This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 78 of Take A Bow.

[0:04] Eli Tokash: I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and we have another great episode.

[0:09] Eli Tokash: We're taking it back to the Rainbow Lullaby, which we started in the first week of November.

[0:14] Eli Tokash: Um we had the creator and we had some writers on last week.

[0:19] Eli Tokash: Um and this week we actually have a writer and performer duo who worked on the same song.

[0:25] Eli Tokash: And then we also have some more writers.

[0:27] Eli Tokash: So uh very exciting stuff.

[0:29] Eli Tokash: And then next week we'll have some more performers uh of the album and singers.

[0:33] Eli Tokash: So very exciting stuff.

[0:35] Eli Tokash: This episode, kid you not, is one of my favorites, actually.

[0:39] Eli Tokash: I I really think uh especially the conversation that I had with Bobby and Fred was very, very um incredibly informative and uh just really really great overall like conversation and I I personally learned a lot and I know that you all will too.

[0:57] Eli Tokash: So I'm excited uh to push this one out today.

[1:00] Eli Tokash: Um I I don't know why, but these weeks have felt so long lately that I feel like I haven't talked to you guys in months.

[1:05] Eli Tokash: Anyways, um that's beside the point.

[1:08] Eli Tokash: We have Jo Lampert, Debra Barsha, we have Bobby Cronin and Fred Sauter uh on this week's episode.

[1:15] Eli Tokash: Uh but before we turn it over to them, let's talk about some news, shall we?

[1:20] Eli Tokash: There's lots of things going on uh on Broadway lately.

[1:24] Eli Tokash: Um obviously, first and foremost, huge huge congratulations and happy opening to Company, which reopened and reopened their previews uh just this week.

[1:36] Eli Tokash: And so uh shout out to them and everyone involved uh in that production.

[1:41] Eli Tokash: Uh I'm I don't I mean, I've said it a million times.

[1:45] Eli Tokash: I seriously cannot wait um for that production.

[1:49] Eli Tokash: And if you haven't yet, go listen to the Christopher Sieber episode of Take A Bow because it had a lot of Company talk in that.

[1:57] Eli Tokash: Um and I and I just am so excited and I really expressed my excitement in that episode.

[2:02] Eli Tokash: Um so hopefully I go see that soon and give you all a little review.

[2:06] Eli Tokash: But speaking of things that I saw, I actually saw uh a few shows last week.

[2:10] Eli Tokash: I saw Freestyle Love Supreme, I saw Trevor, and I saw Moulin Rouge.

[2:16] Eli Tokash: And I kind of updated y'all on Trevor.

[2:18] Eli Tokash: I went to the opening night, I went to the red carpet and everything, and I kind of gave like my review there.

[2:23] Eli Tokash: So I won't talk much about that.

[2:24] Eli Tokash: Um I'll quickly glance over Freestyle Love Supreme because you should really, really go see it.

[2:29] Eli Tokash: Even if you have seen it, like it's a completely different show every night.

[2:34] Eli Tokash: So I think it's really cool to to go back and go witness it all again because you will not be witnessing anything again.

[2:42] Eli Tokash: Um and I thought I find that really cool.

[2:44] Eli Tokash: It was four this time that I saw was four completely different artists from the first time that I saw, which is also incredible because there's new artists every night.

[2:54] Eli Tokash: Um, and you never know if there's gonna be like special guests or anything because my friends went uh the next day or a few days after, and they actually saw Joe Iconis, the uh composer and writer of Be More Chill.

[3:08] Eli Tokash: Um, yeah, uh in Freestyle Love Supreme.

[3:11] Eli Tokash: So that was interesting, and I would have loved to have seen that and seen how that went.

[3:15] Eli Tokash: But um that is a very, very cool show.

[3:19] Eli Tokash: You the audience each night really makes the show.

[3:23] Eli Tokash: Um everything that is said in the audience, everything that the audience does and uh shouts out is kind of the direction of the show, and uh it's really brilliant.

[3:33] Eli Tokash: Uh, and I definitely recommend seeing that, and I hope that uh you have seen it already.

[3:39] Eli Tokash: And if you have, you know exactly what I'm talking about, and you know exactly uh you have you feel the exact same way that I do, and that you should go back.

[3:47] Eli Tokash: And then Moulin Rouge, I don't know.

[3:50] Eli Tokash: I this is a little bit of an unpopular opinion.

[3:52] Eli Tokash: I loved it, okay.

[3:54] Eli Tokash: Don't get me wrong.

[3:55] Eli Tokash: I absolutely loved it.

[3:56] Eli Tokash: I thought it was brilliant.

[3:57] Eli Tokash: I thought uh it definitely deserved to win best musical.

[4:00] Eli Tokash: Um, however, like, you know, like it's it's as if you're going to like a club, like it's as if you're going to the Moulin Rouge club.

[4:08] Eli Tokash: So it's not like it's not like I don't know, people were describing it to me as like the best piece of theater that they ever seen.

[4:15] Eli Tokash: And like, yes, it was absolutely brilliant.

[4:18] Eli Tokash: It was absolutely unique.

[4:20] Eli Tokash: I love how they had like it was kind of like a jukebox in a way that they just had a bunch of songs like into a story that already existed, and um, I thought it was really cool, just everything about it, but I don't know if it was like the best show that I've ever seen, you know.

[4:37] Eli Tokash: Um, it's definitely up there, but I I feel like I could think of a few uh that I would I would I enjoyed more.

[4:45] Eli Tokash: Um obviously the Moulin Rouge story like isn't anything like crazy, it's just the spectacle of it all that really uh that really sells it and uh makes it uh so enjoyable.

[4:57] Eli Tokash: Um that being said, I'm really really not like hating on Moulin Rouge because I absolutely enjoyed it.

[5:02] Eli Tokash: Danny Burstine is absolutely brilliant in the role.

[5:06] Eli Tokash: Uh Aaron Tveit is incredible, his voice unbelievable.

[5:10] Eli Tokash: Um and so like everyone involved is insanely talented and everything, and I really enjoyed the show, but I don't know, I don't think it was the best that I've ever seen.

[5:19] Eli Tokash: Um, but I don't know.

[5:21] Eli Tokash: I don't know.

[5:22] Eli Tokash: I can I I I'm getting a little nervous talking about it right now, so I'm just gonna move on.

[5:26] Eli Tokash: Um, but uh there's exciting news.

[5:29] Eli Tokash: Obviously, this past week as well.

[5:32] Eli Tokash: Uh, there was a Spring Awakening reunion.

[5:36] Eli Tokash: It was the talk of New York and social media and Broadway TikTok and everything.

[5:41] Eli Tokash: Um, and luckily enough, for everyone that didn't uh or that wasn't able to see Spring Awakening, they were able, they are going to be able to see uh the reunion documentary in 2022 because HBO is putting it on.

[5:58] Eli Tokash: They don't have an exact date yet, but we will be able to see the Spring Awakening reunion documentary.

[6:03] Eli Tokash: I don't know if it's gonna be the whole performance or if it's just like kind of like a documentary of like the behind the scenes of it all.

[6:09] Eli Tokash: Uh, but that's all gonna be produced by HBO, and that's coming in 2022, which really sounds far away, but guys, we are two months not even away from 2022, which is just absolutely crazy.

[6:23] Eli Tokash: Um, and some other fun, fun, really fun news.

[6:26] Eli Tokash: Tick, Tick... Boom! is actually coming out tomorrow, Friday.

[6:31] Eli Tokash: This is insane.

[6:32] Eli Tokash: Um, and so everybody's been doing press about that.

[6:35] Eli Tokash: Reviews have been coming out about that, actors are being uh are going on the Tonight Show and uh all of that.

[6:41] Eli Tokash: So it's been really fun to see uh once again this musical brand get um so highlighted in the media, and uh it's a really focal point right now, so I'm really excited to see it.

[6:55] Eli Tokash: I've seen mixed reviews.

[6:57] Eli Tokash: Um I've same with Dear Evan Hansen though, so like I'm not getting my hopes down.

[7:02] Eli Tokash: I'm still gonna go see it.

[7:03] Eli Tokash: I'm very excited.

[7:04] Eli Tokash: The cast is incredible.

[7:06] Eli Tokash: Um, and yeah, it's it's Tick, Tick... Boom!, guys.

[7:09] Eli Tokash: Like it's gonna be good, I promise.

[7:11] Eli Tokash: Um, I also want to send out another congratulations to Chicago as uh they hit their 25th anniversary performance this week.

[7:20] Eli Tokash: There is oh my gosh, there was so much happening on Broadway.

[7:24] Eli Tokash: Um yeah, so Chicago hit their 25th anniversary performance.

[7:28] Eli Tokash: Uh it was 25 years on Broadway uh since it opened and everything.

[7:33] Eli Tokash: So they had a brilliant night of celebration and uh a lot of the old cast came back.

[7:39] Eli Tokash: Um and it was it looked like amazing.

[7:41] Eli Tokash: I don't know.

[7:42] Eli Tokash: I saw so many videos and photos and read a bunch of stuff about it, and uh a few of my friends went and everything.

[7:50] Eli Tokash: So it was really cool um to see how how they did that.

[7:53] Eli Tokash: And uh that I mean that's a huge milestone.

[7:56] Eli Tokash: Shows are it's it's hard to last over a year on Broadway.

[8:00] Eli Tokash: Um so 25 years is is pretty spectacular.

[8:04] Eli Tokash: And um, I just want to send out a huge shout out and uh huge congratulations to Chicago because I mean they definitely deserve it.

[8:11] Eli Tokash: That's like that's real, that's the real deal right there.

[8:15] Eli Tokash: Um so once again, congrats, Chicago.

[8:18] Eli Tokash: And uh yeah, I I'm excited to go see that again.

[8:21] Eli Tokash: I haven't seen it in a while, and I feel like when I saw it, I didn't understand it completely.

[8:26] Eli Tokash: Uh or is a little like too old for me.

[8:28] Eli Tokash: I don't know.

[8:29] Eli Tokash: Um, but yes, nonetheless, I want to go see it again, and uh I want to see this new cast because they seem to have a new cast like every like month in a way.

[8:38] Eli Tokash: Uh but yeah, so like I said, lots of stuff happening.

[8:43] Eli Tokash: I I kind of shared everything that I wanted to share already.

[8:46] Eli Tokash: Um and uh yeah, I with that, that's kind of all I have for us this week for the news.

[8:53] Eli Tokash: Without further ado, let's turn it over to the interview.

[8:56] Eli Tokash: Curtain up on the Rainbow Lullaby part two.

[9:15] Eli Tokash: Joining us first this week are two award-winning lyricists and composers who wrote a combined four songs in the Rainbow Lullaby album.

[9:24] Eli Tokash: Everyone, welcome to Take A Bow, Fred Sauter and Bobby Cronin.

[9:28] Fred Sauter: Howdy.

[9:30] Bobby Cronin: Yes, this is so exciting.

[9:31] Fred Sauter: I'm so excited to be here.

[9:33] Eli Tokash: Um I told uh Fred a little bit about it, but I actually the I talked to Ryan the first uh the first interview like I had, and um he explained to me, or I I he was like he asked me what my favorite songs were, and the two songs that I actually said, and I had no idea at the time that either of you wrote it, was don't uh uh was go to sleep and um as bright as a star.

[10:00] Eli Tokash: And Ryan was like, you chose two songs that I didn't write.

[10:05] Eli Tokash: And I was like, I'm so sorry.

[10:07] Eli Tokash: So like afterwards, I was like, oh, maybe I should see who wrote it.

[10:11] Eli Tokash: But now I have both of you together, and I'm so excited.

[10:14] Eli Tokash: Um so tell me kind of both uh how you got involved in this project and what inspired you both to get involved.

[10:22] Fred Sauter: Yeah, sure.

[10:24] Fred Sauter: Um well Ryan approached me last November right when he um got the idea to do the album.

[10:29] Fred Sauter: Well, I think he actually had the idea for many years, but that's when he started really um making it actually come to fruition.

[10:37] Fred Sauter: And um so we started bouncing some ideas and playing some writing songs for each other and just like lit um giving feedback and that sort of thing, and and I know that he wanted it to be a bigger album with a lot of composers and um a big project, and then so that we so we got an appointment with Broadway Records and pitched it to them, and they were really into it.

[10:59] Fred Sauter: So um at that point it was just getting everybody else on board.

[11:04] Eli Tokash: Oh my god.

[11:05] Eli Tokash: So you kind of have been with it like since the be since the very beginning.

[11:10] Fred Sauter: Yeah, pretty much, yeah.

[11:12] Eli Tokash: Oh my god, I had no idea.

[11:13] Eli Tokash: I didn't realize that you pitched it with to Broadway Records with him.

[11:16] Fred Sauter: That's awesome.

[11:17] Eli Tokash: Yeah, Bobby, what about you?

[11:19] Bobby Cronin: Uh Ryan messaged me and asked wow, my piano is on.

[11:23] Bobby Cronin: Sorry, Ryan messaged me and asked if I would uh write something for it.

[11:28] Bobby Cronin: And when he explained what it was, I was like, count me in.

[11:31] Bobby Cronin: Yes, yeah, absolutely a hundred percent.

[11:33] Bobby Cronin: Whatever you need.

[11:35] Bobby Cronin: So then we sort of floated with the idea of he said that he had some lyrics.

[11:40] Bobby Cronin: Do I want to put lyrics uh music to some of his lyrics?

[11:42] Bobby Cronin: And I thought, you know what, let me read through some, and then I just had this idea uh and decided to jump out on my own.

[11:50] Eli Tokash: Amazing.

[11:52] Eli Tokash: Yeah, I I noticed uh Ryan has a few of those kind of on the album, like you know, he has the lyrics and then someone puts music to it, and uh those are they're brilliant.

[12:02] Eli Tokash: Um all of them, all of the songs in this album are so beautiful and so brilliant and elegant.

[12:07] Eli Tokash: Um I love this album.

[12:08] Eli Tokash: I was telling Fred, uh before you joined, but uh I love it. Um Fred, you wrote three songs for this album. Um crazy. Uh like that's like second most to Ryan, which makes sense because you guys have both been in it from the beginning. Um talk to me about like did you have all of these different ideas from the beginning? Did it kind of just like come as you were writing and you were like, oh, I have another song that I want to write? Like, was it the plan all along? How did it work?

[12:38] Fred Sauter: It really happened um pretty fast, actually. Like right when we started writing the songs and kind of passing them back and forth, um, just you know, for the feedback, like bam, it was just an explosion. I think I wrote all three probably within like two weeks or a week or something like that. And I actually wrote a few more, but then like I was like, either I'm not up to par. So those are the three that I thought were the best for this project. Um, but yeah, all of them were original and written directly for this.

[13:09] Eli Tokash: Wow, okay, interesting. So you guys, did that happen to you too, Bobby? Like, I know like as writers, I mean, sometimes that happens where you write a bunch of songs and then you scrap it and you start fresh, and you or some don't make it or whatever.

[13:25] Bobby Cronin: Yeah, I had initially sent a different song. Really? And yes, but in it I used the lyrics mommy and daddy. And he wrote me back and he's like, I don't know if you're misunderstanding the assignment. And I was like, Oh my god, I don't know why I did what I did. So then I really I what I did was I sat and I thought, if I had a child, what would I want to tell the child? And in a and I don't mean this as a dig to my parents at all, but what do I wish had been said to me? And I just jumped off and I actually wrote the music and lyrics together at this very same time. Uh, which I don't normally do that. Um, but because it was a lullaby, I knew it needed to be short. I needed I knew it needed to not uh be too riffy or too belty or um and so I and I and I knew I was writing it for Jelani.

I had and Ryan asked me, he's the first person. Well, he's actually the second person I reached out to. The first person was Al Morgan Lee. But Al had Al Morgan was already on, she already had uh said yes to somebody else. So I just worked with Jelani, asked Jelani, and he said, Count me in. So I knew his voice quite well and just kept hearing him singing uh the piece. And in fact, once we got into the recording studio, I made even more changes.

[14:51] Fred Sauter: Really?

[14:52] Bobby Cronin: Yeah, because I was like, oh no, what if you go up there instead? Because we could play, like we had the time to play around. So the ending is not even close to what I originally wrote. It uh it's close, but but his voice is just so pretty. I wanted to show it off a little bit more. And so it decided to go up.

[15:11] Eli Tokash: I love that magic happens in the recording.

[15:14] Bobby Cronin: Yeah, I love that. And then having Yaz there in the room, uh, he was so helpful as well. Um, because I kept being like, can we try can we dot that quarter note instead? Can we oh no, let's make it a half note? Because it was you know, you write something, you know, during quarantine. I've written so many different things for not really quarantine anymore, but COVID, let's call it COVID, things that are not theater. Oh and like I did audio dramas, I did podcasts, I did just stuff that I hadn't really done too much of before. And so um when this came across my plate, it was like, okay, I have to do this, this, this, this, like sort of putting it in order. So when I got to it, I was like, okay, this is my this.

I think of the dots on the page as uh like a blueprint. And when I work with the singer, I try to tailor it for a what I hear, but B, like, oh, that is a sweet spot in your voice. No, let's hold that a little longer. Let's oh, I don't like the scansion there. Let's change that scansion. So I like to play with um the singers, and knowing again, knowing it was Jelani and having Yaz there, who's also a composer. Uh, we were able to try like different takes, and then I think we actually put together something that's from a couple of different takes to for it to be like that's how I hear it in my head.

[16:42] Eli Tokash: Oh that's so fascinating. So I want to ask you a question because this was actually part of my questions, and you kind of led right into it. But um, for both of you, uh Bobby, we can stick with you first because you're we're kind of on this topic with you. Um, is it kind of easier knowing who you're writing for when you're writing a song?

[17:03] Bobby Cronin: Yes. I will I will say for me it is. Um every show that I write, I sort of uh starcast it in my head. Well like I've I have a show called Mary and Max, and I um the first name that I said for Max was Schuler Hensley. Oh and Schuler is has done readings and he he's doing this concert I'm doing uh tomorrow. And uh it was easier to go, okay, that that is that's the range that he lives in. Try not to go above that. Also, Mary, I was writing it specifically for one of my best friends, Lauren Elder, who is in Hair and Sideshow, and Lauren has this really crazy instrument in that she has like an old school belt where where like a men's G or A is such a huge note for her. Yet she has this crazy soprano. So I decided for the character of Mary, I was like, great, she's an old school belter, she's not gonna sing anything higher than a B.

[18:05] Eli Tokash: Wow.

[18:06] Bobby Cronin: And it's so it did help. There are other characters that I imagine, like Beth Level in one of them. Um and but sometimes for other shows, I I like I have a show with teenagers. I'm clearly not a teenager, and I just imagine you know what I hear in the radio of what the vocal range would be. Yeah, and put that in there and think of you know, I also write characters that are sort of non-gender conforming, so I get to play with range, and um yeah, but it did to answer your question. Yes, it does help for me specifically, yeah.

[18:44] Fred Sauter: Sure. Um, what can start with um in when I'm writing for a musical, it really is more specifically about a certain voice and a certain voice type, and often I do sarcastic as well with my call. We generally okay, this is Ariana Grande's voice that we hear for this, whatever. And um, and we'll kind of write it for that type of voice and then and then find an actor who can match that or is of a similar vibe. And then, you know, and then the case of like I wrote a show called Bed Bugs, and you know, we've worked with a few of the actors early on, yeah. Yeah, um, Brian Charles Rooney and Chris Hall, who were giving up from the very first reading, and we had written um we had as we continue to work on the piece, we wrote more and more for their voices.

The same goes Rip, like after hearing how Brian delivered lines, like I knew how to write them at you know, it was just it was just very in sync um for him, you know, specifically because when you get a care when you get an actor like someone like Brian, whose range is my hands don't even fit on the screen. His range is enormous. You get to really play, it's super fun.

[19:53] Bobby Cronin: Absolutely. Um, and so for this, um, I actually wrote the songs as songs I wasn't necessarily picking up a voice type, except for the fact that uh the case of Don't You Cry, I definitely knew it was two men, because it's about you know a gay couple adopting um a child or a baby. And um for Rain, I was thinking I would I would like to have it be sung by a transgender person, and I was blessed to have two wonderful transgender people sing on the album, so that's great. And then uh for let's see, yeah, for for Go to Sleep, actually, um that could be sung by anyone. So we just we're we got um Chris and Clay, who did a fantastic job, but that's not specific to any gender or type.

[20:42] Fred Sauter: Yeah, you can do a lot with that song.

[20:45] Bobby Cronin: Oh my god, yeah, absolutely. And I I've told you already that's literally like one of my favorite songs in the whole album. It's just like the the message and the writing with Chris and Clay's voice. Incredible. They're so talented. Everyone on the album is so good. This this album is like star studded, you know. Like everyone on this album, there's not like a bad song, there's not a poorly sung song. Like, everyone is so brilliant, and it's just it's wonderful. And I love that it's uh all uh it features all LGBTQ uh performers and artists, which is even more brilliant. Um and it just kind of adds that that layer of special specialness, I guess, to the album and to the project in general. Um I think it's really cool what Ryan and even you guys have really done with this project.

[21:38] Fred Sauter: I agree.

[21:39] Bobby Cronin: Yeah, and I can't believe that it it hasn't been done before. It's it's incredible. Um, but I want to talk um because I noticed with a lot of your both of your work, um, your respected works like outside of this project. Um you guys have like partners, I guess, when you're writing like um a musical, you know, you kind of take care of the music and lyrics and uh someone does the books, but I want to talk about like as you as a writer and as an individual like artist writing a new show. Is that kind of something that uh how does that work? That partnership, and how does that um how do you choose who you want to work with and how does that like come about?

[22:24] Bobby Cronin: That's a great question. Um I've been blessed to have met a wonderful woman named Crystal Skillman. We were friends for years. She was a downtown playwright who kept getting rave reviews in the New York Times, and and she loves comic books and and I I said to her one day, and she loves musicals. I said to her one day, have you ever thought of writing a musical? And she was like, What? No, I don't know how to do it. What I mean, uh yes, wait, maybe I should. Yes. So we have worked on uh two projects together. We're currently um pitching an animated uh musical series as well. Yeah, it's just one of those things that during quarantine or COVID, whatever it's called, we we were like, okay, so our shows are stalled, what can we be doing? And I had this idea that I thought was a musical, and she was like, No, that's a cartoon. I was like, Great, let's do it.

[23:23] Bobby Cronin: Wow. So um, but then I have other collaborators that I've worked with. Um Christine Toy Johnson, I got paired with uh to write a short film, and we just worked so well together that we wrote um a musical together. For that one, I only wrote the music. And sometimes sometimes I like doing that. Um, and sometimes I do write the book myself. So it it all depends. I have a great collaborator named Caroline Prue on another project that was supposed to have its world premiere in uh San Diego in May of 2020. The sets were already being built. Uh but it's okay. Um and she and I met, I met I saw a play of hers off Broadway, and I loved it. And she happened to be there that night, and I pitched her this idea that I had, not knowing that she was exactly the right person to write. It's a southern, I'm not southern, I'm not super Christian, and it's a southern Christian idea that I had.

[24:19] Fred Sauter: She is both of those things. And with her within six months, we had won our first award on the piece. So um, I love working with women. That is something I one thing I will say. I just like having another point of view um with it. So I think that answers that. Yeah. What about you? What's your thought process through that, Fred?

[24:42] Fred Sauter: Sure. Well, um, I went to NYU and for the musical theater writing program, and that program you get to you get paired with every other person, like with um the first year. So you get to experience um creating with all with all different types of people and different scenarios. And I feel like I love collaborating and I love new experiences. But when you find somebody you work well with, you you continue to work with them. And so that was the case with Paul Eshin, who we met in 2007 um just through a mutual friend, and we started coming up with the idea of Bed Bugs the same day that we met, actually. Um so and then we've written four other shows since you know, and the newest one is called Small Pond, and that's an animated film idea that we're still working on, you know, developing. So I love this lots of similarities between you two. And then um I'm also working with um Brett Messias, who is uh I love Brett. You know Brett?

[25:38] Bobby Cronin: I love him.

[25:40] Fred Sauter: He's wonderful. So Brett is uh composed. You know his wife very well.

[25:43] Bobby Cronin: Oh yes, yeah, wonderful, yeah.

[25:46] Fred Sauter: Um so we went to NYU together. That's what we wrote our 20 minutes together there. Uh yeah, we had talked about working on this um craft show idea for years, and then we finally started working on it like before the pandemic, um, and we're kind of like back to it again. But you know, it's like one of those things where the pandemic just messed up everything.

[26:08] Bobby Cronin: Hmm.

[26:09] Fred Sauter: Well, is theater ever gonna happen again? Should I work on this?

[26:14] Bobby Cronin: Right.

[26:15] Fred Sauter: And but you know, we we plowed through and we actually did a performance of one of the songs in Times Square um back in March. Actually, Sicily sang on it.

[26:24] Bobby Cronin: So that yeah, yeah, it's very cool. Um but yeah, that's that's about um a craft show and all of the party people involved in that lifestyle. So it's very fun. Did you write that New Orleans piece with Brett?

[26:37] Fred Sauter: I did not, no.

[26:38] Bobby Cronin: Okay.

[26:39] Fred Sauter: That's a cool show.

[26:40] Bobby Cronin: Yeah, I saw that reading. It was great. Sicily was amazing.

[26:46] Fred Sauter: Yeah. Well, I wanna talk to you guys. Um we'll we'll have a couple more questions and then I'll let you go 'cause I know we have to go. Um but uh I wanna talk to you both about your writing influencers. Um and kind of how that um you know, as an actor and as a performer, I don't I don't I don't really I have a lot of actor performing and whatnot like I have a lot of those influencers and not writers. So I wanna know like how that affects your work as a writer and what you kind of take from them and how you look for that and I don't know, like talk to me about like a writing influence that you have. Fred, we'll start with you.

[27:28] Fred Sauter: Um well I definitely come more from the rock world. Um you know, I did a lot of studying of rock history from the sixties through the nineties, I guess you could say through the present. Um and so that influences a lot, but also, you know, I also have mad respect for Stephen Sondheim and and classical musical theater and especially, you know, the the the the s the concept albums of the seventies. Um Sondheim and Kandaraneb and all of those. And so, you know, and and that form and and perfect rhyme and and all of that that comes with with classical musical theater is definitely a part of what influences me, but I also aesthetically kind of prefer the sound of rock and pop. So it's really always about blending those two things and finding new ways and and you know in the case of Small Pond there's actually some hip hop songs so it's I'm delving into other styles as well because you know it's good to be current and modern.

[28:12] Bobby Cronin: I had to ask because this is like mind blowing to me as someone who like has a lot of rock influences and like loves rock did you ever think you would be writing lullaby?

[28:12] Fred Sauter: Oh that's funny that's really funny. Um no no it's not something I necessarily thought about it was I love I love a project. I love like a challenge and I love a theme and like working within a theme and when somebody gives me a challenge like this is what the thing is I'm like I just immediately brainstorm and I'm like this is like how can I like make this work and boom.

[28:57] Bobby Cronin: Yeah it's like once you know the box.

[28:59] Fred Sauter: Yeah I like that limit or the parameter yeah parameters of like that goes for anything you know yeah any project. So I love that. Bobby what about you?

[29:07] Bobby Cronin: Uh I think um Fred you and I are the same human being. Um I I grew up in a large Irish Catholic family with seven of us with one bathroom. So I shared a room with two of my brothers so we had all these different musical styles going through my house. And like my dad loved the doo wop stuff my mom liked musical theater my brother was a metalhead my other brother liked Neil Diamond a sister liked like Pat Benatar another sister liked Fleetwood Mac. So I had this crazy stuff which is why I was such a sought after uh pop rock coach. Because I just I know all the stuff from it. The stuff I'm the weakest at is modern. Well that not I shouldn't say modern but today but that's not true because I love listening to the radio.

But anyway um so my greatest influence is Queen number one um and uh Elton John like Freddie Mercury is just my hero I just the way that he could take something and make it soar but give it like grit at the same time and um have different melodic themes throughout but I also I love Jerry Herman because he takes a tune and he makes you remember that tune and um I love his key changes and I love how the songs forward the stories sometimes but I also like how the songs sort of like live in a moment for a bit uh and yes I'm like everybody I'm a huge Sondheim fan um but if I also I'm a huge huge Jason Robert Brown fan.

[29:59] Fred Sauter: Oh yeah.

[29:59] Bobby Cronin: It's weird because I don't write like him because I don't play the piano like him because I I never had lessons it was just we never had money so I taught myself so I can't do the stuff that he does I write more melody first melody I'm all the the tune um but there was some I remember hearing Jason Robert Brown's work the first time and being like oh my god he's writing monologues into in song like song monologues and it just sort of changed how I saw what music can do in a musical.

[29:59] Eli Tokash: Wow, amazing. Okay, can I ask you one more before you leave? Yeah, um, it's just we're gonna stay on in this. How does, like, I kind of asked it before, but how does those influences, like Elton John, but like also Jason Robert Brown and everything, like how does that influence you to write something for like a project like this, like the Rainbow Lullaby?

[31:43] Eli Tokash: Like, is there, um, tunes that you kind of take from them? Is there words, a story? Like, how, like, what do you kind of take from them to do in your work, I guess?

[31:57] Bobby Cronin: I think for this, nothing other than yeah, this was this was super personal. Um and maybe that's why like my mom, she my mom can't stop listening to the song. It's her favorite song of mine I've ever written. And I I don't I guess it's because it it's not for a character in a way. You know, I we get we get really good at writing for characters, and every so often we get to write just to write. And I think I think so. The influences came in maybe with like song structure or um, you know, sort of the false ending going into a a little coda melody type thing. Um but in my other work, definitely, like any show that I have, I sort of theme it. Um, this is my rock show, this is my country gospel show, this is my contemporary musical theater show, and which helps it helps me because the way I write sometimes, I just sit at the piano and just start messing around, and I'll come up with something and be like, oh, I really like that.

Could do I does a show need this? Oh, it feels more like this piece, or if I play with it a little more, it would feel more like this piece. Um but I think my fingers just go to, I don't know if you're the same way for it, but my fingers go to what I grew up playing, which was the Elton John chord progressions, the Queen chord progression, the Queen stole so much or borrowed so much from classical that there's stuff that I didn't even know I was doing that was classically based until I went to college and actually studied music.

[33:35] Wow

[33:36] Bobby Cronin: Yeah, I think um the influences come through often without me even realizing it that I would have I think that's probably true for a lot of writers and composers that it's just it's just in you. It's what's in you, it's what's in your soul and in your blood, and it's just how it comes out. And like in the case of this album, again again, I don't think there was any specific influence for any of those songs, the three. It's just they just kind of came out, honestly.

[34:03] Fred Sauter: Yeah.

[34:04] Bobby Cronin: Right. That tends to happen though, right? Like it just comes out.

[34:06] Fred Sauter: Yeah, yeah. And I learned from Lynn Ahrens um of Ahrens and Flaherty, that uh she she says that when she sits that that she will say, Okay, talk to me. What? And yeah, and that you just you you hope, and Stephen Flaherty was mentor as well, which is how she told me the story. But um, where it's just that I I don't know, I believe someone sings in my head. I I but I think that comes from all the music that's stuck in there from listening to so much. Like I can't think of when I'm not listening to music. I go for a walk, I listen to the music. I go for a car ride, I listen to music. I'm cleaning my house, I'm listening to music. And I I try to listen to something radically different every time as well.

[34:56] Bobby Cronin: Wow.

[34:56] Fred Sauter: Um yeah, for me, it just hits, it just hits like a melody or a um a hook, usually just hits like when I'm you know walking a dog or something. I had a dog walking business before I was like doing something like that where it's like something very commonplace or that that's you know, that doesn't really require your brain, just my brain just starts working automatically, and boom, I have to get my my phone out and record it in the same and then watch that figure out the chords or you know take a sleep level. So yeah.

[35:24] Eli Tokash: Well, you guys are absolutely fascinating. I could literally talk to you all day after I love seeing how writers' minds work because I'm like, I wish I like could just sit. I don't know. I wish I could write. And um, but yeah, I think uh what you guys have said is absolutely brilliant. Um your songs are brilliant. Go check them out. Rain, rain, rain, don't you cry, as bright as a star, go to sleep. It's all so good. Check it out on the Rainbow Lullaby. Literally anywhere you listen to music. Um, Robbie, good luck at your show tomorrow with all these stars, Jelani, all of these stars. Um, it's so exciting. Um, thank you so much for doing this, and I'm very very lucky to have met both of you. So have a great day, everyone.

[36:08] Bobby Cronin: Thank you for having us.

[36:09] Eli Tokash: Of course. Joining us now is an award-winning composer and associate conductor, Debra Barsha, and both a stage and screen veteran, Jo Lampert, who collaborated together in Mommy and Mama in the Rainbow Lullaby album.

[36:27] Eli Tokash: So welcome everyone, and uh thanks for doing this.

[36:31] Jo Lampert: Thank you for having us.

[36:33] Debra Barsha: Of course.

[36:34] Eli Tokash: So obviously, I mean, from what it seems like from this little short time we've been on Zoom, you guys know each other before uh doing this. So where did your relationship begin? And then how did you two get involved in the Rainbow Lullaby?

[36:50] Debra Barsha: Joe, and you want to well, Deborah, you you you go well, you were involved in it first.

[36:55] Jo Lampert: So okay. So first thing that happened was Joe auditioned for a show directed by Diane Paulus called Prometheus Bound. And it was at ART up in Boston. And when she came into the audition in New York, we freaked out, basically. And we said, I don't know what she's gonna be, but she has to be in the show. She has to be in the show. Oh my, so that's that I was a fan from day one, let's put it that way. And I music directed that, and Joe was in it. And from there we did a crazy children's camp together.

[37:29] Jo Lampert: Amazing.

[37:29] Debra Barsha: Where we lived in these this lesbian couple's basement, and then went to the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor and did this theater camp. And then we just kept flowing in and out of each other's house. We did a Steven Sater um Burt Bacharach musical called New York Animals together. What else did we do together, Joe?

[37:48] Jo Lampert: Um, I mean, we've well, since so we did right, we did the camp, we did New York Animals at the New Ohio in uh in like the uh where would you call it West Village area, yeah. Um and then since then we've done well, I've done a workshop of one of Deborah's former shows that is now actually getting a new life, which is about the life of Keith Haring. Um it's called Radiant Baby. It's coming. It's gonna be yeah, it's gonna be at Two River Theater this summer. But amazing. More more important than that, besides the Rainbow Lullaby album, right before Joe and I um Long Wharf Theater kind of commissioned us in some kind of a way, right? To do um a piece, and we live streamed this um piece for Long Wharf Theater, and it was called Conversations with Ourselves. And it was just about you can actually watch it and see our whole story together and how we totally uh get each other and we feel like we're really related to each other on some way on the planet.

[38:48] Eli Tokash: I love that. So then did Ryan get in touch with you, Deborah, and basically ask you to write a song?

[38:56] Debra Barsha: Yes, because I think Fred Sauter, who I know really well. I music directed Bed Bugs in one of its incarnations. Yes. Yeah. Fred um and Ryan knew each other. So I saw that he was part of it. So I didn't know how Ryan got my name, but anyway, he did. And I said, Oh, I would love to do that. Because my one of my piano students called her parents, her lesbian parents, Mama and Mommy. And I said, wouldn't that be wouldn't that be nice to have a song, like a lullaby for a kid with two mommies? Absolutely I wanted to make it really, really here's what I wanted to do. Make it so accessible that anyone can sing it. It wouldn't have to be like whatever, like a mother could sing it, even if they had a bad voice or whatever. I just wanted it to be a soothing little thing, and I knew I thought of Joe right away because Joe has the ability to be a chameleon. She can change her voice for whatever's needed. Isn't that true, Joe?

[39:50] Jo Lampert: You know that's true. I mean, Deborah knows that I'm not gonna say anything nice about myself, so don't ask. But that was it. I thought of Joe immediately because I said, you know what? She'll get it. Just not from a queer perspective, from but what I want. And I didn't put any harmony on it. I didn't want a lot of stuff on it. I wanted it to feel, you know, like a child would be soothed by this by anybody singing this. So I thought Joe would be the perfect person, and then I got in touch with Joe and Joe did it.

[40:17] Eli Tokash: Wow. Joe, I have to say, your voice on this song is so good. It's like perfect.

[40:22] Jo Lampert: Oh, well, that's very sweet. I was actually just just re-listening to it just so that I could like be in touch with what we were talking about. Oh my God. You know, it's it's funny. Like I added, I it feels like it does feel like a different part of my voice because it was such a simple, it is, I mean, simple, and I don't mean that in a negative way. I mean that very positively. It's a very beautiful, simple, as lullabies need to be, because they need to be kind of like both cathartic but not excitable, so that a child can fall asleep to it and be feel feel warmed and and and safe by it. Um, and so it had this very pure tone, and I was like not sure how to approach it really. And so I there was a lot of like vibrato in there, just like to kind of like I was just I don't know, it like felt like inhabiting the character of somebody who actually had a child and was singing to them and like what that tone needed to be. You know what I mean?

[41:12] Debra Barsha: Absolutely.

[41:13] Jo Lampert: Yeah.

[41:14] Eli Tokash: I think if I oh, I'm sorry, but when I was younger, I wish that there had been something like this. And I think it's very inspiring, and especially the way Ryan um conceived of it after his mother's passing. But anyway, what were you going to ask?

[41:27] Jo Lampert: No, that was beautiful. Um, I was just wanting to go back to what you were saying earlier. I we just spoke to Fred last week, and um, he was just he was talking about you actually. So like I was very excited to to be able to talk to you like here today, because I was telling him that I was interviewing you uh at some point, and he was like, Oh my gosh, I love her, send me her my love and everything. And of course, uh I know Diane because I was I did Pippin in Finding Neverland with her. So Diane is a very special person to me as well. So yeah, it's so funny how this is going full circle right now.

[42:01] Eli Tokash: Um, and you kind of alluded to it. Um, but I want to talk about what inspired both of you uh as individuals, not only to work with each other, um, but also just like the story that is being told in the Rainbow Lullaby, like what how special is that that it made you want to just like fall in love with it and be a part of it.

[42:21] Jo Lampert: I'm go ahead, Joe.

[42:24] Jo Lampert: Oh, I just wanted to say just having queer composers and queer singers, I to me this is like revolutionary because people don't always in all of our worlds on this planet associate children. This is a relatively recent phenomenon. Right. To have children involved in the LGBTQIA plus community.

[42:44] Debra Barsha: And uh what were you going to say, Joe?

[42:46] Jo Lampert: Yeah, I mean I was gonna say like I I also I was lucky enough to get to sing on two separate songs, which was kind of a surprise and completely random. It was not intentional. Um and sort of between those and listening to some of the others, yeah I mean I think it's extremely inspiring to think about well first of all Ryan's story. Right the reason why, you know, the that that he is made that he decided to make this album inspired by his mother who he you know lost recently but also the person who recorded us his his friend uh is also you know queer with a child um and like so the whole recording atmosphere too was really inspiring because it was a person who I'm not going to go into his story, but he has his own whole story about like you know family and acceptance and having a child and having a partner and what that means and other cultural traditions and yeah I I think what's really so beautiful about this album is that like as Deb said you can write it toward a place where anybody could sing any of these songs and it would still resonate.

But then it is so specifically about these the like home of three and mommy and mom are obviously about these you know co-parenting situations that are you know between two women or between two you know just a queer relationship. And I just never heard anything like that. I've never, you know, you could think back to like from my age the 80s like Rafi. It's not to say that there aren't some great collective songs we all know from childhood, but to actually have an album that is by for and surrounding queer themes is like it pretty extraordinary.

[44:18] Debra Barsha: I know I know I was talking to Ryan and I I couldn't believe that this like didn't exist in some capacity like it's mind blowing and like I'm so grateful that now it does exist and now we have this beautiful album. Literally there's not like one album not one song on the album that like isn't just equally impactful in its own way it's sharing a different story. It's really brilliant. So I'm really happy that this now exists and now that you guys are a part of it as well.

[44:46] Debra Barsha: So Deb, when you wrote this song, I know you had mentioned that uh you had reached out to Joe, but when you were writing it did you kind of write it like in a way for Joe and for her voice?

[44:57] Debra Barsha: I I kind of did. I didn't tell her because I don't like to freak around but what I did was Ryan immediately said I said oh I have an idea of who should sing this because he asked me while I was writing it um I sent like this little demo first of me singing it. And he said do you have an idea who could sing this I said Jo Lampert I have to get Jo Lampert to do it. It was like immediate I knew it was right. And so I tried I tried to write it in Joe's key um and it worked out. I I said Joe is this good for your do you like this key and she said yeah, it's fine. But we did talk in classic, classic Jo Lampert form. It took me like months to get back to Deb about just like a very simple ask, like, is it the right key? And then it's like day of recording, and she's still like, is it the right key at all? And then the great thing about, yeah, Joe and I have this. We just know each other on the planet. It's very strange.

[45:49] Jo Lampert: It's really strange, actually. Because our uh, you know, the way we communicate is like I nag her, and then she she says, um, are you gonna nag me? And I go, Yes, I'm gonna nag you until you give me an answer, and then she gives me an answer.

[46:06] Eli Tokash: Oh, I love that.

[46:08] Jo Lampert: Sometimes that's all you need.

[46:09] Debra Barsha: It's okay. It works. We have that kind of friendship. We can talk to each other any way we want. That's what our show's about anyway.

[46:16] Eli Tokash: Well, it's it's funny because I I was like, Well, Deb's song, like I was like, it feels super simple, but actually there's this transition to that little bridge section or like the B section, where it's like it's like and for some reason I actually found that very that that transition was not intuitive to me, which was which is funny. I I don't I don't know why I couldn't I it just was like I did have to do that take separately because like it was it was funny because I was like, well, certainly I know where the song is going, but like in classic Deborah form, like it's there's always complexity in her writing, even when it is something that comes across as kind of like effortless and simple.

[46:52] Jo Lampert: So um so yeah, I was so navigated. So Joe, as a as a singer, talk about that. Like, what do you how do you navigate that?

[47:00] Jo Lampert: And what do you have to like work on and do necessarily to to get it into the the right place?

[47:06] Jo Lampert: I've been realizing recently that I'm a very visual learner. Like when I first started singing, I you know, the most backup that I started doing were like solos and things that I started singing in the past was with my friend Shayna Taub. So Shayna would record and she would, if it was like a wrong note that she accidentally sang, she'd be like, No, forget, forget that. Don't learn that because I I tend to glue when I'm listening by ear to like the thing that I first hear. So what I've been noticing lately is when I get some when I get some music whether if it doesn't have sheet music or if it you know I then I'll do my own version of it by just playing it out on the keyboard and just writing notes and little arrows to understand the relationship between notes just it's an easier way for me to learn almost with a visual map.

And then sheet music is also obviously an obvious way but you don't always get that um but so yeah so it's just it's I I try to I try to make the song visual in order for me to understand shifts and changes. It's just something I've learned about myself recently like quick turnover demos like this or quick you know recordings like this where it's like it's a one-off it's a couple hours and I'm also learning two songs and doing recording two songs within that time period just having notes there it's like almost like hieroglyphics. Nobody would know what I'm writing out. Right just my own way of like writing a map you know well talk to me too because you also did Home of Three which is the other song that you did on the Rainbow Lullaby uh with Lauren Patton. So um what was it like to I mean obviously you sang a song solo and then you also sang one as a duet.

[48:38] Jo Lampert: So like what is kind of like the difference and like how the voices mesh together and everything like that.

[48:43] Bobby Cronin: Well we were lucky Lauren and Zoe are friends of mine and so we were and and Deb Debra has been really busy lately and like she also lives out of town. So it was we were lucky because Lauren and Zoe we were able to get into a space together and kind of like look at the sheet music figure out who should sing what part because it was divided in a very particular way but we then sort of changed certain things when I was like, oh, Lauren's voice sounds better on this B. Like, let's put her there, you know. Um, and so that was an interesting process because we did get in the room with Zoe. Um, and uh we actually recorded the duet first, and then I did Deborah's song after. Um and yeah, that's delicate because like there were a lot of lines where we needed to match in rhythm, but the but our timbers are completely different, and Zoe really liked that and was trying to embrace that.

Um, but there was a delicacy to trying to match not timbre, but like timing, because some of it was a little bit languid, and so like it was it was wasn't super rhythmic. So there was that, but then I was warmed up to get into Deborah's song.

[49:42] Debra Barsha: So that was, but then I also kind of had to change characters because I felt like it was a different, a different gay mom singing in Deborah's song than was singing. Totally in Zoe's song, you know.

[49:53] Bobby Cronin: So yeah.

[49:54] Jo Lampert: Yeah, everybody doesn't get to hear Joe's voice quite that way that she approached my song with and didn't ask me, by the way. And I was so happy. I said, I really want you to make it your own. Approach it the way you feel that this character singing to a child would approach it.

[50:10] Bobby Cronin: And uh she did.

[50:13] Jo Lampert: Wow.

[50:14] Bobby Cronin: And it works. It's it's amazing. It really turned out beautifully. I'm so happy she did it. Thank you, Joe.

[50:20] Jo Lampert: I never really said thank you, thank you, thank you, but thank you.

[50:23] Bobby Cronin: No, you 100% thanked me a million times over. Don't don't don't discount your thank yous.

[50:28] Jo Lampert: Um, no, it was it was it was actually a really, really fun day. I mean, both Lauren and I were like on our way to like separate places, so like it was a pretty quick turnover.

[50:37] Bobby Cronin: And I'm I'm blanking on his name right now, the the the amazing producer.

[50:41] Jo Lampert: Yes, was it yes?

[50:43] Bobby Cronin: Was it Yaz?

[50:45] Jo Lampert: Is that his studio?

[50:47] Bobby Cronin: Oh, yeah, Yasuhiko, but yeah, I think you're right. We called him, yes, yes, yeah.

[50:53] Jo Lampert: Yes. Amazing shout out.

[50:55] Bobby Cronin: Shout out, yes. He's phenomenal. I didn't get to meet his partner and his child, but like there was so much love in that space that he's created.

[51:03] Jo Lampert: And there were dogs. It was just a really beautiful atmosphere home studio.

[51:07] Bobby Cronin: So it was awesome.

[51:08] Jo Lampert: Oh, I love that.

[51:10] Bobby Cronin: Well, man, the uh the cello was was put on with they just said, Hey, do you want to write a cello part for this? We have a cellist that's gonna do some of the songs. I said, sure. And I wrote a cello part, and I forgot who that cellist is, but can we look him up and give him a shout out?

[51:25] Jo Lampert: Because it was unbelievable.

[51:27] Bobby Cronin: Yeah, I don't know who that is, but I'll we'll find out.

[51:29] Jo Lampert: Well, okay. Well, Deborah, while she's looking that up, like what is the kind of the differences of learned uh of writing for like a vocalist and like a cellist?

[51:39] Debra Barsha: Oh, it's very different.

[51:41] Jo Lampert: Yeah, first of all, yeah.

[51:43] Debra Barsha: I once I heard the concept that there was gonna be a celloist, I was like, oh, that's so great. Actually, tell tell Eli about when you wrote for me for three voices in cello.

[51:53] Bobby Cronin: Right.

[51:54] Debra Barsha: So Joe said, I'm I'm yes, that's right. That was the first time I wrote for cello, actually. Joe was doing um, what was it called, Joe?

[52:02] Jo Lampert: It was at Arsnova. I did a I did a like uh cabaret, like a one night evening of magpie melodies, which was covers that were all reimagined and rearranged and reinterpreted by friends for my voice.

[52:14] Debra Barsha: Right.

[52:14] Jo Lampert: So she asked me to do my funny valentine, and I said, Oh, I have an idea. Can we do it for three voices? We have three background singers or two, uh uh two background singers, Joe and a cello.

[52:28] Bobby Cronin: Wow, and I thought that would be so beautiful if the cello acted like an accompanist, and um yeah, so I did this version of My Funny Valentine.

[52:38] Debra Barsha: So I'd already written for cello, and I just thought, wouldn't this be great for the lullaby because tell us is Bobby L Crow the third thank you that's who the celloist was on our on the lullaby album thank you let's let's really put uh put something out there for about him because he did I think he did like a lot of the songs either he wrote the chill he did yeah so yeah and it was beautiful it's amazing how these things can be recorded from afar like none of us need to be in a room every I'm in grad school for this like sound production stuff and it's it's fascinating so much can be done like postal service style like across the country you know it's insane yeah and I I'm in the Hilton Garden Inn right now I'm in the lobby but anyway yes I love that we're doing this and um I I want to talk about the album I want to get the word out there I've been retweeting and reposting everything that Ryan puts up because I just really proud of it and I'm proud to be in the company of the other composers because they're really fantastic.

[53:42] Jo Lampert: Absolutely everyone is so talented. Like I said I mean every song is a new story but like just impactful and just as meaningful so uh I appreciate you guys and your spending your your afternoon with me as you are on your way to your show Deborah.

[53:58] Bobby Cronin: Um Frank Allegatina by the way um you're welcome um and uh yeah just thank you for talking to me and spreading the word of the rainbow lullaby um I really appreciate it and uh I it was so nice meeting you so uh have a great thank you thanks for having us.

[54:16] Jo Lampert: Thanks to Ryan for including us.

[54:17] Bobby Cronin: Yes.

[54:18] Jo Lampert: Yeah.

[54:19] Bobby Cronin: Shout out, Ryan.

[54:20] Jo Lampert: Ryan, shout out, Ryan.

[54:21] Bobby Cronin: Such an amazing, beautiful concept. Something the world a hundred percent needed. And I just know how how absolutely proud his mother would be.

[54:30] Jo Lampert: Oh, absolutely. Thank you, Ryan, so much.

[54:34] Bobby Cronin: Well, thank you guys as well.

[54:36] Eli Tokash: All right. Thanks, Eli.

[54:38] Jo Lampert: Bye.

[54:38] Bobby Cronin: Take a bow rainbow lullaby part two.

[54:41] Eli Tokash: And really everyone who's involved in this incredible project. Uh, it's really, really uh impactful and just special this project.

[54:49] Eli Tokash: And every time that I hear I I talk to new people about it, it's just like it makes me that much more excited about the project. And it's just it's a really cool thing, and I'm really glad that we now have it. Huge shout out to Ryan Bauer Welsh, who uh obviously we talked about a lot on here, um, and continue to give shout outs.

[55:09] Eli Tokash: So um, yeah, I I'm really grateful that uh everyone was willing to give me their time. Debra Barsha, huge shout out to you in making this work. We are literally we did this on Wednesday, literally yesterday. If you're listening to this on the day it comes out, um at 12 15, right before her show, so we don't have to do it in between her shows.

[55:29] Eli Tokash: Um, and she did it like she said at the Hilton at a hotel in the lobby, so it could be like quiet because she was gonna be on the streets in New York otherwise. Um, but huge shout out to everyone who's who's making these uh contributions in sharing the the getting the message out of this project and sharing its story.

[55:48] Eli Tokash: Um it's really really great. And uh I you can tell with everyone's dedication how how meaningful this this project really is to them and how special it is. And I think that's all uh only furthering the the message of how everybody should be listening to this at least once, you know.

[56:07] Eli Tokash: Like, even if you don't want to listen to it on repeat, like you may with like a Broadway cast recording, you definitely need to like go and listen and check it out and and read more about it, or even what listen to a couple songs because I really I really don't think you're gonna regret it, and I really think that it's something that everyone should do.

[56:26] Eli Tokash: Um so with that being said, I'm actually gonna do a drama dictionary right now after the interview, which I usually do not do.

[56:34] Eli Tokash: And the reason I'm gonna do it is because we just talked to Debra Barsha, who is the assistant conductor over at Tina the Musical.

[56:44] Eli Tokash: And uh so I'm gonna have our drama dictionary word of the week is actually gonna be the overture.

[56:52] Eli Tokash: And what an overture is right before the well, actually, right when the show starts, this music starts playing. But you're like, wait, the lights are just now becoming black, the curtains aren't going up necessarily quite yet, and the music is playing.

[57:07] Eli Tokash: So what's going on? Well, that's what is called the overture. And the overture is a combination of if not all of the song, a bunch of songs, the majority of the songs in the show.

[57:18] Eli Tokash: And uh it's kind of like an introduction to like a book, you know how like they all have like those introductory chapters and or like a table of context almost. Um, and that's kind of it in in literally like music form with no words, no nothing, it's just instruments.

[57:36] Eli Tokash: Um, and it's a really, really powerful thing. And uh I love it because just not just recently, but like in the older um kind of musical cast recordings and everything, they didn't include the overture, but the overture has become such a meaningful and impactful pars part of the show and kind of really what kicks the show off and gets everyone in the mood for it for the show and about and uh kind of gives everyone an inside scoop of what they're about to witness.

[58:04] Eli Tokash: Uh that now it's becoming more and more part of the the cast recordings and everything. And I always love going back to the Finding Everland cast recording and just listening to the overture because it's one of my favorites.

[58:15] Eli Tokash: Um the overture is a really, really important thing. Like I said, it's obviously like anything that starts the show is really important. So I think just starting the show off with that is just a testament uh to how important it is, and uh it's just a really beautiful little thing of just music, and I think that's like the only time that we can just like just have our relaxation moment and then boom, it's right into the show, and it's non-stop, fast paced, screaming, singing, yelling, talking, all the things, hi action, whatever it is.

[58:52] Eli Tokash: Um, and uh yeah, that really is like what starts uh a musical, of course.

[58:57] Eli Tokash: That a musical, it's it's not necessarily in place.

[59:01] Eli Tokash: So uh that's what an overture is.

[59:03] Eli Tokash: And that, folks, is officially all I have for you this week on episode 78 of Take A Bow. Once again, I'm your host, Eli Tokash, and I hope that you all enjoyed this wonderful episode.

[59:10] Eli Tokash: And I hope that you'll come tune in again next week. Uh, I'm now mapping out the month of December for Take A Bow, and oh my gosh, have we have a really, really fun lineup for you guys?

[59:27] Eli Tokash: And uh, I really think that you're gonna enjoy. So I definitely know that you guys are gonna want to revisit Take A Bow and all of these episodes.

[59:35] Eli Tokash: So stay tuned and follow us on social media at Take A Bow Podcast.

[59:39] Eli Tokash: So thank you again for listening, and I hope to see you next week. Bye, everyone.

[59:44] Eli Tokash: Have a great week.

[59:45] Eli Tokash: For this episode's curtain call, I would like to recognize a few people who also deserve to take a bow.

[59:50] Eli Tokash: This podcast would not be possible without the help from Dory Berenstein, Brittany Bigelow, Katie Rosen, Alan Seales, and the team at the Broadway Podcast Network.

[59:58] Eli Tokash: Next in line to Take a Bow is Tessie Tokash, who edits the audio and all the visuals for this podcast.

[1:00:04] Eli Tokash: A special thanks to patrons Brian Thompson, Pat McNamara, the listeners at PCC, as well as all the other patrons for their continued support.

[1:00:12] Eli Tokash: If you're interested in becoming a patron, go to patreon.com slash TAB.

[1:00:18] Eli Tokash: And if you enjoyed this week's episode, don't forget to subscribe on the platform that you're currently listening to this on.

[1:00:24] Eli Tokash: Also, feel free to give us a follow on Instagram at Take A Bow Podcast.

[1:00:29] Eli Tokash: Take A Bow's logo is designed by Giselle Bustos, and the music is by Nikki Torsha and Cor McCollinon.

[1:00:35] Eli Tokash: Bye everyone. Hope to see you next week.