This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Heather Bedor: We are live.

[0:01] Amber Brzezinski: Here we go.

[0:06] ♪ Musical number: "Breaking the Spell" — performed by Unknown performer ♪

[3:02] Dennis Giacino: God, I love them so much.

[3:04] Fiely Matias: Okay.

[3:06] Heather Bedor: Thanks for uh for sitting through that, guys.

[3:09] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I mean, do you ever get tired of listening to those songs? I have to ask.

[3:14] Dennis Giacino: No.

[3:15] Fiely Matias: We have not while they're singing them. They're amazing.

[3:17] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, yeah. Everybody seems them more amazing because we're just happy to hear our songs being sung everywhere around the world.

[3:25] Fiely Matias: And we haven't seen that clip in a long time, and it just kind of brought us back as to how amazing that experience is.

[3:34] Dennis Giacino: And Michelle was nominated for uh Laura Tell Award in New York City for that role. So no, we never get tired of hearing it.

[3:41] Fiely Matias: I mean, I don't want to make it sound like, oh, all we do is listen to our own music.

[3:46] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, it's fine.

[3:48] Fiely Matias: Yeah, let's do it again.

[3:50] Dennis Giacino: Um, we'll have karaoke version next time.

[3:52] Fiely Matias: From the top.

[3:53] Dennis Giacino: From the top.

[3:54] Heather Bedor: Um, the fun part is is Amber is new to the Disenchanted world.

[3:59] Amber Brzezinski: I am.

[4:00] Heather Bedor: So I've been breaking her in easily. And then for our wonderful followers, if you hadn't picked up yet, it's Heather and Amber, joined by our friends Dennis and Fiely from Disenchanted. Um, we're gonna go through our regular shtick of our Broadway news, and we're gonna get deep down that rabbit hole for um some really incredible behind the scenes information and to really celebrate this long years upon years production that has a nice little Orlando tie to it.

[4:29] Amber Brzezinski: Um, and also a little fun little facts along the way of some things that I think my one of my favorite things, Dennis, was when I messaged you I had gone to Broadway Flea years ago in an adult. Do you know if you remember this in a dollar bin? I found a Disenchanted shot glass, and I was like, look what I found.

[4:48] Dennis Giacino: I'm very happy about that.

[4:52] Fiely Matias: You are the queen of Broadway Flea, I will say.

[4:55] Amber Brzezinski: I went to my first flea this year with Heather, and it was quite the experience.

[5:01] Heather Bedor: Hey, we had Neil Patrick Harris. We had a good time with it.

[5:05] Amber Brzezinski: It was very fun, it was very cool.

[5:08] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, NPH is there.

[5:10] Fiely Matias: Um, he and his husband were selling David Burko were selling um like stuff from their collection, and we've been very fortunate to work with Broadway Cares, um, where we're actually partnering and doing donations from our Etsy shop, and uh their marketing team brought us over. They're like, oh, by the way, if you see Neil Patrick Harris, go say hello, and I'm like, hi, Doogie.

[5:34] Dennis Giacino: He was he was so lovely, and he said hello to our Broadway fan clubs. We're very happy.

[5:39] Heather Bedor: Yeah, um, we're so happy to have you guys here. Um, I'm so appreciative. Like I've wanted to get you on the podcast for a while, but you know, this worked out great. So thanks for thanks for being here. Um good, and we'll also get into Zazy's wings, which is coming up and all the development events. So to uh buckle your seat belts, kids. It's gonna be a nice long and fun ride.

[6:01] Amber Brzezinski: Um, also, if I'm flustered for those of you out there that don't know, I have a concussion. Um, I'm also in the process of uh evacuating from a category five hurricane. Who would have thought?

[6:14] Heather Bedor: All right, you're just living the adventure right now.

[6:17] Amber Brzezinski: It's great. I could write my own show.

[6:19] Dennis Giacino: With that being said, um, Amber, do you want to get us started off on some Broadway news that these fine boys are gonna join us for?

[6:26] Amber Brzezinski: I do. Um, so let's just get the sad news out of the way first. So, first off, we have uh Zelig Williams, a Columbia, South Carolina native and former Broadway performer, has been reported missing. He made his Broadway debut in the cast of Hamilton as and worked on Hugh Jackman's World Tour. He was last seen and heard from by his family on the morning of October 3rd. So, you know, of course, if you see or hear from him, please, you know, let someone know. If you can, just share his information, help get the word out because part of the family is missing.

[7:06] Dennis Giacino: Yep, it's terrible.

[7:09] Amber Brzezinski: Um, more sad news. Water for Elephants, our dear show announced its closing date of December 8th. On that day, it will play 301 regular performances and 25 previews. But the good news is they're gonna be going on a national tour, so they'll start to announce more locations as to where you can catch them in your hometown or a short drive away.

[7:32] Dennis Giacino: Um then go ahead.

[7:34] Amber Brzezinski: I'm sure we've got some we're starting to get better news here.

[7:36] Dennis Giacino: Here we go.

[7:37] Amber Brzezinski: Better news, happier news. Okay, a little bit. We have Our Town officially opening on um October 10th after starting previews on September 17th. We have Shoshana Bean announcing that she will be playing her final performance as Jersey in Hell's Kitchen on December 1st, and she's gonna be on the next Broadway cruise, which is gonna be next March 31st or April 4th. At the end of the show, we'll give you guys a referral code to get 100 bucks off. Come join me on the highest seas of adventure.

[8:10] Heather Bedor: Yes, you're gonna go.

[8:12] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I I love the Broadway cruise. I just said this past year it was wonderful. And um, this upcoming year, they're gonna have I mean Shoshana Bean, they're gonna have Corey Cott or uh Wayne Brady, Anthony Rapp. I mean Bob Mackey is gonna be there.

[8:25] Dennis Giacino: Bob Mackey, yes.

[8:32] Amber Brzezinski: Uh get out of town.

[8:34] Heather Bedor: Right.

[8:35] Amber Brzezinski: I 100%. I need to get my hands in like a Bob Mackey Barbie doll to have him sign box.

[8:42] Dennis Giacino: So right.

[8:45] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, yeah. Yeah, I will if they say hi, I'd be like, call you guys, be like, Oh, you can talk to Bobby, it's fine.

[8:55] Heather Bedor: Awesome.

[8:56] Amber Brzezinski: Absolutely. Um, on that same note, John Cordozo and Jordan Tyson played their final performance in Broadway's The Notebook yesterday. Um, but that does mean that new cast members Anna Zavelson and Benji Santiago join the cast tomorrow.

[9:12] Dennis Giacino: And that means is heading over to Moulin Rouge.

[9:17] Amber Brzezinski: Moulin Rouge, exactly right.

[9:19] Dennis Giacino: Um, and I believe both of those new cast members in The Notebook are making their Broadway debut. So congrats to them.

[9:26] Fiely Matias: That's very big.

[9:27] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, exciting.

[9:29] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, do it all.

[9:31] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. Now we have some cool accessibility news, which is fantastic for theater and just generally. Romeo and Juliet will be providing open captioning at every performance. That's the first show to do so.

[9:45] Dennis Giacino: Yes.

[9:48] Amber Brzezinski: Select seats will be marked with an open captioning pop-up when purchased online, and displayed on a permanent screen above the set in front of those seats will be captions. So that's pretty cool that they're kind of integrating into their theater kind of this way of accessibility, just to allow more people the opportunity to see the show.

[10:12] Dennis Giacino: Is that the first theater to do that?

[10:14] Amber Brzezinski: They're the first Broadway show to do that from what they're making their rounds with.

[10:19] Fiely Matias: They should all do that.

[10:21] Amber Brzezinski: Right. I agree. I know like the Met does it on the back of the seat sometimes for their shows. But I think this is the first Broadway show to ever have open, like it's open accessibility. Like you don't have to like rent the thing or do the stuff, and it's much more easily accessible to people.

[10:38] Dennis Giacino: So it's great.

[10:39] Amber Brzezinski: Nice.

[10:40] Fiely Matias: Right.

[10:40] Dennis Giacino: I mean, right?

[10:40] Amber Brzezinski: Anyone can just look up and access that.

[10:43] Dennis Giacino: People are freaking out about Bob Macky good news.

[10:47] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, Bob Mackie level good news.

[10:53] Heather Bedor: Oh, look, you just so you guys know, you've got some princesses coming in. Andrew Arena, love you, Dennis. Rapunzel from Delaware. Hello.

[11:02] Dennis Giacino: Hey Andrea.

[11:03] Fiely Matias: Good to hear from you.

[11:05] Amber Brzezinski: Yay. I have a feeling we're gonna have a whole royal court here soon.

[11:09] Dennis Giacino: That's right. You know, we try to keep in touches, but you know, we we often I know we're still doing news here, but just because Andrew.

[11:20] Amber Brzezinski: Of course.

[11:21] Dennis Giacino: Okay. We we often go out and see as many shows as we can to you know, sort of cheer on and love and support the princesses all over the world. And um, so it's it's kind of cool.

[11:34] Fiely Matias: Speaking of a cruise, one day we want to have a princess con on a cruise.

[11:38] Dennis Giacino: Hi, I will be the producer of host ever.

[11:41] Amber Brzezinski: And you're and you're hosting. You're invited, you're invited.

[11:45] Dennis Giacino: Absolutely.

[11:48] Amber Brzezinski: That's we have to get like some old school princesses. We gotta get, we gotta get Michelle and we've gotta get Andrea Candy.

[11:55] Dennis Giacino: Right, right.

[11:56] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, yeah, for sure.

[11:57] Fiely Matias: And we just love the the the picture in our head of of like uh you know 200 little mermaids all singing two legs at the same time.

[12:06] Dennis Giacino: Yes, like a big family reunion.

[12:11] Amber Brzezinski: Right, right. Like when we saw the 25th anniversary Lennay's, we want that for us.

[12:17] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, that's right.

[12:18] Amber Brzezinski: I'm here for it. I don't I don't think you have to like even look at it.

[12:21] Dennis Giacino: And you guys can wave the flag, yeah.

[12:24] Amber Brzezinski: Right. Maybe maybe they'll wave Ariel's tail.

[12:30] Dennis Giacino: Or Rapunzel's hair.

[12:32] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, that's that's something that's right.

[12:35] Dennis Giacino: Or we can just do the wave.

[12:36] Amber Brzezinski: We can just like do the audience wave.

[12:38] Dennis Giacino: Or you'll just say there are waves.

[12:40] Amber Brzezinski: It's great. Well, and there's there's a fun fact too, and I think Dennis knows this, but um, right before COVID, I was actually brought on to co-produce an Orlando Disenchanted. We had the rights in our hands, and COVID did.

[13:01] Dennis Giacino: Oh, it's so sad.

[13:03] Amber Brzezinski: I know I was so excited. I was like beside myself. I was like, I cannot wait to get my hands on the show, and then COVID.

[13:10] Dennis Giacino: One of these days, one of these one of these days.

[13:14] Amber Brzezinski: Post-COVID and COVID post-concussion, yeah, all of that.

[13:19] Dennis Giacino: Saturday is ahead.

[13:21] Amber Brzezinski: That's fine. It's fine, everything's fine.

[13:23] Fiely Matias: And where do we have the other news to report?

[13:26] Amber Brzezinski: Just a couple more items on the list. We have Sean Aston will be coming, making his um, I don't know if it's his Broadway debut actually, but he will be uh coming on to Broadway as Santa in the upcoming production of Elf, which is going to be amazing.

[13:46] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, that is that's crazy.

[13:49] Amber Brzezinski: I mean, well, if you just come in at the end and just go Santa and then of course it's gonna be a very cute production.

[14:01] Fiely Matias: One of us will talk about Sean Aston is Santa.

[14:06] Amber Brzezinski: How old are we?

[14:08] Dennis Giacino: Oh but it is his Broadway debut, just to confirm.

[14:11] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, yes, it is his Broadway debut.

[14:14] Dennis Giacino: I thought so. But I feel like he's too young to play that role.

[14:20] Dennis Giacino: He's 53.

[14:22] Fiely Matias: Santa is uh ageless, so I'm sure it could be anybody.

[14:26] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, yeah.

[14:28] Fiely Matias: But his mom Patty Duke up in heaven must be so proud because she was in the original Miracle Worker, I think.

[14:34] Dennis Giacino: Oh, yeah.

[14:34] Fiely Matias: Yes.

[14:35] Dennis Giacino: Which did not have a Santa in it.

[14:37] Fiely Matias: What we're talking about?

[14:38] Dennis Giacino: Wait a minute.

[14:38] Fiely Matias: I don't know.

[14:39] Dennis Giacino: But I wanted to throw that in there.

[14:49] Fiely Matias: I love it.

[14:50] Amber Brzezinski: And then our last bit of news is that the Halloween schedule is out.

[14:55] Dennis Giacino: So there are many shows that are going dark on Halloween.

[15:00] Amber Brzezinski: We did post the schedule in the Broadway fan club.

[15:03] Dennis Giacino: So take a peek.

[15:04] Amber Brzezinski: Um, take a look at our post.

[15:06] Dennis Giacino: We can make sure that if you are planning to see a show, if you're planning to be in the city that day, that you know which shows are going to be available that evening.

[15:15] Fiely Matias: And message me and Amber because we're gonna be running around the city in ball gowns because we're gonna see ball gowns.

[15:22] Dennis Giacino: Oh yeah, it's happening.

[15:24] Fiely Matias: It's gonna happen.

[15:25] Amber Brzezinski: I love it.

[15:25] Fiely Matias: I wish we could join you.

[15:27] Dennis Giacino: I know.

[15:28] Fiely Matias: Come on out.

[15:29] Dennis Giacino: Come on.

[15:29] Fiely Matias: Yes.

[15:32] Amber Brzezinski: Absolutely.

[15:33] Fiely Matias: Um, come on, open invite, open invite.

[15:36] Dennis Giacino: We'll go to Schmack Greeves, we'll have some apple cider.

[15:38] Fiely Matias: Oh, yummy.

[15:40] Amber Brzezinski: Yes, please.

[15:41] Dennis Giacino: I know.

[15:41] Fiely Matias: I had to touch on that point there.

[15:43] Dennis Giacino: I had to touch on that point.

[15:44] Amber Brzezinski: Um, well, and I'll add some additional news if you guys haven't seen um that uh going back from our last week's episode um with the unfortunate news of Gavin Creel's passing.

[15:54] Dennis Giacino: Um, there is a petition going around that's getting a lot of circulation, as they said, some theaters will be dimming their lights, it won't be a complete dimming of the lights.

[16:03] Fiely Matias: Um, but the Al Hirschfield has signed on to dim their lights, which is probably the most impactful theater to his career.

[16:10] Dennis Giacino: Um if you are inclined to do so, feel free to sign the petition.

[16:14] Fiely Matias: It is all over the internet.

[16:15] Dennis Giacino: I believe we shared it as well.

[16:17] Fiely Matias: And we're hoping that the Broadway league will consider just get over it and do a full blackout or full full dimming of the lights.

[16:25] Dennis Giacino: I think he deserves that.

[16:26] Fiely Matias: So yes, yep, absolutely.

[16:31] Dennis Giacino: So we'll be good.

[16:33] Fiely Matias: Sorry, it's that through desk, he's been playing on his station on serious uh like lots of Gavin Creel songs.

[16:39] Dennis Giacino: And like, why are you doing this to me?

[16:41] Fiely Matias: Why are you doing this?

[16:45] Dennis Giacino: It was also on American Horror Story.

[16:47] Fiely Matias: We saw that episode where he was on American Horror Story, he did an episode, right?

[16:51] Dennis Giacino: Oh, that's great.

[16:52] Fiely Matias: We did do an episode.

[16:55] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, we were like, it's Gavin Creel.

[16:58] Fiely Matias: I mean, I saw him in um I mean the most recently was into the woods, and I just I became more obsessed with every performance that he did besides thoroughly modern Millie with Sutton, and he did She Loves Me.

[17:11] Dennis Giacino: I mean, right it hurts.

[17:15] Fiely Matias: It hurts.

[17:15] Dennis Giacino: I mean, only a couple years older than me.

[17:17] Fiely Matias: Um, and we'll only a couple years than all of us, yeah, right.

[17:21] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, Rolling or Okay, yeah.

[17:24] Fiely Matias: Yeah, or younger.

[17:27] Dennis Giacino: Yes, such a light on stage.

[17:31] Fiely Matias: Yeah, yeah.

[17:32] Dennis Giacino: I just and it, you know, this this Broadway community.

[17:36] Fiely Matias: Um, I've said it before and I'll say it again.

[17:39] Dennis Giacino: Broadway is like a local theater community, just happens to be on a bigger stage, more venues, all in the same spot, but truly it is a big dysfunctional family in the best way possible.

[17:49] Fiely Matias: Um I think theater brings us together because there's shows out there for everybody, everyone takes something different from each show.

[17:56] Dennis Giacino: I mean, even a show like Disenchanted, you have diehard Disney fans who are gung-ho for it, and you have people who are like, I want to know the real stuff, and you find somehow like a perfect blend, and everybody finds something to take away from it.

[18:08] Fiely Matias: So important.

[18:10] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, yeah, you know, and you're so right about Broadway too.

[18:13] Fiely Matias: I know when we were doing the show in New York City and the Broadway shows, groups of cast members were coming together.

[18:21] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, some people from Hamilton.

[18:25] Fiely Matias: We're like fun home.

[18:26] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, you know, so they all kind of come out and we all go visit each other, and yeah, so it really is that family we're talking about.

[18:35] Fiely Matias: So yeah, it's it's it's um sad about Gavin Creole.

[18:39] Dennis Giacino: So yeah, it is very sad, but that's why you gotta kind of you know hold on to those that you love and just realize time is short.

[18:47] Fiely Matias: And it's short and live it now.

[18:49] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, damn right, damn right.

[18:51] Fiely Matias: Yeah, now um, for those of our followers that are unfamiliar with who these five gentlemen are below us.

[18:56] Amber Brzezinski: Um, do you guys want to give them a cliff notes version as to who you are, what you do, and why you're talking to us?

[19:04] Dennis Giacino: We're talking to you because we love Heather, and we now love Amber.

[19:08] Fiely Matias: So we love both of them.

[19:10] Dennis Giacino: Number one reason we're here.

[19:12] Fiely Matias: Yes.

[19:12] Dennis Giacino: We love the Broadway fan club, we love Broadway, yeah.

[19:16] Fiely Matias: Uh and we're just we're the creators of uh of a show called Disenchanted that that played off Broadway.

[19:23] Dennis Giacino: Not the movie, not the movie.

[19:25] Fiely Matias: This was before the movie.

[19:27] Dennis Giacino: Right.

[19:28] Fiely Matias: By the way, it was also before Wreck It Ralph.

[19:35] Dennis Giacino: Because somebody said, Oh, well, that's already been done.

[19:39] Fiely Matias: The princesses on Wrecky Ralph, and I was like, We're fact checking that.

[19:43] Dennis Giacino: Fact check.

[19:44] Fiely Matias: That came 12 years after we wrote our show.

[19:47] Dennis Giacino: Yeah.

[19:48] Fiely Matias: So us first, good first.

[19:51] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, we did.

[19:53] Fiely Matias: We wrote um the musical Disenchanted that started in Orlando, Florida.

[19:58] Dennis Giacino: Yeah.

[19:58] Fiely Matias: And uh we were part of the Orlando Fringe Festival.

[20:01] Dennis Giacino: Um putting up a show, and um it took off from there, and when we extended it um at the Orlando Shakespeare, um Andrea Canning was nice enough to invite a friend of hers who is a great producer, and within a month we were up in New York.

[20:22] Fiely Matias: Then of course, three years of development.

[20:25] Dennis Giacino: That's the way it goes, right?

[20:26] Fiely Matias: Yeah, you went from a whole blow show, yeah.

[20:26] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, yeah.

[20:32] Fiely Matias: Um I think I was I think I I was the venue captain, like two of those shows, and it was crazy.

[20:40] Dennis Giacino: And then when you brought it back six years ago, I'm trying to think when you guys played in the Universal Theater at that was uh the rep, but now as Orlando Family Stage.

[20:52] Fiely Matias: Um, I was down the hall at the green venue where the line was just backed up through the whole venue for I think the two full days that you guys did anything.

[21:00] Dennis Giacino: It was incredible.

[21:01] Fiely Matias: It was a great hall.

[21:03] Dennis Giacino: I mean, we could not have accomplished anything without Orlando and the Orlando fringe.

[21:12] Fiely Matias: I mean, that's true, don't you feel?

[21:13] Dennis Giacino: I feel that's so true.

[21:16] Fiely Matias: Fringe Festival in general.

[21:19] Dennis Giacino: Fringe is so important.

[21:20] Fiely Matias: We talk about it a lot here.

[21:22] Dennis Giacino: Yeah.

[21:22] Fiely Matias: Um censored, you know.

[21:25] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, we're so grateful um for that time.

[21:30] Fiely Matias: You know, that was back in 2011.

[21:32] Dennis Giacino: And um, you know, I remember Beth Marshall, who was the head of the fringe at the time, and um uh it was it was crazy because she kept saying in 2010, bring it, bring it.

[21:45] Fiely Matias: And we were like, not till 2011, we're not ready yet.

[21:49] Dennis Giacino: And um, so when we brought it in 2011, we were super thrilled and and super excited, and and it was it was a great welcoming for the show.

[21:59] Fiely Matias: Yeah.

[22:00] Amber Brzezinski: Now I I learned a new fact when I asked you to send me over information, Dennis.

[22:05] Dennis Giacino: I never realized you compose by ear only.

[22:08] Dennis Giacino: Yep.

[22:08] Fiely Matias: Yeah, I can't read music.

[22:10] Dennis Giacino: I mean, I can read a little bit, not fast enough to play it.

[22:14] Fiely Matias: And um, so the way the process goes is I'll I'll just spit the keys and I'll compose.

[22:22] Dennis Giacino: Uh before I even do that, usually I'm outside walking or running, and that you know, sounds like the Partridge family with the windshield, you know, and they they write a song to it, but that was me.

[22:35] Fiely Matias: Exactly.

[22:37] Dennis Giacino: Yeah.

[22:39] Fiely Matias: So yeah, you know, I'll I'll I'll hear the the beat in in my feet running or or walking, and I'll to create the song and then I go to the keys and I play it.

[22:51] Dennis Giacino: But once we have a song finished, music and lyrics, we have we actually have to send it off to somebody to write down on paper to transcribe.

[22:58] Fiely Matias: We sing into uh an audio device.

[23:01] Dennis Giacino: Oh my god.

[23:01] Fiely Matias: And then we send the song to somebody and they have to like figure out what and hopefully none of those ever get out because it's super embarrassing to hear us sing our own songs.

[23:13] Dennis Giacino: But it shows whatever it takes.

[23:14] Fiely Matias: It's like you know, bootstrapping it, like you're you haven't learned how to read music music.

[23:20] Dennis Giacino: So it's inspiring for people who might be like hesitant to learn that new language, but they want to play music.

[23:26] Fiely Matias: So when they play, and like I so I started playing piano at a young age, um, but I played by ear.

[23:33] Dennis Giacino: I think the first thing I learned that I played by ear was a Simpsons theme.

[23:37] Fiely Matias: Don't know why.

[23:39] Dennis Giacino: Don't know why.

[23:40] Fiely Matias: Um but I mean uh but it was it was just something to play.

[23:47] Dennis Giacino: But I I was in band from sixth grade to 11th grade.

[23:52] Fiely Matias: Um, and reading music is literally learning another language, so it is inspiring that you guys are able to do this stuff, you know, not in the traditional sense.

[24:01] Dennis Giacino: I think that that opens it up the world to a lot more people.

[24:05] Fiely Matias: Yeah, we we've learned a lot uh, you know, along the way too, and and we love that, you know.

[24:10] Dennis Giacino: We we love learning new languages, new things and and whatnot.

[24:14] Fiely Matias: And um, so yeah, you know, I haven't grown up in the New York City area, part in New York and part in New Jersey.

[24:22] Dennis Giacino: Um, you know, I sat in every Broadway musical, you know.

[24:27] Fiely Matias: Well, and straight plays too, but but mostly musicals since I was in third grade, and just I feel like it just osmosis in, you know, and you go, okay, that that's how you write a Broadway musical.

[24:41] Dennis Giacino: That's like you know, that kind of thing, and then sure and you know kids we can do anything and so yeah I think that that really was how it all started was just growing up in New York City and and um you know letting it all wash over you all of Broadway and going ah absorbing it all in yeah yeah I mean I I I could relate um I've never wanted to be like I I have no problem being in front of people but I've never wanted to learn lines but production and the stage management and like the creative side of it I always found them just so fascinating and I've been very fortunate knock on wood to have some wonderful friends um and to continue to build that circle and and have conversations um like Ivan Manchel just had a conversation with him Friday the librettist for Bonnie and Clyde and Death Note and you you just talk to people like yourselves and you just you're in it and you just absorb it and that's always something I encourage is if there's something you want to do surround yourself with the people that are achieving that or working hard in it because it is osmosis absolutely 100% I couldn't agree more.

[25:54] Dennis Giacino: Totally agree and there's more than one way to do anything.

[25:57] Fiely Matias: Yeah oh yeah and you know everyone asks us we we do talk backs and lectures and around the world how do you write a musical and we're how do you get to off Broadway and we're like I I mean you know a lot of it is hard work is love a lot of it's love yeah.

[26:15] Dennis Giacino: And but you gotta you gotta love what you do.

[26:18] Fiely Matias: I always say when you write something, make sure it's something that you really love because you're gonna marry it.

[26:24] Dennis Giacino: I mean, we've been disenchanted since 2006, right?

[26:27] Fiely Matias: Yeah.

[26:28] Dennis Giacino: And um, and and though we've had other shows, you know, along the way, you you do you marry it, so you better love it, you know.

[26:36] Fiely Matias: And the goal shouldn't be like Broadway or off-broadway, the goal should be something that you love or happy with, right?

[26:43] Dennis Giacino: Right.

[26:43] Fiely Matias: If something else comes from it, that's great.

[26:45] Dennis Giacino: Something you want to share with the world, yeah, because people go.

[26:47] Fiely Matias: You're not in it for the money, you're in it for the creative process and the expansion of the family.

[26:52] Dennis Giacino: And I absolutely write it because you have to, you know, we didn't know we were going to off-Broadway until it happened.

[27:00] Fiely Matias: But I think if you do stuff that you love and passionate about, things will happen that are illogical because life is illogical that you don't know what's gonna happen.

[27:08] Dennis Giacino: So don't yeah, just keep going.

[27:10] Fiely Matias: But you gotta show it, you gotta keep on up to the train station in order to catch the train.

[27:15] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, you know, so you know I like it.

[27:18] Fiely Matias: Those are always what we when we when we talk to students in high schools and whatnot, we always they're like, Oh, what should I do?

[27:24] Dennis Giacino: I want to be an actor, I want to be an actor.

[27:26] Fiely Matias: I want to just keep showing up, yeah.

[27:30] Dennis Giacino: Just keep showing up, and eventually somebody will will notice your your magic, you know.

[27:35] Amber Brzezinski: Now I've got to ask this question.

[27:38] Amber Brzezinski: If you guys, I know it's in 2006, so 18 years of this.

[27:42] Amber Brzezinski: If you weren't doing disenchanted and 2006 was a totally different year, where do you think either one of you would be?

[27:47] Dennis Giacino: I know Dennis, you were a history teacher.

[27:50] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, I was.

[27:51] Fiely Matias: So yeah.

[27:51] Amber Brzezinski: What would you guys do?

[27:54] Fiely Matias: Oh gosh, you know, we uh that's a great test.

[28:01] Dennis Giacino: It's great.

[28:02] Fiely Matias: I love it.

[28:04] Fiely Matias: I don't think I'd just be a street performer.

[28:06] Dennis Giacino: I think I'd be a clown, hopefully a clown in some on some street corner, you know.

[28:11] Fiely Matias: You know, um, you know, have a hat out and doing little performances here and there.

[28:16] Dennis Giacino: Yeah.

[28:16] Fiely Matias: Because I tried other jobs and I I've literally become so depressed that oh yeah, I you know, so depressed because I think it's creative.

[28:26] Dennis Giacino: You have to be creative or you get really depressed.

[28:29] Fiely Matias: And I've tried other jobs.

[28:31] Dennis Giacino: So I know if this hadn't worked out, I still would be pursuing something creative.

[28:34] Fiely Matias: And worse come worse, I'd be just out on the street corner just trying to make people laugh.

[28:38] Dennis Giacino: And I think that I'd be happy with that.

[28:40] Fiely Matias: Yeah.

[28:42] Dennis Giacino: I love it. Yeah, well when we first started together, we met back in 1990.

[28:48] Fiely Matias: 91, something like that.

[28:50] Dennis Giacino: And yeah, this is like 32 years now, you know, uh uh of the oops guys, as we were knowing.

[28:57] Fiely Matias: We're 200 years old.

[28:58] Dennis Giacino: 200. We have a great for two hundred.

[29:03] Fiely Matias: And we used to own a small little you know, theater.

[29:07] Dennis Giacino: We used to run our own theater that had all of like 60 seats, and um it here in Oregon, and um yeah, so we'd probably still be doing that.

[29:17] Fiely Matias: That would be my guess is that we would have gone back to that and we love doing fridge shorts, so we you know, and and would go back and do that in a heartbeat anyway.

[29:26] Dennis Giacino: We'd still be doing theater.

[29:27] Fiely Matias: Yeah, we'd still be doing some kind of theater.

[29:30] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, yep, yep. I love that. I do love that.

[29:32] Fiely Matias: Yeah, and the reason I bring up being a history teacher is that's really the reason disenchanted, you know.

[29:38] Dennis Giacino: I'm a Disney girl, I was friends with Disney Princess. It's fine. Like I have my Cheshire cat ears are literally next to me because it's part of my decorations.

[29:47] Fiely Matias: Um we won't look at the 85 lounge flies behind me.

[29:51] Dennis Giacino: We're good. Uh, but I always did have a problem going, you know, you're little, and then you start to learn the real story about Pocahontas or the real story of like what the webinar is based off of, and you're like, okay, like beautiful story, but like I want more of history, and I get hungry for it.

[30:09] Fiely Matias: So I do like that. This is and Disney's embraced this show, which I love too.

[30:15] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, that's cool.

[30:16] Fiely Matias: Oh, yeah. Um, I think when Michelle was doing that interview, she was saying, like, they're like, Yeah, this is a great way to roast it.

[30:22] Dennis Giacino: That's fine. Um, yeah, yeah, it's sort of the forbidden Broadway of you know, in a sense, forbidden Disney throughout Disney.

[30:31] Fiely Matias: Speaking of Forbidden Broadway, they'll be on our podcast in a couple of weeks.

[30:34] Dennis Giacino: But yes, um, you know, it's oh that's great.

[30:37] Fiely Matias: Jenny Lee Stern was one of our princesses.

[30:39] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, that Jenny Lee Stern on.

[30:41] Fiely Matias: I don't know if she's coming on or not, but she's great.

[30:45] Dennis Giacino: Oh, that's great. Well, tell her we said hi.

[30:48] Fiely Matias: Jenny RC, she's the little mermaid and Rapunzel and Bell on our uh 10th anniversary studio recording.

[30:57] Dennis Giacino: So she's amazing.

[30:59] Fiely Matias: She she really it's funny with Jenny Lee Stern from Forbidden Broadway.

[31:03] Dennis Giacino: Um she walked in to the audition, she brought baked goods, always a good idea for us.

[31:14] Fiely Matias: I think so. Baked goods.

[31:16] Dennis Giacino: Right. Like, I have some. I have some stuff, and we were like, yes, please.

[31:19] Fiely Matias: Okay, so go ahead and call our easy.

[31:23] Dennis Giacino: And she really created the mermaid right in that audition. You know, she started singing mermaid and the character life.

[31:31] Fiely Matias: Yeah, and the same happened with Michelle in Orlando.

[31:34] Dennis Giacino: She walked in. I turned to Fiona, I said, Oh my gosh, she looks just like Snow White.

[31:38] Fiely Matias: I hope she can sing.

[31:39] Dennis Giacino: And you get that first note, and she hits that first note skinette.

[31:43] Fiely Matias: Yeah, and she's still hearing it.

[31:44] Dennis Giacino: I'm still hearing it. The one you just think.

[31:47] Fiely Matias: And I said to Peelia, I went, Oh god.

[31:49] Dennis Giacino: Thank God. We have a snow white.

[31:51] Fiely Matias: So that's that's great.

[31:52] Dennis Giacino: Yeah. So that's the way it happens, you know. People just walk in and they wow you.

[31:57] Fiely Matias: And you're like, Disney people love the show. They buy merchandise.

[32:02] Dennis Giacino: Yep.

[32:02] Fiely Matias: They maybe they know the inside joke.

[32:04] Dennis Giacino: They have they have uh a more appreciation for the show because they they understand on a different level what we're going for as well.

[32:11] Fiely Matias: Right.

[32:11] Dennis Giacino: And Disney did, you know, we started right in Orlando, and they sent somebody down, you know, which was great.

[32:18] Fiely Matias: We we wanted that, you know, and he came up to me afterwards and he shook my hand, you know.

[32:24] Dennis Giacino: An attorney shook my hand, he said, can't touch it.

[32:27] Fiely Matias: You you took it from the point of view of the books.

[32:30] Dennis Giacino: Public domain, yeah, and the public domain books, and everything's original.

[32:36] Fiely Matias: Oh good, yeah.

[32:38] Dennis Giacino: So we're good. And listen, here's the thing.

[32:41] Fiely Matias: We we love the Disney crap, you know.

[32:43] Dennis Giacino: We love Disney. We just felt that there were story more stories other than the ones that were being taught that we needed to.

[32:52] Fiely Matias: Hey, lap it off.

[32:53] Dennis Giacino: Right. Sorry, so Amber.

[32:55] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, sorry.

[32:56] Dennis Giacino: No, that wasn't really no, nope.

[32:59] Amber Brzezinski: I'm a foster mom.

[33:01] Dennis Giacino: Hamber fosters puppies and kitty is but she currently is it still Skye that's over at the house?

[33:06] Amber Brzezinski: This is still sky.

[33:07] Dennis Giacino: Let me see what's so we got we get puppies.

[33:11] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, hello.

[33:12] Dennis Giacino: Oh cute.

[33:15] Amber Brzezinski: I saw Kitty go across the sofa at one point.

[33:18] Dennis Giacino: No, this is the same her.

[33:20] Amber Brzezinski: Same one. Just for running by, yeah.

[33:24] Dennis Giacino: Oh.

[33:25] Amber Brzezinski: She's had her addresses, she's getting fixed this week.

[33:27] Dennis Giacino: Shh, don't tell her.

[33:29] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. We've already tried to do it once before, and it did not go well.

[33:35] Dennis Giacino: So this is our second attempt.

[33:37] Amber Brzezinski: Okay.

[33:39] Dennis Giacino: Okay.

[33:40] Amber Brzezinski: I love it.

[33:41] Dennis Giacino: Good luck.

[33:42] Amber Brzezinski: Thank you.

[33:43] Dennis Giacino: I'll need it. Amber's like the animal whisperer because the foster that's like the um the human society that she works with the shelter that she works with, they'll send her like the pain in the butt animals, like the ones that really need to like get some loving.

[33:55] Fiely Matias: And then she like does some kind of like magic animal whispering, and then they get adopted as soon as you leave her house.

[34:01] Dennis Giacino: Right.

[34:02] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, you have the gift.

[34:04] Dennis Giacino: You're you're the magic in everything.

[34:06] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[34:06] Dennis Giacino: I love it.

[34:07] Amber Brzezinski: I have a hundred percent success rate.

[34:09] Dennis Giacino: So yeah.

[34:11] Fiely Matias: Oh wow.

[34:12] Amber Brzezinski: That's something.

[34:13] Dennis Giacino: Yeah.

[34:14] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. Maybe you can um foster me and give me a hug.

[34:20] Dennis Giacino: I think that's what might be benefit.

[34:24] Fiely Matias: 32 years and we can't get rid of him.

[34:26] Dennis Giacino: Right.

[34:28] Fiely Matias: I wouldn't want to get rid of him.

[34:30] Dennis Giacino: I mean, you know, yeah.

[34:32] Fiely Matias: I kid.

[34:33] Dennis Giacino: I just did.

[34:34] Fiely Matias: I can.

[34:35] Dennis Giacino: But feel like you you had this director's touch with everything off Broadway, and you've been all over multiple countries and doing this stuff, and both of you guys have been traveling so much.

[34:46] Amber Brzezinski: What do you feel as a director?

[34:49] Fiely Matias: What do you feel is a challenge when you you know, kind of touching base off of most people know the Disney princesses or the stories?

[34:58] Dennis Giacino: Do you feel that you have to shift your cast out of that mindset?

[35:02] Fiely Matias: Or are they pretty receptive to it?

[35:04] Dennis Giacino: Like, what would be your biggest challenge? Do you think that you've come across?

[35:07] Fiely Matias: I think when directing disenchanted, you know, everybody comes in because we've all grown up and have been immersed in in this princess complex.

[35:17] Dennis Giacino: So a lot of the times I spend a lot of time just talking to the princesses and just really getting to know their history and their past and their connection with how they grew up with these images of princesses, these expectations of what we're supposed to be and who we're supposed to look like and what we're supposed to think, how we think.

[35:37] Fiely Matias: And then I say, Well, you know, how do you how do you react to that feeling so pressured being a certain way?

[35:46] Dennis Giacino: And everybody has a human connection to having these unrealistic expectations of who you're supposed to be, what you're supposed to be, what you're supposed to look like, you know, right.

[35:56] Fiely Matias: And everybody can I come to from that perspective, then I say now sing the song, right?

[36:02] Dennis Giacino: You know, because a lot of our songs have a lot of comedy in them with on the surface level.

[36:07] Fiely Matias: But if you can sing them with a hint of truth connected to your experience as an adult living, you know, the real life and not the fairy tale, then the songs take on, you know, a more whole approach, yeah, a more layered approach.

[36:23] Dennis Giacino: And so then you're laughing, then you're like, Oh, yeah, I can still connect.

[36:27] Fiely Matias: That's how I I direct.

[36:28] Dennis Giacino: You can take, for instance, Mulan's song without the guy as just a comedy song and sing it that way, and it'll work.

[36:37] Fiely Matias: But if you play it on the level, yeah, it's fun.

[36:41] Dennis Giacino: And yeah, but if you play on the level that we wrote beneath the comedy of it, it.

[36:46] Fiely Matias: It's you know, the princesses were our door into all of these subjects, whether it's body image or race, um, and and diversity, um, gender, and what you know, all of it is is tackled in the show, but we put the comedy on top so the audience can discover these messages underneath, and with with Mulan's song, sure, there's the comedy on top, but underneath it is hey, so just because I'm a little different from everybody else, does that make me any less valid a person?

[37:20] Dennis Giacino: That's really what that song is about, which is why we feel that audiences can connect to the show on many different levels, and um, that's important to us.

[37:29] Fiely Matias: Yeah.

[37:30] Dennis Giacino: And you know, you're talking about what you're looking for.

[37:32] Amber Brzezinski: I always get curious when there's like there's uh scribed, which is great when you're looking at what what you guys would be looking for for a cast, and the cast breakdown, women of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities.

[37:45] Fiely Matias: And I think that's so important because you also say these women are not the Disney princesses, they are the women from the original fairy tales based on Grim, Perul, Zay Valenou, uh historic accounts and the legend with a healthy dose of modern day strong independent women mixed in.

[38:00] Dennis Giacino: No exploitative or filling Disney costumes.

[38:03] Fiely Matias: And I love it.

[38:04] Dennis Giacino: Um, and I've seen these photos, Dennis.

[38:06] Amber Brzezinski: You know, I always talk your Facebook because you're constantly traveling, and then you're at one show, and then um, Amber, do you want to pull up that picture from Madrid?

[38:15] Fiely Matias: Sure.

[38:16] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[38:17] Dennis Giacino: So I want to hear more about this.

[38:19] Fiely Matias: So they did a six month run.

[38:22] Dennis Giacino: Is that correct?

[38:24] Fiely Matias: Yeah, they did.

[38:25] Dennis Giacino: They um they started at the end of last year in 2023.

[38:30] Fiely Matias: They're like it's the Spanish Broadway area, right?

[38:33] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, Madrid is is really, you know.

[38:35] Fiely Matias: I mean, if there's you know, for lack of a better description, um, you know, and we've been to Madrid, but Madrid is is really sort of it is exactly what you said it's a Spanish Broadway they have you know it's it's all you know stars of Spain and and Europe and um you know in gorgeous theaters I think we were in the Teatro Lara there which is uh it's beautiful almost and you can see it in that picture it's an almost 500 seat space and with that oh here comes oh there it is that's when they sold their 1500th ticket um by the time they were done they seated over 2000 people and um it you know they uh they had a great cast there it's also the same company uh or one of the companies that brought the show to Buenos Aires Argentina first and then said hey you know we're gonna bring this to Madrid one day and then uh a couple years later they contacted us and said okay now we're ready and they're gonna put it up for uh oh gosh what was it just two months or something like that extended they kept extending and extending yeah and went to six months uh with it they they won some awards there they were nominated for class musical from the Met Major Spain Theater Awards is that correct yeah yeah yeah and uh I believe the MET and Mets yeah yeah that they um so they won the award for um uh I think it's Madrid's Teatro or you know Madrid's theater uh awards there and then uh got nominated for for uh the really big awards too as well.

[40:28] Dennis Giacino: So yeah, it was it was a huge success, and it was all in Spanish, and you know, we've seen it now in Spanish, in Italian, um, in Danish, where the little mermaid sang in her native tongue for the first time, which was very cool to see.

[40:54] Fiely Matias: Um, and uh and so it is fun to sit in an audience and see laughs come at all the same moments, even though we don't speak the languages, so we don't we know what part of the show it is, but we're you kind of know what's going on, but yeah, kind of know what's there, um, and uh and so it is fun to see different cultures react in the same way, you know, only showing that we're all kind of alike, you know, and you know, these boundaries we put up between each other is are so unimportant, you know.

[41:26] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, no, of course.

[41:28] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, we we all bleed blood, like we all did not to be grab, like there is concussions, we all get concussions.

[41:39] Fiely Matias: Oh my god, I hope not.

[41:40] Dennis Giacino: I told my mom because she's like, I don't know.

[41:43] Fiely Matias: Two days after the car accident, I was in New York and tired, but I was like, Oh, I'm just getting old, it's fine.

[41:51] Dennis Giacino: And when I get home, is when they diagnosed me the concussion.

[41:54] Fiely Matias: My mom's like, How do you have a concussion?

[41:56] Dennis Giacino: You were in New York, and I'm like, I had it then too.

[42:00] Fiely Matias: Oh no, wow, gosh, yeah.

[42:03] Dennis Giacino: And so I went to the doctor today, and he's like, It's actually like permanent brain damage and like super severe.

[42:09] Fiely Matias: And I'm like, Awesome, that's great.

[42:11] Dennis Giacino: What is that?

[42:13] Fiely Matias: That is not Heather.

[42:14] Dennis Giacino: It are not to make this about me, but yes, it can make me more irritable, more anxious, have more short short-term memory and restlessness.

[42:25] Fiely Matias: Well, I feel like I question with that description.

[42:30] Dennis Giacino: Right.

[42:31] Fiely Matias: We all have it.

[42:33] Dennis Giacino: We're all right.

[42:36] Fiely Matias: Theater's been like that one mainstay.

[42:38] Dennis Giacino: Like I get excited to be able to do this.

[42:40] Fiely Matias: And yeah, I've got like an adulting full-time job that pays the bills to be able to do the Broadway fan club.

[42:46] Dennis Giacino: But this just keeps me going.

[42:48] Fiely Matias: It's it's really a part of me.

[42:49] Dennis Giacino: Um now I want to talk more about all of these beautiful tours that you guys have done in all these different countries.

[42:55] Fiely Matias: Have you had, and I think I know the answer, but I'll let you answer.

[42:59] Dennis Giacino: Have you had countries or parts of countries that one gave you guys a lot of pushback, like where people were not supposed to be doing the show, or countries that wanted to where you guys were restricted with the copyright housing and licensing?

[43:15] Fiely Matias: Oh, well, that that's interesting.

[43:18] Dennis Giacino: Um to the restriction. Um I can't think of a country that you know we've been told we can't do, you know, or refuse to do the show. I mean, even on down to there was a school in like um can can Kinshasa can Sasa can Shasa Africa, and um, yeah, I don't know that that production happened because I think it was around COVID and and whatnot as well. And and some schools, you know, went out. And so yeah, but I don't think the second part of the question, there hasn't been a place that's come to us and said, Yeah, we can't do this. It's like some of the hurdles that we've had to deal with international licenses is some of the jokes that are American pop culture don't really transfer in there. So we had they had some words translators, and with Dennis saying, Well, this is what we think is funny and what you're going for.

[44:16] Fiely Matias: Right. And you know, and like some of the pop culture names and everything like that.

[44:20] Dennis Giacino: Right. Oh, go ahead, sorry.

[44:21] Fiely Matias: Oh, I'm sorry. And then um, and and then sometimes in the US, we get sometimes um some questions from licenses saying, Can we cut some of these princesses? Because we, you know, like some of them don't deal don't deal with the gay issue of Mulan. We're like, no, we can't cut it. No, you have to you know, you have don't do it if you don't feel comfortable doing it. You can get a motor mountain label out of hair script, right? It makes them impossible. So if people go, we we don't have this character or we can't do this character, we're like, well, then you can't do this show, unfortunately. You know, and we're trying to increase casting for BIPOC performers.

[45:01] Fiely Matias: Yep. You know, we have a Native American in the show, so we're trying to push it and go, no, do this show and work harder to cast a more diverse cast so that everybody can be seen.

[45:12] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, so we feel very good about that because that was one of our, you know, whenever we sit down to write a show, we always set goals for ourselves, and one of those was to offer more roles to folks that aren't usually, you know, unfortunately afforded that.

[45:29] Fiely Matias: And right, yeah. We had one person, uh huh, a Native American grandmother came to a show in Seattle.

[45:30] Dennis Giacino: Right. It was in Seattle, and she saw the song that Pocahontas sings.

[45:40] Fiely Matias: Right. And at first she was like, I got couldn't. And she had brought her granddaughter, and she says, At first, I was so scared to see another, you know, depiction of my, you know, Native Americans on stage.

[45:51] Dennis Giacino: Well, and remember, just to fill in the blanks here, too, is when Pocahontas first enters, we sort of see her as the what pop culture sees her as this voluptuous, you know, flying across, you know, you know, animated, yeah. Amazing hair, you know.

[46:09] Fiely Matias: Right. So when she saw that entrance, she used at the end of the show and she would made us cry because she was crying. She was like, Oh, I was so glad somebody said something honest on stage, and I was proud to share that with my granddaughter. We were like, Oh, amazing, you know, and it's so funny.

[46:30] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, because with that song, honestly, it's uh one of the last two songs written for the show. Um, and and with that, it's it's it's funny to to put out there the idea that there are often not often, but every once in a while a critic will say something like, 'I don't know what that song's doing in the show, it's not funny.' And for us, that's the point of the song is what happened wasn't funny. Wasn't funny, you know, this ex notation of this real person isn't funny. And and with that, um, you know, they're like, Oh, there's so much fun, and it's laughter, and then suddenly, boom, here's this very serious song. Um, and and with that, it makes all the sense in the world to us because that's the moment in the show, I think, where the audience goes, Oh, this is really fun, but maybe there's something else going on here in this show, and it takes off from her and and talks about all these corners of society that I think really need to jump on board with you know these better messages, you know.

[47:39] Fiely Matias: Yeah, I mean, it's and don't take this wrong way, and I don't think you will, but like I always see it as like the more princess-y disnified version of like what Avenue Q has done. There's a lot of really strong, very message forward things, but it's presented like a children's show for adults. I think what Disenchanted is able to do is you guys present these really serious subjects in a way where people are enjoying them. And I mean, there's songs like "Big Tits," okay. Sorry, it's one of the best songs out there. My goodness.

[48:10] Dennis Giacino: Um it's true, we will listen to it afterwards. But like you have these songs and they're real life situations and real life things that are going on, but it's empowering people. I don't think just women, I think it's empowering society when they watch the show, they learn it. And guys, if you're listening to us and you want to hear these songs, you want to learn about it. If you haven't seen the show and you haven't seen it touring, besides going to the official website, which I'll pop up right now, it is official disenchanted musical.com. Remind you at the end of the show as well.

[48:44] Fiely Matias: Yes, go there. Or go to Spotify and you can listen to the Disenchanted 10th anniversary studio recording, like I have it on one of my favorites. Um not saying it just because you guys are here, but seriously, like listen to the songs, understanding that there is an underlying context to it and appreciate it for what it's doing and bringing value as well.

[49:13] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I love it.

[49:16] Dennis Giacino: Do it.

[49:17] Amber Brzezinski: How did you guys pick which princesses to choose? And were there like princesses that didn't make the cut?

[49:23] Dennis Giacino: Yes, that's a great question.

[49:26] Fiely Matias: Good question.

[49:26] Dennis Giacino: Umber asked one question, boom. She is on it.

[49:28] Dennis Giacino: Um and bringing value, and I'm gonna kind of transition out of Disenchanted because we're I actually have a quick question.

[49:30] Fiely Matias: She's on it. That's right.

[49:34] Dennis Giacino: Um I remember the last part of the question. Say it again.

[49:37] Fiely Matias: No, I'm kidding. How do we think well the interesting process of how the princesses came about was Dennis was called the Princess Whisper because every when we wrote the show, we didn't know who would talk to Dennis. So every now and then he'd come home and guess and he'd say, Fiele, guess who talked to me? It was the little mermaid. And then so it's true. We it was kind of just kind of an intuitive kind of thing. And I even went to the Hans Christian Anderson statue in Central Park, right? Uh, you know, right there on the Stuart Little Schooner Pond, which was called something else. But I'm a New Yorker, but I'm gonna call it the schooner eye. And there's a big Hans Christian like bronze statue there, and he's reading a book, and there's an ugly duckling right there.

And I literally sat in his arms and I said, Tell me, tell me, I need a little mermaid, and I need to know her story. And that's where I felt like this is gonna make me sound weird, but I felt like she and the little mermaid whispered to me, I hate my legs. You know, I made a bad choice. Why did I give up everything? We did we did for sure want Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, because those were kind of the original consistent things. Yeah, right. They were kind of the leaders. But all the other ones, the guest stars of the show, we kind of waited and see which ones spoke the most truth. Right. And which ones have the best stories. They had to speak the truth. That was our line. If they just sang a song for comedy, it had to go away.

[51:18] Fiely Matias: So to the second part of your question, then Amber. Yes, there were princesses and others. Esmeralda didn't make it.

[51:24] Dennis Giacino: Right. Oh, right.

[51:26] Fiely Matias: Not actually a princess. We also wrote a Jane song. You know, Jane from Tarzan. But not really a princess.

[51:40] Dennis Giacino: Oh my god. Why do people fall in love with hairy guys?

[51:44] Fiely Matias: With people that do and they can't explain why.

[51:50] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, it's a really fun song. And we've had many people tell us if you ever take it out of the show, yeah, we'll be mad at you forever. And unfortunately, we did have to cut it from the show because Jane wasn't a princess. So we almost put Peter Pan in as an honorary princess. But that's in not the public domain. So Peter had to go away.

[52:16] Fiely Matias: That's a great question.

[52:17] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, that's a great question. So, but yeah, always, and I can tell you that there were three little mermaid songs. The first two sucked, and so we just kept that's when I went to Hans Christian Anderson and said, tell me and um we did the same with Pocahontas. We exercised some songs and and uh finally came up with honestly and and said it needed to be, it needed more truth, less jokes, and and so yeah, so it's always a process. I feel like of course I think it was um I know I don't remember who said it, but the uh very famous playwright said um, you know, as long as I'm still alive, so is my show, and I feel that about us as long as we're still going, the show is always changing. I know we'll add new princesses, new songs, and stuff like that.

[53:04] Fiely Matias: Very good to be adding a new show besides Zazia Sings, maybe like another Disenchanted or still Disenchanted, yeah.

[53:13] Dennis Giacino: We love we like that title.

[53:15] Fiely Matias: That's a great one. We almost we talked about doing a villain's version, yes, yes. Where villains have something to say.

[53:23] Dennis Giacino: All the princes, all the princes, but all the princes are almost all the same for the princes, but yeah, villains also Disenchanted. You know, we've talked about I feel like the villains are misunderstood, yeah. So we figured we would call it Disunderstood.

[53:44] Fiely Matias: Disunderstood, right? And uh, yeah, as the sequel, but also we've talked about you know uh a very merry Disenchanted, you know, Christmas, you know.

[53:55] Dennis Giacino: Oh, Christmas holiday.

[53:57] Fiely Matias: Cheyenne, I knew she was gonna pop up with it.

[53:59] Dennis Giacino: Oh, a villain's version would be amazing.

[54:01] Amber Brzezinski: Any ideas who you use?

[54:04] Dennis Giacino: Oh, who would we use, Matt? Actually, Dennis wrote a Cruella song I did already. Like, of course, we have to go to the public domain. I know then we have to public domain. You know, anything to do. Well, I mean, now you could technically write Steamboat Willie's songs and Winnie the Pooh songs.

[54:20] Fiely Matias: Yes, we can.

[54:21] Dennis Giacino: Yes, we can. Right.

[54:23] Fiely Matias: Yes, just in the public domain.

[54:24] Dennis Giacino: Which have recently entered into the public domain, including family as well.

[54:29] Fiely Matias: Yeah, right, exactly.

[54:31] Dennis Giacino: Maybe just the animals.

[54:32] Fiely Matias: Oh, animals would be fun too.

[54:34] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, or sidekicks, like the reliable sidekicks.

[54:38] Fiely Matias: Oh yeah. Second bananas.

[54:40] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, I have a show called Second Bananas that I've been working on.

[54:45] Fiely Matias: Yeah.

[54:45] Dennis Giacino: So, but about something totally different. But with that, um, yeah, you know, we've talked about it, we've thought about it often, and we've even uh you know worked on some of it, but uh so you'll be the first to know um when and if it actually uh comes to fruition and happens.

[55:04] Fiely Matias: We're gonna get the explicit release content, yeah.

[55:07] Dennis Giacino: We just want to make sure that it has something to say that this isn't just a oh well let's do it because Disenchanted was so popular. That that doesn't interest us.

[55:17] Fiely Matias: I I don't think that your fans would see that. I think they're so hungry for more because really this has been a passion project 18 years in the making. I've been uh along for the ride 13 years since 2011's fringe. Um so you know it's always so fun to see the growth, and now going to that lovely poster behind you or that banner behind you.

[55:38] Dennis Giacino: Oh, yeah.

[55:42] Fiely Matias: I mean, there's part two and it's just there.

[55:46] Dennis Giacino: What?

[55:47] Fiely Matias: Yeah, right. What are you talking about?

[55:50] Dennis Giacino: Disenchanted's on that wall over there.

[55:53] Fiely Matias: Over there. This is the Zazzia.

[55:55] Dennis Giacino: So there is more to it. We even have the original puppet.

[56:06] Fiely Matias: These are the original clam puppets.

[56:09] Dennis Giacino: So anyway, yeah, so we we have an office filled with all sorts of rookbacks from our museum at this point.

[56:17] Fiely Matias: My goodness, start charging people admissions.

[56:21] Dennis Giacino: But we but the light was better for us. We have a window over here, so the light was better for us to face with Z, but that also works too, since that's our show.

[56:31] Fiely Matias: Well, it's helpful to help people about it. I've been following your your little snippets here and there, but give the people what they want, give them give them the uh the pitch.

[56:40] Dennis Giacino: There you go.

[56:42] Fiely Matias: Sure. Well, it started with you.

[56:44] Dennis Giacino: This yeah, like we haven't since Disenchanted, we've been trying, you know, in the pandemic and everything, and um we've been trying to not trying, we've been trying to see what else we wanted to say in the world, you know.

[56:57] Fiely Matias: Um, and after the pandemic, during the pandemic was very like crazy. And this idea of a book came to my head, and I wrote a book called Read the Do Dada, which is based on a cat who loves to sing and gets bullied by a rat, you know, and I wrote the book.

[57:14] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, I got uh Red Hawk publications to publish it. And when Dennis read the book, um are you looking for the book?

[57:21] Fiely Matias: I'm looking for the right there.

[57:22] Dennis Giacino: Where it's right here.

[57:23] Fiely Matias: Okay, yeah, yep, yep.

[57:26] Dennis Giacino: There it is. This is the book I wrote.

[57:29] Fiely Matias: And um with illustrations as well, you did.

[57:33] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, I did the illustrations, and when um Patty from Red Hop Publications says, "Yeah, you know, we'll publish it." They published it, and Dennis read the book.

[57:42] Fiely Matias: I read the book, and we were in Salt Lake City at the time, and I said to Feely, this is our new, this is a musical. I said it's got animals in, you know, and pretty pictures, and you know, animals in an alleyway singing and putting on a show. How is this not a TYS?

[58:01] Dennis Giacino: It's actually a TY and family musical from the guys who wrote a very adult Disenchanted. I mean, by some kind of you cover the full spectrum, right? But it has our same sense of humor and everything and just minus the curse.

[58:17] Fiely Matias: Dennis wrote some great melodies.

[58:19] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, some new songs that we'll start introducing on Facebook on all our social media this week.

[58:24] Fiely Matias: Well, this week sending me the link to everything. We'll post it to our group so that we can help share the good.

[58:30] Dennis Giacino: Okay, yeah, for sure. And um, yeah, so we will start introducing songs this week, and people will be able to start uh licensing the show.

[58:40] Fiely Matias: The who will be the first license of Zazzy Sings?

[58:43] Dennis Giacino: Where?

[58:44] Fiely Matias: Yeah, where the so the book and the musical are um it's really appropriate for October, which is um bullying prevention month here in the US.

[59:02] Dennis Giacino: And um that's exactly what we take on this time in Disenchanted. Of course, we took on, you know, the princess complex, the big bed, and how you know people can tell their own stories without others shoving it down their throats.

[59:21] Fiely Matias: Right, you're up how terrible messages to kids. Now in Zazzy Sings, um Zazi this way being the main character, and um she uh it's really about bullying and how do you overcome it and um how to stand up for yourself, how to yeah with a little help from your friends yeah and you know it's about self-assurance and believing in yourself being your own number one fan and like what we said following your passion yes it is no matter what right and so we have people that you know going yeah I mean well the people that are going to Disenchanted they're probably gonna have kids or some kids so it'll be a nice little connection like from the silk the people that created this made this and the same thing yeah yeah and wrote it the same way you know the layer of comedy on top with the messages underneath for everyone to explore.

[59:25] Dennis Giacino: We've done it twice now we did it in you know we like to go off the grid and um workshop the show workshop the show first and so we did it in North Carolina um in Hickory North Carolina and the Greek community theater.

[1:00:38] Fiely Matias: Yeah they were everyone was so nice to us great cast there and uh we packed that uh house and then we brought it here somebody saw it there and said I want to bring it to Oregon and we're like okay because we're there yeah and so we did the show in in um Corvallis Oregon which is where we started our theater company back in 1991 and that's the that's the poster from the curvist yeah it was hanging on the majestic theater and they said do you want it we were like yes and so with that um yeah it's it's appropriate especially in October but all year round in in October because it's it's bullying prevention month, and um, so yeah it's very inspiring and uplifting.

[1:01:21] Dennis Giacino: It has our same sense of humor, just minus the the four-letter words.

[1:01:26] Fiely Matias: So the kids will learn those eventually, don't worry.

[1:01:30] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, eventually, yeah, gradually.

[1:01:32] Fiely Matias: Yeah, not from you guys, no, no, right.

[1:01:36] Dennis Giacino: It's been fun. We've gone into school systems.

[1:01:39] Fiely Matias: Uh, with I know that the Salem Kaiser school system here in Oregon has uh taken on what over a hundred books, yeah, about a hundred books.

[1:01:48] Dennis Giacino: And then um we've gone to libraries, uh schools, boys and girls clubs, and have done workshops on anti-bullying or bullying prevention, and and it's uh you know, it's gone over really well, which is a double-edged sword because that means there's a need for it, which is a kind of sad that we all can relate to bullying, especially with social media.

[1:02:12] Fiely Matias: There's so much bullying on social media, yeah.

[1:02:16] Dennis Giacino: But the big side of it is when we were in school, and I I look at some of these kids like I don't have kids of my own, but I look at like my friend's kids, and I'm like, they did what social media like your whole life is, and I as an adult, I've been severely bullied too.

[1:02:33] Fiely Matias: Um, what is like there's one person who we were great friends years ago, a couple years ago, they decided we're not friends for no reason, no falling out, and literally have made it their life mission to just try to ruin my life, and I just kind of have to laugh at it at this point.

[1:02:50] Dennis Giacino: I'm like that's horrible. You're just no, we're not gonna do that.

[1:02:55] Fiely Matias: Yeah, what are we doing?

[1:02:56] Dennis Giacino: Right, yeah, it's and and so we wrote why are you so obsessed with me?

[1:03:00] Fiely Matias: But yes, yeah, it's a really good point, Heather, because we wrote the show not only for the you know, the young people in the audience, but we also wrote um for the adults in the audience too and and you know it's been a success on that level because adults come up to us after and go you know I thought I was just gonna bring my kids and sit there and go huh yeah that was great you know uh it's a kids' show but it's not you know it's it's a family show it's for everybody and the adults are have been very pleased with us that we put jokes that'll go over the heads of the little ones that the adults can appreciate references they'll get and you know stuff so so we we set out to do that you know that that was one of our goals was to write it on multiple levels so everybody could enjoy the show.

[1:03:50] Fiely Matias: So yeah we're excited to start yes good yeah we're excited to get music out there now and have people hear all the new songs and and everything yeah it's um and it it's it is you know unsettling when you do a workshop in a school or a library or a boys and girls and you say and you who's been bullied who's been bullied raises their hands including yeah it is you know and so every kid raises their hand and the adults and you're like wow you know this is this is an epidemic I I'm sure all over the world you know and so with that we felt that was something we really wanted to have an opinion on.

[1:03:50] Dennis Giacino: I think what we found too was that a lot of bullies have a history of being bullied of course so it's just a cycle that's just they're bullies because they've been bullied and then their response is to bully others and then until they have that self-awareness of like you know, yeah.

[1:04:50] Fiely Matias: So I think we can see both sides of the argument of like we've all been sometimes bullies ourselves, honest to be honest, you know, and go why why are we like that, right?

[1:04:59] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, so one of our themes is forgiveness in the show, too.

[1:05:02] Fiely Matias: And uh self-forgiveness, yeah, yeah, and and and so it's it's really been connecting with with audiences and and producers, and so we're um cats and cats, so it's all very cute.

[1:05:23] Dennis Giacino: That's owned by the Straws. It's the Kitty Beautiful in downtown Orlando.

[1:05:27] Fiely Matias: Yeah, that was awesome. Maybe we should have a conversation another day about that, yeah.

[1:05:34] Dennis Giacino: So yeah, so we're we're excited about about this show as well as Disenchanted now goes on another national tour, yeah, a US tour.

[1:05:45] Fiely Matias: It starts this weekend uh in uh New York in Queens, New York, and then it'll head to Vermont and Jersey, and then they take I think Pittsburgh.

[1:05:56] Dennis Giacino: We're gonna be flying to Fort Lauderdale. If anybody wants to come see it there, we'll be able to do that.

[1:06:01] Fiely Matias: Yes, come join us. I can actually say a Mianachi Center, anyway, something like that.

[1:06:07] Dennis Giacino: But um, it's it's it's at it's in Fort Lauderdale in February.

[1:06:12] Fiely Matias: It's in February.

[1:06:13] Dennis Giacino: Um we'll be there at the February 15th show, I think.

[1:06:18] Fiely Matias: Yeah, yeah. They're uh their first night in Fort Lauderdale.

[1:06:23] Dennis Giacino: So that's in February. We're we're gonna um go see the show there, and okay, which is February 15th and 16th with three performances.

[1:06:32] Fiely Matias: That's the one.

[1:06:32] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, we'll be on the 15th.

[1:06:34] Fiely Matias: We'll be on the first show.

[1:06:35] Dennis Giacino: Right.

[1:06:36] Fiely Matias: We actually had someone comment on Facebook that they have a friend who will be playing Snow White in the new tour, and they're very excited for them.

[1:06:47] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, yeah. It's an all new cast directed by Jonathan Van Dyke.

[1:06:52] Fiely Matias: Jonathan Van Dyke was our company manager for our out-of-town trial.

[1:06:52] Dennis Giacino: For our out of town trial at Tampa at the Stress Center. So it's really a show that's very connected to the history of Disenchanted. We're very proud, yeah.

[1:07:06] Fiely Matias: Yeah, I mean, Jonathan speaks, you know, fluent Dennis and Fieli.

[1:07:11] Dennis Giacino: And uh so we're very excited. It's hard to do, right?

[1:07:16] Fiely Matias: And so we're really excited that he's the director on it and Marcy and MM Theater Company.

[1:07:22] Dennis Giacino: Um, and we're super excited about this brand new tour.

[1:07:25] Fiely Matias: Yeah, it's a lot going on.

[1:07:26] Dennis Giacino: So Princesses Unite, let's all go see the show and support it.

[1:07:29] Fiely Matias: Princesses uh March 7th through the 9th.

[1:07:37] Dennis Giacino: Dr. Phillips Center.

[1:07:39] Fiely Matias: Yes, it is. It's gonna be at Dr. Phillips.

[1:07:41] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, we're we're super excited about that.

[1:07:46] Fiely Matias: I will come harass, yes, that didn't exist when we were down there.

[1:07:51] Dennis Giacino: I know it's beautiful.

[1:07:54] Fiely Matias: Yeah, so we're we're excited about that too. We're excited. It's it's a homecoming, you know.

[1:07:59] Dennis Giacino: So yeah, exactly. Well, we are welcome to open arms for any again or any of our followers that want to check you guys out. It is www.officialdisenchantedmusical.com.

[1:08:10] Fiely Matias: Uh we will also start sharing posts and links for Zazi Sings.

[1:08:14] Dennis Giacino: Um, this is not the last you guys have seen the Fiely and Dennis on our show. I promise you that.

[1:08:20] Fiely Matias: Um, thank you guys so so much for gracing us with your royalty and your presence.

[1:08:26] Dennis Giacino: And we feel honored.

[1:08:29] Fiely Matias: Stop.

[1:08:29] Dennis Giacino: Shut up.

[1:08:30] Fiely Matias: Shut up.

[1:08:33] Dennis Giacino: I'm honored.

[1:08:33] Fiely Matias: Shush.

[1:08:36] Dennis Giacino: Thank you to both of you and to everybody who tuned in today.

[1:08:40] Fiely Matias: Thank you so much.

[1:08:40] Dennis Giacino: Or tonight. Thank you so much.

[1:08:41] Fiely Matias: We're so appreciative.

[1:08:44] Dennis Giacino: No, know that. We've we've always, you know, we we have in our in our minds, we have these lists of everyone who's been so supportive and and helpful.

[1:08:55] Fiely Matias: So thank you for that.

[1:08:56] Dennis Giacino: And we're we're always grateful.

[1:08:58] Fiely Matias: Always.

[1:08:59] Dennis Giacino: It never a day doesn't go by where we don't go. We're so grateful to I mean, realistically, you guys have not let the sketch to your head.

[1:09:08] Fiely Matias: You're just the same calm, like just you're just so excited for the other casts, and you can see it, you know, the family of princesses, everybody is just really great.

[1:09:19] Dennis Giacino: So um thank you guys so much. We'll talk off air and we'll get you guys uh going.

[1:09:24] Fiely Matias: Everybody, hopefully, y'all have a good night. For those of you in Florida where I am, please stay safe during uh hurricane Milton.

[1:09:32] Dennis Giacino: Yay.

[1:09:33] Fiely Matias: Um, and I'll let you guys know where I evacuate to.

[1:09:37] Dennis Giacino: Oh, we hope you guys covered.

[1:09:43] Fiely Matias: I remember. They're saying this is Charlie 2.0 because it's going right at five.

[1:09:48] Dennis Giacino: Oh, yeah.

[1:09:49] Fiely Matias: That's yeah, I remember we were there.

[1:09:51] Dennis Giacino: Well, I know you have to go.

[1:09:53] Fiely Matias: Sorry, okay.

[1:09:54] Dennis Giacino: No, tell us, tell it. We're this is our own thing. We're good.

[1:09:57] Fiely Matias: Yeah, just I remember that that year we were one of those years we were in Orlando, and it was the three P where one came right up the middle, another one came from the Gulf, and it's not all at the same time, but within weeks of one another.

[1:10:12] Dennis Giacino: And it was I think it was 2003.

[1:10:15] Fiely Matias: Something like that. It was crazy.

[1:10:18] Dennis Giacino: And I just remember being without power in Orlando on the top floor of a building for no air conditioning.

[1:10:27] Fiely Matias: I'm on the fourth floor.

[1:10:28] Dennis Giacino: That's why, and they're saying now that power companies in Florida to expect extended um power outages because the gen the normal like people that come, like the rescue crews are actually coming from outside other states because most of them are currently in North Carolina.

[1:10:45] Fiely Matias: So yeah, we'll see what happens.

[1:10:49] Dennis Giacino: Knock on wood. It's a five in the Gulf, it's entering as a downgrading four down to a three and exiting as a one.

[1:10:58] Fiely Matias: So fingers crossed, eyes, legs, arms crossed.

[1:11:01] Dennis Giacino: We'll keep you guys posted.

[1:11:03] Fiely Matias: But you know, if I gotta go out with a bang, I'm happy that it was with you guys.

[1:11:08] Dennis Giacino: I'm happy with it's a it's a hurricane named Milton.

[1:11:12] Fiely Matias: Yeah, right.

[1:11:15] Dennis Giacino: I'm like, so we'll just play video games and homage.

[1:11:17] Fiely Matias: That's great.

[1:11:18] Dennis Giacino: Like sacrifice.

[1:11:22] Fiely Matias: Well, thank you for having us today.

[1:11:24] Dennis Giacino: Safe safety to everybody in this week.

[1:11:26] Fiely Matias: And keep it.

[1:11:28] Dennis Giacino: Yeah, thank you.

[1:11:29] Fiely Matias: Everybody uh stay safe and have a great week.

[1:11:32] Dennis Giacino: We'll talk to you next time.

[1:11:33] Fiely Matias: Bye bye.

[1:11:34] Dennis Giacino: Bye guys.