This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to the 116th episode of Take A Bow.

[0:05] Eli Tokash: I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and this week we have such an incredible episode coming at you folks today.

[0:10] Eli Tokash: We have a very special guest that the Into the Woods fans are going to love.

[0:15] Eli Tokash: And honestly, all theater fans are gonna love this episode because we are fangirling.

[0:20] Eli Tokash: We are talking about how much we love Sara Bareilles.

[0:22] Eli Tokash: We are talking about all the things.

[0:23] Eli Tokash: We also talk about some AAPI representation on Broadway and all the things.

[0:27] Eli Tokash: So very excited to bring on Kennedy Kanagawa from Into the Woods, currently making his Broadway debut in the show.

[0:33] Eli Tokash: How cool is that? Making your Broadway debut in such an iconic show with all of these all-star performers.

[0:39] Eli Tokash: It's amazing.

[0:40] Eli Tokash: So excited for him, and he talks all about it.

[0:42] Eli Tokash: So I'm just so excited to share this with you all.

[0:45] Eli Tokash: He literally talks about the whole journey that Into the Woods has had over the past year, whether it's from City Center, then transferring to Broadway.

[0:53] Eli Tokash: Just fascinating stuff.

[0:54] Eli Tokash: And I'm so glad to hear that he's gonna be staying with the show because they did announce a new cast, which I guess we can just talk about.

[1:01] Eli Tokash: Let's turn into some Broadway news, shall we?

[1:04] Eli Tokash: Yes, you just heard me say that Into the Woods brought in some new cast members.

[1:08] Eli Tokash: Well, they have not started yet.

[1:10] Eli Tokash: They start on September 6th.

[1:11] Eli Tokash: The current cast, um, not everybody is leaving, but Into the Woods was announced as a limited run, obviously, because these all-stars are booked and busy, so they could not do a full open contract or six-month contract on Broadway.

[1:26] Eli Tokash: So they brought in some new stars to do the show, and they did not disappoint because yes, currently they have incredible performers such as Sara Bareilles and Brian d'Arcy James and Philippa Soo and Julia Lester.

[1:40] Eli Tokash: Um, unfortunately, all of them are leaving the show on September 4th, and they're bringing in Stephanie J. Block to play the Baker's Wife, which is currently being played by Sara Bareilles.

[1:49] Eli Tokash: They're bringing in Sebastian Arcelus, who's going to be playing The Baker, which is currently played by Brian d'Arcy James.

[1:55] Eli Tokash: And I'm so excited about this because fun fact Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian are actually real life husband and wife.

[2:03] Eli Tokash: So very excited for them to be able to play that on a Broadway stage at the St. James Theater.

[2:08] Eli Tokash: Very cool.

[2:09] Eli Tokash: They also are bringing in Krista Rodriguez to play Cinderella, who's currently being played by Philippa Soo.

[2:15] Eli Tokash: And uh they brought in some other uh incredible people.

[2:18] Eli Tokash: They also announced that Montego Glover will be sharing the role of The Witch with Patina Miller.

[2:24] Eli Tokash: So for those of you who are Patina Miller stands, I empathize with you.

[2:28] Eli Tokash: She is not leaving though, which is amazing because Patina was so good in this role.

[2:33] Eli Tokash: She's not leaving.

[2:33] Eli Tokash: Montego Glover and her will be doing four shows a week each.

[2:37] Eli Tokash: Montego Glover will be playing uh Tuesday through Thursday.

[2:41] Eli Tokash: So she'll do Tuesday and then both shows Wednesday and then Thursday, and then Patina Miller will be playing the Friday, both shows Saturday and Sunday show.

[2:49] Eli Tokash: So very excited for that.

[2:51] Eli Tokash: It's going to be so cool.

[2:52] Eli Tokash: And it's kind of like, oh, who's gonna be in this week?

[2:55] Eli Tokash: Yeah, like a little fun surprise each time you go.

[2:57] Eli Tokash: It's very exciting.

[2:59] Eli Tokash: Um, and they also announced that they're bringing in Andy Carl to play the role of the wolf in Cinderella's prince from September 6th through September 15th, which is like I don't know, but like I'm I'm so excited about this.

[3:14] Eli Tokash: I feel like Andy Carl playing the wolf is kind of like something I didn't know that I needed.

[3:18] Eli Tokash: And so yeah, just very excited about that.

[3:21] Eli Tokash: And definitely will be seeing the show again with this new cast.

[3:24] Eli Tokash: I'm so excited for it.

[3:25] Eli Tokash: So congratulations to everyone who was announced that they will be going into Into the Woods because I mean, this show is just literally the hottest show on Broadway right now, and uh it's just uh amazing show to be a part of.

[3:37] Eli Tokash: Moving on, I usually like to start out with this, but uh, I kind of already announced that the Into the Woods cast was announced, so I wanted to get to that.

[3:46] Eli Tokash: Before I go any further, I do want to say congratulations and happy trails to everyone involved in Tina, the Tina Turner musical, which I mentioned last week.

[3:55] Eli Tokash: But there's also another show that closed just this past Sunday on August 14th, and that's the cast and company of POTUS.

[4:02] Eli Tokash: So congratulations to everyone involved in both of those productions.

[4:06] Eli Tokash: Everyone knows I loved POTUS, so I can't believe I I didn't mention them last week.

[4:11] Eli Tokash: I had a whole episode about them and was at their opening night red carpet event and put that as a podcast.

[4:17] Eli Tokash: I don't know how I I didn't realize that last week, but uh I just wanted to make sure that I said it this week because I loved that show and I thought it could be kind of like an Into the Woods.

[4:28] Eli Tokash: Like I think it could be successful without those stars.

[4:32] Eli Tokash: Because obviously I know they couldn't keep all of their stars, so they didn't want to continue it, I guess.

[4:37] Eli Tokash: I don't know.

[4:38] Eli Tokash: Anyways, very upset about it because I love the show and thought it was hilarious, so um wanted to mention that.

[4:44] Eli Tokash: Anyways, moving on.

[4:45] Eli Tokash: There was also a major cast announcement coming from the show 1776, which is something that we haven't really talked about, but it's something that is going to be very exciting because you know, we haven't talked about it because there hasn't been much to talk about.

[4:59] Eli Tokash: So now they have their cast, and I just want to congratulate some Take A Bow family members.

[5:04] Eli Tokash: Um, well, one's a family member, one's like an honorary family member.

[5:08] Eli Tokash: Uh, congratulations to Caroline Carmello, who is going to be playing the role of John Dickinson in 1776, and of course, Joanna Glushak, who played the role of Madame de Maurier in the Finding Neverland tour, which is obviously the role that Carolee Carmelo played on Broadway.

[5:23] Eli Tokash: So, congratulations to Joanna Glushak, who will be playing the role of Stephen Hopkins in 1776.

[5:30] Eli Tokash: And congratulations to literally everyone who is involved in this company because I know it's gonna be an amazing show.

[5:36] Eli Tokash: I love what they're doing with the all-female and non-binary cast.

[5:40] Eli Tokash: But it's so wonderful to see this type of representation and for them to be playing like male roles.

[5:45] Eli Tokash: It's kind of cool.

[5:46] Eli Tokash: It's kind of like a spin.

[5:47] Eli Tokash: And uh because, you know, theater back in the day, the men were playing the women.

[5:51] Eli Tokash: So I it's funny how things, you know, come back around.

[5:55] Eli Tokash: History kind of repeats itself in a way.

[5:57] Eli Tokash: But I'm very excited for this, and I know that this production is going to be something very special and something that we'll want to really keep an eye out on and go see.

[6:05] Eli Tokash: So that's coming to Broadway September 16th, which is pretty much a month away.

[6:09] Eli Tokash: So get your tickets now.

[6:11] Eli Tokash: It's going to be at the American Airlines Theater.

[6:13] Eli Tokash: Very exciting stuff.

[6:14] Eli Tokash: September 16th through January 8th.

[6:16] Eli Tokash: It is a limited run, but it's gonna be amazing and definitely worth checking out.

[6:21] Eli Tokash: I also wanted to congratulate another Take A Bow family member, Luke Islam, who you can currently see in Netflix's 13 the musical.

[6:30] Eli Tokash: Very excited.

[6:31] Eli Tokash: I have not seen it yet, unfortunately.

[6:33] Eli Tokash: I know it came out Friday, so I've had almost a week to see it, but I haven't gotten to it yet, and I'm so excited to see it because he is such a talent, and I also love 13, and I love the movie musicals, I like to see the representation and all that thing.

[6:45] Eli Tokash: So you know how I feel about that.

[6:47] Eli Tokash: But very exciting stuff.

[6:48] Eli Tokash: Go check out 13 the musical on Netflix and uh be sure to give Luke Islam some love because he deserves it, you know.

[6:56] Eli Tokash: Anyways, so that's all the Broadway news I have for you folks this week.

[6:59] Eli Tokash: There hasn't been a bunch of breaking news that Into the Woods cast was really major.

[7:04] Eli Tokash: But otherwise, there hasn't been too much.

[7:06] Eli Tokash: But I will say, although there hasn't been a ton of breaking news, there's been a lot of rumors going on in the Broadway industry this week.

[7:15] Eli Tokash: And I I want to share them with you folks, but I I don't know how credible they are.

[7:20] Eli Tokash: And I don't want to like I don't want to ruin it, but some of these are too good.

[7:25] Eli Tokash: What I will say is that Jonathan Groff could be coming back to Broadway sooner than we all think.

[7:33] Eli Tokash: He could be on his way back to Broadway very soon in the near future, which I'm so excited for because I'm a big Jonathan Groff fan.

[7:41] Eli Tokash: And it's gonna be in a show that we all know and love, and it's going to be with a couple other major stars.

[7:48] Eli Tokash: So I am very excited about that.

[7:51] Eli Tokash: And I will say, because we had a Strange Loop episode last week, um, so it's kind of relevant.

[7:58] Eli Tokash: I've been hearing a lot of rumors that it's going to be closing very soon because their box office numbers aren't doing well.

[8:05] Eli Tokash: And now that isn't really a rumor.

[8:07] Eli Tokash: You can kind of look at the so Broadway posts their gross, um, their grosses each week to Broadway World, and like it's just public knowledge.

[8:17] Eli Tokash: So you can actually go track and see how well shows are doing, and usually the shows that aren't doing well in ticket sales are the ones that close.

[8:26] Eli Tokash: So it's not a long shot in saying that, and a lot of people could know that by looking at their grosses, but I I will say that it's kind of mind-boggling for a show that won the best musical this year to not be you know doing well for at the box office because usually the Tony Awards really shoots the box office sales and kind of makes everyone want to go see it.

[8:50] Eli Tokash: But uh, it seems like that hasn't been the case for A Strange Loop, and unfortunately, that's really sad to see, especially after talking to L. Morgan Lee last week um on the podcast, which was a wonderful conversation that we had.

[9:01] Eli Tokash: So I just wanted to share that with you.

[9:04] Eli Tokash: There's a lot more that uh is being said, but I don't know.

[9:08] Eli Tokash: I don't know how true any of it is.

[9:10] Eli Tokash: So I don't want to talk about it.

[9:11] Eli Tokash: But I will say that I will keep you all posted the second I hear that like it's actually true, or that it's already broken.

[9:19] Eli Tokash: Because I don't know.

[9:20] Eli Tokash: I don't I don't want to step on anybody's toes.

[9:23] Eli Tokash: Anyways, moving on, because there wasn't a lot of breaking news on Broadway, we're gonna talk about some drama dictionary.

[9:29] Eli Tokash: We're gonna bring back the segment.

[9:30] Eli Tokash: Yeah, we're not gonna do it every week because unfortunately, we're running out of words, people, but I will bring it back like once a month or on the off weeks that you know there hasn't just been a lot of breaking news on Broadway.

[9:41] Eli Tokash: So for this week's drama dictionary word of the week, we will be talking about drumming.

[9:48] Eli Tokash: I like I don't know, I love the drum roll.

[9:50] Eli Tokash: We're talking about button, okay.

[9:53] Eli Tokash: And this is not a button on the shirt because frankly, for those of you who don't know, on Broadway, there are no buttons on a shirt.

[9:59] Eli Tokash: Yes, you can see it on the outside, so it looks like on stage it is a button, but actually, those are fake buttons and they don't button to anything.

[10:08] Eli Tokash: Um, they're kind of just there for decoration.

[10:10] Eli Tokash: All of the shirts and everything on Broadway are Velcro, and that includes zippers.

[10:15] Eli Tokash: Zippers are usually Velcro too, and that's because of the quick changes and everything.

[10:19] Eli Tokash: So we're not talking about buttons.

[10:21] Eli Tokash: Buttons are not a thing in the industry.

[10:23] Eli Tokash: We're not talking about clothes buttons, we're talking about a button, which is the final part of a song or a scene where you know you have this big buildup and all these things are going on, and then all of a sudden it's like a boom, and that's like the final note, or like whatever.

[10:39] Eli Tokash: So, like in Hadestown, because I saw Hadestown this week, y'all, I loved Hadestown, but I already gave you all a review, so I don't need to review it again.

[10:46] Eli Tokash: I did see T. Oliver Reid as Hermes and I loved it.

[10:49] Eli Tokash: Anyways, I'm being a Broadway geek now.

[10:50] Eli Tokash: So in Hadestown, it's like the that's the button.

[11:00] Eli Tokash: That final dun dun dun.

[11:02] Eli Tokash: There's like a little build-up, and then bang like the final thing.

[11:06] Eli Tokash: So that's what the button is.

[11:08] Eli Tokash: It's usually ends with like a little spotlight on one person or two people or the cast, you know, all the things.

[11:14] Eli Tokash: And that's usually the time to like applaud.

[11:17] Eli Tokash: The button's the time to applaud.

[11:19] Eli Tokash: For those of you who don't know, but that's what a button is.

[11:21] Eli Tokash: A close button is not a thing in the industry.

[11:24] Eli Tokash: You know, I I don't know why, but uh no, I do know why.

[11:27] Eli Tokash: It's because of the quick changes, but um button.

[11:31] Eli Tokash: No.

[11:32] Eli Tokash: Anyways, buttons are not a thing.

[11:34] Eli Tokash: That's really what a button is when we talk about a button in Broadway in the Broadway industry.

[11:39] Eli Tokash: So that's all I have for you folks this week.

[11:42] Eli Tokash: I know this was all over the place and long-winded, but I had a blast doing this.

[11:46] Eli Tokash: So without further ado, I'm just gonna turn it over to Kennedy Kanagawa.

[11:50] Eli Tokash: Kennedy Kanagawa, curtain up.

[11:57] Eli Tokash: Okay, folks, this week we have yet another special guest making their Broadway debut in arguably the most popular show on Broadway right now.

[12:06] Eli Tokash: Currently playing Milky White in Into the Woods.

[12:09] Eli Tokash: Everyone, welcome to Take A Bow, Kennedy Kanagawa.

[12:11] Kennedy Kanagawa: Hello, thanks for having me.

[12:15] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh my goodness, I'm so excited.

[12:17] Kennedy Kanagawa: I just told you this, but everyone knows that I kind of saw Into the Woods a couple weeks ago now.

[12:22] Kennedy Kanagawa: I think it was like two weeks ago, and absolutely loved the show, loved your performance, and especially like I feel like as a performer, I really watched you because your performance was something that no one else on the stage was doing.

[12:38] Kennedy Kanagawa: Because you were doing, you were performing, you were being a puppeteer kind of.

[12:41] Kennedy Kanagawa: You're doing all the things.

[12:43] Kennedy Kanagawa: Um, so I was like blown away with your performance.

[12:45] Kennedy Kanagawa: I gave you a special shout out when I gave my little review and everything.

[12:48] Eli Tokash: So I'm so excited that you're here with me today.

[12:50] Kennedy Kanagawa: Nice of you to say thank you.

[12:52] Eli Tokash: Oh my goodness.

[12:52] Eli Tokash: No, literally, like your performance is like as a performer, it's in like it, I guess as a performer in the audience, uh, you recognize things that regular audience members may not necessarily notice.

[13:06] Eli Tokash: Um, kind of like the work that goes into it.

[13:08] Eli Tokash: So we'll get into all of that.

[13:09] Eli Tokash: But the way I usually like to start my my episodes is asking your, you know, everyone who comes on here, what inspired you to want to tell stories and want to get into theater and uh musical theater.

[13:23] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, that's a great question.

[13:25] Kennedy Kanagawa: Um I think musical theater was kind of always there for me.

[13:32] Kennedy Kanagawa: My parents were big fans of it, and you know, I did uh my third grade musical and had an absolute blast.

[13:43] Kennedy Kanagawa: And there's something about the medium of live performance and storytelling that I think resonates with audiences in a really special and unique way.

[13:57] Kennedy Kanagawa: And so the way convey messages and tell stories and affect change is I think really special with uh theater.

[14:06] Eli Tokash: For sure.

[14:07] Eli Tokash: So you started at a young age of third grade, is that right?

[14:11] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah, yeah, I was in um how the armadillo came to be.

[14:17] Kennedy Kanagawa: You know, casual.

[14:19] Eli Tokash: I love that.

[14:19] Eli Tokash: The casual stage debut playing armadillo number four.

[14:23] Kennedy Kanagawa: Um that's so awesome.

[14:27] Eli Tokash: Um, but I want to ask you because I saw on your resume, I mean, you're you are a making your Broadway debut, but you're you're a veteran of the industry.

[14:35] Kennedy Kanagawa: You've been in several shows around New York and regional places. It's incredible. Um, but I noticed that this actually isn't your first stint with the show Into the Woods.

[14:48] Eli Tokash: You played Jack in another production, right?

[14:51] Kennedy Kanagawa: I did, yeah. Um, I think that was 2017. Um, I was in the, so the National Asian Artists Project or NAP, uh, that Bayorg Lee, um, founded with Stephen Ang. Uh, they did a concert version of Into the Woods with an all-Asian cast. So that was so much fun. And I played Jack in it, and Harada played the witch. So yeah, so it was fun. Uh, we had worked together. She was actually played my mom in my very first professional gig, but it was fun reuniting with her on that project, and then again, uh, at Encores.

[15:31] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, that's amazing. And then she's coming back to Broadway with you guys. That's amazing.

[15:39] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh my god. So wait, do you understudy Jack right now?

[15:43] Kennedy Kanagawa: I don't know. We have an amazing, uh, fleet of nine incredible understudies, but there aren't any internal, uh, covers in the...

[15:44] Eli Tokash: Got it. Okay, makes sense, but thought I'd ask because I was like, oh my god, you would be perfect for it when I saw it on your resume. I was like, duh, he played Jack. Of course he played Jack. Um, well, I'm curious because like, I don't know. I, you know, I was on Broadway when I was like 13 and now I'm 19. So I have always dreamed about, you know, kind of revisiting shows now that I'm older and kind of understand a little bit more. Um, so I'm curious. Like, I know it was just like four or five years ago, um, that you visited Into the Woods, but like what is it about this production that has really resonated with you that you haven't that you didn't necessarily, um, have that resonance when when you did it the first time in 2017?

[16:38] Kennedy Kanagawa: Uh, well, so Into the Woods is like, I'm not even making this up, my favorite music of like all time. So I'm like such a nerd about it. I've just been geeking out over this show like my whole life. So being able to make that my Broadway debut has been so incredibly special. Yeah. Um, there's something so magical about this production in particular, and I think it has a lot to do with the people that were assembled to make this, like stars. All stars, everyone is so mind-blowingly talented, and they're people that you know I've looked up to my entire life, and getting to work with them, like I keep telling everyone what's even more because you expect them to be talented. Yeah, obviously they're incredibly talented, but you don't know if they're gonna be nice or not. And everyone is so nice. Oh, it's the most special thing to get to be a part of an experience.

[17:44] Eli Tokash: Yeah, that's incredible. I was thinking about that. I was like, this is like a dream Broadway debut for someone, you know, like with this show, a Sondheim show, you know, Into the Woods, everybody knows what Into the Woods is. This cast is just ridiculous. And then the people that they're bringing in to replace this cast, like it's just incredible. And it keeps extending, and then you had the City Center, like it's just such a wonderful little journey that you all have shared and have gone on through this whole process.

[18:14] Kennedy Kanagawa: I yeah, completely agree. It's so special, and I'm waking up every morning pinching myself because it feels so surreal.

[18:24] Eli Tokash: Well, talk to me because when you auditioned for the City Center version of the show, did you like, was there ever, I guess, foresight of like, or tease of like, oh, this could go to Broadway? Or was it always just like, you know, you were auditioning for that production?

[18:42] Kennedy Kanagawa: So, uh, funny story, um, is also kind of part of why this whole thing is so surreal. Is that I didn't audition. What I, um, so the puppet designer James Ortiz is a good friend who I had collaborated with in the past on some developmental works. Uh, and while he was, you know, Lear de Bessinet was asking for his recommendations on someone to puppeteer for Milky White, and you know, she had, you know, the stipulations, uh, you know, they really wanted to make sure that it wasn't just a puppeteer, it was someone that could sing and do all those things, and so he literally messaged me on Instagram and what do you, this was in I think March, and he was like, Hey, are you, uh, free in May? And I was like, uh, I think so, yeah.

And he was like, Oh, I think I'm gonna recommend you for this, uh, thing, and I was like, Okay, and then he told me what it was, and I was like, Wow, that would be awesome. I didn't think anything of it, and then my word, like I think a couple weeks later, my agent just received the offer. So it was such a bizarre turn of events. Um, so yeah, grateful to him for life.

[20:12] Eli Tokash: Yes, that's amazing. What a story. So then, of course, when you got to City Center, you know, you're doing this stage reading, and you guys were only supposed to do it for a short amount of time, and then it extended at City Center, right? And then it was like, we're going to Broadway.

[20:31] Kennedy Kanagawa: So, uh, City Center was only ever going to be the two weeks.

[20:36] Eli Tokash: Got it.

[20:37] Kennedy Kanagawa: Um, because that's just the nature of Encores, they like mount something like fast and furious reading, except, you know, Encores is kind of morphed into this like, but is it a reading? Because you can hold book, but no one holds book, and um so but so that it was 10 performances over two weeks, and Monday was our dark day in between weeks, and so um that was the day that we found out that we were transferring, and I was, my agent just forwarded me the email from the producers, and I was home and I was so confused, I didn't understand what it was. My brain flatlined.

[21:26] Eli Tokash: Right.

[21:26] Kennedy Kanagawa: I was like, I was like, Dude Jampson. Why do I know that? What is, and I, I and then I like kept reading it and I was like, oh St. James. Oh, like, like, oh, there's a Broadway theater called the St. James. And I still wasn't connecting the dots. And then I like I think I Googled, I'm like, am I gaslighting myself? Like, right. What is, what is, is this mean? Because it's not, it's not like come to Broadway. It's all the like technicalities and so exactly.

[21:59] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[21:59] Kennedy Kanagawa: So once I realized what the email was, I ran into the other room where my boyfriend was, and I was like shaking and shouting, and he started like shouting, and he's hugging me, and we were jumping up and down, and then because I am neurotic, I like was so overwhelmed that I just like pushed him away and I started like dry heaving because I was so nervous. So he was like, up, up, you need do you want some water? Do you need, I don't know if I'm gonna throw up or I'm gonna cry or I'm gonna laugh. Oh, so that was a really special, uh, moment.

[22:40] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah, and here we are.

[22:42] Eli Tokash: Yeah, here we are. Now, well, I want to ask you two questions about two other special moments. You know, taking that first bow at New York City Center. I mean, that theater is just unbelievable. And then taking your first Broadway bow, which is like even like crazier.

[23:00] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah. Um, the, I mean, I mean when they're words, you know, like it's crazy. Maybe not. Like I think the bow once we got to the end of the show and bowed, I was in it. But when the curtain goes up at the beginning of the show and the audience is so responsive, and we're holding for the applause, and this beautiful job of giving us permission to just like look out at the audience and take in the, uh, the audience's response and really kind of connect that with them on a, uh, an intimate level is so special. And both the St. James and City Center are huge houses. So the curtain going up and seeing all of those people was so incredible and terrifying and fighting. Like all of the feelings, definitely.

[24:01] Eli Tokash: I'm actually really grateful that we were able to just kind of have that moment at the top of the show while they're applauding to kind of mentally recalibrate and be like, all right, this is happening, this is where we are. Take in this moment and let's let's get ready to do a show.

[24:20] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah, it's incredible. I mean, everything about it, it's just like the whole, it's awesome. Literally, it's like chills just thinking about it, you know.

[24:29] Eli Tokash: Anyways, I want to talk to you about, you know, Milky White and your rehearsal process with this, because like I mentioned, this is just, it's crazy. I mean, it's truly like what you do on a nightly basis is absolutely bonkers, because like you're a performer up there. Yes, because you're a performer up there, but you know, you really don't have a scene partner because the other performers, their scene partner is the prop. So you kind of just have to watch them interact with like someone that's not you, but like that's a character you're playing. So, like, what is that like? Did that take some time to get used to?

[25:07] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, totally. It was so, there's so many interesting and complicated layers to that dynamic that I needed to adjust to because you know, James Ortiz was instrumental in kind of figuring out what how this puppet was going to operate on stage. Right. So he was really, he and Lear didn't want, and like one of those like all black ninja incognito, but I'm clearly still here situations. They wanted to be like, nope, it's a puppet with a puppeteer, and we're gonna acknowledge that. And there's, and I think that extends to a lot of the creative design of the show of like the orchestra's on stage, yeah. And it's just we're gonna acknowledge that this is a play, and we're putting it on and like let it speak for itself.

But in order to make sure that the audiences and the other actors on stage maintain focus on the cow and not the person operating the cow, I was instructed to maintain my gaze on the puppet the entire time. So that if people are looking at me, I kind of, my lack of eye contact is going to help direct them to where they should be looking.

[26:30] Eli Tokash: Right.

[26:31] Kennedy Kanagawa: Um, but that's actually really complicated because I am not able to look up on stage. So it took a while for me to get the hang of knowing where I'm supposed to be, uh, without looking, basically, or only using my peripheral vision.

[26:50] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[26:51] Kennedy Kanagawa: Um, but it was really fun figuring out. And the way that James, uh, like he brought me the puppet, he was like, all right, this is the puppet, this is the thing, and it's, you know, it's super simple. It's got a handle on the head and it's got a handle on the butt. You can wiggle it around, and there's a lever if you want to open the mouth. And those are the only mechanics to the puppet. So from there, it's like, how do we utilize these two super basic tools to create a movement vocabulary for the puppet to see what the puppet is able to do and then create, bring it to life from there?

[27:42] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[27:43] Kennedy Kanagawa: It yeah, it's fascinating how it works. And watching you up there is fascinating. Like, did that take a lot of time to really like, you know, really understand the mechanics to like see how it walks and see how it lays down, plays dead, all the things?

[27:58] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah, um, well, I feel like a lot of time is relative because we had like 10 days of rehearsal before we opened it on Encores, but um basically every spare moment we had was Lear gave us great permission to kind of just go off on our own in another studio or in the corner of the room and be like, okay, what are we doing? What does this moment look like? And also a lot of it was just kind of like doing something and see if it makes sense. And it was really funny the way that Lear and Lauren Lataro, the choreographer, would be like, all right, everyone on stage, uh, in the opening, uh, during this lyric, everyone's gonna go step step chasse three-point turn. And no acknowledgement to the fact that there is a four-legged cow doing that.

So, like, and James would be like sitting at the table, and I'd like kind of like make eye contact with him, and we'd both be like, We'll figure it out. So then we'd run it and I would just do something, and then we'd like look at each other, and he'd either like give me a thumbs up, or on our break, he'd come over and be like, Okay, so maybe like with the chassis, if we like do this with the legs or swing them out more, and then we'd go from there.

[29:10] Kennedy Kanagawa: So it was a lot of trial and error to figure out what made sense.

[29:14] Eli Tokash: Yeah, that's so fascinating.

[29:16] Kennedy Kanagawa: Just because like, you know, you have this cast, like you're sure not used to you having a play animal on the stage and someone literally like puppet puppet puppeteering it. I don't know. I don't know what the word is, but yeah, it's crazy the way that like the whole I feel like everything kind of changes once you add that to the mix because like you know, you hold a prop, you hold a shoe like it is in the show, like even that throws things off, and there's just like you can only do certain things, but you have a whole freaking animal that you are directing, and it's literally like it's fascinating. I love just watching you in the show, just trying to like just like figuring it out and just navigating it. It's so cool.

[30:00] Eli Tokash: Thank you literally.

[30:02] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah, go ahead.

[30:03] Eli Tokash: Well, I was just gonna say, in terms of like figuring out the cow, I'm thinking about her udder, which is you know, attached by a couple of different strings so that it's super pendulous, we might say. Um, which is makes sense for the cow in terms of like the state of a cow on literally on the verge of death. But then when we were figuring out moments when she should sit or lie down, how the udder gets in the way. So we had to kind of craft this motion of okay, as she's lying down, you gotta kind of swing the udder so that it like goes to the right or the left, and then she can lay down flat on it, and so her like butt isn't in the air and the teats aren't like a dry, like keeping her upright.

[30:50] Kennedy Kanagawa: Right. Oh my god, it's literally like a show within the show, like that your character is totally the show within the show. It's amazing. Um, anyways, we I guess we can move on a little bit because I don't know, I just find it fascinating. Um, I want to talk to you about the timing with Into the Woods, you know. Obviously, it's a Stephen Sondheim show, and you guys kind of brought this to City Center pretty like close after his death, like after his passing. So I wanna ask you, like, with such an uh legendary icon in the theater and everything, and doing a show like that and kind of honoring him in a way, because it's like the first show that's being done after his passing, um, what kind of honor is that for for the actors on the stage?

[31:40] Kennedy Kanagawa: I mean, I think that uh everyone in the company across the board would say that it is the highest honor. Yeah. He is such a legend within our industry, that I mean, I can't think of of a higher honor than getting to do this for him. And we actually uh on Sunday after our show, um, we're fortunate enough to have a little champagne toast with James Lepine, who gave a really beautiful heartfelt speech about the production, and um, you know, so he and Sondheim was a part of the planning for this show at Encores before he passed last year, and was a part of you know, the the beginning of casting and stuff. So James Lepine said that in a lot of ways he feels like Steven was able to experience this show and that he knows that it is as being as well received as it has been, right?

[32:53] Eli Tokash: Um so that was really special to hear.

[32:56] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah, truly, and I feel like he's said like many times that like Into the Woods is like his favorite, you know. And so, like to know that like that's the one that's that's on right now on Broadway of his is like it's so special, like truly. Um so it's so cool that you guys are are doing it justice, you know. Like y'all are doing it eight shows a week, y'all are putting in the work and doing it so beautifully, you know.

[33:22] Kennedy Kanagawa: Truly, um, I want to talk to you because obviously none of this would be possible without the fans of the show. Um, I mean, obviously with City Center like it getting so huge there and the fans just responding so well to it. You have some hardcore fans. Um the stage doors are crazy every night. Uh yeah, like literally. So talk to me uh about the fans of the show and kind of being a part of a show with such a I don't mean uh for lack of a better term, cult following, you know, like it's crazy.

[33:55] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah, I mean, the fans are absolutely incredible. And it's funny because I kind of feel like I am a fan too. I just happen to also be in the show. Sure. But I think that um, you know, this show is has hits on so many different levels for people. You know, the the filmed PBS uh original production was one of the first, you know, really uh widely accessible Broadway musicals for people that weren't perhaps able to see go to New York and see the original production. Um, and then with the Disney movie coming out and and I I and also, you know, it's their stories, it's based on fairy tales. And I think there's a reason why those have been around for so long and still resonate with people universally.

It's because these messages that they convey still um they still resonate with people, and but the fans have been oh my gosh, so freaking great. We've got like I I I I've received so many cool like uh gifts and homemade things, and there's art people are making um and it's it just feels like uh so much support and community there. Um the success of the show is completely thanks to the people that are coming out to support it and coming to the stage door and stuff, even though the stage tour is so chaotic and it's absolute absolutely terrifying. Because I I like don't like crowds. I get really anxious, right? And especially like at a time where like yes, COVID is like kind of dying down a little bit, but like it's still a thing, and like if you attract it, like you know, you're you're out for the show for a couple of shows, you know.

Like that, it's you don't want to do that because you love to perform, so like it's crazy, but um, it's so cool that you know they just kind of want to cheer you on and they're okay with you all not signing and all the things. It's so fun.

[36:18] Eli Tokash: Yeah, we're so so grateful to them.

[36:21] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah, I I want to take it a step further and ask you about uh a fan in particular, um, because you mentioned the support and the artwork and everything. There's this fan, her name is Ashley Hufford or Hoofers. Yes, um, oh my god, and she literally you have met, oh my god, because I wanted to ask. So for those of you who don't know, um this fan has a crazy incredible Milky White tattoo on her arm. Um so, so in a way, you are a tattoo on someone's body, which is crazy. Um, but like, what was your reaction to that? Like, how crazy was that?

[36:57] Kennedy Kanagawa: I mean, it was so cool. One of our um our company managers, Rachel, uh, while we were, I think we were still in rehearsal for the transfer. Um because Ashley had also seen it at Encore's initially. Right. A TikTok of the process of her getting that tattoo, and I was like, my mind was blown. I was like, what? Oh my god, so cool. Um, so uh I like did a little like TikTok duet with Milky like watching TikTok um and approving of the tattoo. Um yeah, like we followed each other on TikTok and then um maybe on Instagram too. I forget, but anyway, she uh let me know when she was coming back to see the show, and so I was like, oh my gosh, I have to meet you in person. So we we got um and it's it's always like I said, it's always chaotic at the stage door, so it's hard to like get one-on-one time with people.

We like met a little ways away, and I didn't get um a ton of time with her, but we got to say hi, and I she said that she's coming back, so I told her to let me know when that is. Uh but she's so sweet and makes great videos on TikTok. I highly recommend following her.

[38:15] Eli Tokash: Yes, oh my god, it's so funny because that's how I also came across that that tattoo in her. Um, it was just incredible. I mean, it was like nothing I'd ever seen. I love that, like, you know, fans love something so much that they're like willing to just make it permanent on their body. It's incredible.

[38:34] Kennedy Kanagawa: Totally. Yeah, go ahead.

[38:35] Eli Tokash: I was gonna say, I I've I've like toyed with the idea of man, this is such a special experience for me. Should I like get a tattoo to like commemorate the show somehow? I don't know. I'm terrified.

[38:44] Kennedy Kanagawa: Ashley are getting matching tattoos.

[38:47] Eli Tokash: Yes. Oh my god, that would be iconic.

[38:51] Kennedy Kanagawa: Um, well, I have to talk to you because it was just recently announced that you know, you all are extending, which is so exciting. Congratulations on that, first of all.

[39:00] Kennedy Kanagawa: Thank you.

[39:01] Eli Tokash: Yes, of course. And then it also came out that there's going to be like some new cast members coming in, and then some of you, of course, are staying. Um, but uh um again, incredible stars. You have Stephanie J. Block and Andy Carl and Cristo Rodriguez, all these fantastic people coming into the show. Like, how excited are you?

[39:21] Kennedy Kanagawa: I mean, it's so always sad to to see cast members go, but how excited are you to to be able to play with some new stars?

[39:28] Kennedy Kanagawa: Literally. I'm thrilled. I mean, I'm I'm I will be so so sad when people who are leaving uh go because I love them all so much. But you know, there it's a wonderful silver lining that these all-stars, like just more all-stars coming into the fold, and I can't wait for them to get here. And I think that they actually some of them are starting rehearsals this week. Um I'm so excited to meet all of them and bring them in because I really feel like our company has such a special energy, and I really can't wait to bring them into that and yeah, just share in this crazy cool experience with them.

[40:16] Eli Tokash: Totally. And it it's cool the way that the show is crafted that it it could be a really big cast, but it's really not. Like your cast is pretty intimate, and everyone has their moment to shine and everything, so you can tell, like just as an audience who like watching the show, how close you guys are and how much that you've been able to kind of play with each other and really understand the story that you're telling and the characters that you're playing and the relationships that each character has with the other character. It's really beautiful what you guys are putting out there every night.

[40:45] Kennedy Kanagawa: Seriously. Thank you.

[40:47] Eli Tokash: It I mean, it feels it feels like a such a such a tight-knit family. And it's so funny because like you know, Sarah Borrellis is a queen. But working with her, she's so humble and down to earth, and is just like another member of the cast. And like have these moments where like I forget, I'm like, oh wait, wait, wait. You're Sarah Borrellis. Like you're someone that I've been obsessed with for years.

[41:21] Kennedy Kanagawa: Right. Yeah, so it's just really special.

[41:25] Eli Tokash: No, that's so real though, because I was I was a Sarah Brellis fan when she like was doing her music thing and everything, but when Waitress came to Broadway, like that's like m arguably my favorite Broadway show, and I'm obsessed with her. So her being the Baker's wife was literally like they're bringing in stars, yes, but they're not stunt casting, you know. Like Into the Woods is not stunt casting, they are picking people that really does the story justice, who can really perform, really like tell the story, and and it's beautiful. Like, it's not like they're just bringing in names to just be a name on stage, you know. It's so it's they did unbelievable work with the casting, and that literally goes through the entire cast. So kudos to the casting director because they did some incredible work. They deserve a raise. Um, we all did.

[42:12] Kennedy Kanagawa: Um, but talk to me. So you also have done a couple other things here in New York. You've done a few off Broadway shows. You did A Christmas Carol and Lolita My Love, right?

[42:23] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yes. It is. Yes. Talk to me about those experiences. And I mean, in a way, like the Off Broadway is so similar to Broadway, yet so vastly different. So talk to me about your experience performing in those shows.

[42:39] Kennedy Kanagawa: So actually, my my very first um professional job that I did with Anne Horata was um Falsettoland off Broadway at the Vineyard Theater.

[42:50] Eli Tokash: Oh, oh my god.

[42:51] Kennedy Kanagawa: And I was 13.

[42:53] Eli Tokash: Stopped.

[42:54] Kennedy Kanagawa: I played Jason and it was um an all Asian cast. Uh and it was so and that production was so it has such a uh uh big place in my heart because I, you know, I had only moved to this country like two years-ish before prior.

[43:20] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh wow. And so this was my first real introduction to like professional theater in the country, let alone New York City, and the relationships that I built with these wonderful, generous performers is actually something that I am so thankful has persisted.

[43:44] Kennedy Kanagawa: And the director, Alan Muraoka, is someone that I am still close to. Actually, so the uh Jason Ma, who was the lead of that show, um is now also a prolific playwright, and so I just did uh I was just in a show that he wrote um uh called Gold Mountain at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. Yes, and so he had written it and I was in it, and Alan was the director of it. So that was such a fun reunion, and then coming uh into the woods, like I said, and reuniting with Anne was so special. And then Jason started collaborating with Christine Toy Johnson, who was also in our production and is now, you know, she wasn't isn't doing come from away. And two of them are collaborating on a new piece that I did a reading of in May.

So it's like we're all still part of each other's lives, and it was such a great way of seeing that uh AAPI performers have a place in this industry in a in a in a way that especially when I was 13 was not the case, and still that's a long way ago, but that's another story, and also just a gay love story as someone you know, I was like about to come out myself and like wrestling with like sexuality and identity and seeing not only this beautiful love story between these gay characters and but also the people in the cast, like having like a gay director and gay actors and seeing how like normal and wonderful they are, and seeing oh, it that's that's okay to be in this world. So I owe a lot to uh those people in that production, I think.

[45:38] Eli Tokash: Oh that's so beautiful. What? That's yeah, I I can't imagine like no, it's really like that's so cute. Um and and it how wonderful it must be for you to to be here on Broadway with with all these other fantastic people like Anna Hirata and Christine Toy Johnson and all of them. Um but like what does it mean to you to be a performer for younger AAPI audience members?

[46:05] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh my gosh, it's if I think about it too much, I'll start crying, but it's already no no no, it's great, it's a great question, and it's okay. Like, I am so so grateful for the opportunity that I've been afforded with this production and the representation across the board. The the representation and diversity and inclusion that this company uh has so powerful, and and in terms of the AAPI community and representation, you know, uh I'm in the show, Brooke Ishibashi uh is in the show, and Harada has was a part of it and is coming back. Play Doceto is is uh who is a uh Asian American is uh uh a stage manager, Sierra Liburnette is uh a choreographer, and um uh Delphi Boric, who's also half Japanese, uh, is one of our like iconic wonder studies uh uh understudies slash wonder studies.

Yes, who went on for Little Red, and um, you know, she was the first little red Asian American woman to play Little Red on Broadway, and like the whole day I was just like sobbing in the wings. But it's really special, and people have come up to me or and messaged me saying, like, thank you so much for the representation. I see myself in you and the other uh Asian American actors on stage and and being able to be uh be a part of that representation is I'm so grateful for and just means the world to me.

[47:42] Eli Tokash: Yeah if you could if you could be in a show on Broadway and and take the representation it like a step further do you have like a a show in mind that you would like that's like a dream role for you to to be there because I wish I saw someone at that at a like a young age wanting to do theater.

[48:02] Kennedy Kanagawa: That's an that's a great question. I probably do but I also I think that growing up and seeing shows uh and like established you know golden age shows and stuff I feel like sure it always fell into one of two veins it was either like the Asian show like the king and I are missing on that is you know felt like pigeonholy and problematic for lots of different reasons and interesting and also being uh biracial was an added component to it and it's was always this weird uh basically like a a table of of white people uh like judging how Asian they feel like I am or am not which is so invalidating but and then there are the shows that like I never felt that I could be a part of, like for you know, because it was all white people um and so I think that so with some shows like Into the woods, where it's doesn't matter what race you are, uh it's so powerful to you know have a diverse cast, but also like I'm so excited for new works, like a strange loop in like the stories that are being told with like uh like intentional representation. Um I just across the board, like so excited to tell those stories. So I think that like I I am most excited for something that has yet to be written.

[49:47] Eli Tokash: Totally. Oh my god, I love that answer. I also just love the fact of like the idea of of like originating a role on Broadway, you know, like how cool would that process be.

[49:57] Kennedy Kanagawa: That would be so cool, yeah.

[49:59] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. Well, this is this has been wonderful, and honestly, like if this season, this coming season, I guess. I guess we have to wait a whole year though. Um, if we don't see Into the Woods at the Tony Awards, I'm gonna lose my everything. Um for hopes of being PG. I'm gonna lose it all, and um I'm gonna be very upset because I know it's a limited run and everything, but this show is literally it's been like life-changing for a lot of people in such a short amount of time that you guys have been able to put this all together and the the learning about you the process of it and learning about you as a performer and as an actor. Um it's just been it's been so wonderful. And so I really appreciate you coming on today and telling us all these wonderful stories, seriously.

[50:49] Kennedy Kanagawa: Well, I'm so so uh grateful that you asked me. This has been an absolute blast.

[50:54] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. Well, this is this is seriously. I'm so excited for everyone to listen to this, and uh, I hope that you all enjoyed it. And for now, take about Kennedy Kanagawa.

[51:05] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yay!

[51:05] Eli Tokash: Yay! Oh my god. Take about Kennedy Kanagawa. Oh my goodness. Literally, I had such a joy talking to him about um all the things, really. Uh into the woods, of course, because I love learning about the journey of Into the Woods, because I'm now an Into the Woods fan. I will say, like I came on here and was like, oh my god, it's amazing, and but act two wasn't needed. Like, I don't know. I I still absolutely love the show and am a huge fan. And so to be able to talk about it this week with someone in the show and to talk about that incredible journey that we've all kind of kind of witnessed, you know, just it going from city center and then being this huge hit, now coming to Broadway and then extending, and now with the news of the new cast.

So I had to bring him on, and I'm so happy that he's gonna be staying in the show. He does some incredible work in the show, and I hope that like it kind of gave you a new appreciation to when you go see him in in this show, when you go see his performance because it is really special. And as a performer in the audience, like I already said it, but to watch him is fascinating, and it's something that uh is not easy and cannot be done by just anyone. So the fact that he's like an actual like performer and a traditional performer, and he he's kind of learned how to do this puppeteer work is really special and really cool. So huge congratulations to Kennedy on making your Broadway debut. Thank you for coming on here to talk to me about Into the Woods and about how important it is for the AAPI representation.

I know um we've had a lot of talk about that for the BIPOC community and the black performers community and everything, but we haven't really talked about that with the AAPI community lately. So it was wonderful to kind of revisit that conversation and talk about it a little bit more. So thank you so much for being so candid with me. I really had a wonderful time, and I hope that you all enjoyed this week's episode and were able to learn something, uh, or maybe even kind of put a bug in your ear for the next time that you see Into the Woods on Broadway, or for the first time that you see Into the Woods on Broadway. Um, and you kind of get to witness Kennedy's performance and how unbelievable it is and how special it is, and it cannot be done by by everyone.

It takes a very special performer. So huge shout out to Kennedy for coming on here today and doing what he does on a nightly basis. Um, in the beginning of the episode, I mentioned that Jonathan Groff is going to be possibly making his return to Broadway. Well, apparently those rumors are true. I was I recorded it before the announcement came out. I recorded it on Tuesday, and now I'm recording this on my phone after the news came out uh that Jonathan Groff is indeed, he's not coming back to Broadway. I thought Merrily We Roll Along is going to be coming to Broadway. It's actually off Broadway, and it was announced that Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez will be joining Daniel Radcliffe off Broadway in Merrily We Roll Along.

I'm so excited about that. It's supposedly coming in this fall later this year, but I do believe that it could be pushed back a little bit further, um, maybe into next year. But I am hearing that that is very much happening, and I'm could not be more excited about it. Everyone, that cast is gonna be star-studded with those three alone. Very exciting stuff. I also saw news that Take Me Out is coming back to Broadway for a limited run. Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jesse Williams will both be returning to the show. And that is poised to come back to Broadway this fall as well. So very exciting announcements coming out today for Broadway. They did come out yesterday on Wednesday, uh, when this releases on Thursday.

And I didn't get to talk about it. So I wanted to come out here on the outro. I usually don't do Broadway news on the outro, but I needed to address it and make sure to let you all know the exciting news. And that's it for this week's Broadway news for sure for this week's episode. That's all I have for you folks this week. So thank you so much for tuning in to this week's episode of Take A Bow. We have a lot of exciting things coming. Uh there are a lot of exciting things in the work, whether it's been with guests, whether it's been with content ideas, and and some maybe live content opportunities. So I'm very excited. Stay tuned for all of it. I will say that social media has been seeing it all first.

So if you're not following the Take A Bow podcast on Instagram or TikTok, you're missing out because we have some exciting content, especially on TikTok. Um, so you'll you'll definitely want to go check that out. And before I actually let you go, I wanna say uh huge congratulations and a huge shout out to Joe Serafini. He had a wonderful solo debut here in New York at the Green Room 42 where Take A Bow had its 100th episode live uh for the first time. It was so wonderful what he did this past weekend. Uh it was so wonderful to see him again. It was so cool to see all of these wonderful high school musical uh cast members like Julia Lester, Andrew Barth Feldman, and Frankie Rodriguez. Of course, uh Tim Fetterly was even there.

So it was so cool to see all of them and uh to see their bond and their support for one another. It was really special, and Joe just killed it. And we actually have some videos from Joe's cabaret and Joe's performance, who plays Seb in High School Musical, the Musical The Series. Um, for those of you who don't know, he's a part of the Take A Bow family. He was literally the second guest we had on Take A Bow. So he's a dear friend of mine, and I was so excited to go support him and uh get to get to watch him perform again and see his family and everything. So you should go check that out if you uh weren't able to see his performance or be able to live stream it or whatever. We have a good chunk of his performances on our TikTok. So yeah, go check that out. And uh without further ado, I'll leave you with that, and I hope to see you all next week. Bye everyone. Have a great week.

[57:09] Eli Tokash: For this episode's current call, I would like to recognize a few people who also deserve to take a vow. This podcast would not be possible without the help from Dory Barenstein, 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 T A B. 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 Cormic Collinon. Bye everyone. Hope to see you next week.