behind the scenes to everyone else?

[8:52] Gabe Escobar: Yeah, so that's something that I've been thinking about a lot this year because doing all this behind-the-scenes stuff has sort of opened me up to a world that I didn't even know about.

[9:02] Gabe Escobar: Um I first and foremost am trying to be uh like a film and television actor.

[9:09] Gabe Escobar: That's sort of my goal.

[9:10] Gabe Escobar: That's the medium that as an actor I think I very well.

[9:14] Gabe Escobar: Um but I will always love Broadway, and that's something that if given the opportunity or if that path opens up for me, uh that is something of course I would love to do.

[9:14] Gabe Escobar: I would love to be performing live because there's I I love doing up close um sort of filming, like very intimate acting, that that sort of medium.

[9:35] Gabe Escobar: But there's a sort of rush and this the buildup of excitement and and great nerves that you get from a live performance that's unmatched by anything else.

[9:46] Gabe Escobar: So I will always love to be on a stage, and if that opportunity presents itself, I will always jump on that.

[9:51] Gabe Escobar: Um yeah, film and television acting is something that I'm trying to get into more and trying to audition more in and sort of break my way into that industry.

[10:00] Gabe Escobar: And the behind-the-scenes sort of media work is something that didn't even I didn't even know existed.

[10:08] Gabe Escobar: But um, I I grew up in a family of journalists and media people, and both my parents used to be reporters, and um I I've been sort of surrounded by media my entire life and communications.

[10:19] Gabe Escobar: So now like when I'm on a red carpet at these opening events, I found that while I love walking the red carpet and getting my picture taken and standing posing in front of a step and repeat, that's really cool.

[10:34] Gabe Escobar: But I would equally love being behind I would equally love being behind the camera or being the one with the microphone, interviewing the actors and asking them questions and getting to tell the story behind the story, which I think is something that's really special, and it's something that's really powerful for uh like consumers of theater.

[10:54] Gabe Escobar: So I would love to sort of be like a reporter for uh like Broadway events, getting to cover different things, getting to be the guy with the microphone, asking the questions and sort of getting to share that with everyone.

[11:08] Gabe Escobar: That's something that I would also also love.

[11:10] Gabe Escobar: So it's something sort of freeing and a bit nerve-wracking about having so many different lanes that I would love to go down.

[11:17] Gabe Escobar: But um, like Broadway live performance has always been one of them.

[11:21] Eli Tokash: It's so funny, like just listening to you talk is like literally like it's it sounds like my head, you know, like it's like literally everything that's going inside of me.

[11:32] Eli Tokash: Like it's just the wheels are turning the same way as the years are, and uh, I think that that's so cool because it's something that I found in in the podcast and interviewing, you know, all of these celebrities and these Broadway stars who I can now consider my peers and everything.

[11:47] Eli Tokash: That it's like I love bringing this side that nobody knows about, and it's something like I've been on Broadway and I've been performing in for years in the industry and and TV and film and all of that, like and I still learn new things every day.

[12:02] Eli Tokash: And if I'm learning, well then I I at least think that I can help someone out there do the same and teach them new things and help them learn and and bring something to them while still bringing entertainment and something fun for them to to consume and all of that.

[12:18] Eli Tokash: So it's so interesting to to hear you and because it's literally been what I've been contemplating for the past year and a half of my life.

[12:27] Eli Tokash: Um so that's awesome, but uh.

[12:30] Eli Tokash: But uh going back, because there's so many fun things to talk to you about um with everything that you've been going that you've been doing in the past two years of your life has just been like awesome and just like so uh I guess spontaneous, you know.

[12:46] Eli Tokash: It seems like there's always something uh new and fun coming up out of nowhere, you know.

[12:52] Eli Tokash: Uh do you have like a dream role that you would like put out there that like if you could ever play anything, whether it's a TV TV show, uh a movie, a Broadway star, or like even like a Broadway on T on in movies, like you know, like The Greatest Showman, like a movie musical kind of thing.

[13:10] Gabe Escobar: Okay, so yeah, it's a very that's a very broad answer to a very specific question, but I I think it's important because your dream role won't always be the same, or at least for me it's not, because where I am now in my life is totally different from where I was like two years ago when I had a completely different dream role, and now I've sort of recognized that, and I more think about who would I want somebody to relate to, or like who's what character do I think would I be able to connect to the most in order to help other people connect to what they're seeing?

[13:52] Gabe Escobar: Um because I think that's like a really special connection, because I know when I sort of see myself up on stage or I see myself on a screen or in a TV show, movie, whatever, um that's like a really important thing for me to like see sort of something that I've thought or something that I've I've sort of struggled with presented to me uh in an interesting way that's not just my own brain.

[14:19] Gabe Escobar: So it sort of brings that to sort of brings this to some news from this week. Because "Dear Evan Hansen" did announce that it's closing. And I've seen "Dear Evan Hansen," I've seen "Dear Evan Hansen" twice. I saw it in the National Tour when I was in Boston, and I saw it on Broadway with Jordan Fisher. Well, Evan Hansen is sort of a controversial character in the sense that he makes some questionable decisions, and he's not really the best person a lot of the time. I see a lot of myself in sort of the struggles that he goes through with anxiety and sort of mental health. And I think like when I first saw that show, I was bawling by the end of it. And I cried even more the second time that I saw it because there's something really touching about seeing something that you've very personally gone through, just like presented on stage in a way that's like, hey, other people go through this too.

And like other people have experienced this thing. And while it maybe it's not a good thing, maybe it's a very bad thing, or maybe it's like an amazing thing that you can relate to, it's still really interesting to see like aspects of yourself on stage. So like that's something that I've always liked about "Dear Evan Hansen." I have enjoyed that show since it first came out. Um, which I know a lot of people don't agree with, but I'm sad to see it leaving Broadway. Um, and I hope that there will be people who will like it forever, and I'm sure it'll go on like a big tour after it closes on Broadway. So I would like everyone to relish the next couple months where it's still here in New York.

[16:14] Eli Tokash: Okay. First of all, you're taking over my job. Um literally, I cannot you you took it away from me. Uh I'm so sad that "Dear Evan Hansen" is closing. My show are everything that you have to say about it. I mean, like, there's not you can't tell me you're not gonna go to that show and not relate to someone or even Evan Hansen himself, even though people want to say that it is controversial, and it sure it is, because his actions are uh inexcusable, but at the same time we've all been there. We've all been in that situation where we've had to somewhat adjust a story to you know, not like necessarily benefit ourselves, but to kind of protect ourselves and to um well it's it's one of those it's one of those things where it's like it's not something you see right in Broadway that much, which is why shows like it's why shows like "Next to Normal" stand out.

It's why shows like "Dear Evan Hansen" stand just stand out. It's why people like it because they can relate to it, and it's something that you don't get to see up on stage that much. It's something that we talk a lot about in school and like music school theater history. It's the shows that do something that shows haven't done before. So that's why, like, "Rent" is such an important show in Broadway history. Whether you like it or not, you have to recognize that it's an important show. And shows like "Next to Normal," it's sort of a turning point talking about something that people haven't talked about on stage before. And "Dear Evan Hansen" is one of those that talks about certain mental health issues in ways that very prominent broad and popular Broadway musicals mostly have not dealt with before.

And it's why I'm very happy with sort of the new age of Broadway that we're going into, where we have shows like "A Strange Loop" that might be uncomfortable to watch sometimes. It might not be like a classic jazz hands Broadway experience, but it's talking about something that's important. It's talking about something that people haven't talked about before. And those are the shows that stand out. So that's why "Dear Evan Hansen," I think, will always be an important show because it's one of those that made something very mainstream in a talking about something that isn't usually a very mainstream topic.

[16:50] Gabe Escobar: Right. It's one of the it's it's it's one of those shows that you are allowed to go into and you're allowed to be uncomfortable. Because if you are uncomfortable, well then it's doing the trick, like it's doing its job. So if you if you're just sitting there and you're totally like, if you're not affected by the show, it's like how like I don't know, like you go to the theater to be in a safe space to explore these topics that and have a conversation that you may be uncomfortable bringing up elsewhere, you know. You know, we pay to go to the theater to be among um what is it, a thousand other people with similar interests and being able to discuss things and be in a safe space to just to discuss those things and and and welcome those stories and welcome those emotions and allow them to leave our bodies and have those and let and we allow ourselves to feel those emotions and all the things and I think that that's really what stands out about a show like "Dear Evan Hansen" and about a show like "A Strange Loop" and about a show like "Next to Normal" and all these "Rents" and all of that.

Um so I think that you raised a really um interesting uh point because it seems like all of these new musicals that we'll be talking about here um in the Tony Award category for best musical all do that to a certain extent, and I think like you mentioned that's kind of like the new wave of Broadway. That's kind of what we're getting at, which is great to see.

[20:21] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah. It's it's I love because Broadway sort of went through a period that it's still slightly in where adaptations sort of take over the current Broadway season. Um like adaptations of movies, adaptations give me more original stuff, yeah. Yeah, exactly. Like there's there's something in like good in their own right of those of those types of shows, and some of them are fantastic. Um I do love a good adaptation, I love good revival, but so my favorite shows of this year are ones that are new. It's the "Flying Over Sunset," the "A Strange Loop," the "Girl from the North Country," um, it's the things where somebody just has an idea and they write it, and I think that's really cool. So, like, when you look at the the musical category, none of them are adaptations.

Two of them are jukebox musicals, but even those are sort of their own stories. And I think that's I think that's I think that's really cool. And two of them are histories, which is even more random and even better. And I love that. I love sort of the variety of things that are going on in Broadway this season. And it's why when people say, hey, what's your what's your favorite show that you've watched this year? I have a really hard time answering that because I love every show sort of in their own right. Um that's also a cool thing that sort of happens when it's a really cool thing that happens when you see a lot of theater. You stop thinking of it as like, oh, this was good, like, oh, this was bad.

You more look at it in the sense of what are the things about this that made it a good theatrical experience? What are things that I loved? What are things that I thought they could change? What are things that stood out? What am I gonna walk out of the theater and is immediately on my mind thinking about this show? What is the one moment that I won't forget? That kind of thing is what I love about going to theater now, and what I love about talking to people who love talking about theater because you can have all these really intellectual conversations about very specific parts of the show. Whereas two years ago, I would go see "Be More Chill," and somebody was like, hey, how was the show? I would be like it was great.

I liked it. It was cool, I liked it. And then that was like the end of my conversation about that show because I I didn't know what else to say. Um, so that's why I love doing this, and I love being able to talk about it like the art that it is. Because people talk about like music all the time. People talk about like fine art, like paintings, and can have hours long discussions about like an artist in a painting. But when I would go to musicals before, I would always just sort of still it down to did I like it, did I not like it? But now I can sort of have the deeper conversations and make more connections to other shows that I've seen, which is something that I I didn't even think about until it happened, and I'm I'm really happy about that now.

[23:32] Gabe Escobar: It's interesting that you say that because that was how I felt going to "A Strange Loop." I came on here and I was like, I literally I I had to process it. Like it was one of those shows where I I could not tell you how I felt about the musical leaving the theater. Like I had to have more conversations around it, I had to think about it a little bit more, I had to sleep on it. I like had to process it, and I a lot of it's because we we've never seen anything like it on Broadway. I truly believe that in making a statement like that. I mean, that's a bold statement, but I truly believe in that statement. And and I think if it helps at all, I fully ag I fully agree with that statement.

[24:13] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I appreciate that because it comes out of you from like nowhere. Like when you when I don't know, because when I saw "A Strange Loop," I was just like, okay, I feel like from from the title "A Strange Loop," I feel like it's gonna be a Groundhog Day sort of scenario where we see this loop of days or events happening over and over again, and that totally was not at all what was going on. Um, and so what it what it was and what was presented to me that night was just way out of left field for me and and I appreciated that like waking up the next morning I was like wow like I needed something to I needed to see something like this Broadway needs to see something like this you know like this is a story that should be told and like it's interesting because it's like it's kind of like an it it's uh kind of an autobiography but it's not because it kind of is the story of Michael R. Jackson who wrote it um but he's not like a Gloria Estefan who's writing "On Your Feet."

It's like he's a human and he's writing about his life which essentially is I guessed a lot of stories um but I just thought that yeah it was interesting that you said that because that's literally I was like I could not leave "A Strange Loop" like I could leave "Be More Chill."

[25:09] Gabe Escobar: You know it's interesting because like it's interesting that you sort of bring up other uh like biographical musicals because yeah it is it's a guy writing about his own life but it shows that you don't have to be an established international superstar artist to have a musical about your life because this is a it's an it's a normal person it's anybody else which I think is really cool especially since the character is an usher in a Broadway theater which when you're sitting watching this show you're surrounded by them. Yeah, and it could be any of the people in that theater. When I went, I just went to see "Sister Act" at the Paper Mill Playhouse, and the gentleman sitting next to me is an usher in the Schubert theater organization in in New York.

And it's like, it's somebody who could be anybody, which I think is really interesting. And I I don't know. I don't know if you ever went to see the off-Broadway play "Which Way to the Stage," but um, it's about sort of 30-something. I heard it was made. Yeah, it's it's one of my favorite shows that I saw this year. It's sort of uh about 30-something theater people still trying to make it on Broadway and still auditioning and going to auditions and going to see theater, and it's like that could be anybody in this theater, it could be anybody in the entire theater district or the world. It could be anyone, which means it can be everyone, and so many people can relate to it because I'm sure there's so many people who have seen "A Strange Loop" who are sitting at their apartments trying to write the next musical, trying to be a musical theater composer, trying to break their way into this very difficult industry, and I think that makes that sort of goes with what I was saying about playing characters that people can relate to because when you see yourself in a way that isn't represented that much in sort of aspects of your life that you don't see up on stage very often, it's really special. Like I I've read a lot about acting theory, and something that a lot of people talk about is like mentally on stage or on in film or on TV.

[27:58] Gabe Escobar: Something that people love the most are the moments where nothing's happening. It's when you see someone in a movie and they're just like eating breakfast, or you see someone in a movie and it's just quiet and they're like in their house, like sort of doing dishes or walking around, just sort of normal day-to-day things because it makes it feel real. Like those little moments, those things that everybody can relate to are things that make it feel like you're seeing a real story that could actually happen. So for theater people specifically, shows like Strange Loop and Which Way to the Stage have a lot of those moments where you're like, wow, I did that like yesterday. Wow, I was thinking about that last week.

Wow, this is literally me on this stage, which is really cool. And you can tell that the people who write it are just they're like everyone. They're like all of us. They're like all these other theater goers and theater lovers, and that makes it really special to watch, and it makes it a unique theatrical experience.

[29:05] Gabe Escobar: Right. Well, I want to take it back and mention, yes, Dear Evan Hansen is closing, spoiler alert, which is what got this conversation rolling. Dear Evan Hansen is closing on September 18th. You have time to see it if you haven't seen it. It's closing, but you still have about three months, July, August, September. Yep, three months. And then of course, we got another announcement that Tina Turner, the musical, will be closing on August 14th. Months to see that show. I will be seeing that show before it's closed because I've yet to see it, which is really bad. And I definitely want to see Dear Evan Hansen with Gaten Matarazzo. I think that's gonna be amazing. So catching that in the final month.

Yeah. That'll be sick. I know him from like when he was in Les Mis, and I was in Pippin when he was in Les Mis. So like we used to be at the Broadway parks and everything, and then like he became this huge star. And I haven't talked to him since. He's I've been able to watch him on Stranger Things and all these things, which Stranger Things is so good, but that's a whole nother podcast. And it's so cool to see what he's been doing and now gonna be in Dear Evan Hansen, just so exciting.

[30:30] Gabe Escobar: And then let's see here. We also have Jen Colella who will be rejoining Come From Away on June 21st, which is in three weeks, and then she'll be staying for about a month and leaving August 7th, which I'm very excited for. I love Jen Colella's performance in Come From Away, and I wonder, I know that they've been putting out the Broadway reports. I'm not sure if you've been able to give them a look. But the ticket sales for shows like Dear Evan Hansen and Come From Away that have kind of been out there, have been around for a little bit, that isn't Hamilton, they've kind of been dropping, and so I wonder if this is like a tactic to kind of get the sales back up and kind of stay in the press.

[31:10] Eli Tokash: Well, Come From Away, wow. Come From Away is always in my top five list of favorite shows that I've ever seen.

[31:19] Gabe Escobar: Agreed.

[31:19] Eli Tokash: It got I really think that it is one of the best musicals of sort of the 21st century. I'll put it out there. It's one of my favorite shows that I've seen. I think it is a perfect piece of theater. Like, I would love to go see that again. And I really intend to because it's such a special show. I saw it with my mom, and we were just absolutely taken aback by how beautiful it is, and how tender that show is, and the fact that it's 90 minutes, no intermission, you feel like you're in it, and you care so much about the story and you care so much about the characters. And I personally was not alive or sentient during 9/11, but anybody who was watches that show and you're immediately, I was talking to my mom about it afterwards, and you're immediately taken back to that moment, which is sort of a universal experience for so many people.

So anyone goes into that theater and you're all collectively sort of brought back to this one very tragic time, and you're all experiencing it together while watching a very beautiful show. So I think it's a very special production, and I really don't think there's anything else like it.

[32:45] Gabe Escobar: That's one of those shows where it's one that sort of the average non-theater person might not know very much about, and those are the kinds of ones that I love to push out into the universe. But yeah, I sort of the bringing back cast members sort of goes with like the stunt casting era of a show on Broadway where it seems like it's sort of dwindling towards its last days, but I hope that there's a resurgence of love for Come From Away because it really deserves it.

[33:18] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I agree. It's interesting that you say that because for anyone who comes to New York or reaches out to me and says, I'm gonna be seeing my first Broadway show, What Should I See? I always tell them Come From Away. And a large part of that is because I think that Come From Away, when you are in the theater as an audience member, what Come From Away does for you as a story and as a musical is the definition of theater, in my opinion. Like it brings everyone together, it shows it tells this beautiful story. It's the incredible sense of community that is felt as soon as you enter the theater from the minute you enter from the minute you leave, you know. Like it's everything is perfect about the overall experience of going to see Come From Away on Broadway. And I've always said that.

[34:19] Gabe Escobar: I think that it's a wonderful show, and it's interesting because I think it's not I don't I don't know actually, but it's interesting to see that shows like Come From Away and Dear Evan Hansen and these shows that have kind of been trying to make an extra buck commercially by doing it on Apple TV or HBO Max or like filming it and kind of having it be more accessible, it then kind of turns audiences away from seeing it live and in person for a way higher price, you know. So it's an interesting tactic that they've been using, and I'm curious to see if that actually has been helping or if it's necessary or if it's kind of been hurting them.

[35:08] Eli Tokash: Well, financially, I have no idea. I've never been very in tune with the financials and the production side but I do love that shows decide to do that. I love Pro Shots and professionally filmed things because I've been lucky enough to spend my entire life sort of in the tri-state area and near I've always lived within driving distance of a very large city Washington DC, Philadelphia, Dallas. I've always been near like a big city where big national tours will come to feel so excited to go to those but not everybody is lucky enough to have that. People who don't live near a big city, people who live on the west coast miles and miles away from New York and can't actually go to a Broadway theater.

People live in different countries but still like musical theater when these Pro Shots are released and when these recordings are released it gives other people who don't who aren't able to go to live theater the opportunity to see a musical being performed not in a movie form. And I will always support that decision to release Pro Shots.

[36:26] Gabe Escobar: So yeah, it absolutely makes it more accessible for all theater goers and audience members which is always important and always so fulfilling, but it's interesting to see that it's kind of done the opposite as for its Broadway run. But anyways, we'll see how that goes, and we'll keep seeing if that happens to be a trend. But yeah, hopefully, hopefully I'm all for making theater more accessible. So I'm all for it if they want to do it. But for me living in New York, it's very unfortunate because I'm like, no, I can't see it live anymore.

[37:06] Eli Tokash: I think we should turn it over to our Tony Prediction. I guess we'll start off and we'll start off by the actors and actresses. So the first category we'll do is featured actress musical. I have a lot of thoughts on this category. It's hard for me when any time that I see because essentially this is yes, this is our personal preference, but these are also predictions of like who we think will win. So I'm torn here because I have my own like this is who I want to win, but this is who I think like the Tony voters are gonna pick. And anytime I see a name like Patti LuPone and I see a Sutton Foster or Hugh Jackman in the category, it's hard for me to vote against that because you know our Tony voters have kind of stayed the same.

They're old, they like their classical Broadway people. And so it's hard to choose against an unbelievable actress like Patti LuPone and Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster and all of those. But for me, I really would like to see L. Morgan Lee or Jennifer Samard win the Tony in this category. I don't think it's gonna happen because of who Patti LuPone is, which is sad for me to hear. So I think my actual prediction is going to be Patti LuPone, but I will be very excited if L. Morgan Lee, who happens to be the first ever trans woman ever nominated for a Tony. So shout out there because that's amazing. And Jennifer Samard for her role in Company. What are your thoughts?

[38:46] Gabe Escobar: Yeah, so I literally had the same thought because when it comes to Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman, I do have different opinions on who I think are gonna win those categories, which we can get for featured actress. I do agree with you that I think Patti LuPone will be given the Tony. That's my prediction. Not only just out of respect for her fantastic career and how like she's a legendary performer, Patti LuPone. But I was in the second row when I saw something, and her performance was fantastic. Like she is flawless, and she always has been, and she deserves all of the praise. So I do believe she's gonna win. But I was about to say the exact same thing about L. Morgan Lee that I would be over the moon if she won. And Jennifer Samard was the other one that I was thinking of because her performance in Company was endlessly entertaining. But I do agree with you that I think Patti LuPone is gonna win.

[39:49] Eli Tokash: Yeah, amazing. So we're on the same page for that one. I like it. No, her performance is absolutely incredible. The ladies who lunch, like it's iconic. And all of the social media buttons that's been going on with Patti LuPone and Company, where she's literally just been like yelling at people to put masks on mid-show, like she deserves Queen just for saying that. She's a queen, you know. Everyone loves Patti LuPone. You can't not love Patti LuPone.

[40:14] Gabe Escobar: Oh my god, of course.

[40:15] Eli Tokash: Okay. So I'm glad we're on the same page.

[40:17] Gabe Escobar: Yeah, we're totally on the same page for that one.

[40:20] Eli Tokash: So sticking in the featured category for musicals, we'll do the featured actors in a musical. Do you want to start?

[40:27] Gabe Escobar: I'm so excited to see what you're gonna say about this.

[40:31] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. Well, I want you to go first because I'm very curious. I'm very curious because I have a very strong opinion and I want to hear yours first.

[40:40] Gabe Escobar: Okay. So I'm actually all for Matt Doyle. I think Company is gonna sweep the featured performers in a musical. I would love to see a Take A Bow friend Jared Grimes win for Funny Girl because I think it literally I think his performance in Funny Girl is actually the most triple threat performance on Broadway currently, if that makes sense, from the singing, the acting, the dancing. But I think Matt Doyle's "Not Getting Married Today" just trumps everything.

[41:16] Eli Tokash: Okay. While Jared Grimes, I agree, is fantastic, I think there's a bit of a rival for best triple threat performance in the same category, and I agree, I agree. Matt Doyle's "Not Getting Married Today" in Company is worth every award ever because that is I've tried singing that song. It is the hardest thing that I could ever try to do.

[41:42] Gabe Escobar: It's impossible. It's literally it is impossible to sing that song, but I fully believe with all of my heart that Sydney DuPont should win this award for Paradise Square.

[41:55] Eli Tokash: Really?

[41:56] Gabe Escobar: Okay, well, I have not seen disclaimer, I have not seen Paradise.

[42:00] Eli Tokash: Okay, well, anybody out there who has not seen Paradise Square should 100% see Paradise Square.

[42:06] Gabe Escobar: Okay. Because I was, I was actually in the front, I was in the front row for this one, and Sydney DuPont's performance was not only vocally, but like dance-wise and acting wise. One of the most impressive things that I've seen on stage from a single performer. His voice is unreal. And he would be singing these incredibly difficult and complex, so complex songs after doing like a six minute, very intense dance break, or while doing a very long dance break. His performance was amazing. It was dramatic. It was fantastically acted. His voice is unreal. His dancing skills are amazing. And AJ, I think it's Shibley or Shivley, I think it's Shibley. Um is nominated from Paradise Square as well. And he is an equal performer. But I Sydney DuPont, I could not stand up and clap fast enough when he took his vow. So I fully believe with all my heart that Sydney DuPont should win the best featured actor Tony Award.

[43:18] Eli Tokash: I love it. I love the little TED Talks that we're doing for our prediction.

[43:24] Gabe Escobar: No, it's giving me Sydney DuPont. I love it. I have Jared Grimes as my final prediction, and you have Sydney DuPont. I think it's gonna be a close category. I think there's there it's a lot of these categories this year are are very, very close. There's a lot of talent, top tier talent this season, and there's a lot of um there's there's so much talent.

[43:47] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Absolutely. And I'm I'm glad that we kind of have there's so much talent. Yeah, and I'm glad we kind of had the same argument as like far as like the most triple threat performance on Broadway right now. I'm I'm I'm curious to go see Paradise Square now and see how I feel. Moving on, we'll go to the leading actress in a musical. So this is on the bottom left. This is the um it's literally the last category on the bottom left. Do you want to start us off or do you want me to start us off?

[44:19] Gabe Escobar: Um I'll start off. So who you like?

[44:22] Eli Tokash: Um I have I have a I I love all of the all of the actresses in this category. Carmen Cusack and Flying Over Sunset. There's one song that she that she sings. I forget the name of it, but it was fantastic. She's a great actress in a very hard part in a very complex musical. She did a great job. Sutton Foster is an icon. She will always be great. I I enjoyed watching the music man. Um Caroline Orchange is actually the one musical that received a nomination that I didn't get to see. Uh when I said that I've seen all the nominated musicals, I was talking about the uh best musical category. So I I don't have any two cents on Sharon D. Clark's performance, but I've heard from anybody who's seen Carolina Change that her performance is unmatched.

Um and Girl from the North Country was one of my favorite theatrical experiences of this entire year. And Mare Winningham was there aren't words for how good her performance was. Because it would it just it blew me away and it left me speechless. But of all of that, I think Joaquina Kalukango, and if I'm mispronouncing that, I I very deeply apologize. Um I think she in Paradise Square was so moving and so talented and so powerful. I was in the front, as I said, I was in the front row for that show. During her biggest number, I saw tears drip off her face and onto the stage because she was so invested in the show and she was so into it. And I got to speak to her afterwards. I got to tell her all this praise to herself standing right in front of me. And that was it was an honor to get to be near her because of how powerful her performance was. So I believe that she should win this Tony Award.

[46:26] Gabe Escobar: Wow. That's a strong argument you have there. Um I love that. I again I I haven't seen Paradise Square, so all of the winners, especially in the musical category, are from the shows that I saw. Um, and believe it or not, I actually have my personal take on this category is I have Sharon D. Clark winning it. Um I think her performance, like you oh wow. It it's kind of unmatched. Um she was absolutely incredible in Carolina Change. Um I loved the show. I had never seen I saw a school production of Carolina Change, so um I didn't have much to like base it off of, and her performance just like blew me away. Um again would not be surprised if the the voters went, you know, Sutton Foster because of who she is. Um, but I personally enjoyed which everyone in all of these categories are just incredible, but I think I have Sharon D. Clark winning this category for sure.

[47:31] Gabe Escobar: Here we are for a leading actor in a musical, and then I guess that's it for the performers. I think Jaquel Spivy uh Spivvy, I think I'm pretty sure it's Jaquel Spivy from A Strange Loop, um, is going to win. Because that part he is the entire show. He is he is that whole show. And when I say that a strange loop is such a powerful show and one man show, and he's surrounded by his thoughts, um, so everything's everything's based on him. And he's sup he's supported by an immaculate cast. And I think that his just from like a difficulty standpoint, an impressiveness standpoint and how he played the part, I believe that he deserves this part or he deserves this award. Um but honestly, it could go any way.

I I think Billy Crystal and Hugh Jackman, while their performances I think it'll I think it's down to Miles I I th I think it might be down to Miles Frost, whose imitation of Michael Jackson was shockingly good. Um and his his dance and singing ability, it was like watching a Michael Jackson music video. So he deserves any praise that he's he receives. And Rob McClure, while Mrs. Doubtfire closed, um that's a incredibly difficult part to play. Whatever you have to say about Mrs. Doubtfire the musical, you cannot argue that you cannot argue that Rob McClure did not have a daunting task ahead of him. Especially following in the steps of the great late Robin Williams. And I I got to speak to him at the after party, and I told him how beautiful it was that he didn't imitate Robin Williams' performance.

And he made it his own, which is so difficult. So I've never seen Jaquel. And it makes me very upset because it makes me feel like I can't like judge this like fairly. Because I didn't see Jaquel, I really feel like it's a race between Miles Frost and Rob McClure. And as much as I want to give it to Miles Frost for just being able to imitate Michael Jackson like he does, and like a legend of music, the king of pop, literally, um, I have to give it to Rob. I feel. Um I really feel like I if you think about it, he's the only one that plays two roles in the same category. In a way, yes, he does have a blueprint laid out for him from the late great Rob Robin Williams. However, I really feel like he made it his own.

And yeah, he may have like taken a couple things here and there, but it wasn't you you didn't go to to the show and you weren't you you didn't think like, oh, I'm watching Robin Williams on stage. No, you were like, oh my god, this performer up here telling a story is absolutely incredible. He totally becomes a child uh adult who's a child who is trying to raise kids, but doesn't really know how to raise kids, but what knows that he wants to be there for them. Like the way that he just, he literally like became, and so did so did Miles Frost. So I I would truly be happy if he won. Um I just feel like it it has to be Rob McClure. And now with Rob McClure like on social media, sending out all of these videos of what it was like to do these quick changes backstage, and like running from here and there, becoming Mrs. uh Eugene uh Euphegina and and then like the back to the father like craziness what he had to do and all of these different voices and just remembering all of that. It's I just thought his performance was truly like breathtaking.

[51:30] Eli Tokash: Okay, so next category I have for us to do is best score.

[51:35] Gabe Escobar: Ooh.

[51:38] Eli Tokash: I know. I'll go first if you need some time to think.

[51:42] Gabe Escobar: Yeah, you you go first, because I have to think.

[51:45] Eli Tokash: Okay. So once again, I haven't seen Paradise Square. Um, I didn't see Flying Over Sunset, unfortunately. So that really only boils it down to three options for me. And I I I really don't think there's I I think it's pretty obvious for me in saying that my pick is Six. Um I think it's so creative what they've done with with how they've literally told the stories of six wives of Henry VIII, um, and kind of put everybody like each queen is a individual like pop star. Um I think it's just brilliant what they did with the score, and I and I think that that that's the winner for me.

[52:29] Gabe Escobar: Um I would have to agree. I loved Flying Over Sunset. I thought it was a beautiful show. Mr. Saturday Night, Jason Rob Brown, great as always. Credit Square, fantastic. Strange loop, beautiful show, unlike anything Broadway has ever seen. But in terms of the score itself, I do think that Six deserves to win because it took no material. It took literal very random British history and turned it into a 90-minute rock show. Which blew me away. I saw it a couple hours ago. I'm still thinking about it. And the music is fantastic. The songs are the songs are like seven minutes long, but you still don't want them to stop, which is amazing. And there's that one song, it's like the emotional ballad by the queen who um who had the sun and she died. Like that one that song that song was stunning. Like it it is like the emotional power ballad that every song wants to be. And I d I agree that this that six should win best score.

[53:44] Eli Tokash: That's gonna be like every like teenage girls new audition song, I'm calling it. Um since we just did tour, I think we should just go into book of a musical, because that kinda goes that kinda goes hand in hand.

[54:07] Gabe Escobar: If I if I had to choose what I wanted to win, I would say Girl from the North Country. Yeah. Because I thought the writing of that show, I thought the writing of that show was very good. And I thought I I just I think it was just surprising that they took the music of Bob Dylan and managed to weave it into a very emotional, very like hard play, like sort of play, and then the music set the tone. It was like little solos and it sort of set the tone for the scene rather than like a normal jukebox musical where they like all shook up where they sort of weave like the songs into the story. I just thought it was a very smart show, and it was very interesting. Like by the end of that show, I was like, wow.

Didn't know what to expect. It wasn't this, and I'm very happy about that. So I would I would choose Girl from the North Country to win if I could, but I fully believe a strange loop is going to win Best Book because it is art. It is literal artwork on a page. It is genius, it is a fantastically written show. Pretty much a flawless production. I do think that a strange loop is gonna win Best Book.

[55:26] Eli Tokash: I'm with you. I I have a strange loop as well. I think that MJ, you know, it's just an autobi uh biography.

[55:34] Gabe Escobar: Saturday Nights, uh we've seen Billy Crystal done it before do it before. It's kind of uh a book that we've kind of are familiar with. I think that there's there's just nothing else like a Strange Loop that we've seen in a long time, and I think that it has to win that book best book of a musical.

[55:51] Eli Tokash: I'm with you.

[55:52] Gabe Escobar: Yeah.

[55:52] Eli Tokash: Well then that takes us to musical revival. Um, because then we'll start getting into like the costumes and the lighting and all of that and the revivals and new musicals kind of uh get intertwined there, but we'll save best musical for last. Um so we'll do a music before before we give our opinions.

[56:17] Gabe Escobar: I would I would just like to predict that we will both have a very clear answer for this.

[56:24] Eli Tokash: I fully believe that we're gonna be on the same page, and I'm very curious.

[56:27] Gabe Escobar: I have okay. Literally, as we speak, I still have no idea who I'm gonna— This is the only category I have no idea who I'm gonna pick.

[56:36] Eli Tokash: Oh no idea.

[56:39] Gabe Escobar: Oh my god, I have a very clear answer. I think granted, I didn't see Carolina Change, but between Company and The Music Man, Company wins 100%, I believe.

[56:51] Eli Tokash: I enjoyed The Music Man, but I think The Music Man's production, while great, apart from the choreography, which was uh sort of more modernized, it's pretty much the same show that I saw when my brother was in it in high school. It's pretty much the same show that like my uncle was in when he was in it in the 60s. Like it hasn't been changed a whole lot, but the new revival of Company was a different production. It took the original show and it turned it completely differently and modernized it so much, not only in the casting, not only sort of in the production, but in the setting, in the way it was produced and the way it looked, it was a new show, and I think that's what a revival should do.

[57:36] Gabe Escobar: But I didn't see Carolina Change, so I guess I can't give a full opinion of this category. I'm actually you solidified my prediction, and it's literally the reason that I so I ranked them all. I don't know if you can see them.

[57:52] Eli Tokash: And I have Company at number one.

[57:54] Gabe Escobar: Okay.

[57:55] Eli Tokash: Um and my reasoning for it was literally what you said. Because, you know, what they did as a revival, they should be able to modernize it and make it relevant in today's world. Um, but Carolina Change, I felt like not much changed. I thought the performances were great. Same with The Music Man. I felt like not much changed. They cut some things out so it's not the long three-hour boring show, and they kind of kept the exciting pieces. Um, but otherwise, you know, I think that I think Company kind of changed the most and kind of gave us this new um twist on the story that we hadn't seen yet, and I thought that that was the most exciting. And I think that I I I agree with you. I I I think that you kind of having that same thought process that I had was really good for me to hear.

[58:44] Gabe Escobar: And so I think that's gonna I'm that I'm solidifying my pick. I'm going with Company as well.

[58:49] Eli Tokash: I'm glad I could sway you in my.

[58:51] Gabe Escobar: Oh my god, yeah. Seriously, I needed some influence. Um, so then that brings us to costume design of a musical. And I think this is such an underrated category. I actually love this category so much, and I feel like it gets overlooked. I feel like all of these behind the scenes ones get overlooked. Um I thought there were some incredible costumes in this season. Um Diana's costumes were insane, Carolina Change's costumes were insane.

[59:21] Gabe Escobar: I just don't think same with Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson had some great costumes with uh kind of imitating Michael Jackson's look, but I still think that no one can beat the Six costumes. I mean, w those things I literally have never seen in my life, and I thought they were so cool. I was I was I was just in the audience and the entire time. I was thinking, wow, I'm doing I'm doing Eli's podcast after this, and now I know what my answer is.

[59:52] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[59:54] Gabe Escobar: Because it takes like takes like these very old styles and then bedazzles them and makes them like these insane costumes that are beautiful. Like they're they're literal works of art. They're like sculptures. And while I loved the MJ, like the two other best costumes that I saw this season were Diana and MJ, but both of those are just imitating looks that already existed. And while that takes talent and it takes skill to sort of alter costumes to work for stage or like get inspired by different things. And it's like it's taking the entire show is taking like history, making it modern. And Gabriela Slade of Six the Musical took traditional the historical costume inspiration and made it into this wearable art.

[1:00:50] Gabe Escobar: So Six wins hands hand.

[1:00:52] Eli Tokash: Hands down.

[1:00:52] Gabe Escobar: Oh my god, I love that. Wasn't even a debate for either of us.

[1:00:56] Eli Tokash: Um no, I feel the whole time when I was watching Six, I was like, I feel like those costumes weigh 20 pounds and they're just like not out of breath. The queens are killing it. It was insane.

[1:01:07] Gabe Escobar: Um but they're so beautiful to look at, so like go off.

[1:01:12] Eli Tokash: Um I'm here for it. And uh then so the next category we'll do is scenic design in the musical.

[1:01:21] Gabe Escobar: Um up here.

[1:01:23] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. I actually have a lot of thoughts for this one. I'll go first because I don't have an answer, and I'll I I don't have an answer, so I'll find it along the way.

[1:01:32] Gabe Escobar: Okay.

[1:01:32] Eli Tokash: Um scenic design. Paradise Square, it's a Paradise Square is a beautiful set. Um like it's beautifully done, it's it really takes you into it. Personally, I I don't think it like I f it sort of reminds me of other sets that I've seen, just sort of in the sense of like big houses and like building facades. Um and it was done in a beautiful way that's very like historical, and I'm sure um Vivian Beaumont Theater. It's a giant circle.

[1:02:05] Gabe Escobar: It is huge.

[1:02:06] Eli Tokash: And the way that they did this show because scenic design isn't just sets, it's the way that the s it's the way that the stage looks. And a big part of that, which I think people overlook is the idea of blank space, and the way that they take this very weird show and put it on such a giant stage is they utilize this blank space in very artful ways that makes you have to think. Because the whole show is about three famous historical figures going on an acid trip together, which is so weird.

[1:02:16] Gabe Escobar: And the way that they the way that they said it was they have sort of these whimsical pieces that leave a lot to the imagination, and I think they take this giant stage, and they like you have to fill it with your own mind.

[1:02:55] Eli Tokash: And it it just it brings my mind to the beginning of the show, where all the actors just start walking around the stage in rhythm, and they're they're the sound of their s their feet on this stage like sort of makes a beat, and as more people go on, it gets more and more complex, and the lighting design where it uses like shadows to sort of fill the stage is fantastic. And there was one point where they filled the stage with fog and smoke to make it look like someone's swimming in the ocean during an acid trip.

[1:03:30] Gabe Escobar: So it's not actual water, it's like fog water. It's like a haze because they're like high. So I think the way that they set that show, it was visually stunning. And I think that Flying Over Sunset should win this time.

[1:03:45] Eli Tokash: Wow. Interesting call. I like it.

[1:03:48] Gabe Escobar: Um I'm I I'm I'm this is tricky for me. I'm kind of indifferent here. Interestingly enough, I found Company and A Strange Loop to be fairly similar sets. Um the way that they were able to, you know, with the doors with the thoughts, and then same with Company, where they had their like light lit up kind of doors throughout the set. I thought both of them were very cool, but I do think if you like one, then you'll like the other, and I think that they'll take votes away from each other.

[1:04:24] Eli Tokash: So then, of course, when when thinking about this further, uh I couldn't help but think of Thriller and that alone on a stage just it it did it for me. It was amazing.

[1:04:39] Gabe Escobar: I have to go with MJ.

[1:04:42] Eli Tokash: It was if like it was fantastic.

[1:04:44] Gabe Escobar: It's stupid.

[1:04:45] Eli Tokash: No, no, that it's a that's a very valid opinion because the way that show was done, I have some I have some opinions and things that I would change about MJ, but visually, it was fantastic. Like you felt like you were in a Michael Jackson music video, which doing it on such a giant scale is so hard. So I that's a totally fair.

[1:05:08] Gabe Escobar: And I do think too, like, I think in the rehearsal space and everything, it was a little boring, but at the same time it was like, wait, this is kind of like exactly what I want in a rehearsal space. Like I don't want anything flashy, it's good because rehearsal spaces are just simple, light, and boring.

[1:05:26] Eli Tokash: Um I it fit the show.

[1:05:28] Gabe Escobar: Yeah, it was it was so good. And I don't have any MJ right now, so I I needed some MJ in my life because I loved the show and uh took over MJ.

[1:05:38] Eli Tokash: Actually, speaking of MJ, what we're we're at lighting design now for a musical, and I actually have MJ winning that Natasha Katz.

[1:05:48] Gabe Escobar: Um so I guess there's two MJs back to back for me.

[1:05:51] Eli Tokash: I sorry, I'm starting that one out.

[1:05:53] Gabe Escobar: You didn't really have a choice, but uh I'm happy to hear your thoughts on that.

[1:05:57] Eli Tokash: MJ, the lighting was great.

[1:05:59] Gabe Escobar: Yeah. Honestly, for me, it's kind of a tie between MJ and Six. Because Six is a rock concert.

[1:06:08] Eli Tokash: Which is really cool.

[1:06:10] Gabe Escobar: Actually, now that I think about it, it's a rock concert.

[1:06:13] Eli Tokash: So it's like strobe lights.

[1:06:15] Gabe Escobar: But MJ, they did it in like a very interesting way.

[1:06:20] Eli Tokash: Um I actually, yeah, I'll you know what, I'll agree with you. I think Natasha Katz MJ is gonna win best lighting design.

[1:06:30] Gabe Escobar: Um in a perfect world, I would sh in a perfect world I would choose Flying Over Sunset, but I think MJ is gonna win purely because of how much of a because that show really is like a spectacle.

[1:06:43] Eli Tokash: Like it's it's visually yeah powerful.

[1:06:48] Gabe Escobar: So I think I I think MJ definitely has a shot at lighting. It was cool that like they there was like three stories going on with the lights that you know they had the MJ in concert which they had to follow around, they had MJ in like a rehearsal space where they had to light everybody, uh they had the thriller where everything was like red.

[1:07:09] Eli Tokash: They had it was just there was so many spectacles going on with the lightings and each individual number that I was just like I have to give it to MJ.

[1:07:17] Gabe Escobar: Um yeah.

[1:07:18] Eli Tokash: So there's that. I guess we'll move on to sound design.

[1:07:23] Gabe Escobar: Which this is oh my god, this is another tough one.

[1:07:28] Eli Tokash: Um I'll let you kick us off because my is is no shock.

[1:07:34] Gabe Escobar: Okay. Best sound design. Um this one this one's hard. Because I don't know how to judge sound design. I've never sort of been on that side of it.

[1:07:46] Eli Tokash: Um honestly it it could be either of sort of because the things that sound like hard sound design are having to balance the music and the vocals and just sort of a very challenging thing.

[1:08:03] Gabe Escobar: So I think it could be down to Six and MJ, which are very like audible shows. And between the two of them, MJ really does have a whole lot of music that they had to deal with.

[1:08:18] Eli Tokash: I don't know anything about sound design, but just in terms of pure sound that had to be dealt with, I think MJ could win.

[1:08:26] Gabe Escobar: But like sort of the balancing of all the audio in Six, it could be there too. So um, I don't know. I'm sort of torn there because it's it's really not a category that I know much about or have much authority on.

[1:08:40] Eli Tokash: Um I'm I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

[1:08:42] Gabe Escobar: I'm guessing you say MJ.

[1:08:44] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I'm on the MJ bandwagon again.

[1:08:47] Gabe Escobar: Um I I listen, I thought that there's so much with MJ that that that went into the sound design with the sound mixing, with the special effect sounds.

[1:08:57] Eli Tokash: Um a lot of this really just keeps going back to Thriller.

[1:09:01] Gabe Escobar: Um where the sound designing in that was just ridiculous, where they had to, you know, mix all of the performers on the stage with the orchestra, with the voiceovers of the scary man kind of thriller guy.

[1:09:17] Gabe Escobar: Um I don't even know what they call him. Um everything. I thought everything was so so good in MJ, the way that they were able to. It was interesting because there was like a little reverb when um the main character who played both MJ's dad and MJ's like agent.

[1:09:37] Gabe Escobar: I can't remember his name right off the top of my head. Um every time he was the dad, there was like a different type of sound, um, even though it was the same guy playing him, and I know that that came from like a little bit of a reverb from the microphone. Um, and he often switched in and out of that role just on stage within a millisecond. Um, I just thought it was brilliant and I had to give it to MJ.

[1:10:02] Eli Tokash: You swung me. I'll give my vote to MJ as well.

[1:10:06] Gabe Escobar: Alright, I'll take it. That was the first time I swung you today, so I needed to do it once, right? Hopefully I'm swinging other people too, so we'll see.

[1:10:15] Eli Tokash: Um my god. Oh my god. I have three MJs in a row, and now we're at freaking choreography. This is a mess.

[1:10:24] Gabe Escobar: That's okay. What are you gonna do? Um first of all, I wanna just say that I'm obsessed that there's a play. Um a play cat uh uh a sorry, how do I want to phrase this? I love that there's a nomination for best choreography from a play.

[1:10:43] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:10:44] Gabe Escobar: Um I think that that's something that's rarely seen. Um so shout out to Camille A. Brown, who is nominated for her work in For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide slash When the Rainbow Is Enough. Um unfortunately, just because it is a play, I don't know if there's enough work there uh from a full out musical um to really be considered to uh kind of beat any of those out. Um that's all I'm gonna say on that.

[1:11:16] Eli Tokash: Do you want to kick us off on your prediction, or would you like me to make my prediction for those kind of predictions?

[1:11:21] Gabe Escobar: No sh support. I know your prediction. Um I'm gonna go against the grain. Yeah, I'm gonna go against the grain, go with a wild card guess. Um, and I will give my explanation to that as well. I vote Paradise Square.

[1:11:38] Eli Tokash: Yes. I vote Paradise Square. Um you haven't seen it, so you wouldn't know, but a large uh part of the plot of the show is a dance competition. Um so it's there's so much dancing, and they integrate so many different styles, including very challenging Irish dancing and tap dancing, and they integrate so many different styles of dancing all together, and the talent shown in that production is so impressive.

[1:12:13] Gabe Escobar: And something that I think makes it stand out is that it was choreographed in a way that it seems like the characters are making it up on the spot as they would in like a flash of the moment bar dance competition between two very talented people. Like they sort of they sort of play off each other, and you can see it in the choreography, which makes it seem so natural and so organic, even though you can like you know that they've practiced that exact thing hundreds of times, and I think that's a real talent when it comes to choreography to make something look organic and look like it's happening right in the moment. It doesn't look choreographed, but you know that it is.

[1:12:55] Eli Tokash: That's very impressive. Shout out Bill T. Jones for a fantastic job in Paradise Square. And why I think it edges out the fantastic dancing capabilities and the fantastic choreography of MJ, like new choreography in terms of impressive choreography. I don't I'm not a dancer, I don't know much. Just visually, I was taken aback by how good Paradise Square was because it's something that I've never seen. Whereas I have watched many, many Michael Jackson music videos.

[1:13:26] Gabe Escobar: So that's why I think that one stood out to me.

[1:13:29] Eli Tokash: I love that, and like you s so crazily guessed, um, I do have MJ winning for me. And and a large portion of that goes to, yes, there is a blueprint um for MJ, of course. Um, but I think that it's something that is extremely hard to actually pull off. And I think that uh that kinda there's an added layer to that because I that's a whole nother conversation. But um it's it's hard to pull off number one, and number two, I loved how in the show they really gave a a portion of the show in to like Gene Kelly, to Bob Fossey, to to the to the b um oh my god, the brothers. Who were the brothers? Um but they gave a tribute to all of these w wonderful choreographers and kind of let them all have a moment to shine.

So you kind of saw all of the uh the choreography from all of these different legends um kind of incorporated into one. And yes, that is the blueprint from Michael Jackson. I just think that it's something that is just like unlike any other type of choreography. I mean, like Michael Jackson is his own genre of dancing. Um and so and they pull it off and they do it brilliantly, so I had to give it to to MJ.

[1:14:56] Gabe Escobar: And once again, I haven't seen Paradise Square, so it's kinda hard for me to to kind of say otherwise, uh if for your category or anything or for your predictions.

[1:15:06] Eli Tokash: That's fair, that's fair.

[1:15:08] Gabe Escobar: That's fair. Okay, so next is orchestrations.

[1:15:12] Eli Tokash: Yeah, um, another sort of probably unpopular opinion, I think Girl from the North Country is gonna win. Because it takes it takes Bob Dylan. It takes Bob Dylan's music, which is possibly the least musical theater music that you could ever find. And it turns it into these fantastic, it turns it into these fantastic musical numbers. And the music, the orchestrations, this is why I think it's the best orchestration. The orchestrations that they wrote for those very difficult Bob Dylan songs are what make the whole show. They're what set the tone. They're what pull you in. And they're they are what take Bob Dylan's music and make it feel so right on a Broadway stage, which is something I never thought would be possible. So I think that Girl from the North Country should 100% win. And if it doesn't, I think Six will.

[1:16:18] Gabe Escobar: insane. Like the music for that show is unreal. And I think that while because I think it won it, I fully believe that it will win best score. Um, and I think it has a very good chance of winning best orchestrations as well. But I hope that Girl from the North Country wins.

[1:16:37] Eli Tokash: Wow. I love these like left field predictions that you're having. Um it's great. It's good to know, because I I wouldn't know, and I would I don't I haven't seen it, so uh Girl from the North Country, I love it. So I have I'm I'm in your thought process where I'm like, okay, I love that company was kind of like a completely different score originally, and it was literally like redone for the gender bent of of it all.

[1:17:08] Gabe Escobar: Yeah.

[1:17:09] Eli Tokash: Um I thought that the orchestrations in this um revival are just incredible. Um I loved that. I loved how they turned kind of like you were saying, the Bob Dylan into a musical theater. Same with MJ. Um, but I I agree with you. I feel like both of them had the blueprint, and I I had to give it to Six as well. Um I know that you kind of said Girl from the North Country, but you kind of also said six. So I had to give it to Six because it's one I saw, and I I agree with that.

[1:17:45] Gabe Escobar: Yeah, I thought it was just great. So now we're at direction, and then we'll go to Best Musical. Direction. Best direction of a musical. Do you want to start this one off, or do you want me to go?

[1:17:55] Eli Tokash: I'll I'll start. Best direction, just like as a performer myself, I'm trying to think how the direction impacts the final product. Because that I think that's how you judge direction. It's how it was done. So that's a very good argument in favor of Marianne Elliott, the director of Company, because Marianne Elliott is the reason why this production was so successful, why this production was so different from the original show. But you could say the same about so many other things. Like, honestly, just based off like my pure gut, I think it has to go to either Stephen Brackett of A Strange Loop, because that show thinking about directing that show sounds so challenging just like conceptually having to think of everything. Like that's because you take the text and then you have to put that on stage. That's so hard.

[1:18:51] Gabe Escobar: Yeah.

[1:18:58] Eli Tokash: Or Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage of Six. It's unfathomable how to even think about putting that on stage. I think I have to give my final vote to Lucy and Jamie of Six the Musical. Just based off like my gut feeling and the fact that I saw it like two hours ago. Um, but I like Lucy and Jamie could win, Steven could win, Marianne could win, Connor McPherson from Girl from the North Country. That's such a hard show to conceptualize as well. He could fully win. I'm not sure about MJ for this category. Um purely because like my one sort of issue with the show is I is I don't really like the storyline of the reporter. Um that character just sort of felt extraneous to me. Um so that's just like my one issue with that show, but I've no issues with any of the other shows.

So I'm just thinking about like direction-wise leading the show. I I really can't choose. I I could go any directions. I'd say it's if I had to narrow it down to three, it would be Lucy and Jamie or Marianne or Steven. So Strange Loop Company and Six. Those are like the three, but I can't narrow it down further than that.

[1:20:21] Gabe Escobar: Alright. I respect it. Uh you've left me at a deaf place because I really don't know who I'm gonna pick. And you I was kind of 50 50. If you can't tell, my favorite musicals from this season are MJ and Six. Um, and I was kinda 50 50 between the two, and you kinda swayed me against it. Um I'm kinda on the six wagon now. I don't think it's Marion Elliott. I I think that there were some things. I I had a couple issues with Company, I felt. Um Strange Loop. I I did love that. I love the direction of that. I could have I could give it to Strange Loop. Ugh. Difficult. Um It seems like we're both it seems like we're both agreeing that Lucy and Jamie of Six have a very good show. Yeah, I'll go six, because it was originally between MJ and Six. I'm knocking out MJ, so I'll go six. Um with Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage.

[1:21:25] Gabe Escobar: So that leads us to Best Musical. Gabe, what do you think the best musical was of this season?

[1:21:31] Eli Tokash: Having said all of that, where are we? It seems like we're very torn. I think it's a really hard question because there's so many great options. My gut feeling is that A Strange Loop should win. I think it should win. It won it won the Pulitzer, which very few musicals have ever done. Win the best win the Pulitzer for drama. It is that is a feat. That is an amazing thing to win as a musical. Um, and I think it's a very important show. I think it's very smart. I think it's fantastically done. I think the writing of it is amazing. I think it's new. I think it's something that theater is meant to be. It's meant to make a statement, it's meant to make you feel something, which it does. Like, I loved Six.

I thought it was really cool. I thought it's a very smart show. But the feeling that I had leaving the theater after seeing Strange Loop is something that I've never I've never thought that much about a show that I've seen like I was taken aback by how fantastic that show is and I fully think that it should win Best Musical because it is a musical that Broadway's never seen before.

[1:22:45] Gabe Escobar: I like it. I I I'm kind of like the same way I feel like I can't really give it to Six because I honestly don't feel like Six is like a true musical as opposed to like like you mentioned earlier like it's kind of like a concert you know like it's not like it has this incredible like elaborate stories. It's the Queen's it doesn't have a story. Yeah it's just I don't know so I can't really give it to Six. I like the overall arc of A Strange Loop. MJ's already a story that everybody knows uh Mr. Saturday Night we've seen it before I haven't seen Girl from the North Country or Paradise Square.

[1:23:22] Gabe Escobar: I just feel like thinking as like a Tony voter and what the community has kind of responded to, I think it has to go to A Strange Loop because I think that that's the strongest original thing that we haven't seen on Broadway this year.

[1:23:39] Eli Tokash: So I think I'm with you.

[1:23:41] Gabe Escobar: I was talking to somebody about this yesterday and we both agreed that picking a show like Six or MJ to win Best Musical would be the very mainstream choice. It would be the very easy choice to make, but I think A Strange Loop should win because that is what Broadway should be. And it's sort of that type of new musical is the lane that I hope Broadway's going down. And if A Strange Loop wins, that would be a great signifier that that is what's happening. And I think that it fully deserves to win. It's unlike anything we've seen before.

[1:24:24] Eli Tokash: I loved Girl from the North Country. I thought it was fantastic. MJ, great experience. Mr. Saturday Night, laughed the whole time. Paradise Square, fantastic. Blew my socks off. Six, it's unreal. But A Strange Loop is something that I think is a very special show. So that has my vote.

[1:24:44] Gabe Escobar: Yeah, I think I'm with you. I truly was, it was a coin toss for me earlier, but I think I'm with you. I don't think Six is strong enough story-wise, like overall-wise. I think that A Strange Loop is the most complete musical that we've seen on Broadway right now. And I think just like playing to its audience of theatergoers and audience members, like this is a show that you can relate to the most. This is a show that's gonna entertain you because you can relate to it. I think it truly is, I feel like one of the most complete musicals that we've seen in a long time. So I think A Strange Loop has it for me as well.

[1:25:22] Gabe Escobar: So here's the deal with plays. Eli and I have not seen many plays this season. We are not proud of it. I've seen Pro and I've seen American Buffalo. I saw Passover, and I'm still so mad that it didn't get nominated for anything because I loved Passover. Yeah, it was the first show back on Broadway and it didn't get nominated for a thing. I was so mad about it. I think those are the only two I've seen, and I'm not happy about it.

[1:25:59] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I'm sort of in the same boat. I saw American Buffalo. I saw POTUS. I saw The Minutes, and I'm pretty sure those are the three nominated ones that I've seen. Within the next week, I'm gonna be seeing How I Learned to Drive, Plaza Suite, and Take Me Out, which will sort of round off some things. But I really don't think I have authority to make any predictions when it comes to plays. But I will just say I think Sam Rockwell's performance in American Buffalo was an acting feat. I think he did a fantastic job. I see that he's nominated. I think that The Minutes deserves all of the praise that it has received. Tracy Letts is a genius when it comes to playwriting. I just saw that play and I would love to see it again.

Noah Reed is an actor that I love from Schitt's Creek, and he is amazing in that play. It's an experience that I think people should have. It's a very smart play and that one's also very different. And it's a show that's very poignant and it's very important and it tells a very interesting story. So I think The Minutes is a great play, and POTUS is hilarious. Hilarious. Plain and simple, POTUS is a hilarious play.

[1:27:33] Gabe Escobar: I don't know how it's on. I want to see more plays. I do. But as it stands right now in this moment, like if you look at the Best Costume Design for a play of the five plays nominated, I haven't seen a single one of them. So I really just am not in a place to make any judgments. But I do think, based on what I've heard and based on what I've read and reviews that I've read about all of these shows, this has been a fantastic season for plays on Broadway. There's so much new material out there, and there's so many great things to see, and so many great interpretations. And even the revivals, American Buffalo is not a new play, but the way they did it in the Circle in the Square Theater and the cluttered mess that is that stage is just fantastic, and it's something that's worth seeing. So while you and I don't really have much place to make any predictions when it comes to the plays, I think we can both agree that it has been a great season for plays in New York this year.

[1:28:40] Eli Tokash: Absolutely. Gabe, that's gonna be the end of this week's episode. I'm so happy that we got you on because truly, I mean, there's not much else that we can say about the plays, but yeah, I seriously, it meant the world having you on because I've been wanting to have you on for so long. And so doing it this week has been super fun, and hopefully we can do it some more. This has been really fun. So I appreciate you coming on and giving me your time. I know this is a really long recording session.

[1:29:12] Gabe Escobar: Yeah, of course. I'll always talk about Broadway. And if anybody wants to keep up with me, I'm on TikTok and Instagram, those are my biggest platforms, and I have the same username on both of them. My name is Gabe Escobar.

[1:29:26] Eli Tokash: Well, I guess we'll see how well Gabe and I know our Broadway this Sunday, June 12th at 7 p.m. or 8 p.m., I guess the red carpet starts at 7 p.m. at the Tony Awards. So everybody tune in. Gabe and I obviously will be working on our predictions and our favorite shows. And yeah, I'm so excited for it. So thanks again, Gabe, for coming on, and everyone enjoy the Tony Awards this Sunday, and I can't wait to talk all about it next week as like a little recap. So very exciting. Thanks again, Gabe.

[1:30:03] Eli Tokash: Another huge shout out to Gabe Escobar for coming on here today with us this week. It was nice to have someone to talk to during this. I didn't want to be alone and kind of just spit out predictions, even if it was just for the musical section. So once again, take a bow, Gabe Escobar. Thanks for coming on. Check out his content. He has so much great theater content and just fun stuff to follow. And then of course the behind-the-scenes kind of thing to it all, which is kind of what I'm bringing here to Take A Bow to all of you. So go check that out if you want. It's great stuff.

[1:30:39] Eli Tokash: We were just doing musicals, so let's talk about some plays here, shall we? Once again, haven't seen many of these, but I'm gonna go through them pretty quickly just to give you all a little bit of my take on the plays from what I've heard, from predictions, from what I've seen, the little bit that I've seen, all of that. So I'll start off by saying my leading actors of plays, that category. I have Adrian Lester winning for Leading Actor in a Play for his role in The Lehman Trilogy. I have, oh this one was tricky. I was either thinking Deirdre O'Connell or LaChanze for Leading Actress in a Play. Deirdre O'Connell for Dana H and LaChanze for Trouble in Mind. Then for Featured Actress and Actor in a Play, I have Rachel Dratch for her performance in POTUS.

Honestly, if she doesn't win, I didn't have to see any of the other plays. If she doesn't win, I'm literally gonna cry. Featured Actor in a Play is going to be, I have Jesse Williams. I hadn't seen any of the plays in this category, so kind of unfair, but I guess it's gonna be my educated guess is Jesse Williams.

[1:32:00] Eli Tokash: Moving on. For Scenic Design in a Play, I have Adam Rig for The Skin of Our Teeth. I think the set in this show is absolutely incredible. There's like a legit roller coaster and amusement park on stage. It's unbelievable. POTUS is really cool too. It's kind of SNL-like where they have like three different rooms. It's kind of on like a turntable, but you can only see one at a time. It's really fascinating. So wouldn't be mad at that one either. But I do have Adam Rig for The Skin of Our Teeth in that category. For Costume Design, I have for Colored Girls. Serafina Bush for For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enough. I absolutely love the costumes in this play. I absolutely think that it deserves to win.

Moving on to Lighting Design, I have John Clark for The Lehman Trilogy. Once again, I don't know much about any of these plays, so that's kind of just my educated guess from what other people have said. For Sound Design, I have Mikhail Fixel for Dana H. Honestly, don't have to see any of the other plays again for this one. If Mikhail doesn't win for their work in Dana H, I'm actually gonna be very upset because the whole show was lip-sync. So the whole show depended on the sound design. Definitely think that that deserves to win. Without it, there is legit no show.

[1:33:37] Eli Tokash: Oh, this is tricky. I have Camille A. Brown for For Colored Girls or Sam Mendes for The Lehman Trilogy. I've heard The Lehman Trilogy was great, and I'm so mad I didn't get to see it before January. I'm gonna go Sam Mendes for The Lehman Trilogy because I don't know. Something's telling me that that's gonna be it. It's a gut feeling. And so then that takes us to Best Play Revival and Best Play. For Play Revival, I have For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enough, and for Best Play of the 2022 season, the 75th Annual Tony Awards, I have The Lehman Trilogy. I've heard that The Lehman Trilogy was just absolutely incredible, so I'm riding with that one. And For Colored Girls, I've heard so many great things about it.

American Buffalo, I saw, wasn't in love with, heard great things about Take Me Out, and different things about How I Learned to Drive and Trouble in Mind. So I'm going with For Colored Girls. I also just hope that For Colored Girls wins because everything that I've seen about it has just been incredible. So I'm actually really, really rooting for it.

[1:34:46] Eli Tokash: Yeah, so that's my little play recap. Sorry the musicals were a bit long, but I loved the back and forth that Gabe and I had and kind of explaining our thoughts and all of that. Obviously, I couldn't do it too much here because more of them were just guesses and from other people's opinions. But yeah, I wanted to come on here and just have them out there so that we have something to root for if you want to root for me, if you want to root against me, do whatever you want, but have fun because that's what the Tony Awards are all about. I cannot wait for them. I will be doing live tweets and live Instagram stuff, so stay tuned, and I cannot wait for next week to talk all about it and kind of get my feelings and thoughts out there.

And I'm excited to hear what you all had to think. So stay tuned. You all can grill me about how badly I did, how poorly my choices were after Sunday when the Tony Award winners come out. But until then, I hope you all have a wonderful week, and thanks for tuning in. Shout out to Gabe Escobar who joined me today, and I hope you all enjoyed this week's episode. So thanks again for listening. Bye everyone. Have a great week and happy Tonies.

[1:35:56] Eli Tokash: For this episode's curtain call, I would like to recognize a few people who also deserve to take a bow. This podcast would not be possible without the help from Dory Berenstein, Brittany Bigelow, Katie Rosen, Alan Seales, and the team at the Broadway Podcast Network. Next in line to take the bow is Tessie Tokash, who edits the audio and all the visuals for this podcast. A special thanks to patrons Brian Thompson, Pat McNamara, the listeners at PCC, as well as all the other patrons for their continued support. If you're interested in becoming a patron, go to patreon.com slash TAB. And if you enjoyed this week's episode, don't forget to subscribe on the platform that you're currently listening to this on. Also, feel free to give us a follow on Instagram at Take A Bow Podcast. Take A Bow's logo is designed by Giselle Bustos and the music is by Nikki Torsha and Cormac Collinon. Bye everyone. Hope to see you next week.