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[0:16] Eli Tokash: Hello everyone and welcome to episode 79 of Take A Bow. I'm your host Eli Tokash and this week we are just giving you a quick little episode and we will let you all go enjoy your happy, happy Thanksgiving with family and friends and whoever you may be celebrating with. And for especially for the American listeners on the podcast, I know we have people all over the world, but to us Americans, I guess I can say happy Thanksgiving to all. We're gonna make it a quick little episode with just me, no guests, nothing too distracting. It's just a quick little ride to your grandparents' house or to your family's house or whatever it may be, and I'm here to provide that entertainment for you all. So I wanna remind everyone or inform those who don't follow the Take A Bow Podcast Instagram that if you go to the website on the takeabowpod.com website, we are doing a Black Friday sale.

So go check it out! We've released some new items for you to go check out and hopefully enjoy on Black Friday. If you use the code TABFRIDAY20, you will get 20% off your entire purchase. And then of course, if you are patrons of Take A Bow, you get some extra special coupon codes and they don't run just this weekend; they'll run forever. So that's just a friendly reminder if you are interested in any of the Take A Bow merch, that is always there for you and always an option.

[1:51] Eli Tokash: And if you have any other interests in merchandise, you know where to message me. Let me know, and hopefully I will be able to provide you all with whatever you may want. So without further ado, like I said, I'm not gonna have a guest, so it's just gonna be me. And I'm just gonna do like a fun little episode about telling you all about my week. I saw some shows; I saw Tick Tick Boom, which I hope all of you have seen. I'm seeing Company soon, and I just want to talk to you all about it, and then we'll do like a drama dictionary moment, and then I'll let you all go. So let's get started, shall we? This week I saw Tick Tick Boom, like I mentioned. It is absolutely amazing. Okay, I know the reviews were a bit mixed, but honestly, I really enjoyed it.

I mean, there were some parts that I guess I could agree with that were a little bit slow, but it was nothing that would like turn me off of it, I guess you could say, of the movie itself or anything. I found myself engaged the entire time. A lot of that was due to the performance of Andrew Garfield, who is absolutely incredible in this role. I mean, honestly, he fully embodied Jonathan Larson. If you are just like, "Should I watch the show? Should I not?" If you like Jonathan Larson, that should be the reason that you watch the movie, just because of Andrew Garfield's performance of Jonathan Larson. It's absolutely incredible. I highly, highly recommend it. It's awesome. You're gonna be listening to Jonathan Larson's full story, and Jonathan Larson, for those of you who may not completely know just by me saying his name, he wrote Rent and he wrote Tick Tick Boom, obviously, and it's kind of like his success story of how he wrote a couple musicals before Tick Tick Boom and Rent and before his musicals got famous, and then kind of revolutionized musical theater. So it just shows the trials and tribulations of a struggling composer trying to start out.

[4:14] Eli Tokash: The best part about it is that you see so many famous people, and then of course you see mentors of his in the show. So like Steven Sondheim is his own character, and it's really cool just to see that relationship. And then of course, I mean, I'm exaggerating, but like millions of Broadway cameos in the movie. Roger Bart, James C. Nicola, Lynn Manuel Miranda, who's Lynn Manuel Miranda's father, but also Lynn Manuel Miranda. We have literally like the entire cast of Freestyle Love Supreme, Jelly Donut, Shockwave, Young Nice, all of them show up to touch. And then of course Lynn, and then they have like Mark Shaman and Janine Tesori and Alex Lacamoire and Jason Robert Brown and Stephen Schwartz, like literally all kind of the people, like both who are writers, playing like other writers and struggling writers or whatnot.

And then like you have like other people, because obviously like, you know, actors and songwriters and whoever is just trying to make it in New York, they kind of tend to have waitressing jobs and work at diners and whatnot, and that's exactly what Jonathan Larson did. So like you had all of these Broadway people either being waiters and waitresses with him or just like in the diner eating, and like that was like Beth Malone and Chita Rivera and Bernadette Peters and Philip Assou and Renée Elise Goldsberry, like Chuck Cooper. There was like André De Shields was there, like everyone, like all of your favorite Broadway stars, at least one of your favorite Broadway stars were in this movie. I can literally continue: Kate Rockwell, Laura Benanti, Michaela Diamond, Danny Bernstein, Judy Kuhn, Jelani Aladdin, Christopher Jackson, literally so many Broadway stars were making appearances in this movie, and I think that just is a testament.

A lot of them were in Rent or were associated in the life of Jonathan Larson, and I think that just shows to everyone involved how special Jonathan Larson was and how much of an impact Jonathan Larson had on each of them and how they, in a lot of ways, changed their careers. I mean, they changed his, and all of these things; it was just a really cool thing to see. It was a huge, it was a brilliant tribute. Lin-Manuel Miranda directed the movie, so that was really good. All of it was just brilliant. You could just tell that they wanted to get it right, and I think they did, honestly. I think everyone involved was just extremely talented; everyone did a fantastic job. I didn't know much about the Tick Tick Boom musical until I saw this, of course.

And yeah, I just think it was brilliant, and I think you all should watch it, especially if you are with your family this weekend and you're looking at some holiday movies, but you're like, "Oh, I've seen this one a million times," or maybe you're not quite ready for the Christmas movies yet. Maybe this is like the perfect time to just sit with your family or sit with yourself, sit with your friends, sit with your turkey, whatever it may be, and watch Tick Tick Boom because it's definitely worth it, especially for us Broadway fans. I mean, it's got so many people that we're just gonna be like, "Oh my god, no way. Oh my god, I didn't realize. Oh my god." And then this happened, "No way." It's just really cool. I think it's something that you will all enjoy. I know I certainly did.

[8:08] Eli Tokash: And then, like I mentioned earlier, I also saw Freestyle Love Supreme again this past week. This time I actually went and I surprised my sister and treated her for all of it to say thank you, basically, for all the help she does with this podcast and everything. Just like as an early Christmas present or Thanksgiving present, whatever you may want to count it as. So the special guest was Jordan Fisher, and she loves Jordan Fisher in multiple ways. So we saw it and we thought just Jordan Fisher was gonna be a special guest, but it turns out that James Monroe Iglehart was also a special guest that day, and I mean the show is just so good. I mean, it's literally a show that you can't get sick of because there's nothing to get sick of because nothing like happens again.

You know, I mean, there's like a little theme song, I guess, that you could technically say, like the mic check, or "This is Freestyle Love Supreme," or whatever. But that's just like introducing the show, and that's just kind of like starting things off before they can actually start the show. And it's really catchy, so it can't get old. So Jordan Fisher came out, I guess this special guest of Freestyle Love Supreme just comes out at the end and they just do like one of the segments. Because the whole time you're like, "Wait a second, is there gonna be a special guest?" And then finally, Jordan Fisher came out. James Monroe did like basically the whole show, and then Jordan Fisher did like the one or two skits that they do.

Just brilliant. His voice is like, it's actually ridiculous how good his voice is, and it's like not fair how good his voice is because it's just so elegant and effortless in everything in between. I'm just like, "Wow, that voice is amazing, and I want that voice." I can't wait to see him in Dear Evan Hansen. And guess what? At Freestyle Love Supreme, he started singing "Waving Through a Window." How, oh my god, it was a treat. It was really special. It was like a one-night-only thing. I guess Freestyle Love Supreme does that often where they have guests for like one night. Laura Benanti is actually joining and doing like a special appearance one night for one show as well. A bunch of other people, so if you follow Freestyle Love Supreme on Instagram or social media or if you follow them on BroadwayWorld.com and just look at the articles and whatever, you'll see Freestyle Love Supreme having special guests like Laura Benanti or whoever, Jordan Fisher, whoever it may be, and it'll tell you like sometimes it'll tell you like, "Oh, Daveed Diggs and Lin are gonna be there," and all the other things. So they'll keep you updated if you just actually do some digging for it. It's really cool.

[11:16] Eli Tokash: And another thing to note, just because it's fun and it's like Black Friday, so if you're looking for good deals, like there's also good theater deals. Today Tix is running a special as well. I mean, this isn't even a paid ad. I'm just saying like as a theater fan myself, I am a big Today Tix user. Today Tix and TDF are my go-tos. Today Tix is doing a huge, huge, huge Black Friday sale, so if you're interested in going to theater, and it's not even like you have to go like this week, no. If you book your ticket this weekend, it'll have the Black Friday discount, so it's like 20% off to like 40% off. So go check out because some of the shows are really worth it. Like there's like $59 tickets to Company, there's like $49 tickets to go see Sierra Boggess and Joshua Henry who are making their debut today.

Sierra Boggess is making her debut in Waitress the Musical today on Thanksgiving, which is amazing. And then Joshua Henry is making his debut in Waitress on Monday the 29th. So you have till January 9th to see Waitress on Broadway as a whole, but also Sierra Boggess and Joshua Henry. So they're gonna be closing out this, I guess, revival of Waitress. I will be back before January 9th because obviously hopefully some of you all remember Sierra Boggess's episode. But I know that was super early on, and we may have some new listeners. Actually, we do have some new listeners. So if you do want to see Sierra Boggess and Joshua Henry in Waitress, or you are seeing them already and you're planning on doing it, or whatever it may be, and you haven't listened to the episode of Take A Bow, go listen to it, go check it out.

Hopefully I would love to get one of them back on, or well, Sierra back on and then Joshua Henry on to just talk about this Waitress experience because I think it's just really exciting. I know that the two of them are really good friends. So just to have Waitress being played by Jenna and Dr. Pomatter with Joshua Henry and Sierra Boggess, like that connection is just gonna be iconic. And they're both people of color, so I think it's a very touching moment for both of them to lead the show on Broadway and everything like that. But also it's historic for Waitress because I truly don't think, and I'm sorry if I'm wrong on this, but I did some digging, and I don't believe there's ever been two Black leads in Waitress or people of color as the leads in Waitress.

So very exciting time for Waitress and Sierra Boggess and Joshua Henry to make that history in the show. Obviously today is Thanksgiving, and that means that the Thanksgiving Day Parade is today, and we have some incredible, incredible shows performing and shows that wouldn't, I don't know why, but like wouldn't necessarily perform usually. Because you know, usually I don't know, I truly don't know why.

[14:35] Eli Tokash: I know I'm saying this a lot, but I don't know why, like the Thanksgiving Day Parade literally only does new shows, um, and it's not like the hottest shows, I guess. I I don't mean to like be rude about that, but I guess it's just because like so everyone gets a shot at performing or whatever it may be. But it's like I don't know, like the year that usually it's like oh six would be performing and Mulan Rouge would be performing, and then what other new shows like um it would be like Mrs. Doubtfire would also perform, and like it would only do like the new shows of the season, hairliner change and whatever it may be, and it would never used to like include like shows like Wicked or Phantom of the Opera or whatever, like little the shows that have been running for like a long time, you know.

They don't usually get like second chances to perform and whatever, but this year it seems like they're gonna start doing that or they are doing it that this year because I don't know. But I'm excited, and this year all we are getting performances from Six and Mulan Rouge, but we will also be seeing a performance from Wicked and Waitress in Chicago. And um actually, the CBS broadcast will be featuring performances from the cast of Waitress in Chicago, but uh in the normal broadcast of the parade, uh you will see Six, Mulan Rouge, and Wicked. And then we will also see a sneak peek performance of NBC's Any Live. Um so that's exciting. And then we're gonna be seeing like Broadway stars. Uh we have Jordan Fisher, Darren Criss, Kristen Chenoweth.

Um we have the Casa Girls Five Ever. For those of you who haven't seen it on Peacock, go check it out. Um that's Sarah Borrellus, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, Busy Phillips, uh, Andy Grammer's performing, um, and Carrie Underwood, Santa Claus, obviously. So there's gonna be a bunch of performers both on Broadway and just like famous people in general. Um, so it's very exciting. I'm excited for the parade. I don't know, like I think I would say like the parade and Thanksgiving is a big like Broadway holiday in a lot of ways. I think there's a lot of people in New York, so I think there's a lot of tourists that go see shows that uh that wouldn't normally go see shows because they don't live here.

Um and then of course all the iconic performances during the parade and everything like that. So um I'm excited for it. It's Thanksgiving and it's a big deal, and there's some shows that uh we're gonna see that we don't usually get to see, so I think it's just gonna be a great day for Broadway. Um and hopefully those uh it works out for everyone, and hopefully there's uh there's a big standout performance. Um I feel like the last standout performance was like The Prom. But then again, it's like with COVID and everything, there hasn't been many like big performances since then, so but anyways, I'm excited for it. Um and I I think it's definitely something to watch out for, and I hope if you miss the parade, uh, which I hope you don't, because I I love watching the parade on Thanksgiving.

Um, but if you do miss the parade, it'll be on YouTube. Um and uh you'll be able to watch it. Um or at least the performances if you don't want to watch like the whole parade, which I don't I don't blame you. Um but yeah, that definitely go go check out the parade performances uh after like noon if you don't want to watch it during the the show. Um or go like watch Finding Neverland performing the parade, no like no big deal. Um no, I'm just kidding. Um but yes, there's other fun news this week going on. I'm seeing Company, which is a show that I've raved about on here for forever. So I cannot wait to give you all my review on uh Company next week. Uh next week's episode. Um it's gonna be I I I'm just so excited.

I can't even say I can't even tell you what it's gonna be because I haven't seen it. Um but I've heard great things about it, so I feel like it's gonna be great, and I've just been hyping it up so much that I think it's just gonna be amazing. Um and I have like that such good intuition about it.

[19:01] Eli Tokash: So I really hope I'm excited for it and hope that I enjoyed as much as um I've been raving about it. Um but I will give you my full and honest and unbiased review on it. Um and I hope that you are seeing the show because it's historic, so even if it's good or not, it's definitely one worth seeing. Um speaking of hoping you go see shows, Chicken and Biscuits is closing j this week, like so by next week's episode it will be closed. So um it has like I think it has like six performances left now. Um, so if you are in the city and you are visiting and you're here um for this Thanksgiving holiday and you're here for Thanksgiving break and everything, go check out Chicken and Biscuits because it's a historic show for Broadway.

Um it employs a lot of people of color, and if you don't go follow Douglas Leon on Instagram and on social media because he said this beautiful thing about um although Chicken and Biscuits is closing, I've gotten so many emails about how um the would we they want to start licensing it and um we there's schools that want to do it and there's um regional theaters that want to do it and it and it allows um so many artists of color to be hired and to have a job and he is just so excited about that and I think that is that is so important and so monumental in our Broadway community to have a show like that and to have um people of color really lead the way in the show.

[20:18] Eli Tokash: Um I think it's brilliant, and I'm I I hope I get I'm able to see it because I have not seen it yet, and it kills me that it's literally like one of the shows that I've wanted to see, not only because it is Chicken and Biscuits and the story behind it and and just to support all of the artists in the show, but also like Norm Lewis is in it, and I love Norm Lewis. I love Norm Lewis so much, and um I just I want to see him so bad. So um hopefully I'll be able to get that and that'll be in next week's review as well. Um but other than that, um I wanted to alert you all on a um Trevor Patreon video. I s added some new exclusive content to Patreon. So if you're not already, go check out Patreon.com/slash TAB, um, which is our Take A Bow page, or go to take uh Patreon.com and search Take A Bow. Um we have so many fun things going on there, and I'm gonna be more active on there.

[21:18] Eli Tokash: Um I I go I feel like I go in spurts, but um I I definitely will be more consistent, and I love Patreon so much, it allows me to to interact with all of you, and that is one thing I do stay consistent on. I like to think uh interacting with all of you, but um, and messaging all of the listeners and all of that fun stuff. But um so on top of getting the exclusive content, you will be uh be able to get in touch with me and we'll have some conversations. We'll get to talk about Broadway and we get to talk about so many other things. Um I talk about hockey with one of them, it's great. Um, and uh yeah, it's just a lot of fun. So uh with the exclusive content, you get merch perks and video access to podcasts and all the fun things.

[22:06] Eli Tokash: And for those of you listening for patrons who are patrons of Take A Bow, just wanted to remind you all that I did drop a new uh vlog of the Trevor opening night of me just like reconnecting with so many old friends and meeting new people and interviewing people and all of the things, and then of course I have uh a couple clips and videos of the show Trevor itself. So uh I hope you all enjoy that. Um and I'm I look forward to hearing all your feedback. Um so that's all I have really for you all this week, but I am gonna do I'm gonna leave you all with a drama dictionary because I think it's a really fun one, especially on Thanksgiving.

[22:47] Eli Tokash: So this week's word of the week from the drama dictionary from Eli's drama dictionary, is Drum O' Please Apron, and no, it is not the apron that you're currently wearing preparing for the turkey for Thanksgiving. No, that's not it. The apron is okay. It's like in Moulin Rouge, right? So you know how like the stage is set up? It's the section of the stage that the floor projects towards or into the audience, and like their parts of the stage in front of the house and in front of the proscenium arch. So like in Moulin Rouge, it's it's not quite I saw a couple weeks ago I had like a thrust on the stage, and that's just something that goes into the audience. It's a piece of the stage that goes into the audience, and it and if it goes too far into the audience, they'll take out some seats. But this one, it kind of works around the seats, you know, and it and it uh the apron is like a section, just a small part of the stage.

[23:52] Eli Tokash: So in Moulin Rouge, if you've seen it, or if you've seen videos of the theater or pictures of the theater, that front part where literally like one person can like fit in the width of it, um that's what an apron is. It's like it goes around the chairs and everything like that. So like it doesn't it's like connected to the stage, but it's not it's not the stage, you know. It's it's connected and it has like a walkway and everything, and it's just like this thin piece of the stage is the section of the stage um where it's in the um audience and it's in the theater. I don't know. I feel like for those of you who have seen Moulin Rouge will totally understand what I'm saying right now, but for those of you who don't, you'll just be like, What is Eli talking about? And I need to go get my apron on to prepare this turkey for Thanksgiving.

[24:48] Eli Tokash: No, but hopefully you do understand that, and it's just like it's just I hopefully Mulan Rouge may be performing on the parade at their theater, but I don't think so.

[24:58] Eli Tokash: Um, or if you saw the Tonies or something, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about because it's just like that little break off of the stage, but it's still part of the stage, and it's just a section, and that's called the apron.

[25:11] Eli Tokash: Um, so hopefully you've all learned that, and because if you do end up doing a show with an apron, the director's gonna be like, "Oh, I need you to come stage right of the apron," or "I need you to go stage right on the apron," and all these things, and you're gonna be like, "What?"

[25:26] Eli Tokash: Well, then you're gonna be like, "Oh, Eli taught me this in episode 79 of Take A Bow."

[25:32] Eli Tokash: Um, if you remember it, that's okay if not. But with that being said, that's all I have for you all this week, and I'm gonna go put on my apron to help my family prepare for Thanksgiving meal.

[25:43] Eli Tokash: Um.

[25:43] Eli Tokash: Um, which is not the same apron as I just told you about. Um, but yes, I've just had such a great week, and I'm very thankful for all of you listening, and I'm so thankful for my family and my friends and all my show buddies that I'm able to see shows with and all of the incredible artists that I get to see on the stage because without them we wouldn't be able to see live theater and uh we wouldn't be able to be a part of this wonderful community that uh we are all in love with. So um just a huge shout out to uh everyone and shout out to all of you for coming and listening to this on Thanksgiving Day or this Thanksgiving Day weekend or the week after. I just am thankful for all of you listening and giving me a platform to speak my mind and talk about the nerdy things about Broadway that I enjoy talking about.

[26:36] Eli Tokash: And um yeah, it just I'm I'm just grateful that you all continue to tune in and allow me to continue to do this lovely thing and provide entertainment and smiles to people's faces because that's exactly what I love to do. And um, I'm I'm very thankful for all of you, even if I know you or if I don't know you, I'm still thankful for you. And um, I hope that you all have a wonderful week and a happy Thanksgiving, and um yeah, I I hope that you enjoy the parade and hope that you enjoy whatever it may be, even if it's a break from work. That's that's wonderful.

[27:15] Eli Tokash: That's the highlight. Um, or from school, that's my highlight, and that's okay. Um, so yeah, great stuff going on. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and I hope to see you all next week with a really fun episode, and it's gonna be a full-length episode with a guest. We're done with Rainbow Lullaby, we're done with me talking about just my week and to sell saying happy Thanksgiving to you all. Yeah, we're done with that. We're gonna go back to having our one guest, and it's gonna be an hour long episode, and it's gonna be like the traditional Take A Bow episodes. And this December, I have a really really great month planned for all of you, and we're gonna talk some West Side Story, and we're gonna talk about all kinds of Broadway things like we do already, and it's gonna be a blast.

[28:01] Eli Tokash: So I hope to see you next week. And uh, in the meantime, stay safe and have a wonderful time. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. For this episode's curtain call, I would like to recognize a few people who also deserve to take a bow. This podcast would not be possible without the help from Dory Berenstein, Brittany Bigelow, Katie Rosen, Alan Seales, and the team at the Broadway Podcast Network.

[28:24] Eli Tokash: Next in line to Take the Bow is Tessie Tokash, who edits the audio and all the visuals for this podcast. A special thanks to patrons Brian Thompson, Pat McNamara, the listeners at PCC, as well as all the other patrons for their continued support. If you're interested in becoming a patron, go to Patreon.com slash TAB. And if you enjoyed this week's episode, don't forget to subscribe on the platform that you're currently listening to this on. Also, feel free to give us a follow on Instagram at TakeABow Podcast. Take A Bow's logo is designed by Giselle Bustos, and the music is by Nikki Torsha and Cormac Collinon.

[29:01] Eli Tokash: Bye everyone. Hope to see you next week.