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[0:20] Heather Bedor: Happy Tuesday. Look at your face. Happy Tuesday. Sounds much better. I'm so glad that you're back. Um really teetering. I'm on my fourth antibiotic cycle. I just got them up today. Very exciting.

[0:39] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[0:40] Heather Bedor: But um, well, good. Well, welcome back to the Broadway Fan Club. Uh Amber's been doing all the digital stuff. It's been really great this week while I've been playing catch up. Um, because I have been busting my butt for this incredible show that I cannot wait to introduce you guys to tonight called Facings: The Musical, which opens in like eight days next Thursday in New York, off Broadway at Urban Stages. Cannot wait to introduce you to the cast of characters. Um, because our production team is just incredible, hands down. Um, and some of the most delightful people I've ever worked with. And that's not because they're just listening in right now, it's true. Uh so um, welcome to the Broadway Fan Club Podcast presents Facings: The Musical. Um, I will play you guys a little snippet before we do our introduction. Let's get this rock and end a rolling.

[1:27] ♪ Musical number: "Facings" — performed by the cast ♪

[3:15] Heather Bedor: Um, I'm sitting here dancing, and I cannot help it. It's just so good. Because it's there's some upbeat Latin movements, there's a lot of like a little bit of everything. A little bit of everything, all rolled into one in the best way possible. So I guess we should start to make the introductions, yeah.

[3:29] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, absolutely.

[3:30] Heather Bedor: All right. Book, music, and lyrics by the one and only Aaron Morrill. Hello, Aaron.

[3:36] Aaron Morrill: Hey there, Heather. Hey, Amber.

[3:38] Amber Brzezinski: Hey.

[3:39] Aaron Morrill: Our little toe tapping, we're enjoying our like seat dancing here.

[3:43] Heather Bedor: Yeah. Glad you like the music. We're hoping the whole theater, whole theater is gonna be doing that at this point. Uh we're gonna bring on director and choreographer Alex Sanchez.

[3:52] Alex Sanchez: Hi, thank you for having me.

[3:54] Heather Bedor: Hi, Alex, thanks for being here. We're so happy to talk to you, and we appreciate you uh taking the time out of your sleep schedule to help us out.

[4:01] Alex Sanchez: What sleep schedule?

[4:04] Alex Sanchez: Sleep when we're dead.

[4:05] Heather Bedor: And the one and only Caitlin McNeilage, executive producer of this beautiful show called Facings: The Musical. Welcome, welcome.

[4:12] Caitlin McNeilage: Hi, how's it going?

[4:14] Heather Bedor: It's going, it's going great. Um, I think we're all really excited. This is such a passion project, and I've known it from the very moment that I talked to Aaron. Um cannot wait to share with the rest of the world what everybody has been working on. So um, Aaron, if you wouldn't mind, give us um your best passionate selling points of Facings: The Musical and kind of give us a little bit of that backbone we need.

[4:42] Aaron Morrill: Well, briefly, it's a love story set in a natural food store um between two people that normally wouldn't meet, but natural food stores, especially big natural food stores like national chains, bring together lots of different kinds of people, people who go to shop and people that go in to work. And uh so this is a love story between uh two people who probably wouldn't have met each other otherwise. Um it is not just any natural food store, but it's Rolling Fields. It's the New York um store in a national chain, the big national inspired by Whole Foods type stores.

[5:26] Aaron Morrill: Uh yeah, we'll we'll get to that. Um yeah, it does uh draw some inspiration from Whole Foods. Um that's sort of a backstory. And uh the protagonists are Emma, who is um a uh passionate, creative, idealistic, sort of rebellious young woman who's got a brand of kefir, which is like a yogurt. Some of you may have seen it on the shelves. It's delicious.

[5:51] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, yeah.

[5:53] Aaron Morrill: I actually really like it.

[5:53] Amber Brzezinski: I might my wife drinks it all the time.

[5:55] Aaron Morrill: Oh, yeah. Um, and it's uh she's trying to get it into this uh into this store, um, Rolling Fields. And uh and the other protagonist, the other co-star is Javier, who is a Colombian um national. He's a journalist who is seeking asylum in the US, and he's working at Rolling Fields just to you know pay his bills while he awaits uh a decision. He's had to flee Colombia um from political violence. He was a journalist who was threatened, and um, you know, I hope I'm not giving away too much here, but uh he's um you know he's there for a reason, but you know, he um he and Emma meet and um they're very different people.

[6:38] Aaron Morrill: Um she's open, curious, inquisitive. He's uh a little bit cynical, uh a little bit um standoffish at first, and uh little by little um they develop a relationship. And I don't want to give away the whole story, but lots of stuff happens. There are a lot of people in this there. Well, she's Emma's got a competitor that's uh kind of ruthless that's kind of hoping to see her fail.

[7:01] Aaron Morrill: And uh there's a story. When people do that, you've got to let that run out. That happens.

[7:05] Amber Brzezinski: That happens.

[7:07] Aaron Morrill: A store manager who's a problem, um, especially around women, especially around pretty women. And uh Emma is pretty. And there's, you know, there's Carlita. She's a Dominican from the Bronx. She's uh tough. She's sassy. She's a truth teller, and she doesn't take uh any guff from anyone. Um yeah, there's a whole cast of characters, the kind of people you would only meet in a New York, you know, a big New York institution where you have lots of different people from different backgrounds.

[7:41] Aaron Morrill: And that's why the music, you mentioned the music is, you know, different, you know, is is is uh diverse. Well, it's a good melting pot. The music is as diverse as the characters in the show. And that's why I wrote the music to be to reflect the people that uh that sing the songs. Um, so that's why it's diverse.

[8:00] Aaron Morrill: So we have some characters from Latin America, they're not gonna sing, you know, uh folk music from Vermont. They're gonna sing um They might. It probably wouldn't be that authentic. You know, they're gonna sing the music they grew up listening to. Um, and so that's that's the way the song uh you know the music is um is is laid out. Um yeah, so that's kind of the story.

[8:23] Aaron Morrill: And uh I don't want to give away too much because lots of stuff happens, and um, you know, it's a love story, and um good and good and bad stuff happens, but hopefully, you know, people will feel like it ends in a good place.

[8:35] Amber Brzezinski: Absolutely, and I think it's really important because it does draw up inspiration. I know that you had um we're talking about your wife Liz with Fizzy Lizzy's, um, really kind of helping drive that that storyline home.

[8:48] Heather Bedor: And um, I don't know if you want to show a picture of Liv. She's so cute. Let me see if I pull this up.

[9:02] Aaron Morrill: The beautiful Fizzy Lizzie herself.

[9:05] Heather Bedor: So do you want to touch a little bit on Liz and Liz?

[9:09] Aaron Morrill: So this this musical really draws from well, is inspired by Liz. Um draws from partly from you know the inspiration I got from her. She was an entrepreneur, just like oh my gosh, I'm so sorry.

[9:29] Aaron Morrill: Um so uh, you know, I was inspired by my wife. Um, you know, she was an entrepreneur, very much like Emma in the show, and worked really hard to get her product into Whole Foods.

[9:43] Aaron Morrill: So I had seen, I had watched as she uh battled to get you know her product, Fizzy Lizzy into Whole Foods. Sure. And um, I saw the politics that take place in these big stores and the power that people use when they have it sometimes.

[9:58] Aaron Morrill: I don't want to dish on uh Whole Foods because everybody was great at Whole Foods, but of course there were not everybody always is great, and uh so you see the good and the bad of people. Um, but so I drew on that, and I also drew on my experience living in Latin America, so I was comfortable with that. You know, I felt I felt very much like I wanted to write a story that involved Latin America, and I drew on my experience getting to know people that worked at Whole Foods who came from these very diverse backgrounds.

[10:26] Aaron Morrill: So I helped Liz with her business for several years, and I got to see up close how these stores work, and um, you know, what what what the the the little dramas and the the interesting stories that people bring, and um so that was sort of it was a combination of you know, my being inspired by Liz but I be inspired by the workers in these stores um yeah and then of course there's the political angle i mean there is the issue of Colombia um you know I I lived in South America for two years and uh in a bamboo hut when I was in the Peace Corps and um I got to know and love you know the culture of Latin America and I also followed it very closely and so I was really aware of what was going on in that neighborhood and I was aware of uh you know uh some of the uh inner workings so well some of the struggles and some of the uh movements and there were right wing movements and left wing movements and um and and and and it seemed and we we've all met we've all met um the cab driver that's the the that's the uh the the doctor or the the PhD or the you know people doing jobs that you know are way I don't want to say beneath them but you know they've got more training than you know you would think for the job they're doing sometimes and this is the immigrant story and so um so Javier in my in this show Javier is a journalist he's a really smart smart guy um but like so many immigrants he's got to do a job he's got to do whatever he can do whatever he can get a job doing doesn't you know he's not gonna write English he's you know he's English isn't good enough um he's not gonna go to work for the times so he's got a he takes a job at Whole Foods um at uh at well not at Whole Foods but at uh that's a Freudian slip that's okay.

[12:15] Alex Sanchez: And um yeah, so that's what inspired me, these these stories. Um I think it's important too. And then Alex has the big task of kind of uploading your brain into his and then making sure that it's executed on stage so that you're a happy camper.

[12:34] Alex Sanchez: I mean, when I got on board, uh Aaron and I would have countless conversations. I would pick his brain about kind of what you're doing, uh, finding out what his inspiration was and everything that he explained to you, he explained to me. Um, and then we to I take it even further and talk about each character um and what was sort of the inspiration for each character so that I can understand how to make the actors understand how to express or how to play these um these individuals. And um it's it's it's uh um we have even to this day, even today we went knee deep into a conversation about uh about Javier, one of the characters in the show, and Brad. So it it's a it's a it's continuing always.

[13:21] Alex Sanchez: And you're saying that you've already gotten through act one for today, so congratulations.

[13:25] Aaron Morrill: Thank you for that. Yeah, we finally today uh completed everything. We had to do it um uh not always in order. I had to take some stuff out of order, but finally we were able to piece everything together. Right. And uh we started our first kind of rough run through of act one today, which uh we'll have to complete tomorrow, but now we're into act two, so we're we're actually in pretty good shape right now for being.

[13:47] Alex Sanchez: Did you say we're rolling along?

[13:50] Aaron Morrill: Say that again.

[13:51] Alex Sanchez: Rolling along rolling along.

[13:52] Aaron Morrill: Yep, exactly. I love it. It's it's it's a challenge too. And then Caitlin here at the helm as EP. Um, you know, we've Caitlin has been such a a good ear to kind of chew um and kind of listen to, and um it's it's so incredible because everyone has such heart for this show. And Caitlin, you've been around for a while with the show too, huh?

[14:15] Caitlin McNeilage: Yeah, yeah. I I sort of assisted was my first uh sort of role. I was, I think a line producer, an associate producer back uh for a 29-hour reading of the show um several years ago, and then eventually sort of took over uh a producing role helping Erin try to bring the show to life. And we went through a lot of different ideas and a lot of different strategies about where to try to bring the show and sort of what the the next logical step for the show was. We did a green room 42 concert back in Green Room 42.

[14:48] Caitlin McNeilage: Yeah, yeah, it was it was a great experience back, and I think that was early 2023. Um so yeah, just every step of the way, all these little developmental productions and readings and concerts, and just sort of, you know, Erin's made lots of changes and and tighten things and cut songs and added things in. So it the show itself has developed over uh the several years that I've been part of it, and then the process and the team and the sort of developmental trajectory has has developed a lot as well. So I'm really excited to finally see a fully realized uh production of it.

[15:25] Caitlin McNeilage: Right. The the first um fully staged production of it was before I was on board. So I'm really excited to finally see this thing come to life.

[15:33] Alex Sanchez: Yeah, I think it's it's so fascinating. I think we'll all take a collective sigh of relief once that the opening number starts and the curtains go in. I think it's gonna be really key. Um it's it's always a challenge too, because you have to make sure you find the right team besides the cast, you're gonna make sure the team comes together, but everybody has their part to play. Before the show, Alex and I were talking about it, kind of that magical recipe of finding individuals that kind of make all the cogs work, and then when they finally come together, it's just it's truly magic. So it's very cool.

[16:05] Aaron Morrill: Yeah, absolutely. We have a great team assembled for this one too. I think this is just, I mean, we're so lucky.

[16:11] Caitlin McNeilage: Well, thanks. Thanks so much, Kate.

[16:14] Aaron Morrill: So lucky to have you, Heather. So lucky to have Alex on board. It's an amazing cast every single day in rehearsal. I feel like Aaron and I are just like elbowing each other behind the table. Like, do you hear how great they sound? Do you hear? Do you see what they're doing?

[16:27] Alex Sanchez: Right. And we've been posting some of the rehearsal photos on Instagram and Facebook too. Um so if anybody wants to see behind the scenes um for Instagram, it's at Facings Musical. Um, and if they want to buy tickets right now, they should um urbanstages.org. But yeah, I mean the rehearsal process, let's talk a little bit about that because it it is always um a challenge to find like that good balance, especially in production. Like, is the producer going to be there every day? Is the creator gonna be there every day? Is it gonna be you know the director is the only person that's there? Like, can you guys kind of walk us through how rehearsal has been? It seems from every photo and video and phone call that I've had from you know the theme, it really just seems like everything is so collectively falling into place. But it takes a lot of work behind the scenes.

[17:16] Alex Sanchez: Yeah, we did we, you know, we we had a lot of meetings, uh uh Aaron Kate Lynn and myself, and then uh once we were putting the team together, um, the designers, um we started to form a plan in the in the studio. What's really wonderful is that we get to have the creator of the show, Aaron, be in the room, and that's really important because there are constant changes happening every day. Um, I think I made like three or four changes even today. And it's it's great to have the writer there to be able to one approve, and two, um be able to um support that or to rewrite something, you know, on short notice. Um it makes the changes that much easier. If if Aaron wasn't there, we would have to put a pause on it, we would have to wait.

But the fact that he's there every day and the fact that I'm able to like just turn around and say, Oh, Aaron, what do you think of this or this line or that makes the process a lot faster. I think that's one of the reasons why we're moving along so quickly.

[18:24] Aaron Morrill: I think that's important too.

[18:25] Alex Sanchez: Oh, go ahead, Aaron.

[18:26] Aaron Morrill: So I'm sorry. No, what I mean, it's been a magical process for me. I mean, I'm just pinching myself and I'm in my happy place right now because I get to w I get to watch Alex, who is you know, just phenomenal in the way he directs and brings out, you know, the characters that I've put on the page. He sits with the actors and really gets them to think about you know the intentions and the right, you know, all the layers of emotion that are taking place in the scene. And sometimes, you know, I'll I'll be thinking, wow, you know, he thought of things that I didn't think of as I was writing it. There are layers. So he does what he does. I wrote it, you know. I mean, he's going even deeper, you know.

I think uh this is what some literary critics do. They go deeper into the texts and they they find stuff, and Alex is always finding this great stuff. Um, you know, so it's it's really amazing. But these actors, I mean, I I'm just um I'm just bowled over by how intuitive they are, how skilled they are, they're young, they're incredibly talented. Um, you know, uh, we have Jay Antonio Rodriguez playing Javier, we have Belinda Allen uh playing Emma. These are both people that are on the cusp of greatness. I really believe that they are on the cusp of being on everybody's, you know, lips because these guys are so good. They can it's an equity showcase, which I think is an equity showcase. They they sing like you can't believe they dance and they act.

That's the that's I mean, the the gestures and the the skills that they bring to my characters are just you know, I'm I'm just I I said to Belinda, I said, you know, I I wrote this and it's it was in black and white, and you put it into you know, living color for me. You have brought this out, you you know, and it's just a magical experience for a writer to see that happen. So I'm I'm over the moon, and Alex has been doing an unbelievable job, you know.

[20:38] Alex Sanchez: Amazing. Yeah, it's it's it's so key when you have a team that can pick up on you know that character development, but when the cast is like, wait, but I think this is how so-and-so would laugh, or I think that no, they're a left-handed person versus a right-handed person, or they would toss their hair. There's so many nuances that really drives that that development and that realism because it's a person in front of you. So yeah, I mean, to hear it going from words to being on stage is just so it's it's kind of again, I think it's it's magic. Um, theater is so incredible, and to be able to make it accessible to people is also key. Um, I know that we've been talking about uh we're gonna be doing uh student discounts, which I think is really important.

We want people to come see the show. Um, but we're we're here to really kind of show the show off and let people visualize and see it and experience it and leave better for it too. Um, because there, you know, there's little peppers of different things that are going on I think are so relevant uh in today's day and age. Um, that it's so key that we're able to bring this in a theatrical presentation where it's not so directed at one side or the other, and it's not the serious drama. There is humor behind that. So can we touch a little bit on that, Alex or Caitlyn if you want to touch it?

[22:00] Alex Sanchez: Yeah, I would love to, and Erin uh or Caitlin. Um there is a lot of humor. It's a funny musical. There's some great quits. Um, it's a very um almost like uh uh very New York hip uh funny. Um it's there are some serious topics, of course, but we really um I think probably about 70% of it is very funny. Um, and the others are more like really good, solid uh moments of of sentiment and love and and uh care. Um I think the one thing that surprised me, and I will share this, is I when I first read the show, I didn't see a lot of elements of dancing. And oddly enough, as we were going through it, all of a sudden, like I started adding so much choreography to it, where this is now becoming almost a dance musical in a way, because there are so many moments where dance becomes a language that can actually help to tell and push the story forward.

And it also kind of uh becomes a cultural thing too, with with how young this cast is and the characters and stuff like that. So not only are you gonna get great songs and great acting and singing, but you're also gonna get a lot of dancing too. There's a lot of dancing.

[23:22] Alex Sanchez: And let's talk about the dancing for a little bit if you guys are good with that. Alex, your background, I mean, your your resume on its own, just in the the world of choreography and dance, is extraordinary. Um, you know, most importantly, you've got uh dance magazines 25 to watch. You've done a lot of Broadway off Broadway, the 2025 SDC Calloway Award Finalist for Choreography, 2024 Drama Desk. I mean, there's so much. Um, and it's it's an interesting balance for director choreo because they're very different, but they're so uniquely blended together. How are you kind of navigating that?

[23:58] Alex Sanchez: Well, I think that so much of directing is about looking at stage pictures and creating those pictures. Um, that's why it's not a mistake when you start out as a choreographer that you do become a director. I mean, I think about people like Bob Flosse, who started out as a choreographer, Jerome Robbins, who started out as a choreographer, Agnes DeMille, they were all choreographers.

[24:23] Alex Sanchez: Um, but uh the relationship I think is very um uh very much the same because that's what you're doing. You're you're you're trying to create pictures and movement within a scene within the scope of a scene, much like you do with within a scope of a dance. Um, it's just a different way of doing it, and uh I think to navigate both is actually much easier sometimes when you are the director of the street. You don't have to deal with one or the other. You get to be both. Yeah, and and I think uh yeah, because you know, stylistically it's hard to get a uh if you have a separate director, a separate choreographer. One of the things that I try to do as a choreographer, working for a director is I try to pick up on um it's always the director's vision anyway.

So I always try to pick up um stylistically what the director is envisioning so that I can match that, you know, so that the choreography doesn't look like it's its own thing, that it looks like it's just an extension of what the director did. Um as a director choreographer, I don't have to worry about that. I I already have this sort of style and voice that I work with. So in that sense, those things become um much more um even stylistically. Um but yeah, I think that um navigating both what is interesting, however, and this is what I love about new material, new musicals, and and I mean new musicals. This is not based off of a musical that's based off of a movie. This is like new intellectual story, original thought inspired by life, and it's my favorite kind of musical.

It's something that is inspired by real life that's not taken from another story. And um what's really great about it, um uh or the thing that I find that's uh I'm trying to navigate is to make sure that I seep out the story in the best way possible. So it takes a little bit away from maybe my duties as a choreographer, um uh per se, my duties as a director, because then I become a dramaturge uh dramaturgical person too. Right. So um, but I think you know by doing that though, and doing all three, I'm able then to create like one stylistic voice to be able to present and express the show in the best way possible.

[26:36] Caitlin McNeilage: No, I think that's really it's it's a unique addition because it is you do kind of have to fight between choreo and director, and okay, well, this isn't my vision. And you know, it is it is so much better to have Aaron in the room because it is his words, but now you're translating them into something that's multicultural and and understandable. We're talking about dance. Yeah, somebody might not understand the language, but the language of dance, I think everybody can and really see the passion behind and get a good connotation of. Now, Caitlin, you're in this room every day with these guys. Um talk to us about that process, being in the room where it happens. And um, has there been something that knocks put Alex and Aaron on the spot, but something that has been cut um that you really wish was back, or something that they added that you were just like, yes, this, exactly this.

[27:29] Caitlin McNeilage: Oh gosh, that's a good question. Um, I mean, definitely I think, you know, uh some producers would not necessarily be in the room all day every day, but I really like to be there and you know, it's so much easier to sort of be sitting right there if the stage manager has a question, or if Aaron and I need to, you know, work something out, or if I text you for something and you're gonna be able to do that. Or if you text me, yes, I think I can get an answer faster if I'm there. Um, and you know, sometimes I have my head very buried in my computer at rehearsal doing producing work and sending emails and coordinating things. Um, so it's or or you know, sometimes I'm having to step out into the hall to take phone calls, or or I'll miss certain things.

But today I really like closed my laptop and just sort of watch when they did the when they started running act one. And it was so delightful because there were some moments of the show that I had really watched and rehearsal and been paying attention to. Some things I had either been out of the room or had you know just been working on my computer and hadn't paid much attention to. And so to really sort of watch it start to come to life was so exciting. Um yeah, I don't I I can't think of anything that you know has been cut that I wish was back, or vice versa. I mean, I just think this is the best version of the script and the best best version of the story that um, you know, I I have seen or read or or been part of since I've been on board.

So I feel really excited about that. And um yeah, I just I I mean, obviously I know the show really well, and there were so many moments today where I was just laughing out loud and I was cracking up and I was smiling, you know, without realizing it. I I'm sure like the actors in the back were watching us watch the show and just kind of laughing because I know that my face is like I was really going through it all uh with the actors. But uh yeah, it's just that kind of show. You feel you feel um, you know, that humor and you're laughing and you're having a great time, and then all of a sudden it gets sort of it tugs at your heartstrings and gets really, you know, sentimental and I'm almost roller coasters.

[29:31] Alex Sanchez: Yes, yes. And then the next moment I'm like giddy in the corner about the the rom com of it all. So it, you know, it just it really takes you through like so many different emotions and it um it was so exciting today to to start to really see it come together as as a more cohesive piece and see bits of choreography I hadn't I hadn't seen yet or I hadn't maybe paid attention to as closely and and just I mean, yeah, I was just grinning into ear to ear. I'm really excited to to continue to see what happens with act two work right which will be done by opening night next Thursday knock on what I will fingers crossed arms crossed eyes crossed that will be great um I have no you know you kind of talk about pulling on the heartstrings a little bit by being getting this emotional roller coaster I kind of want you guys to to bounce off and say what you really want people to experience during the show I mean obviously we can't tell people you're gonna be laughing you're gonna be crying you're gonna be this but what is that overall feeling that you want them to experience or really take away from the show that when they leave they're going oh my god blah blah blah blah blah or like this moment here like what what do you hope for our audience to really be able to connect with.

[29:53] Aaron Morrill: I would say these days we all need to be in touch with empathy and um really putting it and I hope that um I hope that all of these characters that everybody who sees this show will will feel empathy for at least one of the characters and really connect with one of the characters and maybe all of them but they're all going through things that every one of us go through um, you know Javier is far from home we've all been far from home and wished that we were you know wish that we could be home and been separated from people we love. Right. And um, you know, is is is conflicted because there are expectations that have been put on her and and she's forging ahead with her business and her sort of charting her own path.

Um and and despite you know what her mother wants her to do and what you know, you know and what you know society might expect of her. Sure. Um and um, you know, Carlita is this wonderful tough Dominican lesbian from the Bronx who is in love with a woman who who she thinks maybe is a little above her, like you know, you know, um maybe maybe a little too uh unreachable because she's maybe you know um what's the word? Um, you know, just not you know beyond her, not in her league, or you know, like unattainable out of relationship. Unattainable. Sure. And so Carlita is is struggling with how do I how do I get together with this woman that I that I'm have this deep crush on. Um and uh, you know, so every character, and then we've got well, and one other character is this person that is really so competitive that she's trying to undermine Emma.

And you know, I'm sure we've all wanted at times to undermine somebody that was going to all the time it happens. We've all we you know, we've watched we've hoped, you know, that Schadenfreud thing, we've hoped that we could keep this person that you're competing with from succeeding so we could succeed, and you know, it's in spite of we'd all like to think of ourselves as angels, but we all have these tendencies. So there are you know, every character, but there are things about that character that we can empathize with too, things that she issues that she has that she's dealing with that make her human and somebody we should empathize with. So that's that's certainly the one of the most important things.

[33:28] Caitlin McNeilage: I love that. And I'll tell you one of our loyal listeners, Cheyenne, she said, just imagine how much better a society would be if we all displayed even the tiniest amount of empathy. I think it's so important. So I think I love that you touched on that, Erin, because it's just it doesn't cost anything to be kind and to I always say like you don't know what somebody else's journey or someone else's story is. And then when you find out like well the bully at school is being bullied at home like the the stereotypical or you know um in in our case you've got somebody who's was adopted who was already faced with challenges um and like kind of forging forward and you kind of learn what the fire is behind her story too. So I think there's definitely something to resonate connect with each one of the characters in the show but empathy is 100% something I would love for people to take away as well for sure.

[34:19] Alex Sanchez: You're nodding your head what do you think what what is your I I agree with everything you're saying I think empathy really touches a a huge and important part of of the show. And ultimately for Emma it's two of them one is the choice that she is good enough or worthy of being an entrepreneur and having your own business and how she struggles with what she hears from her mother, which is always negative to what she holds on to from her father, which is follow your dreams, you know. Um, so so there's a wonderful struggle, and ultimately she chooses the courageous path. And same thing with Javier, you know, having to make a choice of leaving the country. Why did he leave the country? Maybe not just to protect himself, but to protect his family, right?

You know, but he so desperately wants to go back and and ultimately, you know, he has to come to terms with what choices he's going to make. Um, same thing with what Aaron was uh mentioning with Brittany, you know. So every character in the show and Carlita, they all are basillating back and forth with these choices to be courageous, you know. And um I want, I would love people to be inspired to make those courageous choices by the end of that, by the end of the show.

[36:04] Caitlin McNeilage: I I love that because it just it puts, I don't want to say like a warm hug on a show, but when you're saying you want your audience to leave, you know, empathetic and inspired and courageous, like that is just it's such a build of character. Um, because there are things like what what Aaron's written that you've now turned into a deeper storyline, but you'll never know someone's, you know, what happened in eighth grade, uh, you know, on the school playground, you know, before the bus came, but these performers know exactly how their character would act, and then it really brings that forward when they're stating, you know, saying a line or in a scene.

[36:42] Caitlin McNeilage: Um, so you are kind of wrangling these emotions, and I think that's really really key to know that you want that courageousness.

[36:48] Alex Sanchez: I think that's beautifully said.

[36:50] Caitlin McNeilage: So thank you for that. And Caitlin, what about you, my friend?

[36:54] Caitlin McNeilage: Yeah, I mean, I'll say yes, all of the above. Well, I am gonna say I will echo what they both said, but um, and my answer is pretty similar, but I think I would say I want people to leave feeling hope. I think um I think there's so much negativity and division and anger uh in our country right now. And I also think it seems like every news article and news story that we see is just increasingly uh negative and depressing. And I just, yeah, I think I want people to leave feeling like they have some hope that we as a society, we as a country, we as a world, if you will, um, can actually trust and believe that deep down everyone, you know, there's goodness and kindness and love in everyone, and that um, you know, hopefully we can count on each other to sort of show each other that love a little bit more.

[37:55] Caitlin McNeilage: Right. Um so yeah, I really want people to leave feeling hopeful about the future, hopeful about uh society maybe, and how we can sort of uh come together despite our differences and hope for a better tomorrow, if you will. A little cheesy, but uh TM that right.

[38:15] Amber Brzezinski: Now I'm not gonna ask the complete obvious question, but I am gonna ask the most absolute question. I'm so intrigued by the title. What does facings mean to you and how does it tie into the story?

[38:30] Aaron Morrill: Well, I wouldn't know what a facing was if I hadn't worked with Liz. With Fizzy Lizzie, our goal was always to get as many facings as we could in any store Fizzy Lizzie was in.

[38:46] Alex Sanchez: So what is it? What is a facing?

[38:48] Aaron Morrill: A facing is when you look at a shelf, it is that it is that bottle, it is that bottle of soda. And if there are four bottles across, you have four facings. If there are eight bottles, you have eight facings. So every bottle that you see as a customer or every item on the shelf is a facing. And the wider your and the wider it is, the more facings you have, the more boxes or bottles for each one is called a facing. Each item is called a facing. And you just want real estate. So it's really facing is a bit of monopolization.

[39:28] Alex Sanchez: Yeah. It's really real estate on the show.

[39:30] Aaron Morrill: Okay. And um you only know that um, you know, if uh you only know that term if you've worked in the business. But what I and we struggled with the name. Uh the name, it's actually this show has had three names. It started as facings and now it's facings again. We went through two other names. Um, and uh, but I ultimately thought, and I think a lot of people agreed that it's kind of cool to have a mysterious name. Yeah that people don't know what that is, like, huh? You know, they cock their head and then they get into the show. There's an aha moment. They go, oh now I know what a facing is. And it's multifaceted too, because yes, it could be the physical facings and then sure. Sure, absolutely.

You know, you know, the faces we show each other. You know, right, you know, so so I, you know, I we just decided, and it was so specific to the industry that we were talking about, it just seemed like a natural name for the show. And plus now I feel like I know this like exclusively cool things, right?

[40:33] Alex Sanchez: It works out well.

[40:34] Caitlin McNeilage: Well now you're at the now, you're uh you know, you're cool.

[40:37] Aaron Morrill: I'm in the club, yeah.

[40:38] Caitlin McNeilage: You're in the cool club.

[40:39] Alex Sanchez: Natural food store.

[40:41] Caitlin McNeilage: Absolutely.

[40:43] Amber Brzezinski: Um, let's see. I was like, I know she's got her pearls. I do, I do have more questions. Um, I like this one. Was there a specific visual moment or concept that really unlocks the world of facings or really opened up the world of facings for the team?

[41:07] Alex Sanchez: Uh can you rephrase that again? Uh uh ask that question here.

[41:11] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, was there like a specific moment when you guys were, you know, you know, do working out either the lines or set uh the set design or staging that you had like your aha moment, like this is facings, like it's here.

[41:26] Alex Sanchez: Um I will speak on that if I may. Of course. Um I was reading the script over and over again, and uh counted something like 23 different locations within the musical. And um at Urban Stages, I was like, how am I gonna how are we gonna create 23 different locations? Um and then I was looking on uh Aaron's website for facings, and there's some pictures of the last incarnation of it, or no, the uh the one that they did a workshop of, and there were some items from the store, and I saw the the um uh forgive me for for calling it a refrigerator, but it's it's I think it's the casing, the cold casing, the cold case, yeah, the cold case, and um and then I was thinking what is very what is like the one thing in New York that is common interior and exterior, and um I came up with the brick, right?

A brick wall, a brick facade, whether it's an exterior building or an interior of a building, brick is always very prominent, and so uh that's when I had the aha moment, aha. So when we're in rolling fields, we have this this wall, we call it the wall, the big wall, where side A would be the casings, will represent rolling fields, and then side B will turn it around and it's the brick facade, which is a brick facade that could be the interior of a building or the exterior of a book of a building, so that we could do a lot. We have a lot of interior and exterior scenery, uh scenes that are happening, and so that for me was like the big aha moment of how I can create all of these different spaces.

It's a movable wall, it can it can live in the corner in the center, downstage, upstage. I turn it around, it becomes a fridge. Uh, and and then uh uh along with some other set pieces, uh, we can create some really really cool locations very that sounds so awesome.

[43:35] Caitlin McNeilage: Yeah, yeah.

[43:37] Amber Brzezinski: Erin, Caitlin, did you have an aha moment of visuality?

[43:43] Aaron Morrill: I think I leave the visuals to to these guys. I leave the visuals to Alex.

[43:46] Caitlin McNeilage: I have a selfish question because I only know our well, my answer, but do you is there a certain line or phrase in the show that is either unexpected or just something that really resonates with you?

[44:03] Aaron Morrill: Oh there's so many of them.

[44:07] Caitlin McNeilage: Right.

[44:08] Aaron Morrill: Well mine's I've got a fetish and that's just I'll leave it there.

[44:11] Caitlin McNeilage: Yeah.

[44:12] Alex Sanchez: Here's the flow very you oh yeah that's a good one.

[44:18] Caitlin McNeilage: It's in great context.

[44:21] Aaron Morrill: Yeah I think there's just a lot of a lot of epiphanies a lot of epiphany moments in the show um um being you know that the they're like life lessons there's a there's a lot of little things that come out that are like huh that's interesting uh it's such a human story that that you're gonna find something that connects with you you really are um uh you're also gonna find something that maybe connects with the someone who's close to you as well oh yeah that's that's like this person that I know or that's like my wife or my husband or my partner or whatever I mean you're gonna there's gonna be a lot of moments like that in the show I think I I love how that's written too because the characters are so well rounded like they're they're not just these like you know one dimensional two dimensional characters it's now been brought to life so much that somebody has got to find something to connect with and I think it'll speak to a lot of people.

[44:21] Caitlin McNeilage: I know now a question that's come up a little bit um and I've kind of kind of helped guide is people are concerned that it's really heavy on the immigration it's super political. How have you guys found navigating that tone across the show while still keeping it light um without going into too much political?

[45:42] Aaron Morrill: Well, let me talk about that.

[45:44] Caitlin McNeilage: Yes, absolutely.

[45:46] Aaron Morrill: I I don't think it's a preachy show at all.

[45:49] Caitlin McNeilage: No, not at all.

[45:50] Aaron Morrill: I think we I and I I for one don't like shows that lecture to me. I I want to leave a show with different viewpoints, different ideas. I don't want to be told how to think about the issue.

[46:09] Caitlin McNeilage: Right.

[46:13] Aaron Morrill: Um so this c this show is about partly about immigration, but it's not it is not telling anybody how to feel about immigration. It's not an overwhelming tone. What it's telling, what it's what it's doing is it's depicting the story of one man, Javier, who has a specific experience as somebody who's seeking asylum. And it's a you know, when I wrote it, I actually got on the phone with um a friend of mine who's an immigration attorney to sort of to sort of understand what the process is. And I I'm also an attorney, so I I understood um what the legal ramifications of for an for um some an immigrant might be for certain things happening. So I I would so what I'm trying to, what I was trying to do was just show the audience this one person and and his experience, but it's only one part of the show.

It is not the whole show at all. Um, it is his particular, you know, uh voyage. Uh, but Emma has a different voyage, um, and so does Brittany. So, you know, and and and and uh, you know, uh you know, so um can I add to that, Aaron?

[47:39] Caitlin McNeilage: So does Carlita.

[47:40] Aaron Morrill: So yeah, yeah, go ahead, jump in.

[47:41] Caitlin McNeilage: No, it it's what he says, it it it really is a love story. The immigration, the immigration is really more a reaction to something that happened. Um so it is not at all, and in fact, the character himself, uh Javier doesn't really like to talk about it, so it's really not talked about that much until until it comes to head in a particular moment, and then that's it. Right. Um so like what Aaron was saying is that it makes you think about it, but it doesn't preach, it doesn't comment, it doesn't do anything other than show how it affects someone uh at a particular moment in time because for the rest of his journey, it really is about a love story with him and Emma, which is very touching, you know, and how that flourishes, you know, uh and the time that it takes for it to flourish.

And you know, from from your lips to our viewers' ears, really truthfully, like that's just something that yes, it's something that's a connotation of, but it hasn't it's not an underlying or overwhelming story, it's it's a moment, um, but it's something that's not really approached in theater nowadays, so it's a unique aspect of it, but it's not a heavy focus on that.

[48:49] Heather Bedor: I think that's really key to remember.

[48:51] Alex Sanchez: Yeah.

[48:52] Heather Bedor: Um, no, we're almost we're almost wrapping up. We've been talking about this almost an hour, which blows my mind because I could do this all day long. Amber, I know you've got at least another question sitting there waiting.

[49:01] Amber Brzezinski: I can see if I can uh go on.

[49:04] Heather Bedor: Um I would say dwindle them down. If you if you were gonna describe the show in three words to someone, what would be the three words that you would use to get them to want to come see the show?

[49:27] Aaron Morrill: Can I give one word and then I'll let uh Caitlin give a word and Alex give a word?

[49:31] Alex Sanchez: Oh, I love it.

[49:32] Aaron Morrill: I'm gonna use the first part.

[49:34] Alex Sanchez: Yeah, you know what? Honestly, Heather, I want to know your three words too. You're involved in this.

[49:38] Heather Bedor: Oh I want this show to be fun for people. Yeah, I really do. And I wrote it with the intention of it being fun. So um, you know, you know I that that was my hope that people would really enjoy it and um walk out like like Caitlin said, feeling hopeful. Um so that would that that's my one word. I don't fun.

[50:03] Alex Sanchez: All right, Alex.

[50:06] Alex Sanchez: I have three words.

[50:07] Aaron Morrill: Oh, yeah, three words.

[50:08] Alex Sanchez: Okay, so damn entertaining.

[50:11] Aaron Morrill: Yeah, yeah, it really is.

[50:15] Alex Sanchez: It really is what it is. If you don't think this is making it to the socials, Alex, you're right.

[50:19] Aaron Morrill: Uh huh.

[50:20] Alex Sanchez: I said if you don't think that's going on our socials, you're wrong.

[50:23] Aaron Morrill: No, it is. I mean, you you have every element of a great musical. You have sing great singing, you have great songs, you have a great book. You you you're gonna you're you're gonna you're gonna want to dance to the music. You are gonna see dancing. Um, you're gonna fall in love with these characters, you're gonna fall with how sexy the cast is. I mean, it is just so damn entertaining.

[50:47] Caitlin McNeilage: Yeah, yeah. I love it.

[50:49] Caitlin McNeilage: Wow. What a pull quote. I can't really top that, can I? Um, gosh, yeah. I think I will just go with, I know we've already talked about it a lot, but I will go with romantic. Um because it really is. It is so fun and it is so hilarious, and there's so many, you know, different aspects to it. But um, I mean, I I've been like kicking my feet like you know, such a girl in rehearsal because uh of this really exciting love story that we get to watch unfold. And you know, it's it's about love in many ways, friendship and you know, humanity and and love of culture and home and and all sorts of different types of love. But yeah, I'll go with romantic because it will definitely make you kind of like kick your feet and and squeal in the corner like I've been doing. Like a little evil, he this is so cute. I literally they blocked a scene the other day and I just giggled and I was like, Oh, they're in love now, they're in love.

[51:42] Aaron Morrill: Oh love, yeah. Um, I have two words, inspirational connections.

[51:48] Caitlin McNeilage: Okay, because there's so many connections throughout the cast. It is an inspirational story for uh as a female entrepreneur, and I guess Caitlin can also attest to that. It's really nice to kind of see that portrayed, but the connections that are made and then your thought process afterwards. I am a huge advocate that when I leave a theater, I don't want to leave a theater bubble just yet. I want to continue the conversation, and I'm really hoping that our show is able to drive that. Then when people leave the theater, they're still talking about it, and not just to promote it, but to talk about it and be like, well, this one scene and this happened and this was really cute, or like, oh, that was crazy. Like, I want them to still continue that conversation. I mean, that's really key.

[52:27] Alex Sanchez: Um promote it too if they want.

[52:29] Caitlin McNeilage: Yes, absolutely. We won't we won't turn them down.

[52:32] Heather Bedor: Um, so to give everybody a friendly reminder where they can find any information besides right here on the podcast, you can go to www.facingstemusical.com, f-a-c-in-g-s, the musical.com. Yes, this is a musical and it is so damn entertaining. Um, and I I love it. We're so excited. We have a great musical director, composers. Like this whole show is so well thought put together. When you are ready to buy your ticket, which is right now, go to urban stages again, s at the end dot or g so urban u r b-a-n-s-t-a-g-es-s dot or g. You can find us on Instagram at at Facings Musical. You can find us on Facebook at Facing the Musical. Um, come if you guys have any questions. Um, if you're interested in a ticket, we are so happy to be able to make sure that you were able to access the show and enjoy it and talk about it. Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your co-workers, bring your enemies, bring anybody you want. I think we can all learn from the show for sure.

[53:37] Alex Sanchez: Um, closing statements from our wonderful production team. What do you guys have to say?

[53:43] Aaron Morrill: Thank you for uh uh having me speak about this show and and and to share some of the things that we have been going through. It's been it so far, uh it's been a very fulfilling and exciting process. And uh and I'm looking forward for the your audiences for actually all of New York City to take to have a moment to see this this great story.

[54:04] Caitlin McNeilage: Yeah, it's it's really beautiful, and thank you for being here, Alex. Aaron, any closing statements?

[54:10] Aaron Morrill: Just ditto, thank you, Heather and Amber, so much. It was great to talk about the show with you guys, and um, I'm so we're so excited. I I it's only natural for you guys to be in the show because I've so appreciated to be part of this team. Um, and I I really truly learn every day, you know, how kindness works, and I think that it's so important to convey that through this message.

[54:31] Caitlin McNeilage: So thank you, just come see the show.

[54:35] Alex Sanchez: We can't see the show.

[54:36] Caitlin McNeilage: Yeah, can't wait. And thank you.

[54:38] Heather Bedor: Thank you for having us. Of course, we're so happy to be here um with you guys again. Opening night, April 24th. That is next Thursday. Alex, are you ready for that?

[54:48] Alex Sanchez: Okay. We will be, we will be. It just had hard publications.

[54:52] Heather Bedor: Yeah, I love it. Uh it's great. Urban stages um off of West 30th, uh 7 p.m. start time, two and a half-ish hours runtime, including intermission.

[55:05] Alex Sanchez: About about um lots of fun little things happening for opening night. Tickets are still available through our eventbrite link, uh, which we'll also post after the show. So we're so appreciative for you guys. You were all very wonderful. Um, and we will talk to you guys soon. We're gonna run our commercial for awesome sponsor Broadway weekends. Um, so you guys are more than welcome to hang out and listen to the wonderful Gina Duvall. Um, but for right now, thank you, Facing the Musical. Thank you for uh allowing me to be part of the family and for coming on my little family show as well.

[55:37] Caitlin McNeilage: Thank you.

[55:38] Alex Sanchez: Yeah, thank you.

[55:40] Heather Bedor: See you guys later.

[55:42] All: Bye.

[55:44] Amber Brzezinski: Bye-bye. Amber Amber, are we ready to talk about this Broadway weekends?

[55:51] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, we're ready.

[55:52] Amber Brzezinski: We are ready. I am pulling up Broadway weekends as we speak because you know, computer stuff really loves me. We got it. So, how are you feeling about facing some musical? I want to hear, I want to hear your raw, you know, selling point because you're you're now in it. You're now in it.

[56:07] Amber Brzezinski: Okay, I love I don't know if you know, but Dirty Dancing Havana Nights is one of my favorite movies in the entire world. So I'm like really intrigued by this like Latin American love story. Like really like I think it sounds spicy.

[56:26] Alex Sanchez: Spicy.

[56:31] Amber Brzezinski: That's is that your one of your three three letters?

[56:33] Alex Sanchez: That's one of my three words.

[56:37] Amber Brzezinski: I want to know more about this like spicy love story.

[56:41] Alex Sanchez: Well, I'm hoping that when you get out of O'Mary that you can go Friday the 25th.

[56:45] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah.

[56:46] Alex Sanchez: All right. Let's uh let's run our what's what are your other two words before I run our commercial?

[56:52] Amber Brzezinski: My other two words? I don't know. I haven't seen the show yet.

[56:55] Alex Sanchez: Okay, well, as somebody who just got to meet the entire team, give me one more.

[57:02] Amber Brzezinski: I told you spicy and intriguing.

[57:04] Alex Sanchez: Okay, spicy and intriguing.

[57:05] Amber Brzezinski: So intriguingly spicy.

[57:07] Alex Sanchez: Intriguingly spicy and yeah, I'm gonna lean into the romance bit.

[57:13] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah. Lean into the romance. I mean, that's what life's all about is just love, loving ourselves and loving each other and empathizing.

[57:20] Alex Sanchez: All right, and I've got our commercial up for Broadway weekends. I'm so excited about this partnership. Really truthfully, like it's a good natural fit for us. Summer camp. Broadway summer camp for adults. Can it get does it get better than that?

[57:35] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[57:39] Alex Sanchez: It's a fantasy camp for adults. Sign me up.

[57:42] Amber Brzezinski: Sign me up. Broadway weekends is an immersive summer camp designed and led by Broadway artists. Every year we bring the magic of the current Tony season to life using material and artists from Broadway's latest shows. This summer, it's happening July 13th to 17th with a two-day option, July 18th and 19th. We have a 25% discount if you sign up before May 1st. And if you're a public high school theater teacher, get in touch about some scholarship options. Visit us at www.broadwayweekends.com to learn more and be sure to mention the Broadway fan club when you reach out.

[58:20] Amber Brzezinski: That's us. Oh, and did I mention? It's founded by me, theatre actress Gina Deval. See you soon.

[58:29] Heather Bedor: I love that commercial because we only did two takes of it. It was great. And I could still see Gina doing. Make sure you mention this. It was so cute. But yes, go check out Broadway weekends, please, please. And uh come see the show. Come see the damn show, because as to quote Alex Sanchez, it is so damn entertaining. Uh, facingthemusical.com, urban stages.org for tickets at Facings Musical on Instagram or Facing the Musical on Facebook. Um, and we are going to be putting together some special facing the musical bracelets on our Etsy. Hey, check out that. Some podcast merch. Woo woo woo. Amber looks so she's like, I'm ready to go to sleep.

[59:13] Amber Brzezinski: I know it's six too much time.

[59:15] Heather Bedor: Yes, bracelets. Um, the Broadway fanclub.etsy.com. There's like 150 different designs. We can customize anything for you. Go check it out. Go check out the show. If you need anything, we are here. If you guys have any questions, don't hesitate to reach out. Thank you for making this Tuesday night enjoyable. Thank you so much to Aaron Morrill, Caitlin Mechelin McAllege. I'm tired. Alex Sanchez. I'm not trying to yawn in the middle of everyone's name, but this is my day. Um, I had 24 pies to taste today at the American Pie Council's National Pie Championship.

[59:44] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I feel so bad for you that you had pie all day.

[59:48] Heather Bedor: It was chocolate and coconut.

[59:50] Amber Brzezinski: Oh, I'm so sorry that you ate delicious chocolate pie all day.

[59:54] Heather Bedor: It's not that easy.

[59:56] Amber Brzezinski: So sorry for you.

[59:57] Heather Bedor: It's not that easy.

[59:59] Amber Brzezinski: But thank you so much to Facings the Musical for letting me be part of their journey. I cannot wait to share more after opening night next week. Um, and we'll be talking all about it the following week.

[1:00:11] Amber Brzezinski: Yeah, we'll do it actually the following Monday. I will be at Swept Away's reunion concert. So we'll do another delayed podcast. We're gonna be having lots of white rabbit episodes this month. It'll be great. Amber, thank you. We'll talk about the kitten later, and uh, we hope everybody has a wonderful night. Thanks for joining us again and making our Tuesday wonderful.

[1:00:29] Heather Bedor: I want to take my new antibiotic.

[1:00:31] Amber Brzezinski: Right.

[1:00:32] All: Bye.

[1:00:33] All: Bye everyone.