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[0:01] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 203 of Take A Bow.

[0:07] Eli Tokash: I am your host, Eli Tokash, and this week I am so happy to be back with all of you.

[0:13] Eli Tokash: A little brief hiatus.

[0:15] Eli Tokash: Oh my goodness, lots going on.

[0:17] Eli Tokash: Uh, but I'm thrilled to be back, thrilled to announce that we will officially be having an episode every week for the foreseeable future again.

[0:29] Eli Tokash: Uh sorry for the craziness with the schedules.

[0:33] Eli Tokash: I know um the last actual guest that we had on the show, like uh a typical um I guess uh a traditional episode that we're used to here at Take A Bow with a guest was my 200th episode with Matthew Morrison, and literally that was on April 11th.

[0:54] Eli Tokash: So uh here we are on May 24th with uh the first real episode since our 200th episode.

[1:02] Eli Tokash: Obviously, we had our cabaret the K Cat Club episode, which I honestly got such a wonderful response that I was so thrilled to hear uh people really enjoyed that in podcast form.

[1:15] Eli Tokash: Um obviously we are releasing the uh video form very soon.

[1:21] Eli Tokash: I will officially it is already scheduled, it will be out on Monday.

[1:27] Eli Tokash: Um, in case you want to see those fabulous um outfits that we were referring to in the podcast, or uh if you just want to watch it, the video and see us interact uh all together.

[1:40] Eli Tokash: It's very fun.

[1:41] Eli Tokash: Uh highly recommend and would love for y'all to watch that.

[1:44] Eli Tokash: Um, and appreciate everyone who reached out and uh enjoyed it as a podcast.

[1:48] Eli Tokash: But yeah, so we're back uh a month uh a little over a month later, and we're back with a regular episode.

[1:55] Eli Tokash: This upcoming roster is absolutely stacked with Broadway people.

[2:01] Eli Tokash: I mean, we have Tony nominees from this season, uh, and then we have people that were um in my opinion, snubbed.

[2:12] Eli Tokash: Um, but also at the same time, it's hard to say snubbed because I wouldn't take anyone out of these categories at the same time.

[2:21] Eli Tokash: Um, so just people that kind of got uh a little unlucky.

[2:25] Eli Tokash: Uh we have some Gatsby folks coming on the podcast.

[2:29] Eli Tokash: Uh we have some Heart of Rock and Roll um representing uh this season.

[2:35] Eli Tokash: We have uh perhaps a Harmony uh uh guest coming on here.

[2:40] Eli Tokash: Uh and these are all shows that were on this season but weren't uh necessarily nominated.

[2:45] Eli Tokash: And then like I said, um I'm so pumped to be bringing on some incredible Tony nominees uh that y'all are gonna be very excited about.

[2:55] Eli Tokash: Uh one is a fan favorite for sure.

[2:58] Eli Tokash: Um so pumped to pumped to be uh get that locked and loaded and recorded.

[3:05] Eli Tokash: Um so very exciting things to come.

[3:08] Eli Tokash: This week's episode is very special for so many reasons.

[3:11] Eli Tokash: I have uh a dear friend of mine, Diego Lucano, is uh making his Take A Bow debut and uh very long overdue as uh he has been very involved, honestly, uh in Take A Bow already.

[3:27] Eli Tokash: Like he's uh the minute I started it, it was him and his family was like one of the first people to know.

[3:33] Eli Tokash: Um I was always looking for advice.

[3:36] Eli Tokash: They were always supporting me, uh, listening, asking if I needed any help, and all the things.

[3:42] Eli Tokash: So uh they've been a big part of this journey for me, and I'm so thrilled that not only have him on, but talk about uh this incredible weekend that we have coming up.

[3:51] Eli Tokash: Um obviously it's Memorial Day weekend and it's a three-day weekend and more people are hopefully uh in New York um to visit or whatever.

[4:02] Eli Tokash: So uh we came on here today to talk about a very special um performance that we actually have coming up this Memorial Day weekend on Sunday, uh, in honor of our dear friend Aiden Duver, who I came on here and have talked uh a lot about and uh how much he he meant to the Broadway Star Project family and what we are going to be doing in order to um raise money, uh and honor him and actually introduce a scholarship fund uh in his name.

[4:37] Eli Tokash: So very excited for that for so many reasons and we hope you can come and as we talk a little bit about it.

[4:43] Eli Tokash: Um all right, but before we get into the interview, as always, let's talk about some Broadway news, shall we?

[4:49] Eli Tokash: Like I mentioned, um I obviously did a Tony recap.

[4:53] Eli Tokash: I did the cabaret show.

[4:55] Eli Tokash: So we've checked in um in the past month, uh, just not every week.

[5:00] Eli Tokash: Um, but uh very excited to say that uh there's been a lot going on and there's lots to talk about.

[5:08] Eli Tokash: So uh I wanna say first off that I saw The Outsiders very excited to see The Outsiders.

[5:14] Eli Tokash: I hear it's one of the greatest uh shows of the season.

[5:18] Eli Tokash: Um obviously one of the shows with the most Tony Awards, Hell's Kitchen was the most.

[5:24] Eli Tokash: Um, or perhaps they tied it.

[5:26] Eli Tokash: Um I believe Hell's Kitchen was the most still.

[5:28] Eli Tokash: Um but uh The Outsiders was phenomenal.

[5:32] Eli Tokash: So here's the thing about The Outsiders.

[5:35] Eli Tokash: Here's the thing about The Outsiders.

[5:37] Eli Tokash: I did not see Brody Grant nor did I see Sky Lakota Lynch.

[5:41] Eli Tokash: Um I was very upset about this.

[5:43] Eli Tokash: Um obviously they are both Tony nominated.

[5:47] Eli Tokash: Obviously they are the stars of the show.

[5:49] Eli Tokash: They are the final two to bow.

[5:51] Eli Tokash: Um it was very hard um it's very hard for me to um kind of give an analysis on the show without the two stars of the show um performing here's what I will say the two understudies that went on were fantastic.

[6:10] Eli Tokash: Uh and honest to God, like I the people that I talked to that I was there that night um or just people that like swiped up on the stories or whatever and was like you're seeing um the understudies and I was like yeah like how did you know and they were like oh they're friends of mine or oh I've been wanting to see them or whatever.

[6:32] Eli Tokash: So like the thing is is that like it doesn't miss.

[6:37] Eli Tokash: You know what I'm saying?

[6:38] Eli Tokash: Like it was still uh an unbelievable show.

[6:41] Eli Tokash: So by the way Trevor Wayne was the Ponyboy that I saw the understudy um and Josh Strobel who was actually in Dear Evan Hansen who's a friend of mine um I saw him play uh Johnny even though he understudies both Pony and Johnny.

[6:58] Eli Tokash: Um it was awesome.

[7:01] Eli Tokash: Uh both of them were phenomenal.

[7:03] Eli Tokash: Trevor's voice is ridiculous.

[7:06] Eli Tokash: Um I I I just hear, you know, it isn't the same without them.

[7:12] Eli Tokash: Um obviously um the show itself was phenomenal, the story's great, everyone knows the story.

[7:19] Eli Tokash: The way that they do the fight scene is absolutely bonkers.

[7:23] Eli Tokash: Something that needs to be seen by everyone, revolutionizing the way that uh yeah a fight scene can happen or theater can happen in general.

[7:34] Eli Tokash: Um I'm obsessed with uh the lighting design in the show.

[7:39] Eli Tokash: Um there were so many things about this show from a production standpoint that was so brilliant, the choreography, the everything like it didn't miss, and then of course they have some really great songs in it as well.

[7:51] Eli Tokash: Absolutely love The Outsiders, don't have a thing to bad uh like a bad thing to say about it.

[7:55] Eli Tokash: Um I thought that Soda Pop was phenomenal.

[8:00] Eli Tokash: Uh Jason Schmidt, he was cracking me up, and another favorite of mine was Dallas, Joshua Boone.

[8:07] Eli Tokash: Um he I I like never wanted him to leave the stage.

[8:12] Eli Tokash: Like it was it was amazing.

[8:14] Eli Tokash: And I was thrilled that I got to see him because he is one of the Tony nominated uh cast members in the show.

[8:21] Eli Tokash: I thought they all easily could have been nominated.

[8:24] Eli Tokash: Brent as well for his performances, Daryl, the older brother.

[8:27] Eli Tokash: Um I also thought Emma Pittman was phenomenal as Cherry for like a supporting actress type of thing.

[8:33] Eli Tokash: Um I just thought the cast was great, the music's good, and the production quality itself is awesome.

[8:43] Eli Tokash: Like doesn't miss.

[8:44] Eli Tokash: So it's like your perfect Broadway show.

[8:48] Eli Tokash: And I'm thrilled to say that because, you know, it's not a traditional, oh, this is a movie that we're making into a Broadway show.

[8:57] Eli Tokash: They've figured out how to restructure it in order to make it work for Broadway.

[9:05] Eli Tokash: Um and I I don't think they missed.

[9:08] Eli Tokash: I really don't.

[9:09] Eli Tokash: They they perfect they did everything, everything was so well done, and um I was so excited.

[9:17] Eli Tokash: And it's actually very interesting because it's a very small, like simple set, and they really did the most with it in making in in one scene it was a bedroom, in one scene it was the fight uh the Socs area, then it was the movies, and it was just like the way that they did it was really impressive.

[9:38] Eli Tokash: Um so I just a big fan of it and what they did.

[9:41] Eli Tokash: I I wasn't I don't remember blinking during that show.

[9:45] Eli Tokash: It was it was just so well done.

[9:47] Eli Tokash: So shout out to The Outsiders.

[9:49] Eli Tokash: Uh and of course the girls are loving The Outsiders this season.

[9:53] Eli Tokash: Obviously, some very attractive men on that stage.

[9:56] Eli Tokash: So uh shout out to Shasting for that as well.

[10:00] Eli Tokash: Um, all right, moving on.

[10:03] Eli Tokash: Uh How to Dance in Ohio is going to premiere internationally in the UK starting in 2025.

[10:11] Eli Tokash: Very exciting stuff.

[10:12] Eli Tokash: This was actually announced at a um reunion concert, uh, which was very exciting just this week.

[10:19] Eli Tokash: Um and it announced that uh they'll be heading out in the UK in 2025.

[10:23] Eli Tokash: We don't have like exact dates quite yet, and we don't have a cast quite yet, but it appears that uh it'll feature a brand new cast.

[10:31] Eli Tokash: So uh very exciting stuff and uh obviously a very important story to tell um in our musical theater canon.

[10:40] Eli Tokash: Um and uh performers that definitely need to be um listened to and seen.

[10:49] Eli Tokash: Um so I'm looking forward to that.

[10:52] Eli Tokash: Um Wayne Brady is taking his final bow in The Wiz.

[10:57] Eli Tokash: Um Alan Mingo Jr.

[10:59] Eli Tokash: is going to replace him.

[11:00] Eli Tokash: Alan Mingo Jr.

[11:01] Eli Tokash: actually uh is going to reprise his role because uh he played the role of the Wiz in the pre-Broadway national tour.

[11:10] Eli Tokash: So Wayne Brady actually, oddly enough, is going to be taking his final bow on Wednesday, June 12th.

[11:16] Eli Tokash: Yeah, that's right.

[11:17] Eli Tokash: Wednesday, June 12th, midweek final bow.

[11:20] Eli Tokash: Very odd, but uh seamless transition.

[11:23] Eli Tokash: Uh it should be because Alan Mingo Jr.

[11:25] Eli Tokash: is uh has already done the role and it's probably gonna be like no time has passed.

[11:30] Eli Tokash: Um and he'll take over on Thursday the 13th.

[11:34] Eli Tokash: So very exciting stuff.

[11:35] Eli Tokash: Uh Death Becomes Her.

[11:37] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[11:39] Eli Tokash: Love this.

[11:40] Eli Tokash: So excited for this.

[11:42] Eli Tokash: Death Becomes Her is coming to Broadway.

[11:44] Eli Tokash: That is right.

[11:45] Eli Tokash: Um star-studded cast, they are killing it.

[11:48] Eli Tokash: Like, literally, I think they announced this before um this was like even open out of town.

[11:57] Eli Tokash: Maybe I made that up.

[11:59] Eli Tokash: Maybe it was in previews and um they definitely like didn't have their opening night, I don't think.

[12:05] Eli Tokash: Um anyways, very exciting because it's going in to the Lunt-Fontaine Theater, which was where uh Sweeney Todd just played, but it's also where um where Finding Neverland played.

[12:19] Eli Tokash: And uh Death Becomes Her has some very uh Funny Neverland cast members, which uh we all know and love.

[12:28] Eli Tokash: So uh shout out to Ryan Worsing, who is literally our only uh two-part episode, and our first ever guest on the podcast, Josh Lehman.

[12:40] Eli Tokash: Um they are both going to be returning to Broadway in Death Becomes Her.

[12:45] Eli Tokash: So excited for them back at the Lunt Fontaine.

[12:47] Eli Tokash: I probably will cry the second I step back into that theater and see them on stage.

[12:53] Eli Tokash: Uh because what a full circle moment.

[12:56] Eli Tokash: It's gonna be amazing.

[12:57] Eli Tokash: Can't wait. Uh, very exciting stuff, and shout out to them and having such a great out of town run. The first preview performance is actually gonna begin on October 23rd with an official opening night set for November 21st. Very exciting stuff. And by the way, uh the Take A Bow family member ties does not end at Josh Lehman and uh Ryan Worsing, because our dear friend Christopher Siever is in Death Becomes Her. He is the main guy. Um, so love him, and of course, Jennifer Samard, Megan Hilty, Michelle Williams. I mean, name it. It's just uh it's a great cast. Um I am I'm very excited to to see it. Obviously, I'm not super familiar with the with the movie, um, but uh have heard great things. Obviously, it appears to be a comedy with all of those uh fabulous comedic actors.

Um so yeah, very exciting stuff. Some uh other exciting casting dudes actually coming out of Hades Town. Uh we love uh the Hades Town casting announcements almost as much as Little Shop of Horse, although I do think uh I hate to say it, but Little Shop may have it beat. Um hate to either. I love it all of them. Um but yeah, uh it's awesome uh casting as always. So Maya Rafico is going to be joining uh the cast of Hades Town. Um obviously she's going to be replacing Issa Briones as uh Eurydice uh as the final performance for uh uh Issa will be on June 30th. We will see Maya come uh make her Broadway debut on July 2nd. So very exciting stuff for uh both of them as uh the father-daughter duo currently on in Hades Town on Broadway will be uh separating and uh be going on to new projects.

Let's see, our last piece of Broadway news. That's about it for the Broadway news, really. I just want to say uh I saw the Wicked trailer, pumped for that. Uh I'm obsessed with Bo and Yang and uh Take a Bow family member Bo and Yang, that's right, uh never gets old, and of course Ethan Slater as well. Um Bo and Yang is hilarious, and I can't wait to see what his new character is gonna bring to Wicked. And obviously, like just the way that they recreated that like set and that land is stunning. Um, and then of course, like Cynthia Revo, like I need her to find gravity on a recording right now. Like, I don't want to wait until like Christmas time. Like, it's crazy. It's just so good. Um, can't wait for that.

And then I also can't wait for George Clooney. Uh, George Clooney is going to be making his acting and playwright debut on Broadway in Goodnight and Good Luck as the legendary TV journalist Edward R. Murrow. Uh, as the legendary TV journalist Edward Morrow in a stage adaptation of the film Goodnight and Good Luck. So very exciting stuff. Uh, George Clooney writing a play was not on my bingo card for this uh upcoming Broadway season, but I am all here for it. Uh this should be phenomenal. And uh it sounds like I didn't get to see Goodnight Oscar with um Sean Hayes, but uh George Clooney, uh good luck night, good luck playing legendary TV, like journalists and like host kind of I don't know, it gives me like the same vibes, but uh anyways, very exciting stuff nonetheless.

Um and then I just want to say really quick, obviously, as I mentioned earlier, uh this episode is special for many reasons. Um this not only this weekend do we get to honor Aiden and definitely want to dedicate this episode for him. I also want to formally come on here and say um how heartbreaking it is, and I also want to dedicate this episode to Tom Williams. Um Oscar Williams, as many of you know, um was a child actor in Funhome on Broadway, and I've gotten to know he and his family through um the past several years, and obviously I'm now Oscar's roommate, and um that obviously strengthened our relationship with his family as uh you know just being around them more often and whatnot uh his dad passed away recently the past two weeks um I didn't want to quite come on here and say um to say it until it was announced uh or they had like brought it to social media as I wanted to respect their time and and grievance and um but uh they they came to social media and I figured it was uh good enough to talk about uh Tom Williams this guy it was uh he the theater community may not know his name but they definitely felt his presence um at any show he was at because i he had a very distinct laugh and um anytime he would see me in a show I knew exactly where he was gonna be sitting because I could hear his laugh from the first joke that was told.

Even if it wasn't even funny. He would be the one in the audience that was laughing when no one else would and um cheering the loudest, just so proud of of the work because he understood it. He was a performer himself um and uh he was definitely a part of this community at least p a part of my theatrical community. And um it's only fitting that you know the last moment I got to share with him was uh walking to see uh his son Oscar in a school production of Big Fish and um he and I were walking over with a couple of Oscar's brothers and just the nicest guy and it's only fitting that it was to the theater that I was I was walking to a theater with Tom Williams to go see and it makes it even better that it was to go see Oscar.

Um but you know i you know I in good spirits and in um he was in such good spirits always no matter what was going on in his life he always had a smile on his face and was ready to put a smile on your face because it was so infectious um and just a unbelievable guy like honest to God a saint um was willing to do anything for anyone always put others before him um he was truly an uh another dad uh in my life and it was it's it's crazy to see um to see him go and uh still hard to to wrap my head around and um you know my family uh my obviously my thoughts and prayers go out to to Oscar and his family and um you know Oscar also lost a little brother um as he was alive for about a couple hours and uh now he gets to have his dad up there with him and um you know, it's good that they're they're reunited and he's not alone.

Um and it's just crazy to to comprehend and um you know I wanted to take a moment to honor him because he will be missed and um he's helped me and Oscar so much and uh always was ready to support us in whatever we did. So I just wanted to come on here and and just say, you know, the theater community just continues to lose such great people and um special people um and and lights in our industry and so um my heart uh prayers and thoughts uh you know obviously go out to Oscar and his family but um Tom thanks for all the memories thanks for for laughing when uh no one was even if I did the joke terribly wrong um I uh appreciate you and everything that you've done for for me and and Oscar and your family.

It's it's quite incredible. If you spent a weekend with Tom Williams you would know exactly what I mean. Um just just that type of guy. So um that's all I have. Um with all of that being said I wanna turn it over to um our dear friend Diego Lucano who is fitting because Diego is a friend of both of these people um that I wanna honor and dedicate this episode to. So uh without further ado Diego Lucano curtain up This week's guest is a award nominated performer who you all may know as Lawrence, the piano prodigy in School of Rock on Broadway, or perhaps you know him from many other shows such as Trevor, Sing Street, and most recently, Let the Right One In. It is my honor to welcome a dear friend of mine to the podcast this week. So welcome to Take a Bow, Diego Lucano.

[23:25] Diego Lucano: Hi Diego.

[23:27] Diego Lucano: Hi, Eli.

[23:28] Diego Lucano: Wow, what a hype up.

[23:30] Diego Lucano: Oh hey, that's literally like one of my favorite parts. I feel so special. Thank you so much. That was really fun.

[23:37] Diego Lucano: Diego's one of my like first friends that I really became like I don't know, close with here, like as a fellow Broadway kid.

[23:48] Diego Lucano: Yeah, you too, Eli. You were you were one of my first. It was uh what was it? It was uh the the lights of Broadway.

[23:55] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[23:56] Diego Lucano: That's where we met at one of the at one of the press events when they were releasing like their second season.

[24:03] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[24:04] Diego Lucano: Craziness in like 2016, 2015 era. Um and I just remember you like you were like still like I don't know if you had even done your first performance yet.

[24:16] Eli Tokash: Probably.

[24:17] Diego Lucano: But you maybe but I was very fresh. I was green. And I was just like, who is this kid? Like we've never I've never seen him before. Like, where did he come from? And I was so excited to like talk to you. I remember that. And your whole family just right away fell in love with with you and your family, and uh here you are now uh uh star.

[24:41] Eli Tokash: Shut up.

[24:42] Diego Lucano: Shut up. No, I mean, like it's it was it's really wonderful getting to to grow up in this industry with you. Um like just to have you alongside as a friend and uh being able to check in on on where we are, what we've done, and I'm also really happy that I get to be on your podcast finally.

[25:02] Eli Tokash: I know like how long has it been?

[25:06] Diego Lucano: It's been it's been almost four years. I think it's been over four years.

[25:11] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[25:12] Diego Lucano: It's crazy. And believe it or not, this whole podcast. I don't know if a lot of people actually know this. This whole podcast really like started at BroadwayCon circa 2019, maybe, and your mom, you guys, Broadway Star Project was doing their own podcast, and like Yeah, it was called Yap.

[25:35] Diego Lucano: Yap, yes, Young Artist Podcasts. And um, they they allowed me to like co-host an episode with Jan Gambatisse at Broadway Con. And then of course, like my cast members in Neverland, like Josh Laman and Dory Berenstein with the lights of Broadway cards and all that started this Broadway Podcast Network, and like the rest is just like history, and like that's where I really was like, oh my god, like wait, I could actually do this, and I think I would enjoy it.

[26:03] Eli Tokash: And here I am, four years later. So 203 episodes later, we have Diego Lucano on, and it is way, way, way past its time, but thrilled that it's finally here.

[26:14] Diego Lucano: Uh yeah, I'm so happy being here, and I that now I have a lot more stuff to talk about, so that's good.

[26:21] Eli Tokash: Um perfect. I love it. Just been the School of Rock stuff, and now here we are. A seasoned vet. I love it. Well, talk to me like the way I usually like to start these um episodes is just like asking people, how did you get here? Like what inspired you to want to become a performer and what was it like just moving to New York and like experiencing Broadway for the first time?

[26:47] Diego Lucano: Yeah, that's uh that's a great question. I always love talking about how I uh got into the theater and how it all started because I as far back as I can remember, I was always a theater kid. And I was always uh singing show tunes and um I was I was obsessed with uh with uh Lion King and and also the the Spring Awakening uh soundtrack and um American Idiot was also something that I watched that my parents took me to see at a very young age. Um and I love the music. Um so well it's kind of funny when I'm like, Oh yeah, American Idiots. Um when I was in School of Rock everybody was talking about Green Day and I was like, Yeah, I remember that Broadway show and it's like what no, it's like we're talking about the album, the actual good one.

And I'm like what what do you mean the actual good one? No, this the Broadway thing is I've always had that mindset and I've always loved I've always been into the musical theater stuff. But eventually my parents um were like just they saw that I I really like the theater and I wanted to to take some classes or I wanted to do some stuff. Um so there was um there was a little hmm, what is it there was just a theater group that uh they were just organizing um little free shows and it was just free to participate um and so I would do that and that's where I would uh get a little bit of my early early early training so there was this theater group that I was a part of and um we sang a lot of stuff but it wasn't just chorus it was like putting together scenes and contextualizing the songs that we were performing so that's what helped me grow as a performing artist and aside from that I afterwards went and did some actual musical theater training and there was this summer camp that I did uh which was called Take It from the Top and uh they were touring around the country uh it was uh the the the heads were Laura Bell Bundy and Paul Cannon and um I was very excited uh being there and from then on I was like oh I really want to be on Broadway this is this is what I want to do so you know I kept on training and then I like quit baseball for dance uh and then um I did a community theater production of Peter Pan and I learned a lot from that that was like my first uh show that was my first show show and working with adults and um had so much fun there but because of that, actually, because of all of these connections that I was building and like these like little theater groups and community theater stuff, um they were telling me, or at least telling my parents, oh, you should take Diego to audition for stuff.

There is a Lion King open call in Atlanta. So we drove over to Atlanta. My parents actually sent me out there to learn how to fail. Funny enough, because it was like, hey, I mean, everybody was telling them you're gonna be hearing no, no, no, all the time. But if he really, really, really wants to do this, he'll be able to take the notes. Um but then I I got all the way to the final two, but then it stopped there. That was my first note, but it was a it was a pretty it was a pretty successful run for my first audition ever. And um and then after that there was uh School of Rock audition for self tape, and uh I knew a little bit of piano, but not enough to to actually you know be uh like to do the stuff that I did in the show. Right. But I I I had to learn. So I just I figured out a Sweet Child of Mine on the piano and uh did my singing and acting self tape, and then like five or six months later, I got a call back.

[27:29] Eli Tokash: Unbelievable.

[27:29] Diego Lucano: And I was like, okay, this is great. I in the car looking at the email on my mom's phone, and then I see seven pages of sheet music of very dense sheet music that I have to learn. Oh god. And I said, Mom, I need to skip school. But like I wasn't thinking about like, oh, this is like a great excuse, like, oh, they're totally gonna buy into this. No, it's I was so stressed. I was like, I need to be playing and studying from like nine to four. And then the theater group that I was training at, they lent me their studios. Uh the Dr. Phillips Center lent me their studios and told the teachers, hey, we need to get this kid to Broadway. Can you help him out? Uh so they told the accompanist uh hey, uh teach this kid how to play piano, and then the vocal coaches and then the acting coaches were all helping me out, and then I went to New York for the final callback, and um and in a hotel uh was when I got the call from um from casting that okay Andrew Lloyd Weber has approved your audition, um you're gonna be in School of Rock.

[32:31] Eli Tokash: Holy moly.

[32:33] Diego Lucano: And um if it weren't if it weren't for my um if it weren't for my parents supporting me, and also deciding, okay, you know what, we can move from Florida to New York. Like I wouldn't be here. Absolutely. They weren't they weren't ready. They weren't expected like they weren't expecting to to have all of this happen. I mean, they knew how big of a deal Broadway was and how big of a pipe dream it is. But absolutely were like, how can we say no to to our son like getting all of his dreams to come true?

[33:11] Eli Tokash: Yeah, so like did you as like obviously you said you've always been very musical theater and you you've loved the theater. Like, as an 11 year old, right? When you got cast, I don't even know. Is that right? 11 years old? Probably 11 years old. So when you get cast, like, do you now looking back on it feel like you knew like a hundred percent like what that call meant to you, I guess? Like what it was like just finding out, like, hey, you are going to be performing on Broadway.

[33:51] Diego Lucano: Wow, I didn't feel it the same way that I would now. Because before then, it was it was more of like a dream that was literally like, oh, one day I'll I'll buy a unicorn and call it joke. Like it's it's just a dream, but now it's a it's a reality that's possible, but it's it's a lot of no's, it's a lot of setbacks, it's a lot of almost and before that it was just like two auditions and then I got it. I got really lucky. I felt it, but now it's like, oh um I it it's still I'm still working at it. Now if I do get it, it'll be a big accomplishment on my part of like, oh my god, I worked so hard for my entire life. Um which is still it's still only twenty years. But um but it's it feels long.

[34:53] Eli Tokash: Yeah, for sure. Wow. Okay, that's it that's fascinating because I feel like the more I look back on it, it's just like I don't know. But I think you did sum it summarize it really well there because I was I I don't think I knew what it meant to be on Broadway and like perform on Broadway. I just kinda like was having the time of my life and like didn't even think about it. But like now like s saying that like I remember like I was very excited but I don't know it would be a very very different reaction if it like happened again, you know, as a an adult.

[35:30] Diego Lucano: Precisely 'cause yeah, 'cause it seems like, you know, as a kid you can't really devote your whole like self to I guess training, um, as like a kid. The a kid you obviously have to go to school. Like when it becomes like your job and like you don't have to go to school anymore and you don't have to go outside and like entertain yourself around your parents or like whatever. Like when it actually becomes down to like, oh I have to go to voice lessons. I have to go to the doctors. I have to make sure I'm healthy. I have to do this because it like I don't know like things just hit differently as an adult and it seems like you devote more of your time to it in adulthood. I don't know if that's like a real thing but that's just like a I agree. I do agree.

[36:17] Diego Lucano: You do I mean the entire time when I was in school um I I kept on thinking everything is getting in the way of of Right. Like I can do fully.

[36:30] Eli Tokash: Yeah. Precisely.

[36:31] Diego Lucano: Even if you even if you wanted to even if you really tried you're still gonna have to go to tutoring or you're still going to have to or you're still going to have to take care of other commitments.

[36:40] Eli Tokash: Yeah like I you're also you also have you have to remember to be a kid. But it's also really hard. You can't commit to being fully a theater actor, and you can't also fully commit to being a regular kid when you're on Broadway at that age.

[37:00] Diego Lucano: No doubt. Um especially I was I was online schooled at that time and also living in a tiny million dollar shoe box in New York where like facing a brick wall, that classic type of thing. And so it it's it's just like really like the thing that I was looking forward to the most every single day was performing and getting out of that house.

[37:25] Eli Tokash: A hundred percent.

[37:27] Diego Lucano: Um I never got tired of performing. I never was like loathing a show. Um and I was in School of Rock for about nine months um before I got too old. And I loved every single day, and sure, I was really tired some days, but I loved it no matter what.

[37:52] Eli Tokash: Absolutely. Though it's interesting, like the days that you're tired, it's like the second you get out on stage, like you you suddenly aren't tired. Like even if you're like your body's in pain or like you're like hurting, like you're going through like as a kid, I would always have like growth pains like in my legs, right? And I would always have to be like, I literally can't move during the day, but as soon as my like parent or someone said time to go to the theater, I was like, done, let's go. Like I was so excited, like something just like kicked in.

[38:26] Diego Lucano: Yeah, and you were so talented, man. I remember watching you in Finding Neverland um with my friend, and um it it was I it was mind blowing. I was like, but he he's my age, right? Yeah, he can he could do that. That's that's fantastic.

[38:46] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[38:47] Diego Lucano: He's crying. I I was so moved by the performance.

[38:53] Diego Lucano: I loved the show and that was and you were like one of the people who are I was like, oh man, if you really set your mind to it, you can do these types of things. These roles are possible for whoever really wants them. Yeah, like whatever age, it doesn't matter. Like you don't have to be a certain age to like do something like that. You're very sweet and saying all of that stuff. I am a lot like you in the sense of my entire life I wanted to play an instrument and I simply cannot get myself to sit down enough to learn an instrument. Um it just doesn't process in my brain for whatever reason. And the fact that you're self-taught just blows me away, and I want to talk a little bit more about that.

Um so obviously you mentioned you had to teach yourself a song for the audition, and then you had to wait five or six months, and then you really started taking lessons. So like in while you were in the show, were you still taking lessons? Like, what was that like for you? Because like I had a lot of support, yeah.

[39:58] Diego Lucano: Yeah, go I had a lot of support. Sorry. So I had a lot of support from the show. Um like I can't remember how frequently but it felt like all the time. Um I was for the three weeks that I was rehearsing and getting into the role of Lawrence, I would be taking an hour of piano class with the assistant music director. Um and I was learning all of these songs and it was really stressful because everybody in the show is an actual musical prodigy. Um when I as I said about the Green Day stuff, like when I got there, I was expecting to talk about Sondheim, right? And uh Andrew Luther. And they're talking about Led Zeppelin and Beth Nails and I felt like I was in baseball again talking about Derek Peter and Jugo.

I was like, I I'm gonna pretend like I know what this is and how important it is. Uh now of course I've developed that taste as well for just rock music and stuff, but dang they blew me away and it was very intimidating. I got a lot of imposter syndrome and I like kept on thinking, oh they cast the wrong guy. They really I screwed them over. And um I had a really tough time getting past that, but I kept hammering away at my piano with my headphones in because like as I said, tiny shoebox, my parents were living there as well. Um and I was just playing the same thing over and over and over and over again, poorly, poorly, poorly, over and over again until it got better and better and better. And I was always trying to get all of the tricks, all of the all like trying to make it look easy, make it look cool, um trying to be able to put on the performance for everybody.

[42:15] Eli Tokash: Crush that you I will say.

[42:17] Diego Lucano: Thank you. Because it looked effortless for you. Yeah. After playing the same thing for months over and over again, eight shows a week, it does become a lot easier. But fair enough. Um but I was always learning something for a show. It was always either the piano for School of Rock or to juggle for Peace Loving Cupcakes, which was for a New York musical festival, or if it was guitar for Sing Street. Yeah. Or if it was to hold my breath and be like underwater in front of everybody for a minute and a half um and let the right one in. Um scuba train for that I was always learning something. I never said no to anything because I do like learning. That's yeah that's the joy of life for me. Now I'm curious like with those you know those talents that you get to grow into you now in your I guess adult early adulthood um do you keep up with that stuff? Like do you still obviously you still play the piano and stuff like that but are you still taking lessons like how does that work now because it just makes you a more versatile performer.

[43:30] Diego Lucano: Yes I keep on taking lessons um yeah but there's so many things to work on and and just not enough time and not enough money to do all of them at the same time. Yeah. And um so I'll probably I'll probably always be taking dance lessons. Uh no matter what, because that's that's just something that's that aside from training as a performer, it also is very good for your health. Um it's like going to the gym. So that I'll I'll always be doing uh like all the time. Um I'm always I'm always playing my piano at home, I'm always singing. Um but if I if I'll all of a sudden I'm interested, oh I want to figure out the piano just a little bit more, I'll take a piano lesson and I'll take like uh two or three months worth of piano until I'm unable to or like something pops up um or I need to focus on another thing.

Right now I'm focusing on my singing a lot more. Um I've never been talk about singing, especially as a style performer. Oh my god, it's so much easier. It's so like you you are like, oh great, I can just I can just sing these high notes and it's fine. I don't really have to think too much about it. Then all of a sudden your voice starts changing, then it's again it's it's the imposter syndrome of oh no, it's yeah, I I shouldn't be on Broadway. This voice isn't meant for Broadway right now. And uh stays like that for years. Yeah. It's hard because especially like living in New York and like being engulfed with talent like around you, it's just like, oh my god like imposter syndrome is so real here in New York and especially as a performer because you're always comparing yourself to like others.

[45:33] Diego Lucano: Yeah and it not only others the best yeah that's exactly right it's it's incredibly high standards that you're holding yourself up to and um like unfortunately a lot of the time you're competing against those people for roles and stuff like that but but at the same time you just you have to keep on working on yourself and um trying to trying to make yourself as cool and unique of a package as can be and that's what I was kind of saying like with your piano and like learning the guitar like now you're talking like shows like in your shows that you did like you mentioned you learned something new for all of it like you weren't just you didn't have to go out there and just act you didn't have to just go out there and like act and sing like you were doing the full like nine yards you know whether it was a literal piano prodigy when you had literally just taught yourself for an audition you know like it's just bonkers like I feel like I would be more nervous for like the piano solo than like singing my part you know as a kid like you you had you always had another layer in in your shows and and that was something that obviously like someone like me like someone I I guess I don't know, I don't want to speak for everyone, but like as an outsider, not in School of Rock, because you're saying School of Rock, they were the musical prodigies.

But we always admired that from like you. Like you just literally learned this like that, but you're always been, I guess, musically gifted, and like uh you've had that, I don't know, in you, so it's awesome. It's really cool to see.

[47:34] Diego Lucano: Yeah, no, for sure. Um, well, I want to talk about uh Alex Brightman because Alex Brightman how how can we go this episode and not talk about Alex Brightman? He is a Broadway star now, and he's like taken over Broadway, especially post School of Rock. Like post like School of Rock, obviously he was in Matilda and things before that. Uh, but School of Rock really like put him into a star category. And you know, I'm just curious, you know, what it was like working with him during that time. Like, do you what were you able to learn from him? What did what were some of the things going on backstage with him? Like, what was Alex Brightman as doing?

[48:19] Diego Lucano: Alex Brightman is one of the coolest performers that has ever graced the Broadway stage, and it stays there because he's just so out of this world. He's like an alien, uh brilliant, a brilliant genius, um, who is so quick, so fun, so friendly, so fast. Um, and never seems to lose his energy. Um there those shows that I talk about where I'm like super tired, and there are shows where the entire cast is super duper tired. All of the kids, he would always be getting 100%. He was the hype man. He was the it was mind-boggling. Even as like sorry. Now that I've grown up and I understand how difficult it is to do an entire show. Like you're always on stage, and you have to play the guitar, and he was a great guitar player, and you have to sing and shred those high notes, like notes that I would never even dream of trying to hit. And then I started growing up, and I was like, dang, these notes are impossible. This is the person who's up there is a full-grown man, not a kid who hasn't hit puberty yet. This is wild.

[50:07] Diego Lucano: But um speaking about a kid, speaking about a kid who never hit puberty, right? He never grew up. He was always goofing off backstage, and uh he was like he did the most random things, he would just come out and start dancing to like the I forgot the name of the song, but it goes but the day and he would just be like paddling away with his tiny little feet, just going up to cast members, um, and like his boxers, just like it was like he was just so fun, he was so cool. Um he was always very nice to the kids, and uh every single person that has worked with Alex Brightman says that he's the coolest, and of course he is, and that bit Beetlejuice happens, and then he's got that crazy voice. Oh, it's on blue. Talk about a guy that like learns something new for every show that he's in. Like he is always going above and beyond for his roles, and that's what makes him one of the greats.

[51:14] Diego Lucano: Yeah. And on top of that, he's also just a fantastic actor. That's why he's able to do straight stuff as well. But he's also got that incredible voice, which uh also works very well for for the voiceovers that he's done. Um, was Catman Hotel. I watched the pilot. I watched the pilot uh when it first came out on YouTube. Um and then uh while I was watching the show, I was like, oh, this person is definitely Alex Brightman. He sings this awesome song um as an angel, but uh then afterwards I was watching the show, and then I I pause it, and then the IMDB credits pop up, and I'm like, Alex Brightman is he's in this scene, and I didn't know.

[52:03] Diego Lucano: I didn't know that it was Alex Brightman, and he was voicing like two different characters who sounded completely different, and nothing like Alex Brightman. That was such a surprise. He's brilliant. It really is. It's funny, I know exactly what you're talking about. I literally just watched it this week. I finished it on like Tuesday or Wednesday. I've been doing a lot of traveling now that school's out, but now I'm finally back in New York. Um, and so like on flights and stuff, I was downloading the episodes, and like that was my pastime, and just like you said, I clicked the—I love that Amazon Prime does that. I've never seen that before. Yeah, I think it's a great feature. It's so good. And it's cool because in a show like that, like for us, the show is all Broadway people.

Like Alex Brightman, Leslie Kritzer, also Beetlejuice, uh, James in there, Christian Borle's in there, you know, like Erica Henningson's the main girl, and she was in Mean Girls. Um, Angel is Blake Roman who just did Harmony. Like there's so many familiar faces in that show, and it's so cool to see like, oh my god, who's in this one? Oh, I know them from, you know, whatever Broadway show. I feel like you coming to School of Rock talking about Sondheim. I'm like ready to talk Broadway. Yeah, it's so funny. But uh, no, it's great, and he's phenomenal in that playing all those different characters. It's truly amazing. Um, but yeah, I could go on and on about Alex Brightman. Hilarious to hear the backstage, you know, topics about walking around in boxers or whatever.

It just seems like he's that kind of guy. Like, this is me, and like, you know, here, like take it or leave it, you know, type of thing. Yeah. Uh, but it's great. And I mean, obviously it's working for him because he is just, uh, truly. I feel like he's in that category of one of the greats already, and he's still like this is still, you know, he's not gonna end his career anytime soon. I hope not for as a fan. I'm hoping more of that. He better—we better be known by the entire world. That's what I'm saying. Absolutely. Um, well I love it. So with School of Rock, I wanna ask one more thing before we turn over to a different topic. Um, School of Rock, you were able to do so many cool things. Like just being on Broadway, I guess in general opens opportunities to perform at GMA or whatever.

You got to do it at the Tony Awards, which is for Broadway, you know, the biggest deal. Um, I've gotta ask you about it because you were in the band, so of course you have your little feature, you have your little piano solo. Like how sick was that to do it in front of literal legends? And that was the year, I believe, of like Hamilton, Waitress—like that was like a stacked year. Lynn Manuel Miranda, Oprah, Neil Patrick Harris, they're all in the front row. Not a big deal at all. I am freaking out. I especially Neil Patrick Harris because I mean when I was growing up, I was like whoa, he's awesome. He’s like one of those triple threats that I wanted to grow up to be. And he was right there involved because he was playing Olaf in, uh, in A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Yeah, right? That's hilarious. And I was incredibly nervous. Um, I would have been a lot less nervous if tech rehearsal wasn't so nerve-wracking because the platform that I'm on in Broadway is very stable. When I'm rehearsing for like the platform for the keyboard, it's not very stable in the rehearsal room. But it felt like they used that one in the Tony performance. When I was playing the piano during the tech rehearsal, and I was jumping as I was like giving it my all, the piano collapses onto my feet. Just like the keyboard down to the ground. Like we stopped the rehearsal, and it's like, okay, but it's not gonna—it's not gonna happen again, right? It's gonna be perfectly stable, right? Yeah.

They were like, yes, no worries, we're gonna take care of it, it's all gonna be okay. And then, um, I was just thinking, oh crap, that's—I really hoped that I could play my piano okay because I'll also have to mention that in the song that I play in "You're in the Band," there is a version that the person before me did, and also the more correct version, which you play the song in octaves. Um, but my hands were kind of small. Um, so there's a modified version where you just play an octave in the left hand and then just using individual fingers on the right hand. But I was really training like for the Tonys to play them both with octaves. Like octaves in both hands. So the way that—and when I got there, like when it like the time happened, and then like all the cameras are on you, it's live, it's the Tonys, and then, uh, Alex launches you onto the keyboard stand, and then I feel the wobble again.

I freak out, and I have to like sort of grab the keyboard to keep myself from falling. Right? So I sort of start mashing the keys, and you can hear it. You can go back and hear it. It doesn't sound right for the first half. Then the second half I get my grip back on. I get it together. But I was—for like five years, I couldn't let that down. I couldn't let that down. I failed at the Tonys. I did terribly. I am now—everybody knows for sure I'm a fraud. Stop it. Little eleven-year-old, twelve-year-old Diego. Um, just like his career's over. He'll be out forever. For the rest of high school and middle school. You'll redeem yourself at an upcoming Tony Awards, I have no doubt. But uh, hilarious.

Yeah. Very nervous. That's a crazy week though, right? Like, so you're doing eight shows a week and then you have to like do Tony rehearsals, so like prior to the Tonys, you have to like stage it for a different stage. Um, and then you have to obviously do tech that day and performance and then the show at night. So like, we're talking about shows that we're tired in, you know, like what was that like for you and that week of craziness for the Tony Awards? Uh, I guess it was always crazy. I was always—I think it was just—I would want to say that it wasn't that much crazier than any other press event that we had to organize. Oh interesting. Because, um, the Tonys, the tech was just that day. That was fine.

I'm pretty sure that the more exhausting day would have been the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but I wasn't in that. Um, but like that was probably the one where it's like, oh, that is definitely exhausting. But that is brutal. I mean, I knew that I was going to be performing there because like I was Lawrence and I was doing that every single night, but um, the more stressful ones were the ones where I had to learn a new song for a press event. Like I couldn't do, uh, I couldn't perform with Stevie Nicks at the Easter Bonnet, uh, because I just—I couldn't get the song. It was the "Sick Patient" that I was really having trouble with, so my understudy did it instead. So it's like those things where I like spend a lot of time and then I get really demoralized because I couldn't hack it.

Right. Sure. Yeah, that sort of—that sort of hits. It's like said, um, so it's never—I was always ready to work. I was always really excited to be at work because, as I said, I would much rather be tirelessly like jumping up and down, um, and hanging out with other kids than being stuck inside of that really dark, dense room, uh, with your computer. Yeah, yeah, totally. Well, it's funny because like right when I hopped on here, obviously Diego's very, very good, uh, and punctual, and you were already playing your piano, so I know you were like chilling for a second. So, uh, it's funny because like, you know, you're obviously still playing the piano as like that, uh, like a pastime sort of thing, and it's just—it's cool to see that.

Were you working on the "Sick Patient"? Because I don't know what that is right when we hopped on. No, that's all in the past. That's actually really—you can now—easy. That's like super duper duper easy. I wish it was easy back then, but every single time that I get home, I drop all of my bags and then I go over to my piano and just start playing. So it's always really stuck with me. I went—I like in one of the plays that I did, uh, like around the country, um, I think before that one, one cast member told me from another like around the country type regional thing that I was doing, just ask for the one thing, right? I always ask for a gym, and then usually it's like they'll give you the gym, um, or maybe they'll give you like a YMCA membership, or maybe it'll end up moving you to a better place.

Yeah, a better housing. And I was like, alright, totally misunderstood what he said. Um, I was like, hey, production, can I have a piano? And they said, yeah. Wow. Because they had a rehearsal piano, and it wasn't really that hard to move it into my housing because it was very close by. But that was such a lifesaver because I really do need my piano. Um, but lately, because now I'm shooting something in Paris. Um, so when I'm over there, I don't have a piano because I'm in a hotel. Ugh. And um, but I've gotten into writing sheet music. I finally am able to do it. So that's how I play my picture. That's awesome. Wait, are we just gonna like breeze over the fact that you're filming in Paris? Like what's going on?

I can talk about how fun it is to be in Paris, but I don't—I can talk about it with you afterwards. I just don't feel like ready to be—no, to let the world know about it. No worries. Are we allowed to say whether—what? Sorry. Although you'll probably be hearing about it soon enough. Oh good, good. Well, we'll get into how they can find you and follow along on your future endeavors in a bit. Um, what—are we allowed to say whether it's like a TV show, a movie, or—? T—TV show. Oh period. Okay, cute Paris TV show. I love it. That's big screen, baby. Yeah. Yeah, not a big deal.

[1:04:48] Diego Lucano: Come on, royalties. Um, go off king. Uh, I can't wait. I I'll be the uh first to to sh stream, I guess. I guess that's like all TV shows. I don't know. Yeah. I'm not gonna Yeah, you'll be able to stream it. Okay, great. Um well, okay. So listen, we're 45 minutes into this, and I there's a very important reason that um I'm having you on, particularly this episode. Um, and that's a little concert that we're gonna be in this weekend, this cabaret concert. Um, and it's hosted by the Broadway Star Project, who uh Diego, I do you want to explain a little bit about the Broadway Star Project and who they are.

[1:05:34] Diego Lucano: Yes, the Broadway Star Project is uh it's a oh my god, it's so many things because it's it's it they host a lot of cabarets, and they they would do uh they would do like uh training sessions uh for like once every week. Um but if you've ever wanted to be like on a original Broadway cast album, they let you do that and let you have music on Apple Music and Spotify. Those are really cool. Yeah, and um their summer programs have been the highlights so far. Um like uh as of late. Um it's just you get to you get to put on a show, a big old cabaret, you work on your songs, but it's always about working on material as if you were um uh a professional actor. Professional in the sense that you're working and you're going to audition, but it's all for for kids.

[1:06:37] Diego Lucano: Yeah. Um and uh my parents did it because I mean I was a kid, and you were a kid. That was really the golden age of kids on Broadway. So that was where my parents were like, oh, these kids, they they need to train. Let's figure out like let's let's contact all of these people who are like who are working as adults in the industry and like they're they know what uh they're searching for when they're like searching for kid actors. You know what, we're going to trade these people to learn how to audition and how to prepare their music, their book, all of that stuff. But now they do cabarets. And um right now um this Sunday, uh we're having another cabaret, but um unfortunately it's uh in uh celebrating uh one year of one of our students passing from cancer.

Um Aiden Duber. And um yeah, we're all still very heartbroken by it. And this is going to uh all of the the the money that we raise from it is going to be for inaugurating the Aiden Duber Scholarship Fund, um, which is to give uh to give more kids like Aiden a chance to to realize their dreams.

[1:07:57] Eli Tokash: Absolutely. And um to go along further, um Aiden was was he did he come through the program? Like how did how did Aiden get involved in the Broadway Star Project?

[1:08:14] Diego Lucano: He was he came to the Broadway Star Project naturally through through means of like, oh, I heard about it, but he was one of the very first clients. Yeah. Um and you and very talented. Very talented. Yes, very talented. And never got it. Yeah. So sly. So charming. Very charming. Always. And he was like he was destined to become like a Chris Fitzgerald, you know, like that. Yes. That's sort of like nerdy or funny like kinda kind of character, you know?

[1:08:52] Eli Tokash: You got the perfect comp for that.

[1:08:54] Diego Lucano: Yes. It's really inspiring. Aiden's story is one of the stories that I keep closest to my heart out of all of these all of these big stars and big celebs and wonderful like triumph stories. Because in a way, Aiden, despite the fact that, you know, he uh he passed away from cancer from something that he wasn't able to control, he never stopped looking forward and never stopped thinking about the future, never was like, Oh, I guess I'm going to just let this beat me. No. It was maybe I could be the one, maybe I could be the one who gets out of this. Oh, and when I get out of this, I'm gonna go to college, and then I have to keep on auditioning, oh, and then I'll have to figure this. And he was he was always working on the logistics of how it was all going to play out. Um, which you know, despite how sad it it it feels and sounds, um that's that's how it has to be. You can't lose if you never give up.

[1:10:01] Eli Tokash: Absolutely.

[1:10:02] Diego Lucano: Um and Aiden just he never gave up, and that's one of the biggest lessons that I've I've kept from him.

[1:10:10] Eli Tokash: Absolutely, and you mentioned all the things that he continued to say like oh I'm gonna beat this and he never stopped battling. He never stopped, you know, thinking about the future. He also never stopped performing.

[1:10:22] Diego Lucano: He was performing so sick and he did this performance of Mr. Cellophane for Chicago.

[1:10:30] Eli Tokash: And was like was brilliant.

[1:10:34] Diego Lucano: Absolutely crushed it. Right there you can say like oh yeah he's he he's ready to be cast in something. He just you know he just needs the right role and he needs to be he was ready. Um absolutely no doubt about it. He was truly he was destined to become someone in something in this industry and be a st and star like a uh a notable talent in this industry um and actually today when we're while we're talking is his one year anniversary of passing um and it happens to be this Sunday is going to be our little uh cabaret to celebrate him and his talent and his um just what he meant to to the family of BSP I was fortunate enough to actually um in one of the BSP uh I guess weekend boot camps that they do um I was able to perform with him and do a a trio with him from uh a song from 13 and uh we're actually gonna be singing that this weekend.

[1:11:45] Eli Tokash: Um, I'm really looking forward to that. It's gonna be very special.

[1:11:49] Diego Lucano: Truly. It's tr and very full circle. Um I think that was maybe my first um go-around with with you guys with the with the program. Um maybe not, maybe it was the second. But uh nonetheless, I love Broadway Star Project. I've talked a lot about it before. I talked about it when um Aiden passed specifically. Um and you listen, like to add on to what Broadway Star Project is, it's an amazing program. They bring in fellow Broadway kids so that uh you know you have people your own age that are currently on Broadway doing this thing to uh talk to, to meet, to uh become friends with and also seek advice from because like they are your age.

[1:12:43] Diego Lucano: Um and then of course the And only that Yeah, go for it.

[1:12:47] Eli Tokash: And not only that, uh to train with.

[1:12:50] Diego Lucano: Um because everybody is there reaching the the same dreams, uh jumping for the same stars, and it's it it's a wonderful community that you can build where everybody is in it together and uh wants to see each other succeed in everything that they want.

[1:13:11] Eli Tokash: Yep, and it's all different levels because you know, if I was if I'm allowed to go into a the same Broadway boot camp as Diego Lucano, who is a seasoned dancer, and I have not taken a dance class in my life, you know it's for all levels, you know.

[1:13:28] Diego Lucano: Um so it doesn't matter if you've ever taken a voice lesson before, if you've taken if you've never taken a dance class, whatever, uh, you can still be in the rooms with uh, you know, people that uh just want to do the same things and are striving for the same goal, and that's really what it is. And it really does become a family.

[1:13:45] Diego Lucano: And by the way, it it is led with like some superstar faculty. Uh they have Alex Brightman in their faculty, Jen Gambatese, Andrew Keenan Bulger, Justin Prescott, um they have legendary casting director Mary Sugarman, who's a very famous uh child casting director. Uh she casted me at uh as Trevor in Trevor out of town and uh Diego in School of Rock. So um, you know, you have casting directors, you have directors, you have vocal coaches, you have dialect coaches, you have these choreographers that are choreographing Broadway shows like currently, or like a dance captain in a show currently on Broadway. Like they uh it's led by incredible talent uh and people and it truly you do become a family because they are they really prepare you uh for a Broadway schedule, um, which can be rigorous, but uh you know, that it's just the nature of the business and something that uh is taught there.

[1:14:42] Diego Lucano: Uh you also get like headshots, you can get um uh what uh what other things do we do? I like to mention the cast album. There's so many things that they do uh and it's really just the full experience all in one. Um and it it's just I can't say more great things about the Broadway Star Project.

[1:15:04] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I'm really proud of of what has become of it and uh how it just keeps on uh inspiring people and uh growing new artists. And right now, um for the Sunday show, um, you're going to be seeing a lot of the Broadway kids from that golden age of uh uh uh uh kids on Broadway uh coming back because almost everybody has worked with uh Aiden at one point or another.

[1:15:33] Diego Lucano: Um so we've got we've got Carly Gendl uh and and uh Luke Boninfont and uh Gianna Harris from School of Rock and Gianna Harris uh is actually an understudy right now for the for the lead and uh Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen uh we've got Vanel Fanbrini we've got Eli Tokash is Bennell coming back yeah uh yeah he is I don't know if he's performing though but he'll be there he'll be there.

[1:15:57] Eli Tokash: Oh okay. Amazing.

[1:15:59] Diego Lucano: Yeah. Poem. And uh we're we're so excited to to see everybody again. It's gonna be a really uh heartwarming show um that's gonna really liven up the night.

[1:16:12] Eli Tokash: Absolutely and honor our our our dear friend um so definitely come by it's at the Triad Theater uh this weekend at six o'clock this Sunday uh the Triad Theatre's up on 72nd Street and uh tickets for tickets you can go to bro B Way Star Project on Instagram um and the link is in their bio uh to to get some tickets for for this weekend. Um I'm very excited my I still have to tell my parents to get tickets um but they will be there um and uh yeah just just very excited to to not only be back with uh you know no like a a second family um but also to to honor Aiden and uh the incredible I and I believe his family is going to be there as well.

[1:17:04] Diego Lucano: And and talking about uh if you want to learn more about the Aiden Duber Fund Um that is, you know, or scholarship uh that's coming about uh that I guess isn't being introduced that night. Uh definitely definitely come by. Um, um shout out to Broadway Sharp Project and uh I want to continue talking more about you. I mean, obviously I mentioned uh Trevor, you did that off Broadway with and you were phenomenal on that.

[1:17:36] Eli Tokash: Um thank you.

[1:17:37] Diego Lucano: Yes, of course.

[1:17:39] Eli Tokash: Um and it can be streamed on Disney Plus, by the way, not a big deal.

[1:17:42] Diego Lucano: You're on Disney Plus. Super fun. Now I am a Disney kid.

[1:17:46] Diego Lucano: You're a Disney kid.

[1:17:48] Diego Lucano: I was a Disney kid, now an adult.

[1:17:50] Diego Lucano: I barely made it.

[1:17:52] Diego Lucano: I was just right there when it happened.

[1:17:55] Eli Tokash: Hey, I have a question. Are you someone that can watch yourself? Like, do you watch Trevor at all?

[1:18:01] Diego Lucano: Oh, that's a good question. Yes, I can. I'm always very judgy about the things that don't come out quite right. But then I'm like, okay, actually, you know what? Even if I was just a little bit sharp, I sounded I still sounded okay. I still sounded good. I have gotten a lot quicker at letting things lie.

[1:18:24] Eli Tokash: Good for you.

[1:18:26] Diego Lucano: Yes. I'm very happy with my performance in Trevor. I think I give a I think I hopefully was able to bring a lot of dimension to the role of a bully. Definitely. And yeah, I hope you guys can see it. It will definitely make me more money, and it will definitely make me more happy.

[1:18:49] Eli Tokash: I definitely I definitely can vouch for you as you should be very happy with your performance in Chandler. You were great. And I also want to talk about you have your own little business going on right now.

[1:19:03] Diego Lucano: Yes, my own little business. It's called the actor's toolkit. And the actor's toolkit it's just about giving you the assets that you need to go ahead and start auditioning. So that includes headshots, resumes, demo reels, casting profiles, and a little bit of a consultation from research that we've had with casting directors and agents and managers and what they're searching for and what the life of a working actor is to be expected. Because you know, like if you're jumping into this like as a doctor, and like you're like eighty years old and retired, right? And it's like you can still start an acting career. And it's not like you have to go to college for it or anything.

[1:19:55] Eli Tokash: Precisely, and sometimes out of college, like they might not be able to teach you the stuff or give you the assets or give you the guidance, a little bit of a map to know oh I'm a working actor. That's a huge thing. We are there to be the one-stop shop so you don't have to get confused, and we just give you exactly what you need. Nothing more, nothing less, just what you need.

[1:20:32] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I mean, I can vouch for that because like for pace and like music school or I guess musical theater schools that I'm around, even PPAS, even like where we both went to school, we obviously go and we take classes and we sharpen our skills in those, but we never fully know what it's like to be an actor and have that schedule until we're immersed in it. So the fact that there is some sort of training for that and some sort of preparation for the things to do outside of the audition room that you have to do as a performer that people don't always realize or know about or maybe they know about, but it's difficult to find the resources and how to do that, and the fact that you can do it all is awesome and huge shout out to you guys. I want some headshots. Maybe I'll be maybe I'll be contacting you.

[1:21:30] Diego Lucano: Oh, please. I would love to take your headshots.

[1:21:33] Eli Tokash: Done. I know precisely how they're going to look already. It's gonna be...

[1:21:38] Diego Lucano: Oh my god. You're gonna look so schmecky, like oh Shmexy.

[1:21:43] Eli Tokash: Thank you, Diego. You're so sweet. Well, I'm sure with you behind the camera, you know, that's all I need. You've got a gift, you got an eye. And you know, and you know firsthand, you've been to auditions, you know firsthand what casting directors need and what sort of headshot you should be handing off at the table or whatever it may be.

[1:22:06] Diego Lucano: Yes, and beyond that, I mean I've had to ask them, hey, are these headshots okay? What do you need in a resume? Do you need to record like a fake scene, a demo reel type thing? And the answers are surprising. Where it's like we're like first of all, like if you think that like a three thousand dollar photo shoot of like you beside a piano is going to like make casting directors think, oh, this person can be in a commercial shoot. That's not at all the it's super overkill, and they probably won't even pay attention to it. Same thing with recording fake scenes for demo reels. The best you can do is just submit a self-tape because in the end that's what agents and managers are going to be sending in and what casting directors are going to be looking at all the time, or you edit together all of the footage that you already have if you have it.

So these are the technicalities and the slight observations that we've been getting from around all of our sources, all of our friends that my parents were able to connect with while I was too young, busy just playing cards with my friends in the green room.

[1:23:34] Eli Tokash: Yeah, totally. I owe a lot to fantastic, I must say.

[1:23:40] Diego Lucano: Yeah, well, the actors toolkit, definitely go check that out as well. I know I will be meeting you sometime this summer. So we'll chat about that now. Obviously you've done so many more things. We'll just have to have you back on to talk about the rest of your incredible career. And you know, what's to come, perhaps we'll have you back on.

[1:24:08] Diego Lucano: Maybe I'll be back with a TV show.

[1:24:10] Eli Tokash: That'll be that's what I'm saying. But seriously, so much to celebrate and such an incredible career already that it's just it's so exciting to be your friend and to be able to cheer you on along the way. It's really cool and I can't wait.

[1:24:11] Diego Lucano: Yeah, and hey listen I know we have not done a show together thankfully we've gotten a taste of working together in like the cabarets and whatnot but I am manifesting for the future that one day we are going to be in a show together.

[1:24:11] Diego Lucano: We are going to be in a show together it's gonna be it's gonna be so much fun we're gonna steal the show like it's just gonna be called Eli and Diego a musical review of sassy sasparillas and many more.

[1:24:11] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I love it idea I love the thing well now that you're writing sheet music you're gonna write it so there you go.

[1:24:11] Diego Lucano: Yeah, maybe I'll write a musical for the both of us.

[1:24:11] Eli Tokash: Perfect. Diego, you're the best I can't wait to see you on Sunday hopefully we'll be seeing a lot of a lot of you listening to this and yeah shout out to the Broadway Star Project shout out to the actors toolkit and shout out to our dear friend Aiden Duver who this weekend is all about yes a big shout out to Aiden Dufer.

[1:25:38] Diego Lucano: Yeah well Diego thank you so much for coming on you obviously have so much to take about for and like I said, can't wait to see you Sunday.

[1:25:47] Diego Lucano: I'll see you Sunday, Eli.

[1:25:50] Eli Tokash: Take about Diego Lucano.

[1:25:52] Diego Lucano: Oh my goodness. That was it was way too long. We that was crazy. And we'll definitely have to get him back on to talk about the new TV show that he teased a little bit. We'll also have to talk about the rest of his career that we didn't even get to talk about. I mean, we didn't even get into Trevor. I still had school of rock questions that I hadn't asked him. So very, very exciting stuff. Diego is a talent and will be in this industry for a long, long time. We will be seeing his name, just incredible dancer, just a true triple threat. And then of course, I would say like quadruple, whatever threat, like whatever's higher than that, because he can really do it all and he is so eager to learn anything, as you all I'm sure could grasp from that.

You know, he's a pianist, he plays the guitar, he's learning how to do headshots, you know, like he's doing it all. So just a real great human being, a great performer. And I can't wait to perform with him again on stage this Sunday. I hope that you all check us out over at the Triad Theater on West 72nd Street. Diego, by the way, if you want to follow him and keep up to date with the TV show that he's doing and future endeavors, future projects, all the things, you can follow Diego at Diego Lucano. It's that that's Diego underscore Lucano. And you could also head over to the Take About on B Way Instagram, and you will see that we tagged him in our video or our post for the episode. So you could go to that and then of course we were talking about the actor's toolkit, which is something that he's kind of created on his own he is crushing it and doing all kinds of consultations for upcoming artists so if you are in the business for that I guess or if you are in the search for that definitely check that out and they have an Instagram at Actors Toolkit NYC or their website which is also actors toolkit nyc.com so shout out to Diego love him so much thrilled that he was able to come on Diego was truly one of my first friends that I made in New York that like I didn't know through a friend it was just kind of like I met him and we clicked intro instantly and that was at the Broadway Star Project no not the Broadway Star Project although shout out Broadway Star Project that was at the Lights of Broadway show cards event which is the trading cards that Squigs makes so shout out to all of them and yeah that's all I have for you folks this week come back next week for another great episode we have a Broadway like actual superstar legend everything in between Tony nominee now finally on the podcast and I'm so excited for you all to hear from her in that episode so stay tuned because it's a good one and we will see you all next week with a fabulous guest until then bye everyone have a great week P.S. Hope you all come on Sunday to the triad.

[1:29:13] Eli Tokash: Bye everyone. Have a great week.

[1:29:20] Eli Tokash: Alright, y'all, it's time for the final curtain call. I would like to take a moment to allow a couple other people to take a bow. Starting with a special shout out to the team at the Broadway Podcast Network, including Dory Berenstein, Alan Seals, Kimberly Garris, and the rest of the team at the Broadway Podcast Network.

[1:29:37] Eli Tokash: Next in line to Take A Bow, we have Giselle Bustos for creating our incredible logo. Next up are our fabulous musicians Nikki Torsha and Cormac Cullenon for making our intro and outro music. And our final bow today are extra special for the patrons Patrick McNamara, Brian Thompson, the listeners at PCC, and the rest of our fabulous patrons over at Patreon.com. If you're interested in becoming a patron, visit Patreon.com slash TAB. If you enjoyed this week's episode, make sure you're subscribed on all podcast platforms or wherever you're listening to us today on. And definitely check out our YouTube page to see our latest videos, or even stay tuned for upcoming ones by subscribing on YouTube.

If you're looking to follow us on social media to stay tuned for our latest news, visit us at TakeA Bow on B Way. Well, that wraps up this week's curtain call. I hope you enjoyed this week's episode, and I hope to see you again next week. Until then, bye everyone. Have a great week.