This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 196 of Take A Bow.

[0:06] Eli Tokash: I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and this week we have a very, very exciting episode.

[0:11] Eli Tokash: We have a live episode which I'm super excited about, which means it will shortly be up on YouTube. Hopefully it's already up at the time that you're listening to this. If not, it'll definitely be up over the weekend.

[0:25] Eli Tokash: So if you are someone that likes to, you know, watch these episodes rather than just listen to them, know that that option is gonna be there. We're gonna put that up on YouTube very, very soon.

[0:39] Eli Tokash: But we have a fabulous guest today. I mean, we have an Emmy Award winning guest, a former Broadway kid, and I mean if you ask me, we're all always gonna be Broadway kids, and that's always how you know we're gonna know each other, as that's like how we met each other.

[0:57] Eli Tokash: But you know, she's continued to have a career and seamlessly transition from the childhood of Broadway and being the Broadway kid to becoming like a full-fledged working adult. She's now in her second Broadway show as an adult, and you know, she continues to kill it.

[1:20] Eli Tokash: So we are very, very lucky and excited to have none other than mia sinclair jenness on this week's episode of Take A Bow. And like I mentioned, I mean we talk about the transition from being a kid actor on Broadway to an adult and the transition that has to be made not only in the types of roles that you start to go out for, but also in the sense that you kinda have something to prove.

[1:49] Eli Tokash: You have to reprove yourself, you have to re-establish yourself. You know, you try to get people to see you not as the person that or the kid I guess that they've only known you as, you know, like you really it's really like starting over again.

[1:53] Eli Tokash: And so, you know, we touch on that. We talk a lot about not having an agent and being on Broadway. Fun fact that she didn't actually share this during the podcast interview, but she and I were talking afterwards, maybe this happened before, I don't know, but she'd mentioned that you know the way that she actually booked both Appropriate and Greyhouse, she found herself.

[2:12] Eli Tokash: She didn't have an agent or anything who got her that audition. She did not attend the open call, which we talk about what those are as that's how she got her first show. But that's because you know she had been auditioning for these casting directors already and we talk a lot about that.

[2:56] Eli Tokash: So we talk a little about everything. So moral of the story is you don't have to have an agent to audition. You don't have to have an agent to even succeed in this industry. It's a good resource, but you know anything is possible and just because you may not have an agent does not mean you can't follow your dreams.

[3:22] Eli Tokash: Huge shout out to Mia, you know, for doing what she's doing and continuously having success, which is so deserved because she's so freaking talented. And yeah, well, I mean, you'll hear about it, but we don't even get into half of her career. So we definitely want to have her back on.

[3:43] Eli Tokash: Great stories, great just person to talk to, and a great career. So great stuff all around, and can't wait to share it with you. But before we get into that, as always, we gotta talk about some Broadway news.

[3:59] Eli Tokash: Um there's a few things going on. I guess I want to start off here with the closings. Yes, by the way, I did not have an episode last week. I'll get into why after I talk about the Broadway news.

[4:15] Eli Tokash: So some of this is older news, but I just want to talk about all of it. So yes. So Days of Wine and Roses announced it was closing earlier than its expected initial limited engagement on Broadway, which is so sad because everyone that goes to see the show has nothing but good things to say about it, you know, rave reviews, everyone's crying.

[4:44] Eli Tokash: I don't know why it's not selling, I guess, as well as it should be. Super sad. I want to see it. I haven't seen it. I didn't even get to see it when it was off Broadway. But crazy to see that that announced its closing early, and just shout out to everyone involved in that show because I know they're doing some great work over there.

[5:10] Eli Tokash: Also closing that day, and this isn't a Broadway show, but I want to shout out because I mean here we are talking about Days of Wine and Roses, starring Kelly O'Hara, who's part of the Take A Bow family. I also gotta shout out another member of the Take A Bow family that is having a closing that day.

[5:28] Eli Tokash: And that is Patrick Page's, you know, where he's starring, directing, or I don't know, not directing, but he's starring and he wrote this production that he's currently doing in like Union Square, I want to say. It's like near 14th Street subway stop and everything at the 92Y Theater, I want to say, right next to Titanic.

[5:52] Eli Tokash: But he's doing some great work with All the Devils Are Here, and that's closing March 31st. And luckily enough for everyone that is not in New York, it's gonna be traveling the world, which is huge. And I'm obsessed with the show with him and his performance in this show.

[6:12] Eli Tokash: And it's a show that really got me more into Shakespeare, and I'm forever grateful for that. So if you are a Shakespeare geek, if you are a Shakespeare hater, you know, like whatever the levels are. If you're just someone that loves theater, go see this, go to the roots of theater and learn.

[6:35] Eli Tokash: And it's something really brilliant that he's created and puts on every night. So thrilled for the people that don't live in New York to be able to have access as he's gonna take it on the road. So keep an eye out for that if you're not in New York, because it may just be coming to a city near you, which is super exciting.

[6:57] Eli Tokash: Cool. So moving on, Spamalot announced that it was closing, and fortunately enough for myself, the closing, unfortunately, in the same sentence is crazy. But bear with me. I was able to see Spamalot just last week. And I had seen it at the Kennedy Center, loved it, and now I saw it on Broadway, and it didn't change like too much.

[7:27] Eli Tokash: But there obviously a lot of it is improvised, and that was definitely imminent in seeing it again. And I just absolutely loved the show. I love these performances. I love this cast, it's so ridiculous. I would love to do something with that cast before it closes, but I just highly doubt that that's gonna happen, as we are literally just not even, or no, I guess we have three weeks left of the show running on Broadway.

[8:01] Eli Tokash: So just craziness. Go see it. Literally, it's such a fun night at the theater. I don't know what people are doing, why it's not selling. I went with my school, we were able to get tickets, and we had tickets for up in the mezzanine. And that night they kind of moved everyone down who had tickets in the mezzanine and moved them to the orchestra.

[8:24] Eli Tokash: So it's unfortunate that that's happening. I was very grateful and fortunate enough to get a better seat and everything, but it's just so sad that when a show's not selling because the people up there are literally pouring their hearts out every night. I mean, Leslie Kritzer in this show is just so freaking good.

[8:45] Eli Tokash: And then you have Alex Brightman and James and Row Eagle Heart just being absolute dorks and weirdos, and it's fantastic. And they're having the time of their life, and so are the audience. By the end, everyone is just bought in and dying laughing, you know, all the things. So it's just a great night. Sad it's closing. Love the show. Shout out to everyone involved.

[9:11] Eli Tokash: A lot of Take A Bow family members in the show, so love you all. And you know, obviously it's not gonna be your last show, even though you take your final bow in Spamalot on April 7th. So we will obviously be rooting for all of you in what comes next.

[9:29] Eli Tokash: So last show closing is Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd's closing on May fifth. Guys, this is crazy. Happy not birthday to me. That's literally my birthday, it's closing on. And you know, I mentioned this a couple weeks ago. I don't want to say like I broke that news or anything like that because I didn't confirm it or make the suggestion that that was happening.

[9:53] Eli Tokash: Well, I did make the suggestion. I kinda mentioned that post Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster, I don't know if this show is gonna last. Annalee and Josh Groban were so big for that show, and also, you know, with the supporting characters of Gaten Matarazzo and Jordan Fisher, you know, those are big things to sell tickets and keep the show relevant and constantly in the press and whatever it is.

[10:22] Eli Tokash: So, you know, it's just a tricky thing, and they have a great cast still. I mean, you go for those people and then you fall in love with the rest of the cast. So it's pretty incredible what's happening, and I hope that everyone gets a chance to see it because this is the only production of Sweeney Todd that I've ever seen, and it was fantastic.

[10:45] Eli Tokash: And the people that have seen multiple productions of Sweeney Todd, you know this is top two to say the least if it's not top one, you know, it's right under number one favorite. So I love it. So go see it if you can before it closes. Now you can actually get tickets, which is great because there was a time that you could not get tickets.

[11:07] Eli Tokash: So definitely get the chance to see it. And yeah. So obviously with every closing there's an opening to celebrate. So happy opening to The Notebook. It opened just yesterday, Thursday, March 14th. I was unable to be on the carpet for that show and attend opening night, which I was super bummed about.

[11:29] Eli Tokash: But you know, it kinda worked for the best because I really don't know how I would have made it over there today, but I know I would have made it work and hopefully we could do something with the show soon.

[11:45] Eli Tokash: Openings are rearing up and there's a lot happening here in these next couple weeks on Broadway, so I'm excited for that this season and hopefully we'll be able to get a bunch of fun content for all of you.

[12:02] Eli Tokash: Alright, so moving on to the news I guess. I wanna shout out Hinton Battle who passed away recently. I want to shout out the Broadway community, most importantly, throughout this whole thing, because one of Broadway's greatest traditions is dimming the lights of theaters in honor of, you know, one of the greats of our industry passing away and kind of honoring them in that way, shedding a light, funny enough, by dimming lights and honoring their career and recognizing their contributions to our community and to the art.

[12:51] Eli Tokash: So originally Cheetah Rivera and Hinton Battle passed away at similar times. If it wasn't the same day, I wanna say it was within a twenty-four hour span of each other. And you know, they obviously dimmed the lights for Cheetah Rivera. They didn't dim the lights for Hinton Battle.

[13:17] Eli Tokash: And the Broadway community, you know, fought for what was right. Because I mean, a three-time Tony Award legend, Hinton Battle absolutely deserved to be recognized. You know, he is a legend in our industry. Maybe he's more well known just within our industries and not to the outside fan, the way the name that Cheetah Rivera is more recognizable, but means so much to the community and so much to it paved the way for a lot of black artists performing on Broadway.

[13:50] Eli Tokash: So it was pivotal that this community kind of fought for this night and thankfully enough, you know, it started actually with this uproar that only a handful of the theaters and theater owners were willing to dim the lights, and they were announced the partial dimming of lights of the theaters.

[14:16] Eli Tokash: But thankfully enough, you know, the community as always rallied together, and it allowed all of the theaters to honor him the right way, the proper way, the way he deserves.

[14:31] Eli Tokash: Um so it was great to see that, and that happened on Tuesday, and it was a beautiful ceremony. It was beautiful to see. I made it down to the theater district to witness it. Um it was it was just those moments are just stunning, and one of the few moments of um New York with all of the craziness that's always happening in the noise in Times Square, where um, you know, everyone really does kind of have a moment of silence in order to honor one of the greats of our Broadway theater community, you know. Um, so it's great to see. Um moving on, last piece of news that I want to share, and then I'll I'll I'll send it over because I know this is a long one and I know I'm long-winded already. Um I want to shout out Robin Herder because uh she's gonna be heading back to Chicago, the musical, not the state.

Um, she's gonna be going into Chicago as Velma Kelly. I mean, Robin Herder is a guest that uh she's a person and performer that I won't been wanting to have on, take a vow for forever. Uh huge fan of hers, so I want to honor her, and uh hopefully one day that'll happen for for all of us. Um but love Robin Herder, such a Robin Herder stan. And uh yeah, so shout out and I can't wait to see hopefully her and Max Von Essen together would be my dream come true. And uh yeah, I'm excited. Uh last piece before I uh you know turn it over to the interview with Mia. Um I want to shout out the NYU students. I got the chance to go to NYU this week. Um, and they are putting on a performance of Richard the Third.

Um, and they're actually doing it for until like June. They're doing like four performances a week, I want to say, until June. I think next week they have off because it's their spring break. Uh, but they're doing some really incredible work. Uh I got to I went because I I have a friend in it, Alexa Nijak, who's been on the show, Take About Family Member. Uh I've done uh three shows with her. Uh no, two. Uh Christmas Story and Mary Poppins, and well, yeah, I guess that's two shows, but obviously we've done several other things together as well, smaller projects and everything. But uh two major productions. So uh went for her. The their what they're doing with that program is bonkers, and everyone in that program is stupid talented.

So I mean, you really feel like you're getting a Broadway experience going there. So uh if you have the chance and you you like uh you know uh supporting colleges and and and young artists, uh definitely go check that out because that's truly the the next generation of uh you know Broadway and and the pillars of our industry. So excited to see uh you know those people continue to thrive and hopefully go back because funny enough, they they play different roles each show. So uh I'd love to go see Alexa again and everyone else in in new roles. Uh so uh so yeah, that that's all the Broadway news I had for you folks this week. I have another PSA. So I did a little mini PSA for Thursday's episode as to why I didn't have an episode last week.

So if you're curious, you know, stay after the interview to hear me so that I'm not rambling super much before um our our our chat with Mia. So without further ado, uh let me stop talking and let's turn it over to the fabulous guest this week, uh Emmy Award winner, nominated person, person uh performer who is in the hottest Broadway show right now, and this uh conversation has it all. So uh without further ado, Mia Sinclair Janess turned up.

[18:46] Eli Tokash: So today's guest is an Emmy Award winner, which is like I didn't even know, uh, which is crazy. Um so cool, and we'll get into that. Uh but she made her professional debut at six years old, appearing in two national tours, three Broadway shows, two hit animation television series, uh earning the highest praise from the Emmys, not once but twice. Um, and uh you name it. I mean, she's done it, and you continue to kill it as uh you can currently see her in her third Broadway show over at the Helen Hayes Theater, currently, because she's about to move to the Balaska Theater in appropriate. So, yeah, so welcome to Take a Vow, mia sinclair jenness.

[19:30] mia sinclair jenness: Hi, thank you for having me. I'm so happy to be here.

[19:33] Eli Tokash: Okay, so Mia and I obviously know each other. The Broadway Park, all of that is like where we met.

[19:39] mia sinclair jenness: Golden Age.

[19:39] Eli Tokash: Yeah, the golden age of Broadway, if you ask the any kid.

[19:43] mia sinclair jenness: Literally anyone, I swear.

[19:45] Eli Tokash: And um, you know, then PPAS went to school a little bit. Um, and then like literally didn't see you for like ever.

[19:54] mia sinclair jenness: No.

[19:54] Eli Tokash: And I was so happy to reconnect with you at Greyhouse.

[19:58] mia sinclair jenness: Oh my god.

[19:59] Eli Tokash: Um, and because I was able to be on that carpet. So uh you're just you know, doing the whole thing, and it seems like you've made a trans uh uh uh like the easiest transition from you know becoming a child actor into this adulthood that we're unfortunately in now.

[20:17] mia sinclair jenness: Oh for somehow, by the grace of God somehow this is actually a job and no longer And no longer just for fun, even though I tell people all the time, like if you can think about doing anything else, go do that in terms of this industry.

[20:30] Eli Tokash: Right.

[20:31] mia sinclair jenness: But like I can't ever see myself doing anything but performing. So like it is a job at the end of the day, but also it's like my favorite thing in the world.

[20:40] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Well, I mean, and that's kind of it has to.

[20:43] mia sinclair jenness: Like oh, you you have to love it.

[20:44] Eli Tokash: You have to love it, or you're not going to succeed.

[20:47] mia sinclair jenness: Because this industry, as amazing and fulfilling and wonderful as it is, is not easy, and it will break you down.

[20:54] Eli Tokash: Right.

[20:54] mia sinclair jenness: Um if you let it, but you don't have to let it. And that was my whole thing. Like, the amount of rejection I've faced, obviously, as every actor does, over you know, the years I've been working over a decade. There's been a lot of it, and there's been a lot of bullshit and a lot of really disappointing things that have happened. But like I have never I've tried to never let that dictate the way I feel about doing the work and the art itself.

[21:26] Eli Tokash: No, it's crazy.

[21:28] mia sinclair jenness: And especially growing up in it, it's just you have to grow up so fast. Um but it it's so true, everything you say. So uh I usually start out just by asking, you know, how do we get here? Like what six-year-old you, you know, like what what in God's mind we're like let's do it. Like, did you know that you could always sing? Was that something you knew?

[21:53] mia sinclair jenness: You okay, and then what what happened that it it kind of just came to fruition.

[22:00] mia sinclair jenness: So my mom is an actor as well.

[22:04] mia sinclair jenness: Oh she was she did Footloose on Broadway, Hair National Tour. She's worked in Pokemon for 20 years.

[22:11] mia sinclair jenness: Okay, Neppo. I'm like a borderline Neppo baby, but no one knows it. It's a secret.

[22:15] mia sinclair jenness: Shh, it's a secret.

[22:17] mia sinclair jenness: I love it. But yeah, she grew up in the industry. Well, not grew up, but you know, she was in her young 20s on the European Tour of Hair as Jeannie. Uh she was in Footloose on Broadway. She's now been the queen of the voiceover and audiobook world for 20 years now. So I had always grown up in a very musical artistic household.

[22:42] mia sinclair jenness: And the very first show I ever did was Gypsy at a community theater.

[22:47] mia sinclair jenness: Uh I had a friend growing up, Alexa Kerner, the Kerner family. Shout out, you guys.

[22:52] mia sinclair jenness: Um, and she I think went to the open call and she wanted to bring me along. I was like five, and I was like, mm-mm, don't want to do it. And she was like, I'll get you a Hershey's bar. And I was like, Great, I'll do it. So I went, and I ended up getting the part as I think I was baby baby June. I was like little baby June. Uh and I loved it. And I loved it, and my mom was like, Oh shit.

[23:15] mia sinclair jenness: Oh yeah. She was like, uh oh, here we go. Not another one.

[23:18] mia sinclair jenness: No, literally, she was like, Oh my god, not another one. So I from that point on, it was all I ever wanted to do.

[23:25] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[23:25] mia sinclair jenness: Like I there are videos of me at like three years old, like four years old, like at the piano in my basement, like trying to figure out the notes that I have had in my head, and then like crying because I couldn't get it out. So after I did gypsy, there was no there was no question that like this, yeah. And my mom was very apprehensive because obviously she'd been in this industry and she was like, I don't know if I feel okay with putting you into that. But even at five, I was very persistent.

[23:58] mia sinclair jenness: Um went to the open call of Annie on Broadway at six.

[24:03] mia sinclair jenness: I think I lied about my age, told him I was seven. Made it all the way to the final three girls.

[24:08] mia sinclair jenness: And I think either my mom pulled me out or I didn't get it. One way or another, didn't work out, which was for the best, because then later that year I went in for Lame Is, the tour, and I got it.

[24:23] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. My very first audition professionally was for Mary Sugarman and Bernie in a room.

[24:28] mia sinclair jenness: And I sang Frank Mills from Hair.

[24:30] Eli Tokash: That's crazy.

[24:31] mia sinclair jenness: At five, six, and I had just turned seven, and I went on tour with Lamez.

[24:39] mia sinclair jenness: I had turned seven, I think like a month before.

[24:42] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[24:42] mia sinclair jenness: Not even a couple weeks. And I put my ass on a plane to Vancouver with my mom.

[24:49] mia sinclair jenness: And that was it. And then I was on tour for about a year after that.

[24:52] Eli Tokash: Vancouver was your first stop?

[24:54] mia sinclair jenness: Might it might have been DC.

[24:55] Eli Tokash: Oh, okay.

[24:56] mia sinclair jenness: Might have been DC.

[24:56] Eli Tokash: Very different places.

[24:59] mia sinclair jenness: I think it was DC.

[25:01] Eli Tokash: I want to say it was DC.

[25:02] mia sinclair jenness: Okay. But crazy.

[25:04] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[25:04] mia sinclair jenness: That was it. So when you say like these open calls, right? And all that, like, explain that really quick for us.

[25:10] mia sinclair jenness: And uh, did you have an agent and you were kinda doing this on your own? Where'd you find the auditions? What what was that?

[25:16] mia sinclair jenness: Well, I mean, open calls are where actors can go to get seen for auditions if they don't have representation or if they don't have an appointment for said project.

[25:30] mia sinclair jenness: So I I don't think at that point I had representation.

[25:33] mia sinclair jenness: Uh shortly thereafter I did have representation.

[25:37] mia sinclair jenness: I was with them for about 11 years.

[25:39] mia sinclair jenness: Wow.

[25:40] mia sinclair jenness: Uh they repped my mom and my brother and me.

[25:42] mia sinclair jenness: So it was a family affair, and they were so wonderful and did such great work for me for so long.

[25:47] mia sinclair jenness: But yeah, I mean, at that open call, I mean, there's a million kids there, they all look like you. They're all they have their sheet music in their hands, and their moms are are over their shoulders, and they're like, Okay, so here's what you're gonna do. You're gonna tell the pianists this, this, and this, and you're like, uh-huh, uh-huh, and you have no teeth.

[26:05] mia sinclair jenness: Um, yeah.

[26:09] Eli Tokash: Um not the stage moms.

[26:11] mia sinclair jenness: Not the sta That's crazy. Was your mom still like as like dude?

[26:15] mia sinclair jenness: She was so not stage mom.

[26:18] Eli Tokash: I know, I it doesn't seem like she was.

[26:20] mia sinclair jenness: If my mom was a stage mom, I would be actually out of my mind.

[26:25] mia sinclair jenness: I mean, I did end up losing my mind a couple a couple years ago.

[26:29] mia sinclair jenness: But not because she was a stage mom, it was just because I was a 14-year-old girl in the middle of COVID.

[26:35] mia sinclair jenness: But like, yeah, no, my mom was not a stage mom.

[26:38] mia sinclair jenness: She was like very much she she she knew what to do.

[26:42] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. And she knew how to open doors for me that wouldn't have otherwise been there, but she was never pushy and she was never like manipulative the way stage moms tend to be.

[26:52] mia sinclair jenness: Which I got so lucky with that.

[26:54] Eli Tokash: So was it you kind of like I mean, social media wasn't like I guess huge the way it is now, but like was it you kind of being like, oh, I've heard of Annie or like whatever.

[27:07] mia sinclair jenness: I want to audition for that, or was it your mom kind of finding a breakdown and being like, hey, do you want to audition for this show?

[27:13] mia sinclair jenness: Like, I didn't have social media, but I loved Annie, the movie.

[27:17] mia sinclair jenness: And there's a video somewhere on my Instagram of me at three years old singing tomorrow in my Dora nightgown.

[27:23] mia sinclair jenness: I have always I I loved Annie growing up.

[27:27] mia sinclair jenness: Uh and I I'm sure my mom said to me, She was like, Well, like they're doing Annie on Broadway, like, would you want to do that?

[27:32] mia sinclair jenness: And I was like, absolutely.

[27:34] mia sinclair jenness: So I I think she proposed the idea, and I was like absolutely, and then I think she got a little nervous when she realized that I was like actually good at it.

[27:44] mia sinclair jenness: Right.

[27:45] mia sinclair jenness: Then she was like, Oh, this is not what I was expecting.

[27:47] mia sinclair jenness: I think in her mind it was probably like I want her to go to an open caller and audition and see what it's like, just so she can decide for herself if this is something she wants to do.

[27:55] mia sinclair jenness: And then I like thrived.

[27:56] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[27:57] mia sinclair jenness: And I was having the best time.

[27:59] mia sinclair jenness: I was like jumping from couch to couch at the Telsey office, like weeeee, like having the best time.

[28:05] mia sinclair jenness: And she was like, Oh.

[28:07] mia sinclair jenness: Uh oh.

[28:07] Eli Tokash: That's so funny.

[28:08] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. What about you so you mentioned you you went in for Mary Sugarman?

[28:13] mia sinclair jenness: Okay.

[28:14] Eli Tokash: Shout out to Mary.

[28:15] mia sinclair jenness: Shout out Mary.

[28:16] Eli Tokash: She's a casting director, right?

[28:18] mia sinclair jenness: And uh she I thought she didn't like me.

[28:21] mia sinclair jenness: I always found her so intimidating.

[28:25] Eli Tokash: I don't know why, but God love her.

[28:27] mia sinclair jenness: And she finally ended up casting me right before my voice changed in Trevor.

[28:32] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, she cast Trevor?

[28:34] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah.

[28:34] mia sinclair jenness: Well, just the Trevor's, because they were the only New York cast, because I did it in Chicago.

[28:39] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[28:40] mia sinclair jenness: Um, and I believe she did it for the New York uh off-Broadway run.

[28:45] Eli Tokash: Uh-huh.

[28:46] mia sinclair jenness: Um, but I I always thought she she did not like me.

[28:51] mia sinclair jenness: No.

[28:51] mia sinclair jenness: You did it.

[28:53] mia sinclair jenness: I she is the most wonderful, supportive.

[28:57] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah.

[28:57] mia sinclair jenness: One of the most supportive casting directors I've ever met in my life.

[29:01] mia sinclair jenness: I mean, she's known me since I was a baby.

[29:03] mia sinclair jenness: And she has continued to bring me in for things as I've grown. She has literally watched me grow up. There are a couple of casting directors who I've been auditioning for since I was five or six and have continued to go in for. And like having built that relationship was I got really lucky with that. But like, no, Mary, I mean, all casting directors can be so intimidating.

[29:27] Eli Tokash: Yeah, real.

[29:29] mia sinclair jenness: Like, they really. A couple of things. Oh yeah. Who really likes me, I think. Uh-huh. But he is notoriously one of the scariest people. Like, I mean, my mom auditioned for him for years. And she th I she did not like her.

[29:53] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[29:54] mia sinclair jenness: And I mean, like, there's these casting directors in the city or wherever, and everyone knows who they are. Yeah. Everyone knows and everyone knows kind of what their type is, and then you go into a room and it's the exact opposite of what you think it is. So yeah, Mary has continued to be such a huge supporter since forever. And like I would not have she cast me in Les Miz. I mean, she I would not have anything if it wasn't for her, truly.

[30:23] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Shout out Mary. We love.

[30:26] mia sinclair jenness: Um well it's interesting because you mentioned, you know, like auditioning for the same casting directors, especially like for the kids group. Like it seems like it's such a smaller community, and then like once you hit 18 it kind of expands a bit more. Um but it's still it's still tiny in the grand scheme of things. But um, you know, a lot of it is to you know, go in for the same casting directors because you know, she was also the casting director of School of Rock. She did Les Miz, she did Trevor, she did like she was doing yeah, Beetlejuice. She did so yeah, like all of these projects.

[31:02] Eli Tokash: So it's like even like what's your advice, I guess, for auditioning, because even when you feel like when you have a breakdown, you know, this show isn't me, or I know I'm not right for this, but like what kind of advice would you give to people that feel like that because they're still going in for a casting director, they're still getting seen, they could have another project down the pipeline that you could be perfect for.

[31:28] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. Yeah, go for it. I mean, that's something that I've struggled with is I've grown up because a lot of these casting directors have seen me grow up from six to now. Right. So it was really difficult for me to show people that I am no longer six, seven, eight, and that I am very capable of doing other things. But I mean, I would get breakdowns sometimes that were nothing like me as a person or something that I didn't think I would be very good at. But like you said, you go in, you show up, you do the work, you do your best possible work in that room, and you build a rapport with the casting directors, and they'll remember you. If you give a good audition, and if you I mean, this is so cliché, but if you are yourself and you don't put on a facade of who you think they want you to be, they'll remember that. They will remember they will remember that and they will hold on to that. And who knows, you're gonna get a call in two months for something that you're gonna be perfect for.

[32:33] mia sinclair jenness: And that's what it's gonna be. I you know, having grown up in the industry, I thought I was supposed to be something or someone super bubbly and upbeat and you know, charismatic all the time, but no human being is all of those things all of the time. I am a very outgoing, very upbeat, bubbly person in my day-to-day life, but I am also very sarcastic and very wry and very and I and I think I think I think the more I let my guard down in rooms and showed that I was just happy to be there.

[33:19] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[33:19] mia sinclair jenness: And do what I loved for people who also loved what they do. Like, we are equals in that sense. Even if they're sitting across the table from you and you're shaking and your music is out of order and you and you don't know who the reader is, and they're not a very good one. Like even if your reader is shitty, even if you don't know your music, even if you're in your head, like if you're doing your best work in that room and you are being yourself 100% and showing that to them and showing them that you are capable, yeah, they'll remember that.

[33:52] mia sinclair jenness: And especially like all of the kids that we grew up with.

[33:56] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[33:56] mia sinclair jenness: I remember, I mean, specifically before COVID, you would go into an in-person audition, and it would be the ten same kids.

[34:05] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[34:06] mia sinclair jenness: 100%. It was always me, Josh, Gayton. You know, like all of this is shout out, you guys. I love you, Josh and Gayton.

[34:14] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[34:15] mia sinclair jenness: No, it was always the same. It was it was me, Brooklyn, Fina.

[34:22] mia sinclair jenness: It was me. It was me, Brooklyn Fina, um, um, Alyssa Marvin.

[34:26] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[34:26] mia sinclair jenness: Hey Lissy, I love you. I love you all, actually. Uh like I can like literally, like, their names are in my head. I know exactly who they were because we were all like the same. Most of us played Matilda. But um, it was the same thing. But like, all of us are very, very different when it comes down to it.

[34:47] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[34:48] mia sinclair jenness: You may look similar, but you had you guys are completely different human beings. And you're giving very different performances and very different personality wise. So, like remembering that and being like I've also I've never been the person to get bitter when a friend of mine gets apart.

[35:10] Eli Tokash: No.

[35:10] mia sinclair jenness: And I don't. I think that's so dumb. I think it's natural, but I think it's dumb. Because if they're doing the project and you're not, you weren't right for it. You weren't gonna be giving 110% as it is.

[35:23] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[35:24] mia sinclair jenness: Like so going in with those same ten girls forever and ever and ever. It was kind of just like, alright, like let's let's spin the wheel. Who's it gonna be this time? And what I also really love about the community that you and I grew up in is everyone is so supportive of each other.

[35:41] Eli Tokash: I've never seen anything like it.

[35:42] mia sinclair jenness: I mean, obviously there's still gonna be an era of competition, which is healthy, but like it was never anything malicious, it was never anything mean. There were times where I would literally like if I didn't get it and Josh didn't get it, I was more upset that Josh didn't get it.

[35:59] Eli Tokash: Literally I didn't like I didn't get it. I was like, Josh, you were perfect for this.

[36:03] mia sinclair jenness: The hell I think like me and Brooklyn went in for something and me or Brooklyn didn't get it, I'd be like, dude, but you were so like you were so perfect for it.

[36:11] Eli Tokash: Yes, 100%.

[36:13] mia sinclair jenness: Like it was it was such like a camaraderie that we had all built with each other, especially because we were seeing each other between shows every every week and going to the same restaurants and seeing each other at the stage door, like we all knew each other and we all loved each other and supported each other. And to this day, like the kids that we grew up with are some of our best friends in the world.

[36:33] Eli Tokash: You live with one of them.

[36:35] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, crazy.

[36:36] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. Um yeah, it's it's so true. And we're we were very lucky to to have that sort of I don't know, like how that even like formed.

[36:46] Eli Tokash: Like, I don't know if it was always like that, you know.

[36:48] mia sinclair jenness: I don't think it was. It just seems like it was just such a special time of having kids on Broadway.

[36:53] mia sinclair jenness: Like now we look at it and it's like there's not many. Um, and and to just grow up with that particular group was really special. The most special experience in the world, and I I live right by the park that we've been talking about.

[37:09] mia sinclair jenness: Um or I grew up right next to it, and every single time I passed that park, I'm like the the the memories that I have poor the I mean I pass it every single day and I still I like have such a deep love for that time in my life. Like I've called it the golden age a couple of times, but it really was the golden age of kids on Broadway.

[37:34] mia sinclair jenness: It really was like such a special, special, special time. Like no nothing will ever n no one can ever recreate it.

[37:44] Eli Tokash: Like it was it was yeah.

[37:47] mia sinclair jenness: Do you have a park story that you're willing to share?

[37:50] Eli Tokash: You don't have to.

[37:53] mia sinclair jenness: Okay. I actually just I just told you this story, but I need to retell it for the pod.

[37:58] Eli Tokash: Oh, dog, absolutely. Are you kidding me?

[38:03] mia sinclair jenness: Alright, so me and one of my best friends to this day, Gayton. He's star of Stranger Things, he's the actual greatest. Oh my god, he just did he just did Sweeney, he was in Priscilla, obviously did Les Miz with me. Uh he's a superstar, like to the highest degree, most wonderful, supportive friend.

[38:26] mia sinclair jenness: Um for years and years and years. But we grew up hating each other.

[38:34] mia sinclair jenness: Like actually truly like loathing each other in the way that siblings do, in the way the brother and sister do. And we would fight all the time. Most, I mean, a lot of it was like, you're bad at drawing people, and he'd be like, Well, yeah, you're short. And then we would like fight each other, and our guardian would have to separate us.

[38:53] mia sinclair jenness: And we at one point were in the same dressing room over at Les Miz, and they ended up having to put us in separate dressing rooms because we were just so at each other's throats all the time. Um in this specific park, it was like probably in the spring. It was a beautiful day. Every single one of the Broadway kids was there.

[39:10] mia sinclair jenness: Like all of them. Yeah. It was like a packed day. And I don't know. Because we would always go between shows. It was always Wednesdays and Saturdays.

[39:20] Eli Tokash: Exactly.

[39:20] mia sinclair jenness: We would all like have our dinners at the park. Like it was, it was just the way I was like. Grab the dollar pizza at the beginning of the city. Your parents would drop you off and then they would go get Schnippers and then come back with it.

[39:31] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[39:32] mia sinclair jenness: They changed their mac and cheese recipe.

[39:34] Eli Tokash: Schnippers?

[39:35] mia sinclair jenness: They changed like their whole thing. I'm mad as hell.

[39:38] Eli Tokash: I'm mad as hell.

[39:39] mia sinclair jenness: Baby stingy with my chicken and fingers and fries and shit. Like, I'm like, ugh.

[39:44] Eli Tokash: Nah, I know.

[39:45] mia sinclair jenness: Schnippers is like actually But we still love.

[39:45] Eli Tokash: We still love.

[39:49] mia sinclair jenness: I still stand. Like, I don't care.

[39:50] mia sinclair jenness: Like dog, like give it to me. I don't care. But anyway, uh, I don't remember exactly what caused it. I don't know what it was. He probably said something to me, or I probably said something to him more realistically.

[40:01] mia sinclair jenness: Got into a fight. Long story short, I kick him in the balls.

[40:05] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[40:06] mia sinclair jenness: As hard as I can. I'm like seven. And according to him, we talked about this like a week ago. He was like, oh yeah, I think I think you actually like missed, missed me a little, but I milked it for all it was worth to make you feel as bad as you possibly could.

[40:19] mia sinclair jenness: And I was like, great. So I kick him in the balls. He falls to the floor, screaming in agony. He's like nine, just fucking losing it. And I'm like, oh my god, oh my god, I'm so sorry. Oh my god. And I I think it was Sadie Sank or someone like that who like helped him up.

[40:40] mia sinclair jenness: And then a crowd.

[40:42] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, a crowd of kids are surrounding Gayton. And they're like, oh my god. And they're like laughing at him, and that made him cry. And I was like, specifically it was some of the Annie girls. And and he and he was just like sobbing.

[40:51] mia sinclair jenness: And I was like, oh my god, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. And his mom texted my mom and she was like, your daughter just kicked my son in his balls. Like, what?

[41:09] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[41:10] mia sinclair jenness: That's so funny. And it was insane. It was amazing.

[41:14] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. I mean, it wasn't amazing. Gayton, I said this to you like a week ago. Me and Gayton and Josh have a group chat called Mia kick Gayton in the nuts. But um It's amazing. I I am I am sorry. And if I was given the chance to do it again, I might.

[41:33] Eli Tokash: But I'm sorry.

[41:34] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. I love you.

[41:36] Eli Tokash: It's too great.

[41:37] mia sinclair jenness: I mean, that's the thing. Like, we could go and like, yes, we were theater kids, but like we were kids.

[41:44] mia sinclair jenness: Like, we were rough. Like people like did not care that they had a show to do that night.

[41:51] Eli Tokash: They were like, if I get hurt here, so be it, you know.

[41:54] mia sinclair jenness: Like, I have I'm an understudy.

[41:56] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[41:59] mia sinclair jenness: That was the show. Like, that was what we were excited for out of the channel.

[42:03] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah, no, no, no. It was never like, oh, I'm so excited to like, you know, be on Broadway. It was like, I'm so excited to go on that spinny thing at the park with my friends.

[42:10] mia sinclair jenness: Because that was like the only like I feel for me personally, like that was the only form of like childhood, like normal childhood that like we had the taste of it.

[42:22] Eli Tokash: That was it.

[42:23] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. That was basically all we had. I mean we were in our show with other kids.

[42:28] Eli Tokash: Right.

[42:28] mia sinclair jenness: Which was fun as it was, but it was like we weren't really being kids. I mean we would be in the middle of playing and then we would, you know, have to go to work you.

[42:36] Eli Tokash: Right.

[42:37] mia sinclair jenness: So but it wasn't it wasn't normal.

[42:39] Eli Tokash: Yeah, and it's like, you know, with the same people every day, it's just like, you know, it's nice to grow that group a little bit, you know.

[42:46] mia sinclair jenness: It is. And I feel that way sometimes now too.

[42:49] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. Like I'm doing I'm doing Appropriate on Broadway right now. I understudy Miss Alyssa Marvin.

[42:55] Eli Tokash: That's awesome.

[42:55] mia sinclair jenness: And I was understudying Elle Fanning, but Elle had to leave us, so now I'm understudying Miss Ella Beatty, who is the most wonderful magical girl in the world. But I mean, it's like the same fourteen of us, fifteen.

[43:10] mia sinclair jenness: Which is what it is when you do a show. But it's a very, very small cast. Luckily, I have never done a project in my life more creatively, artistically and personally fulfilling.

[43:21] Eli Tokash: Really?

[43:22] mia sinclair jenness: Yes.

[43:23] mia sinclair jenness: That's awesome.

[43:24] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[43:24] mia sinclair jenness: So I I I think it's just because I've been seen as a kid my whole life and I it's not that I wasn't taken seriously, I was.

[43:32] Eli Tokash: Right.

[43:33] mia sinclair jenness: But I specifically never felt like I was able to do projects or work really that required me to think that hard or challenged me.

[43:48] mia sinclair jenness: And I think specifically with this masterful, masterful cast, um, I am challenged every single day. And I I'm so personally and creatively fulfilled I don't even know what to do with myself sometimes. Like even when I'm not on stage, like I sit in the green room with people that I care so much about and have sometimes really stupid conversations, like really dumb conversations, but other times like really incredible conversations about their experiences in the arts and their experiences as human beings and what they've gone through. And hearing that from people I respect so much and having these authentic conversations, I have never felt more grateful. I've never felt more like deeply deeply fulfilled. I yeah. So I I got really lucky. I got really, really lucky.

[44:42] Eli Tokash: Well, I mean, that show is just brilliant. Like it's so brilliantly written by Brandon Jacob Jacobin. He is just I've never met anyone like him in my life. Yeah, like what what is it like to, you know, when you're in a rehearsal room, right? Well, first of all, like you you got this superstar cast, right? L Fan and Sarah Paulison, like everyone in it is like everybody's favorite actor or whatever actress, you know. So um, you know, the rehearsal process of watching them, learning from them, also collaborating with Brandon, who's just a brilliant playwright who will be eventually one of the greatest play playwrights in my opinion. I agree. Um what what was that like to to just be a part of and be in that room?

[45:27] mia sinclair jenness: So as an understudy, we didn't start until tech. Oh, okay. Which was really I've never I've never done that before. Every show that I've done, obviously rehearsal starts and you're there first day. So they had already kind of built this rapport with each other and these these interpersonal relationships um in the show and also outside of the show. So integrating myself into that obviously was a little nerve wracking at first. Especially with these superstars and people I respect so much. I was like, oh God, like I just want them to like me. That was what I was worried about at first. But uh before we started tech, I had spent weeks, months just tackling that monster of a script. Yeah. Trying to focus on learning the lines and learning words and making sure I had it so that way I could go into tech and watch Elle and talk to her and watch s and and watch Alyssa and talk to her and figure out what was really going on.

Yeah. And and and figure out who these these characters were. But like watching tech and watching Lila Neugebauer are incredible genius fucking superwoman of a director um just work and and be transparent with the entire company about what she wanted and what she thought was right for the production and same thing with with with Brandon. Um that's where I gained the majority of my knowledge from like literally just watching. Yeah. Because I didn't get the time in the rehearsal room with them. Right. So I had to go out of my way to have those conversations. Sure and um really observe as much as I could. And then yeah I mean we have understudy rehearsals once a week. Oh, okay. Which is I mean, not not still.

We're we're on hiatus. We've been on hiatus for the last two weeks almost. Oh my god. Yeah. Did it move? We start on Tuesday. We start on Tuesday. I didn't realize that. Yeah. I know. We start on Tuesday. So excited. Okay. I actually went to the Belasco and got to see everything being moved in. It is the most beautiful theater I've ever seen in my life. It is absolutely stunning. And I was like passing by, and I wanted to take a photo with a marquee, and I hit it off with the doorman. Uh who was like outside. And he was like, hey, you want to come in and look? And I was like, do I yes. And he knew you were like it in the show. Yeah, because I I introduced myself. I was like, hey, I'm eating I'm gonna, you know, be working on the show. And I went and I went to go see all the dressing rooms, and my friend Graham Campbell. Yeah. Shout out Graham, who's in the show with me. Um we're gonna have a DJ, a DJ booth, actually.

[48:18] mia sinclair jenness: I no, no in our dressing rooms. Dressing room? He is currently getting a neon sign made that says Club Campbell. Sick. And I have a DJ board. I've been learning how to DJ, and he's buying a beat pad, and we're gonna get speakers and LEDs. And also I talked to the stage hands because he also wanted a hammock in his dressing room, and I was like, so let's say I wanted a hammock. Just asking. Just asking. And they were like, oh, actually, like we've had people do that before. You just like tell us to come up and and install stuff into the wall and we'll do it. And I was like, oh, absolutely. And then I was like, okay, can we still have the hammock though? And he was like, no, I might want a couch instead.

I was like, that seems more practical. Because it's it's a really big theater. And I think lots of dressing rooms. Lots. So no one is sharing. No one? Wow. I think the understudies are probably gonna be sharing. But there's four floors of dressing rooms with four dressing rooms each. Yeah. And I don't know if Sarah I think Sarah's, I'm assuming, gonna get more than one dressing room. Yeah. Interesting. But like there's a lot of space. So yeah, we're gonna have the DJ booth. Alyssa, who's one of my best friends in the world, who I've known for like ten years actually, um, we're gonna decorate the hell out of hers. And Alyssa and I did Greyhouse together this summer where I also understudied her.

And me and my friend Emma, who was another understudy in Greyhouse, um shared a dressing room on the very top floor of the Lyceum. And I like ha I I got a rug from Buy Nothing, and I had like lights up and posters and like flowers everywhere. I lived there. I literally I lived there.

[49:59] Eli Tokash: So you're big into the whole like dressing room.

[50:02] mia sinclair jenness: Of course I am. What? Do I of course I am because actually at the Helen Hayes we the understudies didn't really have like a dressing room. It was a it was a small space, but we had a giant green room, a beautifully newly redone green room where we would spend all of our time with the with the cast. Um but like we didn't we had like a like one dressing room like behind the stage manager's office, which shared a wall with Sarah and Elle. We could hear like everything, which made me nervous so I never sat in there. I like didn't I don't know. I felt like I was even they were never really like they never said anything, but I was like, I just don't I just feel weird. So I like never really spent a lot of my time in there.

But like I'm I'm just excited to like have a space. Yeah to like chill and do my thing. Oh my god. So exciting. What was that like? Like, so okay. Obviously you guys are like killing it, right? And you guys are selling out and y it's a hit, you know. Um but you're told, like, you know, it was a limited engagement, and then you're told that you know, you're moving. Like, was that ever a thought process? Was it a concern of whether you would still be a part of the show? Like, was that ever a thing? Like what absolutely. Yeah, like what was the whole move like?

[51:18] mia sinclair jenness: So right off the bat, we had like done really good work on the show, and we knew that, and and we knew that like we were hoping that people were gonna like it, and then they did. Yeah. And we were selling out every single night. And if I wanted to watch the show, there were never any seats for me, and I would have to stand in the mezzanine. Right. And watch. Like there were never any seats, and I was like, holy and I mean the show that I did this summer, uh was it didn't do well. It didn't do well. So going from like a show that really didn't do well to the biggest hit on Broadway was a crazy dichotomy that I never thought I would experience. Like the difference in those two things is just outstanding.

But I we all knew the shoes the show was doing well. Yeah. And we got extended I think we were only supposed to run through like mid-February, and then we got extended to March 3rd, and we were like awesome. And then I you know, we were all hearing whispers. Never from anyone official, but like from each other. Or like the big dogs in the cast, being like, hypothetically, if the show were to transfer and extend even further, would you come with? Oh, interesting. So we were we were hearing this, and we were like, what is going on? Like there's there's no way we're gonna transfer and move and do it for longer. There's no way. But then as soon as we thought that maybe it wasn't gonna happen, there would be more like concrete details that we would at least we thought concrete details that we would receive from each other, and we'd be like, what is happening?

Like literally what is happening, because none of it was ever coming through our representation or from stage management or from company management. It was literally all just like from each other. So you know, I would be texting Graham and I'd be texting Alistair, and I'd be like, What is happening? Because they're on stagecast, and as understudies, we don't we're not privy to that information. So it was kind of up to us to put the pieces together, and they'd be like, Well, we're not really sure either. Yeah. Until I mean, there was a point where we didn't even think it was gonna happen at all. Really? There was a point where we were like financially it doesn't make sense. And then it did. And then somehow miraculously, by the grace of God, it did.

And we were like, oh, oh, okay, so this is real. And we, you know, got our contracts, and we now the marquee is up, it's been enough, and then suddenly it's real. And now it's real. And now we're getting the DJ booth. And now we're getting the now, we're going to Club Campbell, yeah. Um it was like the most miraculous thing I've ever seen in my life. Because I've never been a part of something like this that has been this like crazy successful and crazy masterful, and and and like just everything you wanted to be in more project. So like now we're moving and we're going to the Belasco, which is double the size of the house we were in. And people are really excited. People are really excited.

And we're really excited to keep doing it. Right. At least I know I am. Yeah. And like I'm like getting a little bored. I'm like, God, I just want to go back to work. Whoever says that. Who says that? Who whoever? Unless you really love what you're doing, whoever says that. But like I missed it. I miss it. I miss my friends, dude. Yeah. I miss my friends. Like Alyssa and I, and actually the girls from Greyhouse, we all just went to Disney. What? We went to Disney over break. Yep. It was me, Alyssa, Colby Kipnas, and uh Emma Sophia Hyrie. And we went to Disney. And it was amazing. Yeah. We we we literally because like we have not been able to go on vacation, Alyssa and I specifically. Yeah, I mean, you're just hopping from show to show.

Like, God forbid. God forbid! No, but it was like the most fun ever. We had the best time. Um, but yeah, I'm I'm like anxious to get back and like get back into that routine and see how you know what changes, what doesn't, what dynamics shift. We we really enjoy each other's presence, luckily. Um it's gonna be a lot of fun to do it in the summer, especially. Yeah. I'm really excited. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh my god, I'm excited. It now gives more people a chance to see the show, which is like great. Like, that's kind of what it's all about. 100%. Yeah. 100%.

[56:04] Eli Tokash: Um, just going back to the cast really quick. Like, like I gotta ask. Like, d were you ever like Star Shuck? You know, you know? Like it's weird, like when you're working with them, like maybe a crossing the street or something, like it's easier to get starstruck, but like when you enter a room with someone and be like, hey, the we're gonna work together, like, what is that dynamic kind of I mean I I touched on this briefly, but like walking into that room on the first day and just being like, I just want them to take me seriously. I just want them to like me. I didn't even it could have been anyone. It could have been like whoever. It could have been Joe Schmell, and I would have been like, please, I just want you to like please.

Because obviously that's what everyone wants on your first day of work. You want them to take you seriously, you want them to know you can do the job. Um so I don't think it was ever any like star struckness, but I think it was more just like I want to be like respected. I want the people in this room to f to feel like I belong here and like I'm here for a reason. And luckily I was able to to prove that rather quickly. I got to go on. Uh Miss L was nominated for a Golden Globe. Casual. Yeah, casual. Yep, and then she got COVID. Um which blew. Yeah. But I got to go on for for a little bit, and there was some stuff going on internally with the show, um, with other sicknesses from cast members, whatever.

So there was a lot of moving parts, but I think uh I I had done the work. Yeah. And I loved what I was doing, and I was just so happy to be there. I am never ever happier than what I'm doing. I'm never happier. But like I was able to prove that like I can hold my own. Right. With some of the best of the best. Like, like literally. I I still even get nervous. I'm like, did they think I was? Yeah. That's what I'm saying. Like now I'm like, okay, what was that first performance like?

[58:08] mia sinclair jenness: So you got to prove it, you know, like now. Obviously the nerves were there. But I did, but I knew what I was doing. It was in my bones at that point because I'd been rehearsing. I had done the work. And like luckily the cast is so supportive of one another, especially when an understudy is on. At one point we had Tina Banco, who was a newly hired understudy at that point. We had to hire two new understudies. She had been there for three days and Sarah got COVID and she was understudying Sarah. So she went on with the script and she murdered. She absolutely killed it. And everyone was so supportive and so wonderful that like even Sarah, you know, it was announced that Tina was gonna be joining us in the cast.

Sarah looks at all of us. We're on stage, um, I think like right before a show. She was like, oh fuck, like she might be better than me. She was like, Tina's gonna be better than me. And we were like, dude, don't even. They're both so incredible. You're not even allowed, but they are both so incredible. But like, yeah. I mean, the nerves were there as they're gonna be in any show when you're understudying or when it's your first performance, but like the support that I could like just feel emanating off of the rest of the company was so like palpable that I didn't even care. I was just happy to be there. I was just happy to be doing the work and proving that I could do it. And prove that I'm I can play an adult and that I am an adult.

[59:32] Eli Tokash: Right. And then I can do both. I yeah. That's what I'm saying. Like, I mean, listen, like, I can read off your resume and you could see the veteran that you are and everything like that, and how you grew up in this industry. But like in a way, does it feel like you're kind of remaking your Broadway debut as you're like pretty much a new human being now?

[59:54] mia sinclair jenness: Absolutely. Yeah, really? Absolutely. I made my Broadway debut with La Miz at seven or eight. And I am so obviously so different from who I was. I am not playing those roles anymore. I am a completely new human being. Um and I've gone through a lot and I've you know, for being as young as I am, I've had a lot of life experience that other traditional people my age might not necessarily have had. Um but it 100% feels like I am I am remaking my Broadway debut somehow as someone who can handle it. As someone who can be trusted with material as brilliant as this, or at least I hope that is how it is perceived because like I have never felt luckier. It's unbelievable.

[1:00:57] Eli Tokash: So okay, there's a million things that we can talk about, but um I think I want to shift over to Arcane.

[1:01:04] mia sinclair jenness: Oh hell yeah.

[1:01:05] Eli Tokash: Um, because that's kind of insane. Um no pun intended, but like um no, like voiceovers for actors or for like people on Broadway, it's like it's its own skill, you know, voice acting, but I feel like on Broadway, we have such a permanent kind of um like a very specific timber to our voice.

[1:01:30] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah.

[1:01:31] Eli Tokash: And that's why we're so like in the forefront of a lot of voice acting and having success in that world, I guess. Um so I mean, you are in this absolute hit of a TV show, right? You know, like Emmy Awards and nominations and all of these things, and the cast is like stupid again, you know, like yeah, Haley Seinfeld's freaking like you're having a scene with her, like I know you're not like no, she's like actually so cool.

[1:02:03] mia sinclair jenness: So, like that's what I'm saying. So, like voice acting, right? A lot of the times, you know, it's you and you're in a booth and you're just saying lines and hopefully your voice is acting at the same time as your body and your face. Um it's a weird thing.

[1:02:21] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:02:21] mia sinclair jenness: So, like, you know, are you recording with anybody in the show? You have you met any of your cast members? But that's so rare, like as it is, meeting like your cast members in a in a voiceover like I did Fancy Nancy on Disney Jr. for like five years.

[1:02:37] Eli Tokash: Yes, and you ate.

[1:02:42] mia sinclair jenness: It was so fun though. It was so fun, but like I didn't meet like anyone.

[1:02:46] Eli Tokash: Yeah, no, I know like our I know like the girl played my little sister, the girl who played my best friend, like we all follow each other on Instagram. But like we've never met for the most part, and I did it for five years. Um longer, maybe. But for Arcane, I started working on Arcane. I had turned eleven while I was at work, and then it premiered when I was 16.

[1:03:07] mia sinclair jenness: What? No freaking way.

[1:03:10] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Five years? That's crazy.

[1:03:13] mia sinclair jenness: It took five years for one season. That's bonkers.

[1:03:17] Eli Tokash: So I worked on that show for those few episodes for a very long time. And um I never I didn't meet any of the people that I was working with in this show until the premiere in November of 2021.

[1:03:36] mia sinclair jenness: 2022, maybe. I don't know. But yeah. I didn't know him. And then of course, like, you know, when you're at these awards shows and everything, like, what is that? You get to meet up with them again, or is it kind of like you're visiting other friends that you've worked with?

[1:03:53] Eli Tokash: All of the above.

[1:03:54] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, like all of the above. It's the best vibe in the world. Because we're all just there to celebrate each other.

[1:03:55] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:03:55] mia sinclair jenness: It's the best vibe. It's awesome. But like for Arcane, it took so long to come out because we were all just like really worried. Or I mean I was worried. My brother is a gamer.

[1:04:08] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:04:09] mia sinclair jenness: He that's that that was his whole vibe. And he played League of Legends, and I knew how hardcore that fan base was. And I was like so I was like pooping my pants 100% of the time with fear that the fans of the game were not gonna like the show because they are so protective.

[1:04:24] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:04:24] mia sinclair jenness: So protective. And then it came out and people went bonkers.

[1:04:28] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:04:28] mia sinclair jenness: And I was like, oh my god, I felt like I could breathe. I was like, oh my god. Um yeah, so then we obviously got that recognition at the Emmys, which was amazing. And then, you know, season two is in the works.

[1:04:42] Eli Tokash: Amazing. And are you in it? Are you like involved in it?

[1:04:44] mia sinclair jenness: Can't say it.

[1:04:48] Eli Tokash: Yeah, cool. Rooting for Powder.

[1:04:54] mia sinclair jenness: I recorded the question that I get asked the most often, even by just like friends of mine who have seen the show is like, are you are you good? Are you gay? Like after like watching specifically that that one episode where I'm like screaming crying.

[1:05:07] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:05:08] mia sinclair jenness: They're like, are you okay?

[1:05:10] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:05:10] mia sinclair jenness: Like, I'm fine, I'm fine, God.

[1:05:12] Eli Tokash: Right.

[1:05:13] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. Fine, guys. It's fine.

[1:05:15] Eli Tokash: It's like, screaming fine.

[1:05:17] mia sinclair jenness: There's a there's like a clip somewhere of one of the creators of the show being like interviewed about like the making of it. And he's like, Yeah, I went into the booth with Mia that day being like, Alright, let's make an 11-year-old girl cry. And that is what happened. I just yeah, it was it was like also one of the best f like most fulfilling projects I've ever worked on. Cause like artistically, it's so beautiful.

[1:05:38] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it's just stunning.

[1:05:40] mia sinclair jenness: It j it is, it's gorgeous. And I like I can see why it took five years. It's just crazy to to hear that out loud. It's so m it was like the work that was done.

[1:05:53] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:05:53] mia sinclair jenness: I mean obviously I did so many pickups throughout the years, but like specifically in terms of the animation, like the meticulous nature of that work is unlike anything I've ever seen. It is beautiful.

[1:06:04] Eli Tokash: Right.

[1:06:04] mia sinclair jenness: And we got to go I got to go to Riot Studios, got to go to Riot Games. Uh they have really good snacks.

[1:06:11] Eli Tokash: And they have like a game.

[1:06:13] mia sinclair jenness: I mean, like the it's like a beautiful campus. It's just gorgeous. But like I got to like watch some of these like game makers and like animators like doing the work, and I was like, this is it, like who else like this is insane.

[1:06:26] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it's so cool, and like I don't think they get nearly enough credit for the work that they do.

[1:06:32] mia sinclair jenness: Right.

[1:06:32] Eli Tokash: Like how painstaking it is.

[1:06:35] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, it's incredible. It's truly incredible. I mean, that that's a whole other like art.

[1:06:43] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah.

[1:06:44] mia sinclair jenness: Like, literally. It it is a TV show, but like it's so much more than that. Because like you literally, it's the one piece of like artistic media that has every piece of art from acting from drawing from you know painting or whatever.

[1:07:00] Eli Tokash: It made you.

[1:07:01] mia sinclair jenness: And and the soundtrack?

[1:07:02] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:07:03] mia sinclair jenness: I mean, we had Sting and Ray Chen do a song. It's like, what world are we on? Who even knows what plane? It's just a uh beyond.

[1:07:13] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:07:14] mia sinclair jenness: Like a be like a beautiful mixture of like everything you could possibly imagine. But Sting came to the show.

[1:07:20] Eli Tokash: What?

[1:07:20] mia sinclair jenness: Sting came to my show.

[1:07:21] Eli Tokash: And which one?

[1:07:24] mia sinclair jenness: Appropriate.

[1:07:24] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[1:07:25] mia sinclair jenness: He came to Appropriate. I mean, you're in Showman!

[1:07:28] Eli Tokash: Stop!

[1:07:29] mia sinclair jenness: No! He obviously had Last Ship on Broadway ten years ago. And one of our stars of the show, Michael Esper.

[1:07:37] Eli Tokash: Shut up as more!

[1:07:38] mia sinclair jenness: Uh, that's that's my homie, for real. Anyway. Esperred in the show.

[1:07:43] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[1:07:44] mia sinclair jenness: And him and Sting hadn't seen each other in like 10 years, and it was the most beautiful reunion. There were tears involved. It was adore. It was like actually like so wonderful. But um, I like went up to Sting and I was like, hey! So you noticed you you sang a song for my show and it makes me cry every time I hear it. Thank you, King. He was like, Yeah, that was a very emotional show.

[1:08:03] mia sinclair jenness: That's what he sounds like, he's British. Which I didn't know, but it's like, yeah, it's a very emotional show. And I was like, it is Sting, it is. And he was like, Yes, I had a really good time working on it. Thank you. I was like, ah that's crazy. It was insane. Like you get to say you're in a TV show.

[1:08:20] Eli Tokash: That's so crazy.

[1:08:21] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, I'm so excited. It was so wonderful.

[1:08:24] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it's great. That's such a flex to just go up to Sting and be like, hey, we've actually kind of worked together.

[1:08:31] mia sinclair jenness: And he was like, oh yes, yes, yes. So crazy.

[1:08:34] Eli Tokash: Yeah, he's a he's incredible.

[1:08:36] mia sinclair jenness: He was the nicest guy.

[1:08:37] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it seems like it.

[1:08:39] mia sinclair jenness: Come on. I was like, what?

[1:08:41] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:08:42] mia sinclair jenness: It's always nice when you meet people and they're not assholes.

[1:08:45] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[1:08:46] mia sinclair jenness: Because there are a lot of them out there. We had a really huge celebrity come to our show and he left an intermission.

[1:08:53] Eli Tokash: Are you lying?

[1:08:54] mia sinclair jenness: Of Appropriate or Grey?

[1:08:56] Eli Tokash: Appropriate.

[1:08:56] mia sinclair jenness: Okay. Great House would make more sense.

[1:08:58] Eli Tokash: I know.

[1:08:59] mia sinclair jenness: Red House would make more sense. But that's really it.

[1:09:03] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:09:04] mia sinclair jenness: We've had I had some like weird interactions with people. Or like weird. I don't know. But like most of the time people are like really wonderful to talk to and like really chillin' down to earth, and I'm like, this is so awesome. I'm really happy to know that not everyone sucks.

[1:09:20] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:09:21] mia sinclair jenness: Like that's awesome.

[1:09:22] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Is it like I mean, I know we're back in Appropriate land, but like with all of your stars in the cast, like, is it like every night just a new celebrity, new friend coming?

[1:09:35] mia sinclair jenness: Absolutely.

[1:09:35] Eli Tokash: So who's the who's your favorite person that you met? And this doesn't even have to be with Appropriate.

[1:09:42] mia sinclair jenness: Oh my god. Okay, that stresses me out more.

[1:09:44] Eli Tokash: Oh, okay. So wait, no, take it back. Take it back.

[1:09:46] mia sinclair jenness: Okay, take it back.

[1:09:47] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[1:09:48] mia sinclair jenness: Um We had Phineas.

[1:09:52] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[1:09:53] mia sinclair jenness: We had Phineas come and he was so awesome. It was my birthday.

[1:09:56] Eli Tokash: I would have died.

[1:09:57] mia sinclair jenness: It was awesome. Oh yeah, I was so excited. Because Billy was in town for SNL. Billy didn't come, but he was with Claudia, and I was like, You're so fucking cool, dude.

[1:10:05] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:10:06] mia sinclair jenness: It's like I really look up to you so much. I'm a bigger fan of Phineas than Billy, so I I were. I would have like been on my like Oh yeah.

[1:10:11] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[1:10:16] mia sinclair jenness: I don't know if I would have said hi to him. I probably wouldn't have taken that. I like really sometimes have to like work myself up.

[1:10:21] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:10:22] mia sinclair jenness: Spielberg.

[1:10:23] Eli Tokash: No shit.

[1:10:24] mia sinclair jenness: Spielberg.

[1:10:25] Eli Tokash: That's crazy.

[1:10:26] mia sinclair jenness: He was I I like I was like, I don't even know if I can like say anything. I was like, I don't Yeah.

[1:10:33] Eli Tokash: Um Goldie Hawn was really nice.

[1:10:37] mia sinclair jenness: I just love her.

[1:10:38] Eli Tokash: Um Demi Moore's dog.

[1:10:42] mia sinclair jenness: What?

[1:10:42] Eli Tokash: Demi Moore's dog.

[1:10:44] mia sinclair jenness: I said what I said.

[1:10:44] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[1:10:45] mia sinclair jenness: I mean Demi Moore was there too.

[1:10:47] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I guess like screw Demi Moore.

[1:10:49] mia sinclair jenness: The dog is named P Lof.

[1:10:51] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[1:10:52] mia sinclair jenness: It is the teeny tiniest little thing. She was carrying it in like a baby bjorn and it sat patiently in the audience.

[1:10:58] Eli Tokash: I guess.

[1:10:59] mia sinclair jenness: Um it was the most shocking animal I've ever seen in my life that I had to excuse myself from from the room. I just I was so excited. It was it it doesn't even look real. It doesn't look like a real animal. It's like this big and it's like a chihuahua or something.

[1:11:12] Eli Tokash: That's like I like tongue is just like sticking out, and I was like, oh my god, that's my favorite celebrity that I've that I've met or been in the presence of P Lof, Demi Moore's dog.

[1:11:12] mia sinclair jenness: Oh my god.

[1:11:21] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:11:22] mia sinclair jenness: That's hilarious.

[1:11:23] Eli Tokash: I'm sure she has her own uh in super.

[1:11:25] mia sinclair jenness: She does.

[1:11:26] Eli Tokash: I follow it, don't worry.

[1:11:26] mia sinclair jenness: Of course. Don't worry.

[1:11:28] Eli Tokash: So more famous than both of us will ever be on the hundred percent.

[1:11:32] mia sinclair jenness: Are you kidding me?

[1:11:33] Eli Tokash: And as he should.

[1:11:34] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, yeah.

[1:11:35] Eli Tokash: And I see she makes little outfits for him.

[1:11:37] mia sinclair jenness: Stop it.

[1:11:38] Eli Tokash: Like she makes them?

[1:11:39] mia sinclair jenness: I don't know if she makes them, but they're all like really classy outfits that I would wear on myself on this dog.

[1:11:44] Eli Tokash: And I'm like, God, like I need to live.

[1:11:46] mia sinclair jenness: Yes. No, that's crazy.

[1:11:48] Eli Tokash: Dude, I'm serious. My um a friend of mine sent me like like a like a screenshot of the account, and she was like, God, this dog lives such a life.

[1:12:00] mia sinclair jenness: I mean. Like, I think she brought the dog to like the Emmys or something, or to the Golden Globes. Like, she brings a dog everywhere. Like, I need to live like that.

[1:12:06] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:12:07] mia sinclair jenness: I don't even care. I don't care.

[1:12:08] Eli Tokash: Wait, this is crazy.

[1:12:10] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, I know. I'm obsessed though. It's insane.

[1:12:12] Eli Tokash: I love that your favorite was a dog.

[1:12:14] mia sinclair jenness: Yes. And I and I stand by it.

[1:12:16] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I support. I'm not judging. I just find it hilarious.

[1:12:21] mia sinclair jenness: Other than that, Angelina Jolie.

[1:12:23] Eli Tokash: Like other than that.

[1:12:25] mia sinclair jenness: Oh yeah, actually, that's it.

[1:12:27] Eli Tokash: Those are your top four.

[1:12:29] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah.

[1:12:29] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Okay, I'll fit it. Top five.

[1:12:33] mia sinclair jenness: Okay.

[1:12:37] mia sinclair jenness: And she had all our kids with her. She was so nice. She was so nice. Okay, so we'll say we'll say Sting. We'll say Phineas. Sting, Phineas. Demi Moore's dog. Demi Moore's dog. Angelina Jolie. Is there another one extra? Spielberg. Oh, Spielberg. Dog. God forbid. Um? No, I'm just kidding. Um, not kidding. Yeah, real. Um, okay, so there's that's that's crazy. It was insane. I mean, like every single night it's always just like these ridiculously famous and really cool people.

[1:13:01] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:13:08] mia sinclair jenness: And like usually I look like garbage. I'm like in my sweats.

[1:13:07] Eli Tokash: Right.

[1:13:13] mia sinclair jenness: And I'm like, oh hey.

[1:13:11] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:13:17] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. Stop it. It's always like weird, like going up to people who like obviously like didn't see me in the show, and I'm like, hey, you didn't see me, but I swear I'm in it.

[1:13:25] Eli Tokash: Right.

[1:13:26] mia sinclair jenness: And they're like, oh okay. Good for you. No, I'm sure they get it.

[1:13:30] Eli Tokash: No, they do.

[1:13:31] mia sinclair jenness: They do. I'm I'm playing, but like sometimes I do feel a little like. I don't know. Like, I don't know what's going on. Like imposter syndrome.

[1:13:39] Eli Tokash: Yes, 100% imposter syndrome. Because like, yeah, it definitely is a struggle sometimes, but like it doesn't have to be. I do it to myself.

[1:13:45] mia sinclair jenness: Right. I mean I do it to myself. We're our own biggest enemy, like really.

[1:13:51] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[1:13:51] mia sinclair jenness: Like we're in our heads way too much. Um damn, this is this is crazy. Um I mean, we're at an hour. I feel like I talked to you forever in my god, yeah.

[1:14:05] Eli Tokash: Like a behemoth of a role. We haven't talked about Greyhouse, uh, Mary Page Marlowe, like Oh, I loved Mary Page.

[1:14:11] mia sinclair jenness: I will say about Mary Page, uh written by the incredible Tracy Letts and directed by the same woman who directed Appropriate, Lila Neugebauer.

[1:14:19] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[1:14:20] mia sinclair jenness: And I I have never in my life admired someone more than I admire her. She's also directing Uncle Vanya right now, on top of teching this. Casually.

[1:14:28] Eli Tokash: I mean Steve on Broadway, say less.

[1:14:32] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, she is actually like the epitome of everything I want to be in my life. She is the by far like uh best director I've ever worked with in my life.

[1:14:44] Eli Tokash: So is that like the long-term goal? Like, do you want to direct? Do you want to continue acting? Like what is yeah.

[1:14:50] mia sinclair jenness: I don't I mean, I don't know. I think I just want to keep doing things that make me happy. I don't know if that necessarily means directing or producing or writing, do you think?

[1:14:54] Eli Tokash: Or writing.

[1:15:01] mia sinclair jenness: I mean, no, I don't write. I I want I w I always say that I want to, but then I just don't. But I I want to keep doing what fulfills me and what makes me happy because I think if I want to do if I want something done, I'll do it myself.

[1:15:16] Eli Tokash: That's at the end of the day. That's all it is.

[1:15:18] mia sinclair jenness: Wow.

[1:15:18] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Love your outlook.

[1:15:20] mia sinclair jenness: Well, thanks.

[1:15:21] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I mean so inspirational.

[1:15:24] mia sinclair jenness: Thanks!

[1:15:24] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it's awesome. And uh, you know, I can't wait for it to watch you and Gaten and Josh be in a show together.

[1:15:31] mia sinclair jenness: I know we've always said, we have always said, next time Les Mis is on Broadway.

[1:15:37] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:15:38] mia sinclair jenness: We want to do it again.

[1:15:39] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[1:15:40] mia sinclair jenness: Me doing Eponine, Gaten probably Enjolras, obviously Josh is is Marius cause duh.

[1:15:46] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:15:47] mia sinclair jenness: And then Josh and Gaten don't know Danielle Gordon because they had left by that point. But Danielle is my closest confidant, best friend.

[1:15:58] Eli Tokash: She's home from school this week.

[1:15:59] mia sinclair jenness: I think we've had like three sleepovers, and she's been home for five days.

[1:16:03] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:16:03] mia sinclair jenness: She is like my f we met doing Les Mis, and then as it turns out, um, she lives in the town I was born in and where I still have a house.

[1:16:11] Eli Tokash: Oh.

[1:16:12] mia sinclair jenness: So we just see each other all the time. Like her being at school is the longest we've been away from each other since we were in Les Mis.

[1:16:19] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[1:16:20] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah. But um, she she's Cosette. She has this like beautiful legit soprano. She's in school for musical theater. So it would be, in my mind, that's like a perfect scenario.

[1:16:32] Eli Tokash: I love it.

[1:16:33] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, that's what it has to be. Or me, Josh, Gaten are gonna do Spring Awakening somewhere.

[1:16:39] Eli Tokash: Period.

[1:16:40] mia sinclair jenness: Oh my god.

[1:16:41] Eli Tokash: And there's and there's no there's no question.

[1:16:43] mia sinclair jenness: Like it has to happen, or everything I've done in my career has been for naught.

[1:16:48] Eli Tokash: It is so important that we do that.

[1:16:50] mia sinclair jenness: Oh my god, that's sick.

[1:16:51] Eli Tokash: I would I would so see that.

[1:16:53] mia sinclair jenness: No, you would be in it with us.

[1:16:54] Eli Tokash: No, no, no.

[1:16:55] mia sinclair jenness: Yes.

[1:16:55] Eli Tokash: I would be No, you would be in it with us.

[1:16:57] mia sinclair jenness: I'll be in first round. Don't worry.

[1:17:00] Eli Tokash: That's sick.

[1:17:01] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah.

[1:17:01] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. I'm I'm here.

[1:17:03] mia sinclair jenness: You I mean, I'll fuck you. I'll invest. Give my money now. Take my money.

[1:17:05] Eli Tokash: This is crazy.

[1:17:07] mia sinclair jenness: No, literally. Um, okay, well, we'll we'll make it happen. And and uh those are the dream cast, dream roles, I guess. I don't know.

[1:17:14] Eli Tokash: Uh, but that's exciting. I I can't wait to see your actress.

[1:17:18] mia sinclair jenness: We gotta do it.

[1:17:19] Eli Tokash: Alright. Well, I mean, I don't want to take up too much of your time.

[1:17:22] mia sinclair jenness: Oh my god, no. This is crazy because we haven't even gone through half of your career, but uh you're you're a gem.

[1:17:28] Eli Tokash: I mean well fit. I reached out to Melokai to well, obviously we were talking earlier today. I mentioned that you were coming on here, and um, he was telling me about like Matilda's stories.

[1:17:38] mia sinclair jenness: I don't know if Pen15 rings a bell or kids like shows or anything.

[1:17:45] Eli Tokash: Did he tell me about pet rocks?

[1:17:46] mia sinclair jenness: Pet rocks? Ma'am. Alright, I'm gonna tell this very quick one. Um I was always a weird kid. Still am so strange.

[1:17:53] Eli Tokash: Stop.

[1:17:56] mia sinclair jenness: But he I I really I had pet rocks. It was exactly what it sounds like. It's pebbles. That's it. No eyes or nothing. Cool.

[1:18:03] Eli Tokash: And I would drag them around on a leash, name them.

[1:18:06] mia sinclair jenness: So we were on tour. We were in like New Haven at the you know tech.

[1:18:10] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:18:10] mia sinclair jenness: And uh previews. And I went to the dollar store and I got everyone rocks, like a little bag, and we all had pet rocks.

[1:18:17] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:18:17] mia sinclair jenness: And it became such a problem, I guess, that they fucking banned pet rocks.

[1:18:21] Eli Tokash: What?

[1:18:21] mia sinclair jenness: From Matilda. So they took away our rocks.

[1:18:24] Eli Tokash: What?

[1:18:24] mia sinclair jenness: They took away our rocks, and I was pissed.

[1:18:27] Eli Tokash: And I was mad.

[1:18:28] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, and they took away Samantha and Billy. I miss you guys every day. Please, if you're out there.

[1:18:33] Eli Tokash: They banned like you're not.

[1:18:34] mia sinclair jenness: They took away my pet rocks. They took away all of our rocks.

[1:18:37] Eli Tokash: Oh wow, that's crazy.

[1:18:38] mia sinclair jenness: I didn't know if it was like a ban from the theater or they let you keep it.

[1:18:41] Eli Tokash: No, they didn't let us keep it.

[1:18:42] mia sinclair jenness: They just took it away. I never got them back. They were my rocks, and they're gone.

[1:18:46] Eli Tokash: They were my rocks.

[1:18:47] mia sinclair jenness: That's like that's so cute.

[1:18:49] Eli Tokash: It was I'm still like very upset about it.

[1:18:52] mia sinclair jenness: Cause like those were my babies.

[1:18:53] Eli Tokash: That's crazy.

[1:18:54] mia sinclair jenness: Well Matilda was amazing. I had a great time.

[1:18:56] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah. I mean, hey, next time. Next time. We'll we'll we'll talk about it all.

[1:19:02] mia sinclair jenness: Uh, but no, you've had such a great career and obviously so much to take about for. So I appreciate you, you know, coming on here.

[1:19:08] mia sinclair jenness: Thank you so much for having me.

[1:19:10] Eli Tokash: Yeah, no, no. Thank you for your time. And uh everyone, go check out uh Appropriate now at the Blasco Theater.

[1:19:17] mia sinclair jenness: Come see us, baby.

[1:19:18] Eli Tokash: In two weeks.

[1:19:19] mia sinclair jenness: Is that right?

[1:19:20] Eli Tokash: A week.

[1:19:20] mia sinclair jenness: A week.

[1:19:21] Eli Tokash: Tuesday. Uh yeah, we we yeah, I guess like two weeks. Come in two weeks.

[1:19:23] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, not Tuesday, like in three days or whatever Tuesday the 18th.

[1:19:30] Eli Tokash: It's Tuesday the 25th.

[1:19:31] mia sinclair jenness: That's right. March 25th.

[1:19:32] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I think it's I think it's the 25th. Um, thank you for having me.

[1:19:35] mia sinclair jenness: I really I've loved watching everything you've you've done with the podcast and with your career.

[1:19:41] Eli Tokash: I think you are so incredible, and I'm so happy that we've been able to stay in touch all these years. Like, how cool is that?

[1:19:47] mia sinclair jenness: I know, and we gotta do it more.

[1:19:49] Eli Tokash: We really do.

[1:19:49] mia sinclair jenness: Yeah, we'll we'll definitely do something, but I I love that this gives me an excuse to like, you know, chat with people that yeah, so uh no, it's been great.

[1:19:58] Eli Tokash: So you're the best, and uh appreciate it. Appropriate Alaska Theater, March 25th.

[1:20:03] mia sinclair jenness: Yep.

[1:20:03] Eli Tokash: Alright, thank you.

[1:20:06] mia sinclair jenness: Take a bow, mia sinclair jenness.

[1:20:09] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. Absolute blast of an episode. Thrilled to do it in person.

[1:20:13] mia sinclair jenness: Always easier to to kind of feed off of each other and and kind of be more spontaneous.

[1:20:20] Eli Tokash: I had my computer with me of questions and everything, and you know, I I didn't even look at it, and uh I I was kind of just it was nice to just chat, you know, and not kind of get lost in the conversation.

[1:20:32] mia sinclair jenness: It's so much easier in person than it is on Zoom with the delays and whatever, and just figuring out, you know, are you done talking? Are you not?

[1:20:39] Eli Tokash: Um, anyways, it w it was awesome. And and this episode has it all from educational moments to um kind of an inside look behind the curtain of relationships, of stories of our childhood, um, you know, everything in between, dressing room stuff, you know, like it it's got it all.

[1:20:58] mia sinclair jenness: And uh I was honored uh to to for her and I was super excited that she was willing to come on here, chat with us, and uh I was lucky enough to catch her on her little hiatus from the hottest show on Broadway right now at Appropriate, and uh that is uh transferring to the Blasco Theater and gonna be resuming performances on March 25th.

[1:21:22] Eli Tokash: So head over there, and uh yeah, just uh absolute blast of an episode. Hopefully you all enjoyed it as much as I did.

[1:21:29] mia sinclair jenness: You had voiceover talk, you had uh Broadway talk, you had you had it all.

[1:21:33] Eli Tokash: I mean, truly.

[1:21:34] mia sinclair jenness: So uh this was a awesome episode. Can't wait to have her back on, talk more about the career, and uh it was just great to, you know.

[1:21:45] Eli Tokash: And it was just great to know, you know, like uh it was great to catch up with Mia.

[1:21:52] mia sinclair jenness: So uh love it.

[1:21:54] Eli Tokash: Thanks for for coming on.

[1:21:55] mia sinclair jenness: And this was a very important week to the and this kind of goes into my PSA sort of thing that I mentioned before our chat.

[1:22:04] Eli Tokash: Um it was really important for me to have her on this week for a multitude of reasons.

[1:22:10] mia sinclair jenness: Uh she's someone that we've actually been trying to schedule for quite some time, and I you know, it was either I dropped the ball or sh our schedules didn't line up or s you know, something was going on.

[1:22:22] Eli Tokash: So um it never you know, worked out prior, and this week it it kind of the stars aligned and it was the perfect week to do it.

[1:22:32] mia sinclair jenness: Uh, because she is a PPAS alumni along with me.

[1:22:36] Eli Tokash: Um for those of you who don't know what PPAS is, pr PPAS stands for the professional performing arts school.

[1:22:43] mia sinclair jenness: Um and it is the school to go to if you are a child on Broadway.

[1:22:49] Eli Tokash: Um a lot of people have heard of LaGuardia and uh that's another great performing arts school um in the city.

[1:22:58] mia sinclair jenness: They are um a little stricter as far as working and going to school.

[1:23:04] Eli Tokash: So uh, you know, a lot of the kids that grew up as Broadway performers went to PPAS and not LaGuardia, or perhaps they went to the PPAS middle school as they were working then and then as they, you know, slowed down with working in high school due to the voice change, due to body changes, you know, just a new just adulting and and adjusting to that side of the industry, you know, you go through a phase and you don't work as much.

[1:23:31] mia sinclair jenness: Uh so some people go to LaGuardia then.

[1:23:34] Eli Tokash: Um anyways, PPAS.

[1:23:37] mia sinclair jenness: PPAS, uh I'm forever indebted to.

[1:23:40] Eli Tokash: Uh as I mentioned, if you listen to my Thursday PSA, um, I don't know if I would be in college if it wasn't for PPAS.

[1:23:49] mia sinclair jenness: I mean, I truly uh I can look at you in the eyes and say that with a straight face and genuinely mean it.

[1:23:56] Eli Tokash: Um for the amount of tests, assignments, days of classes that I've missed, uh due to working.

[1:24:03] mia sinclair jenness: Uh it was uh it was ridiculous.

[1:24:07] Eli Tokash: And uh, you know, they were there and they supported me along the way.

[1:24:11] mia sinclair jenness: And for shows that I wasn't even getting tutoring in, they were still willing to send me work and figure out ways to make it work so that uh you know I was getting proper education.

[1:24:21] Eli Tokash: But uh you know, you go to PPAS for the arts education and the arts education is currently um dealing with a lot of budget cuts and and that's something that's like no secret to anybody because that just tends to be the first thing to always get cut from uh education in general.

[1:24:42] mia sinclair jenness: Um and yes it happens even at a performing arts school a professional performing arts school that is the name of the school.

[1:24:50] Eli Tokash: Without their arts program they I and I I mean this in the most loving way possible.

[1:24:57] mia sinclair jenness: They are nothing.

[1:24:58] Eli Tokash: They aren't even a school um obviously they have the education everything like that, but that's not why kids go to the school you go to this school because you audition to get in.

[1:25:08] mia sinclair jenness: It is a hard school to get into it is something that is taken so seriously there it's a small amount of uh students so um you already have a small class because you can get a one on one um opportunity and and the the the education and the teaching and the preparation that you deserve um and the proper care that you do uh that that students deserve in order to grow as an artist.

[1:25:33] Eli Tokash: Um they helped me grow tremendously as an artist. Everyone there so uh listen they are um every year they've been dealing with budget cuts um and obviously every year since the pandemic the budget cuts have been more and more exponential.

[1:25:53] mia sinclair jenness: Um and so they are their programs are are quite literally shutting down for the rest of the year, um, starting after spring break in April.

[1:26:06] Eli Tokash: And due to that, and in conversations with them, because I went to the school and I met with a lot of the heads that over there um uh in order to somehow create an initiative to raise money, and uh you will be hearing a lot more of that from me particularly, but hopefully from others very, very, very soon.

[1:26:29] mia sinclair jenness: Um, because we have an incredible alumni there.

[1:26:32] Eli Tokash: Uh, you know, Jeremy Allen White uh is one of the most notable and hottest, I guess, uh performer that it is an alumni, and he actually made a sizable donation in order to help.

[1:26:43] mia sinclair jenness: He's been uh reaching out and posting on his Instagram and social medias and stuff in order to rally uh, you know, and raise awareness about it and hopefully donations as well.

[1:26:55] Eli Tokash: Um so there are uh it's the alumni is just crazy.

[1:27:00] mia sinclair jenness: Uh Jeremy Allen White, uh Alicia Keys, um Sarah Hyland, uh Arya uh no no not Ariana Grande, but uh Max, the singer, uh who sings uh Lights Down Low.

[1:27:11] Eli Tokash: Uh, you know, Brittany Spears. Um there's a plethora of current and former Broadway uh kids and um uh now adults that are still performing on Broadway that that went there. Um Jesse Eisenberg uh went there. So I mean, listen, the education is no joke, and th they prepare you for the real world of musical theater. Um, and so i it's a very important program. And the fact that these programs are having to walk away because they no longer PPAS can no longer support them or um, you know, financially help them uh the way that they need in order to have the impact that uh it's designed to. Um it's extremely disheartening, and we are we're coming together and we're gonna make something incredible. And uh we're doing a weekend thing, um, and this has been an like large part of uh conversations with the school and faculty um as well as current alumni.

Um so I'm gonna be spearheading it and uh we're gonna be doing cabarets, we're gonna be doing um uh uh assemblies that uh are are an absolute hit and uh something so special and really defines the uh school as a whole and not just a certain major because there's film majors, there's acting drama majors, there's musical theater majors, there's dance majors, um and and so there's a lot of different things happening at PPAS, and that's the those are the those assemblies are the ones that showcase everybody and the all the majors come together to create something really special, and I mean the that stuff is literally broad made material, and I'm not saying that because like I'm trying to like sell anybody, like I'm not even selling anybody like that, there's nothing to sell, you know.

You know, I am just stating a fact. As someone who's seen Broadway shows, who's been in Broadway shows, the talent is Broadway talent. Um as a lot of us were on Broadway. Um and the those who haven't are going to be on Broadway. Like it's just a given. So um listen, they're incredible, and we're gonna be doing so many things, and we're gonna be doing uh reunion concerts, we're gonna be doing all sorts of things, bringing professionals in currently working on Broadway, we're gonna be auctioning off stuff, we're gonna be raffling stuff. I mean, it it's gonna be something really special and it's gonna be happening in June. Um so if you're at a moment in time right now where you can't um donate, you know, just to donate, and out of the kindness of your hearts to support the art, uh definitely block out the first couple weeks of June out on your calendar as uh you will want to be there for uh something really special um and and not just to donate.

You will be witnessing some of the top talent, uh top young talent uh in New York City and in our theater community. So um I'm really excited for it, and we're gonna keep the tickets fairly cheap. Um and hopefully while you're there, if you have the the means necessary, um that's really where we will raise the majority of our money um with opportunities of you know signed uh memorabilia from your favorite Broadway stars and uh you know hopefully offering master classes of from some of the alumni. Noah Galvin is uh one of the alumni that we have in mind, and uh who's a take about family member. And um, so we there's there's a million ideas happening, and there's a lot that needs to be raised in in order to do this, and hopefully we can make this kind of fundraising event uh an annual thing in order to pave the way because here's the thing, and I know I'm going long here, so just bear with me, please.

I I beg you. Um PPAS is the only school that offers this education for free. Um that is why it's so important. Uh LaGuardia offers it for free, but they are a specialized school. So you have to take a specialized test to get in, and those cost money. Um, as well as they tend to get a lot of sponsorships from whether it's companies, whether it's family members, alumni, whatever. Um, and PPAS never asks for a dime. They they that's just not in their mission plan or anything like that, um, which is why they are struggling, uh, because now they kind of wish they did. But in this sense, um, we're gonna do something better because we're not just gonna ask for, you know, alumni to to drop the bag or whatever.

We're gonna ask for donations and them to send us stuff that then we can go off and raise money for. Um and we're gonna make all these pro uh completely public and uh in the PPAS auditorium so that people understand where they are able to put on such high quality shows in such a pardon my French but shithole um of an auditorium and uh uh it it's crazy but um because i it's it's gotten real um and that that's kind of the whole that's kind of why we are taking action and why I want to take action uh because in conversation with PPAS and the faculty and everything kids are currently not going to school they're not showing up they're embarrassed to go to PPAS that's not that's not it that's not who that that's not the PPAS that I graduated from.

You know like I'm proud to graduate from PPAS. They've done so much for me um and I can talk about it for days and here I am talking about it for for 10 plus minutes. Um but they're not going to school and not only are they missing out on their arts education but they're m missing out on their actual education. Um and this is just something that's that's not okay. And I understand from both sides uh the student perspective as you go to that school to get your arts training um and I get it from a faculty members perspective where they're scared. You know they they are trying to do everything that they can to uh you know maintain their enrollment status because there's a lot of people now dropping out because they're they fear that the arts program is going to be completely dismantled and that's not why we chose the school like that's not why we chose PPAS over so many other arts arts schools out there, even though PPAS, their programs are are second to none.

Like they're all it's all top tier stuff. I mean you can argue other schools have better programs, but you know, it's one of the tops. So um it's it's a complicated thing, and it's a important thing that these kids in New York and the the next generation of performers and and um you know our theater kids, like our our next generation of theater makers, of performers, of anything, you know, they are missing out on their education because they are scared, they are they want to go somewhere else. You know, pretty soon PPAS is just not gonna be a school, people are gonna be out of jobs, people are now uh, you know, people that can't afford arts education are now gonna have to be forced to go do something else um and not be able to follow their dreams, which is extremely disheartening because I was fortunate enough to do that, and hopefully that can remain.

So um that that's my spiel. Right now, there is a GoFundMe set up. Um I've been posting about it almost every day from my personal Instagram, and that's at tocash underscore eli. Um but the GoFundMe, if you just look up on Google GoFundMe PPAS or PPAS GoFundMe, uh, it'll come up. Uh, and hopefully you'll consider making a donation, or perhaps hopefully you will be um setting aside that date because that's something you won't want to miss, and I'm gonna be spearheading it. Uh, you know, I'm also gonna do whatever it takes that whatever I have to do in it. So if that means performing, I will be performing, I will be directing it, I will be producing it, I'll do it, I'll be doing it all. So uh it would mean the world to me if if you guys could be there and uh at one of the days or all of the days, you know.

So uh just show your sport in any way that you can. Uh like I said, the tickets are gonna be super cheap in order to raise money, uh, because you we have a lot of plans in order to raise even more. Um and we understand that you know not everyone is in a position to give, but every little cent, penny, dollar counts. So um yeah, that that that's that. And uh Mia and I talked not much in the episode about the importance of our education, but um we we did we did talk about it beforehand and it it was kind of tricky for us to talk about it and put into words as you can see I'm kind of struggling right now um and getting roughly unotional. Um, but um you know it it's something that we don't take lightly and it's something that um I'm excited for it to bring a lot of young artists together, including myself and Mia and several other performers on Broadway to um galvanize our community in order to save our community and to um you know save the arts education at PPAS.

I mean that's that's that's the bottom line. So um yeah, that's all I have to say. Uh sorry, I I went long-winded there, and um I I this is just something I'm too passionate about, and uh I'm really excited to to get to work on it. So um if you didn't know, I did get the news a little bit early. Um obviously it came out to the public earlier this week, and um, so I've been I've been working out uh working on that and uh you know reaching out to people not for the podcast uh but more for that lately. Um but good news is is that we are no longer in that sort of frantic stage. We're a little bit further along, so we are back, and uh we have the next month scheduled. Um so no need to fear. And uh, you know, keep following.

Shout out to those who follow on social media and and kept up with the fact that we didn't have an episode last week. And uh hopefully y'all enjoyed this week's episode so much, and uh I appreciate you for for listening uh to me talk and and ramble and uh, you know, get a little bit emotional, but also uh, you know, uh just have a moment to just talk about something that I'm really passionate about. So um I appreciate you all for giving me that space and I wanted to use this platform to to continue to raise a brilliant awareness. Uh I want to do that as much as I can. Uh this will not be the last time you hear about it. I'm sorry. Um, but uh it's something that that I really care about and that I'm forever indebted to.

So um, you know, uh i it would be um I don't know how I could live with myself if I lived in a world knowing that other people didn't get that same opportunity. So um and knowing that I did nothing about it. So uh yeah, that that's that. And uh, you know, this week's episode was a blast, and Mia, you are a absolute legend, and uh everyone go check it out appropriate at the at the now Balasco Theater starting uh March 25th. And uh yeah, that that that's episode 196. Uh very exciting stuff. Thank you all so much for listening to this week's episode. Um, and as always, I hope you all have a great week. And until then, bye everyone. Have a great week. See you next week. 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 Dory Bernstein, Alan Seals, Kimberly Garris, and the team at the Broadway Podcast Network. Next in line to take a bow are our fabulous editors, Jessica Garren, who edits the audio of the podcast that you just listened to, and Tessie Tokash, who edits the videos and visuals for this podcast. And how about a bow for our executive producer, Chris Grimer? And our final bow are extra special to the patrons Brian Thompson, Pat McNamara, the listeners of PCC, as well as all of the other patrons for their continued support. If you're interested in becoming a patron, go to Patreon.com slash TAB. 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 Cor McCollin, 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.