This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 69 of Take A Bow.

[0:04] Eli Tokash: I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and today we have a very special guest who's also going to be co-hosting this episode.

[0:11] Oscar Williams: Hello, my name is also Eli Tokash, and I am going to be the co-host of this podcast.

[0:16] Eli Tokash: This is already a mess. This is Oscar Williams, who is most well known for his role as Christian in Fun Home, and he's also played Colin in The Secret Garden off-Broadway.

[0:29] Eli Tokash: And he also did the Parade readings. Uh, so lots of stuff to talk about.

[0:36] Eli Tokash: And of course, we are live in our college dorms for everyone watching this on Patreon.

[0:41] Eli Tokash: Uh, very exciting stuff. We're all we're in the same room.

[0:45] Eli Tokash: This is my first live podcast with a guest and co-host. I'm honored Oscar gets to be that guest.

[0:51] Oscar Williams: Um, excited.

[0:52] Eli Tokash: Yeah, so let's dive into it. There's tons to talk about, okay?

[0:56] Eli Tokash: Uh, the TKTS booth is open, and we have over five Broadway shows going on right now in Broadway.

[1:04] Oscar Williams: Yeah, it's Hades Town, it's Passover, it's Wicked, it's Hamilton, it's Chicago, and it's the Lion King.

[1:11] Eli Tokash: So there's six.

[1:13] Oscar Williams: Yeah, so over five Broadway shows. The lights are bright yet again here in New York, and it's very exciting stuff.

[1:19] Eli Tokash: Uh, happy opening, by the way, to Chicago, which I just mentioned, but last week I said a little happy opening to Wicked, Hamilton, and Lion King, but I didn't realize that Chicago was opening, so that's on me, and I want to make sure I said it to them.

[1:32] Oscar Williams: They must have been really hurt.

[1:33] Eli Tokash: They must have been really hurt. Um, hopefully they didn't listen, which is a very high possibility.

[1:38] Oscar Williams: No, they definitely listen.

[1:39] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Everyone and their mother listens to this podcast.

[1:42] Oscar Williams: Yes, that's true. It's a very popular thing.

[1:45] Eli Tokash: Um, and this, uh, when with Broadway reopening, uh, it just happened last night where all of these shows reopened, and at Hamilton, of course, Lin Manuel Miranda was there.

[2:00] Eli Tokash: Really?

[2:00] Oscar Williams: Yes, uh, like everything with like last night Broadway was like popping, you know?

[2:06] Eli Tokash: It was back, you know. Like they made a really strong comeback last night, and of course, I mean you think of Broadway and you think of those like six shows, it makes sense that like Broadway's opening back up with those.

[2:19] Oscar Williams: No, you should have the heavy hitters, right?

[2:21] Eli Tokash: Totally. I mean, like, other than the ones that are open, the only other ones are like Come From Away and Dear Evan Hansen.

[2:28] Oscar Williams: But those are the Hamiltons and the Wicked and the Lion Kings, those are kind of your go-to Broadway shows, right?

[2:28] Eli Tokash: Yeah, so it makes sense of Broadway's reopening with all this stuff, and it's very exciting.

[2:38] Eli Tokash: And speaking of Broadway reopening, Oscar and I actually saw the dress rehearsal of Lion King.

[2:44] Oscar Williams: We did, we got to see the invited dress.

[2:46] Eli Tokash: Thank you so much, Vanessa Brown, shout-outs.

[2:49] Oscar Williams: Getting us tickets. It was so incredible.

[2:53] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it was unreal. Just because it's interesting because it's technically like not their opening.

[2:58] Oscar Williams: But like as an actor, it kind of feels like it is, you know.

[3:02] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I mean, the house was pretty full. I mean, when we got there, so they had it they had us get it was it was weird.

[3:07] Oscar Williams: They had us like if you were in certain areas of the seats, they had you get there 50 minutes early.

[3:11] Eli Tokash: Right. We had to get there to we had amazing seats.

[3:14] Oscar Williams: Yes, we did.

[3:15] Eli Tokash: So we got there a half hour early.

[3:16] Oscar Williams: Yeah, you every like section of the theater had like time slots of when you're gonna get away.

[3:20] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it was kind of odd. I don't know if the other shows are doing that.

[3:24] Oscar Williams: I kind of appreciated it though. It kind of made the whole experience a lot faster.

[3:27] Eli Tokash: I know Vanessa kind of got stuck in a line, but we didn't really get stuck in a line.

[3:31] Oscar Williams: So I mean that's true. It was smart on them to like try to map everything out so that it could avoid as much as well.

[3:37] Eli Tokash: And we had the whole while to ourselves for a second.

[3:39] Oscar Williams: Yeah, we did, we did. It was great.

[3:41] Eli Tokash: Um so Lion King was awesome. Huge shout out to them.

[3:45] Oscar Williams: Huge shout out to Vanessa who was on this podcast for inviting us with to take us two college students along with her just to annoy her and kind of wrangle us again for a night.

[3:58] Eli Tokash: And um yeah, it was just awesome just to uh you know Julie Taymor, the director of Lion King came out and gave a speech on that was so cool.

[4:07] Oscar Williams: I yeah, I I'll be posting that on like 25 years.

[4:10] Eli Tokash: Yeah, 25 years. That was it's incredible.

[4:12] Oscar Williams: It's incredible. I I was shocked, and it's cool too.

[4:14] Oscar Williams: Like 25 years ago, this woman director was about to direct one of the biggest Broadway shows, and that was probably not as common as it was twenty as it is today as it was 25 years ago.

[4:28] Eli Tokash: So it was very, very cool to like come out and see her.

[4:32] Oscar Williams: And I I gotta say, like, curtain up and you hear the Circle of Life, it's just like it's life-changing, you know.

[4:38] Eli Tokash: Like it was so good. It's been so long since I've seen Lion King.

[4:41] Oscar Williams: Okay, you haven't you hadn't seen it yet.

[4:43] Eli Tokash: You'd see well, you saw it in Pittsburgh.

[4:45] Oscar Williams: Yeah, but it it like it's not the same.

[4:46] Eli Tokash: You know, no, it's not the same Broadway.

[4:49] Oscar Williams: Yeah, it's like no, and everyone everyone was like on their game.

[4:52] Eli Tokash: Right.

[4:52] Oscar Williams: It was so good. That's what I was saying.

[4:54] Oscar Williams: Like, as an actor, it's like everyone like felt it felt like it was an opening night.

[4:59] Eli Tokash: Like everyone was on it, it was all family, it was all friends, everyone knew each other in the audience.

[5:04] Oscar Williams: It was all like a bunch of people in the community.

[5:06] Eli Tokash: It was though. When the show started, there was a crying child right next to us.

[5:12] Oscar Williams: That was awkward.

[5:12] Eli Tokash: They did have to leave.

[5:14] Oscar Williams: Um, but it made it made his first stories to tell you.

[5:18] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, it's good stories, good stories.

[5:19] Oscar Williams: Memories and everything.

[5:20] Eli Tokash: Actually, I remember you, you walked up to the child and told it to shut up.

[5:25] Oscar Williams: No, and I thought that was very I thought that was so mean.

[5:28] Eli Tokash: Well, you guys don't know from living with him for the past what?

[5:32] Oscar Williams: How long?

[5:33] Eli Tokash: It's been like a week, a week and a half, almost two weeks.

[5:35] Oscar Williams: Oh my gosh.

[5:36] Eli Tokash: He's so mean.

[5:37] Oscar Williams: I'm so mean.

[5:37] Eli Tokash: I'm the worst actually.

[5:38] Oscar Williams: He is.

[5:39] Eli Tokash: I don't like he's you you don't see it?

[5:42] Oscar Williams: He's forcing me to do this right now.

[5:44] Eli Tokash: I am, I am.

[5:45] Oscar Williams: Actually, when I asked Oscar, he was like, what took you so long?

[5:50] Eli Tokash: He was like so mad.

[5:51] Oscar Williams: I was like, I'm gonna do it.

[5:52] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, I'm very important.

[5:53] Oscar Williams: But I told him like this was the plan all along.

[5:56] Oscar Williams: Like I knew we were gonna be roommates.

[5:58] Eli Tokash: I didn't want to do it virtually, because it's just not as fun.

[6:01] Oscar Williams: So I thought it'd be good to do it with you.

[6:04] Eli Tokash: That's a nice cover story.

[6:05] Oscar Williams: Honest to God, like this is my first time recording since we moved in.

[6:09] Eli Tokash: I mean, you can attest to that.

[6:10] Oscar Williams: You've never seen me recording, like, I just haven't since I moved in.

[6:13] Eli Tokash: Um so now, of course, I it I I make sense that you're my first one now that we're in college.

[6:19] Oscar Williams: So it it does make sense.

[6:21] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[6:22] Oscar Williams: It does make sense.

[6:23] Eli Tokash: Okay, leave me alone.

[6:24] Eli Tokash: Um, okay.

[6:26] Eli Tokash: So next uh next topic. Beetlejuice is opening on Broadway.

[6:32] Oscar Williams: Right.

[6:32] Eli Tokash: Did you know that?

[6:33] Oscar Williams: I I like saw it on I saw something on Instagram and I was gonna I I don't know, I forgot to talk about it.

[6:39] Eli Tokash: It's funny because this guy was over last night and I was.

[6:41] Oscar Williams: Were you guys talking about it?

[6:42] Eli Tokash: We were talking about it, but I was like, shh, because I wanna like see if Oscar knows tomorrow because I want a raw reaction.

[6:48] Oscar Williams: No, I know.

[6:49] Eli Tokash: Yeah, you I figured you knew.

[6:50] Oscar Williams: I mean, it was like I mean, it was like everywhere on social media, uh, if you're like following.

[6:56] Eli Tokash: I only saw it one place.

[6:57] Oscar Williams: Really?

[6:58] Eli Tokash: To be fair though, I didn't look.

[6:59] Oscar Williams: Okay.

[6:59] Eli Tokash: I I wasn't looking at it.

[7:01] Oscar Williams: So I'm very curious to see how this is gonna go down as far as who who's who's gonna play Beetlejuice?

[7:07] Eli Tokash: Who's playing uh Sophia in Caruso and Presley Ryan's role?

[7:11] Oscar Williams: Lydia.

[7:12] Eli Tokash: Um who's Who is playing Sophia in Caruso?

[7:15] Oscar Williams: Playing Sophia in Caruso.

[7:16] Eli Tokash: Um who is playing Alex Brightman is the question.

[7:19] Oscar Williams: Right.

[7:20] Eli Tokash: I mean, come on, Beetlejuice is Alex Brightman at this point.

[7:23] Oscar Williams: I know.

[7:24] Eli Tokash: He's so good.

[7:24] Oscar Williams: I I he I mean he's he has to return, right?

[7:27] Eli Tokash: Like who else are they gonna get?

[7:29] Oscar Williams: I don't know.

[7:29] Eli Tokash: They don't really need to get like a big name though, just because of how like successful is right.

[7:37] Oscar Williams: The show's not successful because of this is gonna sound bad, but the show's not successful because of like the names.

[7:43] Eli Tokash: Right.

[7:44] Oscar Williams: It's successful because people love the show.

[7:45] Eli Tokash: Exactly.

[7:46] Oscar Williams: And the in like I mean, and the people make the show, the cast makes the show.

[7:50] Eli Tokash: Absolutely.

[7:51] Oscar Williams: So it'll be it's gonna be interesting to see who they bring.

[7:54] Eli Tokash: I know.

[7:54] Oscar Williams: I'm very excited.

[7:55] Oscar Williams: I have to say, not to toot my own horn, that I did call this a while ago when they announced they were closing and that Music Man had essentially just bought him out of the theater.

[8:08] Eli Tokash: They're at the Marquee, bro.

[8:09] Oscar Williams: Yeah, they're now gonna be at the Mary Alt Marquee.

[8:11] Eli Tokash: So it's gonna be a new theater.

[8:12] Oscar Williams: It I'm sure things are gonna have to change.

[8:15] Eli Tokash: Um it's gonna be interesting just to see how it all plays out.

[8:18] Oscar Williams: Um but I'm very excited.

[8:20] Oscar Williams: I this was I I don't know, it was a surprise, but it wasn't at the same time.

[8:24] Oscar Williams: Uh I wasn't gonna be surprised either way, but just because of how much like hype it had, like at the time of closing, it just didn't make sense, you know.

[8:32] Eli Tokash: Like I know I know, yeah.

[8:34] Oscar Williams: It's it's it didn't make sense to close it just then.

[8:36] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[8:37] Oscar Williams: I mean, we saw the show together.

[8:38] Eli Tokash: We did.

[8:39] Oscar Williams: Um, of course, like we've basically seen every show together.

[8:42] Eli Tokash: Um, we're adorable.

[8:44] Oscar Williams: We're we're adorable.

[8:46] Eli Tokash: Um and uh yeah, I I'll never forget, like, I actually sat next to your brothers and like they were they were just dying.

[8:52] Oscar Williams: Like, you know, like everyone like I'll I'll never forget like all 40 Beetlejuices on stage and just like the audience reacting.

[9:01] Eli Tokash: It's like one of those cool like musical theater moments that you just like don't forget and you take a look around the audience to see how they're appreciating it, and it's like it's really cool.

[9:09] Oscar Williams: No, it was unreal.

[9:11] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it's really good.

[9:12] Oscar Williams: The set was incredible too.

[9:13] Eli Tokash: Incredible.

[9:14] Oscar Williams: It was fascinating.

[9:15] Eli Tokash: That's why I'm saying, like, I I wonder how that's gonna change from the Winter Garden to the Marquee Theater.

[9:21] Oscar Williams: Well, they're both relatively large.

[9:22] Eli Tokash: They are, but it's just not the same.

[9:25] Oscar Williams: It's it's not gonna be the same.

[9:27] Eli Tokash: I don't think the Marquee's huge.

[9:29] Oscar Williams: Really?

[9:29] Eli Tokash: I'm pretty sure.

[9:31] Oscar Williams: I mean, I wouldn't know.

[9:32] Eli Tokash: I I saw on on your feed, but like it's not like I was like a while ago.

[9:36] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[9:37] Eli Tokash: I don't really You don't remember?

[9:39] Oscar Williams: No.

[9:39] Eli Tokash: I don't remember.

[9:40] Oscar Williams: But uh yeah, I mean it either way I've just seen so many shows I can't remember all the things.

[9:46] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah.

[9:47] Oscar Williams: Either way, it's gonna be amazing.

[9:48] Eli Tokash: There's no doubt on that.

[9:50] Oscar Williams: Um for all of the the um kind of composers and for all of the um kind of just artists that want to get a start in the theater industry and they're like trying to like post stuff on TikTok and kind of get their name out there.

[10:06] Oscar Williams: The Drama League officially launched a contest where uh you can create an anthem for the future of theater on TikTok.

[10:16] Eli Tokash: And uh they'll be considering all songs or anthems that are written, um, and kind of have that they don't really have they they don't have an anthem, actually.

[10:26] Oscar Williams: They don't have like a song that you like.

[10:28] Eli Tokash: I mean, of course you have like when you think of Broadway and you think of theater, you think of like Defying Gravity, or like they have like the iconic robbery.

[10:36] Oscar Williams: Some golden age.

[10:37] Eli Tokash: Right, but it's not like, you know, a s like baseball, you're like, take me out to the ball game, you know?

[10:43] Oscar Williams: Like, like you know, you they all have those like songs that you kind of think of.

[10:47] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[10:48] Oscar Williams: You know, so I guess Broadway's looking for that now.

[10:51] Eli Tokash: Who would have thought?

[10:52] Oscar Williams: And uh you can submit that from TikTok, which is an easy platform that most people tell us about TikTok.

[10:59] Eli Tokash: Yeah no.

[11:00] Oscar Williams: Who knows is is it it's it sounds like a very niche thing.

[11:03] Eli Tokash: Shut up.

[11:04] Oscar Williams: I know I don't I don't mean to explain TikTok, but I I I am trying to say that like anyone can submit for this.

[11:10] Eli Tokash: And it's as easy as posting on TikTok.

[11:12] Oscar Williams: So if you're interested get involved get involved in get involved in on Broadway and with the Drama League.

[11:20] Eli Tokash: That's a great organization to get involved with the anthem for the future of Broadway.

[11:26] Oscar Williams: Yes, absolutely.

[11:27] Oscar Williams: Um another exciting thing casting for Trevor the musical was announced um which is gonna be off Broadway on October 25th is opening.

[11:36] Eli Tokash: Uh congrats to everyone involved in the in the making of the show but I also want to shout out those who were scheduled to do the show but were unable to rejoin it for various reasons such as like college and voice changes and whatnot.

[11:49] Oscar Williams: Huge shout outs to them because I mean I was in their shoes so I get what it is I get what it's like and uh I there this is just the beginning for them.

[11:58] Eli Tokash: Your voice used to be oh hi is a flu to me I know maybe all the way up here.

[12:02] Oscar Williams: I know it kind of still is when I talk but like not when I sing.

[12:06] Eli Tokash: But a special shout out to Luke Banicus who was on this podcast uh before and kind of talked about his journey through Trevor and kind of what it was like to kind of play the waiting game as he was trying to figure out if he was gonna be in it again or if he wasn't.

[12:22] Oscar Williams: Um so just huge shout out to everyone involved and congrats to my friends Ava Briglia, Diego Lucano, Mark Aguirre uh, and so many more who were uh casting.

[12:31] Eli Tokash: Yeah, Diego is in the world.

[12:32] Oscar Williams: No way, wait, I didn't know that.

[12:33] Eli Tokash: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[12:35] Oscar Williams: That's so crazy.

[12:36] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I'm very excited.

[12:37] Oscar Williams: And of course, Jared Zimmerman, who actually wasn't scheduled to be in it uh originally, but now he is, and he played my dad, which he's playing on Trevor Off Broadway.

[12:46] Oscar Williams: He played my dad and Trevor in Chicago. So he's gonna be reprising that role, which is really cool. And he's actually one of the he's actually the only person to be reprising their role from Chicago.

[12:57] Eli Tokash: When was Trevor? Was that 20s?

[12:59] Oscar Williams: Uh, um I want to say 17. I want to say it was four years ago, is when I was a freshman in high school.

[13:05] Eli Tokash: So yeah, who would be a freshman? So it was four years ago. Um, so congrats to Jared for reprising his role and being the only person that's doing that.

[13:14] Eli Tokash: Um well that's it, that's all we have for the news this week. Uh that's kind of that's the weather's a bombing 78 degrees right now.

[13:22] Oscar Williams: I know.

[13:22] Eli Tokash: It's actually it's kind of awful outside.

[13:25] Oscar Williams: It's too hot.

[13:25] Eli Tokash: It's so warm.

[13:26] Oscar Williams: It's too hot.

[13:27] Eli Tokash: I don't like it. I this isn't the thing about living in the city. It's like it's just too humid sometimes.

[13:32] Oscar Williams: I know.

[13:33] Eli Tokash: It's it's it's ridiculous.

[13:34] Oscar Williams: I know.

[13:35] Eli Tokash: But it's okay. We're gonna think of the positives. We're in New York, we're going to school in New York, we're going to performing art school in New York.

[13:42] Oscar Williams: Um, we can't complain about the weather.

[13:44] Eli Tokash: Come on. We have too many things about the weather.

[13:47] Oscar Williams: We have too many things to be grateful for.

[13:49] Eli Tokash: Oh my god. Anyway, let's turn it over to the drama dictionary segment.

[13:53] Oscar Williams: Um, this week's word of the week is actually gonna be more of a comparison more than a word of the week, and that's gonna be a rush ticket and a lottery ticket.

[14:03] Eli Tokash: So we're gonna explain to you what the difference is between them because some of you may know what these are, some of you may not, and some of you may know uh that they're just discounted tickets, but you're not really sure how to get them or what the difference are.

[14:18] Oscar Williams: So a rush ticket is where you wait outside of the box office before it opens, and they usually have about 20 to 30 tickets to sell, depending on what the ticket sales of that particular show is.

[14:28] Eli Tokash: Um so you go early to make sure you're guaranteed a ticket, and you kind of go at like 6 a.m. because you want to be like first in line so that you get a ticket.

[14:35] Oscar Williams: It's like 40. It's definitely a lot of work trying to get rush tickets.

[14:39] Eli Tokash: It is a lot of work. I remember my dad and I, I'm pretty sure. No, I don't think no, we we would play the lottery for Matilda though.

[14:46] Oscar Williams: Okay, so my parents every time like literally my entire family sometimes, any time they wanted to come see me and Pippin and Friday Neverland, they like waited in the rush line.

[14:55] Eli Tokash: And they had me come with them because like I just did a show at like 12 o'clock and they had me go into the theater at 6 a.m., you know.

[15:03] Oscar Williams: Like, I'm like, no, let me sleep, and they're like, no, we have to get tickets to your show.

[15:07] Eli Tokash: And I'm like, no, like, no.

[15:10] Oscar Williams: Um, but it's it is worth it if you get it, you know. Like you can't beat it for 30 bucks, 30 to 40 dollars.

[15:16] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it's crazy. Get like front row seats sometimes.

[15:19] Oscar Williams: Like I wonder how that's gonna change.

[15:21] Eli Tokash: I know.

[15:21] Oscar Williams: It doesn't seem it seems like uh more shows are doing lottery, but it still seems that uh some shows are gonna be doing rush.

[15:29] Eli Tokash: I know like they're trying to avoid crowds, but maybe they're like cutting it off after a certain number of people.

[15:34] Oscar Williams: I know Hazystown is doing a rush still.

[15:37] Eli Tokash: Really?

[15:37] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[15:38] Eli Tokash: Um, but a lot of them are doing lotteries still, which is kind of self explanatory, uh, where you participate with a bunch of other people and it's randomly selected or hand picked, you just put your name in and uh you kind of wait out to see the results.

[15:51] Oscar Williams: You're not guaranteed a ticket.

[15:53] Eli Tokash: So it's basically first come first serve with rush versus a lottery.

[15:56] Oscar Williams: Can I tell you something about the lottery?

[15:58] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[15:58] Oscar Williams: So well, when I was auditioning, I auditioned for Matilda a few like a bunch of times, as did everyone.

[16:03] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[16:04] Oscar Williams: But it's we saw Matilda like four times. Only on lottery tickets.

[16:09] Eli Tokash: Every time we played the lottery we won.

[16:10] Oscar Williams: I feel like the Matilda lottery was like almost guaranteed.

[16:13] Eli Tokash: Some shows are like No, lotteries are always guaranteed.

[16:17] Oscar Williams: That is so not true.

[16:18] Eli Tokash: They are.

[16:19] Oscar Williams: Ham for Ham. Come on.

[16:21] Eli Tokash: Hamilton lottery.

[16:23] Oscar Williams: They're like 500 people and they have like 10 tickets to sell.

[16:27] Eli Tokash: They are not good.

[16:27] Oscar Williams: Yeah, no, you always get it.

[16:29] Eli Tokash: I mean, this guy doesn't need any more of an introduction.

[16:32] Oscar Williams: I've kind of entered him uh enough here and kind of boosted his ego enough, and I feel like I'm gonna do that a little bit more, but that's okay because we're gonna talk about his career and kind of what he's done on Broadway.

[16:45] Eli Tokash: So um let's talk about it. You made your Broadway debut in Fun Home.

[16:49] Oscar Williams: That I did, and you're like just this kid coming from Vermont, and you're making your Broadway debut.

[16:57] Eli Tokash: Just a hometown boy.

[16:58] Oscar Williams: Yeah, just like you're just from his hick town.

[17:00] Eli Tokash: Right.

[17:01] Oscar Williams: I mean, you're just chilling, you're from Vermont, and then you get this opportunity to be in one of the biggest Broadway phenomenons of its time, like in 2015.

[17:10] Eli Tokash: It was, it really was.

[17:12] Oscar Williams: Yeah, and uh it's not like you had some like small little role, you know, like you had uh

[17:12] Eli Tokash: No, I mean it was a tiny, it was only nine, the cast of nine people.

[17:21] Oscar Williams: Right.

[17:22] Eli Tokash: Which is so cool.

[17:22] Oscar Williams: Yeah, well, I mean, talk to me about it.

[17:24] Oscar Williams: So, I mean, you've uh you did a ton of productions in Vermont.

[17:28] Oscar Williams: I did.

[17:28] Eli Tokash: You've been doing it since how old?

[17:30] Oscar Williams: Well, I've been I've been do I've just been doing product like shows since I was seven.

[17:34] Eli Tokash: So, what got you interested in doing shows?

[17:37] Oscar Williams: I don't really remember exactly what got me interested. I just know that I started doing shows with this production company called Very Merry Theater in Vermont, which I also was doing shows after I moved when I moved back.

[17:48] Eli Tokash: Uh huh.

[17:48] Oscar Williams: I still continue to do shows with them. I did shows with them for ten years.

[17:51] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[17:51] Oscar Williams: And it's it's really great. I mean, it's it's like it's not professional or anything. It's just a bunch of it's just this theater company that likes to put on shows for all these kids who want to do it.

[18:00] Eli Tokash: And it's a lot of fun.

[18:02] Oscar Williams: And I the first show I ever did was a musical adaptation of The Hobbit.

[18:07] Eli Tokash: Really?

[18:07] Oscar Williams: Did I tell did I ever tell you this?

[18:09] Eli Tokash: No.

[18:09] Oscar Williams: With very very I was seven years old. I played Elrond.

[18:13] Eli Tokash: No way.

[18:14] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[18:14] Eli Tokash: I don't even know anything about the Hobbit.

[18:17] Oscar Williams: I'm sorry, I'm uncultured.

[18:19] Eli Tokash: So I feel like we can't really talk about this.

[18:21] Oscar Williams: Anyway.

[18:23] Oscar Williams: Uh yeah, but I just I've I did so many productions in Vermont, and then when I was nine, I I wanted to audition for this.

[18:32] Oscar Williams: They were doing Titanic.

[18:33] Eli Tokash: Mm-hmm.

[18:34] Oscar Williams: And this this Ly uh lyric theater was doing Titanic, which is another theater company in Vermont, which actually they use the the Flynn Theater, which is the biggest theater in Vermont.

[18:42] Eli Tokash: Oh wow.

[18:44] Oscar Williams: So it's it's pretty it's pretty good.

[18:46] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[18:48] Oscar Williams: And um they were doing Titanic, and I was five minutes late to the audition.

[18:52] Eli Tokash: Oh no.

[18:53] Eli Tokash: Oh no.

[18:54] Oscar Williams: And they didn't let me in.

[18:54] Oscar Williams: And I was devastated, I was crushed.

[18:57] Eli Tokash: I feel like that's typical Oscar fashion.

[19:00] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[19:00] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[19:00] Oscar Williams: But then but then they told me about my friend Amelia Mason, uh-huh, who I think I've talked I'm talking to you about.

[19:06] Eli Tokash: I don't know.

[19:06] Oscar Williams: Maybe she sounds familiar, but I'm she's she's at Barnard right now.

[19:09] Eli Tokash: Oh so we'll probably hang out at some point.

[19:12] Oscar Williams: But Amelia was in finals for Matilda.

[19:14] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[19:15] Oscar Williams: I'm pretty sure the original original cast of Matilda.

[19:18] Eli Tokash: So she got to finals, and she she was like she she didn't get it, unfortunately.

[19:23] Oscar Williams: I think she might have been like just a hair too tall or something.

[19:27] Eli Tokash: Because they were so straight back then.

[19:29] Oscar Williams: It was ridiculous.

[19:33] Eli Tokash: Jeez, a win.

[19:39] Oscar Williams: But I heard about that and my parents they were like it was like, oh, it's okay, but there's gonna be other things is what they were trying to tell me.

[19:45] Oscar Williams: But what I took from that is I was like, oh, I can audition I can go to New York in audition.

[19:50] Eli Tokash: So for two years I was auditioning, driving down to New York.

[19:54] Oscar Williams: It was like uh driving down, or we would drive down and take the train from Albany.

[19:57] Eli Tokash: So it was usually about a five and a half to six hour trip.

[20:00] Oscar Williams: And I would make this trip like uh three times like three times not a week, but like in a month.

[20:11] Eli Tokash: So I mean sometimes I would.

[20:12] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[20:13] Eli Tokash: But like I would go down four or five times in a month, and sometimes I would stay down and I would do multiple auditions.

[20:18] Oscar Williams: Wow.

[20:19] Eli Tokash: And it's for like for two years I was in I was in callbacks for Finding Everland too.

[20:19] Oscar Williams: And Matilda.

[20:19] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[20:19] Oscar Williams: I was in callbacks for both of those shows when I got the audition for Fun Home.

[20:29] Eli Tokash: Right.

[20:29] Oscar Williams: So it's just I know I I actually it's you know what's funny?

[20:32] Oscar Williams: Is I turned down the first audition for Fun Home because I was doing both of those things.

[20:37] Eli Tokash: Oh really?

[20:38] Oscar Williams: And I was like, I want to focus on these.

[20:40] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[20:40] Oscar Williams: So I'm gonna do that.

[20:41] Eli Tokash: And then they were still looking.

[20:42] Oscar Williams: Wow.

[20:43] Eli Tokash: So I'm like, okay, I'll do this.

[20:44] Oscar Williams: And then a we literally like a week and a half later, I got it.

[20:48] Eli Tokash: Isn't that weird?

[20:49] Oscar Williams: It's so it's just it's some things are just so meant to be that it's just like it's just gonna find a way to happen.

[20:56] Eli Tokash: Yeah, but it was so it was so crazy, and Alison Bechtel, who wrote Fun Home, lives in Vermont right now.

[21:02] Oscar Williams: Right.

[21:03] Eli Tokash: So there's that the huge full circle moment.

[21:06] Oscar Williams: I love that.

[21:07] Eli Tokash: Well, okay, so uh I mean, talk a little bit more about this.

[21:11] Eli Tokash: So, like, you're uh you're I mean you're being No, we're moving on.

[21:14] Oscar Williams: No, would you no, we're not, okay?

[21:16] Eli Tokash: You're a Broadway star right now, and um you're in Fun Home.

[21:22] Oscar Williams: Very cool.

[21:22] Eli Tokash: But like, so you came from Vermont and then you're doing fun home, and then you went back to Vermont, and then you've come back and forth, like to do parade, and I mean Secret Garden was around that time and just auditions in general.

[21:39] Oscar Williams: Right.

[21:40] Eli Tokash: So I mean, just talk to me about like what it was like to I mean, that time in your life, your like middle school career, you've kind of just split between like New York and Vermont.

[21:52] Oscar Williams: How tricky was it to like navigate everything?

[21:55] Oscar Williams: I mean, you're going from a performing art school in New York to a like public school in Vermont, you know, like what's the difference?

[22:02] Eli Tokash: How was that experience like for you?

[22:05] Oscar Williams: Well, Jeff, may I call you Jeff?

[22:06] Eli Tokash: Yeah, sure.

[22:07] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[22:07] Oscar Williams: Well, Jeff, it was What is that from?

[22:09] Eli Tokash: I don't know.

[22:10] Oscar Williams: Okay. Continue.

[22:11] Oscar Williams: Anyway, um Yeah, it was it was weird.

[22:15] Oscar Williams: I mean, I was only at PPAS for a year a year and a half, not even a year and a half.

[22:21] Oscar Williams: So s s end of sixth grade and s and all of seventh grade, I was going to school with you.

[22:26] Eli Tokash: Right.

[22:26] Oscar Williams: And it was it was so much fun because I got to do all these things that I enjoyed doing.

[22:31] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[22:31] Oscar Williams: As a part of my curriculum, which is crazy.

[22:33] Eli Tokash: Right.

[22:33] Oscar Williams: And then I moved back.

[22:35] Eli Tokash: And then if I wanted to do those things, I would have to either take a specific class to do that, or I would have to do it outside of school and just have it be an extracurricular.

[22:44] Oscar Williams: Okay.

[22:44] Oscar Williams: And my high school is very like extremely sporty.

[22:49] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[22:49] Oscar Williams: I mean, we like the boys boys' soccer team is like sixth in the country.

[22:53] Eli Tokash: Oh wow.

[22:54] Oscar Williams: And it's crazy.

[22:54] Eli Tokash: And they have a good like they they put some money into their theater program.

[22:58] Oscar Williams: Oh, yeah.

[22:58] Eli Tokash: But it's like it's it's not too much.

[23:00] Oscar Williams: Like we got to do some alright shows.

[23:03] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[23:03] Oscar Williams: But it's it's just not the s it's like whenever I would come down to New York, I would see these shows.

[23:09] Oscar Williams: I would like do do cabar do these cabarets, these um just these like fundraiser things sometimes.

[23:15] Eli Tokash: Right.

[23:15] Oscar Williams: And it's just it's it's just so much like the energy here is unmatched.

[23:20] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[23:20] Oscar Williams: And it's crazy.

[23:22] Eli Tokash: And it's just yeah, it's been interesting trying to balance that.

[23:26] Oscar Williams: And but now I live here.

[23:28] Eli Tokash: But now you live here.

[23:29] Oscar Williams: And it's gonna be fantastic.

[23:31] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[23:31] Oscar Williams: It has it's been fantastic.

[23:33] Eli Tokash: And things are already picking up for you just because you're like in New York, you know, like so there's just so much more opportunities here in New York.

[23:39] Oscar Williams: Right.

[23:40] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[23:40] Oscar Williams: You know, like we've had auditions where it's like you have to be a local New York.

[23:45] Eli Tokash: Yeah, like this is so we just did we just we got the same audition for the like the same project.

[23:51] Oscar Williams: So we we just we did a self tape last night.

[23:53] Eli Tokash: Right.

[23:54] Oscar Williams: And we like it's it's like where are you based? Like, we're only looking at New York City based people.

[23:59] Eli Tokash: Right.

[23:59] Oscar Williams: And it's interesting because like there are a lot of pros and cons to living in New York, but like the opportunities in New York and in LA, like, they're unmatched.

[24:07] Eli Tokash: Like you'll just get like more auditions and more opportunities just by being here.

[24:11] Oscar Williams: Right.

[24:11] Oscar Williams: Right.

[24:11] Eli Tokash: And that just boosted your likelihood of getting a job.

[24:15] Eli Tokash: And we were in the same boat, like, you know, like me coming from West Virginia to New York, my agent wanted to drop me if I wasn't gonna come to New York and live.

[24:24] Oscar Williams: And they ended up doing so.

[24:26] Eli Tokash: And that's why I'm with C E S D now because I wasn't willing to move to New York unless I had a job.

[24:32] Oscar Williams: So finally I got Pippin.

[24:34] Eli Tokash: Finally, I got Pip in.

[24:36] Oscar Williams: Pipped in?

[24:36] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[24:37] Oscar Williams: Like like the T lifted.

[24:39] Eli Tokash: Shut up!

[24:40] Oscar Williams: Finally, I got Pip in, and um we were kind of just living up here, and literally, like, I had more auditions while I was in a show than I did like in like a year in West Virginia.

[24:54] Eli Tokash: Yeah, you know, like I had a lot I got I got a quite a bit of auditions during Fun Home.

[24:59] Oscar Williams: I know.

[24:59] Eli Tokash: And you're literally like working and they're still like auditioning you.

[25:03] Oscar Williams: And it's just like there's so many benefits.

[25:05] Eli Tokash: Like for anyone like who's kind of like thinking of that jump to like, oh, should I make it to New York? Even if it's like for like a week or a month, or even like pilot season, like consider doing it.

[25:18] Oscar Williams: Consider doing it for just even if it has to be a short amount of time where it's like I can't move because of financial reasons or family or whatever it may be, like come out for at least a couple weeks, find yourself an agent or a manager that's willing to send you on auditions in both New York and LA and kind of take that next step and you'll see just how many opportunities and you'll find your niche.

[25:18] Oscar Williams: Your niche, your niche niche, your niche.

[25:55] Oscar Williams: Um your niche.

[25:56] Oscar Williams: I think it's pronounced different ways when I think about different things.

[25:59] Eli Tokash: I feel like it is too.

[26:00] Oscar Williams: Which is so it's so weird that like there's like different words.

[26:03] Eli Tokash: There's so many words in English.

[26:05] Oscar Williams: English is stupid.

[26:07] Eli Tokash: Um anyways, um you'll unchecked, we would talk about this for my god 10 or 15 minutes.

[26:12] Oscar Williams: Unbelievable.

[26:13] Eli Tokash: It would be so bad.

[26:14] Oscar Williams: But thankfully we have class soon, so we have to keep this brief.

[26:17] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[26:17] Oscar Williams: Um on topic.

[26:19] Oscar Williams: Um, so yes, so like you'll find that group of people that you will just like gravitate to, and you'll find your friends, and you'll find all of these connections that you start making, and like it just makes such a huge difference that if you really are considering it, you have to go all in, you know.

[26:36] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[26:36] Oscar Williams: That's that's that's true.

[26:37] Oscar Williams: If you there's no like you can't half step into it.

[26:41] Eli Tokash: Right.

[26:42] Oscar Williams: Because if you do, then you're gonna half get the results.

[26:45] Eli Tokash: Exactly.

[26:46] Oscar Williams: Or not.

[26:47] Oscar Williams: Or just not get results.

[26:48] Oscar Williams: And like, even if you go full in, you like you can't expect results right away.

[26:53] Eli Tokash: Sometimes for a while.

[26:54] Oscar Williams: Right.

[26:54] Oscar Williams: I mean, sometimes for people it does happen right away if they just find the right thing for them and then they get I mean, a lot of it is like it's it's it's luck in the sense that there are certain projects that are right for certain people.

[27:06] Eli Tokash: Totally.

[27:07] Oscar Williams: So if there's if there's a project that's perfect for you and you're just starting, and like you happen to cross paths with those people, then that's great.

[27:14] Eli Tokash: That's like then that's good.

[27:16] Oscar Williams: Then it's it's sometimes it's luck getting the opportunities, and then you have to and then you gotta take it home.

[27:23] Eli Tokash: But if you're not all in, they can sometimes tell that.

[27:26] Oscar Williams: Right.

[27:26] Oscar Williams: And if it's like if they don't think that you're too serious about it, they're not gonna want to work with you.

[27:30] Eli Tokash: Absolutely.

[27:31] Oscar Williams: Good point.

[27:32] Oscar Williams: So yeah, that's kind of that's my spiel on that.

[27:35] Oscar Williams: Like, I know we had a similar scenario, but don't learn from us.

[27:39] Oscar Williams: Don't don't come back and forth.

[27:41] Oscar Williams: It's not gonna benefit you, it's just gonna drive you and your parents mad.

[27:46] Oscar Williams: And uh you're gonna have to do a lot more self-tapes, which aren't as fun either.

[27:51] Eli Tokash: So if you're if you're thinking about it, literally go all in.

[27:54] Oscar Williams: They're so bad.

[27:55] Oscar Williams: Um, but they're okay because it's still opportunities.

[27:59] Eli Tokash: Uh yes, yes.

[28:00] Oscar Williams: So, okay, like I said, you are a Broadway star and you're in Fun Home, and you're kind of like it's just the talk of the town.

[28:08] Oscar Williams: F I mean, Fun Home, Finding Neverland, all of these shows that were like new with kids were kind of like it on the There were a lot when we I know.

[28:16] Eli Tokash: It was fantastic.

[28:17] Oscar Williams: School of Rock.

[28:18] Oscar Williams: Boy, I miss those times.

[28:20] Eli Tokash: But it's not like we could do it now anyways.

[28:22] Oscar Williams: Like No, now I'm like, nah, yeah, now we're gonna have to.

[28:25] Oscar Williams: Now I'm like, we need adults, come on.

[28:27] Eli Tokash: Right.

[28:29] Oscar Williams: Let's get young adult shows.

[28:29] Eli Tokash: Let's get some like high school Do you have enhanced but lower, you know?

[28:34] Oscar Williams: Yeah, yeah.

[28:34] Oscar Williams: Like let's get let's get like Yeah.

[28:38] Eli Tokash: Just get some like teenage shows in here.

[28:41] Oscar Williams: I mean, like Trevor's great and all, but it's kind of like Trevor's great and all, but here's the thing.

[28:46] Oscar Williams: I it's it's just a terrible show.

[28:48] Eli Tokash: What?

[28:49] Oscar Williams: You haven't even seen it.

[28:52] Eli Tokash: Anyways, we're next next.

[28:54] Oscar Williams: Um so as I was saying, you're a Broadway star and you're going to uh Broadway school.

[29:00] Oscar Williams: You're going to school in a performing arts in New York and um you are also like doing all of these crazy events.

[29:09] Oscar Williams: Um you you went on the top the view, you went on the Tony's, um, and like you were just like I mean, we had like the lights of Broadway cards events and like all those were fun, like yeah, little things where you just like got to make your connections, you know, like here in New York.

[29:25] Eli Tokash: And um talk to me about just like what it was like to to balance all those things, but also to like you know, think of it as a kid's perspective where you were kind of just like doing it and having fun and you kind of like were like, Oh yeah, I just have to get out school early for this event to uh go perform on the view today, you know, like no big deal.

[29:46] Oscar Williams: Well, Bill, it's interesting.

[29:47] Oscar Williams: It's it's so it's so crazy like doing that.

[29:52] Oscar Williams: Because like at when we were at PBAS, we would literally like we had Wednesda the ha we would leave early on Wednesdays and it's like almost scheduled out.

[30:01] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[30:01] Oscar Williams: I mean it had to be.

[30:02] Oscar Williams: We had a man A every week.

[30:03] Oscar Williams: We just knew that that was gonna be the case.

[30:05] Eli Tokash: Yeah, they and PPS was super accommodating for that.

[30:07] Oscar Williams: Right.

[30:08] Oscar Williams: But the view, oh my god, I have to wake up so early for the view.

[30:11] Eli Tokash: Really?

[30:11] Oscar Williams: It was so it was I mean it was I had to be there at like five.

[30:15] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[30:16] Oscar Williams: Because it it starts at six.

[30:18] Eli Tokash: So they wanted us to be there now early so that we could get some bearings.

[30:21] Oscar Williams: But yeah, stuff like that, though those card those Broadway lights cards events.

[30:27] Oscar Williams: Um Lion King would do those haunted houses.

[30:31] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[30:31] Oscar Williams: Um, the gypsy robe, the Easter bonnets, all these things are just so like there's there's such like a community within Broadway that not a lot of people tend to see.

[30:43] Oscar Williams: And it's so interesting being getting to be a part of that, especially at such a young age.

[30:47] Oscar Williams: I feel like I learned how to talk to adults very quickly.

[30:50] Eli Tokash: Right.

[30:51] Oscar Williams: Because I would be at these parties and it would be like a show would be opening, a show would be closing, and all the adults would be talking, and then I just like be in the conversation sometimes, and I'm like twelve or thirteen.

[31:04] Eli Tokash: I'm like, this is so weird.

[31:06] Oscar Williams: But it's like normal for us.

[31:07] Eli Tokash: It yeah, it's it feels very natural now.

[31:10] Oscar Williams: And then you look back and you're like, what was I what was that?

[31:13] Oscar Williams: Like I must have I must have looked so silly.

[31:16] Eli Tokash: Right.

[31:16] Oscar Williams: Like I'm like, yeah, I think that this show's really important for the socio political climate in America because I think I just I just think, you know, I think we're telling a really good story.

[31:26] Eli Tokash: Right.

[31:27] Oscar Williams: I'm 11th.

[31:28] Oscar Williams: Right.

[31:28] Oscar Williams: Literally.

[31:29] Eli Tokash: Um, but yeah, no, it's serious.

[31:31] Oscar Williams: I mean, I I say it all the time that like, you know, uh not that we like didn't have a childhood, but like in a way, like, you know, you're working at night and you have rehearsals and you're doing that during the day, so you're literally like you're going to school, then you're going home, you're sleeping, maybe taking a nap or doing homework, and then you gotta eat and then you gotta do a show.

[31:52] Eli Tokash: I know it's all good.

[31:53] Oscar Williams: Uh and then you gotta go do a show, and it's like you don't have time for that like social life with your friends after school or like doing whatever, like you know, you had to miss out on all those things.

[32:03] Oscar Williams: But Broadway, like in the community of it, just like did such a wonderful job in like giving us that childhood and giving us those fun events that we were giving back without like kind of even knowing that we were doing so.

[32:16] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[32:16] Oscar Williams: And like when I look back on it now, I have like even a a a greater um sense of like gratitude towards it because when you think about it, like the Lion King events, like that was literally the adults in Lion King just being like, let's invite all of the kids on Broadway.

[32:35] Eli Tokash: It's in it's so it's so incredible.

[32:37] Oscar Williams: Like, yeah, like that those were adults trying to include the children as one and as like an equal.

[32:45] Oscar Williams: And it I I just think it was really cool and I am forever grateful for just the Broadway community like giving us that like childhood feel where we would be like and then we can make friends from like other shows because like some of us didn't have like a six person cast like Find a Neverland and a twenty person kid cast like uh fun one was just it was just four of us at the beginning.

[33:07] Eli Tokash: Yeah, so it's like and then and then it was and then and then it was six.

[33:10] Oscar Williams: Right.

[33:11] Oscar Williams: But like at that it's still like it's not too many people.

[33:15] Eli Tokash: Right.

[33:15] Oscar Williams: And it's like it's good to have like more friends and kind of opportunities to go hang out with other people.

[33:21] Eli Tokash: Well, I mean we we would hang out a lot.

[33:23] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[33:24] Oscar Williams: Just like I mean, I would hang out with you guys a bunch too just 'cause you know we went to school together.

[33:29] Eli Tokash: Right.

[33:29] Oscar Williams: But that was there's that.

[33:31] Oscar Williams: There's um almost there's this park on 43rd that we used to go to.

[33:36] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[33:36] Oscar Williams: 43rd and 8th.

[33:37] Oscar Williams: I always say that the the 43rd and 8th.

[33:40] Oscar Williams: In between eighth and nine.

[33:41] Eli Tokash: The Broadway park.

[33:42] Oscar Williams: Yeah, it's otherwise known as the Broadway Park.

[33:44] Oscar Williams: Um we've kind of talked about that on here a bunch before too, and like in between shows you would go to that.

[33:49] Eli Tokash: Like there are like a lot of cool things that the community does to like kinda give everyone a g l allow you to feel like a regular child.

[33:58] Oscar Williams: Yeah, you know, like and we are, like we're still regular children, just like performing shows at night, you know, like so anyways.

[34:06] Oscar Williams: Um you're yeah, so then uh another really cool event that you were able to do was this iconic was it the gypsy rose pr rogue performance or was it uh or gypsy of the year or was it um gypsy we did the rock version of Ring of Keys.

[34:22] Eli Tokash: Oh right.

[34:22] Oscar Williams: So it was the Easter bonnet was G Mr.

[34:25] Oscar Williams: Miranda or like Dear Mr.

[34:26] Oscar Williams: Miranda.

[34:27] Eli Tokash: That was so cool.

[34:28] Oscar Williams: So Vanessa wrote that.

[34:30] Eli Tokash: Yes, I know.

[34:31] Oscar Williams: We we actually talked to her about it.

[34:32] Oscar Williams: This is when Cindy was still on it too.

[34:34] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[34:35] Oscar Williams: Um we had Vanessa Hahn and um she was talking to us too about it, but I want to hear it from your perspective.

[34:41] Oscar Williams: Talk about performing a song that y that Vanessa like literally wrote to like not at Lin Manuel Miranda, but like kinda like nudge mist like Lin Manuel Miranda to like Yeah, like I mean like and now you're like loved it.

[34:57] Eli Tokash: Yeah, so nice.

[34:58] Oscar Williams: But like you have to perform it right in front of him.

[35:00] Oscar Williams: Like how difficult was like, was that even a thought or was there just like, yeah, I'm just gonna go out.

[35:06] Oscar Williams: It's it's very interesting.

[35:07] Oscar Williams: That was that's like one of the like it was a lot of fun.

[35:10] Oscar Williams: Right.

[35:10] Oscar Williams: And I it was a it was like it was a good performance.

[35:12] Oscar Williams: I'm proud of that performance.

[35:13] Eli Tokash: But I don't know if you know this, but it was lip sync.

[35:16] Oscar Williams: Really?

[35:16] Eli Tokash: We were lip singing.

[35:17] Oscar Williams: What?

[35:18] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[35:18] Oscar Williams: Why?

[35:19] Eli Tokash: You pre-recorded it.

[35:20] Oscar Williams: So we were dancing.

[35:21] Oscar Williams: I don't know.

[35:21] Oscar Williams: It was for some some reason we were doing we were doing a lot of things and they I don't think we had mics.

[35:28] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[35:30] Oscar Williams: You couldn't tell.

[35:31] Eli Tokash: Yeah, no, it's it looks really good.

[35:33] Oscar Williams: You couldn't tell you.

[35:34] Oscar Williams: Actually, wait.

[35:36] Oscar Williams: No, yeah, no, we totally we totally live sing it.

[35:38] Oscar Williams: Like if you if you watch it again, you're gonna be like, oh, they're totally lip singing.

[35:42] Eli Tokash: Really interesting.

[35:43] Oscar Williams: But it's it's so but it's so cool.

[35:45] Oscar Williams: No one, I mean, no one really and we got runner up.

[35:48] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[35:49] Oscar Williams: I mean, no, you guys got so much buzz from that performance.

[35:52] Oscar Williams: Just like fun home was like everywhere, that video was everywhere.

[35:56] Eli Tokash: It was almost as big as like the Skylar sisters when like Josh Collie and Luca Padavin and Douggy Baldeo like did the I remember that.

[36:04] Oscar Williams: That was crazy.

[36:04] Eli Tokash: Like it was like it was a big deal, you know, like your performance in that.

[36:08] Oscar Williams: Um but that's that's hilarious that it was lip sync.

[36:11] Oscar Williams: It's my whole life has been a lie.

[36:12] Eli Tokash: We've been lied to.

[36:14] Oscar Williams: Um but um we're still waiting for that musical that you kinda added him at.

[36:20] Eli Tokash: And uh speaking of Lin Manuel Miranda, you actually you actually did a touring performance where you played younger.

[36:29] Oscar Williams: Which is like crazy.

[36:31] Oscar Williams: That was a crazy like audition too, because I just like walked in and talked to them for like five minutes.

[36:35] Eli Tokash: Okay, so what is an audition like for the Tony Awards?

[36:37] Oscar Williams: Like what like how does that work?

[36:39] Oscar Williams: So it was so weird.

[36:40] Oscar Williams: It was just like an interview.

[36:41] Eli Tokash: Okay, but it was like five minutes.

[36:43] Oscar Williams: They were like the cause they just need to like get a look at you.

[36:45] Eli Tokash: Right.

[36:46] Oscar Williams: And then they were like, so what do you do?

[36:47] Oscar Williams: And I go, Oh, I've found this.

[36:48] Oscar Williams: And I talked about how I know Lin I know Lynn because I knew what they were looking for.

[36:52] Eli Tokash: Oh, interesting.

[36:52] Oscar Williams: So I'm like, yeah, you know, it could be fun.

[36:54] Oscar Williams: I don't know.

[36:55] Oscar Williams: Yeah, you know, like I did the Him for himself and I did I kinda just sang a song.

[37:00] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I I mean I don't know.

[37:02] Oscar Williams: I know he's my voicemail.

[37:03] Eli Tokash: Right, he is your voicemail.

[37:05] Oscar Williams: Oh my god.

[37:06] Oscar Williams: But um that was so fun because backs so backstage, all the other kids, because they had kids for every nominee.

[37:15] Oscar Williams: Right.

[37:16] Oscar Williams: Everyone was like backstage at because it was at the Beacon Theater, everyone was backstage waiting.

[37:21] Oscar Williams: But there wasn't enough space.

[37:22] Oscar Williams: So for the best actor nominees and the children playing the best actor nominees, we got to wait in the green room.

[37:31] Oscar Williams: Oh, with Lynn and Womeranda, Leslie Odam Jr., Alex Brightman, Danny Burstein, and Zachary Levi.

[37:40] Eli Tokash: That's insane.

[37:41] Oscar Williams: Insane, right?

[37:43] Oscar Williams: I spent like an hour with them.

[37:44] Eli Tokash: No way.

[37:44] Oscar Williams: It's so cool.

[37:45] Eli Tokash: That is that is amazing.

[37:46] Oscar Williams: Is that when no, that wasn't when the voicemail happened.

[37:49] Eli Tokash: No, no, no, no.

[37:50] Oscar Williams: That was something else.

[37:52] Eli Tokash: But there was and also that day when I went for lunch, I think I got I don't remember what I got for lunch, but I saw the V.

[37:59] Oscar Williams: No way! I saw David at lunch and he goes, "Oh hey." Oh my god, that's that was a crazy day.

[38:05] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[38:06] Oscar Williams: I couldn't imagine. Was it like tell me about it? Like did you have to like wake up at an absurd amount like hour of the day to like go rehearse your little?

[38:09] Eli Tokash: Oh no, it wasn't it really wasn't too early.

[38:19] Oscar Williams: No. But they had we did have to like be there two hours before the program started.

[38:23] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[38:24] Oscar Williams: Because they just wanted us there. But like we were all like behind. We got to like see like them set up the red carpets and stuff, and we were just behind there. And all the nominees we got to hear and like listen to them rehearse their numbers as well. It was just so it was so cool.

[38:43] Eli Tokash: That's awesome.

[38:44] Oscar Williams: And it was like it's like I'm like on screen for three seconds. Who cares? But that experience was like one of the most memorable moments. Let me know how many people can say they played young Lin Manuel Miranda.

[38:58] Eli Tokash: Okay, let me know because that is pretty cool. That's like something not a lot of people can say and that's something that you have done.

[39:05] Oscar Williams: Um yeah you should be you should be bragging about this.

[39:10] Eli Tokash: Um it's okay it's fine. I get it.

[39:12] Oscar Williams: I get it. I'm the same way.

[39:14] Eli Tokash: Um okay so I mean of course you've done like there's so much to talk about but let's let's move on and let's talk about The Secret Garden.

[39:21] Oscar Williams: Yeah so this Secret Garden this was absolutely bonkers.

[39:25] Eli Tokash: Okay this cast is everything.

[39:26] Oscar Williams: You worked with some pretty cool people.

[39:28] Eli Tokash: I've gotten to work with a lot of really cool people and I'm so thankful for that. Like um Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess.

[39:36] Oscar Williams: Ben Platt.

[39:37] Eli Tokash: Ben Platt. Come on.

[39:38] Oscar Williams: Yeah Ben Platt who else um it's crazy. Uh Jerry Shea um Daisy Egan.

[39:48] Eli Tokash: Which was so that was so heart-wrenching.

[39:51] Oscar Williams: Josh Young, Nicky James.

[39:54] Eli Tokash: Oh right.

[39:59] Oscar Williams: Um just all these people.

[39:59] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[39:57] Oscar Williams: And it's just uh Kevin Chamberlain.

[39:59] Eli Tokash: Right.

[39:59] Oscar Williams: From Chamberlain well he did Parade but yeah that was like just all these people.

[40:04] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[40:05] Oscar Williams: It's just insane. Will Swenson.

[40:07] Eli Tokash: It's insane.

[40:08] Oscar Williams: And like Lin-Manuel that you can like throw in there too basically.

[40:11] Eli Tokash: Um yeah you know like who who's that again?

[40:14] Oscar Williams: Who?

[40:15] Eli Tokash: I'd never heard of Hamilton.

[40:16] Oscar Williams: Um Manuel Miranda.

[40:19] Eli Tokash: Yeah, what?

[40:20] Oscar Williams: Um but no, you actually this was a piece that you actually revisited, right?

[40:26] Eli Tokash: Yes, you did Secret Garden in Vermont.

[40:29] Oscar Williams: And you played that same role.

[40:31] Eli Tokash: I did. Um so talk to me. Talk to me about what that experience was like for you.

[40:35] Oscar Williams: Obviously it was a very odd, not like odd experience, but it's like a it's a different experience because it's like a one-night concert, you've got your scripts with you, you've c it's like a reading, but it's a show at the same time. Like was it like anything you've ever done before? Like talk just talk to me about the process and everything.

[40:53] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[40:54] Oscar Williams: Secret Garden, so Secret Garden was it was only a week, actually. It was a week of rehearsals and then we had I one night it it was two shows one night.

[41:03] Eli Tokash: Right.

[41:03] Oscar Williams: And it was it was just like it was incredible.

[41:07] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[41:08] Oscar Williams: I mean, everyone had their lines memorized.

[41:10] Eli Tokash: Okay.

[41:10] Oscar Williams: But for stage readings like that, the actors have to have the book has to be touching you.

[41:15] Eli Tokash: Got it.

[41:15] Oscar Williams: Like it has to be like you have to be touching the script.

[41:19] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[41:19] Oscar Williams: Because it's not technically a live performance.

[41:22] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[41:22] Oscar Williams: So there's some weird like union contract things.

[41:26] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[41:26] Oscar Williams: That you have to deal with. But getting to work with them and Stafford Arima directed it, and it was he he is he's he's one of the sweetest people in the world. He's so great and he's a genius.

[41:38] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[41:39] Oscar Williams: And it's like just getting being able to do that. And plus I had done it already.

[41:45] Eli Tokash: Right.

[41:46] Oscar Williams: So I knew a lot of I knew a lot of the stuff. I had done it like I'd done it before, I haven't done it in a while, but it's like it's it's muscle memory basically.

[41:54] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[41:54] Oscar Williams: Like if you if you give each of us like a day or two, I'm sure we could remember our tracks.

[41:59] Eli Tokash: Really?

[42:00] Oscar Williams: In shows that we I'm sure.

[42:01] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. No, yeah, I see what you sorry I didn't let you finish the sentence.

[42:04] Oscar Williams: I Yeah, what the what the hell?

[42:06] Eli Tokash: I'm sorry.

[42:07] Oscar Williams: I'm sorry. That's my fault.

[42:09] Eli Tokash: Um But yeah, it's it's it was so cool. I didn't it wasn't like I was learning a whole new thing. I had a dialect coach again.

[42:16] Oscar Williams: Sure.

[42:16] Eli Tokash: That was fun.

[42:18] Oscar Williams: And it was just it was surreal. A two hundred person choir behind us.

[42:24] Eli Tokash: That was like looking back on it and watching those videos, I'm like, wow, I'm never like I'm not gonna do something like that again.

[42:31] Oscar Williams: Right.

[42:31] Eli Tokash: And Secret Garden is just so it's so beautiful. The whole show with the music, everything.

[42:36] Oscar Williams: Cheyenne Jackson.

[42:37] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, no way.

[42:39] Oscar Williams: I was forget I knew I was forgetting someone.

[42:40] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[42:45] Oscar Williams: Incredible.

[42:46] Eli Tokash: That's incredible.

[42:46] Oscar Williams: And there was so we were doing tech and in my character was in a wheelchair for most of the show, and Sierra had to wheel me out.

[42:55] Eli Tokash: Oh no.

[43:00] Oscar Williams: So she was she was just like it was just really funny. It was like during it was during tech.

[43:06] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[43:07] Oscar Williams: She didn't do it during the performance though, right?

[43:09] Eli Tokash: No.

[43:10] Oscar Williams: That's all that matters.

[43:11] Eli Tokash: No.

[43:14] Oscar Williams: No, she's a professional.

[43:15] Eli Tokash: She's a professional.

[43:15] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[43:16] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, come on with Sierra Boggess, but I never heard of her.

[43:16] Oscar Williams: Never heard of her.

[43:20] Eli Tokash: Um But yeah, I that is like, you know, there's a there's a few productions in New York that I've always been like, oh like that's one show that I wish I could see, but like I was in Finding Neverland at the time while also doing Secret Garden with Gabby like at that same time.

[43:36] Oscar Williams: Yeah, we did that we did those right after.

[43:38] Eli Tokash: Right.

[43:38] Oscar Williams: You did it with Gabby and then I did it with Sydney.

[43:40] Eli Tokash: Right.

[43:41] Oscar Williams: It's just that that was that was a crazy crazy like month.

[43:46] Eli Tokash: I saw that.

[43:47] Oscar Williams: You did?

[43:47] Eli Tokash: I did, yeah, I saw it.

[43:49] Oscar Williams: Why wasn't I allowed to see your production then?

[43:51] Eli Tokash: You there was something.

[43:52] Oscar Williams: Oh, okay.

[43:54] Eli Tokash: I think you did yours on a Monday or something.

[43:56] Oscar Williams: Yeah, we did. Ours was on like a Saturday or something, right?

[43:58] Eli Tokash: How did you get out of your show?

[44:00] Oscar Williams: I called out.

[44:02] Eli Tokash: You and Sydney called out or Sydney wasn't in?

[44:02] Oscar Williams: Sydney was in Fun Home at that point.

[44:08] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[44:08] Oscar Williams: Yeah, that was really like I'd only there were only like two or three shows that I'd called out for and it was that and I also called out for the tech rehearsals.

[44:16] Eli Tokash: Wow wow that and then I was sick once.

[44:19] Oscar Williams: Which is awful.

[44:20] Eli Tokash: I had I got laryngitis.

[44:21] Oscar Williams: Really so bad.

[44:22] Eli Tokash: During Fun Home?

[44:23] Oscar Williams: Yeah during Fun Home.

[44:24] Eli Tokash: During the Sunday show it was a Sunday show I started losing my voice.

[44:28] Oscar Williams: Wow.

[44:28] Eli Tokash: And just on Monday I was gone.

[44:31] Oscar Williams: Really I went to the doctors they gave me vocal steroids and I was able to like I was able to perform on Tuesday.

[44:38] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[44:39] Oscar Williams: Actually no I wasn't able to perform on Tuesday.

[44:42] Eli Tokash: I had to call out on Tuesday.

[44:43] Oscar Williams: But yet it's a couple of but on Wednesday I was able to come back.

[44:47] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[44:47] Oscar Williams: That was fun.

[44:48] Eli Tokash: That's insane.

[44:49] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[44:50] Eli Tokash: But uh wow good for you like for going to the doctor though and being like instead of just being like ah wait it out like see what happens it'll come back and like you never know when that's coming back right.

[45:01] Oscar Williams: Um okay so tell me about the pros and cons of doing a one show like one night production.

[45:07] Eli Tokash: Like you had two shows one night. Tell me about like you know it do you feel like you could do it more do you allow yourself to get attached to the production like what like I mean it's just completely different from doing like a full open ended.

[45:09] Oscar Williams: It is it's it's like it it's like it's a different it's like a marathon and then a sprint.

[45:29] Eli Tokash: Right.

[45:29] Oscar Williams: It's like you can go and not not saying that people don't go all out every night for Broadway because they do.

[45:36] Eli Tokash: Right.

[45:36] Oscar Williams: But there's certain things that you can do, like for roles that are really taxing, people have to like take their time and like they they do the show at night because that's their job and they don't do much else.

[45:47] Eli Tokash: Right.

[45:48] Oscar Williams: But with these one show things, like we had gatherings and like these meet and greets and stuff that we were able to do.

[45:54] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[45:55] Oscar Williams: Before and after the show because we didn't have to do them later.

[45:58] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[45:59] Oscar Williams: So it was it's and in that sense, it's almost like you get to do it you do it once and then you're done, so there's no there's no there's not too many stakes.

[46:10] Eli Tokash: But it sucks because it's like with shows like that, usually the cast, everyone's just so like at the top of their game and and like so good at what they do.

[46:21] Oscar Williams: Sure.

[46:21] Eli Tokash: They just want to keep working with them.

[46:23] Oscar Williams: Right.

[46:23] Eli Tokash: And also they're just all great people.

[46:25] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[46:26] Eli Tokash: But it's and and I love Secret Garden so much, so I would I would so do that show in a heartbeat.

[46:31] Oscar Williams: Totally.

[46:32] Eli Tokash: But in so in that sense, it's it's kind of weird doing it just once.

[46:38] Oscar Williams: Right.

[46:39] Eli Tokash: But kind of just like all of a sudden it's like there and it's done.

[46:42] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[46:43] Eli Tokash: You know, like yeah, it's it's it's fair, it's definitely it's so different.

[46:46] Oscar Williams: Right.

[46:47] Eli Tokash: And like the r it's usually just a week of rehearsals.

[46:49] Oscar Williams: But I will say, like, those those casts in those like one night productions are like kind of unbeatable.

[46:56] Eli Tokash: Always insane.

[46:56] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[46:57] Eli Tokash: They're always I mean, you heard it, you I mean, we are the cast here at Boggess for me and Gary and Lou, uh, Cheyenne Jackson, Ben Platt, all these incredible people.

[47:06] Oscar Williams: It was crazy.

[47:07] Eli Tokash: Yeah, incredible.

[47:08] Oscar Williams: Um, Ben Platt and like working with him, uh, you also did the Parade readings, which is like what is it?

[47:18] Eli Tokash: Like, is it like a revival, like trying to come to Broadway or like so Parade?

[47:23] Oscar Williams: I don't know what they have planned for, but Parade was uh it was it's it it would be a revival.

[47:29] Eli Tokash: Right.

[47:29] Oscar Williams: It was on Broadway, I think in 99. It's written by Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry.

[47:33] Eli Tokash: Which I've always said, like, it's one of the most like underrated musicals, but like is now finally coming around, and it seems like it was always ahead of its time.

[47:42] Oscar Williams: It's so good.

[47:43] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it's so good.

[47:44] Oscar Williams: It tells the true story of Leo Frank.

[47:46] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[47:47] Oscar Williams: Which is just that's like a whole that's like you're a whole lot of podcasts. You can find podcasts about that story.

[47:53] Eli Tokash: Right.

[47:53] Oscar Williams: But it's just so important, and it's so like and the music is gorgeous.

[47:59] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[48:00] Oscar Williams: It's so good. I love it. It's like it's I think it might be my favorite musical.

[48:04] Eli Tokash: I just love it so much.

[48:05] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[48:06] Eli Tokash: And just getting to do it, and Michael Arden directed it.

[48:09] Oscar Williams: He's ridiculous.

[48:11] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[48:11] Oscar Williams: He's so he's so talented and he's so great.

[48:14] Eli Tokash: And like he was talking about if like if slash when they are able to get funding for that production, he was talking about what he would like to do with it.

[48:25] Oscar Williams: And this was this was back in 2019.

[48:28] Eli Tokash: So this is a few 2019.

[48:30] Oscar Williams: It may have been 2018, actually.

[48:32] Eli Tokash: It's been a while, but you know, things have been going on.

[48:36] Oscar Williams: Broadway closed.

[48:37] Eli Tokash: What?

[48:38] Oscar Williams: But it's um yeah, I mean, home I'd love for it to come back.

[48:43] Eli Tokash: I'd love to be a part of it.

[48:44] Oscar Williams: That'd be that'd be ridiculous. I think it's important.

[48:47] Eli Tokash: I think it's an important musical.

[48:48] Oscar Williams: And also Ben as Leo Frank and Michaela Diamond was Lucille Frank.

[48:52] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[48:53] Oscar Williams: They were that's another colored cast, you know, like that that cast was also insane.

[48:53] Eli Tokash: Yeah, Ben Platt, Michaela Diamond, Kevin Chamberlain, Oscar Williams, of course.

[49:03] Oscar Williams: Uh can't forget that name.

[49:05] Eli Tokash: Um yeah, no, but yeah, like again, like I've like I said here, like, I mean, what does this show mean to you?

[49:12] Oscar Williams: I mean, I feel like we can all agree that Parade deserved better than it did on Broadway.

[49:16] Eli Tokash: Like it did.

[49:17] Oscar Williams: I don't think it's it was shocking.

[49:19] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[49:20] Oscar Williams: And a lot of people weren't ready to see something like that.

[49:23] Eli Tokash: Right.

[49:23] Oscar Williams: Because it's it's hard to watch.

[49:25] Eli Tokash: I know, that's what I'm saying.

[49:26] Oscar Williams: I feel like it was always ahead of its time.

[49:28] Eli Tokash: Like, you know, like it just like it was it came out at a time when we just weren't ready to have that conversation.

[49:34] Oscar Williams: The Tonys, like, they they won Tony for Best Book and Best Score.

[49:38] Eli Tokash: Right.

[49:39] Oscar Williams: But it lasted for all of what? Like it a couple months.

[49:42] Eli Tokash: It like that is.

[49:43] Oscar Williams: It might have been like a hundred performances.

[49:45] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[49:45] Oscar Williams: It closed super early on.

[49:47] Eli Tokash: And which is such a bummer because it's so it's so fantastic.

[49:52] Oscar Williams: But they've I think I mean the show was it's it's changed a little bit since then.

[49:58] Eli Tokash: It's like there's a lot of a lot of harsh language that they've toned down a little bit in service of just keeping the story.

[50:05] Oscar Williams: But it's um it's I I think it would I think it would be perfect for the like in the next few seasons.

[50:11] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[50:11] Oscar Williams: I had a And also me selfishly saying that You would love to do that.

[50:16] Eli Tokash: I would love to do it.

[50:17] Oscar Williams: Yeah, it would be so it was one of my favorite things that I've done.

[50:20] Eli Tokash: So I talked to Caroline Carmelo uh on this podcast who was in the original production of Parade and actually got a Tony Nom for it.

[50:28] Oscar Williams: She did.

[50:29] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[50:29] Oscar Williams: And so I think she should have won.

[50:31] Eli Tokash: I know.

[50:32] Oscar Williams: I think she should have too.

[50:33] Eli Tokash: She actually No, I don't think she did.

[50:35] Oscar Williams: I don't think she won.

[50:36] Oscar Williams: Uh it was a nomination. But um she was talking to me about it and just was like, this show needs to get revived and all of these things. Like, so it is something that is wanted in the theater world, especially from the community of artists themselves. I don't know. I can't really like I haven't heard much from an audience standpoint, but I just getting it out there, I feel like is just like there's not much of it I feel like not too many people know about it. I know that's why I'm saying like I just want to get like the fact that there is a parade reading going on. But like people would know about it if they announced the revival with Ben Flag.

[51:12] Eli Tokash: Right.

[51:13] Oscar Williams: That that's true. I mean I don't know if like that's actually a possibility though like 'cause like I said, like those like one week things with like Secret Garden, you can usually get like that crazy cast together for a week, you know, but like a long term thing, you know, he's got his music career to worry about now. You know, he's going on tour.

[51:31] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I think that's also another one of the reasons why it never fully took off.

[51:35] Oscar Williams: Interesting. Because they want it they wanted as much of that cast as they could get.

[51:39] Eli Tokash: Right.

[51:39] Oscar Williams: And people oh and like uh Mallory Bechtel was in it.

[51:41] Eli Tokash: Oh yeah.

[51:42] Oscar Williams: Renee Rapp.

[51:43] Eli Tokash: Oh my girls stop.

[51:45] Oscar Williams: I love Renee Rapp. I love her boyfriend Antonio Sabriano. Like he's a king.

[51:49] Eli Tokash: Yeah, they're great. They're both ridiculously talented.

[51:54] Oscar Williams: But um she was she was in it and there was a bunch of other cats.

[51:58] Eli Tokash: Yes.

[51:59] Oscar Williams: Uh Brooklyn Shaw God oh my god all these people it was so much fun. I love that. And it it it wouldn't be that same cast.

[52:06] Eli Tokash: But I think that would be an expensive cast.

[52:08] Oscar Williams: It would be an expensive N especially now.

[52:12] Eli Tokash: Right. Now that everyone is like a lot bigger.

[52:16] Oscar Williams: Yeah no it'd be it's it'd be an expensive but like I still think they should bring it back.

[52:20] Eli Tokash: I agree. I think it's something that's needed. Especially like you know we see all we see a trend of like a lot of conversations you know surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement rape and sexual harassment and everything, like those these topics that kind of were difficult to have, and they still are difficult, but they but because they were difficult, they we kind of ignored them. Um now they're finally coming to a point where it's like no, like let's have these difficult conversations.

[52:51] Oscar Williams: And I feel like in today's climate with where we are, and the whole Harvey Weinstein's kind of things, and uh you know, there's I mean a lot more. Um different type of podcast. Uh sorry. Um, but yeah, like I think that it's something that like should be back on Broadway and there's a story that should be told in a story that like is relevant to today's.

[53:17] Eli Tokash: No, it totally is, and it's also like it's it's true stories, right?

[53:21] Oscar Williams: It's history.

[53:21] Eli Tokash: Exactly. I feel like people need to understand, like, we need to understand what has happened in this country in order to fully move forward.

[53:30] Oscar Williams: And parade does such a great job of illustrating incredibly nuanced things that have happened.

[53:36] Eli Tokash: Absolutely. It's interesting. The past two weeks, I've like, I'm trying to manifest two revivals on Broadway, and that's Parade and Legally Blonde.

[53:48] Oscar Williams: So two very different types of shows.

[53:50] Eli Tokash: Um yeah, you weren't exacting that one.

[53:54] Oscar Williams: But uh it's interesting because I'm kind of just like You're just gonna be whiplash.

[53:58] Eli Tokash: What?

[53:59] Oscar Williams: Why? It's just so parade and legally blonde are just not too short. They shouldn't be in the same sentence.

[54:04] Eli Tokash: I'm really sorry for anyone that feels offended by that.

[54:07] Oscar Williams: But at the same time, like both of these things need to happen, in my opinion. And of course, Abby's and your opinions, because Abby was our last big guest, who kind of was like, I want to produce it, and I was like, revive it, then. Like, do it.

[54:21] Eli Tokash: Um, but yeah, so uh let's see what else I have here.

[54:26] Oscar Williams: So okay, oh yes, so now talking more a little bit like not so much about like your career, more about like you as an actor. I mean, living with you, you take your vocal practices and your vocal warmups very seriously on a daily basis. Explain a bit about like kind of what you do and why you feel it's so impivotal for your voice to grow and to be where it is today.

[54:49] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[54:50] Oscar Williams: Well, I mean, I try to warm up every day, and it's been I've just it's it's been less consistent now, just because starting school is tough, but I will I need to get back in the rhythm of it. But there was a period of like there's like a three-month period where I didn't warm up and I wasn't really singing either just because of the pandemic.

[55:06] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[55:06] Oscar Williams: And I tr I was trying an audition and I was trying to sing this song, and I basically like couldn't. I didn't really sound good. Or like I I was like, I was fine, but it it didn't like it. There was no like power or support. I didn't have anything. So I'm like, okay. I need to like because it's I mean your voice is a muscle, you need to keep working. You should retrain them, you gotta keep you gotta keep you gotta just gotta keep them keep them going.

[55:30] Eli Tokash: Yeah, keep them lubricated, drink some water.

[55:32] Oscar Williams: Right. And you just gotta you just gotta keep going. And it's I like I have to like make like if I don't warm up, I'll like I mean, if and everyone should warm up, everyone should do vocal exercises. It's like a workout.

[55:45] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[55:46] Oscar Williams: It's a s that's exact that's essentially what it is.

[55:49] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it's interesting too. Like, I've never really had voice lessons until like I my voice changed.

[55:55] Oscar Williams: And it seems like vocal warmups are like more important than like singing like songs.

[56:01] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[56:01] Oscar Williams: Like, like you know, like trying to just be like, oh, what's a song that I can sing, and if it's like high, then it's good for my voice and it can like stretch it, but like that's not always the case. But warming up is there's like an especially like voice teachers know like exactly what warm-ups what they do to your to your vocal cords and just your body.

[56:23] Eli Tokash: Totally.

[56:23] Oscar Williams: And it's like you can sing a song to do a warm-up, but it's like it's not it's not really the same thing.

[56:31] Eli Tokash: It's different because you're performing I think.

[56:34] Oscar Williams: It's also more just about those sp like you have to like train the specific muscles. Like each warm-up is different for like mouth.

[56:42] Eli Tokash: Like lip trills lip trills loosen up.

[56:46] Oscar Williams: Exactly. Loosen up the muscles that releases tension.

[56:49] Eli Tokash: And you can't exactly do that if you're trying to bell A's and B's.

[56:52] Oscar Williams: Totally. Like 'cause then that's so much tension that you need you in order to do that you need to have it be loose loose enough.

[57:00] Eli Tokash: Totally.

[57:00] Oscar Williams: I'm talking as if I'm uh you're like a vocal if I'm a vocal teacher which I'm not I know you pay two hundred dollars for this and you take take everything I say with a grain of salt.

[57:09] Eli Tokash: Um I don't know how I might probably don't know how anything works.

[57:13] Oscar Williams: So no I what I do know is that vocal exercises are important and if you want to keep your voice in shape you definitely should do them.

[57:20] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[57:20] Oscar Williams: And you don't have to do them daily but like a couple times a week.

[57:23] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[57:24] Oscar Williams: And day I mean daily's best obviously right because you'll see a quicker result.

[57:28] Eli Tokash: You'll see quicker results and your voice will just bounce.

[57:31] Oscar Williams: It'll be in a place that you want it to be more.

[57:34] Eli Tokash: Right.

[57:34] Oscar Williams: But yeah that's that's yeah that was a good question. That was my spiel.

[57:38] Eli Tokash: Thank you. I'm I'm just trying to like help our our readers and listeners at home.

[57:42] Oscar Williams: So uh readers.

[57:43] Eli Tokash: Yeah our readers um that's kind of like what they call them in the podcast moral realm.

[57:48] Oscar Williams: Like our reading But I thought people listen to podcasts for the sole purpose of not reading.

[57:52] Eli Tokash: I know, I know.

[57:53] Oscar Williams: I don't understand why they say it, but I don't know.

[57:55] Eli Tokash: It's like I think it's stupid term.

[57:57] Oscar Williams: I know, I think so too. You know what?

[58:01] Eli Tokash: Podcasts are stupid.

[58:01] Oscar Williams: You know what? I appreciate your honesty um in that, but I I really do take personal offense to that because actually I know for a fact that they're not stupid because you wouldn't be doing it right now if you really thought they were stupid.

[58:15] Eli Tokash: So yeah, actually, yeah.

[58:18] Oscar Williams: You have nothing to come back with that, so I really sumped you.

[58:22] Eli Tokash: Okay, Pace University and Performing Arts School, similarities benefits recommend. Talk to me about you know, so now you you've been to multiple performing art schools in New York, you've also gone to non-performing art schools.

[58:34] Oscar Williams: Yes.

[58:35] Eli Tokash: Do you feel um yourself benefiting from a performing arts school? Do you recommend others who are out there in the world to if they're interested in theater to go try and go to a performing art school, or do you really think it's in maybe something that uh you can do uh elsewhere on your free time or whatever? What do you think?

[58:53] Oscar Williams: I think if you want to be in this industry and you want to be in this business, you definitely should at least somewhat in like college or just try in your school to be in the performing arts aspect. And depending on your interests outside and how much you value your free time, then yeah, performing arts programs are the place for you.

[59:18] Eli Tokash: Cause I know for me, I haven't like I was at I was at UVM this last semester.

[59:23] Oscar Williams: Right.

[59:24] Eli Tokash: And I wasn't I was a theater major, but I didn't take any theater classes because I was taking I wanted to get credits for pace.

[59:31] Oscar Williams: Right.

[59:31] Eli Tokash: And I was taking all academics. I had a live science, a history class, English, a public speaking, and a statistics class.

[59:38] Oscar Williams: Mm-hmm.

[59:39] Eli Tokash: And it was so awful.

[59:40] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[59:41] Eli Tokash: And I was just like, I was missing doing that things and have having like theater built into the curriculum.

[59:48] Oscar Williams: Right.

[59:49] Eli Tokash: For me is just so nice 'cause I haven't had that in like five years and I've just I've missed it so much.

[59:56] Oscar Williams: Right.

[59:57] Eli Tokash: And like I've having gone to a normal high school, I'm like, I'm good.

[1:00:01] Oscar Williams: I forgot normalcy.

[1:00:02] Eli Tokash: I'm ready.

[1:00:03] Oscar Williams: I'm ready to get a piece of pap I'm I'm ready to get my BFA.

[1:00:07] Eli Tokash: Right.

[1:00:07] Oscar Williams: And with pace pace is so great 'cause they have a lot of different programs.

[1:00:11] Eli Tokash: And um they still make you take foundational courses.

[1:00:14] Oscar Williams: So it's not like you're not taking academic classes.

[1:00:16] Eli Tokash: I wish I wasn't but I'm in a computer science class right now.

[1:00:21] Oscar Williams: Oh my God.

[1:00:22] Eli Tokash: It's so bad.

[1:00:23] Oscar Williams: But I have to take it because they want the students to be well rounded.

[1:00:27] Eli Tokash: Sure.

[1:00:28] Oscar Williams: But it's it's I it's so fun.

[1:00:30] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:00:30] Oscar Williams: It's just like you're doing what you enjoy.

[1:00:32] Eli Tokash: It's like going to school like if you enjoy coding.

[1:00:35] Oscar Williams: If you're going to school for coding you're doing what you enjoy. If you are a painter and you're going to school for painting you're painting all the time.

[1:00:42] Eli Tokash: So what you enjoy.

[1:00:42] Oscar Williams: That's the same goes for theater schools and performing arts schools.

[1:00:45] Eli Tokash: Totally.

[1:00:46] Oscar Williams: It like I love doing musical theater. I'm going to school for musical theater. My classes are musical theater classes.

[1:00:49] Eli Tokash: So I'm really enjoying myself.

[1:00:53] Oscar Williams: And I'm also getting especially with pace they have a lot of adjunct professors.

[1:00:57] Eli Tokash: Right.

[1:00:57] Oscar Williams: So they have a lot of people who are in the industry. There's a lot of connections you can make.

[1:01:00] Eli Tokash: Totally.

[1:01:01] Oscar Williams: And that doesn't go just with the teachers. That also goes with all the students.

[1:01:04] Eli Tokash: Yes, the students like you said earlier, like, you know you you did a you did a reading with Renee Rapp who was Renee Rap, not Renee Rap, you know like

[1:01:04] Oscar Williams: Yeah like she was Renee Rap, but she wasn't Renee Rap.

[1:01:16] Eli Tokash: Right.

[1:01:16] Oscar Williams: And I feel like everyone at a m school of performing arts are kinda i it's kinda in that same boat, you know, like they're all so talented.

[1:01:25] Eli Tokash: They're all ridiculous and they all have potential to be the next ri Renee rap or whatever uh you want to be.

[1:01:35] Oscar Williams: Um my god, her voice is just ridiculous.

[1:01:37] Eli Tokash: Uh anyway.

[1:01:37] Oscar Williams: Uh Renee Rap fan base.

[1:01:39] Eli Tokash: Um anyways, uh yeah.

[1:01:41] Oscar Williams: So literally the connections that you make, like I said, like you could wake up next day and your classmate could be like the next.

[1:01:48] Eli Tokash: I mean, we we did it we saw it firsthand with Chris Richards.

[1:01:52] Oscar Williams: Like he came in to middle school, sixth grade, like he like was like talking to us like we were like some like hot shots, you know.

[1:02:00] Eli Tokash: Like he was like, oh my god, you're like you're in Fun Home and you're in Pippin and oh my god, and then all of a sudden, like he gets finally Neverland and we are in the same show together, and then he's now this movie star, you know, or TV star.

[1:02:14] Oscar Williams: Like it's it's been crazy watching people blow up.

[1:02:17] Eli Tokash: You just never know, like the next like everyone in the performing arts world and and they've worked too before, like so who who do they know, and like how can you like learn from them?

[1:02:29] Oscar Williams: Like you can always learn, you can always make connections, and you can always just like just have these experiences that you wouldn't have anywhere else.

[1:02:39] Eli Tokash: And um going to school with like minded people is such a refreshing experience, and like you get that at college no matter what because you choose your major.

[1:02:48] Oscar Williams: Right, and you're gonna take classes with people who also picked that major and had picked these classes.

[1:02:53] Eli Tokash: Totally.

[1:02:53] Oscar Williams: But still, in a in a performing art in in a BFA program, there's just something about it because like we all do the same things, we all have the same goals.

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

[1:03:04] Oscar Williams: And we all love doing what we do. And like Pace has also has like just a straight acting program and a film acting program as well.

[1:03:11] Eli Tokash: So there's there's I don't know why I'm telling you, I'm more talent.

[1:03:14] Oscar Williams: I know you know what they have to do.

[1:03:15] Eli Tokash: No, it's great that you're telling me this stuff because they're gonna get the same.

[1:03:15] Oscar Williams: Yeah more saying it more saying it for the readers at home.

[1:03:23] Oscar Williams: I feel so weird so I know I do too. But it's um yeah it's just I if that's what you want to do I recommend you know auditioning for them. Trying trying out just like see and like not every school is right for you. Like Pace I think I mesh really well with Pace.

[1:03:43] Eli Tokash: Totally.

[1:03:43] Oscar Williams: But I don't I if I I didn't audition from Michigan but they have an insane theater program in team. But I when I did more research on it I was like I don't know I feel like I feel like I would fit better with this program.

[1:03:55] Eli Tokash: I agree.

[1:03:56] Oscar Williams: And it's it's you know different programs are for different people and a lot of schools have great BA theater programs as well.

[1:04:02] Eli Tokash: Totally.

[1:04:03] Oscar Williams: So it's like it's not it doesn't have to be a BFA but it's art schools definitely if you enjoy doing that it's definitely a nicer experience at least for me it has been definitely especially because like you know like I you where we come from it's like sports, you know like it's yeah it's fo it's it's centered around you know not the art almost um especially where I'm from like there are there's the nearest theater is an hour and a half away. So like yeah so like it's just like not a thing if you don't like go uh if you're not on the football team or your basketball team was Vermont. Like there's a lot of theater in Vermont.

[1:04:38] Eli Tokash: Really?

[1:04:38] Oscar Williams: Like outside but like my high school was just not really.

[1:04:43] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:04:44] Oscar Williams: It was so weird. So it's it's like you know, you you want to find those you where you fit in and like where that that that place is for you that you feel comfortable and you feel like you're gonna be tested but also comfortable and that you're gonna be able to succeed in. Um and I feel like that's most important, especially like like you said, with performing art schools, you also have to be very particular on the major and the courses, but you also have to be you want to do a little bit more research on like oh like you could have like an NYU or Michigan where they're just like not good where they're just not gonna let you work, you know, like and if that's something that that that you want, you kind of just want to focus on studying, then those are the places for you.

[1:05:31] Eli Tokash: Yeah, but when you have like places like Pace that's willing to like you're gonna be in the city and you're gonna have all of these opportunities and leave and come back. And at least Garpacci's doing it right now with Mrs. Dalfire. Um and who who's been on this podcast before.

[1:05:44] Oscar Williams: So like we've all like Yeah, so like it's great, like yes, oh my god, that's your big six sibling in college. Annelies and Mitchell.

[1:05:53] Eli Tokash: Yes, Mitchell Sink, of course.

[1:05:55] Oscar Williams: Um and so it's it there's a lot of factors that go into it that you may not uh realize originally, but these are all things that you need to take into consideration when looking into performing art schools if that is something that you are interested in want to do in the near future.

[1:06:10] Eli Tokash: So yes. And also when with programs like Pace MIU in Michigan, right? They're with competitive especially competitive BFA programs, sure.

[1:06:21] Oscar Williams: You I feel like we make the most progress ourselves. Like personally, I know I get better when I'm working like Secret Garden, working in Secret Garden Fun Home and Parade. Like after the each of those experiences, I myself as a performer, I just got better.

[1:06:37] Eli Tokash: Right.

[1:06:37] Oscar Williams: Because you surround with people who are like I think in any this goes for any field, but especially for performing arts and theater, you want to surround yourself with people who are talented who know what they're doing and who have a good work ethic.

[1:06:54] Eli Tokash: Right.

[1:06:54] Oscar Williams: Because that'll rub off on you, and you can learn you can learn so many things from people in your program, from the professors. And it's just I mean, uh you should learn stuff from your professors. But I think it's also you learn so much from the people in your program because they're all they're all so talented.

[1:07:12] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:07:12] Oscar Williams: And it's great.

[1:07:13] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I couldn't agree with you more.

[1:07:14] Oscar Williams: Yeah, I think that's another plus for performing another another another point for performing art school.

[1:07:14] Eli Tokash: Another point for performing art school.

[1:07:22] Oscar Williams: Um, you know, in going back to the whole living in New York situation with uh OELA, like any of the biggest things. Living living with you has exhausted. It's been a dream come true, Oscar, and you know it.

[1:07:35] Eli Tokash: Um so and another pro about it, not only will you get opportunities and auditions and everything, but you're also surrounded by the Broadway community, and the theater community in general. Um so talk to me about like, you know, when we go see these shows, we saw Lion King, we saw Passover, we saw like these shows, and of course we've been doing so for the past many years.

[1:07:58] Oscar Williams: Um many years. I don't even know if that like made some English. Um, anyways, um so how do you like view that? How do you like when you go to a show? Are you like going to a show to like enjoy it and just have the entertainment aspect of it, which is like kind of why you do go to the shows, but are you also looking at it as a what can I learn from this show? And what can I learn as an actor, but also as an audience member, but also as a creative person in the industry in general.

[1:08:29] Oscar Williams: Well, Matt, I'll tell you. It's I think I like I love going to shows mostly because like I I don't know. It's I mean it's it's almost research in a way.

[1:08:37] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:08:38] Oscar Williams: You get to see a library.

[1:08:40] Eli Tokash: Yeah, it is.

[1:08:41] Oscar Williams: It's like it's like going and studying something, seeing what people do, imag like imagining what you would be doing if if like if you were up there if you had that opportunity. And like just taking things that you've seen other people do and applying them to your own work.

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

[1:08:56] Oscar Williams: Is I I know I've done that and we've been we've been so lucky to see so many shows.

[1:09:02] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:09:02] Oscar Williams: And it's really crazy. And I feel like I feel like yeah, I feel like I am a better I feel like we're both better performers for it.

[1:09:09] Eli Tokash: Totally.

[1:09:10] Oscar Williams: Which is also why everyone should watch movies, watch TV show, especially if you want to be an actor. You can only learn, you know you you're not gonna like I mean you I mean if you're watching a T V show or a movie just to like watch it to go on your phone and have it on in the background then like you probably shouldn't be watching it. You know like you know like but with like Broadway shows in there like paying all this money it's like it should be a crash course and it should be like it should be an opportunity to not only um be able to learn from all these opportunities but also to be entertained and to get a gist of what it's like to be on Broadway and to be in a Broadway house again and like experience it from so crazy.

[1:09:51] Eli Tokash: Yeah and like experiencing it from an audience perspective so that when you are an actor you remind yourself of why you have to go full out every night, you know like that's yeah.

[1:10:00] Oscar Williams: Whenever I see shows, I'm always like I get this kick of motivation.

[1:10:04] Eli Tokash: Right.

[1:10:05] Oscar Williams: To be like when like if if I get the chance to be back doing that, I need to ever grind every night. I need to I need to I need to have that energy. I need to I need to make I need to give people the same feeling that I'm feeling right now.

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

[1:10:22] Oscar Williams: It's so much fun. You also go for entertainment, of course. Like you just have to.

[1:10:26] Eli Tokash: You can't like nothing.

[1:10:27] Oscar Williams: No, I show up to Lion King with an with a no bad yeah, just like everything they did wrong. No, I'm just kidding.

[1:10:34] Eli Tokash: There were actually a couple like miscues with Lion King at the Jess Rhearsal.

[1:10:38] Oscar Williams: U Yeah. But I mean that's gonna be mistakes happen on Broadway. Yeah, like that's okay. Like that's gonna be kind of the thing, uh especially in the first couple like days. Like we've gone how long? A year and a half without these huge pieces just like staying in one place. Like that's not that's not good and there are gonna be mischief.

[1:10:57] Eli Tokash: Yeah, and like like this everyone had these routines. Yeah that they need to relearn and they've had what, a week, two weeks to do it.

[1:11:05] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[1:11:06] Eli Tokash: So but yeah, what shows uh what to wrap this up, what show are you most looking forward to seeing? What show are you like kind of hoping to do research on but also trying to be entertained?

[1:11:17] Oscar Williams: I really I think Waitress in Hades Town. I think I just really wanna see those.

[1:11:25] Eli Tokash: I'm not gonna Yeah, I mean uh you can't we and we've talked about it. Everybody here knows that I'm obsessed with waitressing Sarah Burellis' version of it.

[1:11:32] Oscar Williams: Uh he talks about it nonstop.

[1:11:34] Eli Tokash: I do, I have to. I it's so magical. It's like actually like magical. And also Hades Town is just incredible. But like what about the new shows? Like are there any new shows that you're interested in?

[1:11:45] Oscar Williams: Okay. That's okay. I don't think new shows are I think we should stick with the ones that we have and not write anything new.

[1:11:51] Eli Tokash: Oh, well, that's encouraging for us.

[1:11:54] Oscar Williams: Yes actors. You're never gonna make it working. Neither are we.

[1:11:58] Eli Tokash: No.

[1:11:59] Oscar Williams: That's no, no, the new Passover is incredible. Passover's incredible. I'm excited for Thoughts of a Colored Man. I don't know too many of the other ones that are coming. Music Man, I'm really excited for Music Man.

[1:12:10] Eli Tokash: Hugh Jack Ackman.

[1:12:11] Oscar Williams: Sure. And Sutton Foster, like incredible performers. It's just it's gonna, and that's not a new show, but it's I'm I'm so excited for all of it.

[1:12:20] Eli Tokash: Yeah.

[1:12:20] Oscar Williams: Just excited for Broadway to be right.

[1:12:22] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I am. I love it.

[1:12:24] Oscar Williams: Well, thanks for doing it. This is that's been that's it. This is it.

[1:12:28] Eli Tokash: This is it.

[1:12:29] Oscar Williams: This is the wrap.

[1:12:30] Eli Tokash: Thank you.

[1:12:31] Oscar Williams: This is what it feels like to be on Take About Podcast.

[1:12:33] Eli Tokash: This is what it feels like to be on Take About Podcast.

[1:12:35] Oscar Williams: I hope it was I have to be. I haven't known.

[1:12:38] Eli Tokash: Okay. So long.

[1:12:39] Oscar Williams: I get it.

[1:12:41] Eli Tokash: So long.

[1:12:42] Oscar Williams: Listen, I'm sorry. What episode is this?

[1:12:44] Eli Tokash: 69.

[1:12:45] Oscar Williams: That's so many hours.

[1:12:47] Eli Tokash: That's so many hours.

[1:12:48] Oscar Williams: That's so many hours.

[1:12:49] Eli Tokash: You don't need to tell me.

[1:12:51] Oscar Williams: You don't need to tell me.

[1:12:53] Eli Tokash: Um, I appreciate you doing this. I appreciate you doing this on a day where you have like three classes and like doing it just like grinding out out for your.

[1:13:03] Oscar Williams: You have classes too.

[1:13:04] Eli Tokash: I know, I know, but just fitting it in and uh being able to give your advice and wisdom to uh everyone listening at home. It's been it's been a good episode, and I appreciate you uh coming on and doing this.

[1:13:13] Oscar Williams: I appreciate you.

[1:13:19] Eli Tokash: I love you.

[1:13:19] Oscar Williams: I love you too. This is like my stepbrother, we'll like Will Farrell and what's his name?

[1:13:24] Eli Tokash: John C. Ryan.

[1:13:26] Oscar Williams: You don't know the other guy's name? You can't just reference the movie as if you know the name.

[1:13:31] Eli Tokash: We're like Oscar and Felix, but I'm Oscar and you're Felix.

[1:13:34] Oscar Williams: What's Oscar and Felix.

[1:13:36] Eli Tokash: It's like these like two like kind of brothers, but like really like roommates, and like one's super clean, one's really dirty, one's this.

[1:13:44] Oscar Williams: What the hell are you saying?

[1:13:45] Eli Tokash: Are you saying I clean?

[1:13:47] Oscar Williams: He okay, he told me. He tries to clean.

[1:13:50] Eli Tokash: No, no, no, no, no, no. He told me that cleaning is therapeutic for him, which is like what you want in a roommate. I'm like, that's great.

[1:13:56] Oscar Williams: That's great.

[1:13:57] Eli Tokash: It's sociopathic, but it's great.

[1:13:59] Oscar Williams: So leave the cleaning to me, is that what you're saying?

[1:14:01] Eli Tokash: I don't need the cleaning to me.

[1:14:04] Oscar Williams: I don't leave it to you though.

[1:14:05] Eli Tokash: I know, I know. You were gone for a week. And I cleaned this whole place. I vacuumed, I swept, and we're gonna be.

[1:14:11] Oscar Williams: I'm very proud of you.

[1:14:13] Eli Tokash: I'm very proud of you for doing that.

[1:14:15] Oscar Williams: Yeah, I clean.

[1:14:16] Eli Tokash: He does, he does. He tries to.

[1:14:19] Oscar Williams: No, like you you put it in the effort, and that's all that matters.

[1:14:23] Eli Tokash: If really, because it sounds like you want me to put in a little more effort.

[1:14:27] Oscar Williams: No, not at all. Or you want my effort to be better.

[1:14:29] Eli Tokash: No, I was just making a reference that I actually understood since you like made fun of me for my first reference that completely failed.

[1:14:38] Oscar Williams: What reference were you trying to make?

[1:14:40] Eli Tokash: Oh, I haven't seen the movie.

[1:14:42] Oscar Williams: Yeah, but I didn't even know who I was talking about, so it was a fail.

[1:14:45] Eli Tokash: Anyways, that's kind of like a day in the life of Oscar and Eli, to be honest. We're just kind of going back and forth. Um, but yeah, I I really do appreciate you like sharing your stories and everything. And yeah, and just giving your advice. I think this is a great episode that a lot of people will be able to learn from. So thank you.

[1:15:03] Oscar Williams: Hopefully.

[1:15:04] Eli Tokash: Yeah. So uh thanks everyone and thanks everyone for listening. Uh this is episode 69 of Take a Bow. I hope to see you all next week for episode. Listen to episode 70, 71, 72, just keep listening.

[1:15:11] Oscar Williams: Just keep listening.

[1:15:15] Eli Tokash: Stop.

[1:15:15] Oscar Williams: Yeah, don't stop.

[1:15:16] Eli Tokash: And go listen to like other ones that you've like never listened to before. Listen to all of them before you you you. You actually can't listen to the 70th one until you listen to all the first 69.

[1:15:25] Oscar Williams: Yes, that is true.

[1:15:26] Eli Tokash: That's true.

[1:15:27] Oscar Williams: Yeah, Eli won't let you.

[1:15:28] Eli Tokash: He doesn't let me.

[1:15:30] Oscar Williams: Yeah.

[1:15:30] Eli Tokash: I actually don't let you.

[1:15:32] Oscar Williams: Not in front of me.

[1:15:33] Eli Tokash: You're not allowed to listen to any episode in front of me.

[1:15:36] Oscar Williams: Okay, you're not.

[1:15:37] Eli Tokash: Like, if you're gonna listen to this episode tomorrow, I'm gonna blast it on my speed.

[1:15:41] Oscar Williams: I gotta be in class.

[1:15:42] Eli Tokash: I'm blasting it on my speaker.

[1:15:44] Oscar Williams: Absolutely not.

[1:15:44] Eli Tokash: I'll put it in your room.

[1:15:45] Oscar Williams: Anyways. Goodbye, everyone. Thanks for listening. And uh yeah, hope to see you all next week. So stay safe.

[1:15:51] Oscar Williams: Stay safe.