This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 144 of Take A Bow.

[0:04] Eli Tokash: I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and as always, we have a very exciting episode for you.

[0:09] Eli Tokash: This week, we have a rising Broadway star, Fernell Hogan, on the podcast this week, which is super exciting.

[0:18] Eli Tokash: A true triple threat. If anyone has seen Kimberly Akimbo, you know exactly who this is.

[0:24] Eli Tokash: He is an absolute character in the show. He's so funny. His role is wonderful, and he does it so perfectly.

[0:31] Eli Tokash: And he is a Broadway veteran. He made his Broadway debut in The Prom and then went on the Mean Girls tour and is doing all kinds of things.

[0:39] Eli Tokash: So it's really cool to talk to him at such a young age. I thought he was much younger before talking to him, but so mature, so not too very surprised.

[0:51] Eli Tokash: And you know, still just a young career, and I can't wait to see what's next for him because the future is bright for Fernell Hogan.

[0:59] Eli Tokash: So before we get into his story and everything like that, we gotta talk Broadway because there is everything going on.

[1:10] Eli Tokash: Sweeney Todd opened, Camelot looks unreal, the Joe Bros are coming to Broadway, and we've received some major casting closing updates.

[1:20] Eli Tokash: So lots to talk about. I guess we'll start out with the big closing update in the sense that Funny Girl is gonna be closing on Broadway September 3rd.

[1:31] Eli Tokash: Leah Michelle originally was supposed to do it a little earlier, like she was supposed to end a little earlier.

[1:38] Eli Tokash: But now that the show announced its closing on September 3rd, she extended till then, and she'll close out the show alongside Ramin Karimloo and Take A Bow family member Jared Grimes and Tova Feldshuh and all of that amazing cast.

[1:54] Eli Tokash: So everyone, you don't want to miss that opportunity. You all know how I feel about that performance.

[1:59] Eli Tokash: You know how I feel about the show. I loved it. I thought Leah Michelle was wonderful.

[2:03] Eli Tokash: And you only have until September 3rd to see it now. So make sure you do that.

[2:08] Eli Tokash: You still have about six months, but definitely worth it. So go check it out.

[2:13] Eli Tokash: And then we have some casting updates. I guess I'll talk about, oh, there's a lot, actually.

[2:21] Eli Tokash: So I'll start off by talking. So last week I mentioned that Ashley Loren was going to be departing from Moulin Rouge.

[2:31] Eli Tokash: And that's gonna be on April 9th, with actually Aaron Tveit, who is also gonna be departing, who came back to the show for a short stint while Derek Klena did Sunset Boulevard and some other projects that he's working on.

[2:45] Eli Tokash: So we didn't know, we knew Derek was coming back, but we didn't know who was gonna replace Ashley Loren, and of course, theater social media group on Twitter, on TikTok, all the things.

[3:00] Eli Tokash: Everyone was freaking out about this announcement. I'm very excited for it.

[3:04] Eli Tokash: They announced that singer, songwriter, and actress JoJo, or Joanna Labessque, will star opposite of Tony nominee Derek Klena, who is returning to the show.

[3:14] Eli Tokash: And their first show will be on April 11th, that Tuesday, as you know, Ashley and Aaron close their run on April 9th.

[3:25] Eli Tokash: So very exciting stuff. There's a lot of moving parts going on over at Moulin Rouge right now.

[3:31] Eli Tokash: They also announced that Ricky Rojas will be returning to the show.

[3:35] Eli Tokash: So everything, there's a whole turnover happening, and basically the four main people are going to be some new faces, or I guess some returning faces as well.

[3:48] Eli Tokash: More casting news includes Casey Likes is going to be joining Roger Barr in Back to the Future as Marty McFly.

[3:57] Eli Tokash: Broadway performances for Back to the Future begin on June 30th, but that is like a preview.

[4:05] Eli Tokash: Their first show on Broadway is June 30th. That's a Friday, but it officially opens on August 3rd at the Winter Garden Theater, which is where Music Man just closed.

[4:17] Eli Tokash: Makes sense. Probably gonna be a very big set. Probably needs a very big theater, and just totally makes sense for it to go into that theater.

[4:25] Eli Tokash: So I'm very excited for this one. I will say Back to the Future is going to be in the next Tony season.

[4:33] Eli Tokash: So this season with all these shows, I mean, there's a ton of shows turning over right now with all of these shows opening and everything.

[4:40] Eli Tokash: Back to the Future will not be a part of this Tony season, but it will be included next season, and it's weird because it like misses the cutoff.

[4:44] Eli Tokash: The Tonys are in like May-June, and so it's literally gonna be happening around that Tony season time it's gonna be opening, which is like kind of rare because you know, shows like to open around the Tony season so that it's fresh and they have buzz and all the things, so it's rare that they do it like a full year before their Tony season.

[5:12] Eli Tokash: So it'll be interesting. I'm excited to see it. But yeah, wanted to clear that up.

[5:18] Eli Tokash: And some more casting news came from City Center, which is literally like I don't know, man.

[5:25] Eli Tokash: City Center lately has just been turning over Broadway shows left and right. It's incredible.

[5:30] Eli Tokash: I mean, we had Into the Woods, and then now we have Parade.

[5:34] Eli Tokash: So who knows? Maybe Oliver will also be coming to Broadway in the near future.

[5:39] Eli Tokash: But it was announced that Raúl Esparza will be Fagin in Oliver and Benjamin Pajak, very exciting, future Take A Bow family member, is gonna be playing the title role of Oliver, and he's actually currently in Florida doing so right now at the Maltz Jupiter Theater.

[5:55] Eli Tokash: And very exciting stuff for everyone included. We also had a couple other Take A Bow family members announced in the cast with Brad Oscar and Lily Cooper.

[6:06] Eli Tokash: And congratulations just to that whole cast. The cast is unbelievable.

[6:10] Eli Tokash: So very exciting stuff. Very excited to see Oliver over at City Center.

[6:15] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it should be a really good show. So keep an eye out for that, and maybe we'll see that on Broadway here in the near future.

[6:23] Eli Tokash: It's interesting. And I'll talk more about it when I get Benjamin on the podcast, but it's so cool, like the theater kid community on Broadway is just so much smaller than, I mean, the Broadway community is small as is, but the kid little community is even smaller just because there aren't as many roles.

[6:45] Eli Tokash: So like once you get into the industry as a kid, you're just there, you know, and you kind of get to soak it all up while you're in that kid phase, and it's kind of amazing because you know, literally I knew this information that Benjamin was gonna be in it, but I could have guessed that, you know, like what other kid right now can you think of that would be able to play that role?

[7:15] Eli Tokash: You know, and Benjamin has shown he carried his own against Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster in Music Man as his team partners in that.

[7:24] Eli Tokash: And I'm just excited for him to really take over and lead a show. It's gonna be amazing.

[7:29] Eli Tokash: I think he's gonna be fantastic. So I'm very excited for him.

[7:33] Eli Tokash: All right. Moving on, the Jonas Brothers are coming to Broadway.

[7:38] Eli Tokash: That is like literally everyone's like seven to like 13-year-old self was quaking in their boots on last week when we heard this announcement.

[7:53] Eli Tokash: The Jonas Brothers are coming to Broadway at the Marriott Marquis Theater on March 14th through March 18th.

[8:02] Eli Tokash: So there's gonna be five nights, and each night is celebrating one of their five albums.

[8:08] Eli Tokash: So they have like released it, so you're not gonna be surprised, and you can buy tickets to like the album of your choice, and like when signing up, you kind of like chose which one you'd prefer, but it seems like everyone was waitlisted and no one can get tickets to the Jonas Brothers.

[8:28] Eli Tokash: So if you did get tickets to the Jonas Brothers, first of all, congratulations.

[8:32] Eli Tokash: And second of all, please like post about it because like I've literally not seen one person not get waitlisted for the Jonas Brothers, and there is a lot of people trying to see them on Broadway.

[8:49] Eli Tokash: I mean, I will say the Marriott Marquis is a very small theater compared to venues like MetLife Stadium and all these stadiums that they're touring around the world where they have like 30,000 people and now they're going to a Broadway house that has like 1500.

[9:07] Eli Tokash: So very, very different. So I understand there was an overwhelming response to Ticketmaster and all the things, but very curious to see if anyone actually gets in.

[9:18] Eli Tokash: Congratulations if you do. If you have an extra ticket, you know, I'm always there.

[9:24] Eli Tokash: You know, you can find me anywhere. I'll be your date for the night. It'll be great.

[9:32] Eli Tokash: But yeah, super excited for that. And yeah, that's that.

[9:37] Eli Tokash: And then one final, oh my god, I should have said this during the casting announcements, hello, very exciting news there's gonna be like a little Beetlejuice reunion.

[9:46] Eli Tokash: Yeah, that's right, a little Beetlejuice reunion. I know you Beetlejuice fans are listening and I know how hardcore you are for that show.

[9:55] Eli Tokash: But there's literally a reunion happening and it's gonna be at the Kennedy Center in a new show.

[10:01] Eli Tokash: Well, it's not like a new show, but it's a different show from Beetlejuice and it's gonna be Spamalot and you're gonna be seeing Rob McClure, who was in the original cast of Beetlejuice, Leslie Kritzer, Alex Brightman, and then you have Take A Bow family member James Monroe Iglehart.

[10:16] Eli Tokash: So very exciting stuff, unbelievable casting for that show.

[10:20] Eli Tokash: That show is gonna be absolutely hilarious. Like I actually want to really see that show.

[10:25] Eli Tokash: Obviously the Kennedy Center is in like DC, but I mean that's just a train ride away, right?

[10:25] Eli Tokash: I literally feel like it's gonna be like two and a half hours of like you're gonna walk out of the theater and your cheeks are gonna hurt from smiling and your stomach's you're gonna have abs.

[10:39] Eli Tokash: You're gonna like, it's gonna just hurt because you've been laughing so much.

[10:45] Eli Tokash: It's gonna be insane. That cast is ridiculous.

[10:47] Eli Tokash: So congrats to them, and very excited to see how all of that goes and future casting for that.

[10:55] Eli Tokash: So that's all I have really. I mean, there's been a ton happening, but that was like the big stuff that I really wanted to talk to you all about, and you probably knew all of it because they were pretty big, I don't know, chunks of news this week.

[11:07] Eli Tokash: So yeah, that's this week's Broadway news section.

[11:11] Eli Tokash: With that being said, I think it's time to turn it over to the incredible Fernell Hogan.

[11:17] Eli Tokash: So without further ado, Fernell Hogan, curtain up.

[11:25] Eli Tokash: This week's guest is a soon-to-be marquee name on Broadway.

[11:30] Eli Tokash: In his young career, you may know him as Martin in The Prom, Martin in Mean Girls, and Gabriel in Kimberly Akimbo.

[11:37] Eli Tokash: Yes, for the bit's sake, I did name your ensemble track in The Prom Martin, just to go along with the bit.

[11:43] Eli Tokash: But he's a true triple threat, and it's a name that we will be seeing on Broadway regularly for years to come.

[11:50] Eli Tokash: So it is truly my pleasure to welcome to Take A Bow, Fernell Hogan.

[11:54] Fernell Hogan: Hi, Eli.

[11:56] Fernell Hogan: My favorite joke that I've ever heard.

[11:59] Fernell Hogan: It was for the bit. I named your prom ensemble track Martin, if that's okay with you.

[12:05] Fernell Hogan: Did you like actually name it?

[12:08] Fernell Hogan: No, but there is a Martin that you don't know about.

[12:12] Eli Tokash: Oh, there is? Oh, please tell me. Enlighten me.

[12:14] Fernell Hogan: So this is the third Martin.

[12:17] Fernell Hogan: Oh my god. I did, um, what was it? It was a like a pre-pro.

[12:23] Fernell Hogan: We recorded a few numbers for this musical in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

[12:28] Fernell Hogan: They flew me out, and I was like, what's the name of the character?

[12:30] Fernell Hogan: They were like Martin. I was like, that's so crazy.

[12:32] Fernell Hogan: I was just playing Martin on Mean Girls.

[12:34] Fernell Hogan: So then when I went to see Kimberly, they looked at my resume and it was like Martin and Martin.

[12:40] Fernell Hogan: They were like, we have to give him a job now.

[12:43] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[12:45] Fernell Hogan: So that's my new bit. Every time I go in, I'm just gonna change the names on my resume.

[12:52] Fernell Hogan: So like when I go, if I go in for Wicked, I'm just gonna change all the Martins to Bach.

[12:57] Fernell Hogan: And I'll be like, we have to hire him.

[13:00] Eli Tokash: Wait, that's so amazing.

[13:03] Fernell Hogan: I feel like that should be like a thing in your contract now that it's like, if I take this job, you have to change the character name to like Martin or something, you know.

[13:11] Eli Tokash: That's hilarious.

[13:13] Fernell Hogan: Iconic, honestly.

[13:15] Eli Tokash: Um wait, was that that's such the I don't know, like what are the odds of that happening?

[13:19] Fernell Hogan: There's so many characters in this industry that we're in, and here you are playing just Martin.

[13:25] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, at first it didn't stick.

[13:27] Fernell Hogan: I was like, I don't look like a Martin.

[13:29] Fernell Hogan: And now I think after three times, maybe I look like a Martin.

[13:29] Eli Tokash: Third time is a charm, and I think the third time you've been convinced.

[13:44] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, there you go.

[13:44] Eli Tokash: Well, I mean, I usually like to start these things and just ask you, like, good like starting from the beginning and just saying, like, you know, how, why are we here? How did we get here? What inspired you to want to perform and tell stories?

[13:59] Fernell Hogan: Um, it was I'd say two moments.

[14:02] Fernell Hogan: I had always done theater as a child and I always enjoyed it. And then in sixth grade, I saw my first professional production. It was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Theater Under the Stars. And then once the car, yeah, the car like left the ground and started flying over the audience, I was like, oh yeah, this is magic. I want to do that. That was that's moment number one. Moment number two was the movie Happy Feet. Um, my god. What a crazy thing. Like, um, yeah, that movie like inspired me to want to do this more and like it made me want to learn how to tap dance. So wow, every morning I got to school I think an hour or an hour and a half early every day, just because my mom worked close by. But I would spend that time on YouTube teaching myself how to tap dance.

Wow. So like Happy Feet was number two. I think I'm gonna get Mumble, the penguin. I'm gonna get a Mumble tattoo. I decided last week. So okay, now that I've heard this, because I've never actually like made this connection here, like with the whole Happy Feet kind of it now that I think about it, it is pretty like musical. Yeah, I feel like this should be a Broadway show. You know, I've been talking to my roommate about it, and we're considering it. Oh my god. It's like in the realm of a jukebox musical in a way. Because what they use by lots of pop icons, but like the song catalog is another thing, the story's amazing. Yeah. Wow. Oh my god. Well, I'm obsessed. I uh I would like a phone call and I would like to be a part of the producing team.

Um, and everyone else listening, if you're a producer, call us. Um, let's make this happen. I mean, crazier things have happened on Broadway lately. They're just putting everything on Broadway lately. It's a heartfelt story with some banger music. Facts, and a bunch of dancing penguins. I mean, what can't you love? Um, but I fully know going back to your like I guess other like real theater moment, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was actually my like realization moment of like this is what I'm supposed to be doing. And uh that exact moment, like with the car, like I know vividly what you're talking about because I was I was you. That's so funny. You were I was that kid. Yeah, I I was absolutely that kid.

It's so funny because I usually like I tell I talk to people about that, and they're just like, what a random show to like say that at. Like, that's just one of the shows that like you know, you hear Wicked and you hear like all these classical music, but that was like my first ever experience with the show, and they were always like, That's such a weird first experience, and I was like, I don't know. Obviously, they haven't seen it. Facts, facts, or they're just haters, but it's fine. Um, uh, let's talk about you know how you got to Broadway. Uh you made your Broadway debut in The Prom. And uh what was this process like? Were you in it from like the beginning? Because I saw that you were in the original Broadway cast.

Did you join it on Broadway? Were you part of labs, workshops, readings, etc.? Yeah, I I joined for the lab, and then we had a little waiting period and then went to Broadway. Um I went to Pace as a business major. Um, this is the origin story as I think I told it's called. Uh I went to Pace as a business major, and I was bored and broke, wanted to take a dance class, couldn't afford one. I was like, auditions are free. So I got on backstage.com and I was like, okay, The Prom. That sounds like fun. They're having an open call. I'll go to that. So I went to that. I stood in the corner. I let everyone fight for their livelihood in front of me. Right. Um like truly on my own adventure. There were moments where they were like, let's do it again.

And I was like, no, because I don't know it. I just need to think about it. Everyone else would be dancing, and I'd just be in the corner, like using my brain. Um I was just like, there to vibe. Um then I two callbacks after that, and then I ended up booking it, and then I ended up leaving Pace. Wow. And this was you left it for the reading, or you left it for Broadway? They told they had they told me it was gonna be we're doing a lab this time, and then we're going to Broadway this time. Like they they it was a package. Oh my god. That's craziness. Crazy town. Um good for you because that's a huge leap, you know. That that's insane. Yeah, it yeah. It's from zero to a hundred. It's actually funny because right now I'm at Pace in the AEM program.

So I'm very familiar. Yep, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what you're I'm getting bored. Yeah, there you go. Literally. Um, but that's that's crazy. And in the fact that it was like a package deal, you know, your first experience. This show, it, you know, there's not many shows on Broadway that you could really say revolutionize Broadway, you know, and and The Prom in so many ways did, especially with, you know, everything from the Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade, um, and and the being like the first LGBTQIA plus, you know, kiss on the parade, and uh just the story in general and what it was dealing with. I mean, it totally in many ways revolutionized uh the a new form of Broadway and new stories to tell on Broadway.

So what did that kind of like mean to you? Not only to be a part of the show, but have such an iconic historic show as your Broadway debut. Uh it meant the world to be a part of the world to me, to be a part of something that had a message that was impacting people every time they would come. Yeah. My favorite story is that uh my dad saw the show, what was it, invited dress? And he was never homophobic, but he was not like an ally. Um after the Thanksgiving Day parade, uh I called him and I was like, hey, what are you doing? Um he was like, Oh, I'm arguing with people on Twitter. And I was like, A, when did you get a Twitter? Right. And B, oh no, actually, correction. He said, I am arguing with people on Josh Layman's Twitter.

Oh my god. Of course. When did you get a Twitter? And why are you arguing with people on Josh Layman's Twitter? And he said, because they're being homophobic. And I said, huh? He said, the show got to me. Oh, wait, that is so cute. Yeah. So I was like, oh, I'm doing a show that literally is changing my family. It's like that's crazy. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my god. First of all, I feel like I would never want to hear my parents say that they're arguing online on Twitter. Um, so I just can't imagine what that process was like for you. Um but second of all, Josh Layman, I freaking love that man. He was the first ever guest on this podcast. He and I did Finding Neverland together, and he is my whole like spirit animal.

I'm obsessed with him. I love Josh Layman. But I mean, can we talk about this for a second? Like you made your Broadway debut with a bunch of these Broadway icons. I mean, uh Brooks Ashmanskas, I mean, I guess you could put Josh up there. I mean, he's been in a million Broadway shows, but like Beth Leavel and all of these fantastic people. What what was were you kind of like going into the room like a little starstruck or anything? Like actually quite the opposite, because I was I had little knowledge of like Broadway legends at the moment because I was like from Texas, and my understanding and knowledge of theater was just like my small area of Houston theater. Sure. And I had I had I'd seen Shrek on Netflix, and I had watched Drowsy Chaperone like um as we stumbled.

I watched that Tony perform so many times, but for some reason, in the room for The Prom, none of that was clicking. No, I think I was just so overwhelmed by being there that I had no time to really look at anyone's face. So we did our first like thing through of the show, and Beth does the lady's improving, and she does have big glass. And I go up to her and I'm like, hey, um, you sound like that Drowsy lady. Oh my god, stop. She's like, she's like, I am that Drowsy lady. I was like, yeah, I know that now. Oh my god. But then I invited a friend to come to our our lab, like our last run in the studio. He was like, Oh my god, that's Christopher Sieber. And I was like, Yeah, he's really cool. He was like, He's Farquaad in Shrek, and I was like, What?

So learning on the job who these people were. I didn't know Brooks was in the world literally until we were about to close. Um what it was crazy. That's craziness. But honestly, I I bet that was great. Like, I'm I'm sure that was good for you. Not only could did you like were you able to go into the room and kind of just be yourself and bring your artistic abilities to it and without even like having like any nerves or anything, but it's also I'm sure the the stars themselves loved that and appreciated that and just as you just saw them as like a coworker and a collaborator and stuff like that. But I still I still did idolized them, not from the work they had done, but from the work they were doing at that moment, like the things they were doing in the show.

I was still starstruck, yeah. So I just couldn't name their resume if you asked me that. Yeah, who knew they had like the tallest person in the world playing Farquaad? Um just we didn't understand that for sure. Um that's hilarious. Well, The Prom was I I mean it's it's such a wonderful show, and it's done so much for Broadway, but it's also done so much for you, you know. The relationships that you've created in the show, it kind of like opened all of like the doors to like what you've done since then. So you went from The Prom on Broadway um to pretty much right into the Mean Girls tour, right? Yeah, seven, not even seven days later, six. Oh my lord. So you don't you so you didn't rest. Okay, we love that for you. You were booked in busy, okay. Um but I was younger.

[25:27] Fernell Hogan: Real. Um, well, uh I mean, touring Broadway is is completely different. So uh especially I'm sure as like you know, you're an adult, but you're still like a young adult. And um, I I'm curious just to know like what your experience was like touring. Like, did you enjoy tour life and like how did it how I don't know how did you kind of have to adapt from doing like a Broadway show to doing a tour? Um, the Mean Girls itself was easier on my body. I think if I were doing Prom on tour, I would be completely miserable just because I need that Monday to like for my skins and my calf to like my calves to go back where they should be. Um but since Mean Girls wasn't as like physically painful, I could do with like because we travel on our day off.

You spend your day off on a plane or on a bus a lot of the times. Um so that was an easier thing. Uh going from city to city is great. I got to see so many parts of the country that I probably would not vacation in. Like I would never decide to go spend a week in Des Moines, Iowa. Now I know so much about Des Moines. Um that was cool. And then it you get to Living in a hotel was a lot. I don't that was a struggle for me. So I ended up getting a lot of cool Airbnbs while on tour. So that was nice. And then just seeing how different parts of the country react to the show. That was always interesting. Sure. Like, how do they enjoy the show in Ohio versus Chicago? Right. Yeah. No, no shame to Ohio, but yes.

It was just like, I wonder how they would respond to Mean Girls. Sure. They love Bo. So I mean, okay, Mean Girls is iconic, you know, and it like it's a movie that like everyone's everyone knows, everyone's seen. Um, like, I don't know, like, how cool is it to be a part of something that has this crazy nationwide fan base? I mean, we're seeing now there's like the whole like movies being talked about, like, I feel like every day on social media. So, like, it's got that following, and was that like ever intimidating when performing, or do was it something you didn't like really think about, or what was that? Fun fact, I did not watch the movie until a couple months ago. Oh my god.

[28:02] Fernell Hogan: A couple months ago from today.

[28:05] Eli Tokash: Stop it.

[28:07] Fernell Hogan: As in like right before, actually, right before we went into rehearsals for Kimberly on Broadway.

[28:13] Eli Tokash: So when you were doing Mean Girls, you'd never seen Mean Girls.

[28:17] Fernell Hogan: Nope.

[28:18] Eli Tokash: Get out.

[28:21] Fernell Hogan: So you're crying.

[28:22] Eli Tokash: I was like, there was this crazy fan base. There were people dressed up. Everyone was wearing pink. And I firmly didn't get it.

[28:29] Fernell Hogan: Yeah.

[28:30] Eli Tokash: Did not understand.

[28:32] Fernell Hogan: Oh my god. I was just like, it's so cool that they have such like a fan base for this movie, and they're all coming out to the musical. I'm not a part of it.

[28:45] Eli Tokash: Right. You're not part of the plastics.

[28:48] Fernell Hogan: Okay. We get that. But we are now.

[28:50] Eli Tokash: You are, you are a member now of you're in the club.

[28:54] Eli Tokash: Was Wednesdays like crazy for that show? Like was there like not a pink shirt in the audience?

[29:01] Fernell Hogan: Oh, it was like it depends on the city, like Florida on Wednesdays, everyone knew they knew what they were coming for. Um wow, there were lots, lots of pink, lots and lots of pink in the audience, which was cool.

[29:15] Eli Tokash: Um and now I understand why.

[29:19] Fernell Hogan: Right. Wednesdays we wear pink for now.

[29:22] Eli Tokash: Come on.

[29:23] Fernell Hogan: Um dead. Uh well, I heard you have this crazy audition story with Mean Girls, and I'm I really want to talk to you about it. I mean, obviously, so for those of you who don't know, DeProm uh Broadway was directed and I believe choreographed by Casey Nicholaw. Um, and same with Mean Girls. Um, and obviously, like Mean Girls and Mean Girls Tour, they kind of like go hand in hand. So he was obviously like the director for that too. And you you've kind of built this relationship with him. So I'm curious to hear your side, because I've heard this from Birdies, and I want to hear your your full story and for in perspective.

[30:06] Fernell Hogan: The birdies are talking. Um let's see, promise closing. And by that time I decided that I was going to like try to continue doing this. Uh so I went, oh, I got an agent, and I went and I signed with that agent. It was like 11 o'clock. I like put my name on the signature, handed him the contract. He pointed at me, he said, Mean Girls, two o'clock. And I said, No, just no. Um 11. I am I'm not prepared to go to an audition. That's not what I thought my day would entail. And I also had a put-in rehearsal. Um my god. So I was like, I have to go, I have to go to this put in, so I can't go to this Mean Girls audition. Um so I went to the put in and I was there, and we were just doing the doing the thing because we were getting a new principal Hawkins because Michael Potts was leaving. So we were putting Michael Janae into the show.

[31:02] Eli Tokash: Oh gosh.

[31:03] Fernell Hogan: And then I was sitting next to Casey and I was like, Oh, you have Mean Girls uh auditions today. He was like, Yeah, are you coming? And I was like, No, I'm here with you. So it started at is now 3 30. Um he was like, he was like, Do you think you can sing the score? And I was like, I mean, yeah. And he like goes to our MD, who also she played at Mean Girls before she was our MD, so she knows the score. He asked her if I could sing the score, and she said, Yes, he can sing it. Um, so then Casey comes back to me, he's like, Okay, I'm gonna get you out of this put-in rehearsal. I need you to run down to this to Ripley or Pearl. I think I think it was Pearl. Now that I'm like envisioning it, it was Pearl.

And he was and he said, I want you to sing a song just to say that you sang a song. I was like, Okay, so I'm wearing jeans and a tank top. I run staples, I sprint to staples, buy a binder, I'm printing out music. I get a phone call. It's like, hey, just so you know, they're waiting on you. And I was like, oh my god. So that I take my binder and my music, I run to Pearl, and I go in and I sing my song, and then Casey cries because he hadn't I hadn't auditioned for him in at least two years because I did my prom audition, waited a long time to actually do prom and had done prom for about a year. Um the actual run for about a year, so I hadn't performed for him, and I had grown a lot from like A to B. So he was like, you know, it was uh it was an audition to be an immediate replacement on Broadway to be a swing.

He was like, You know, you can't be an immediate replacement because you have to close out prom. But are you interested in going on tour? We leave September 1st. I was like, my lease is up. No, he said we leave on September 11th, and I said my lease is up on September 1st. Perfect.

[32:54] Eli Tokash: Wow. That's craziness, first of all. Um can you sing the score?

[33:03] Fernell Hogan: I don't know how I mean Casey Nicholaw is one of the all-time greats, but I don't know how you could ever question that. Your voice is ridiculous. You can literally sing anything. I'm obsessed with your voice.

[33:17] Eli Tokash: No, we hear you, we hear you in the Kimberly Akimbo Show choir. Don't worry, you're up there.

[33:21] Fernell Hogan: He said hi, tenor. And you know, actually, her response after he said, can he sing the score? Her response was, Yes, he could sing the score. I don't know about the low notes. And I was like, fair. That is fair.

[33:36] Eli Tokash: Yeah. That is hilarious.

[33:40] Fernell Hogan: The low notes are questionable. We're not going. I'm not getting that the voice doesn't get that deep.

[33:46] Eli Tokash: Right. Right. No, that's so real. But you have, I mean, that what a gift. That voice is just so beautiful. I mean, I saw you in uh the cabaret, the Kimberly Akimbo cabaret that was just recently. Um, and like, I mean, even you there, like, you really got to like I I that was the first time like I ever heard you sing like by yourself. I mean, other than like scurvy, which is like iconic and and Kimberly, but um, but like a full like song that was like really like showcasing your voice, and it was just like this kid is just I was there with my girlfriend, and she was just like, Oh my god, this is this kid's voice is ridiculous. And I was like, I know.

[34:29] Fernell Hogan: Thank you.

[34:30] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, seriously. Um, but we I mean, everyone is just like the second that voice comes out, you're just like, oh my god, I want more. Um, so it's crazy that like that was the that was the number one question. So funny. Um, but but you've actually uh you know, you've really started to form this really cool relationship with Casey, because now he like brought you on. I I I feel like you told me this. You were working with Some Like It Hot um while um doing like stuff for Kimberly Akimbo, like tech and stuff. So tell me about this relationship between you and Casey and and what you were doing with Some Like It Hot as well.

[35:13] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, that was something that happened during the pandemic he was looking for someone to mentor and he was talked to somebody that I did prom with and they were like and then they texted me and said do you know anyone that would be interested in a mentorship with Casey and I said me right um right and then he she told him and then he called me and was like I didn't know that you were interested in directing and choreographing I was like I guess it just didn't come up in rehearsals um I think we were busy doing other things um right so we set up this like mentorship thing and we had like a plan for when theaters came back that like I would go back to Mean Girls for a little bit finish out my contract with them and then it would line up perfectly for me to go and mentor mentee under him for um Some Like It Hot and then I booked Kimberly I had to call him back and be like hey so that change of plans how about do this this this that and it ended up working out to where I did the they did a workshop right after we did Kimberly off Broadway and I was just out shadowing him and learning from him and helping out where I could and like cleaning tap things and stuff like that because tap it's a tap show.

[35:13] Eli Tokash: Yeah, comes back happy feet oh my god so Casey's gonna be the director of happy feet on Broadway we have Friedell doing the assisting choreography with Casey um okay that we have the team.

[36:47] Fernell Hogan: This is great. We're doing it. Happy Feet is definitely a Casey Nicholaw show.

[36:53] Eli Tokash: Oh 100%.

[36:55] Fernell Hogan: Yes um but yeah, so I did the I did a little mentorship program thing with him, which was really cool. And then when I went to Broadway, I'd kind of just pop into rehearsals when I can, because we were on basically the same schedule. So I didn't get to do as much as I would have liked to, but I'm glad that I did the workshop with him.

[37:12] Eli Tokash: Yeah, so let me ask you like is this whole like directing choreographer like something that you would be interested in doing like down the line when if you're not performing, like or do you want to be like a performer and then go into like all of that? Like what do you see where do you see yourself in like a couple years?

[37:30] Fernell Hogan: Um at this point it it I take it as it comes. Yeah, like fair. Planning is is ridiculous, I've learned. It's not a thing in this industry. Yeah, like my point would be an arts and entertainment management major and finish for medical school. And here I am. So it was like I like planning just really does nothing for me. So it's like, what's what's in front? I can only look a couple months ahead and be like, what's happening right now? So if Kimberly, when I when a time is up with Kimberly, it's like, hey, do you want to direct and or choreograph the show? The answer will be yes. It's not it's not like, oh, I'm still in my performer phase. Like there's like no phase to it. It's just kind of it's gonna be what it's gonna be. It's gonna be that when it will be, which I think is a nice way to look at it.

[38:23] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Absolutely. Um, you know, taking it day by day. Is it true that you I don't know if this is like I don't know, that's like a weird reason to like weird way to form it. Um it's true. No, uh Broadway, I like ID B D or whatever it is like that little like site or whatever for Broadway credits and stuff. It says you're the the dance captain of Kimberly Akimbo. Is that i is that the case?

[38:49] Fernell Hogan: Yes that is true.

[38:51] Eli Tokash: Oh my god okay that's crazy I feel like you have to be like the youngest dance captain on Broadway that sounds right sounds accurate okay well I think first of all you're right kudos because um that's insane yeah um I've never met a dance captain who's sorry like don't mind me asking but like 22 is it like I don't know so that that was nice of you okay well wait what yeah no yeah you're lying okay like well like go out for now wow oh my god first of all happy belated um celebration um if there were more people on here I'd sing happy birthday but not me um um well that's crazy you I mean what a what a cool role I mean first of all you're playing Martin so you're in the show every night and then to be the dance captain you know you have to know every person's track and when new people come in you know you have to um teach them their role um I guess you could say um what has that process been like for you and is this your first time doing so.

[40:17] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, this is my first time being a dance captain, and it's not spoiler alert, Kimberly Akimbo is not a heavy dance show.

[40:26] Eli Tokash: Right.

[40:29] Fernell Hogan: Um interesting position because things that qualify as dance are like I don't know, like a random hand movement at this moment, or like when you pick up. It's like okay. And I I've which makes it harder, I think, for my brain. My brain processes heavy choreography extremely well. Like prom like sli and mean girls like sliding under benches. I'm like, I got that. I understand like on this on this time, you need to look to the right. My brain's like not dance. So it's like a hard thing to like compartmentalize, and also just being on stage and being a dance captain is a challenge that I'm still learning. Because you you're supposed to like watch and maintain the show, but I'm on stage. So if I'm on stage doing the moves and watching someone, they're like, ah, he does not know the moves.

When actually I'm just trying to do my job. So that's like a weird balance. Um, that I'm figuring out and learning how to navigate and handle. Uh it's been like really cool. And since directing and choreographing is something I want to get into, it's cool to feel like I'm a little bit more on the creative side. I talk to the creators and things and stage management a lot more than I would if I wasn't dance captain, so that's cool.

[41:51] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Right. It's such a fascinating role. Like, for those of you who don't know, I like I guess I kind of uh said it, but you know every single track, like in the show.

[42:03] Fernell Hogan: Like you, that's craziness, first of all. Um, but also like when if people come to see the show and you're like, Fresnel doesn't know the dance moves, like he may be like he has seven other tracks that he could probably be doing and probably was like teaching like two hours before the show. So take it easy on him, please. Um, I mean that it's also like the dance captains are usually swings, and for reasons that you mentioned of, you know, they want to watch the show and everything that they can, you know, help each other brush up, they're kind of like the on-site director choreographer in a lot of ways. Um, but it's interesting too, because another reason that they do that is so because of all these rehearsals that have to be done, you know, there's understudy rehearsals and there's all the things like that. Does that just add on to your week? You have to be part of that, even though you do the show eight times a week.

[43:00] Eli Tokash: Yes, we do every other week. I'm actually gonna go to one right after this.

[43:06] Fernell Hogan: Oh my god.

[43:07] Eli Tokash: What?

[43:08] Fernell Hogan: Thank you.

[43:09] Eli Tokash: No, we have time. We have time.

[43:11] Fernell Hogan: Oh my gosh. This was pre-planned. Um, understudy rehearsal after this, and then I'm gonna go to one tomorrow.

[43:20] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[43:21] Fernell Hogan: Like doing one today, we're doing a two-show Friday, basically a two-show Saturday, basically. So it's like a heavy load, I would say, especially because I'm on stage.

[43:27] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[43:34] Fernell Hogan: If I was an offstage swing, it'd be like, okay, you go to rehearsal, and then you're not doing eight shows, but doing eight shows and going to rehearsal is a bit of a juggle. But it's a little test, it's like a test for myself. I'm like, how much could I actually handle?

[43:48] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[43:49] Fernell Hogan: And I mean, you kind of mentioned it, I'm sure, like it's kind of like a nice first kind of thing to like see how it all works, and because it's not a show like The Prom where you're literally like going full force every number, and it's more of like, you know, your little show choir dancing. Um, it's so fun. I'm obsessed with the show. Um, as you know, I've seen the show like five times. Go ahead, sorry.

[44:18] Eli Tokash: Like if it's ever there's a week, there's an understudy rehearsal. I'm like, ooh, these eight shows are already killing me. I cannot go to that rehearsal. They're very understanding of that.

[44:27] Fernell Hogan: Oh, that's why I can't go. I can't go.

[44:30] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[44:31] Fernell Hogan: That definitely helps because really it's like a 10-show week, and it's like, what are you supposed to rest? You know? Um, how I mean, how do you do that? Like, is there anything that you do for your body, your voice, like anything that you're doing to just make sure that you can, you know, show up prepared every night to perform?

[44:52] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, I'm learning the importance, not learning, I already knew it was important. I'm just actually doing it. How important it is to like fully warm up vocally for a show, because this is a vocally demanding show, more than I'd say the other two. The other two are more physically demanding. Uh, so the importance of that, I take some really strong allergy medicines. Not popping all, but come on for now. 26, but let's take it easy. No, just kidding. Um, but we're on, I'm on some strong allergy medicine, which is cool. Um, sleep, I get eight hours of sleep every day. Non-negotiable.

[45:32] Eli Tokash: Yeah, for sure.

[45:35] Fernell Hogan: But it's been that way for years, yeah. Craziness.

[45:39] Eli Tokash: I can't imagine. And are you doing like the rollers or anything? Like, do you like go into the gym before the show or is that kind of like, no, I need my rest?

[45:47] Fernell Hogan: You see, I think about the gym. That's the same, right?

[45:51] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[45:53] Fernell Hogan: Yep. It's like a mental exercise.

[45:57] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[45:59] Fernell Hogan: No, I do I roll out and things and I do things physically to warm up and just make sure that I'm good. But going to the gym, not consistent enough. I go every now and then. Yeah, I mean, listen, it's a full workout, you know, two and a half hours a show, um, eight shows a week, sometimes ten shows a week in your case. Um, you know, and I'm sure in those rehearsals, like I'm sure you're up there, you know, filling in for the roles that can't be, you know, that you probably are undermanned for because a lot of people are doubling up and I'm sure you're doing 17 different tracks.

[46:34] Fernell Hogan: Uh, that's my favorite part being a different teen.

[46:37] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[46:38] Fernell Hogan: Me being Aaron and Teresa for a rehearsal. It's like, okay, my poor little brain right now.

[46:44] Eli Tokash: Right.

[46:45] Fernell Hogan: Oh my god. And then doing the show that night as Martin, I'm like, I don't, I mean, good for you. It really is so impressive. I have full respect for the dance captains and oh my god, just wild. Just literally insane. Uh, well, I'm curious because you know, the talk of the show is, well, I mean, there's a lot of things to talk about the show. It's such a beautiful story and everything like that, but is a big topic has been the ice skating. And the fact that the Booth Theater is officially like we it should be renamed, like to Skater Planet. Um, well talk to me about ice skating, because I don't know. If you ask me, ice skating and theater kids is a recipe for disaster. So I'm curious to see how this process is actually, you know, possible. Like what was the process of learning it? Did you guys know how to do it beforehand? And they were just like, oh, let's incorporate this in the show? Like what is that like?

[47:49] Fernell Hogan: No, we auditioned for the show. We went in, we sent the tapes in, we went in, we did scenes, we sang some songs, uh, we danced a little bit and we left. They said, congrats, you booked this off-Broadway show, and then a week later they said, by the way, we've added a ninth character. Or how many are on stage? Five. We've added a tenth character.

[48:11] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, what? Who is it?

[48:13] Fernell Hogan: And they said, an ice rink.

[48:15] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[48:16] Fernell Hogan: They said, yes, you will be ice skating on stage. And it was like, oh, I was like, that I never did I ever say I could ice skate. Where did that come from? I literally checked my resume after that. I was like, did I lie on this thing? And I looked, and it did say I could rollerblade, but there's no ice skating.

[48:35] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, that's hilarious.

[48:38] Fernell Hogan: They gave us a week of ice skating lessons at Chelsea Pierce off Broadway. And then we got another week of lessons for Broadway. Um, and Nina, who plays Teresa, she was a figure skater as a child, so she had some skills coming in, but the rest of us, it was just we were starting at ground zero. But we learned pretty quick. And now that the show's been running for so long, we're we've all become we're we're such we're all better skaters. So it's like we're like, let's just redo the number. Let's add some more tricks. We're just we're ready. We like we we're like we feel stable.

[49:18] Eli Tokash: Um, you better add it to the resume.

[49:21] Fernell Hogan: You now you can go on a resume. I can put ice skating on my special skills. Um, that was all um and just the show tailored the ice skating to wherever we were skill-wise at that moment. So the Broadway skating is harder than the off-Broadway skating was because we were better skaters. And sure, if they were ever to remount this bad boy with us, it would be like, all right, let's up the skating now. Um, they made it clear that we weren't they didn't need us to be figure skaters because that's also just not the quartet. We're just random teenagers in New Jersey.

[50:03] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[50:03] Fernell Hogan: I don't think they would be out there doing triple luxes and things, so that's right. It would be weird actually, if Martin came out doing backflips on ice skates.

[50:15] Eli Tokash: I mean low key, I would love to see it.

[50:19] Fernell Hogan: We would love it, but it would low key work. It would be like, when did he, well, I guess Martin would actually Martin feels like it's a backflip on ice skates. Martin is a king, okay? Martin can do anything. Are you kidding me? He's an icon. I love this show so much. Uh, but well, I feel like is there like anything that's ever, I don't know. Has there been any like on stage mishaps? I mean, I'm sure there is in every show there is, but like, especially with, you know, these up. I don't know, I feel like it's more of like higher stakes with these like sharp blades and everything with ice skates. Like, you know, like if anything happens like that.

[51:03] Fernell Hogan: Um, people fall every now and then. Yeah. And the audience always thinks that it was on purpose. It's only happened twice, but like you give a big thumbs up and a smile, it's like, oh, that was a part of the show.

[51:17] Eli Tokash: That just wow.

[51:18] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, so and it's never been any no one's ever knocking on wood. Um, it's always very like if you fall and you can get up, just get up, make sure everyone knows you're okay, and then we'll keep going.

[51:33] Eli Tokash: Right.

[51:34] Fernell Hogan: It's you you kind of like work it into the bit.

[51:38] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it's all about the bit.

[51:42] Fernell Hogan: Yeah. Right. No, you have to be, you know. Um, well, you mentioned, you know, like coming from off-Broadway to Broadway, you know, like you you all were better skaters, so um, you know, that kind of changed. Is there anything else, you know, as you guys became more and more familiar with the show that kind of changed from off-Broadway to Broadway that, uh, I don't know, that you felt were like major changes?

[52:07] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, there were like script changes that were so small but made a huge difference. Um, this version of the show is better. Uh, they changed they also changed one of the numbers better. You get it?

[52:22] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[52:23] Fernell Hogan: I was like, cute. Um, just one of the numbers, the in de fact one, which is the skating number. They rewrote the whole song. Um, but the script changes I think were the biggest, and it made the story flow in a way that's even more impactful and makes a little more sense for the teens. Off-Broadway, Deborah was like, let's commit a crime. And the teenagers were like, Yeah, it was okay, kids. Calm down. And here it's they're a little more timid and they want to know more about the plan, which just makes more sense. Uh, yeah. And then there's a change of like everything. It just looks like Kimberly Akimbo 2.0, like Skater Planet is a place.

[53:09] Eli Tokash: Right.

[53:11] Fernell Hogan: Just technically. It's just there's so much more stuff to work with and move. That has been. So that's pretty cool.

[53:19] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Well, I mean, it's a bigger stage. You know, Atlantic was a smaller stage than the Booth Theater, obviously. Um, so you know, everything kind of I mean, I loved it off-Broadway, um, at the Atlantic, but everything on Broadway, it just like made sense, you know, like it it just it fit, you know, and and you saw that at the Booth at the Atlantic, where it was like, uh, it's like the story is there and all of this is there, and there's just elements that just needed tuned. And you all, I mean, Janine Tesori, David Lindsay-Abaire, I mean, the creative team knows what they're doing, Jessica Stone. Um, you know, they're they're all they're all pros at this point. Tony winners and all the things.

[54:06] Fernell Hogan: Um, but yeah, I mean it's last one.

[54:10] Eli Tokash: Oh, yes.

[54:12] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, of course.

[54:13] Eli Tokash: Um, of course, you guys shout out everywhere. I mean, everyone deserves a huge congratulations to, you know, putting literally one of the hottest shows on Broadway, new shows on Broadway, uh, up this year. And the way that they did it, it there's a reason that it everyone's just, you know, living for this show right now. It's so cool. Um, well, I'm curious because, you know, I the Tonys are coming up. I know we don't like to think about it, but I I'm curious just to talk to you about like, you know, you had the opportunity to perform on the Tonys with The Prom. Um, you're a seasoned vet. Come on. Uh, you already did the cast recording with The Prom and now you're doing it, you did it again for Kimberly.

Like drawing on these like, you know, experiences that you're you've had from The Prom to now bringing it over to Kimberly. Like, is there anything that you've kind of seen yourself like, oh, this is something that I can prepare for, um, since I've already like been through the process with any of these big performances, the parade, the Tonys, all of that?

[55:18] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, I just know I just know that Tony month is the busiest month that you will like that month could be gruesome, or at least with Prom. It was like, we were you you're campaigning for a Tony. It's like, oh, that's that's a time. So I know now that the month of May, I'm just gonna tell every friend I have. I am on a hiatus from friends.

[55:40] Eli Tokash: Right.

[55:43] Fernell Hogan: I will catch you all not right after the Tonys, because I need a week after to recoup. I'll catch you all middle of June. Um, because I just I know. And everyone told me like Prom leading up to it.

[55:57] Fernell Hogan: They were like, it's gonna be a busy time. And I was like, Pish Posh, it'll be fine. They were right. It was so busy. Um and it's like such a cool time. I think that's when you start to see all the other people in the shows, because that's around when like stars in the alley and all oh my god, we're in the alley. All those kinds of things. Um so you get to meet all the other companies and kind of mingle and things. Um so yeah, just like mentally preparing myself to be ready, make sure I have all my vitamins to not take a day off and a half. All the medicines. Yeah, all the drugs that were popping. Oh my god, stop it. Um iconic. Yeah, yeah. I mean, you just gotta do everything to you know, because on top of campaigning for it, Tony, you are you know, people forget you are doing eight shows a week still. Um it's it's craziness, it's a crazy time, but uh yeah. I mean, you're a pro. You you you got this, you got this. Um yeah, for sure.

[57:04] Eli Tokash: I I want to ask you if you're interested in playing a little game.

[57:10] Fernell Hogan: Okay.

[57:10] Eli Tokash: How's that sound? It's called my favorite things, a few of my favorite things, you know, like the little sound of music thing. Um so I'm just gonna ask you like a couple of your like favorite things, and uh, you know, we'll we'll see how it goes.

[57:22] Fernell Hogan: Okay.

[57:24] Eli Tokash: What is your favorite costume that you've ever worn?

[57:30] Fernell Hogan: Uh, in Mean Girls, the talent show. I wore this like sweatsuit that was all ramen noodles. Yeah, it was a chicken flavored ramen noodle sweatsuit. It was great. Greg, I love it.

[57:47] Eli Tokash: Um, what's your favorite backstage story?

[57:52] Fernell Hogan: Favorite backstage story. I think it's not a story, but I every show. I watched most of Rom from the Wings anyway. But um particularly I'd watch like the ladies improving backstage every single day.

[58:09] Eli Tokash: Really?

[58:09] Fernell Hogan: I don't know a story, but it was just a good time. Yeah. It's a great memory, you know? It's like a favorite memory of yours.

[58:15] Eli Tokash: That that totally works. Um what you have do you have a favorite cast album?

[58:22] Fernell Hogan: In general, or yeah.

[58:25] Eli Tokash: Um in general, I think what would my favorite cast album be right now?

[58:31] Fernell Hogan: Kimberly Akimbo alb I'm just kidding. It's the the the new the new songs for a new world.

[58:40] Eli Tokash: Oh, okay album, Michael Kilgore, Soleya, that one, Jessica Voss, that one's good. Yeah. I mean just listen to the names. You that's all you need. Uh that's all you need to know. Uh okay. Do you have a dream celebrity that you want to like come see Kimberly Akimbo so that you can meet them?

[59:00] Fernell Hogan: You see, I want John Legend to come, but I know that it would be terrible performance on my part because I would be so nervous. No one tell. No one tell for now if John Legend comes to the to the show.

[59:15] Eli Tokash: Obsessed. That's a really good actually, that's a really good answer. Um similar similar voices. I can see it. Um yeah, of course. Uh do you have a dream performer that you want to work with? And this is like you may have already done so. If you have to pick a new one.

[59:35] Fernell Hogan: I think I want to work with Joshua Henry.

[59:37] Eli Tokash: Oh, Joshua Henry. There we go. No. Yeah, king. Uh me too. Do you have a favorite audition that you just feel like you absolutely like you walked out and you're like, oh, I nailed that thing.

[59:52] Fernell Hogan: Um, that's uh I mean, yes. Cause I ended up booking him. Okay, period. It was I I know for a fact my problem call back when I was doing my like the last round of dancing. Casey came from behind the table and he sat crisscross applesauce in front of me and was like watching me intensely. And I was like, Oh yeah, I'm doing this right now. Don't you mess moves up for now. And then I did mess it up and I left and I was like, Yep, I did that. I did that. Oh, but also my Kimberley audition. I was like, it was just a good time. I just you can feel when the vibes are right.

[1:00:34] Eli Tokash: Absolutely. Um crazy. I feel like I would be crapping my pants if uh Casey Nicholaw just come in to stare at me dance. Um uh yeah. Um, but I'm not a dancer, so maybe you I don't know. That's the I'm getting anxiety just thinking about it. Um anyways, that's all I have for you. This game.

[1:01:00] Fernell Hogan: Thanks for playing.

[1:01:02] Eli Tokash: And uh that I mean that's all I have for you today. I mean, is there anything that like you know you wanted to like mention or like share that like I just didn't bring up? Or is there anything like in the pipeline that you could share? Like, is there anything that you can shout out?

[1:01:17] Fernell Hogan: Uh not legally.

[1:01:19] Eli Tokash: Okay, fair enough. Fair enough.

[1:01:21] Fernell Hogan: Uh, totally okay. Do you want to shout out your Instagram handles at least so that we can um, you know, follow what's uh what's to come?

[1:01:31] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, uh my Instagram is at Fernell Hogan. So just my name.

[1:01:34] Eli Tokash: Super easy.

[1:01:35] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, it's super easy, straight to the point, you know?

[1:01:40] Eli Tokash: Yeah, absolutely. Well, Fernell, I I can't thank you enough. Seriously, this has been an absolute treat. Your stories are awesome. I mean, like, really, I mean it's so fun to hear just everyone's unique stories of the industry, and uh you certainly have a lot of fun ones. So I appreciate you coming on here today and sharing a little bit about your journey and and your story here on Broadway. And uh, you know, you have a lot to take a bow for, so thank you.

[1:02:01] Fernell Hogan: Thank you. Thank you for having me. This was fun.

[1:02:07] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, of course. Thank you. Break legs in the rest of your run. Go do 10 shows.

[1:02:11] Fernell Hogan: Oh yeah.

[1:02:13] Eli Tokash: Oh, yes, we can do it. Yes, take a bow for Nell Hogan.

[1:02:19] Fernell Hogan: Oh my gosh. You know, it's interesting. I'm gonna say this as like a little Easter egg. He gave me an Easter egg after we were done. And he was just like, you know, one of the last questions I asked him was, uh, do you have anything that you want to plug or promote or whatever? And he was like, not anything that I can say legally, and I just thought like, I don't know, I thought he was like joking around or whatever. And um he was like afterwards, he was he was just like, you know, the thing that I was thinking about saying was something that we actually mentioned. So um it didn't click for me from that clear. So I'm curious to see if it uh clicks for any of you. But that's all I'm gonna say. Just know that there is um some exciting news that Fresnel and company have uh received, and um, you know, take that make of that what you will.

[1:03:24] Eli Tokash: Uh and you heard it here on Take About first without actually hearing it. So if anybody asks, it wasn't me.

[1:03:32] Fernell Hogan: If someone like legally asked, it wasn't me.

[1:03:35] Eli Tokash: But if your friends ask, it was me.

[1:03:37] Fernell Hogan: Yeah, I don't know. Some fun stuff though, in this conversation. I mean, very uh interesting career uh to wonderful start to a very young career and a career that we're gonna be seeing for quite some time. Uh he mentioned you know, having a partnership with Casey Nicholaw and working with him, and it that's so valuable in this industry and having a mentor and having someone that you could really lean on and trust on. You know, I mean, he his two first professional shows were with the same director choreographer, and that's similar to to mine, you know, with Diane, and you know, both of my official like Broadway credits with Neverland and Pippin were with the same director, and that that a lot of that was because she brought me over and was like, I you I think he would be good in this show, and uh yeah, so it's it's very important.

[1:04:31] Eli Tokash: A lot of like we we said it a lot on the podcast, so it's a lot of like who you know and all the things and how you kind of I don't know, form a relationship and keep a relationship and hold a relationship, and it's just so pivotal in this industry, and that's from all sides of the industry. So if you want to be, if you're listening to this and you want to be a stage manager, or you want to be a director, or you want to be a choreographer, like you need to be proactive in yourself and reach out to people, you know, reach out to people via social media, reach out to people via email. Or if you're like working with someone right now, and it doesn't even have to be on Broadway, like it doesn't. Um, because odds are, like, if you're working in theater, the people that you're working with know people on Broadway or know people that can help you and lead you to where you want to be.

[1:05:20] Fernell Hogan: Um, you could want to uh you could live in New York and want to go do theater out in LA or theater in Chicago or somewhere else, and I'm sure someone knows someone there that they can just get in touch with you, you know.

[1:05:32] Eli Tokash: That's how Fresnel got this. I mean, he was already directing and and he was already in a Broadway show with Casey Nicholaw and didn't even know that that mentorship opportunity was there until a friend had reached out to him. You know, it's just so crazy how the world works and puts people in places that they're supposed to be and where they're valued and uh respected, you know, and it's just really cool to to see uh Fernell kind of using all of like understanding his talent and and and using it to its fullest capacity, you know. He was doing double duty with some like it hot and Kimberly Akimbo while in tech, um figuring out this whole new Broadway show while uh helping you know choreograph and touch up all of these great like all of these huge numbers that some like it hot has.

[1:06:22] Fernell Hogan: So um and and if you ask me, I mean, I love Anne Juliet and all the things, um, I really did, but if you ask me, Some Like It Hot and Kimberly Akimbo are the my front runners for Best New Musical this year.

[1:06:38] Eli Tokash: So if you ask me, Fresnel really can't lose because you know he was involved with both of those shows.

[1:06:43] Fernell Hogan: So um very exciting stuff.

[1:06:45] Eli Tokash: And then of course with his career over uh in the prom and mean girls and and and uh Kimberly Akimbo, you know, y'all know how much I love that show and and uh what he does in the show. It's so it's so great, it's so wonderful, and everyone should go see the show, and everyone should go listen to the cast album, go listen to Fresnel as Martin sing scurvy and all the things.

[1:07:08] Fernell Hogan: So uh and and by the way, for anyone listening, reach out to us because we want to make Happy Feet uh the musical a thing, and it's gonna be a thing.

[1:07:17] Eli Tokash: And Casey Nicola is gonna be the director and choreographer.

[1:07:21] Fernell Hogan: So there's that for those of you who like are are like wanting to produce and stuff.

[1:07:27] Eli Tokash: We actually have a name attached to it, okay. Happy feet itself can sell tickets, the name Happy Feet.

[1:07:33] Fernell Hogan: And yeah, I just think I think that would literally be iconic and uh something that I think you should be explored.

[1:07:40] Eli Tokash: Just saying, Fresnel, you have inspired me and hopefully other theater makers out there who are listening.

[1:07:46] Fernell Hogan: And uh yeah, I don't know. I even if it's like a little like I can totally see Happy Feet being like a little TikTok musical kind of thing, uh, like they did with Ratatouille.

[1:07:55] Eli Tokash: Anyways, that's my juice ends.

[1:07:58] Fernell Hogan: And uh yeah, just uh just a great fun episode, lots to take here um and lots to, you know, kind of find enjoyment out of and and enter be entertained by.

[1:08:09] Eli Tokash: Uh, but hopefully you uh were able to soak uh in some lessons in this week's episode.

[1:08:13] Fernell Hogan: And hopefully you go check out uh Fresnel uh on social media and over at Kimberly Akimbo.

[1:08:19] Eli Tokash: So uh thank you all for listening to this week's episode.

[1:08:22] Fernell Hogan: As always, I really appreciate it.

[1:08:24] Eli Tokash: And I hope everyone had a great week last week and continue to have a wonderful week until I see you all next week.

[1:08:30] Fernell Hogan: So until then, bye everyone.

[1:08:33] Eli Tokash: Have a great week.

[1:08:38] 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 from Lori Barenstein, Alan Seals, Kimberly Garrett, and the team at the Broadway Podcast Network.

[1:08:51] Fernell Hogan: Next in line to take a bow are our fabulous editors, Jessica Warren, who edits the audio of the podcast that you just listened to, and Tessie Tokash, who edits the videos and visuals for this podcast.

[1:09:02] Eli Tokash: And how about a bow for our executive producer, Chris Greiner?

[1:09:05] Fernell Hogan: And our final bow are extra special to the patrons Brian Thompson, Pat McMahon, the listeners at PCC, as well as all of the other patrons for their continued support.

[1:09:15] Eli Tokash: If you're interested in becoming a patron, go to Patreon.com slash TAB. 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.

[1:09:28] Fernell Hogan: You can also subscribe, like, and comment on there as well.

[1:09:31] Eli Tokash: If you're more into the regular social media and want to follow us, you can do that at Take About Podcast across all social media platforms.

[1:09:38] Fernell Hogan: The music of this podcast was made by Nikki Torsha and Cormac Collinon, and the logo was created by Giselle Bustos.

[1:09:45] Eli Tokash: 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.

[1:09:51] Fernell Hogan: Bye everyone.

[1:09:52] Eli Tokash: Have a great week.