This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 142 of Take A Bow.

[0:04] Eli Tokash: I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and this week, as always, we have a very, very exciting guest and a very fun episode for you all. I'm very excited to share this one.

[0:12] Eli Tokash: We have some young energy on the podcast today. Very excited because we are the next couple episodes actually are gonna be some quite young energy on the show.

[0:25] Eli Tokash: I'm very excited to share it all with you because we've had a lot of um, you know, very not in a bad way, but like we've had some older folks on the podcast lately and for quite some time now, and we haven't had any of like the young blood uh on the show, and I'm very excited to say that the next few episodes are gonna be some young blood and some new energy and some talking about uh, you know, really getting into the industry and all the things like that and preparation and all that.

[0:58] Eli Tokash: We have a U Mish graduate alumni on the podcast today, who uh you all may know as Jack in Into the Woods. He's been with Into the Woods for the whole thing.

[1:12] Eli Tokash: I mean, since City Center. So he's been on the full journey with Into the Woods, you know, uh, through City Center to Broadway to now on tour.

[1:21] Eli Tokash: So the tour is opening this weekend in Buffalo, New York. Go check it out, and then hopefully it's coming to a city near you, and you'll you are able to check it out if you didn't get to see it on Broadway, or even if you did and you just want to see it again, because like why wouldn't you?

[1:36] Eli Tokash: I would do the same. So I I think I saw it on Broadway here like two or three times. So I loved Into the Woods, loved this guest's performance.

[1:46] Eli Tokash: So we talk about all the things, and I'm so excited to share all with you. Cole Thompson's on the podcast.

[1:51] Eli Tokash: If I didn't already mention his name, I'm a little bit rambling here, but uh he's on the podcast. Very exciting stuff, a lot of cool stories, but first, we gotta talk about some Broadway news, shall we?

[2:02] Eli Tokash: Lots to talk about. There's been a few casting announcements from shows, both plays and musicals.

[2:07] Eli Tokash: We have casting announcements from the room, uh, once upon a one more time, the Britney Spears musical, the Thanksgiving play. Not gonna spend too much time on those because, well, as of right now, they don't have any uh take about family members.

[2:19] Eli Tokash: So just wanted to shout out that those announcements did come out. And if you do want to check them out, go check out our Instagram because we have those uh announcements on our Instagram and very exciting stuff adding to uh already stellar cast and then some uh brand new announcements that we're very exciting about.

[2:38] Eli Tokash: All right, and then we also want to extend a congratulations to the Roundabout Theater Company as their production of The Wanderers by Anna Ziegler opened this past week, and that includes Katie Holmes, who actually fun fact, I was just like watching the news the other day, and I was like, oh my god, Katie Holmes, she's back on Broadway.

[2:58] Eli Tokash: Didn't even realize, I don't know how I missed it because I usually like stay up to date on this, but like she totally came and I met her backstage at Finding Neverland, and we had this whole conversation, and she brought her little daughter, and I was like, oh my god, like now she's gonna be on Broadway, and now I get to see her on a Broadway show.

[3:18] Eli Tokash: So I'm very excited. I want to go check out The Wanderers. Everyone should go check it out. It's now open, very exciting stuff.

[3:21] Eli Tokash: It's got a wonderful cast and uh a beautiful message. Uh, everyone that I've heard that has seen it has said it's absolutely beautiful. So very excited to check that out.

[3:35] Eli Tokash: I also uh wanna say that for any of you who are Strange Loop fans, Miss Jennifer Hudson herself uh came out with a little cover of one of the Strange Loop songs.

[3:50] Eli Tokash: Okay, backstory for those of you who don't know. Uh Jennifer Hudson was uh one of the producers on A Strange Loop, and she got her e-got with the show because it won Best Musical.

[4:03] Eli Tokash: So as a co-producer, she won her e-got, which is super exciting. So now she released like a cover of one of the songs called Boundaries, and if you haven't listened to this, I mean I hate to tell you just like stop listening to this right now because I want you to listen to this.

[4:23] Eli Tokash: You know what? As soon as this ends, make a note right now. Like make a timer, set a timer for the end of this episode and go listen to Boundaries. Y'all, uh, Jennifer Hudson is such a queen. Her voice is so good.

[4:37] Eli Tokash: It's something that everyone should hear because especially like in headphones, you like are literally in your own little world uh listening to her sing. I forgot how like much I adored her voice and her talent, but uh yeah, she she sounds great in this song Boundaries, totally like a reimagined version.

[4:54] Eli Tokash: It's pretty cool to to see that and and to see if like more shows are willing to do that. I know Finding Neverland tried to do something like that with like the famous people sing like reimagined versions of the songs and like Greatest Showman did that too.

[5:08] Eli Tokash: I don't know, those came off the top of my head, obviously, because I was involved in them, but uh I don't know. It was very cool to to see and and hopefully we get like more of that. Hopefully, if everyone listens, we will get more of that.

[5:20] Eli Tokash: And I think it's a great way to just like publicize Broadway and kind of reach markets that you wouldn't necessarily be reaching otherwise. So something interesting there.

[5:31] Eli Tokash: Hopefully, uh that I would like to see that become a trend, to be completely honest with you. I'd actually rather that than like stunt casting, you know, like to put in like to put a name in, put butts in seats, you know.

[5:42] Eli Tokash: Sometimes it doesn't work out, sometimes it works out beautifully. And I mentioned this to Cole actually in this conversation here uh with Into the Woods. And uh yeah, so anyways, very cool. Hopefully that we we see more of that.

[5:55] Eli Tokash: And then, you know, not too much else happened this week. I do want to mention that there was, I mean, it doesn't really affect us uh as audience members or anything like that.

[6:05] Eli Tokash: But uh for any of you like real like theater fans, you know, which I'm sure you are if you're listening to this, there was kind of a transaction that was made from a business side.

[6:15] Eli Tokash: I don't know, I'm intrigued with this stuff, so I wanted to mention it. Ambassador Theatre Group, which is a uh company that's kind of known quite well actually in over in London, uh and in the West End and all the things, they have combined forces with the Jujamson theaters.

[6:34] Eli Tokash: And for those of you who don't know, so like there's there's three, there's really two like major um companies that own all the Broadway theaters. You know, you have the Schuberts and the Niederlanders, um, but then you also have like I guess in the next tier would be like the Jujamson and there's a couple others, but like those are like the top three, I would say is like the Jujamson with the Schuberts and Niederlanders.

[7:00] Eli Tokash: And I say that it's the top three because the Jujamson theaters, even though they have like five or six theaters, they have such heavy hitters, you know. You know, they have uh Funny Girl, uh, they have Book of Mormon, Hades Town, Moulin Rouge, and oh, and and I want to mention this on an Into the Woods uh themed podcast episode.

[7:20] Eli Tokash: They own the St. James, which is where Into the Woods was. So yeah, they they own some good theaters, and uh Ambassador Theater Group is is joining their forces.

[7:31] Eli Tokash: So I don't know if that like what that means. Like, cause you know, you you associate these theaters with okay, this is a Shuba organization theater, you know, they have their own prices with the whole like drinks and all of that and how that works and merch and whatever it is.

[7:47] Eli Tokash: So I don't know what that means for like the Jujamson, because you know, when you go to a Jujamson theater, some they don't always have the show cups and they'll just have like a Jujamson cup.

[7:56] Eli Tokash: And I don't know what that means now with this partnership and what all of that affects. They did they haven't really announced that, but uh it's cool to see that they're joining forces.

[8:05] Eli Tokash: We'll see what that means. For those of you who don't know, too, um, on top of being like heavy hitters in the West End, Ambassador Theater Group, they also have on top of being like really well known in the West End and in the UK, they also have a couple theaters here in New York, which is the uh Lyric Theater, um, which is where Harry Potter is, and they also have the Hudson Theater, where like Plaza Suite played and Adults House is currently playing.

[8:31] Eli Tokash: So yeah, they have they they're well known. So now, you know, I guess they're one company, but like not they're just I don't know. I don't know how it all works, but it's gonna be interesting to to see if anything changes, I guess, is what I'm trying to say.

[8:45] Eli Tokash: Um, you know, whether it be like ticket prices, whether it be whatever, you know, like they set those things, and uh yeah, just something to to keep an eye out for and to, you know, not be surprised when you go to like one of these shows and you're like, wait, what's going on? If you if you see something like that.

[9:03] Eli Tokash: So yeah, that was a pretty big thing within the industry. Maybe you as fans or something like that, um, may not care, but I know some of you definitely do, so I wanted to mention it because it's yeah, it's a pretty big big deal.

[9:17] Eli Tokash: Um, it's not something we see every day. So um there you have it. That's this week's Broadway news section, I guess I could say.

[9:24] Eli Tokash: And uh with that being said, I think we should just throw it over to Cole.

[9:29] Eli Tokash: Yeah, let's just turn it over to Cole and then I'll talk more about him and our conversation after you listen to this interview.

[9:36] Eli Tokash: So without further ado, Cole Thompson curtain up.

[9:44] Eli Tokash: So this week we have a Grammy winning performer who made his New York City debut, his Broadway debut and touring debut all in the same show.

[9:54] Eli Tokash: It is the show that keeps on giving, and you can currently see our guests by going into the woods around the States, which is now on tour, which is crazy. Starting this weekend in Buffalo, New York, actually.

[10:05] Eli Tokash: So everyone, welcome to Take A Bow, Cole Thompson.

[10:09] Cole Thompson: Hi, Cole.

[10:10] Eli Tokash: Hello, thank you for having me.

[10:12] Cole Thompson: Oh my god, stop. This is so exciting.

[10:15] Eli Tokash: I uh I've come on here many times and said, you know, Into the Woods, it's a show that like has to grow on me, and it has grown on me every time I've seen it.

[10:26] Eli Tokash: But your performance is a performance that I've shouted out in particular on this podcast. Obsessed with it. Because you know, like Jack is such an iconic role.

[10:37] Eli Tokash: Giants in the Sky is such an iconic song. It's like every little kid's dream role, you know, type of thing.

[10:43] Cole Thompson: Yeah, and like here you are, like being able to like play that role on all these big stages with these incredibly talented people. It must be so freaking cool.

[10:54] Cole Thompson: It's been insane. Just I felt like I wouldn't even like get the chance to play this part after I like graduated college.

[11:02] Cole Thompson: I was like, uh, I feel like in the past, but this opportunity came up, and it's just been like you said, like the show that keeps on giving, like what was supposed to be like two weeks has turned into almost like a year and a half by the time we finished with this tour.

[11:17] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, so freaking crazy. Um, let's start at the beginning. Tell me how you know you got into this industry.

[11:25] Cole Thompson: Like, why did you like want to become a performer or like a storyteller?

[11:29] Cole Thompson: Yeah, well, I feel like from like when I was a little kid, from like a really young age, I was always singing.

[11:34] Cole Thompson: I feel like that was what I first fell in love with, and I don't think it was until like middle school, high school when I started doing like actual musical theater productions.

[11:44] Cole Thompson: It was my freshman year of high school. Uh, we did Meet Me in St. Louis. That was like my first like real musical, and it was so much fun.

[11:52] Cole Thompson: I feel like what really made me fall in love with it was just getting to see all the different elements, like you know, the set costumes, uh singing, like do you do it all separately in rehearsal, and then like when the show's about to like be put up, you see it all come together.

[12:06] Cole Thompson: And I don't know, I was just all amazed by that when I like my first show, and I was like, Oh, this is so cool, so much fun.

[12:14] Cole Thompson: And I think it was not until like my sophomore year of high school when I did Little Shop of Horrors, and I was like, Oh, I feel like this would be fun to do for the rest of my life.

[12:22] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, that is iconic.

[12:24] Cole Thompson: So it was totally singing, like was your first love.

[12:26] Eli Tokash: Yeah, that's awesome.

[12:28] Cole Thompson: It makes sense.

[12:29] Eli Tokash: Your voice is incredible.

[12:31] Cole Thompson: I could literally listen to you singing Giants in the Sky all day. It's so good.

[12:36] Eli Tokash: Yeah, no, seriously.

[12:38] Cole Thompson: And then so after I mean, you grew up in Michigan, but after high school and you learned that you just fell in love with theater and everything, you ended up getting into the musical theater program at UMish. So that had to be super exciting. Talk to me about that.

[12:52] Cole Thompson: That was very exciting. You know, I feel like when I was auditioning for colleges, which is still probably one of the most stressful things I've ever done in real life. It was insane. But I feel like honestly, Michigan wasn't even like one of my top choices, which is crazy because it's like I can't imagine going anywhere else. But it just like I auditioned and I felt like pretty good after it. And then it was like, I guess a few weeks later when I got the call that I got an accepted, and it was very fun because I was pretty close to home, like 30 minutes away from where I actually lived in Michigan.

[13:23] Eli Tokash: Oh wow.

[13:24] Cole Thompson: It was just like nice being good. And then like I had like I lived like 30 minutes away from Ann Arbor, but I still had not really like seen the city. So it was super fun. I mean sure. I love that town. It's so much fun.

[13:36] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[13:36] Cole Thompson: The friends that I made at Michigan. I like still hang out with in the city. It's so fun. It's like you already have like a built-in like circle of friends when you move to the city going to music.

[13:45] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. Totally.

[13:47] Cole Thompson: I mean, it's so true. Because especially like a school like UMish because it seems like you know, I mean, nowadays it's probably like a top three musical theater school. Uh, so it seems like everyone just comes to New York and immediately starts working.

[14:00] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[14:01] Cole Thompson: What do you think it is about like that program that kind of like helped you, you know, either like now that you're in it, like now that you've been on Broadway and all the things, like what do you think it like set you up for? Like, how did it prepare you? Do you feel like it prepared you for the industry or like your craft and honing that? Like, what was that like?

[14:19] Cole Thompson: Yeah, I feel like Michigan, of course, like I felt like I had gotten so much incredible training there and stuff, but I feel like really what's I've like people of all like the people while I was at Michigan, a lunch bunch of alumni would come back and say this, but I feel like it's so true that at Michigan, I feel like they teach you just not only to be like great performers, but also just good people in general. Because I feel like in this industry, that's people want to work with good people, nice people.

[14:46] Eli Tokash: So that's right.

[14:47] Cole Thompson: I feel like that's what I try to do. Like throughout this whole process, I've just tried to be super cool and nice and just like fun, fun to work with. Because I know everybody else, everyone who's been like the Encores cast and everyone who came to the Broadway's cast were just so much fun and such a joy to be around. I was like, I wanna that want to be like that.

[15:08] Eli Tokash: So yeah, for sure. I mean, I literally can't imagine like walking in, like, not even walking in the first day, just finding out who you were about to like have scene partners with, like that's just wild.

[15:22] Cole Thompson: The cast like, yeah, go for it.

[15:25] Cole Thompson: Yeah, it's just it's even crazier now that it's just like of course there's like that initial shock and like walking in on the first day, seeing like Sara Bareilles and Neil Patrick Harris and Killian Donnelly at Encores, and then just like it's even weirder that now it's just like, oh, these are just my co-workers. Like, I don't even like it's just like I go in to work with them. It's like all these, like I've literally looked up to and been obsessed with a show that like each of them have been in at some point in my life, and now that I'm on stage with them, it's it's so it was it's crazy, like it's so hard to put into work.

[15:55] Eli Tokash: Yeah, no, it's insane that the whole cast is just ridiculous. I mean, Philip Basou, you have Danae Benton, you have like everybody's just like coming in. It's literally like one of those like musical theater Instagram accounts where it's like dreamcasts, you know, like and it's and they made it happen. It's so cool, and it's uh and it is one of those things where it's like you know, we see these things now that it's like um, you know, typecasting or like stunt casting and everything. But like this, like worked. This casting was just so ridiculous because all of these cast members are just actually so talented, and it they're like it's it's wonderful. The the every everyone's performance is just it's not fair, it's really not fair.

[16:41] Cole Thompson: Um but uh talk to me about the Encores, you know. That's obviously where you started. You made your New York City debut there. What was it like to just kind of be thrown into a process that is like unlike anything else, you know, with that quick kind of learn the show, do it. Wild, you know, because we only had like two weeks of rehearsal and two weeks of performance. It was like being thrown back into like a summer stock, honestly.

[17:06] Cole Thompson: Yeah, you're rehearsing for like it's like the same roles, but like two weeks, and then you like put on a show for like the same amount of time. It was very fast and furious. I feel like Broadway and this um touring company have also been like that as well, because it's like I don't know, people coming back from Encores for Broadway. We had like we rehearsed for like uh I think like a week less than everybody knew coming in because it was just like we already knew the shows, and then like this this touring company. I only had rehearsals for a week, but it's like we always for so long. It's never like it's always felt like fast, but I've never been super stressed about it because it's been I mean, I've been doing the same thing for uh months now.

[17:46] Eli Tokash: Right, yeah, for sure. I mean it makes sense. Do you really need the rehearsal? I bet you could do it in your sleep now.

[17:52] Cole Thompson: Maybe I don't know.

[17:55] Eli Tokash: Has it changed much since like the Encores production?

[17:59] Cole Thompson: Yeah, I feel like the biggest change just happened between Encore and Broadway because um for Encore, for like some parts of it, we were holding books on our hands because Encore started out as like a concert series where um actors were really just standing at a microphone, like singing from a book, and we were kind of acknowledging that in our Encore performance. But for Broadway, we kind of got rid of the books and added some more choreography elements. But other than that, I feel like the show's pretty much stayed the same, like same set, costumes for the most part.

[18:27] Eli Tokash: Yeah, very cool. Because it was like, I don't know, it worked for Encore as it resonated so much as like, why we don't want to change too much.

[18:34] Cole Thompson: Yeah.

[18:35] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, like did you expect like okay? If I told you when you got casted in Encores that this like two-week thing was gonna turn into a year and a half year life, did you ever expect that?

[18:47] Cole Thompson: I honestly, when I first came into it, I truly did not. We started two weeks we were in rehearsal, and then we had like a week of performances and people s really seemed to like love it, which was wild. And then people were like, Hey, do you think is there like a chance we're gonna transfer to Broadway or something? Joke, like I didn't expect it to really happen. But then after our first week of rehearsal, that Monday, I got a call from my agents that they were transferring it to Broadway for like eight week only eight weeks is what I was told it.

[19:15] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[19:16] Cole Thompson: So I was very excited. But then, like a few weeks into the Broadway run, I got another call that we were extending until January, and it's like insane. It's it's like I couldn't have imagined a better debut at all. Like, it just truly just keeps on giving.

[19:31] Eli Tokash: Yeah, for sure. And like, why wouldn't you? Of course, you're gonna stay with it, you know. Like, of course, you're gonna keep milking this as long as you can, right?

[19:39] Cole Thompson: It's such a fun show.

[19:40] Eli Tokash: Yeah, such a fun show, and just such a wonderful experience. It's really the people, the cast, the creative team have made it such a lovely time. And it's like, how could I not say how can I not say yes to keeping it going?

[19:52] Cole Thompson: Oh, absolutely. Well, I mean, you're talking about your Broadway debut and all the things. Do you think you were? I mean, I'm sure you do, but do you remember like your first Broadway bow? Like, what was that experience like?

[20:04] Cole Thompson: That was wild. Because I feel like before like our first preview, I was really just like, it didn't it didn't like hit me that this is like I was making my Broadway debut in this show with this cast. I was kind of like, oh, okay, I'm just going into this theater to do a show. Cause like when you're up there on the stage, it truly just feels like not like in like a weird way or a bad way, it feels like you're just like doing any other like any other performance. Like you've been doing the same. I've been doing the same thing since like high school, just getting up on a stage, singing, and that like it's that's truly it's truly just the same thing. But after right, after our first preview, it was that first of all, the first preview audience was insane.

It was like a wall of sound being you hit with a wall of sound after every after every song, and it was just the fact that we all bowed together on our first PV. I was like, Oh my god, this is this is Broadway, and I'm like in a Broadway. It was insane.

[20:59] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it was after the first one all hit me. It was insane.

[21:03] Cole Thompson: Oh, for sure. Uh it's a like a moment that you can never forget, you know. Um, I'm sure, like, going from Encore, I mean, that theater is like huge, you know, and then you go to Broadway, and then the theaters aren't really as big as you may think, you know. Like, were you kind of surprised about that?

[21:22] Cole Thompson: I was kind of thrown back by because I like when I was in Encores when we're at City Center, I feel like it didn't hit me how big that theater is, but then we're up Broadway, and I like look out into the audience, like, oh, it's so much smaller. And then I went right and saw a parade at Encores, and I was like up in like the second balcony, and I was this theater is so huge. And I was like, I was on this stage like a few months ago. It's insane to think about.

[21:46] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, it's insane. That some of these like houses that we're going to in like a over the next few months are so large. I'm excited, like play like a huge audience out and see what that feels like, if it feels any different.

[21:57] Cole Thompson: Yeah, yeah, for sure. It's so interesting because it's like with the whole like encore to broad, like a bigger house, I guess, to a smaller house, where it's like you totally nailed it when you were like the wall of sound. It's like so much more intimate, and so you can really feel that the audience's energy and everything, which is just so fun to feed off of, you know.

[22:19] Eli Tokash: That's amazing. And I'm obsessed that you were this this whole journey. I'm like, I it's been so much fun watching it play out and watching, like following you guys on social media and all the things. It's so fun.

[22:31] Cole Thompson: Well, I have to ask because like you know, Joshua Henry is like an idol of mine. Um, love him, love his talent, love his voice, and all the things. And like when he was in the show and you were doing things with like Sara Bareilles, like he was doing like those staircase like songs, you know. There's um is there any like fun traditions that you guys have kind of found to to continue to do backstage? Like, what's the backstage life like?

[22:56] Cole Thompson: It's super fun. I feel like there were a lot of things going on backstage that were so much fun to just watch. Like Delphi Borch who was one of our understudies. Um, she would have like she had like a prank war going on with Joshua Henry, like for a lot of the run, which was so funny.

[23:12] Eli Tokash: Stop it.

[23:13] Cole Thompson: I think like for our final performance, they had like those like spray like stringy spray things, they were like spraying them all over the place on each other. That was super fun to witness. But I feel like one of the backstage traditions that we like kept up was whenever a new cast member came into a party, even if it was like for like two weeks, like whatever amount of time, we would always like circle up backstage before their like first show and like have a little moment and just like show them love and stuff. I feel like that's so that really stuck with me. So it was like, I don't know, this show has really felt like a family like a work family that's been, I don't know, right? Everyone has been so kind and so sweet, and that's probably what I'll take away the most when this whole process is over, how lovely everyone's been.

[23:58] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah, I know it just seemed you can you can really tell. Like as an audience member, you can tell that like y'all just love each other, and it's like so refreshing to see that, you know, because it totally translates that you all have like a special relationship and a special bond. Um, so that's really cool to hear, like that that's actually joy, not something that's played.

[24:18] Eli Tokash: You know, um, well, I want to also like talk to you about like, I mean, we mentioned before, like you've just worked with so many incredible people on this show, and I'm curious. Like, with working with them, is there anything that you may have like picked up from them? Is there anything that like any advice that they've given you? Like anything that you've kind of just learned that is something else that you want to take from this experience?

[24:41] Cole Thompson: Yeah, hmm, that's a good question. I feel like even in rehearsal, just watching each of them work or just perform. How I don't know. I feel like Gavin, for example, is always doing something different, even like in the show, like in rehearsal. And I just truly admire that because I feel like sometimes it's hard for me to, I don't know, find new things in this show just to like keep it fresh. I don't know. It's like after like a period of time, you know, there's something you have to do, something to like keep it fresh for yourself. And I really admire that. Another thing, I don't know, just um specifically Heather and Encore's rehearsals too, just seeing how I don't know how she's able to just like lay it all out, like all of her like put her heart on the rehearsal room floor, not even like on the main stage, just in rehearsal.

I just admire that so much. And I hope that one day I could, I don't know, be able to be so open and just like I don't know, truly just put it all out there like she did. I feel like those are like oh my god, two things that really stuck with me, but I feel like I could think of something for everybody, but truly those are like the sure two. I'm sure I know. I can't imagine just like being able to be a sponge in the room, you know. Probably just fun just watching them, you know, like not even like I would be scared to talk to them. I'd be like, Oh my god, why? Like, don't look them in the eye, but they're not like all they're all so chill. There's like nothing to I had nothing to be nervous or scared about.

[26:09] Eli Tokash: Oh, for sure. Was there like anyone that you were super like starstruck about that you were just like oh my god, I feel like I try, I feel like I was pretty good about being chill around everybody. I feel like I don't know. When I saw, I feel like Heather and Philippa were like two, or I was just like, oh my god. I was just like, oh my god. They're like in the flesh. It was insane.

[26:35] Cole Thompson: No, literally. And and like on top of that, you know, there were some crazy, like amazing people that came to see the show. Was there anyone that you were like starstruck who like came to see the show that you were able to meet?

[26:48] Cole Thompson: I'm trying to think. It was super wild meeting Tom Hanks. He came to one of our shows. Yeah, that was insane. Him and Martin Short were there together. And also Lynn Manuel Miranda came to, I think, like one of our Broadway shows. Those were probably like the big ones where I was like, oh my god, this is insane. It was yeah. Yeah, they're all so lovely too. They're just so in the meetup.

[27:14] Eli Tokash: Yeah, for sure. It's like crazy to think that, like, oh my god, I just performed for like Tom Hanks, you know. Like, that's crazy. What a cool experience.

[27:22] Cole Thompson: That's so cool. Wonderful. Well, I mean, most recently, like, as I said, like this thing just keeps it's just like one thing after another, and it's so cool, and I have so many questions about it all. Um, if you can't tell. Um, but you guys just won a Grammy, like you're a Grammy winner. Like, what is that? Come on.

[27:43] Cole Thompson: I can't even think about that. I was watching like the little live stream of my best friend at his apartment, and it was just so odd. I feel like he was he showed more excitement than I did. I was just like in shock. It's like if I think about it all too much, it's gonna be so overwhelming, and I'm just gonna have to like fall on the floor like faint. But I don't know. Right. Yeah, you truly just keep someone, it's like one thing after the other. It's insane. It's like hard to even fathom. I'm like struggling to come up with words to just describe how wild it is that I'd get to be a part of this just show this experience.

[28:22] Eli Tokash: Right. Yeah. It it's so cool. Uh and so fun. Like, were you actually like watching the broadcast, and that's how you found out, or did you like did you know beforehand or something?

[28:33] Cole Thompson: I was watching the broadcast. I yeah, I think it was a show thing where it was like recorded, and I came over to my friend's house, and then we like started watching right like before the musical theater um album like award was we like saw all the people nominated and then they announced it, and I was like so shook. I was just like speechless for a good like three or four seconds.

[28:57] Eli Tokash: No, literally. I mean, it makes sense. I mean, look who's on the album, you know, they're freaking Barellas and all of these incredible people are in this and and the music. I mean, this show was written. I wrote it down 1987, almost 40 years ago. I mean, what do you think it is about like this show and this the these songs and everything that still like resonates with people? Like, even like yourself, like, what is it about the show that kind of like really like you hold on to?

[29:29] Cole Thompson: I feel like one of like the really special things about the show is that it resonates with people of all ages. Like, I think it's so cool that people probably who saw the show when it like first muted on Broadway back then can probably watch it again now and come back with like an entirely different perspective. Like, I remember I first learned about the show. I feel like I was like early teens, and now I'm like being in it right now. I'm like, I'm realizing so many other like nuances and characters that I like didn't even think about as like a teenager, which is so special. Not every show is like that. I feel like a lot of shows are like targeted towards like either adults or like kids or like teenagers. It's like very rare that a show is able to like be targeted towards everybody and have something for everybody, which I think is really special.

[30:15] Eli Tokash: Absolutely. It's so interesting to think of like a show that like deals with all of like these famous characters that we all know, like you know, Cinderella and the big bad wolf and little red, like you know, it's it's just like brilliant the way that Sondheim kind of like crafted this and thought of all of this, you know. Did you ever think like okay? I know like of course you're a fan of Steven Sondheim, but like did you ever think you would be able to like perform Sondheim on stage? I mean, there's some of the biggest Broadway names that are like I just want to perform Sondheim on Broadway, you know, and now you're doing it.

[30:48] Cole Thompson: It's crazy. Like I before I even did the show, before I even auditioned for it, I feel like Into the Woods was probably my favorite Sondheim show. That's really that and Sweeney Todd are like my big Sondheim shows that I die for. So getting to sing it is just on a Broadway stage, is so I I'm so grateful that I get to do it.

[31:07] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah, yeah, there's something very special about his songs, and just like it's like during Encores and like for a good long stretch of the Broadway run, I feel like I was hearing something new in the music that I had like had not heard before, like every night, like different nuances, like character themes and just like little like instrumental things that are like, oh, that's pretty. I didn't even know that was in the score. It's like you're always right something new.

[31:31] Cole Thompson: Yeah, I would it's there's so much to like catch, you know. Like it all of his songs are just so like elaborate but very intricate, you know. It's kind of wild, but here he's uh such a freaking brilliant human being. Uh yeah, uh no, I'm obsessed. So that's so cool. Like just the thought of like performing Sondheim. I mean, I'm sure that's very like nerve-wracking because like like I said, like his songs are very, very hard and like very like wild. Even like Giants in the Sky.

[32:00] Eli Tokash: Yeah, that's what I'm go for what'd you say?

[32:02] Cole Thompson: Sometimes when I'm singing Giants in the Sky, I've sung it every night, but I'm like, sometimes I'm like, oh, am I about to uh these words I have to get them out so fast. I'm like, am I about to like flub up a word or something? But thankfully I've never messed up a lyric on stage, but it's like so yeah, just word vomit in like the best way. Everything is like each word has such a specific meaning. It's all so purposeful.

[32:26] Eli Tokash: Oh, for sure. Yeah, Sondheim is the creator of musical theater rap. I I've I've decided uh rap. Yeah, it's just i yeah, period. But like even like Giants in the Sky, you know, it's very melodic and everything, but like there's just so many words coming at you at the same time. It's just like it's it's beautiful and like when it's done properly, and that's like I don't know, I guess that's why I like fell in love with your performance, because I was like, Oh my god, like he's literally like hitting everything and all of the different shifts that like is quickly happening, you know, you cover them all. It's really just it's awesome. You your performances are so good. I could geek out about it all day.

[33:06] Cole Thompson: Uh it's fine. I'm uh it's fine. Um well now like we mentioned before, now you guys are are going on tour. Have you ever toured before?

[33:15] Cole Thompson: Nope, never. First time.

[33:18] Eli Tokash: No.

[33:18] Cole Thompson: Mm-hmm.

[33:19] Eli Tokash: Okay, and are you excited about it? Like, I don't know. I feel like this would be such a fun age to tour.

[33:25] Cole Thompson: Yeah, I feel like at first I was so nervous, just being away from the city and all my friends. Um, but I feel like being here now and doing it and just like getting to hang out with the cast who like I already know everybody already like pretty well because most of us were doing the show for like on Broadway for a very long time. It's been just so fun. Like we do the show, we do rehearsal, and then we just get to hang out with each other and like see what all these cool cities have to offer. Like I haven't been, I've never been to Buffalo, never been to a lot of the stuff we're going to, which I'm very excited. Just like go to museums, have good food, like see a lot of parts of the country. Yeah, I'm really excited for LA. I feel like one of my best friends lives there. I'm gonna get to see him, and I hopefully we'll be Disneyland, which I've never done, which is good things, a lot of good things.

[34:15] Eli Tokash: Yeah, for sure. No, touring's so fun. You get to see the world and do what you love all at the same time. You're doing like two things you love if you love traveling. Um, we don't even need to worry about the show because we've been doing it for so long, so that's the least of my problems right now. It's just traveling, but literally, yeah.

[34:36] Cole Thompson: You could do this one in your sleep.

[34:38] Eli Tokash: I love it. It's it's awesome. Pressure's off. Um, and and the way that this tour is structured is so uh, you know, kind of different and unique compared to like other shows. Like you're doing the thing in Buffalo, and you're literally doing it for like this weekend, and then you guys have like a month off before going to DC. Is that right?

[34:58] Cole Thompson: Um, actually, we go straight to DC. We're there for like five weeks.

[35:04] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah, it's like big, like limited engagements in like these big cities, which I'm very happy that we get to do. Sit down. We're not we're we have like one week's stays in some cities, but for the most part, we're really just like sitting down in cities, which I'm really grateful for.

[35:23] Eli Tokash: Yeah, for sure. And isn't like LA one of those cities that you can kind of like sit down in and enjoy? That's exciting.

[35:31] Cole Thompson: Five weeks, I believe.

[35:32] Eli Tokash: Oh that's so nice. Beautiful. Sorry, it's not like now.

[35:36] Cole Thompson: Yeah, literally. You can get the beautiful weather instead of like the cold. This, I mean, yesterday was kind of beautiful, not gonna lie. Were you able to like enjoy and kind of explore? Or is it still like the tech kind of uh vibes, right?

[35:49] Cole Thompson: Right now, but last time I got to kind of walk around, got to go to some stores, and it's fun.

[35:55] Eli Tokash: That's great.

[35:58] Cole Thompson: It's like very cute. There's a lot of different restaurants and stuff that I hopefully I can try some of them before we leave.

[36:03] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, for sure. Oh my god, so exciting. On tour, it's just craziness, you know. It's so fun to to be able to go out on tour and to you know, you said like that you don't have any like you had to leave your friends and everything, but like now you have the cast, and you can even get like closer with them and create more memories. It's gotta be so fun.

[36:22] Cole Thompson: Yeah, and I know a lot of them have their pets, which is also very exciting. I don't know why that's so I'm so excited about that too.

[36:28] Cole Thompson: But yeah, I feel like also we just started, so I feel like everyone's kind of like worried about still like worried about teching and stuff, which I understand, but I know soon we'll all be like hanging out, doing stuff together, which is probably gonna be like the most memorable parts, like outside.

[36:46] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah, definitely.

[36:46] Cole Thompson: Um, you know, it's always like the thing, like during the day, it's like now what?

[36:52] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[36:52] Cole Thompson: No, and like you'll I'm sure someone will text and be like, hey, we're let's go.

[36:56] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[36:57] Cole Thompson: Um, but that's awesome. Well, let's play are you are you down to play a little game here?

[37:00] Eli Tokash: It's just like I call it a few of my favorite things, and I just ask you like some of your favorite things. Are you cool?

[37:06] Cole Thompson: Oh, so cool. I love games.

[37:08] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah. Oh my god. Okay. What is your favorite Broadway show?

[37:13] Cole Thompson: Ooh, I think my favorite Broadway show is Dream Girls.

[37:17] Eli Tokash: Oh, period. Um, fave cast album or like a cast album that's on repeat right now.

[37:23] Cole Thompson: Hmm. What was I just listening to? I'm trying to think. Well, I had I did just start listening to the Kimberly Akimbo Hascreens. Is that just and I am obsessed with that?

[37:33] Eli Tokash: So good.

[37:34] Cole Thompson: Yeah, for sure. Those were like kind of your neighbors just recently.

[37:38] Eli Tokash: Yeah, that's it. Um, favorite song in Into the Woods.

[37:43] Cole Thompson: I think on the steps of the palace. That's been my favorite since high school. I'd like to die for that song.

[37:49] Eli Tokash: I'm uh I'm all I always love when people like give answers that just like isn't their song. You know, it's my favorite.

[37:57] Cole Thompson: It's there are so many more that I'm like more obsessed with. I love Giants in the Sky.

[38:01] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah, for sure. I mean, it's a really good choice.

[38:05] Cole Thompson: It is a really good choice. Uh, favorite Broadway composer.

[38:08] Eli Tokash: Ooh.

[38:10] Cole Thompson: Hmm. Good question. Uh, I think I mean I think the first thing that comes to my head is probably Lynn Manuel Miranda, just because my Hamilton phase, it's still happening.

[38:23] Eli Tokash: It's going on for years now.

[38:26] Cole Thompson: You know, that is so valid because like it comes back into your life, and it's like you literally become like middle school, high school, or it's like yeah.

[38:36] Eli Tokash: And in Panto has still been on repeat since I saw that.

[38:40] Cole Thompson: Yes, obsessed, obsessed. He's anything he touches is just like gold.

[38:45] Eli Tokash: Favorite in between show snack.

[38:47] Cole Thompson: Ooh. The first I feel like this isn't a snack, but um, in between shows, trying to treat myself, I would go to the Olive Garden in Times Square and get like a soup and the bread and just feast.

[39:02] Eli Tokash: Probably wasn't the best delicious.

[39:05] Cole Thompson: That is a hilarious. I've never gotten that answer in the Olive Garden Times Square.

[39:11] Eli Tokash: That just made my own day.

[39:13] Cole Thompson: Off Garden is like comfort food to me. I know it's not like it's not everyone knows it's an authentic Italian food, but it tastes good.

[39:19] Eli Tokash: So yeah, okay. So we all know that for Cole's birthday, we are all gonna pitch in for an olive garden gift card.

[39:26] Cole Thompson: Yeah.

[39:28] Eli Tokash: For his next Broadway show.

[39:30] Cole Thompson: Oh my god, I'm obsessed. What's your favorite like warm-up or like voice remedy to like you know get your voice ready for a show?

[39:38] Cole Thompson: That's a good one. Hmm. I feel like I don't even I think this is like a placebo, but I love getting the medicine ball, um, Starbucks drink because it's like I don't even know if it like really does anything for your voice. There's like lemonade in it, and but I know there's like honey in it, and I think like a bit of like mint tea, and it tastes good, and like it helps even if it isn't really doing anything, it tastes good, and I like it before a show.

[40:00] Eli Tokash: Okay, I've never heard of this. What what is a medicine ball?

[40:04] Cole Thompson: It's it's uh is it caffeinated? Is it like coffee?

[40:06] Eli Tokash: It's caffeinated.

[40:07] Cole Thompson: I think it's like warm, like mint tea, I think like half water, half lemonade, and some honey, and then it's like warmed up.

[40:16] Eli Tokash: I and I I think that's what's in the room. It could be something else, but that's like the main ingredients.

[40:21] Cole Thompson: Oh my god, a medicine ball. That's brilliant.

[40:25] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, uh honey citrus mint tea. It's okay. I mean, I mean, it makes sense as to like why it would probably feel good, you know. Like the mint can open the sinuses, the honey with the throat. You know, that's great.

[40:37] Cole Thompson: Oh my god. We're all the Starbucks is about to see a huge boost in medicine balls right now.

[40:43] Eli Tokash: They're so good. Oh my god. Well, that's even better when it when it's good. My my favorite is those like Grether's pastels. Do you have do you do that?

[40:51] Cole Thompson: Do I have some of those in my backpack right now? Yes.

[40:55] Eli Tokash: Yeah, no, you can't go anywhere without them. Are you kidding? I I don't know if they actually help, but for my mental like telling myself they have it definitely helps.

[41:06] Cole Thompson: Um all right. Well, there that's the game. That's a few of my favorite things. Incredible. Thanks for playing.

[41:10] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, no, it's so fun. Um, well, I mean, Cole, this has been an absolute treat just to talk to you and and to know more about your story. It's so fun, and and and following you guys, and now we get to follow you from state to state. Um, so why don't you throw out your uh Instagram or or Twitter, like wherever you're active on it, and so everyone can follow you.

[41:33] Cole Thompson: My Instagram, what is it? Underscore cole, then two underscores Thompson, and my Twitter is just at Cole0799. Those are my faves.

[41:41] Eli Tokash: Always I'm always on Twitter.

[41:45] Cole Thompson: I it's probably bad.

[41:46] Eli Tokash: Really?

[41:46] Cole Thompson: Yeah, even if I'm not even tweeting, I just love scrolling through because I feel like there's a lot of like weird, awful stuff on Twitter, but there's also a lot of like cute, funny stuff on Twitter. It just like depends.

[41:57] Eli Tokash: I feel like that's with anything. There's a good and bad side to it.

[42:00] Cole Thompson: So I love to oh my god, for sure. Yeah, especially when you're following like actors, it's they just say like the most out-of-pocket things, you know, like random is I would never.

[42:12] Eli Tokash: Oh, oh it's so funny. Uh well, that's awesome. I I can't thank you enough for for coming on here and to talking to us about you know your journey with everything. And I mean, this is just the beginning, so we're very excited to see what's next and to continue to follow your journey. And uh yeah, hopefully we'll get to meet in person one day because it's been so much fun.

[42:32] Cole Thompson: Yeah, for sure. Well, again, thank you so much and uh break legs on your run and the on the tour.

[42:38] Cole Thompson: Thank you. This was so much fun.

[42:40] Eli Tokash: Oh, thanks. Take about Cole Thompson. I am so happy that he was willing to come on this podcast. You know, he he was so sweet in in the whole scheduling thing. We were supposed to do this a while ago. I guess I dropped the ball on it, and then he was so nice to take some time away from you know being in Buffalo, and uh now he was willing to come on here and and chat with me about uh into the woods and on tour and all the things, you know. He's already currently out there, so very exciting stuff.

[43:13] Eli Tokash: I know he's excited. Uh just to talk to him, you know. That like I say that young blood, if if this drops on YouTube uh with like the video and everything, you'll totally see and even if you see some of our TikTok videos, you'll totally see like the giddiness in Cole's voice and how much he just loves what he's doing right now, and it's just so cool and and refreshing to kind of see that because sometimes you know we have these conversations with people, and it's just like a job for them, and it totally is, it totally is a job, but like some of those folks like lack the enthusiasm that they once had. So to like have those the the conversation with as much enthusiasm as Cole brought, uh it was kind of fun, and I I was excited to talk to him about it, and I think it led to good conversations.

[44:01] Eli Tokash: Like I said, they're going all over. They're on tour right now. So if they're coming to a theater near you, go check them out because why not? This cast is still ridiculous. Even on tour, it's awesome. They're in Buffalo, they're in Washington, DC, Boston, Philly, Charlotte, North Carolina, Chicago, Nashville, Orvando, San Fran, LA. I mean, come on. That's pretty, that's pretty great, if you ask me.

[44:27] Eli Tokash: They are doing like the randomly, like this weekend is the only weekend that they're in Buffalo, and then they're doing some longer runs in certain states. So just keep an eye out if any of those states are like near you or where you live. And maybe you can go check that out. I think it's uh it's literally the majority of the Broadway cast is there. So it's pretty much a Broadway cast out on tour right now, doing into the woods. So it's one not to miss Grammy Award-winning show. Very exciting, and I'm sure they'll get some Tonies this year. Let's be real. But yeah, very interesting to see nonetheless. Very exciting stuff.

[45:03] Eli Tokash: It was kind of cool to get a uh new perspective on you know the show. Um, you know, I I've I've had conversations with a lot of people because like the first time I went to Into the Woods, I was like, you know, I loved the first act, but I didn't understand the second act. And then I went and I was like, wait, I liked the second act, and I don't know how I feel about this first act. And it was like, it's random because like on different days, you can just interpret the show uh a new way, you know. And Cole kind of like alluded to that where he was like, You you can come back to the show and and notice something completely new and and uh and get something completely new out of it, you know. It's just one of those shows that is so complex but so universal at the same time, uh, you know, with targeting all ages in a way. I mean, not necessarily targeting, but allowing it to be fun for all ages, and and all ages can get something out of it, which is really cool.

[46:01] Eli Tokash: And just the way that this show is done with the simplicity of the show and all the things, it was cool to get his touch on it and uh, you know, working with all those incredible people, uh going to University Michigan and seeing what uh that kind of helped him to do in the advice that he gave there and with college audition processes. So if any of you are going through a college audition process, like we feel for you, and that is definitely a time that is nerve-wracking and and a lot and everything at the same time, uh, while going to high school and all the things. So you're killing it, and uh, yeah, it was just fun to to chat with him about the show into the woods. We haven't had many into the woods guests on here. Um, so to be able to talk about the show a little bit more, um, the behind the scenes of it all, everyone go check out Medicine Balls at Starbucks. Apparently, that's uh that's a good vocal tip.

[46:53] Eli Tokash: So uh everyone hopefully you all uh enjoyed this episode. Hopefully, you all were kind of able to take something out of this episode as always, and appreciate you all listening once again and come back next week. We have another exciting episode. Thank you again for listening. And until then, I hope everyone has a great week and see you next week.

[47:18] Eli Tokash: For this episode's current 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 of Dory Barrstein, Alan Seals, Kimberly Garrett, and the team at the Broadway podcast Network. Next in line to take a bow are our fabulous editors, Jessica Garren, who edits the audio of the podcast that you just listened to, and Tessie Tokash, who edits the videos and visuals for this podcast. And how about a bow for our executive producer, Chris Greiner? And our final bow are extra special to the patrons Brian Thompson, Pat McNamara, the listeners of PCC, as well as all of the other patrons for their continued support. If you're interested in becoming a patron, go to Patreon.com slash TAB.

[47:59] Eli Tokash: If you enjoyed this week's episode, make sure to subscribe on the platform that you are currently listening to this on, or go check out our YouTube where you can watch the episode. You can also subscribe, like, and comment on there as well. If you're more into the regular social media and want to follow us, you can do that at TakeA Bow Podcast across all social media platforms. The music of this podcast was made by Nikki Torsha and Cormac Collinon, and the logo was created by Giselle Bustos. And that wraps up this episode's curtain call. Thank you all again for listening to this week's episode, and I can't wait to see you next week. Bye everyone. Have a great week.