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[0:06] Robert Peterpaul: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to the Art of Kindness, where we have compassionate conversations with artists from all areas of the entertainment industry who are using their voice to spread joy and make this big spinning planet in the universe a better place to be. I'm Robert Peterpaul, and I'm so glad you're here.

[0:35] Robert Peterpaul: Hello, friends, and happy holidays! The most wonderful time of the year has arrived, and I hope you're feeling the magic! Full disclosure, I'm still stuffed from Thanksgiving dinner. I had such a lovely day with my family and lots of food. I don't know about you all, but I tend to eat until I'm sort of floating above my body, and then usually later in the day, I float back down just enough to go in for seconds. Okay, fifths, if we're being honest. Alright, plus dessert. Oh yeah, come on. You know, I'm also still wrapping my head around the fact that my pumpkin-shaped head that another Halloween has haunted us and then crept back into the graveyard. As you know, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.

And if you don't, go listen to our Halloween episodes and you'll get a lesson on that really quick. I am grateful to say our next guest is currently starring in a really fun project that's extending spooky season off Broadway. I'm talking about the amazing AKB, Andrew Keenan-Bolger!

[1:40] Robert Peterpaul: Andrew Keenan-Bolger is a multi-talented actor, author, social media influencer, and now podcast host, who began his professional theatrical journey at the age of 10, making his Broadway debut as Chip in Beauty and the Beast. That enchanted experience was just the beginning of Andrew's dazzling career. As a young artist, he went on to star in the Broadway productions of Seussical and Mary Poppins. Andrew is perhaps most known for originating a role in another Disney musical, the successful stage adaptation of Newsies! He played Crutchy, a role people still gleefully come up to him asking about over a decade later. He's also known for headlining the Broadway musical Tuck Everlasting. On screen, Andrew has been seen in TV shows like The Undoing, aka Nicole Kidman walking around with a wig on and a jacket.

No, I really like that show. Other Two, I also love that show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Nurse Jackie. He also co-created and starred in the critically acclaimed web series Submissions Only. Andrew's creativity has also spilled onto the page as he co-authored the middle-grade novel series Jack and Louisa, alongside Kate Weatherhead, exploring the adventures of two theater-loving friends. Andrew's latest turn is joining the ensemble cast of Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, a laugh-out-loud haunt now playing at New World Stages. You can also get a tease behind the fang as he hosts Dracula: The Podcastula, the show's official companion podcast on our network, the Broadway Podcast Network.

Sorry, I got a little excited there. Andrew is such a positive and thoughtful guy, and I was grinning ear to ear throughout our conversation. As always, stay tuned after the interview for your kindness tip of the week with me. Now, without further ado, curtain up and fangs down as we welcome the awesome Andrew Keenan-Bolger.

[4:03] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Hey, how's it going?

[4:05] Robert Peterpaul: Good, how are you?

[4:06] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Pretty good, pretty good. How are you doing?

[4:08] Robert Peterpaul: I'm doing well, thanks. I don't see any fangs, so I'm a little bit confused, but that's fine. I've been a huge fan of you for a while now, and it was so great to meet you at Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors opening night, which I just loved. It was hysterical, and I feel like it's what we need right now. We just need to go somewhere and have a good time in these wild times we live in. So thank you for that. And thank you for also just I need to say, infusing so much optimism and positivity into the theater scene. You know, it's been so great to admire you all these years, and we need more of that, hence why I started this podcast. So I can't wait to get into all that with you today. But before we do, and then I'll stop rambling, the first question I always ask people is how are you at taking compliments? Now that I kind of accosted you with like 20 of them.

[4:57] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh my gosh. Well, first of all, I really like them. They're so nice. Thank you. That is incredibly generous. And how am I at taking compliments? Um, I feel like I have actually gotten a little bit better at it. For a while, I think, especially with performing, whenever you're doing a show over and over again, obviously, not every performance goes as well as the previous one, especially in a long run. And I remember like anytime I would have someone come and see the show, and they're like, "You did such a great job," I would always sort of undercut it with myself of, "Oh gosh, I don't know, like, I didn't hit that beat right," or "Oh, my voice feels tired." And what I realized is that's not about me in that moment; it is about the other person's expression of gratitude and joy.

And the only acceptable answer I have come to find is thank you. Thank you so much for coming. That is really sweet. Um, yeah, and so I've been, uh, that has been something honestly hard to put into practice because you so want to temper everyone's experience of seeing performances. Uh, because you know that you can always do a little bit better. Um, but ultimately what you're saying when you say those kinds of things, it's like, well, your opinion is stupid. How dare you like tell me a nice thing? I'm clearly smarter than you. You didn't even notice all those awful things that I did. Um, and so now, yeah, whenever someone sees a show or compliments me, I try, even if I know I didn't do my best, to just say thank you. So thank you. That was really sweet, Robert.

[6:48] Robert Peterpaul: Well, it's a hard practice, you know, and I think we're just not great judges of ourselves in general. So why not believe these nice things, at least for the moment, when people are saying them to us and taking them in? It's like we get awkward and we try and be humble or whatever it is, but I think thank you is the best route to go, you know.

[7:04] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: 100%. So yeah, I'm glad you've learned that over the years. And as we kind of get into kindness today and unlock the door to today's chat, and then of course, talk about Dracula and all the amazing things that you've done. Well, I don't know if we can get to all of them, but we'll try. What is your definition of kindness?

[7:20] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: You know, if you had to define it, what would it mean to you?

[7:23] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I think it's reading the most generous situation whenever you are approaching a person or a performance or even something that is maybe a little bit more negative, to just try to as much as possible practice empathy and assume that regardless of what a person is going through or how a situation reads to you, that we are all trying to do our best. And that kindness is empathy, that kindness is generosity, and that kindness is a practice.

[8:07] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I love that assuming the best intentions, which can be really hard, right?

[8:11] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh, a hundred percent. I think especially, unfortunately, I think the internet has really flattened a lot of situations and has removed a lot of nuance, um, and has gone with the most sort of alarming read on every situation that it is hard to assume the best in everything. And sometimes it is much easier to jump to the worst conclusion, but also never knowing what anybody else is going through on that day, I think is a good way to approach life.

[8:52] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I mean, what's really hopeful is I guess as an entertainment reporter over the years, I've seen how obviously the clickbaity headlines are the ones that people click, but with A/B testing, this you know, feature that we can do on the site, I've also seen how the really positive stuff gets clicks, you know, like the weddings, the baby photos, the uplifting story about so-and-so buying their mom a house. I'm thinking of The Rock right now because he bought the... hopefully we can all do that one day. Yeah, you know, there is that other side of it too. So I'm glad you see that. And I think it's a beautiful definition. You know, looking back at your life and your incredible career, and I hope there were many of these, but I wonder for you, do you feel like there's one act of kindness someone gave you that kind of changed your trajectory and led you here?

[9:37] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, that's a great question. Um, I remember if I'm thinking in terms of like truly my professional career. I grew up as a child actor. Um, I made my Broadway debut when I was 10 years old, and basically from like 10 to 16 was performing professionally. I remember one incredible act of generosity was I was performing in the out-of-town production of Seussical, the musical, um, the pre-Broadway version, uh, imposed before we were moving to the city. And I was 15 at the time and was honestly probably a little bit too old for that role. It was something where I had worked with Aaron Sorkin on Ragtime and had done the like development of that show. And so when it came time to bring it to Broadway, I was cast as Jojo in it.

And basically, right away, I remember like a few weeks before we began rehearsals, I could feel my voice changing and having like a little bit of a growth spurt and just being terrified and being so incredibly stressed out and feeling anxiety in a way that I had never felt in my life. And when we opened in Boston, I think the writing was on the wall that like my voice was incredibly strained. I was not giving them the beautiful singing version of the score that I think they probably had in their head. And so there were all these rumors circulating around. This was like kind of early days of, uh, I remember like Talkin' Broadway and like on all that chat and people being like, and we got kind of bad reviews out of town and a lot of like internet rumors about who was getting fired, like our director was gonna get fired, our costume designer was gonna get fired.

And I remember reading online that I was getting fired. Um, and as like a teenager being like terrified of that. And so when it was time to move to New York, I know for a fact that the producers were like, we gotta get him out of there. We gotta bump up his understudy. Um, and I remember finding out that Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty were firmly against just like kind of kicking me to the curb. They're like, this is a kid at the beginning of his career. He has done a great job in a previous project that we did. Can we make it so that he at least gets to perform on Broadway? Um, and so they were they talked to my parents and said, would Andrew be interested in being the alternate so he can do two performances a week, he can like really rest his voice, um, and we'll still get to perform in the Broadway company of Seussical.

Um, and I remember that just being like, first of all, a little bit sad because of course everyone wants to open in the original cast, but thinking that I was gonna have to just go home to Michigan and never get to perform on Broadway in that show, and then being allowed a chance to really succeed, and also them going back and reorchestrating a lot of the songs to a lower key for when I got to perform so I wasn't cracking or like really killing myself. I remember that just being an incredible, generous gift and something anytime I ever see Ahrens and Flaherty and anytime they have a new show, I am just always rooting for them because that is a really sweet thing to do and go inside the mind of a teenager and be like, how will this actually affect this person? Even if it's maybe not the number one best thing for the show. What can we do to honor the kind of work that this person has put into this?

[13:30] Robert Peterpaul: I'm glad you recognize that extreme act of kindness because that is so generous. And I'm sorry at such a young age, you had to go through all that. That's a lot for a little kid, man, you know.

[13:39] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, it was one of those things that I think I am able to look back on it now as a valuable lesson, where up until that point it was truly it was a fun hobby that I was doing. And I never understood that it was a business, that it is show business. And it was a lesson that I learned early on that no role is ever yours, no production is your destiny. It is always at the end of the day, going to be what a producer and what a creative team thinks is going to be the best version for the show. And it has set me up to steel myself against rejection. And there have been parts that I thought I was like continuing on with that got given to someone else. And I think understanding that perspective early on helped me be able to just steel myself for the immense amount of rejection that you end up getting if you choose to go into this career.

[14:41] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: It's like building up that callous, and it really is the first skill you have to master that nobody really can teach you, is just accepting rejection because so many times it's not about you, you know. It could just be that your height is a little too much taller than the person you're up, like you never know what it is, or shorter in my case all the time. So yeah, well, say I mean, I've actually I've had a lot of parallels with you and your career, which is interesting. I feel like I'm like the upside down in Stranger Things of a career where like you're a superstar, and then I'm like, I was cast in the Beauty and the Beast tour, couldn't do it because of my family, there were some issues, and then I ended up being cast as Jojo in that in the Broadway Seussical as a kid, but it was like right before my rehearsals were gonna start, it was announced that it was closing.

So I feel like I've had this like weird thing. But I only say that because and I got to do Crutchie with Chaz, I think you know recently. So I've just I've looked up to you. I'm not it's not about me, I'm not trying to bring myself into this, but I say this because I think there's such kind of an inner light and curiosity to these characters and an optimism, you know, from Newsies to Tuck Everlasting. You've just you've played so many roles that exude that. So when I've gotten to do things you've done, I've just looked at this like sparkle, this almost like cheerleader-esque energy that you're giving. And I wonder if you found that correlation, and if you just have any thoughts to share as to why you think that's kind of beating at the core of so many projects you do.

[16:05] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh well, thank you for that. Also, I'm so sorry about Seussical, I don't think I ever knew that.

[16:09] Robert Peterpaul: That's okay.

[16:11] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh, both of our hearts broken.

[16:14] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I think more for other people as well.

[16:18] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, okay, okay. Um yeah, I mean, I always like early advice that I just got from my sister, who is the person I look up to most in this industry, and have been so lucky to have a person who I can just always text whenever I'm sort of feeling down. She as soon as I started performing professionally, was like, listen, I am not ever gonna be the best singer. I am not always going to be the prettiest or the most educated actor, but like what has served me well in this industry is just bringing as much of myself as possible into a room. And I think for the Keenan-Bolgers, we are lucky in that we're ultimate optimists. I think we're a really positive family, and are surrounded by a ton of love. And so anytime I have the opportunity, whether it's a new character or a character that many people have played before, is to bring as much of the Andrew Keenan-Bolger personality to a role.

And I guess that has manifested in trying to be an optimist and a cheerleader and a leader in a cast, and yeah, I think I feel lucky in that in the roles that you mentioned, I would just walk out onto the stage every night and not have to feel like, oh, this character is such a departure from myself. It was more so I brought a lot of myself early in development when this was just words on a page being read at a music stand, and those characters then evolved into something that I could comfortably live in and were a real part of my DNA every time I would perform them every night.

[18:16] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Well, it's sort of that I think relentless optimism that makes it so interesting for me to watch your performances because you know if you look at someone like Crutchy, who I know people are still sending those playbills for you to sign, which always that speaks for itself, and I'm glad I'm glad you accepted and love that because there are people that kind of shirk things off and you know what I mean, try and move on. But you created such a beautiful character there. It's almost like how Meryl Streep always plays the opposite. Like, I feel like someone I'm gonna compare you to Meryl Streep right now, but I'm not anytime you want to do that. There she comes. Like, you know, in Devil Wears Prada, she's this villain, but she talks very softly as Crutchy. You know, you could have played it very depressed, but you played the opposite. He was just so full of life and optimistic, which made it even more heartbreaking in a lot of ways to watch.

[19:01] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: So thank you.

[19:02] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I that was a hundred percent what I was going for. And I think early on, realized I was like, I do not want this character to be a Tiny Tim. I feel like we have seen the like sad, sweet version a lot. I'm like, this dude is selling his pipes with all the rest of the guys, like he must be a badass. He must be hard as nails. He's gotta be like twice as tough as everyone else. And yeah, never wanted to rely on like sweet, doe-eyed Crutchy. It was always occasionally a little bit of sadness will peek through, but use those cards really sparingly because kind of once you play that card, you can never play it again, I think in that show.

[19:53] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, and it is more heartbreaking to watch someone trying to like cover up an emotion versus just playing the emotion.

[19:58] Robert Peterpaul: So to get on 100% actor and on you.

[20:01] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, totally. You mentioned, well, being an optimistic character on stage, but also off stage as a leader, since you are someone people look up to in this industry. And when you're signed on to a project, I'm sure there's people in your cast that have admired you and are excited to work with you. Is that something you think about, you know, being a leader in a show? Or do you just kind of go in there and like you're saying?

[20:18] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I definitely felt that way. It was funny because I was always used to being like the young person in a cast, and then I did Newsies and I was suddenly like one of the old people in the cast, and it really kind of happened overnight. Like the previous show that I was doing, I was like the youngest person, and then suddenly found myself in a position where I had worked for Disney a lot. I knew all the kind of players behind the scenes, and immediately was like, oh, okay, this is my moment to become a leader. And it wasn't something I really thought about. It was more so there were a lot of kids making their Broadway debut on that show. And I think both in making sure we were all taken care of and advocated for, and then just leading by being positive, I think is the main thing backstage.

It is so easy. One person starts being a little bit negative and it is completely infectious. And I knew that working on a project like Newsies, but we were super lucky, and that is like a once in a generation type opportunity, and to try and make sure that we were all enjoying it and feeling gratitude for what we were getting to do. And then like just in terms of I was also hired by Disney Theatricals to document basically our whole just experience of opening the show. And so I ended up a little bit in a director role behind the scenes, just kind of sometimes manufacturing some moments backstage of things or trying to recreate moments that had happened just to kind of document and capture, as well as just like sometimes I would just hold my camera and fly around. See what I would get. But yeah.

[22:16] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Those are so much fun. People are still sharing those and reposting theirs.

[22:20] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, I did tagged in them literally once a week on TikTok.

[22:23] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: It makes me so happy that a new generation has found those clips. Yeah, and especially with the Disney Plus movie and all this stuff, but it must be full circle now because with Dracula, which I have a ton of questions to ask you about here.

[22:35] Robert Peterpaul: Sure.

[22:36] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: You're kind of doing that again, you know, Dracula the Podcastula. I almost keep saying I know Alan and BPN will kill me if I do that. So you know, you're sort of doing that again, which is so much fun, and I can't wait to dive into that. But just while we're on this like Broadway tangent and you're getting back into the eight show a week grind, what are some things you do to take care of yourself and show yourself kindness as a performer?

[22:59] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, I mean, I'll be honest, it's been tough. I'm sure I had forgotten. I think this is the longest run of a show I'd done since Newsies, which was 10 years ago. I am having to just really pace myself in terms of the other projects that I'm trying to take on during the day and making sure I get enough rest and doing a lot of PT just so that when I'm able to do the show at night, I'm able to give it my all. And I think part of that is also just I'm a lot older and it it's not as easy. You don't bounce back as much. So yeah, it's doing a lot of self-care at home. It's trying to stimulate myself so that the show is not the only thing that I have going on, because that can also drive you a little bit crazy. So I've got some other creative projects going on, but making sure that I'm not like totally burnt out.

[23:57] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I feel like you're the definition of a multi-hyphenate, and you have all these pots cooking. You know, I wonder for you, one thing I was curious about is how do you make sure, and I'm sure sometimes they do, but how do you make sure to continue this stupid metaphor? Some of the pots don't burn, you know, because you're an author, you're fantastic on social media, and then I know for you you said it and in your recent interview with Broadway World, you kind of said it again, or maybe it was Playbill, I blacked out and can't remember. But you were saying how acting is always at the core and is the main thing you want to do, but sometimes, you know, as an actor, we have to have so much going on to balance that. You can lean too much into one thing, and then you're like, wait, I really want to be acting. You know, how have you found that balance?

[24:37] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I mean, it's interesting. I think honestly, if I could just be an actor and could pay my bills, I probably would do that. I think everything else that I've done was me realizing pretty quickly that this was not gonna be enough, that this industry is really not dependable and is super hard in a city like New York to be able to have the lifestyle that you want on an actor's salary. And also it was sort of setting myself up for success, knowing that when I was in my 20s, I was playing a lot of teenage characters, and knowing that there was gonna be a chunk of time where I had to transition from playing kids to playing adults and realizing that that might be a rockier journey than I would have hoped for.

And so I think pretty right away, I was like, I gotta figure out something else in case this acting thing doesn't work. And so a lot of it has been, it's been my plan B. But in implementing that, have realized that what makes me kind of happiest is just learning new things about the world and picking up new skills and new craft, and you're also getting kind of bored, like pretty quickly. It's I think probably my career would be going a little bit better had I stuck with one thing and really hyper-focused on that and became a true expert either in like writing or filmmaking or just social media purely. But yeah, my parents told me never stop learning, and I think I just really took that to heart.

But yes, as you mentioned before, like acting is at the core of it, and almost every other project that I've had has been born out of that, either in like I love directing for film, in part because whenever I was acting, I was the anytime I was on a film set, I'd be like, what is that guy's job over there? What's she doing? Like, oh, how when you focus that light, how does that make the mood of the scene shift? And just being curious and trying to learn all that stuff. But I think if you trace the roots back, I like my the books that I've written have a core in performing arts. Yeah, they all go back to my original love for theater.

[27:14] Robert Peterpaul: Well, I mean, I relate to that on so many levels because I often think, and I'm sure a lot of people listening out there think, you know, if I just had this one passion and stuck to it, and I was a doctor and I followed the path, I'd be there and I'd be successful. And it's sort of like when we have all these different pots again, cooking, I think eventually down the line it's the same path, it's just not maybe linear. So all these things are coming together. I mean, I look at you, you were I think one of the first Broadway star actor people to really utilize social media. You're kind of like a pioneer in that regard. And now people are getting hired because they're social media stars, and that's why they're the lead in a Broadway show, or that's why they're I have friends that are getting hired, even just to, you know, not just, but as swings on Broadway or to be in the ensemble and also run the social media.

I mean, it's such a wild industry now. And I would love to just pick your brain really quickly about social. And I hope you never stop making filters because I use your filters. And I love the mood. You know, I guess what's your advice for approaching social media as an artist and sort of not letting it make you spiral or have a bad relationship with it?

[28:19] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I mean, my relationship to social media, it's kind of constantly changing. It's very different than when I first started when I was younger and like I guess YouTube first came out when I was in college. Oh yeah, I would just throw up everything. I put everything on there as soon as like Twitter and Facebook, I would update my entire life and would kind of live through the screen. And I think that made me happy for a while. And I am sure helped me build an audience. And as I've gotten older, I have realized that that doesn't always work for me anymore. That I think sharing a lot of my personal life has opened me up for criticism in a way that I don’t think is healthy.

[29:29] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Whatever you're seeing online, it's me, but it's the character, it's me playing me. Um and part of that is I got married, I have a life and a family, and I think keeping some of that just for myself and just for my husband has been really nice. And I have many friends on the internet who are those types of people who will pick up their phone and like monologue to their audience, and that really works for them. And I think it's been beneficial to them and it's helped them build an audience and get like brand sponsorships and stuff. And I think so long as it is making you happy and it's not introducing anxiety or sadness into your life, then it's whatever works for you. But for me right now, I like creating art.

I think taking photos is a form of artistic expression. Um I like making little videos. I like providing helpful information for other people who are trying to navigate social media and creating things like filters for other people to use. Um I am tremendously interested in social media and I find incredible value in it. Um, but I am not living my life through the screen in the way that I was when I was younger. And it's just what's working for me right now.

[31:03] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, that's very healthy, and I love that you've kind of shared how it's been a journey. You didn't just have an answer right away because social media is always evolving too, you know.

[31:11] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: 100%. And not to sort of undercut the brilliance of what you just said, but I feel the same way. I mean, the other day it was like World Kindness Day and I was running to all these events, and I think I was going to like Harmony Opening Night, and I tried to film myself, like how people do that, being like, hey, I'm going here. And I literally walked into a pole. I'm like, this is not a good idea. And I yeah, I still probably posted it. But there is a company. If you haven't heard of them, I don't even know what they're called, but there are companies where you can put your Twitter handle in and they'll turn it into a book. That might be something fun for you to look back on like all the statuses you posted when you used to really update your life, you know.

[31:48] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, it's one of those things where I think the best people on social media to follow are people who are just living authentically. And I found that me trying to update everything honestly was not authentic because sometimes I would be sad. Sometimes I would be feeling crappy and I would force myself to like do these exuberant kind of posts that were not authentic to me. That was authentic to maybe who I was a month ago or a few years ago. But I think that being able to show some vulnerability or being able to be like, I am not gonna try and manufacture joy right now.

[32:38] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[32:39] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I think that is why people have stuck around for my social media, even though I am not like this is what I'm doing today. Like here's my breakfast, get ready with me. Um you hit all the points, I think. Like your posts are engaging, they're educational. I do social for people and I call it the three E's. Do I? I don't even know. It's like engaging, educational, and empowering or something like that. And I feel like you always hit that because you kind of show whether it's the character version of you or not, a little bit of your slice of life, the projects you're doing, and then you have these videos where you're like, use this cellophane to make a really cool photo shoot effect. And here's my new filters. So it's so much fun to follow you. And if you guys don't follow Andrew, get up on that and click that button. You know what I'm saying.

[33:24] Robert Peterpaul: Uh and you'll see one thing that you're posting about a lot these days, of course, is Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. Hey, how terrifyingly terrific. You know, what a joy again to watch the show and just laugh. Uh you know, I don't even know where to start because you play so many different characters. I think you play seven. Did I do, yes?

[33:41] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I believe so.

[33:44] Robert Peterpaul: How okay. I guess how did you start up defining each one? I imagine that rehearsal process might have seemed like it would be kind of just maybe more fun, but then a little bit stressful once you started because you're thinking I have all these characters, you know.

[33:57] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh but I luckily all of them have a different accent. So like just right off the bat, that was kind of my in. Um, and so all of them I decided are like that guy's the Irish one, that's the Scottish one, this guy is from like RP, like received pronunciation of English, this will be like South London, this is Cockney. So that it gave me like very clear versions, and then it was like building physicality. And um, I think the really hard part comes from sometimes within a scene I am bouncing between three different characters and navigating that so it's seamless and fast, and the comedy actually comes not just from like the joke lines, but from the super fast transitions and just like practicing it a whole bunch, uh and being like, oh, if I pitch this voice a lot higher and this voice a lot lower, the contrast between them is greater, and I think has more comic potential.

It is, I mean, it's one of those roles that I was like, oh, this is like a dream role. Every actor wants to like sink their teeth into a really meaty thing where they get to like show off all their different talents. Oh but and I think I was that's what attracted me to the project, but also immediately I was like, this is hard, y'all, and this is exhausting. SOS.

[35:23] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[35:23] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: And I'm not good at this one accent. And like I gotta listen to a whole bunch of stuff to try and get better at it. And is that your favorite one now? Because I feel like that's what always happens. It's like no, it's still my last favorite. JK, never mind.

[35:36] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, that's so much fun. I mean, that is where I think the show really shines on it shines on a lot of levels, but just those fast transitions. I mean, I think your castmate Ellen at one point, one of her characters is literally her hand with a wig. I mean, it's literally like off stage. It's not to spoil anything, but it's just so much fun. I just love what you're all doing. And I think this is a master class. I mean, you've hit on how contrast is such a big part of developing characters in here multiple times. So everybody take that note and run with it. You know, when I saw the show opening night at the very end, spoiler alert, Dracula is sort of cast into his coffin. I won't say how, but his shoe kind of spit back out when I saw it.

And I was cracking up, I thought it was part of the show, but then when I listened to your new podcast and you were discussing this moment, I realized it was a mishap. And you know, mishaps on stage are my favorite to listen to and talk about. Uh so I wonder, I know you ask your friends on the podcast about this, but do you have a favorite mishap that's happened so far or a story to share?

[36:36] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I mean, I will tell you there is a mishap every single night in Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. I know I think what it because it is so fast-paced and we are always running kind of off stage to do a quick change, grab a prop, run back on stage. It just happens a lot, but also, one thing that I have learned from um but whenever stuff would go wrong on stage previously, it would sometimes send me into the white room and I would it would like really screw me up and like derail my performance. And Arnie Burton, who plays Mina and Dr. Van Helsing, he is always like the best thing that could ever happen to me in an audition or in a performance is that something goes wrong. He's like, that is where I am the most excited to like make people laugh.

And so viewing all those moments now as opportunities to like play with it, if inevitably, like a wig will fall off, or like a prop will like get knocked off a table, that that is comic potential. Um in terms of like funny things that have happened. I'm trying to think of recently. Oh, I definitely the first time my husband saw the show, I have a really quick change from without like giving too much away from my character Harker becomes very sexy at one point, and I did not make that change and ended up having to like run on stage without a shirt like buttoned and like my arm like sticking through a sleeve in the wrong way, and my pants like undone. And it was one of those moments where the costumers were trying to get it on.

I'm like, all right, we're just gonna go, and just ran on stage and was like, all right, let's try and sell this. And afterwards, my husband was like, that costume, it's really not flattering on you. I'm like, yeah, no crap. That's not how it's supposed to be.

[38:35] Robert Peterpaul: You're like, look at the production shots, man.

[38:37] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, I'm like, yeah, and nothing is sexier than like me trying to be sexy with like my mic pack like on off and like a cord hanging out.

[38:47] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, totally catch you. That is so funny. That is a costume exorcism right there. I love that.

[38:52] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah. You know, and you mentioned too, like when all these things go wrong, I think it does kind of snap you back into the present. I even think of auditioning on Zoom, which is still happening in a worst.

[39:03] Robert Peterpaul: It is the worst, but then it's like if a glitch happens, you know, at first I would get so nervous, but now I'm kind of like, oh, it reminds me that I'm here and I can like stop getting in my head, you know. Uh I think that's fun you guys have that. You know, speaking of your new podcast, which we've touched on a few times here, Dracula: The Podcastula. I had to read the title because I keep calling it Patacula. Uh, it is such a fun name and it's such a fun show on our network BPN. Woo! Hey, this podcast is such a delight. It is a companion to the show. You're such a great host, by the way. How are you enjoying hosting? Are you having fun?

[39:37] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I really like it. Podcasts are it's honestly probably the main form of media that I consume. Um it is something every morning when I wake up, I listen to my like news podcasts as I'm like making my coffee, and then as I'm walking around throughout the day, I'm listening to all my favorite podcasts and it while I'm riding the subway. So it's something that I've always been interested in, and especially because I'm always interested in bringing to expanding the audience of any show that I'm working on. Uh, in part because I knew the value when I was like growing up in Michigan, like wanting to see these Broadway shows and knowing that because I didn't live in New York City and could not afford to fly there to go see everything, did not mean that I had any less desire to get to be a part of them.

Uh so anytime I'm like approaching um a show, I'm curious and how we can expand that audience. And it shocks me that they're not companion prop podcasts for other shows, that that's not really a thing that happens because that happens so commonly with like television. Uh so this felt like a fun format to get to play around with um and to get to learn more about the show and about what goes into launching a commercial off-Broadway production, and it just felt like something that I would totally listen to and yeah, have really loved getting to kind of write each of these episodes and then honestly sit down with my cast and creative in a kind of intimate setting and like because you don't really get to do that. Um and just like pick their brains about what the experience has been like for them. Uh it's been really rewarding, and I think it's brought me closer to all of the people I've gotten to chat with.

[41:35] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, I'm sure. And I'm sure it'll be so much fun to listen back to, you know, years to come when you're like, oh, I miss the person. I miss those people. I'm glad I have these hours of tape now.

[41:44] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, it's like a documentary, you know.

[41:46] Robert Peterpaul: And then it'll you'll do a documentary about the documentary.

[41:50] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I feel like it just feels like as a listener, we are backstage with y'all or in the dressing room sitting there hanging out. You really create that intimate vibe, and it's so fun that you're writing it. I mean, the puns are amazing.

[42:01] Robert Peterpaul: I love the segments, a lot of puns.

[42:03] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Got a lot of puns. I love when Celia like pops in with a question. Uh it's always a good time. And there's some good questions. Actually, you had one recently. What was it? And I should ask it to you. I think it was oh, what's something people don't usually ask you about that you would like to talk about?

[42:19] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh, yeah, that I'm like proud of. I am I'm honestly I'm a pretty good chef.

[42:27] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, it is especially during COVID where I kind of had to redefine what success looked like for me because I wasn't doing the traditional like jobs where you get a feedback loop. Um, I took tremendous pride in my marriage and being a person who took care of my house that I was spending so much time in and trying to like better myself making dinner for my husband every night, who at the time was working in the White House and would just be super fried coming home from work and getting to learn more about food and making some project bakes and some project dinners. Uh and now it has like translated into I just like really love hosting. Uh I love throwing a dinner party. That's like my number one favorite thing. I think when I was younger, it's like let's go out to bars, and now it's like let's like break bread.

[43:27] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, come in. I don't want to go anywhere. Come to my window.

[43:30] Robert Peterpaul: Yes, please, please. Well, I hope you're probably gonna throw a pretty epic cast party for Dracula, but it's oh yeah. It's going for a while. We're keeping the spooky vibes going through the holiday season, and you know, with Thanksgiving around the corner, I guess I should ask you, what are you most grateful for this year?

[43:48] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh man, I'm I am always grateful for family, like first and foremost. I feel so lucky in that I have two incredible sisters who I'm super super close with. And um we all live in New York. Um we all get to see each other a lot. We're all in the arts, but doing something slightly different. So we we really understand each other, we're able to help each other a lot. Um, and just being really grateful for them and for my husband, and how uh amazing their families have been at like welcoming my husband into the fold and uh feeling like holidays are not that stressful, they are mostly just really nice and fun.

[44:31] Robert Peterpaul: That's so lovely. Thank you for someone having that experience.

[44:36] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I know, which I which is lucky. I realize I'm grateful. I I realize the like travel home for a lot of people. That is that is a hard thing to do. Um and I feel really, really, really lucky that I have such a great relationship with my fam.

[44:52] Robert Peterpaul: Well, you know, we established you're a cheerleader. So what is your favorite way to spread cheer during this holiday season?

[44:58] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh man. Yeah. Um I weirdly, I'm sort of kind of this is not great for the kindness podcast, but I'm kind of a grinch when it comes to Christmas. I don't love Christmas. It is not one of my favorite holidays. I think it's I like Halloween and Thanksgiving. It's like being spooky and like making a lot of food. I like that so much more. I I get really stressed, like giving gifts and honestly opening gifts from other people that it stresses.

[45:33] Robert Peterpaul: Kind of right.

[45:34] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Kinda, yeah. And I mean, if you don't like it, it's a performance, but and I I I love like uh doing nice things for people, but for whatever reason, I put a lot of pressure on myself to like give a good gift and feel really guilty when I'm like, I did not nail that part. So I almost wish that uh we could just have Thanksgiving too.

[45:56] Robert Peterpaul: I know I I relate to that. I feel like over the year I try and subtly ask people what they want, like well before Christmas, and I start creating a list.

[46:04] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh they're like, oh my god.

[46:06] Robert Peterpaul: Well, I don't know. It's not always successful, but I've I've had that stress as well, you know.

[46:11] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: And I hope you don't have it this season. I hope your season is wonderful. Uh my gift to you right now is a surprise game if you're down to play.

[46:19] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[46:19] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Heck yeah. I can't dance like you, so I'm just jazzing my fingers around. Okay, let's see. So this is called the compliment game. Everyone's beautiful in their way. It's the compliment game on me. Yay, okay. It's the compliment. Compliment. Yay! Bump. Basically, I reached out to someone in your life for a loving statement about you. I'm gonna read it to you, and then you just have to guess who said it.

[46:45] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh my gosh. Oh, wow. Okay, okay. You're you're so beloved that I got two here. You know, I'll say you can ask me yes or no questions and maybe guess three times because people freak out if there's no rules, but there's not really any rules, so it doesn't matter.

[46:58] Robert Peterpaul: And I don't really know anything. But we'll I'm gonna read you your first one. It's really sweet. I love that Andrew is such a thoughtful and dependable partner, but can still be silly with me and find ways to keep things interesting and fun. Whether it's handing me a little towel or surprising me with champagne, he does it with a special flourish that still keeps me laughing.

[47:20] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh, I think I know exactly who this is, and this makes me so happy. I believe that this is Jordan Boatman who plays Lucy. My beautiful fiance and Dracula, a comedy of terrors.

[47:34] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, you nailed it. That makes me so happy. Oh, I can't wait to hug her. When I go to the theater today. Tell her thank you. She was so sweet when I when I met her at opening. She was lovely. She also gave me a hint just in case you didn't need it. But she said, I think Mary and Shelly are hilarious, no matter what the groaners say.

[47:51] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh my gosh, every every night I have a line that is, come Lucy. I want to introduce you to my cousins, Mary and Shadowby. And um every night it is the weirdest line that gets the strangest reaction. Either people are like laughing out loud, or they're like, uh they think it's such a dad joke.

[48:13] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[48:14] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: And every night it is like a it is a uh like litmus test for what kind of an audience we have. And every night I'm like, oh, and Jordan's like, that's fine. You're great.

[48:24] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, I love it. Maybe you could start just throwing in some other duos in there to get people spiced up, you know.

[48:31] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Wallace and Gromit.

[48:32] Robert Peterpaul: I don't know.

[48:33] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I think that's I think it was my I laughed. Okay. You have another one. Let me read this to you. This one's also this one's lovely. Okay. I don't even know where to begin. There's so much that I love about Andrew. Obviously, he's hilarious and thoughtful and generous, but something I admire so much about him is his combination of curiosity and fearlessness. He is interested in so many things, and when he gets inspired by one of those things, he dives in headfirst and teaches himself all of the steps to transform an idea into something tangible. It's so inspiring.

[49:11] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: My goodness, that makes me so happy. Oh, but I feel like I'm less clear on who that is. Uh, whoever it is, thank you though. I thank you for seeing me.

[49:23] Robert Peterpaul: I have a hint. This seems this hint seems like it might give it away, but if you have no idea, I can give you the hint because I'm sure a lot of people admire that about you. Want me to?

[49:32] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I okay. Let me uh can I make my first guess? What if I was like, it's me?

[49:37] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, maybe I feel like um I mean, this is I think it's someone who knows me sort of well. I would guess it's maybe someone in my family. I maybe one of my sisters.

[49:52] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Ah I don't know. Give me a hint.

[49:55] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, the hint is he also makes a very delicious pancake.

[50:00] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: I also I make a delicious pancake.

[50:02] Robert Peterpaul: You also make a very delicious pancake. Oh man, who and the pancake actually is a hint if you're into the podcasting universe, I will say, sort of, because this person I think had a podcast, and I think Oh, is this this is Celia?

[50:18] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yes, it's this is my sister Celia.

[50:20] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, okay, okay, good, good. I was on the right track.

[50:22] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: You were you were. You're like, I have no idea. And then you did amazing, amazing. I was like, uh, yes, my sister has a podcast called Sunday Pancakes.

[50:32] Robert Peterpaul: That's so sweet. Oh, well, thank you, Celia. I love that. I love her. I'm such a big fan of her. She's obviously a powerhouse in her own right, and I know I'm curious. You kind of touched on it before, but how has she really helped you navigate this business? Is there like a particular you sort of said advice she gave you, but yeah, yeah.

[50:51] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Yeah, I mean, in a I think in the best way is she just really checks up on me and somehow knows when I am feeling not great, I will get a text and she's like, hi love just thinking about you. How are you doing with this one specific thing? And I'll be like, oh I'm not doing well. Um and she is so good at level setting and also just like really hearing me and like validating yes, I imagine that is a hard thing.

[51:21] Robert Peterpaul: Isn't it nice you could send like a 10 minute voice note now instead of texting.

[51:25] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Totally totally totally and and I think because she is she's seven years older than me and I think has both lived through this business and lived through a marriage and has lived through living in New York that she has a kind of perspective that I don't necessarily have and is able to kind of look back on her experience to be like this has been helpful for me. I don't know if this will be helpful for you but like here you go. So it it has been just a a real blessing and also just I really admire her as a person. So even if we did not have similar lives I would take any advice she gave.

[51:59] Robert Peterpaul: Oh yeah I would too I mean listening to her podcast alone I feel like I'm always so inspired and I've done it to prepare for guests she sat on that I was going to talk to and I'm like she takes it such a the conversation's down such a fascinating road that it's just she's inspiring on so many levels.

[52:19] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: So are you I know you got a show to prep for so I'm gonna let you go with my final question which I asked you at opening night of Dracula and I'm sure yes it was a curveball and you were sort of like we're at an after party. But I'm like, I gotta ask one on theme for my show. And you had the most wonderful answer that we shared on social media, and it kind of took off when people have been loving it. So I wonder if you could share another tangible kindness tip for listeners to incorporate in their lives. If you didn't hear already, just to give you a second to think, on social media, Andrew's video is up there, and you had said, always give the most generous rating of a situation, which no one has ever said in over a hundred episodes. And I just thought that was so unique and wonderful.

[53:01] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: So no pressure, but I mean, I will tell you now, a kindness tip is like paying someone an anonymous compliment. That is that has just made me feel so good, knowing that like two people I really care about. So rarely are you like rarely do you kind of get that? Like uh we we have a weird, I think a weird world where uh you it is sometimes hard to be that generous and praise and that like sometimes you need a catalyst of someone being like, hey, what do you like about this person? Um that has made me feel so good today. So I would say give unsolicited compliments that are not necessarily related to like I did this product. What is your feedback if it is just more out of the blue? I think that's a really nice thing. Um, and we'll we'll lead that person, I think, to want to carry that on and pay it forward.

[53:57] Robert Peterpaul: Yes, and something I've tried to challenge myself to do too is to make them non-appearance based, you know, because you have lovely eyes, it's beautiful, you have a great smile, isn't it?

[54:06] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Oh, yeah, you do. It's a great thing to hear, great smile. But you know, if you can kind of make it a little bit more specific, it it might help as well. Like these wonderful people did for you, which is so much fun.

[54:18] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: So beautiful. I I love that. Thank you for that. Everybody go out there, give a compliment. It's free. It's something you can give to others, and definitely give one to Andrew if you see him after his show, Dracula, which you should all catch before it lies off like a bat into the sunset to see Mary and Shelley. Thank you so much for that. I admire you, and I've loved that I've gotten to share this little space with you.

[54:35] Andrew Keenan-Bolger: Thank you so much, sweet Robert. Thank you for having me.

[54:50] Robert Peterpaul: And now it's time for your kindness tip of the week.

[54:56] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. Sorry. As the holidays start, I was trying to think of a kindness tip that you all could take with you as you venture out and spread cheer. And one that came to mind was inspired by my nanny. My grandmother, I meant to say this on the news. Oh, by the way, I was on the news recently, which was really exciting. Thank you to the Pix11 team for having me. That was such a magical moment. And I wanted to share this kindness tip. I didn't get a chance to because it was a quick segment, but I'm happy that I can share it with you all right now. So my nanny, my grandma, who I often go on and on about on here, but she's a really special woman. So is my Nona, my other grandma.

You know, growing up, every time I would see my nanny, she would have a white slip of paper. It would fall out of her pocket. It would be on her card dashboard when I got in the car. And without fail, it would always say Robert at the top, which is my name. Spoiler alert. And underneath it, there would be topics like school musical, Broadway show question mark, weekend plans question mark. And what I came to realize over the years is that she had notes. She had a kindness cue card of things to ask me about or to discuss during our time together. And while that made me giggle at first, you know, when I was young, I thought my nanny has notes about us. I quickly realized that it was such an unbelievable act of kindness.

I think one of the kindest things you can do in this life is to be curious about people, to see them and to give them your time. I mean, time is such a valuable gift, right? Oprah always says that. She says, time is one of the greatest gifts you can give people. And so to spend your time talking about somebody else, thinking about them, asking them questions, I just think it's beautiful. Anyway, your kindness tip is inspired by my nanny. It is to create a kindness cue card. Now you don't have to run out and get cards or pieces of paper, you know, save the environment, if you will. This can just be in your head. But as you go to holiday parties this season, I would love for you to just spend time thinking about who you're gonna see and thinking about just one question or one compliment you can give that person.

Now, trust me, I know holiday parties can be a little bit stressful sometimes, depending on your family situation. But I think if we go in sort of, I don't want to say armed, that seems like an aggressive word, but holding these people in our hearts and really prepared to show them our love, it might just be a more positive way to walk into the party. So let me know what you think on social media at Art of Kindness Pod and at Rob Peter Paul. I would love to see your kindness cue cards if you do make them. Just go into these situations with a compliment, a question, and just watch and see the magic that this spreads along, you know, as you go up to people and really are curious about them. I'm curious about you.

I'm curious if you love the show. Please leave a rating if you do. And I thank you so much for spending your time with me. It is such a gift every week to do this and share the audio space with you. So, oh, audio hug. Please remember that I love you. And until next time, everything's gonna be a-okay.