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[0:00] Mo Brady: You're listening to The Ensemblist, the only podcast that shows you Broadway from the inside out. I'm Mo Brady.

[0:20] Robert Walters: Robert Walters is a three-year veteran of the Broadway company of Hamilton. A native Australian, he recently made the trip to Sydney to join the original Australian company of the show. Of course, that journey included the well-known two-week quarantine mandated by the Australian government for anyone entering the country. During his two-week quarantine, Robert was kind enough to send us daily voice memos about his life in lockdown. Each day, he received a question from me about Hamilton or quarantine or both and then would send a voicemail with his response. Today, we share the second half of Robert's quarantine experience, where he shares what he imagines life will be like living in his home country for the first time in over a decade. Here, in his own words, is Robert Walters.

[1:20] Robert Walters: Question for day nine. Do you know what your rehearsal process will be like? I do not know what my rehearsal process is actually going to be like because I am joining so late into the rehearsal process and everything like that. I do not expect the current company to be checking up on me and babysitting me or spoon feeding me information or anything like that because their focus right now is to organize and create an environment for the other 30 plus performers that are about to endeavor on this show. Right now, their focus is exactly where it should be and it should be focused on them. Oh, today they actually have their first family and friends invited run and then they have their first like paying customers for previews tomorrow.

The entire creative team are still focusing on getting this thing up and running. And you know, I know the American creative team that are here right now and they know me. I hope that they have the same trust in me that I have in them. I hope that I've done enough for them to not actually worry about me in the same that I don't worry about them. It's just going to, it's such an exciting time, especially opening. Like I get out of quarantine, you know, the week of their opening. So I get to do the media stuff and everything like that. But it's going to be an absolute whirlwind experience, but I can't wait for it.

[2:53] Robert Walters: Day number 10. What are you most looking forward to about life backstage again? The thing that I'm most looking forward to is having that social aspect in six days a week again. You get to see everyone. You get to open your mind. You get to discuss events happening around the world. You get to see things from different perspectives. You get to have fun. And also you get snacks. I love snacks. So I love that I'll be able to have like a little social snack moment again with people and I'll get to meet new people with this company. I don't know that many people. So it'd be really nice to meet new faces and get to know people on a whole different level back in my home country, in my home city. I think there's a mix of people from all around Australia and also some New Zealand's and some outlying islands. So it'd be nice to like get to get to know everyone on that level as well.

[4:01] Robert Walters: Day 11. Describe the theatre Hamilton is playing in. Have you seen shows there? It is actually a theatre that is attached to a casino. It used to be called Star City. Now it is called The Star. The last time I was there, I was actually for the opening. I have not performed in the theatre, but I was performing at the opening. Really cool moment in my career because Stevie Wonder was actually set to do a, like a 15 minute set. And then we were supposed to follow him and do, you know, a dance interactive number from the squared division who now have gone on to just become this global phenomenon, creating shows for all these amazing artists. So I'm very, very thankful for that. Stevie Wonder was actually late and I can't remember if it was by half an hour or two hours, but he was late enough to be very apologetic.

And instead of doing a 15 minute set, he performed for an hour. And because of that, we actually had front row seats. We kind of had this like terrace balcony that we were looking down onto the stage for, because that was our holding area. So we basically had a hour concert of Stevie Wonder. And then we did our number after him.

[5:16] Robert Walters: Day 12. What's the moment in the show you're most looking forward to performing again and why? There's something so magical about doing the world turned upside down. You know, you say that line at the end of Yorktown, it's because you're just all standing in solidarity. We've all been through this battle together and it's right at the hour mark of the show. It was the battle of Yorktown and you really do feel like at that point you've achieved something. Your comrades are right there on stage with you. So it really does feel like what you're trying to portray. So that's an absolute magical moment. And then also the opening, everyone stands in, they call it the timeline as Hamilton is getting his big introduction.

That's another magical moment because it just feels very empowering, warm and connected with each other and connected with patrons watching as well. So, and then the final number when Eliza is going around Hamilton as he has no spoiler alert as he has passed away. That's a really, really beautiful moment as well.

[6:31] Robert Walters: Day 13. Has anything surprised you about spending two weeks by yourself in a hotel room? What was surprisingly challenging and what was surprisingly great? Obviously I'm very much looking forward to getting out, the sunshine and fresh air and human interaction and all of the above. What has surprised me is my actual ability to be okay by myself for two weeks. The internet is an amazing, amazing piece of technology that I can utilize every day and allows me to communicate with the outside world and see what's happening. So I'm very, very thankful for that. I don't think there was any challenges apart from, yeah, not having human interaction, the sunshine and the fresh air, which was just in my circumstance.

Cause some people do actually have a balcony or a window that opens. What was surprisingly great was, you know, those days, I don't know, maybe not for everyone, but those days where you take yourself off for a walk, something where there's not a lot of people around, maybe you're walking by a beach, told yourself to not be on your phone and you're having a moment for yourself and you realize how long you can go without opening your mouth or without speaking or without making any kind of sound or humming or singing, or I've kind of enjoyed that aspect of realizing, you know, how okay I am with moments to myself as well. So that was, that was surprisingly nice.

[8:11] Robert Walters: Day 14. Describe the process of unquarantining. How will you be discharged? So I am in my Uber now going to my house. Take your own bags. You leave. You have to wear a mask. Obviously in the hotel, the bellman called the elevator to our level because the elevator needs like a special key. And then he rode down with me and then there was a few tables in the hotel lobby. This hotel lobby is, or the hotel is just for quarantining guests. There's no other outside world. It's very much a quarantined off hotel. Sign a few things. Let them know which room number you were in. But it was very, very straightforward and simple. It was no frills. No, not nearly as much went into you leaving as it did you entering because I guess they'd already taken care of everything they needed.

They keep you for 14 days. They kind of know where you've been. So yeah, that was, that was that. And just in an Uber now and very, very thankful to be out, get some fresh air, see some people that I love, give them a hug, feel some sunshine, go maybe have a home cooked meal. But all in all this hotel experience, the 14 days quarantine has actually, for me, not been too bad. And for that, I'm very, very thankful. And even more so I am just so thankful to begin this new journey with this new production and I can't wait to see where it takes me. All right. Bye.

[9:49] Mo Brady: Special thanks to Robert Walters for sharing his stories with us today. The Ensemblist was produced today by Jackson Klein and me, Mo Brady. Please rate and review The Ensemblist wherever you listen to podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or at bpn.fm, the home of Broadway Podcast Network. Thanks for listening. Until next time.