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[0:02] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 183 of Take A Bow. I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and this week, as always, we have a very, very exciting episode. We have a cast member from Here Lies Love on the podcast today. Unfortunately, Here Lies Love is, if you didn't listen to last week's episode or if you're not on the theater Twitters or whatever, you're following those accounts, you may or may not know that Here Lies Love is closing on Broadway, and Here Lies Love is one of the most revolutionary shows on Broadway right now that's currently changing the game for Broadway in multiple senses. I mean, the fact that they have a cast of all Filipino actors and performers is one thing, and then the way that they change their stage and their theater, the way that they are doing that whole thing, and they have audiences in the show.

It's a very crazy ordeal, and you kind of have to be there to really understand it. But just like everything about it, it's just unbelievable, and they are truly changing the game for Broadway. So I was thrilled to have someone from the show on today to talk about that experience and creating that and bringing those stories to Broadway and that type of history and creativity to the Broadway stage. So we have Aaron Alcaraz on the podcast, and he's also been in Negroes on Broadway and Trevor, all these things. So he has a wonderful career, and you're gonna love this conversation. So before we get into that, as always, let's talk about some Broadway news, shall we?

[1:56] Eli Tokash: First of all, I'm gonna start off and say I saw Shocked again last week. I mentioned it on last week's episode that I was going. It is still so good. I am so sad that it's closing. I never got to see Caroline Inkerbacher as the lead role of Maisie in the show. But this time I got to see Izzy McCollah, or Isabella McCall, who you may know from The Prom, and she's gonna be in Water for Elephants. She's fantastic in the show. I thought she was brilliant, and there's just a different story and energy when you have a leader like that in the show who's led the show or been featured in a Broadway show already and has that experience. It just really does something for the show because it's not your typical casting compared to Caroline.

Caroline has that southern look to her, but Izzy came in and just wrapped you up into that story, and it's so brilliant. I have to say, that show is so brilliant on so many levels. They market it around the whole corn and everything, and I totally get it, but it really is so much more than corn. It's about community, and it's about love, and it's about helping one another and coming together to solve a problem or a crisis. I just think it's so beautiful and something that everyone needs to see. Honestly, I'm so thrilled that it's going on tour because it's gonna be shared with the entire nation, and I'm excited for more audiences to see it because it's something that especially those small towns can really, really relate to. So congrats to them, and I love the show, and hopefully we get some Shocked folks on before they close here on Broadway.

[4:04] Eli Tokash: Happy opening to Harmony, the Barry Manilow musical that he wrote. It's being directed by Warren Carlyle. The songs, of course, were co-written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman. They've been trying to bring this show to Broadway for 30 years, and it is just so incredible the journey that they went on, and I cannot wait to go see the show. We were fortunate enough to be at the red carpet opening night for the show, and we will have content from that coming very soon. The cast is so lovely. Y'all are gonna enjoy these interviews, and we have some fun. So definitely worth checking out. That'll be up soon, and I'll let you all know when that happens. But happy opening to all of y'all, and 15 Broadway debuts, not a big deal. It's amazing. Everyone go check out Harmony on Broadway.

[5:02] Eli Tokash: I'm so excited because another piece of little Eli, I guess, take about tidbits for this week. I'm gonna be seeing the first preview of How to Dance in Ohio, and I'm actually seeing it tonight on Wednesday. My thoughts on the show and everything, I'm gonna put into the outro. So I'll record the outro a little bit later on tonight, and I'll give y'all an update. I'm just so excited to see the show. They had cast members come to Pace because there's a Pace alumni in the show, and he brought a couple cast members to chat with us. What they're doing, the process, they really talked a lot about what they're doing in the process is truly remarkable and unlike anything that I've ever heard of on Broadway and ever experienced in my experience working in this industry and on Broadway.

I'm thrilled to go see the show and support it, and hopefully, very soon we will be going to either the opening night or having someone from the cast on to really open up about the experience because they have a lot of neurodivergent performers in the cast, but they also have a lot of neurotypical performers in the cast. The way that they've kind of balanced that and have experienced that and what they're doing, the lengths that they're going to ensure that it's inclusive for all and everyone is feeling safe and feeling as though they have the proper resources to succeed in the show is really remarkable. I can't wait to hopefully share those stories with you and bring a cast member on. Of course, come with you tonight for thoughts on the shows. Hopefully, I'll be seeing it in the preview process, obviously the first preview, and then hopefully after it opens, I'll go back and see what changes they made. So very exciting stuff.

[7:10] Eli Tokash: Okay, moving on from me. This is the real Broadway news. I am so excited. This is my favorite time of year. Broadway Cares is back, and everyone is in the giving mood. We're about to be in the holiday season; Thanksgiving's coming up, literally next week, which is crazy and so exciting. I truly like Broadway Cares is my favorite time of year. I love Broadway Cares so much that every show that I was in, I always wanted to do the Broadway Cares speech. Finally, if there were a few moments in Finding Everland for just a couple shows, like if Matthew was feeling sick or Laura Michelle Kelly didn't want to do it, or Tony Yazbeck or whoever was the leads at that time, if their voices weren't like if they kind of were wanting to save it or whatever it was, they would be like, does anyone else want to do it?

I'd always volunteer, and I was like, they'd never let a kid do it, and they let me do it. I love this time of year so much. I'll never forget that. You know, Broadway Cares, it's a wonderful cause, and everyone should be checking that out during this time of year while they do the red bucket season. I've seen videos from Merrily We Roll Along of them auctioning off a paper that Jonathan Groff writes on from the typewriters to Daniel Radcliffe during the show, and they're auctioning those off. I've seen it go from 2,000 to 5,000. I mean, it is crazy. Y'all are in the giving mood. I love to see it continue supporting, continue to go to shows for those once-in-a-lifetime props and opportunities to take home Broadway memorabilia.

[8:23] Eli Tokash: Speaking of Merrily We Roll Along, they dropped, I don't know if I want to say like a surprise, they surprised everyone and dropped a cast album because I think a lot of us were hoping for the cast album. But they literally just never talked about it, they never announced it, and then all of a sudden they were like, hey guys, our cast album is coming out at midnight, and we were like, what? This is crazy. So that's out, and honestly, y'all need to listen to it because these songs are so good. If you're not familiar with the show, it's unbelievable. Franklin Shepard Inc., if that song alone doesn't get Daniel Radcliffe a Tony award or nomination, I don't even know what to say, but that is definitely worth the listen. Of course, they have the iconic songs like Our Time, they have Opening Doors. It started out like a song. There's so many great songs in the show, and definitely go check them out if you love it.

[10:01] Eli Tokash: All right, moving on. Oh, Steve Carell will be making his Broadway debut in the revival of Uncle Vanya. I think I'm saying that right, Uncle Vanya. That's happening over at Lincoln Center Theater, and it's gonna be alongside Alison Pill, Alfred Molina, and Anika Noni Rose. I'm so thrilled for this. Steve Carell and Alison actually were in a movie together, Dan in Real Life. It's gonna be cool to see those folks working together again. Now on Broadway, I don't know, something about Steve Carell on Broadway just makes sense to me. I'm so excited for it. I don't know if I really put much thought into it prior to this, but now that he's here, I'm like, thank God. I would literally just, I think I'd go missing if I had the opportunity to talk to Steve Carell about being on Broadway.

Truly, that would be a dream of mine. Him and Grant Gustin all in one season, you know, just take all my money, take all my being, it's insane. For anyone who's interested in Uncle Vanya, performances begin over at Lincoln Center on April 2nd of 2024, and I will absolutely be in attendance of one of those shows, so can't wait for that.

[11:24] Eli Tokash: Other things happening this week. Mean Girls, Mean Girls movie trailer. Okay, we gotta talk about this, y'all. I don't know how to feel. The Mean Girls movie trailer looks great. I wasn't in love with the initial trailer that they dropped. First of all, and this is no shame to Olivia Rodrigo or anything because I think she's a queen and I love her so much, and I love her music, and I love High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, all the things. But it just made zero sense for me for them to use their song. They're doing a movie musical. We all know Mean Girls on Broadway songs; your audience knows these songs, so give the people what they want. She was singing, I wanna get him back. I don't even know the real name of the song.

I know I wanna make him really jealous, I wanna make him really sad. I can't remember the song off the top of my head what it's called, but that's what they were playing, and I was like, give us World Burn. We all are Renee Rap stands, and we want to hear her sing her song. We want to hear her ball her face off. I don't know, I was just very confused. I'm happy. It seems like from the original trailer, everyone was kind of up in arms, not up in arms, but everyone was a little disappointed. They were like, okay, this literally looks like just a casual remake of Mean Girls: The Musical: The Movie. I don't think a lot of your non-Broadway fans realized that it was a musical or that there even is a musical, or like I don't think they realized what was going on.

I didn't think it sold it properly. They released another trailer, and they called it Regina's version, and they had World Burn playing in the background of that trailer. Renee Rap was a little bit more of the focus. I was living for that. It was a shorter trailer, and I think that they put it together after hearing everyone's thoughts on the original trailer that they dropped. We got a little sneak peek of what we wanted, and that's coming out January 12th. Very excited for that. We talk a little bit about it with Aaron in this episode because he did it on Broadway.

[13:50] Eli Tokash: Um, so stay tuned for that. But uh, alright. I'll I'll move on from this. I'll keep going. Uh two more things that I just want to say, and these are really, really quick announcements, more so than news. Um, I'm very excited. Next week is Thanksgiving. Obviously, I said that earlier. So that means the Macy's Day uh parade is coming. Um I'm very excited for that. May Broadway performances always happen at on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I love it. I was fortunate enough to experience a Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and perform in the parade. Um, so I'm very excited to to watch it and uh hopefully I really want to get someone to do a little takeover of the take about Instagram who's going to be performing at the parade.

So stay tuned for that if we do get someone, and uh yeah, that that's kind of all well. I guess I'll say the performances. So uh we we'll see uh our favorite Broadway shows such as Anne Juliet, Back to the Future, How to Dance in Ohio, Shucked, and Spam a lot performing at the parade. So those are exciting Broadway uh shows that we'll be performing that we will uh get to check out and get sneak peeks of if we haven't seen it. Um cool. Well, that's that's that. And um lastly, I want to also congratulate uh Take A Bow family member Charlie Webb, who uh it was announced the full cast of the notebook was announced this past week, and uh it was announced that he's gonna be swinging in the notebook.

So uh very excited for him. Congratulations to Charlie Webb. Uh, for those of you who uh are like, oh, that name is so familiar, how do I know that name? He was the kid in parade, he opened the show, um, bit of the soldier type character. Um, and he he killed it. And he was on our little parade round table with the with the young adult teens of Parade on Broadway. So very fun episode. Go check that out if you haven't, and uh he will be in the notebook very soon. Very exciting stuff. Alright, that's all the news I have for you folks this week. It is now time to turn it over to the incredible Aaron Alcaraz.

[16:13] Eli Tokash: This week's guest is an absolute star who you may have seen in Rent's 20th anniversary tour or on Broadway in Mean Girls or currently on Broadway and Here Lies Love. You can also see him on Disney Plus, not a big deal, in Trevor the Musical, wild. Um in Trevor the Musical as the people's best friend Jack. I'm obsessed with that character. I'm obsessed with him. Everyone, welcome to Take A Bow, Aaron Alcaraz.

[16:42] Aaron Alcaraz: Hi, Aaron.

[16:43] Eli Tokash: Hello, hello. How are you doing?

[16:46] Aaron Alcaraz: Oh my gosh. I'm so great now. I am so thrilled. The people's best friend. No one has ever said that before. That's amazing. I love that.

[16:54] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. I mean, it's so true, right? Like he he just turned it around, turned Trevor's life around. Um, and we love Jack.

[17:05] Aaron Alcaraz: We do. We we love it. You have to f you have to go listen to or watch it on Disney Plus to like really understand what we're talking about. But for the ones that for the real ones that get it real ones, um, y'all know what we're talking about. Um, I love it.

[17:19] Eli Tokash: Well, let's start at the beginning. I mean, I like to go through, you know, on here in people's careers and uh your journey through through this wild industry. What inspired you to want to tell stories? What inspired you to want to entertain others? How did we get here?

[17:35] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah, so I grew up in Los Angeles, California. I'm an only child. Um, and I grew I grew up um loving to sing. Um, I played a couple of different instruments, like music was a big part of my life, and I would sing at church and stuff, but um I didn't really do theater. I was a uh academic kid, so um I was doing like I was like getting really great grades and studying and reading and like being a quiet little introvert, but um I I wasn't like doing theater after school. Um and then um it was sophomore year of high school, um, which is it's wild how this all happened because I just started getting into like looking up clips of Broadway stuff on YouTube and think YouTube just beginning back then.

[18:28] Aaron Alcaraz: Wild, I know TBT. Um I was just getting into that, like at the time, and I ended up getting a flyer from a local children's theater being like, hey, do you want to be a part of our next production? Um, because my high school didn't, I was a sophomore in high school at the time, and I my high school didn't really have a theater program, so I wasn't doing theater there. I was doing choir, I was in choir, but um not theater, and so I signed up for um this children's theater company, and I did my first show, and I loved it, and um I kept coming back, and um after that first production, which was high school musical, Love Um, I came back for The Wizard of Oz, um, and I was in the ensemble for both, but um the children's theater uh started this new thing where um kids could audition to be a part of this like smaller, like performing troupe.

[19:33] Aaron Alcaraz: And you would get acting lessons. And so I auditioned and got into that. And so that was already a sign of like, oh yeah, like I do like this a little more than just something to like spend my time in. And that was the first time that I got like some acting lessons. And this is now the summer of 2010, I think. And in the heights, the first national tour was at the Pantagus Theater. And my children's theater director was like, hey, um, this show is touring here. It's in its last week. It's amazing. If you can see it, go see it. So I ran to my parents. I was like begging, I was like, can we go see the show? We ended up getting amazing seats.

[20:31] Aaron Alcaraz: Um I'm literally getting choked up in my. We had amazing seats. And um I loved it. It changed my life. Uh Lynn for the LA run was in as Usnavi as well. Wow. And um my current leading lady, Ariel Jacobs, was Nina, and I thought she was amazing.

[20:52] Eli Tokash: Stop!

[20:53] Aaron Alcaraz: Yes, um, and I it was my first time really, especially in theater, but kind of uh universally seeing like eighty percent if not 90% of the cast of people who looked like me and sounded like me and moved the way I did, and it was just a s like it wasn't it was even like it wasn't even a story about like a good guy and a bad guy like a lot of like musicals and like big pieces of art are like it was just like really showing the lives of a a community of people over the course of a few days and it was so beautiful and really touched me and I went home that night and I told my parents that I wanted to be an actor because I saw that it was possible.

[21:38] Eli Tokash: Yeah oh my god first of all how cool is it that you like the first show that you saw you are literally starting up Broadway with right now like that with the lead lady like that's so freaking cool um full circle moments we love and um that that's crazy like to me I feel like I mean this is something that you appear to be so natural at so to kind of see that journey that it wasn't always there and it was something that you were toying with is is crazy.

[22:09] Aaron Alcaraz: I totally did not expect that thank you I mean I tell that to a lot of people where I I started late um I mean granted you can you can start acting and doing theater at any time really but I feel like a lot of people especially the people that I ended up going to college with the majority of them had grown up doing theater and I was always so jealous of that because I was like oh you you've done so much and you know so much more than me um but what I tell people is if if I can if I started like midway through high school really and I can do it then anyone can do it so right oh my god, I love it.

[22:47] Eli Tokash: And I love it too because like you mentioned the whole like you YouTube was kind of like your first introduction to it. And I know like I I'm so back and forth on the whole like technology debate. Is it good? Is it not? But you can tell, like just having that accessibility out there for Broadway and seeing it in a larger scale and not having to travel to New York to see a show or whatever it may be and not spending a ridiculous amount of money. Like that is huge for like anyways.

[23:18] Aaron Alcaraz: Yes. And I um I had seen like maybe three or four touring productions before in the heights, like as a kid.

[23:28] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[23:28] Aaron Alcaraz: Um but like I lived in LA, so like Broadway and musicals weren't really a part of my like everyday consciousness.

[23:37] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[23:38] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah. Because I feel like LA is such like a a hub for the entertainment industry, but I guess not as much for like musicals in Broadway.

[23:47] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[23:47] Aaron Alcaraz: And even me, like I'm the only actor in my family. So I grew up in a suburb of LA. Um and my parents are first generation actually, I'm first generation American. My parents immigrated from the Philippines. So like they didn't know anything about Broadway or the entertainment industry.

[24:00] Eli Tokash: Like sure.

[24:04] Aaron Alcaraz: I it it's funny because I grew up in LA, but I did not have a like I don't know, entertainment background whatsoever.

[24:12] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[24:13] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah.

[24:15] Eli Tokash: So let's talk about your first professional show, I guess, would be rent.

[24:21] Aaron Alcaraz: Uh I guess touring the world.

[24:23] Eli Tokash: Uh not a actually.

[24:25] Aaron Alcaraz: Okay.

[24:26] Eli Tokash: One more before that that I want to say because it kind of pertains to you a little bit.

[24:32] Aaron Alcaraz: Um when I was in college, I met a choreographer during one of um he was like a um a guest artist that my school brought in during my senior year to like do like mock auditions with us and we could talk to you and stuff and um we ended up like having like a rapport while he was visiting and he invited me to audition for a cruise line show that he was doing which ended up being Frozen the musical on Disney um so I'm if anyone out there has uh seen Frozen on any of the Disney ships, I was original cast for that.

[25:12] Aaron Alcaraz: Um and that choreographer is a Mr. Josh Prince.

[25:14] Eli Tokash: Stop it!

[25:17] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah Oh my god.

[25:20] Eli Tokash: So that was my first time meeting Josh.

[25:22] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah, my king, he's wonderful.

[25:24] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[25:25] Aaron Alcaraz: Broadway's Josh Prince. We love.

[25:26] Eli Tokash: Yes, oh my gosh.

[25:28] Aaron Alcaraz: That's hilarious.

[25:30] Eli Tokash: Beautiful and Trevor Shrek.

[25:32] Aaron Alcaraz: Oh my gosh.

[25:33] Eli Tokash: Shrek Shrek.

[25:34] Aaron Alcaraz: We love, we love Josh Prince. I that's so funny. That's crazy. I didn't I had no idea that he was do like even did the cruise lines and stuff like that.

[25:44] Aaron Alcaraz: That's awesome. Yes, I think that's the only one he's done.

[25:47] Eli Tokash: And the only thing even yeah, the only reason I knew about it was because I had made a connection with him while I was in college, and he was like, Yeah, you should keep in touch whenever you're in the city.

[25:58] Aaron Alcaraz: And during my showcase week, I came to New York and I messaged I emailed with him a little bit, we weren't able to like get together for lunch or anything. And then he emailed again like a week later and was like, hey, I don't know if you know, cruise line is anything that's on your radar of anything you want to do, but if you're interested, he didn't even say frozen. He was like, I'm doing a I'm helping um do a new project for Disney if you want to come and audition for it.

[26:27] Aaron Alcaraz: Um and yeah, that's how I heard about it. And so that was what I did in between college and rent.

[26:33] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[26:34] Aaron Alcaraz: Oh my gosh. So I first of all, cruise lines, that that must be pretty wild, right?

[26:40] Eli Tokash: Uh on a ship for how long is your contract?

[26:44] Aaron Alcaraz: Um, the entire contract was nine months. So that was two months of rehearsal in Canada, actually, in Toronto.

[26:54] Eli Tokash: Oh and um, it was wonderful, actually.

[26:57] Aaron Alcaraz: One of the best parts of the contract.

[26:59] Eli Tokash: Toronto's wonderful. Shout out to Toronto.

[27:02] Aaron Alcaraz: Um, and then seven months on the ship.

[27:07] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[27:08] Aaron Alcaraz: And what like, did you go anywhere like crazy that you've kind of like always wanted to go to, or was it like a pretty tame cruise?

[27:16] Aaron Alcaraz: Um there were a good amount of places. I um so we we opened the show on the Disney Wonder, and it coincided, it coincided with the Disney Wonder being um re-unveiled with its new um, they did a renovation.

[27:39] Aaron Alcaraz: Uh and they added a bunch of new things and attractions and areas, and one of the other new things they were unveiling was Frozen along with the ship.

[27:50] Aaron Alcaraz: And so for the first half of our contract, we were going, we were doing week-long cruises to um like Cozumel and um, oh my gosh, now my memory's gonna fail me. We went to a bunch of really fun places. Um, Costa Maya, um, and like really just cruising along like the Caribbean and Mexico and stuff like that. Unreal.

[28:12] Aaron Alcaraz: And then um the second half of our contract, um, I think the reasoning was that they wanted to be able to get more people to come and see the new ship. So we switched from doing one-week cruises to two and three-night cruises. Um then we only went to Disney's private island, which was a lot of fun, and then um the Bahamas.

[28:38] Aaron Alcaraz: Uh, only right. Only, I know. It's it's so funny, like at the time, it really is like so dumb when I think back about it, because at the time, like, especially after two months in, we were like, oh my god, like another beach, here we go. Like, I get so like used to it. And now I look back and I'm like, Aaron, you were 22, 23, and you were getting paid to like travel the world and be on a beach. Like, that's great.

[29:07] Aaron Alcaraz: And not saying that I was ungrateful at the time. I really wasn't, but like, you know, like you just like you you take it for granted. Like, I would like dock and be like, okay, like I guess I'm going to the beach again. And now I would love that. My goodness.

[29:20] Eli Tokash: Right. You're like eight times a week out of your beach.

[29:25] Aaron Alcaraz: Sleep, another beach, another beach, sleep, truly, yeah.

[29:29] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah, for sure. My body was way healthier.

[29:32] Aaron Alcaraz: Oh my gosh. Crazy. Um, well, let's talk about Rent then. So you went out so you went from traveling the world to traveling the nation. Um, and that's pretty, pretty neat.

[29:44] Aaron Alcaraz: Well, and I mean, Rent, a lot of people have the experience of like Rent opened me up to the world of musical theater, whether it was the first show that they saw or whatever it is, it's their favorite musical. It allowed them to learn more about themselves and all of these different stories that you hear about Rent. What was it like to just be a part of the show even in their twentieth anniversary celebration?

[30:10] Aaron Alcaraz: It was one of the most fulfilling times of my life. It was wonderful. Um it started out already being a cool experience because I was replacing a friend of mine, um, David Marino, who is now Broadway's David Marino. Um I did that children's theater with him back in LA. We were at Stanley's Children's Theater together.

[30:35] Aaron Alcaraz: Um and then I replaced them. They were the original opening Angel for the twentieth anniversary tour, and then I replaced. Um, but it was amazing to get one, Angel is such a dream of a role to be able to play.

[30:53] Aaron Alcaraz: Yes. And um I I think I I mentioned earlier that I wa I was a really shy and quiet kid growing up and doing theater and then going to college for theater really started to open me up more and more and more. Um, but to get to embody a character that was so comfortable in their own skin and was able to share such love and light with everyone around them.

[31:23] Aaron Alcaraz: Um was amazing. And um it was really the the first big lead role that I got to play kind of on a consistent basis, 'cause I toured for about 10 months, I think. Um, and to be able to like fall in love every night and to like sing really great songs, and um just be able to feel like I was like putting like my BFA into practice every night and like really just kind of living in the moment.

[31:52] Aaron Alcaraz: It was wonderful. And I I knew of Rent. I already loved Rent um before I did it, and uh doing it made it my favorite show. It was incredible.

[32:04] Eli Tokash: So yeah. I love that. You you must have gotten like those kind of messages, you know, like Rent's my TV musical, or like I knew like I saw Rent was coming to our city and we just had to come. What was like the best thing that you you had heard at the stage door or like a message that you received or something like that?

[32:22] Aaron Alcaraz: Oh my gosh. I don't know if I can think of just one because there were so many. The Rent heads are real and great and amazing. It's weird even for the 20th anniversary, like we I I've I think this is a phenomenon that has happened to other people that have come off that tour even in later years than me.

[32:47] Aaron Alcaraz: When you're touring Rent, like I'll I mean I guess I'll just speak for myself. I felt like a rock star, like a legitimate rock star because people were already coming in loving the material, even if people didn't know the material as well as like other Rent heads in the crowd, they were still caught up in the excitement.

[33:05] Aaron Alcaraz: Um they at least knew the name Rent. Like Rent has a um a well-deserved reputation. Like, really, all we had to do was not forget the lyrics, and we'd be fine.

[33:17] Aaron Alcaraz: Like they were already going to love us. Um, Angel has a big entrance when uh he comes in for um oh my god, today for you. And so again, even before I'd even done anything, like a lot of the times lights would come up and I'd get entrance applause.

[33:36] Aaron Alcaraz: And I'm a no I would especially back then I was a no one. I was like, I have no business getting entrance applause so much crowd. Um, yeah, it was so fun.

[33:45] Aaron Alcaraz: And so having really meaningful discussions after the show at the stage door, both of people just talking about how much they love Rent, or especially with the case of my character, getting to see representation like that, um, especially traveling around America, right? Truly one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.

[34:06] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I mean, you mentioned playing a role like Angel. I mean, playing any role, I feel like as a performer, it kind of like ends up shaping who we are in some sort of way. Um, but I'm curious for you, like, as someone who's so dynamic and layered as Angel.

[34:22] Eli Tokash: I mean, was there you know, anything that you learned about yourself, or like was it ever a moment that you kind of got to like take a step back and be like, I get to be such a prominent figure for kids around the world right now playing this role?

[34:40] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah. Um, I think it taught me that um there is a lot of power in um like my joy and my heart and the love that I can give. Um, that um I have a lot of power just being myself, and that I am allowed to be comfortable in my own skin, and that doing that, just doing that for myself, can be you know helpful for people around me because it gives them permission to be comfortable in their own skin.

[35:17] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[35:17] Aaron Alcaraz: Um it's funny I I'm like flashing to an old YouTube video I saw of Sutton Foster backstage for Anything Goes when she was playing Reno Sweeney. And like she would like write things on her um on her mirror that would like help remind her to uh like or or help her get into like the mindset of Reno.

[35:39] Aaron Alcaraz: And she was saying you know Sweeney is like a much more confident person than she is in her real life but that in playing you know she was able to find that in herself. Um and like I I it Angel was not too much that far removed from me but that confidence especially was something that I feel like I left that show um with like so much more confidence.

[35:50] Aaron Alcaraz: Um and like I said we were also touring through a lot of parts of America um a lot of parts that weren't necessarily the most um receptive to queer representation and um and you could feel that on stage.

[36:23] Aaron Alcaraz: It was wild especially because I would be dressed in drag so like I would feel like the silence from the audience in certain cities. And I remember like on those nights I um I'd be backstage and I'd grab my Collins hand and I'd like what I would be thinking is that there might be even just like one kid or one person in the audience who needed to see someone like me.

[36:49] Aaron Alcaraz: Right. And so I would I'd grab my Collins hand before like our next entrance after today for you and I'd be like, we're gonna make them love us, damn it. And then we like run out um stop. Just to like show them that like we're normal people.

[37:04] Aaron Alcaraz: And that's great and beautiful. Yeah. So that was really fulfilling too getting to do that across America.

[37:10] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[37:11] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I mean it sucks to say that that's like so brave of you.

[37:16] Aaron Alcaraz: But like it really y you know like it does because you know there are part of the worlds that's just like you know they they need to, you know, are a little less educated I guess I could say I don't know.

[37:30] Aaron Alcaraz: Um I don't know. But and it's so sad to to see that but like I can't imagine the the amount of people that you helped on a nightly basis let alone throughout your entire run.

[37:41] Eli Tokash: So yeah no seriously it must be such an honor to to play such an iconic role in this like industry, you know, and let alone yeah like it's amazing.

[37:53] Aaron Alcaraz: So uh I I love that for you and I was like I didn't even know that you played Angel and then I was like oh my god I'm so excited to to talk to you oh you just knew I oh oh yeah sorry.

[38:03] Eli Tokash: I was no you went on tour with Rent.

[38:06] Aaron Alcaraz: Yes I didn't even no I had no idea. I'm I'm a very bad uh human being so uh no I I was a I was a traveling girly for like my first two years out of college.

[38:17] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah you really you really said let me work you know like you were putting in the work and it was it's incredible.

[38:24] Eli Tokash: But you know it it kinda I don't know I guess it kind of tamed down a little bit and and now we here we are.

[38:32] Aaron Alcaraz: You've done the past three shows here in New York, Mean Girls, Trevor, and Here Lies Love, uh, and and you're just killing it.

[38:40] Eli Tokash: So uh, you know, it must be nice to to kind of be in one place, yeah, and and perform in New York at home.

[38:47] Aaron Alcaraz: Yes, it is definitely preferred.

[38:50] Aaron Alcaraz: Um I am I am such a homebody, and um I love my apartment.

[38:50] Aaron Alcaraz: Um I love my neighborhood. I love having like a routine while also getting to go and live my dreams out at night.

[39:06] Aaron Alcaraz: Um I like being around my friends, yeah.

[39:09] Aaron Alcaraz: Um I'm thankful for my years of traveling because traveling is amazing, and if you can get paid to do it even better.

[39:18] Aaron Alcaraz: Um I got to see so many places, I learned so much. But after after Rent, especially, I was like, okay, like it's time.

[39:28] Aaron Alcaraz: I haven't even lived in the city yet. I I want to be here, I want to work here. Um it's amaz yeah.

[39:36] Eli Tokash: I I do prefer staying in one place.

[39:40] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[39:41] Eli Tokash: Yeah, because you know Yes, and you can finally enjoy a day off.

[39:45] Eli Tokash: You don't have to go to a new city, which is so lovely.

[39:48] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah, well, you've you've toured, right?

[39:51] Eli Tokash: Oh yes.

[39:52] Eli Tokash: Yes, but I was much younger.

[39:54] Eli Tokash: I was like, this is the coolest thing in the world, you know.

[39:57] Aaron Alcaraz: I you didn't have to pack your own bags, yeah.

[40:00] Eli Tokash: No, no, I didn't have to do anything.

[40:02] Eli Tokash: They just I was just pointed in a direction, said yes, and and you know, did the thing.

[40:08] Eli Tokash: But you know, I will say as as a kid touring, the one like downfall that like I feel like nowadays I would want to experience again is we weren't really able to explore the cities that we were in.

[40:22] Eli Tokash: We we had to do school and like you know, the whole the whole thing, and it was just like and like of course, like I was in Mary Poppins tour, so it was like if I wasn't in school, I was pretty tired.

[40:37] Eli Tokash: Like I was very excited, but like I also needed, I was like, I need to just like chill for a day.

[40:44] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah, like I got a show tonight, yeah.

[40:46] Eli Tokash: Right, because it is nonstop.

[40:48] Eli Tokash: Like you think you have a break, and it's like your body's gonna be uncomfortable on a bus or on a plane for the next however however long.

[40:57] Aaron Alcaraz: So it's like it's weird, but um, I I I don't know.

[41:00] Aaron Alcaraz: I I love touring. I had I didn't have a bad experience, but like I said, I had a lot of help.

[41:04] Aaron Alcaraz: So shout out mom and dad.

[41:06] Eli Tokash: Um and dad, yeah.

[41:08] Aaron Alcaraz: Come on, we love supportive parents.

[41:10] Eli Tokash: Um, let's talk about your Broadway debut, because you know, it was a it it was you know, you did the the tours and everything like that, and and now here we are on Broadway, and your Broadway debut was Mean Girls, like that's a light Broadway debut.

[41:27] Eli Tokash: Like, everyone knows what Mean Girls is and everything.

[41:29] Eli Tokash: That's gotta be so cool. Um, do you remember, you know, that audition process? It must be like pretty, I don't know, not like challenging, but like it must be like pretty interesting to go in for a musical that is a movie, so you can kind of do research from that, but you can there's also a musical out there. So, like, what was your kind of process for that audition and how did you kind of prep for it, whether between the musical and the movie?

[41:57] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah, so um I got in when I was finally cast, was my third time going in for it. Um I was cast as a swing, so there wasn't really I don't know what research I did. I might have watched the movie just for like my own vibes, honestly. I was just like, I'm gonna watch this one. I love that movie, it's so good. Um, but yeah, it I I didn't necessarily have to do any character work. Um the first time that I went in for it um was pre-Rent, actually, 2017. Wow, I went in for the world premiere um in DC, and um I was one of the final people to be a swing, and I didn't get it. Um, which was fine. I was I was a little sad. But then I went and did Rent and I had other things and it was beautiful, and I created it.

Um and then a year later, literally the I think the day after I got off the Rent tour, I had to change my flight to come to New York instead. Um, I came in to be the first vacation swing on Broadway. Oh my god. Um they had all they had just opened like a month or so before. Didn't get it. Um I it was it's actually like it was a bit traumatic because I came in, I did the dance call, and then according to my instructions that I had received at the time, that was all we were doing. Like maybe I was like, maybe we'll sing, but they said callbacks would happen a different day. Um the casting director came back into the holding room and was like, okay, can the following people grab their tap shoes and come back in?

And I was like, uh huh, tap shoes. First of all, I'm not a great tapper to begin with. Like I can tap, but I'm not a great tapper. And then second of all, like, especially if I don't have my tap shoes and I'm flustered, I'm like, what? Um, so apparently I hadn't gotten the memo that there was gonna be like a tap call back that day. Oh so I went in and I went straight to the choreographer and I was like, hi, um, I um no one told me that I was supposed to bring my tap shoes. Um, I'm so sorry. He was like, that's okay, just learn it. Like, I'll be able to tell if you like are doing it. Um this is Casey, right? Casey Nicola. Casey, Casey wasn't there that day. It was John McGuinness who was running it.

Um so I I was so flustered. So like it already would have I would have already had to be like super focused to get the tap steps to begin with, and it was not happening for me that day. So um I did not get called back after that. I was so sad, especially like flown in. Um and then um fast forward another year, and I this now 2019. 2019. Oh, so I went in for vacation swing in 2018. Um, and so in 2019, I auditioned for the first national tour, and I was going in for the ensemble, and I made it all the way through. And I remember being um uh our final call, or my final call at least, was on April 1st, and I was like, who puts a final call back on April Fool's Day? This is the worst. I don't I don't feel like I can trust anything anyone says today.

Right. Um but then I got cast in the first national tour of Mean Girls, and I was so excited, I was like, you know what? Like, I wanted to stay in the city, but for a first national tour, like yes, I will go and I will tour. I'm so excited. Um then I went off and did a uh a regional production in Michigan, and halfway through the production, um I saw a post on Instagram that the original swing who had gotten the track I was in for when I first went in for Washington TV, the guy that they ended up casting, he announced on Instagram that he was leaving soon. And I was like, oh, that's such a shame that one, I'm not in the city, so I can't go in for a last minute audition, and two, I'm casting the tour, because like it took them a while to cast that, like they wouldn't, like they would they want to they want to break up what they already have.

And like a day or two later, I got a call from my agent that was like hey, if you're interested, Mean Girls is wondering if you're willing to give up your spot on the tour to come and be a swing on Broadway. And I was shocked, and I will say I did have to be like, Can I think about it? And that sounds crazy because it's Broadway, but I I'd never been a swing before. So on the tour, I was gonna be in the ensemble, and so I was so scared that if I said yes, I would ruin my Broadway experience by being a horrible swing, and then like no one would want to hire me ever again, and I'd be just like sad. Um, but I said yes, and I'm really happy I did. Like, I I was really like checking in with myself and trying to figure out what it was that I was afraid of, and if it was just the fear of failure, it was a sense of like, well, I shouldn't let that stop me. This seems like such a like sign that I should do this. Like they literally called and asked if I wanted to take the job. Um, so I did it, and it was amazing. I'm so happy I did.

[47:30] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Oh my gosh. You have to put yourself in those uncomfortable situations. As hard as it is, you you gotta you gotta bite the bullet. Um and and you had such an incredible ride in the show. I saw the show. I was sad with the musical. Um I love that. I think it works, and I'm so excited for the movie that's coming out now. It's is it Renee with Renee, uh, she slays. Um like, is that like is it kind of like a weird experience for you because you're like revisiting the show that you did on a movie? I don't know. It's kind of like Trevor. Like, I have the same question like, do you watch yourself? Or like do you could you see yourself up there? Yeah, like it's gotta be weird, right? Seeing a musical version of the show you did.

[48:20] Aaron Alcaraz: Yes. Trevor's a little different because I'm in it. I don't enjoy watching myself. Okay, and the first time I actually watched that movie, I I think you might have been there. They had like a premiere at the AMC. I didn't end up going. I was supposed to, but then I had an event that night. I was so bummed. Oh no, that's okay. It was a fun time, and we we had closed months prior, so it was a fun way to like see everyone again. But um, especially as someone who I mean, especially as someone who doesn't love seeing himself perform. Um, my first time seeing it was not what was like on a huge AMC meeting screen. And I was like in my seat, being like, wow, that's a really close close-up of my face. Um yeah, so that's a little different in that I'm like in that recording. Sure. I'm so excited for the Mean Girls movie. I'm so excited.

[49:17] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah. Period. We we need like we need like a uh reunion, like a Broadway, like a Broadway cast screening. Like we need to we need to do that for Mean Girls. Do you want to send an email to Tina? Like I'll uh Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll I'll send it right now. Like, what do we let her know? And uh I think everyone like because that's gotta be a cool experience and to experience that with you know the people that were in your life for uh over a year, like you were in the show for quite some time and then the pandemic happened.

[49:55] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah, I was in the show for eight months. Well um almost here, but I was so thankful for it. And I guess the original question was to talk about my debut. My debut was wonderful because of those people, like they really made me feel so welcomed and so at home, and um especially as someone who like was coming in. I only knew one person in the cast. I toured with her in Rent again, small world, small world, Ashley Delarosa, shout out. Um but um yeah, I didn't know anyone else in the building, and I was my Robbie debut, so I was already nervous. Um I learned the show I think in three or four days, my first track. Um and then ended up covering eight total. Like it was a whirlwind experience. Um, and they really helped me through that. They were wonderful.

[50:46] Eli Tokash: Yeah, well, I'm curious because, like, and granted, like doing the tour and the cruise ship and everything, like every project that you do, you totally learn something new, and I'm sure even from Mean Girls to Here Lies Love, you've learned something new. I'm curious though, like, as it was your Broadway debut, um, like what was something that you learned during that process that you continue to carry with you throughout your career, like now?

[51:13] Aaron Alcaraz: Yes. I have two things. Um is really just kind of like a new awareness of what it takes for a show to happen. Um, and that comes from having been a swing. Um I think it's such wonderful training. And swings are legitimate superheroes. I um the the tree house, as we called it, which is where all the offstage covers were um at the August Wilson. Um I learned so much just from them and watching them work and watching them do their thing. They were incredible teachers and just they would help me with any questions I had, they were amazing. Um, but as a swing, I had what I like to call like a bird's eye view of what the show is. Oh, yeah. And so, like, if you're just in one track every night, you you might just know what you do, or maybe like maybe what the people around you do, but you don't know that you're doing something on stage left because someone else on stage right is like mirroring you, or you don't know that you're crossing downstage here because someone's about to run through like upstage of you.

Right. And it really helped me like see the big picture. And even now when I'm not swinging, I I think it really helps me kind of tune in to like what a team effort a show is, and that it takes everyone kind of working together and trusting each other to make the show happen. Um, and so uh that's something that I loved learning, um, and something that I take with me wherever I go. Um the second thing, um, my first I'd already rehearsed like in a studio and stuff, but my first on stage rehearsal, I remember walking out and like the work lights are on. I was looking out into the theater, and we start rehearsing, and we were about halfway through, and I realized that I was just so anxious and nervous that I wasn't like enjoying the moment.

And I stopped and I reminded myself, I was like, hey, Aaron, you're you're like on a Broadway stage right now, you're making Broadway view. Like, have some fun, like this is a great thing. And I was looking out into the house, and as someone who's toured and also like done regional theater, I was like, this like it's a really pretty theater, but this looks just like a theater, like it is just another theater, and that was not smaller because the Pantages is like so much bigger than these. Yes, and I I'll I said that to myself too. I was like, Aaron, you've toured in houses that were like two times three times the size of this, and that actually helped me take such a like deep breath of release and release because I was like, I can do this.

Like, like this is just another theater. Like, Broadway is magical. Not because it's like a theater, like in New York, like adjacent to the street Broadway, but because of like the people who are on stage and behind the scenes and working it. And it's like it's the people who bring the magic to Broadway. And like anyone who has done any show or had any training, like, like, you know what to do. Like, I got up there and I was like, I've done this before. Like, it's just another place. Like, I shouldn't let the like word Broadway scare me. Like, that's super exciting, and I'm so happy for that. But like, I can do this. Um, and that that was like a really big lesson for me in um kind of like knowing my worth and knowing what I could do, and yeah.

[55:12] Eli Tokash: That was big. I love that. I couldn't agree with you more because I always have that, like, I psych myself out so much, especially like now as I get older, and I'm like, why?

[55:23] Aaron Alcaraz: Like, it's kind of like those personal dialogues that you just have in your head and you're just like calming yourself down. And that is that was definitely a real one that I vividly remember, and I just I remember having that same experience, so it's nice to know that like, you know, someone else felt that way too and had that kind of, you know, revolution or whatever, or realization.

[55:46] Aaron Alcaraz: Um okay, well, I want to transition into Here Lies Love because we were just talking about being a swing and being off stage. Um well in Here Lies Love, you are an on you are on stage every night, but you also cover a keynote, and I was fortunate enough to see you as a keto.

[56:04] Eli Tokash: Um I said the night you came?

[56:06] Aaron Alcaraz: Oh, yeah.

[56:07] Eli Tokash: Yes!

[56:09] Aaron Alcaraz: Yes, oh my god, it was unbelievable. I'm obsessed with the show. I came on here and was like, I love it. Everyone needs to go see it. Like I was just like sobbing.

[56:20] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, no, of course. But I am curious for you. Like, after swinging on Mean Girls, you know, it takes a different skill to be able to perform every night and also cover and go on as a different, you know, role when at any given notice. So, like, what was the challenges of kind of like you've done the swing, so you like can do it, but it's a different form of, I guess. I don't know like how to phrase it, but like I think you know what I'm trying to say, in the sense of like, what was the difference, I guess, or how did that help you in doing this track at Here Lies Love.

[57:03] Aaron Alcaraz: It helped me a lot. And another reason why it helped me a lot is I do cover Aquino. I cover four tracks total, actually. Um I don't know if you knew that. So I am my own onstage track every night, but I also cover the three principal male roles, so Aquino or DJ. And then I also covered my friend Jay in the ensemble as the press attache, it's a featured ensemble.

[57:30] Eli Tokash: Oh my god!

[57:31] Aaron Alcaraz: Um, so there are times where I felt like an onstage swing because especially when we were staging, I was like, okay, like I'm doing this, but what are the other four people doing? Um again, I learned this from swinging of it's you at the beginning. I was kind of daunted by like thinking of all the things I had to know eventually, and I had to stop myself and be like, okay, let's start, let's start with track number one.

[58:02] Aaron Alcaraz: Um, what does track number one do in number one, you know, and then just keep going from there. Um, and so that's what I had to force myself to do during rehearsals. Um the difference between being on stage and being off stage is I had to remind myself to make sure that I really knew what I was doing, and then to really quickly I well to really learn it as quickly as possible so that I could switch gears and at least observe what the others were doing, maybe not like know it right away, but at least have an idea of like, oh okay, they're over there, oh okay, they go this way, stuff like that.

[58:43] Aaron Alcaraz: Um or that or they're here in this formation, just to like have little things in my brain to start building the puzzle that are their tracks as well. Um and usually, especially when you're like putting up a new show, things are changing all the time, and there are a bunch of stuff happening, and so a lot of the times um like the creatives will go to the people covering and be like, okay, like you focus on these roles first while this person focuses on these like try and like divvy up the workload a little bit so that if there is some sort of an emergency where someone has to go on last minute, at least there's someone who's been paying like specifically closer attention to those tracks.

[59:33] Aaron Alcaraz: Um, and so I was told to one, learn my own track.

[59:38] Eli Tokash: Yeah and to and then to focus on Aquino and the DJ.

[59:42] Aaron Alcaraz: Um and so I, yeah. I think I just seeing you as the DJ right now, you would just say that.

[59:52] Eli Tokash: I am so obsessed that you cover the DJ.

[59:54] Aaron Alcaraz: I'm so sorry. Tattoos and all.

[59:56] Eli Tokash: Yeah, that's so funny.

[59:59] Aaron Alcaraz: But yeah, it was a lot, it was a lot of work. It was a lot of note taking, um, a lot of asking questions. Um that was something that I realized I shouldn't be afraid to do. Um I try to do a lot of the work myself and like and then maybe like ask like an associate or like someone else in that vein a question.

[1:00:19] Aaron Alcaraz: Um, but especially if you feel like the people you're covering are open to it, not like bombarding them with questions because they have their own job to worry about too, but like being like, hey, like I saw that you ended up over there. Like, did you go like upstage or downstage?

[1:00:33] Eli Tokash: Yeah, just like little things like that.

[1:00:35] Aaron Alcaraz: Um, and yeah, just lots of note taking. Lots and lots of note taking.

[1:00:40] Eli Tokash: For sure. I mean, this show is I can't imagine what it was like to put up this show. I mean, it's kind of revolutionized Broadway in many ways from the cast and just how the show is done, uh, with the windmill stage and everything like that. Uh, and obviously, like you said, to put on a show, it really takes the people, you know, and that's how special it is.

[1:01:04] Eli Tokash: So I'm curious for you when you walked into the room, uh, first day rehearsal, you know, did was there sort of like a difference? Did you feel with it it's an all Filipino cast, and I'm sure that's probably never happened to you in your career of doing a show. I mean, it's very rare that we see that. Um, so is it sort of like a it easier to collaborate as if you feel more understood, or you know, just having that sort of relationship and the same um, you know, beliefs and and whatever it may be, experiences, like how was that kind of an advantage or like helpful while creating this musical.

[1:01:54] Aaron Alcaraz: It was very helpful, I'd say. Um I feel like there it's a it's kind of common practice in our industry. I feel like everyone says it. And I'm glad that this is like a phenomenon that happens, but like a lot of the times people will do a show, and like nine times out of ten, I feel like people will leave and be like, we were such a family, like, yes, like all that stuff.

[1:02:23] Aaron Alcaraz: People might even start saying that like within the first week. And that's what I when people are saying it in the first week, I'm like, okay, like we just met. Like, let's slow down a little bit. Um hopefully we'll be like a family by the end, but like I don't even know your last name. I was like, you know, stuff like that. Um and so that's how I like to approach something where I'm like, yeah, we will get to know each other, but like I just met you.

[1:02:49] Aaron Alcaraz: Um so like let's get to know each other. With this, we were getting to know each other like from day one, and I remember like week two legitimately feeling like I was surrounded by family. And um we all came from different backgrounds, um, we all had different journeys to get to this show, but we all shared a common heritage and a common culture and a common history in that way.

[1:03:21] Aaron Alcaraz: And we knew that we were telling a story that was so important, not just when it comes to like talking about the importance of democracy, but a story that's important to our country and our country's history. And we took that very seriously, and it was very important to us. And so we did a lot of discussion, both on our own and as a company about the history and what things meant and all that stuff.

[1:03:52] Aaron Alcaraz: And then also we were just kind of enjoying being around our culture again. Like for me, I grew up surrounded by Filipinos, like my family back in LA. Right. But really, since leaving for college, I didn't really feel that anymore. Like I've been like around other people of color, around even other Asians, but um like it hadn't been since high school that I felt like I was like surrounded by like a bunch of that energy that I remembered from growing up, and it was so wonderful.

[1:04:31] Aaron Alcaraz: It is still so wonderful. Like our building is so warm, we're always laughing, we're always so loud, there's always food, and that was the case from day one. Um that, yeah, it's a really special, it's a really special place, and it's not what I love about it too is like it's a full Filipino cast, but and we also have Filipinos on the crew and on the creative team, but it's not only Filipinos on the crew and creative team, but they're a part of the family too.

[1:05:02] Aaron Alcaraz: Um yeah, and it's it's I I don't even know how to really describe how wonderful the environment has been.

[1:05:13] Eli Tokash: Yeah. That's amazing. And it's gotta be so important, you know, to like have these kind of conversations, especially when creating a musical. Like this is your first time originating a show. Like it's gotta be that that's gotta be so special and something that um, you know, hopefully we see more of and people see how much it kind of helps and and how much more genuine it is from an audience perspective as well.

[1:05:43] Eli Tokash: Because I mean, it's amazing, and this is like the first time you're playing. I is it true? I I think I heard or read this somewhere that this is the first time you're actually playing a character of Filipino descent.

[1:05:57] Aaron Alcaraz: I think it's our everyone's I like don't quote me on that. I mean, as I do a podcast. Um, but yes, I think it's every single one of ours first time um playing the Filipino.

[1:06:10] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it's it's incredible, and it does come because like I think Ariel has talked about this before, like Filipinos, like we've never had our own story, and so a lot of the time we're like we've played like other ethnicities, which is weird.

[1:06:32] Aaron Alcaraz: Um, but this is our first time getting to play Filipinos, which I think is so important, and especially now where we're rightfully so in a place in entertainment where we're trying to like have people tell their own stories and stuff like that.

[1:06:48] Aaron Alcaraz: Um I'm so excited that we get to have one for ourselves as well.

[1:06:54] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Hopefully that can help other people be able to have a foot in the door to tell their own stories too.

[1:07:03] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah.

[1:07:04] Eli Tokash: Right. And and hopefully it inspires more of these types of stories, you know. Moving forward.

[1:07:11] Eli Tokash: Um and the show is just I could go on and on about it. I I have before on here. Um but i you guys it's a great time you know it's a fun time.

[1:07:22] Eli Tokash: It's not people say it's like a club, but it it is like an it isn't because it's just like fun in the sense, but you're also giving such like a heartfelt story and message and journey that you're being taken on all at once.

[1:07:37] Eli Tokash: Um and like you said you have a DJ and everything. So like I get it but like it's so much more than that and it's such a beautiful show and everyone has till November twenty sixth to go see it as it is unfortunately closing on Broadway.

[1:07:52] Eli Tokash: So I guess my last question for you is you know what has been your favorite part of this journey and I know that's like a cliche you know question but like if there's one thing that you look forward to holding on even after the 26th what would that be if you're willing to share.

[1:07:52] Aaron Alcaraz: Yeah, um I I feel like I could say so many things, but the thing first coming to mind is how much of an honor it has been to be a part of this. Um again, first Filipino cast, first full Filipino cast on Broadway. Um the things that we are doing in that theater and with storytelling, I think are so cool, and are things that you don't see on Broadway.

[1:08:46] Aaron Alcaraz: Like everything about our production, I feel is trying to move the conversation forward of what is possible on Broadway and in entertainment. Um it has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime to get to be a part of it.

[1:09:06] Aaron Alcaraz: Um I like I went to theater school to learn how to tell these stories that like hopefully like are entertaining, but can like also like say something about society and like touch people and you know um make a statement about different things.

[1:09:31] Aaron Alcaraz: Um, there's a place for different kinds of work in entertainment. Um, but this is such a beautiful piece of art that I feel fulfilled doing it, and I hope that audience members leave feeling just as fulfilled with the message that we're trying to give. Um, Alex Timbers, our director, calls our show a Trojan Horse, where you come in for the disco, you come in for the club, you come for the party. And we hope that you leave with a positive outlook and with that joy inside of you because joy is a big part of the show because Filipinos are such joyful people, and so that is something that we want to make sure the audience feels. But we are there to tell a story about the importance of democracy and the story of the Filipino people taking back their power.

[1:10:35] Aaron Alcaraz: Absolutely. And yeah, to get to just to have been a part of this, I think is and will be the honor of a lifetime. I'm just so thankful.

[1:10:45] Eli Tokash: I love that. I can assure you from an audience perspective that the joy is felt throughout the entire room, the entire night, even when people when you're hearing the sniffles. You walk out, and it's just like there's a sense of hope, and there's a sense of, you know, joy, and there's a sense of how crazy and effed up the world can be sometimes. Um, but it's still, you know, you guys still bring that message up.

[1:11:19] Aaron Alcaraz: Yes, absolutely.

[1:11:20] Eli Tokash: So, um, thank you, Aaron. I mean, I could literally talk to you for another hour and a million more times.

[1:11:29] Aaron Alcaraz: Uh, we'll but and we will. We'll do it again.

[1:11:30] Eli Tokash: We'll do it again. I'd love to hang out.

[1:11:33] Aaron Alcaraz: We'll chat, we'll chat. We have so much to catch up on. We didn't even get to Trevor.

[1:11:36] Eli Tokash: We didn't like it. I know.

[1:11:39] Aaron Alcaraz: That's like how we know each other.

[1:11:40] Eli Tokash: I know, and uh, but it's okay, you know, like you just have such a wonderful career, and I can't wait to, you know, continue to follow you along your journey and root you on throughout the whole thing. Where can everyone follow you and your journey, you know, moving forward?

[1:11:58] Aaron Alcaraz: Oh my gosh, yes. Um, I have a website that I try to update. Um, but the best place to follow me and reach me is um on Instagram um at Aaron Reads. Like Aaron reads a book because I like to read because low.

[1:12:14] Eli Tokash: Come on, we're gonna need some book reviews.

[1:12:16] Aaron Alcaraz: Um, that would be fun.

[1:12:18] Eli Tokash: Yes, period. Um, you're gonna start a podcast.

[1:12:21] Aaron Alcaraz: Aaron Reads, oh my god, book reviews.

[1:12:23] Eli Tokash: Okay, that's all that we have for you folks this week. Uh, Aaron, thank you so much for coming on and chatting with us about your career and Here Lies Love. Uh, big fan of the show, so I can't thank you enough for taking time out of your Thursday morning to do this with me. So thanks again, and uh break a leg on the rest of your run, last 10 days.

[1:12:25] Aaron Alcaraz: Thank you so much.

[1:12:45] Eli Tokash: Thank you. It's gonna be a fun time.

[1:12:46] Aaron Alcaraz: You're so fun time.

[1:12:47] Eli Tokash: Yes, absolutely. Take a bow, Aaron Alcaraz.

[1:12:53] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. Guys, I was so excited for this episode, and I hope that y'all loved it as much as I did to be able to talk to Aaron. Okay, we met during the Trevor Off Broadway production. Obviously, I wasn't in it, but like I was like an no, I wasn't even an honorary cast member. Don't gas me up like that. Um, I was it was just a, you know, Trevor will always be a special part of my life, and um I was fortunate enough to get to know the cast of the off-Broadway show and um meet a lot of them, and um Aaron was one of those people, and I just, you know, fell in love with his performance, and the kids talked so highly of him that uh when he got Here Lies Love and um, you know, he's just been killing it.

I was just I knew I had to chat with him on here so to be able to do that and him to give me the time during his final weeks, uh his well really his final week of Here Lies Love is really special to me and it kind of shows the person that Aaron is because this week the final week of a Broadway show is madness. So, uh just so grateful for him to come on here and chat with us about Here Lies Love and what it meant to him to be a part of the show and to be um revolutionizing Broadway in many ways with this show and making history. Um, it's really special so shout out Aaron, you've so much to take a bow for. Um, once again honored to have him on the show and hopefully you enjoyed the episode. His story is so wonderful and the shows that he's been in um are just as wonderful so uh very, very happy and so thrilled to share this episode with you all.

[1:14:04] Eli Tokash: Um, before I head off and say bye everyone, have a great week, um I've gotta talk about uh how to dance in Ohio because I saw the first preview last night on Wednesday, um I don't even know what day it is Wednesday, November 15th and absolutely fell in love with this show. Okay, uh I did like a little review of it for those of you who like follow me on TikTok um or follow the podcast on TikTok um we chatted about it afterwards and I it was just it really is everything as advertised. I mean it reminded me of a combination between The Prom and Kimberly Akimbo, uh just in the sense of like, you know, this is a high school, there is a lot of self-discovery, there's also a lot about, you know, self-progress and uh making progress in the daily lives and the steps that you have to take.

[1:15:43] Eli Tokash: But it also focuses and it's interesting because, you know, anyone can relate to these stories, but it goes even further because these are neurodiverse characters and they are being played by neurodiverse performers, and it's honestly so lovely to see on stage because the stories that they're telling is coming from such a genuine place and not something that like, oh wow, you're a really good actor, you know, like you can tell that these people are really going through these emotions and these feelings, and uh they've experienced the process that uh you know that they're going through in the show, or the journey takes you on, I guess you could say. Um, but it's so beautifully uh written, it's so well done, it's funny, it's heartwarming, it is so sad.

Um, but it's great because you know it takes place in like I said earlier, uh high school, so it focuses on that younger your younger self, you know, and like what you wish you could say to them, or now even if you're like an adult and you're a parent and like how to parent, you know, like uh a teenager, and like it just takes you on a journey through everything, and there's characters for everyone, from teachers to parents to teenagers to neurodiverse people and performers.

[1:17:12] Eli Tokash: Um, it's really just beautiful to see and um it's a show that I honestly have as my best musical winner for the Tony Award season. Um, I find it very hard for me to see a show that's better than this because I don't like it's one of my top shows of all time right now. And y'all, that's just the first preview. Like they have a whole preview process to continue to work the show and you know, see what I don't know, changes need to be made. I don't really think changes need to be made, but uh as the performers and the uh, you know, everyone gets comfortable with the show, uh I already know it's just gonna make it even better, you know, which I it's kind of hard for me to imagine right now. It's in such a good spot.

[1:18:06] Eli Tokash: And shout out Sammy Candled for uh who's the director of the show. Um, it's really really beautiful what she's doing and the work that they're doing. So uh thrilled that we have a story like this on Broadway. I love seeing Broadway being more representative uh of, you know, different stories, and uh I love uh everything that's happening with How to Dance in Ohio, and I hope that, you know, it kind of gets that recognition that it deserves because not a lot of people know about the show, know what it is, it is a new show. Um, but the messages in this show are unbelievable and they're for everyone.

[1:18:49] Eli Tokash: And there's about ten messages that you can take away from this show, to be completely honest with you. Like, there is not just one thing about this show that uh the show focuses on. And so um it's just really beautifully done, and I can go on and on about it, and hopefully we um can bring someone from the show on the podcast because I was fortunate enough to attend a panel at Pace University where I go to school, um, about this show and the process that this show has taken uh to create the show. Um, and it's really really interesting and so beautiful what they're doing, and something that's so deserved, and uh it's just really encouraging for actors of uh anyone, like all ages, all neurotypes and everything.

[1:19:42] Eli Tokash: So uh just great to see, and uh, you know, and kind of gives us a little hope for the future. So um I love the show. Everyone, please go see How to Dance in Ohio. Highly recommend. They have cooldown stations that are available during the show, they have some unbelievable swag, they have fidget spinners that they were given away, all of these wonderful things to make it accessible for audiences of all ages and all neurotypes. It was just so wonderfully done, and uh, you know, just really proud of this show and what they're doing on Broadway because we don't see much of that. Some shows do the one-night shows where they're like, Oh, this is our accessible show, and it's like, why isn't every show accessible, you know, for everyone? And this show is so uh highly, highly recommend supporting the show. Even just checking it out, seeing what's going on, go in blind. It is an HBO documentary. Um, but if you don't know anything about it, that's okay.

[1:20:43] Eli Tokash: Like, I didn't, I chose not to watch the documentary on purpose. Um, I went in blind and I fell in love. And uh hopefully you all will too, and we continue to see more stories like this. Hopefully, Broadway continues to become more accessible and diverse and continues to progress in uh all the ways that uh, you know, it needs to. So with that being said, that's all I have for you folks this week. I uh truly appreciate you all listening to this week's episode. We'll have another episode next week, and uh it could be a writer, it could be a performer. Hopefully it's someone on the Mickey Thanksgiving Day parade so that we can celebrate Thanksgiving while watching them on the TV.

[1:21:24] Eli Tokash: Um, all right, y'all. Thank you so much for listening again. Shout out Aaron once again for coming on the podcast, and uh I hope to see you all next week. Bye everyone. Have a great week.

[1:22:45] 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 of Dori Bernstein, 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 McMara, the listeners at 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.

[1:22:45] Eli Tokash: If you enjoyed this week's episode, make sure to subscribe on the platform that you are currently listening to this on, or go check out our YouTube where you can watch the episode. You can also subscribe, like, and comment on there as well. If you're more into the regular social media and want to follow us, you can do that at Take A Bow Podcast across all social media platforms. The music of this podcast was made by Nikki Torsha and Cormac Collinon, and the logo was created by Giselle Bustos. And that wraps up this episode's curtain call. Thank you all again for listening to this week's episode, and I can't wait to see you next week. Bye everyone. Have a great week.