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[0:00] Joshua Turchin: Hello and welcome back to the Early Night Show Virtual Edition.

[0:06] Joshua Turchin: My name is Joshua Turchin, and thank you so much for being with us today. I'm so excited to welcome Broadway and TV stars, Audrey Bennett, Bonale Fambrini, and Jeffrey Gallup to the show. So please stick around.

[0:22] Joshua Turchin: Welcome to the Early Night Show. I'm so excited to share that I'm officially fully vaccinated. What a crazy journey life has taken because of COVID-19. But I am so excited that shows are finally gonna reopen soon. Right before the pandemic caused Broadway to shut down, I was in rehearsal for the new upcoming off-Broadway musical, Trevor. It was just announced that Trevor would be reopening in the fall, which is really fun. The good news is that this show is about young teens with an amazing story and it's gonna be shared with the world. So many other shows with young performers are also going to be reopening very soon, and I can't wait to finally get back to the theater.

[1:01] Joshua Turchin: The downside to this is that some of the young performers who are about to make their Broadway or off-Broadway debuts may now be too old for their parts and may need to be recast. This is one of the unspoken common things when it comes to young actors in our business. We grow, our voices change, our weight may fluctuate, our height may increase. However, this is all what's supposed to happen as we mature as young performers. I mean, it wouldn't be right hearing a 40-year-old boy soprano playing Jean Valjean or the Phantom. I do hope that young performers who were cast in shows prior to the pause but outgrew their parts know how incredible they are. Teens and kids in real life come in all different sizes, and that doesn't make them less of a performer or less able to play a teen. And that is exactly the age they are in real life.

[1:47] Joshua Turchin: I will never forget being told by a casting director that at 11 years old, I was too old to play eleven. I was just about five feet tall, and they said my voice would change soon. The irony is it didn't actually start to change until I was like 14 and a half. Anyway, those incredible fellow teens and young performers, I am so proud of you, and I really think you're all amazing. I am so happy to welcome you on the Early Night Show to help bring Broadway back as you continue to share your talents with the world. You will never be too tall, too old, or too young to be on the Early Night Show.

[2:23] Joshua Turchin: In other exciting news, I've been writing a lot of new music and just released my first single of the summer on all digital platforms. This song is called "More Than Friends." For my first guest, I am so excited to welcome back the incredible Audrey Bennett. Audrey, Zoe Glick, and I just got vaccinated together at the Javits Center in New York City, and it was really special to share this moment with them. Audrey has been keeping herself extremely busy working in TV and film during the pause, and it's always great that she has some time to come on the Early Night Show. Hi, Audrey.

[2:58] Audrey Bennett: Hi, Josh.

[3:00] Joshua Turchin: Hi, I'm so happy to have you back on the Early Night Show.

[3:04] Audrey Bennett: Thanks for having me. I'm so happy to be here.

[3:07] Joshua Turchin: So it's been two weeks since our second Pfizer shot. How are you feeling?

[3:12] Audrey Bennett: I'm honestly feeling really great. I didn't have any reaction to it, but I'm so happy to finally be vaccinated.

[3:19] Joshua Turchin: No, I was so happy to have you by my side when I got vaccinated. Why was getting vaccinated so important to you?

[3:26] Audrey Bennett: It was really important to me, like for one, to flatten the curve, you know, you want to keep people safe and stuff, but also just so that things can start getting back to normal more and so that we can go outside more and hang out with friends and maybe even do a little bit of traveling or something, you know. Then we can go see Broadway shows once that reopens.

[3:45] Joshua Turchin: Hey, now prior to being vaccinated, I know that you were on set quite a bit. It's been amazing to hear about how the industry is going above and beyond to keep everyone safe. What was your experience like on set with COVID protocols?

[3:59] Audrey Bennett: Well, they were really good with it. We all felt very safe. We all had to get tested. We had to like get a little swab in the nose thing, like every couple of days, I think. And I mean, of course, it's a little bit annoying because it's not the most comfortable experience, but it's good to know that everything's really safe. And I mean, whenever you're there, you know that you're not gonna get sick because everyone's been tested, and we would always wear our masks unless we were filming something, and we'd have our own separate baggies to put our masks in.

[4:31] Joshua Turchin: Now, have any of these products been released yet?

[4:36] Audrey Bennett: Um, yes, one of them has. It's New Amsterdam. I was the guest star and I got to play the role of Louisa. It was super fun to do, and yeah, I was really excited.

[4:49] Joshua Turchin: Now, where can our audience watch it?

[4:52] Audrey Bennett: Um, it is on NBC. It aired on NBC.

[4:58] Joshua Turchin: Now that we're finally on summer break, do you have any exciting plans?

[5:04] Audrey Bennett: Um, well, I'm really excited because I'm going to go to Cedar Point, which is an amusement park in Ohio, which is really exciting for me because my family tries to go there every year over the summer for like a family reunion thing on my mom's side of the family. Because we all love roller coasters, and Cedar Point has the second biggest roller coaster in the entire world called the Top Thrill Dragster, and I love it, and I've gone on it before, and I'm gonna go on it again. It used to be the biggest one, but not anymore.

[5:35] Joshua Turchin: Now, in the beginning of the pandemic on the Early Night Show, you had mentioned that you hadn't left your apartment in weeks. You did the most incredible version of "When Will My Life Begin," and it was absolutely perfect. Now, what song would you like to sing today?

[5:50] Audrey Bennett: Well, I really want to sing another song from Tangled called "I've Got a Dream." I've been obsessed with that song since I was like five. I had a whole Tangled-themed birthday party.

[6:01] Joshua Turchin: Oh yay. Now, what made you select that song?

[6:04] Audrey Bennett: Um, I just really love it. Like I said, I was obsessed with it as a little kid, and I just think that it's super exciting, and also she's talking about how everyone's talking about how they have a dream, and my dream is for Broadway to be open again and for things to go back to normal.

[6:21] Joshua Turchin: No, I am so ready, and I can't wait to sing with you. Here we go.

[7:04] ♪ Musical number: "I've Got a Dream" — performed by Audrey Bennett ♪

[8:15] Joshua Turchin: That was so much fun. I can't wait until all of our dreams become realities. My next guests have been friends and have also been working together since they were very young. I'm so happy to welcome Jeffrey Gallup and Bonale Fambrini to the show. Hi, Bonale and Jeffrey.

[8:30] Bonale Fambrini: Hi.

[8:32] Jeffrey Gallup: Hi.

[8:33] Joshua Turchin: Hi, Bonale. It's wonderful to have you back on the show. And Jeffrey, it's so great to meet you today.

[8:36] Jeffrey Gallup: Great to meet you.

[8:41] Joshua Turchin: Thank you for having me back.

[8:44] Joshua Turchin: So now, how did you guys meet?

[8:48] Bonale Fambrini: We actually met in a production of Wayne Miz.

[8:52] Bonale Fambrini: 2012.

[8:54] Jeffrey Gallup: Yeah.

[8:55] Bonale Fambrini: Eight years ago. I remember wee little lads.

[8:57] Bonale Fambrini: Yeah, it was my first production. Um, we were both in Rock eight years ago.

[9:05] Joshua Turchin: Now I know that you're both in college right now, right?

[9:09] Audrey Bennett: Yeah.

[9:10] Joshua Turchin: Well, congratulations on completing your freshman year.

[9:14] Audrey Bennett: Thank you. Um, how has COVID impacted your college experience?

[9:21] Bonale Fambrini: Well, I mean, it, I mean things are different. It's funny though, because a lot of the upperclassmen may complain about it, but as incoming freshmen, we didn't really know the difference. So studying musical theater at a college, it's just a dream come true anyway. So I'm happy one way or the other.

[9:39] Jeffrey Gallup: And it's a little different for me. Um, I've been trying to go abroad this entire time. I've been computer in London. But with this whole like COVID and pandemic and everything, borders have been weird and everything. So I did that to take like a slight gap year. I've been doing stuff like elect um how the computer science, sorry. I've been doing computer science online. I get to counsel my course and everything, and hopefully when four scroll back to normal and everything now and go for students.

[10:07] Joshua Turchin: Cool. Now, so Jeffrey, I know that you're a part of the barbershop quartet, right?

[10:12] Jeffrey Gallup: Yes, yes, I am, the Fortesi Bros.

[10:16] Joshua Turchin: Oh, how did that come about?

[10:18] Jeffrey Gallup: Oh, so it was a quartet that existed on campus. I go to Coastal Carolina, and two previous members graduated, so they had auditions, and then I auditioned and I am now the bass. So we do a couple concerts a year. We actually rank ourselves out for events, and it's been a lot of fun. Everybody loves a dominant seven.

[10:39] Jeffrey Gallup: Some pretty boys singing dominant sevens.

[10:43] Joshua Turchin: Now, where can our audience watch the quartet perform?

[10:48] Jeffrey Gallup: Uh, we have a Facebook, an Instagram, and a TikTok. Look us up at the Fortesi Bros. And you can hire us for your private events as well. We do uh birthday parties, weddings, we can do a funeral, we have lots of dirges. Anything you need, hire a barbershop quartet.

[11:07] Joshua Turchin: I mean, a barbershop quartet is literally perfect for anything. Anyway, especially if you would not want a barbershop quartet to lead them out.

[11:18] Bonale Fambrini: That's what I want. You better get that for me.

[11:22] Joshua Turchin: Now, Bonale, it was so incredible to accompany you live in person at the Green Room 42 a few months ago. Now that Broadway is finally starting to be open, are there any dream roles that you would love to play?

[11:35] Bonale Fambrini: Um, so now like me being older, um, one thing that I've always wanted to be is uh Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen. That's always been like a cool role that I've always wanted to do. But ever since I was young, like I stand by this, you can check any past interviews we've done. It's nine out of ten times been a lad in a month. It's always been one of my dream roles ever. But um, those are my main two.

[12:02] Joshua Turchin: Now that it's finally summer, do either of you have any exciting plans?

[12:08] Audrey Bennett: I'm actually working on a film with a friend of mine. We're trying to produce a short film, which is coming along nicely. We just uh we're just finishing up the casting process. I have a small role in it, and then I'm also doing a lot of production stuff. So that'll be released, I think, towards the end of the summer. So I'm really excited to get filming on that.

[12:27] Jeffrey Gallup: Then for me, I mean it's just typical, you know, in-between auditions. I'm really trying to expand my feelings to my voiceovers or my movies or anything like that. So right now it's just more like on scene, kinda just waiting for the happen.

[12:39] Joshua Turchin: Now, what song would you both like to sing?

[12:42] Bonale Fambrini: So we're gonna be singing a song called Found Tonight by Alex Lacamoire.

[12:47] Joshua Turchin: Ooh, now why should you both select that song?

[12:50] Bonale Fambrini: Well, I mean, first off, it's just a beautiful piece of music. It's so well written and it's a medley from two shows that we both like very much, Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen. And the message behind it is just so beautiful.

[13:10] Audrey Bennett: And even at your lowest, you have friends and you have people who love you.

[13:14] Bonale Fambrini: Absolutely, absolutely.

[13:15] Joshua Turchin: Yay, okay.

[13:22] ♪ Musical number ♪

[16:19] Joshua Turchin: That was Doug as the money.

[16:24] Joshua Turchin: Oh my god, thank you.

[16:28] Joshua Turchin: That was amazing, Jeffrey and Bonale. I can't wait to see what you both do next. For some more Broadway fun, come join me on my Twitch at Joshua Turchin. I play Minecraft, Among Us, and play some music. So come follow or subscribe to my Twitch. If you're enjoying these virtual cabarets, please consider making a donation to the Actors Fund's Emergency Relief Fund at www.actorsfund.org to help support people working in the entertainment industry who have suddenly found themselves out of work.

[16:55] Joshua Turchin: Anybody helps. You can also find The Early Night Show on the Broadway Podcast Network for podcasts are found and videos for episodes online on theearlynightshow.com. Thanks again to my guests, Audrey Bennett, Jeffrey Gallup, and Bonale Fambrini. Make sure to check out my latest single More Than Friends on any digital music platforms. Stay healthy and get vaccinated.