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[0:00] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 147 of Take A Bow.

[0:05] Eli Tokash: I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and as always, we have a very exciting episode for all of you, which is super exciting.

[0:12] Eli Tokash: We have an incredible guest on today's podcast, and we have lots to talk about.

[0:16] Eli Tokash: So our guest this week is Nikki Renée Daniels.

[0:19] Eli Tokash: If you haven't seen from um, you know, the image or whatever you maybe the title of the podcast, whatever it is, um, I'm sure you know, but we have a very exciting guest, and I'm so excited to talk here.

[0:30] Eli Tokash: Uh, we have some cool conversations that are kind of new in the sense of conversations that we've just never had on the podcast before.

[0:37] Eli Tokash: So um very excited to to share that all with you.

[0:40] Eli Tokash: And uh before we get over to that, we gotta talk about some Broadway news because there is, as I've mentioned the past few weeks, a lot going on.

[0:50] Eli Tokash: Uh, you know, again, it's that time of year. All of these things are opening and new shows are coming in, and we're having some casting announcements and all the things, so it's very exciting time.

[1:00] Eli Tokash: Um, and I guess to start us out, happy first preview uh to New York, New York and the Thanksgiving play, which are gonna have their first performance on Broadway very soon.

[1:15] Eli Tokash: Not quite their opening yet, but you know who is opening. Bad Cinderella is opening today, Thursday, March 23rd, and Sweeney Todd is going to be opening on Sunday.

[1:26] Eli Tokash: So very, very exciting stuff. We have some great content coming your way in uh, I guess in collaboration with them.

[1:35] Eli Tokash: Um, so I'm very excited for it. Uh Bad Cinderella and Sweeney Todd both opening officially here on Broadway. Super exciting stuff.

[1:44] Eli Tokash: Congrats to everyone involved, by the way. Super exciting.

[1:47] Eli Tokash: Uh, we also have some more exciting news when literally the entire theater community won yesterday on Wednesday, and uh, we all kind of rejoiced and celebrating uh that Smash the Musical is happening and it is coming to Broadway in 2024, the 2025 season.

[2:09] Eli Tokash: I I don't know about you guys, but I'm very excited about this. It's basically like I don't know, like a glee coming to Broadway.

[2:15] Eli Tokash: You know, it's just gonna be a fun uh thing, and it's something that I think that everyone's kind of wanted and would be like wanted to see on Broadway for quite some time because it's again like that.

[2:28] Eli Tokash: I I talk a lot about it on here, um, but like when Broadway and you know a wider audience is able to come together so people all around the world were able to access the show surrounding theater.

[2:41] Eli Tokash: Um, but it was Broadway themed, so it was able to target that market as well as just your average, you know, TV movie lover goer, uh whatever you want to call yourself.

[2:53] Eli Tokash: And so to to have that now uh colliding on a stage, I think is gonna be super fun. And I think that uh Broadway Here I Come on Broadway would just be absolutely insane.

[3:06] Eli Tokash: I am so excited for it. Um, if you can't tell. And uh now I have to go like watch the the full series because I haven't even watched the full series all the way through.

[3:17] Eli Tokash: I know I'm bad, I'm a fake theater person, but it's fine. Um I this has inspired me to do so, and I cannot wait. And I cannot wait to see what they do here on Broadway because I think that'll be something quite special.

[3:30] Eli Tokash: So um, yeah, with that being said, very exciting stuff. Steven Spielberg's gonna be a part of it, uh producing, and I don't think anybody needs to say anything else because uh it's Smash, it has a name, it has a named producer.

[3:45] Eli Tokash: Um, so I can't even imagine what this cast announcement is gonna be. So um very exciting stuff.

[3:53] Eli Tokash: This week, this past week, the Jonas brothers were on Broadway at the Marriott Marquee Theater. And you know what? They did something that was really, really cool.

[4:04] Eli Tokash: Uh they they core incorporated Broadway in their concert. You know, they they were obviously promoting their new album called The Album, uh, which is coming out on my birthday, May 5th, Cinco de Mayo. Very exciting.

[4:19] Eli Tokash: Um, I unfortunately didn't get to see uh I wasn't in attendance for any of the performances, but um it was cool because it seemed like they were really cool and encouraging people to video and and uh capture their own sort of content memories from that night.

[4:38] Eli Tokash: Um so it was cool to see what they did and kind of get a live look at it. And instead of having like uh, you know, how like concerts may have like an opening act or whatever that is, they had that here on Broadway, but they really made it a Broadway themed, and it was like they had Broadway people come in and play the Jonas Brothers.

[4:59] Eli Tokash: And I I don't know exactly like because Rob McClure did a monologue, and then they the we had Catherine Gallagher, sis, and Antonio Cipriano. Um, they they did like a uh sketch, and we had like a young version of Grace Capeless, Shahadi Wright Joseph.

[5:17] Eli Tokash: Um, I'm just naming people that I know because I can't remember all of them off the top of my head, but it was just really, really cool to see um all of these people and and some take about family members on stage with the Jonas brothers.

[5:29] Eli Tokash: And include it that includes um like Andrew Barth Feldman and Alex Boniello. Um, they also did stuff, and um it was just really cool to see.

[5:37] Eli Tokash: And I actually was able to like talk to Andrew Barth Feldman about it, and we were we were at the same like restaurant the other night, and I was talking to him about it, and he was like the way that it happened is apparently Michael Park is like really good friends with the Jonas Brothers, and Michael Park kind of like made a few phone calls.

[5:58] Eli Tokash: Michael Park was like the best man at like one of their weddings. So, like that's how mm great friends they are.

[6:05] Eli Tokash: Um, really random, but like kind of makes sense. Same just like Rob McClure and the Jonas Brothers. It's like really random, but it just like makes sense.

[6:11] Eli Tokash: Um, I I don't know. That's the way I I think of it at least. But it was really cool.

[6:15] Eli Tokash: So uh apparently, like Michael Park was just making phone calls and being like, hey, what would you want to like perform on stage as the Jonas Brothers, but like in front of them and open for them and all these things.

[6:25] Eli Tokash: So it was really, really cool, uh, to kind of hear that story and kind of like hear how it all like went down.

[6:31] Eli Tokash: And if you missed it, then you could totally check them out on like YouTube. There's fellow podcasters and content creators that captured it.

[6:39] Eli Tokash: There, I'm sure you've seen it on like TikTok or social media of some sort, um, if you have been following or like are on the theater um side of those things.

[6:47] Eli Tokash: But uh really cool nonetheless, and uh shout out to the Jonas Brothers. You know, Nick Jonas was obviously uh has a history of Broadway, you know, with how to succeed.

[6:55] Eli Tokash: I know he was in Lay Miz on Broadway. So it was cool to see that kind of connection and kind of their ode to Broadway while doing, you know, their thing and what's brought them success over the years.

[7:09] Eli Tokash: So uh really cool and huge success over at the Marriott Marquis. So shout out to them.

[7:14] Eli Tokash: And uh shout-outs are gonna continue here. We have to shout out Jelani Remy and JJ Neiman and the rest of the full casting company that was just announced for Back to the Future.

[7:27] Eli Tokash: We have some take about family members, such as Jelani Remy and JJ Neiman, who I just named. Um, and then hopefully some more uh future take about family members because you know we have a lot.

[7:37] Eli Tokash: It's a big company, and I hope to be able to chat with some of those wonderful and very talented cast, and Ember Arduino is in it, and Casey likes, obviously, and Roger Bart and um all of these fantastic people.

[7:50] Eli Tokash: So uh it's it's very exciting, and I think it'll be super good. I'm I'm getting very excited about it.

[7:57] Eli Tokash: I wasn't as like I I wasn't like completely sold on it, and I was kind of like confused as to like what they were gonna do and like what it was gonna be.

[8:04] Eli Tokash: But this cast announcement, I don't know how you can't be excited. So um, shout out to to everyone there and can't wait to uh see that when it's on Broadway here and see what they do with it.

[8:14] Eli Tokash: The shout-outs are gonna continue. I was able to see a lot of theater last week.

[8:20] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Last week was spring break. I don't know, it was like weird because I feel like it's been a long week, but like not at all.

[8:28] Eli Tokash: It's been very fast, anyways. Like, I feel like I haven't talked to you guys in a month, but uh we're doing it right now, so it's great.

[8:36] Eli Tokash: Uh, but there's lots to catch up on. So I went to see Chicago, which was great.

[8:40] Eli Tokash: I didn't get to see Jinx Monsoon, and I was very upset about it, but uh the understudy was fabulous, uh, and she did a great job.

[8:48] Eli Tokash: It was interesting to see Chicago now. Um, I saw Chicago when Carly Hughes was in it back in like 20s, maybe 16, and I was literally like a child.

[8:59] Eli Tokash: And and I still am a child, but don't get me wrong. But like I was fully like not even a teenager yet when I saw Chicago the first time, and it kind of like went over my head and scarred me and did all the things a little bit.

[9:11] Eli Tokash: Um, and I just like didn't understand it. But like the fact that I went back and I saw it, and the way that the show is literally just about like show business in a way, and like the crazy things that people do to be involved in the industry and all the things.

[9:26] Eli Tokash: I just had like a completely new uh perspective on it and and a new appreciation for the show.

[9:31] Eli Tokash: And like literally, like why every song in Chicago is like a universally well known like dance or song, or like literally like just a historic piece of musical theater.

[9:45] Eli Tokash: It kind of blew me away. Um, just to like, you know, every other song was like, oh wait, I know that song. Like, oh wait, I know that dance.

[9:51] Eli Tokash: I just learned that in uh dance class, you know. Like it was crazy. Um, but very, very cool.

[9:58] Eli Tokash: And shout out to um one of my Pippin friends, Charlotte Demboise, who just continues to keep on coming back to the show and killing it all these years later as Roxy Hart and and keeps on having these stints with the show.

[10:11] Eli Tokash: So very exciting stuff in there. Chicago's just a well-oiled machine at this point, and uh hopefully we'll get some Chicago people on to talk more about the show.

[10:20] Eli Tokash: But it's uh pretty cool. I also want to shout out Abby Day Phillips, who you all know is a take about family member.

[10:26] Eli Tokash: I love her with all my heart. Brought she did puts on these wonderful cabarets and she did a Broadway breakup cabaret, which was super fun, super exciting.

[10:33] Eli Tokash: You can see a bunch of videos that I'm gonna be releasing here soon on like social media and Instagram, uh, from that night, because you know, casually she had all these fabulous uh performers such as Derek Klenna and we had Joy Woods and Samantha Polly, and um Alex Newell was supposed to be there, but they were out sick and they couldn't make it.

[10:54] Eli Tokash: But uh, just all these fantastic people. I'm the names are escaping me right now, but uh it was really great, and she did a fantastic song, but the night was just like pop like hit after hit after hit, and it was just like some of the most iconic Broadway love songs.

[11:09] Eli Tokash: It just like put you in the mood. Shout out to her. I yeah, for sure.

[11:12] Eli Tokash: Um, I could keep talking about it for days, but I'm not gonna bore you.

[11:15] Eli Tokash: Um, I also want to shout out the everyone over at LaGuardia. It was my first time ever going to LaGuardia this past week.

[11:23] Eli Tokash: And uh on Friday, I was able to see their opera with uh a mentor of mine, and it was just fantastic.

[11:30] Eli Tokash: His granddaughter was performing in this opera at LaGuardia, and I was like, what am I getting myself into here seeing a uh, you know, high school opera?

[11:39] Eli Tokash: And it was I was blown away. Um, I've only been to the Met once, like I've only seen like one opera.

[11:46] Eli Tokash: And uh, so to go experience this, it was pretty neat and really high quality.

[11:52] Eli Tokash: And I hate to say it as a PPAS kid because I know there's a little bit of a rivalry there, but like I was blown away.

[11:57] Eli Tokash: Literally walking into the their theater, it was just like our theater of PPAS is literally in like a basement, and it's like just an auditorium, uh, if that.

[12:06] Eli Tokash: So it's nothing special. But then LaGuardia, you walk in and it's like this very lavish, like crazy, like 40 piece orchestra, and like all of these things.

[12:17] Eli Tokash: I’m I may be exaggerating, I'm 40, but like it was wild, and all of them are students, you know, like the the technicians and the the orchestra and uh all the performers.

[12:27] Eli Tokash: It was just it was incredible. And uh just wanted to shout out all of them.

[12:31] Eli Tokash: I don't even know any of them, but I was literally I was really blown away and moved by it.

[12:36] Eli Tokash: And I didn't know that I liked opera as much as I did until that night. You know, I was super invested in it.

[12:41] Eli Tokash: But speaking of, you know, LaGuardia was a rival of mine. So uh PPAS, shout out to you.

[12:48] Eli Tokash: You guys just did rent. I wasn't able to see it, but uh shout out to you.

[12:52] Eli Tokash: Uh heard it was fantastic, and they were able to perform. Uh they were selected to perform over at the Schubert Theater uh this past Monday on some like it hot's day off uh because of the success that they had, and they were able to do a number from that with a bunch of other high schools that uh they were showcasing and featuring.

[13:09] Eli Tokash: So that was pretty cool. But I also want to shout out where I currently am going and uh my current family, I guess I could say, uh, here at Pace.

[13:17] Eli Tokash: They just did nine to five. Uh they did it uh a couple weeks ago now, but I didn't mention it.

[13:23] Eli Tokash: And I threw these shout-outs, I was just like, oh, I should totally shout you all out.

[13:27] Eli Tokash: So and I know some of you are listening, so shout out to you guys, congratulations. Nine to five was incredible.

[13:32] Eli Tokash: Um, I'd never seen the show before, so it was cool to to experience the show uh for the first time.

[13:38] Eli Tokash: And Mitchell Sink was fantastic, a good friend of mine from a Christmas story.

[13:42] Eli Tokash: He is definitely gonna be coming on the pod here soon.

[13:45] Eli Tokash: And he literally like stole the show comedically and all the things, so it was cool to see him on stage again.

[13:51] Eli Tokash: And uh, you know, a couple other familiar faces, which is super fun.

[13:55] Eli Tokash: Leon A. Shepard, uh George Sullivan and Jake Goodman and a bunch of these fantastic people.

[14:01] Eli Tokash: So everyone go check them out and uh congrats again on a successful run.

[14:05] Eli Tokash: I know these high school shows or in college shows um in respect to LaGuardia and Pace are not easy and super quick.

[14:12] Eli Tokash: So uh shout out to all you guys doing the doing the thing and doing it so well.

[14:16] Eli Tokash: Um so with that being said, I also have been covering a lot of opening nights, and uh we have a ton of content coming to you all very soon.

[14:25] Eli Tokash: The best way to really keep up with all of it is to subscribe on our YouTube channel.

[14:29] Eli Tokash: Go check out at Take About Podcast or Take About Podcast on YouTube.

[14:34] Eli Tokash: You can see all of our fantastic videos so far. We just posted a doll's house.

[14:38] Eli Tokash: We are working on parades and getting that up for all of you.

[14:41] Eli Tokash: And uh, you know, with all these uh opening nights coming, hopefully we get some more of them.

[14:45] Eli Tokash: And they're so fun, and I I just enjoy them all so much.

[14:48] Eli Tokash: So uh look forward to to doing all of that.

[14:52] Eli Tokash: And those videos are so fun to put together, and I know that you all are really gonna enjoy them. So if you're interested in them, go check them out. I mean, it's with all of these fantastic people and famous people that are in the show and come to see the show. It's really, really cool just to get their perspective on the industry and some of the advice that they give is really valuable and sometimes even more valuable than what I'm able to talk about here. Um, because I have such a limited time where I have to just get to the point with them. So um that content is really fun and we'd really appreciate it if you go check that out on YouTube. Uh, you know, do the thing, like, subscribe, do whatever.

And as always, we uh keep you all posted on uh social media. So if you want to follow us there, it's again take about podcast, and uh you can keep up with all the latest things. We are gonna move the opening nights. I know I was releasing them here on a podcast, but it's kind of difficult to showcase a whole red carpet just through audio. So uh we decided to do make those YouTube exclusives. So if you are interested and you do like that stuff, which I know a lot of you do, definitely go check it out because I it's so fun. You guys are gonna love these videos and they we work a lot uh on them the team here at Take About and shout out Tessie shout out Jessica shout out everyone for their help and uh we would really appreciate it if you go check those out. So yeah um that's all I have for you folks this week. I know that was a large chunk of uh of an intro so I'm just gonna stop talking and I'm gonna turn it over to Nikki Renée Daniels.

[16:27] Eli Tokash: So Nikki Renee Daniels curtain up so this week's guest has starred in 11 Broadway shows. What does that even mean? Uh she may have left you blown away by her incredible singing voice or left you crying laughing in your seat most recently as she played Angelica Skyler in Hamilton in Chicago or Jenny in Company on Broadway. She has literally done it all and I cannot wait to talk to her about her career in the industry today. So everyone join me in welcoming to Take A Bow, Nikki Renée Daniels.

[17:02] Nikki Renée Daniels: Hello hi, thank you I'm glad to be here oh my god this is gonna be a a real treat. Um the way I usually like to start these episodes is just asking you how did we get here? You know what inspired you to want to tell stories and be a performer because this world is wild.

[17:20] Nikki Renée Daniels: Well let's see I mean if we take it all the way back to the beginning um when I was younger when I was a young kid I just loved music. Um and I don't come from a super musical family, like my parents didn't sing or play any instruments or do theater. Um, but just something in me. I like thanked my mom for piano lessons, and I started piano when I was five, and I played flute in middle school and the band, and then um I saw my school's production of The Wizard of Oz when I was in I think sixth grade, and I was like, Oh wow, that looks really fun. My good friend was playing the lead, and I thought maybe next year I'll audition for the school musical. But up until that point, I wasn't really like a singer per se.

I was more of a you know, musician. So um I was in for Cinderella and I was cast as the girl in the ensemble tiny part. I had like one little solo line, and I used to get yelled at by the director for not singing loud enough because oh my god, so shy and just like you know, barely singing loud. Um, and so funny. But despite that, I loved like being a part of a theater production, so I decided, oh, I should take some voice lessons. Um, you know, like when I was a kid, you know, your mom would like there was like a catalog of classes you could take over the summer at like the community college, and one was like a voice. So I was like, Oh, let's sign up for this voice class. So I was in a group class and I took voice and I liked it, and so I decided to study privately with that voice teacher, and then pretty naturally, like over that summer, I just kind of like found my voice.

It's like it was in there just waiting to come out, and so I started um taking voice lessons, and then I joined Show choir, and then I quit the band because like theater and show choir was like taking over my high school experience. And then when I was a sophomore, we moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and I found a performing arts high school there, and so I was in heaven because it was like, you know, show choir was a class during the school day, and like we took dance instead of gym. Oh, amazing. Like we had acting class, like during the school day. It was just like kind of a utopia for a kid who loved the arts. So on that journey, I decided I wanted to major in musical theater in college.

[19:39] Nikki Renée Daniels: Wow. And I went to the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music as a musical theater major. And I graduated and like jumped right in.

[19:48] Eli Tokash: That's amazing. And and you've had such an incredible career. So I'm thrilled that that's how it all happened and how we got here. Um, but that's that's wild. It wasn't anything like you just kind of it was always in you, you know. It wasn't anything that really like sparked it, you know. That's pretty wild.

[20:04] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah. Kind of a gradual journey to becoming a singer. I love that. And I mean, now you're like one of the best vocalists on like around, like in this industry. You're just everywhere and doing concerts and everything. Like I always see your name. It's like it's it's unbelievable.

[20:21] Eli Tokash: Um yeah, for sure. Well, I mean, talk to me, because I I mentioned in the intro, you know, most recently you did Company on Broadway, so I I've got to talk to you about it. I mentioned to you, I'm a huge fan of the show.

[20:33] Nikki Renée Daniels: Um, I've never seen Company any other way. Um, this was the only production of Company I saw. Um, so to me, when I'm reading about Company and I'm reading about this show that's making this groundbreaking history, you know, and gender bending these roles and everything, and then I get to see it, and I'm like, well, I I don't see it any other way.

[20:53] Eli Tokash: Like it'd be hard for me to see it another way. What was the process like uh of not only being a part of that, but when you found out, you know, you must have had a much different experience than me saying, like, oh, okay, like to me it was a little normal. It may not have been normal for you. So talk to me about just finding out about this production.

[21:13] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, um, well, I think that I must have, you know, just read on Playbill or something because they did it in London first with Patti and um the London cast. So I heard about it and I thought it was a really cool idea. Um, because now when if you were to do Company as it was originally written, it would need to be sort of a period piece. Because I think in this day and age, no one is um after 35-year-old men to like settle down and get married. You know, it's not as a thing.

[21:41] Nikki Renée Daniels: Um for 30, especially in New York City. Like it's I would I can name you 10 35-year-old men that I know that aren't married, and it's not a real deal. So, you know, for that to be the whole premise of the show, I thought what's a great idea to make it a woman, only because you know, that's like your biological clock starts going if you you're going to your yearly appointments and your doctor's like, well, you're 35. If you want to have kids, you gotta think about it. And you know, when I had my second daughter, I was over 35, and they were like, Well, this is now a geriatric pregnancy. What? They literally call it a geriatric pregnancy because you know 35 and they're you know a lot more worried about something, you know, possibly going wrong. But all that said, like I totally thought it was a genius idea to to use uh to make Bobby a woman because that's the only way to do it so that it's relevant in this day and age.

[22:34] Eli Tokash: Yeah, for sure. I mean, I again, like, never seen it, but it it feels like it would it kind of came from like a misogynistic point of view to this woman empowerment like point of view and perspective of this story. And like, and like couldn't be better.

[22:53] Nikki Renée Daniels: Like, I it just there's no way that I mean, no offense to anyone that's ever done Bobby as a man, uh, but there's no way it was better than you know, you or Katrina doing it.

[23:03] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, you know. Um I had done uh production of Company. Well, I was um when I was in college, they had I did Summer Shock at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, and they had a production of Company.

[23:08] Eli Tokash: No way.

[23:16] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah.

[23:17] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[23:19] Nikki Renée Daniels: I'm from Pittsburgh.

[23:19] Eli Tokash: I'm from I'm from around there, and that's where I started out.

[23:22] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yes, I love the PCLO. Huge shout out.

[23:25] Nikki Renée Daniels: I mean, this production was probably before you were even born, but no. They hire ensemble members to be in the ensemble for the whole summer. So the last show was Company, and in the original Company, they had four ladies who sang in the pit and sort of um enhanced the sound. Sure. And I assume they were also understudies for some of the female roles. So I was one of those pit singers, basically, the production and Pittsburgh CLO. And so Malcolm Getz was Bobby and Michelle Coc was Joanne, and Wow. People in the cast.

[23:56] Eli Tokash: Oh, Wesley Kritzer, I think was Martha.

[23:59] Nikki Renée Daniels: Quinn, yes.

[24:04] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, I can't think of. But anyway, it was a great cast. And so that was my first experience with the show. And back then it still kind of worked. I don't know if we said it as a period piece or if they said it in the year 2000. I can't remember, but it was still a little bit doable then, but I think now it's just you couldn't set it in 2022 and have a male Bobby and have it be believable.

[24:23] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it just wouldn't be as that impactful, you know.

[24:27] Nikki Renée Daniels: Um Well, I'm curious because you you first of all, you obviously played Jenny in the show, but then you also understudied Bobby in this time of COVID, um, which you know, shut you down during the rehearsal process, and then you open back up, and it was just massive. So what was it like to to what was that process like? You know, obviously you guys were testing and everything, but just being a cover during that time.

[24:53] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, I mean, well, I'm just we were just amazed that we even came back. You know, like when we first put us down, we were we I think we had done maybe either five or nine previews and they were like, Oh, we're gonna shut down and we'll see you next month. Like I on my Facebook memories, I c I just ran across a few things that were like, wash your hands and we'll see you April 14th.

[25:14] Nikki Renée Daniels: Oh my gosh. We had no idea that it was gonna be like eighteen months, I think, before we came back together.

[25:21] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[25:22] Nikki Renée Daniels: So just the so we were, you know, part of the pandemic time, we were worried that the show just wouldn't come back because a lot of shows didn't, you know, shows that were doing well, like Frozen I think Mean Girls didn't come back and um but thankfully Chris Harper, who paid our salaries lap. He did what he needed to do to get us back, and so we were so thrilled. We would do anything to be back.

[25:46] Nikki Renée Daniels: We were in mass for the whole day of rehearsals and we were testing. I think every day we would have to h uh hit the testing place by nine thirty so that we could have our results for our ten o'clock start time.

[25:59] Eli Tokash: Oh wow.

[26:03] Nikki Renée Daniels: And in a lot of ways, we were wondering if our business would ever recover from you know, devastating event. So we were just super happy to be back. And I really have to give Marianne and Chris credit because we went back into the rehearsal room for like five weeks. You know, people even like, oh, we were in previews, so let's just like get to the theater and like remount what we did and just like go.

[26:25] Nikki Renée Daniels: And Mary Ann really wanted to take the time to sit back down and like discuss our scenes again and anything we wanted to bring up that maybe hit differently now that we're you know different people 18 months later, and you know, we rediscovered everything, and I have to say that it was invaluable because I feel like the show not that it wasn't good before, I thought it was still great in the before times, but it had so much deeper meaning um this time, I think.

[26:51] Eli Tokash: Yeah, and I'm sure as a performer, I mean you could never have enough rehearsal process. So to be able to just like sit on a text, you know, obviously you guys didn't know it was coming back, but just to have gone through a year and a half of your life a little bit more maturing stuff's going on, craziness, um, and uh you know, probably to come back, it was a whole new show and perspective that you guys were kind of putting out there. So I'm sure that would process was uh much needed for sure.

[27:18] Nikki Renée Daniels: Um well, you became the first black lady to lead uh iconic show as Company. I mean, everyone's done a production of Company. Um what what did that mean to you, especially in the time, you know, during the pandemic where all of this racial uh awakening kind of was going on and these movements were going on. Um so what did that mean to you as a not only a performer but also like you as a person?

[27:43] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, I mean, you know, there were I've I've lived in the city for over 20 years, and there were some Sondheim productions that came along that I couldn't even get an audition for just because they weren't really people of color. So the fact that I was cast in this and then able to sort of make history as the first African American Bobby, male or female on Broadway was a moment for me. I didn't I don't think I realized how big of um of a how much attention it would get uh for me going on. Like when you're in the process, you're like oh I've an understudy I've gotta learn this part I've gotta you know go to these rehearsals and and and do learn how to climb down this rabbit hole and like you know you're you're more focused on just like technical things you need to do to be able to go on but I sort of forgot about the uh broader implications it had like societal implications it had yeah I was amazed when I went on at how how many people flooded to the theater to come see me and like I would see people at the stage door like young African American women that were just like this life changing to get to see you do this like I've love theater I've loved Sondheim and I've never seen anyone who looked like me in a lead role in a Sondheim show not like this you know and so you know it just it it hit me that it was such a bigger moment than me yeah just a a bigger moment in terms of representation and just in that whole run where I was on a lot of people were on because a lot of people the dominoes started falling with COVID.

[29:18] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah exactly all the understudies started going on and like I looked around and like at one show it was like me as Bobby or Shidra who played Susan every night uh Brittany Coleman as Jenny playing my part and um Catherine Allison playing Sarah Jen Jennifer Smore's part and like the four of us are up here with Patty and we're just like you know we're looking around like we're here and we're doing this and we're doing it well and and people are seeing it and maybe for the next Sondheim revival, it won't be hard for those kids 20 years behind me to get an audition, you know, to just be seen and to be accepted into that world.

[29:56] Nikki Renée Daniels: So it was everything. That's crazy. But that's amazing. And the fact that you were a part of that, you know, history and that I don't know, realization for the younger generation that's that's amazing. Um talk to me about Sondheim, you know. I I mean, obviously, yeah, there was a lot of emotions going on during the production with you know, everything happening, um, obviously passing away. But, you know, he was heavily involved in the process. And I I uh what was it like just to you know, be able to have him in the room, kind of learn from him, ask him questions about the character in the show? Like that that must be such a wild experience.

[30:38] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, I mean, he wasn't there every day. Um he was certainly a a part of it, you know. We made some little script changes and tweaks and he always had to approve them, or maybe we would send him a suggestion and he would change it to something else that was like in the middle, like fix the problem, but not but use his own words to fix it or whatever the case might be. And he was there for like our final run-throughs and he was there at the Zitz probe and he was there at the first preview. So just I mean, for me, like he's he's everything in theater, like in the theater, he's it, like he's the pinnacle. Right. And you know, I when I was sixteen, I like read all of his scripts and and listened to all of his scores and just was like, this is the best of the best in what we do.

And so just the idea that I would be in like in our sits probe, he was, you know, with his cell phone, like make taking video. Oh you know, and it was like he I mean it was just such a huge moment for me as a performer to and I'm so proud and honored that I got to sort of work with him and like be in something that the last show of his that he was able to see on Broadway. And we saw him at the first preview, and he was so clear and so happy and so excited about the show. He loved our production. He talked to us about how he wished George Firth could have seen it, who wrote the book. Um, you know, he was just so proud of it. And so when he passed away, it just really felt like we were taking his legacy and like sort of carrying the torch.

And we I was so glad that we were there for anyone that wanted to come celebrate him in a way or like support his his legacy, they could come see our show and like feel like they were, you know, taking in his his genius in a visceral way, you know, right after he passed. So it just felt like we were carrying his torch.

[32:32] Eli Tokash: Absolutely. And you said it, like, you know, his legacy here on Broadway and in in musical theater in general. I mean, it's it's quite the resume, and it seems like now lately, you know, he's had like a whole uh second wave here on Broadway with Company into the woods, Sweeney Todd now, and like all these things are coming back. And you know, it's been said by performers and everything that like, you know, his work is some of the hardest uh material to attack and and do every night. You know, what was that experience like for you? And you know, I'm sure it was a mouthful every night. I'm sure there was so much there was always something new that you got you could explore and do. Uh so what was it just w like just working on his material?

[33:16] Nikki Renée Daniels: Oh, I mean, you gotta love it. I mean, he's like our modern-day Shakespeare, and it just goes so much. It doesn't show the strength of the work that you can take it from a male lead in 1970 and bring it to a female lead in 2022. Sure. It works, it just works because it's solid and the work is and the work is good enough to be morphed into um whatever is relevant in today's society. So just getting to work on his material. I was so happy because I I've loved his you know stuff since I was a teen. And so to get to do that complicated opening number and to get to like and just even in my bedroom practicing my understudy material, like the it just gives you so much to chew on. His lyrics are just so being alive and marry me a little, like they're so complex.

And for an actor, it gives you so much to work with, and in a way, make so much to like make it your own and to make it different from whoever's doing it at night, because you couldn't possibly it's just so nuanced that you couldn't possibly just take someone else's performance and do it as an understudy. You have to make it your own as an actor put yourself into it. And so it was just you know, there's nothing better than getting to work on good material. You don't have to make it into something, you don't have to, as we say, polish a turd when sometimes you get some material that's that you've got to make it work. Like it's just you can really just live in the words and and breathe life into it as a performer. It's just the greatest challenge and so much fun.

[34:47] Eli Tokash: Yeah, absolutely. And you also talk about, you know, just doing it uh again, you know, bringing it back to life and everything in in this new way. I think that has something to say about like revivals in general and just revivals in musical theater. I mean, so many of us say, Oh, we just want to like originate a role or do something new, and that's totally true. But like, what is it about a revival that, you know, is already done, has already been done, but bringing it back to making it something like completely new? How special can a revival be here in this Broadway?

[35:22] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, well, I mean, all theater is meant to be done over and over in different places with different people, you know. I mean, yeah, of course, it's ideal to sort of create something and and uh make yourself the mold for that character. But when you're doing a revival from scratch, you can still sort of make it your own. And so we were able to, you know, in our scene also, Bobby was uh female, but in Jenny and David scene, I was basically reading the David lines and Christopher Christmas. Right. Jenny, and we sort of swapped that. And so, you know, we were able to talk about that dynamic of being like a stay-at-home dad with uh, you know, working mom, you know, corporate wife. And like, what that's come on.

So we were able to just you know, and even uh Susan and Susan and uh Peter's scene was also switched. Like wow Peter was the one with the wilting flower that couldn't stand heights, and you know, and then Susan's the one that's like the strong one in the relationship. So once again, it speaks to the the brilliance of his work that we were able to do all of those changes without changing much of the original script.

[36:34] Eli Tokash: Yeah, for sure. It's it's incredible. I I loved the show. I literally saw it like four times. I was like something wild during previews, during opening. I was like, oh, I loved it. And of course, you know, seeing those new uh relationships with all the obviously in the COVID times, seeing Jen as Patty, you know, was pretty neat and all the things. So yeah, I I loved it. I could talk about it for days, but we're gonna talk a little bit more about the rest of your career. Um let's talk about Hamilton because I mean okay, Hamilton is Hamilton. It's literally arguably the most popular musical of this generation. Um so what was it like just to to be a part of that, which is something that's completely new kind of in musical theater? Um it's a probably a different experience, right?

[37:19] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, I mean, it was it was such a dream because I was such a fan of the show. Yeah. You know, once you've been upgraded, I've done like ten shows and but at the time Hamilton came out. Like I you know, as long as I love seeing new theater, I wasn't like as much of a fan girl as I was maybe in the high school, but Hamilton made me like a true fangirl. Come on. It brought the theater kit out of all of us for sure.

[37:43] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, I mean, like Lynn and I are around the same age, so the music was just like it felt like the music that I grew up with and like even the first time I was in the audience watching it, like I could finish some of the sentences because I knew what that song he was quoting from like, you know, biggie L Cool J or whatever it was, I just like got it. It just felt like you know, back in the day, musicals were like the popular music of the day. Like South Pacific, you would hear those songs on the radio or whatever. So Hamilton's Hamilton to me felt like the first time I was watching something where it's like, oh, this is like the music I grew up to and would sing, you know, or would rap to or whatever.

So it was so cool getting to be a part of it. Um when I saw I saw it I think before even like the cast recording came out. So like one as soon as the cast recording came out, I got it. It was memorized. It was come on. Repeat. So and I always thought actually that I was more of an Eliza in the show.

[38:39] Eli Tokash: Really?

[38:40] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah. And I think that's just because I was used to being whoever the ingenuity is, that's me. And so but you know, I've like aged into Angelica. And so I when I first auditioned for the show, I like was trying to get in for the tour, they wouldn't see me, they wouldn't see me. And then finally I got an audition for Eliza, like literally like two weeks after I had my daughter. Wow. My first audition I go in in like two pairs of spanks, and I'm like, I'm Eliza. And they're like, You're not. Um why don't we have see you again when you can come in for Angelica, like in some future date. So then maybe a year later, I was just about to finish up my run in the Book of Mormon, and they were like, Would you be interested in coming in for Angelica?

Um, maybe for the tour or for Chicago production, and I was like, sure. So I went in and um I was cast, and then they were trying to figure out which company would work best, and with the kids and everything, we thought Chicago was better because it's like a stationary spot.

[39:27] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah. And so um yeah, and so then I got to go into the show, and what amazed me as a replacement, because I've replaced quite a few times, but Tommy Kale was there, like Wow Morcane, like Annie Lang really came, like they were maintaining this production, and this was year three of Chicago. And I went in, they knew that they were closing in January of um twenty twenty, and so I started in April, and like we all knew it was gonna be like a nine month thing, and so there was no, you know, other shows I've been in, they just uh in year four or five of a show, they're not as hands-on, which is fine. That's like how it goes. But Tommy came like right before my first show. I worked with him, I rehearsed with him a little bit.

Wow, but the resident director, Jess McLeod, was also amazing. And they really did not encourage you to like be a carbon copy of anyone. They wanted you to like make it your own, and like even the little blocking things were flexible to like make it more true to what you wanted to do with the character, and it was just so nice to um not feel like, oh, I've gotta make sure I got I hit number eight right at this time, and I've gotta like this way and look and point this finger. You know, some people are sometimes when you replace they're a lot more specific about they want you to sort of be right in this little box, and that wasn't the case with Hamilton at all. They really encouraged me to put my own stamp on it.

[41:04] Nikki Renée Daniels: Alex and I came up with a riff that worked better for Satisfied because of it, you know, like they just really tried to custom tailor as much as they could the part so that I felt comfortable uh in my skin doing it, and so yeah, I was just amazed at the care that they took with the production, and I think that's part of why it's been such a big success, even now or seven years past whenever it opened, because they encourage even the understudies and people that go on, like they they make it fresh and they make it new, and it's like what we said about Sunday, like if the writing is good, it's on the page, so you can perform it that in a way that's true to you and still tell the story, you know. So it was just one of the best. I I mean my favorite, probably my favorite role I've ever got to play.

[41:50] Eli Tokash: Really?

[41:51] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah. Oh my god. And is it because of like the whole like fandom that kind of went into it beforehand, or is it just like it's a little bit all of it, but I mean, Satisfied is just the greatest, like you can never do it the same way twice. It's like an actor's three, and there's so many, there's so much going on, it's so brilliant. I have to give a shout out to Andy Mike and Miller because like the detail and the rewind and how it all goes backward, and it's just so well done, and it so supports the Angelica and just the relationship between her and her sister, and it's just such a it's like an actor's dream. You know, you get to do that, and then you get to do it's quiet uptown, which is like heartbreaking, and then you get to do the Reynolds Bamplet, which is telling off Hamilton. It's just like so it was just everything. And you're kind of like a little featured player, but you don't have to carry the show.

[42:43] Nikki Renée Daniels: Right. So it's like you don't have the stress of being like, oh, I've got to be like on for three hours, you know. You come out and do your like Skywish sisters and it's fun, and then you do Satish helpless, and you're like, duh. And then you alter a little bit, and then you go to London, and then you know what I mean? Like just the right amount without making you stressed about being able to do it eight shows a week.

[43:04] Eli Tokash: For sure. But it's so cool. Like I think that's something that makes Hamilton so special is that like it's an ensemble piece, like that that that is the definition of it. Like that should be the definition of an ensemble piece. Everyone has their features, everyone has their moment. Even the dancers, you know, like they get their moments, you know. It's just there's so much in it uh for everyone, and I don't know. I would literally want to play anyone in that cast, you know.

[43:32] Nikki Renée Daniels: The principles other than Hamilton and Burr, the principles really do step into that ensemble and support those actors. Yeah. I thought, oh, I do satisfied, and then I go off stage for 10 minutes, and it's like, no, then you go and you go up on that top level, and you're like still doing a little during every song. Right. So I don't want to make it seem like it was a cakewalk, but you also go out there and support and be that like support for the people that are telling the story in the middle. So it's exactly really cool. You mentioned, you know, with your kids, Chicago being like a maybe a more accessible uh choice for the family and everything. You know, I've talked about a lot about being like a broad like a kid on Broadway and the what the parents have to do. I I'm curious just to hear the being a parent on Broadway, like what that whole thing. I've never thought of it like that, and how that can influence your decisions.

[44:25] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah. What is that like? Yeah. Well, going to Chicago was a big um decision because you know, my husband was also doing Titsy on Broadway at the time when I was there.

[44:35] Nikki Renée Daniels: So he was standing by for Santino for the Lie Roll and Tootsie. Amazing. Um, all while solo parenting for most of the week. And so I would do my matinee on Sunday, and after at five o'clock, I would run to the train, go to the airport and get on a seven o'clock flight, come back to New York every Sunday. I did it like 35 times. Uh-uh. New York Sunday night, Monday spent with the kids with the fam, um, Tuesday at noon, I'll go back to the airport. I would drop off my daughter at school, have brunch with uh Jeff and my other daughter who wasn't in school yet, go to the airport and go back in for my Tuesday night show. And so I did that like 33 times, and then over the summer, they stayed with me in Chicago, and Jeff flew back and forth to us, which was a little more complicated because his day off was Wednesday.

Oh uh or two or Thursday or something. So anyway, it was hard for him to get back and forth. Um, but yeah, they stayed with me in Chicago for the summer, and then so I try to it's tough when you because you know you don't want to be away from your family, but I tried to do it in like two four month chunks. I was like, it's gonna be four months of the traveling, and then I'll have them for the summer, and then four more months, and then we'll be done. But um, we just took it a week at a time and we made it work because you know, I really wanted to do Hamilton. It was just like a lifetime opportunity, and we made it work, and then in company, my husband, I don't know if you know, is an understudy in company also.

[46:04] Eli Tokash: Oh my gosh, I didn't realize that.

[46:06] Nikki Renée Daniels: They brought him on as additional help with the whole you know pandemic understudy situation. It turned out the people needed more coverage than they thought they did. So we started um in like January of 2022. So we were both on that company schedule with the girls, and so you know, unreal team of babysitters who you know, we would take them through every morning at 6:30. Like they my daughters go to the special music school, so they have um one place of food and one place of violins. We practice their instruments with them in the morning.

[46:39] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[46:42] Nikki Renée Daniels: Pick them up most days unless it's a Wednesday with two shows, and then you know, come home, eat dinner at like 4:30.

[46:49] Eli Tokash: Oh my gosh.

[46:51] Nikki Renée Daniels: So you know, we it's it's really tricky uh Broadway schedule with kids, but yeah, they get work and it's better than traveling.

[46:59] Eli Tokash: Right. Well, I'm sure it's gotta be tricky because like you know, it's not a typical work day, it's not a nine to five when they're in school, you know. You they come home from school and you gotta go to work. It's gotta be wild. Wow. I that that's that's insane. And no days off for you during Hamilton is possibly even more impressive. Like, holy moly, you need a day off. Come on. At least you hopefully you're enjoying this time in between, right?

[47:24] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah to kind of recover. You're you probably deserve you need it. You deserve it for sure.

[47:29] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, well, I have to admit, when we thought it was just gonna be a month off, I was like, oh thank goodness, just a minute to breathe. And I I actually clo we closed Hamilton in Chicago on like January 5th on a Sunday night and that Monday morning, January 6th, I started rehearsal for company.

[47:44] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[47:45] Nikki Renée Daniels: It was like I went from all that crazy whirlwind of Hamilton to like the next day company. And then we had the whole 18 months during the pandemic. So actually it was kind of nice to like be like I re reconnected with the family more and had a lot a lot of quality time together. And also my mom was sick so I was able to go visit her more and like you know the a Broadway schedule just wouldn't allow for you to like be there for weeks with you know a sick parent. So it was like for me the perfect time to slow down. I mean not that I I would want another pandemic to ever happen but the definite silver linings in terms of family time.

[48:28] Eli Tokash: For sure. Well that's great. Um I I we were talking about uh Hamilton and and kind of you know you being very excited for that. I'm curious you know what is 11 Broadway shows later what is it that keeps you engaged? Like what ki what keeps you wanting more what is it the work is you've played some of the most iconic roles in some of the most incredible shows.

[48:51] Nikki Renée Daniels: So a vet is yourself what what keeps you excited and what gets you excited I guess to to go in for things.

[48:58] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah I mean I just truly love it. Like I just I love especially singing. Like I'm I've been doing a lot of concert um work, like symphony concert solo work in the past year, and I love that because I'm like truly a nerd musician at heart. Um but I just love I think what I love most about theater is that I'm naturally kind of like a shy person. Like I don't really like, you know, where you have to kind of talk as yourself, like as a host or like introduce things or like be yourself talking out or talking in songs and like a cabaret, like I get nervous for that. Like, so I love going into a musical where you like are someone else and you're playing and you and I love the sing more than anything, so you use the your voice to like tell the the most extreme moments of their excitement or pain, or you know, whatever the moments are, you're able to use your instrument to give life to those stories. It's just the best feeling, and I just I just love doing it.

[49:58] Eli Tokash: Yeah, well, that's good. So it's it's kind of just the your your your passion for it. You know, it just you that that's amazing because you don't want to be doing something you don't love because there are you know people that are just like it's Sunday, it's like oh boy, here we go, you know. You at least you have that spark alive still.

[50:16] Nikki Renée Daniels: I love it. Well, I mean, I would just say that you know, some on their second show three years into your run in the book of Mormon that you're not who would maybe rather go home. But I kind of think of you know that audience. There's someone out there, this is their first show, or they've never even if it's their 20th rower show that they're watching, they've never seen you in this show or whatever. So you owe it to them to give them a good performance.

[50:41] Eli Tokash: For sure. Yeah, and I'm sure too, like it this industry is blessed with some of the most incredible people. So I'm sure there's some people in this industry too that you know you can't pass up an opportunity, you know. Like put put your resume. I mean, you've worked with Joshua Henry, Norm Lewis, Audrey Down, all in one show, and Porgy and Vest. Like that, like Patti LuPone and all these fantastic people in company. Just to continue to learn from them and be in a room with them and and kind of be a scene partner with them, you know?

[51:25] Nikki Renée Daniels: Absolutely. I mean, I've been so lucky to work with so many of my idols, you know, like Sutton Foster, Kristen with uh Audra, who is everything and will always be everything, and Patti LuPone, who is the queen of all of it.

[51:42] Eli Tokash: Never heard of her.

[51:50] Nikki Renée Daniels: And it's just I feel so lucky, especially to work with Patty. I don't know, something about I mean, of course, Audra, because she was always my um as a black soprano, she was like the thing, the one. Sure. And you know, when I got that carousel recording, I was like, oh wait, I could actually do this. Like, I you know, you've got to see it to be it, that whole thing. I was first time I saw it and was like, oh, that person is doing like what I do, and she is successful, and maybe there's a place or path for me in this in this industry.

[52:24] Nikki Renée Daniels: Wow. And then to work with Patty, who you're like, she's done everything. So literally. He was Ava Premon. It's like literally being able to sit back stage and be like, Patty, what was it like doing eight shows a week is Evita? Or like, what was it like doing your um what was the show she did Le Mouche? The show she did at Le Mouche, like while she was doing a Vita. She was doing a club act. Oh my god. After the show she did it. Like she would do as Ava and then go do an hour long club act that was like famous. And I was like, How did you do that? And she told me about how she felt like, you know, everyone was coming to the show and they were seeing her play Avita, and they thought that that was her, like that that woman, her, and she felt like she wanted to do something that showed who she really was in that together this club act.

And I was like, I can't believe you were able to do it. But just to be able to like sit down and like ask her anything about her current her amazing career is just so cool. And to even just, you know, see these people just work right in front of you, like to see that dedication still there after doing everything in their career.

[53:36] Eli Tokash: Yeah, and too, that they're just normal people. You know, you tend to think of like this queen of everything, like she's not gonna be nervous, she's gonna like come in and like and you'd be like, oh no, she's like an actor like us, like first review, she's worried about where her chair is going and then the big dance number, is she gonna get the right pattern? You know what I mean? Like she's yeah, they're just humans who happen to be insanely talented, but they are just human beings that are doing this with you, and especially Patty, she's such an ensemble member. Like she really like the first end of the first week, she knew every PA, every intern's name.

[54:16] Nikki Renée Daniels: Oh.

[54:17] Eli Tokash: Like, oh, okay, Patti LuPone can know everyone's name. Everyone else needs it a lot.

[54:21] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah.

[54:22] Eli Tokash: Better do some homework. She treated it with respect, not like you need to have me here, but like I'm part of this company, and I'm gonna, you know, behave.

[54:32] Nikki Renée Daniels: It's a team.

[54:33] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[54:34] Nikki Renée Daniels: Yeah, that's incredible. I mean, I've I think that's an amazing place to leave off there. Thank you so much, Nikki, for joining me today and talking about your career. You have so much to to be proud of, and you have so much to take about. So uh yeah, yes, thank you so much for doing this. This has been lovely. Seriously, it's so nice to meet you.

[54:40] Nikki Renée Daniels: Thank you.

[54:53] Eli Tokash: So nice to meet you too. Thank you. Take about Nikki Renée Daniels.

[55:00] Nikki Renée Daniels: Oh, yes, thank you. We love a virtual vow.

[55:04] Eli Tokash: Take about Nikki Renée Daniels.

[55:07] Nikki Renée Daniels: Oh, that was so much fun. You know, it was really cool, like as a performing kid, like a child performer, uh, to talk about what it's like for a parent who's going through the whole thing, you know.

[55:19] Eli Tokash: Like, I never thought of the people in my cast that had to go home to their children.

[55:24] Nikki Renée Daniels: You know, I would always be like, Oh, I haven't seen my dad today, you know. I can't imagine what like their kids are saying, and they're even like younger than me. So uh to talk to Nikki about that and like taking jobs out of town and and having uh both your mom and dad on Broadway is kind of crazy. And I guess that's why they started the whole like Broadway babysitting uh type of company and thing that they have going on. That's been very pivotal for a lot of Broadway performers, I know for sure. Um, so it was just really, really cool to talk to talk to her and um talk about you know life in the industry as a parent, as as the first black woman to or a black person in general to lead a production of company.

All of those things were just really, really fun and really, really cool topics to talk about, and just working with Stephen Sondheim and Patti LuPone, those stories were fantastic. So uh huge shout out to Nikki for coming on and taking the time to chat with me and give us all a little bit of entertainment this week. Hopefully, you all enjoyed them. I know uh, you know, company is obviously not going on right now, but uh you will be able to see her on stage really soon because I did I as I was talking to her, she did ask, you know, like when does this come out? Because there are things coming that I would love to talk about, but it was coming out today, so it wasn't ready to be talked about, uh, unfortunately.

But when that stuff does come out, I will obviously be sure to let you all know and you can follow her on whatever she's she's up to, and uh can't wait to see her back on stage really soon because uh as I said, her voice is ridiculous, she's uh so talented. I she made me lose my mind in uh company, so I can't wait to to see what's next for her. If you do want to follow her, I didn't mention this in the interview portion or anything. It is on Instagram, Nikki N-I-K-K-I, Renee R-E-N-E-E sings, S-I-N-G-S. So there is that, and you can keep up with the latest on her. Um, but obviously I'll keep y'all updated because I love to support and uh remind y'all what's going on with the take about fam. So yeah, that's all I have for you folks this week.

I uh again would love for you all to check out the YouTubes, check out uh all any of the episodes that uh maybe you haven't listened to, and as always, I hope you enjoyed this week's episode. I hope you all learned something, and if you didn't, hopefully you just had a good time. So, uh, thanks again for listening, and let's do it again next week, shall we? Bye, everyone. Have a great week.

[57:59] Eli Tokash: For this episode's curtain call, I would like to recognize a few people who also deserve to take a bow. This podcast would not be possible without the help from Dory Barenstein, Alan Seals, Kimberly Garrett, and the team at the Broadway Podcast Network. Next in line to take a bow are our fabulous editors, Jessica Gorin, 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 McMahon, 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.

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 Take About 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.