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[0:11] Robert Bannon: It's the Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon.

[0:14] Adrian: Hey Round Tablers, Adrian here. I'm so excited and honored to be here, getting to interview these amazing performers and artists at the Chita Rivera Awards reception today. It's May the Sith be with you. And I'm so excited to be here. I can't wait to see who's gonna step on by and get to talk with us and just talk about this great season of Broadway that I can't believe it's over. And soon there'll be a brand new season. But to be at the Chita Rivera Awards reception is truly an honor, and I was fortunate enough to meet her and have a conversation with her, and she is iconic and legendary and is greatly missed. And she gave so much to Broadway, so we're so excited to be here. Round Tablers, don't you go anywhere. We'll be right back.

[0:56] Adrian: Congratulations.

[0:58] Unknown speaker: Thank you.

[0:59] Adrian: It's gotta be a surreal feeling. I mean, the Tony nomination, the Chita Rivera.

[1:04] Unknown speaker: It is very surreal. I don't think I've grounded myself in it fully yet. Um, it's all just kind of happening to me. But it feels really, really special. I've always dreamed of being a part of this community, and so also to be a part of it now and then to be acknowledged is really amazing.

[1:20] Unknown speaker: Betty Boop is one of my mom's friends' favorites. And we're gonna take her on Mother's Day to go and see.

[1:26] Adrian: Oh my gosh, yes, I'll be there. I hope to see you after, but the costumes, the music, everything, just so wonderful. Congratulations.

[1:33] Unknown speaker: Thank you so much. You're so kind. Thank you.

[1:36] Adrian: Hi. I am here, Round Tablers, with Jerry Mitchell, nominated for Outstanding Choreography.

[1:43] Jerry Mitchell: How exciting!

[1:44] Adrian: That's very exciting. What was it like when you were like, "Oop, the musical"?

[1:47] Jerry Mitchell: Okay. Well, where did the inspiration come from? When I first heard the music, David Foster's music, I knew I had to choreograph the show. The choreography, it was a no-brainer. I got up and started dancing. His music is infectious.

[1:59] Adrian: Very, very true. How was it when you got everyone together? Did you have that energy? Did you feel that this is gonna be fantastic?

[2:08] Jerry Mitchell: Yeah, absolutely. We worked in pre-production. I had a group of dancers, Rochelle Rack, John Rua, my associates. We were at it for a long time trying to get it just right.

[2:19] Adrian: Yes, and you obviously did. Congratulations on all of the accolades, and actually I'm taking my mom to see it on Mother's Day.

[2:26] Jerry Mitchell: Fantastic. Yes, so we can't wait to see it. Thank you so much. Have a great night.

[2:30] Unknown speaker: Uh, Christopher Gately. How exciting is it to be nominated for a Chita Rivera Award?

[2:36] Christopher Gately: This is the best award of the season to me. I started dancing when I was eight, and no matter I've choreographed, I've directed, I've produced, I've done all sides of it, and I'm a dancer. I'm a dancer.

[2:46] Adrian: It's in your blood.

[2:49] Christopher Gately: It's in my blood. I mean, this is the most special night of the year.

[2:51] Adrian: Oh, it truly is. I got to meet her last year, and she was just a lovely, lovely human being. And when you talk about Broadway and dancing, how do you not say Chita Rivera? It's Chita, and she was the most supportive person. She came to see every show. She would stay after to say hi. She was just the best, the best role model, the best. I can't say enough good things about it. I was so blessed to have met her, and I just I'm so grateful to have even had that time with her. It's so special.

[3:23] Adrian: That's so wonderful. Well, congratulations, enjoy tonight. Have fun, and we'll talk to you soon.

[3:26] Christopher Gately: Thank you.

[3:27] Adrian: Thanks. Hi, yes, I'm Kevin Solak, and I played Tulsa in Gypsy on Broadway.

[3:32] Kevin Solak: Was it a pinch me moment?

[3:34] Adrian: Yeah, oh my god, it was a pinch me over and over again moment. Um, I this is a dream to be able to do this kind of a golden age show and perform like this and be able to do Tulsa and have my own kind of moment in Audra Gypsy is, um, yeah, I'm constantly pinching myself. I think we're seven months into the run and I have calluses from all the pinching.

[3:54] Adrian: Oh my goodness. It's just and then to be nominated for like it's just so exciting. All of the love and the accolades, it's gonna feel good.

[4:01] Kevin Solak: No, it's something that it's indescribable, I would say, because I think like this community is a community that I hold dear to my heart. I came out of the womb dancing. My mom was, uh, she owns a performing arts studio in New Jersey. So like I'm busy in the house.

[4:14] Adrian: Come on, Jersey.

[4:15] Kevin Solak: Yeah, okay, nice. Um, but yeah, I kind of like I came into consciousness in the dance studio, so I think to be recognized by this community and to be associated with Chita in any capacity is a dream.

[4:27] Adrian: Well, congratulations, enjoy tonight, and enjoy the Chita Rivera Awards too.

[4:30] Kevin Solak: Thank you very much.

[4:31] Adrian: Thank you. Thanks so much. I my name is Ricky Tripp. I am the choreographer for A Wonderful World.

[4:37] Ricky Tripp: I was lucky enough that I did get to see it.

[4:39] Adrian: That's awesome. And it was absolutely beautiful. We also saw some of the performances at Broadway Con as well. And the energy was just amazing.

[4:48] Ricky Tripp: Thank you.

[4:49] Adrian: What was it like when you saw this come across your plate and you were like, I have to do this?

[4:55] Ricky Tripp: You know, funny enough, it's one of those things that you don't know. It just comes to you, you go, if I'm available, I say yes, but there's always an interest in it, and you go, okay, this makes sense, and how do you do this? How am I going to tell movement or the life of Louis Armstrong through movement? What is my entry point? What do I do? So we started listening to the music and started understanding the story, and then also my dancers, like involving like what is the message that we want to send, and how do what my ideas that I want to see people, I'm not seeing, excuse me, I want people to see jazz movements in physical form.

[5:31] Adrian: Right.

[5:32] Ricky Tripp: So it's just that just it now after seeing it, it's like it makes so much sense.

[5:35] Adrian: Yeah, yeah, yeah. It really does. And it was just such a beautiful story to be told, and I'm so happy that Broadway is almost there, but elevating it and getting it out there, and that it's on Broadway, not just off Broadway. It's out there so people can hear and listen and feel.

[5:48] Adrian: That's right, that's right. It's so important, especially in today's climate.

[5:51] Ricky Tripp: I agree. You know what I mean? Just saying. I always get in trouble.

[5:54] Adrian: I know, Robert, I know. But I think it's important for those stories. So congratulations to Joyce and enjoy it.

[6:01] Ricky Tripp: Thank you so much. So nice to meet you.

[6:03] Adrian: Me too. Hi, my name is Justin Peck, and I am one of the choreographers at Buena Vista Social Club.

[6:09] Justin Peck: That musical, I mean it's just I just love watching the commercial on television. Like it's just it brings so much light. When that came across your desk, were you like, I have to do this?

[6:20] Adrian: Yes, well, I've loved the music since I was a kid. I listened to it a lot in our household growing up, and then my co-choreographer Patricia Delgado and I constantly play it in our house, and it's when I heard even inklings of this project being in the works, I got to the bottom of like who is working on it, and I immediately put myself forward to like, um, in hopes that I would get a chance to work on it, and so here we are. I feel very lucky.

[6:50] Justin Peck: It's like one of those real special projects. It's wonderful. I mean, everyone has been talking about it. It's been on The View and John Leguizamo and everybody, and I'm just I'm so excited because I think it's a beautiful story, and to see it on Broadway now, it just makes it all the better. You need these stories to be out there.

[7:04] Adrian: I totally agree, and there's so much authenticity with this performance, and particularly with the cast, but also the musicians who are playing this music and bringing it to life night after night, so it's not to be missed, I think.

[7:19] Adrian: Wonderful. Well, congratulations. Have fun tonight.

[7:21] Justin Peck: Thanks a lot.

[7:22] Adrian: Thanks so much. Hi, my name is Josh Bergasse, and I'm the choreographer for Smash on Broadway.

[7:28] Josh Bergasse: It's really been 14 years that this has been in the making.

[7:32] Adrian: Yes. Well, I mean, you know, when we first decided to do Smash, the idea was okay, we're gonna do a season, and then whatever show they create during that season, we put on Broadway. And then in season two, same thing.

[7:44] Josh Bergasse: Right. Uh clearly it didn't work out like that. It's a lot harder to do than you know just saying you're gonna do that.

[7:50] Adrian: Right.

[7:51] Josh Bergasse: But yes, we've been doing it for 14 years. I mean, like that was when I got involved with it 14 years ago. And so this is it's really cool to like be just recognized for this thing that's been a part of my life for that long, you know, and to and and something that I always enjoyed. Material I always enjoyed. I loved the show, I loved the music, you know. And to be at the Chita Rivera Awards to be nominated, that's gotta feel special.

[8:18] Adrian: Well, yes, so special. The Chita Rivera Awards, I always say are my favorite event of the year. It's either the awards are my favorite event, but this day when we all meet, we all you know meet each other, I say that because we all already know each other.

[8:36] Josh Bergasse: Right. You know, because it's just the dance community. You know, some of these people who are dancing now, they were my students, you know, and some, you know, you know, and all my colleagues are here, and it's just it's like this is so special because it's about us.

[8:52] Adrian: Right.

[8:53] Josh Bergasse: It's about dance, and it's about you know what we give to Broadway. And these dancers work their butts off.

[9:01] Adrian: And they do work their butts off.

[9:03] Josh Bergasse: And not always appreciated in the same way. And everybody in the show works their butts off.

[9:09] Adrian: Of course.

[9:09] Josh Bergasse: But like dance is a whole it's unique.

[9:12] Adrian: Yes, butt working.

[9:14] Josh Bergasse: Yes, exactly, exactly. Well, congratulations, enjoy tonight, and thanks so much for stopping.

[9:18] Adrian: Thank you so much.

[9:19] DeWitt Fleming Jr.: Okay, my name is DeWitt Fleming Jr. How exciting are you to be here at the Chita Rivera Awards and to be nominated?

[9:27] DeWitt Fleming Jr.: I know, it's crazy. You know, I'm taking it all in, I'm taking it all in. I chatted with your cohort earlier, and what was it like when this came across your desk and you were like, I need to do this, I need to be a part of this?

[9:38] DeWitt Fleming Jr.: Oh man, I mean it's Louis Armstrong. So I mean my process was a little different because I came on board as an artist, just an actor performer.

[9:46] Adrian: Right.

[9:46] DeWitt Fleming Jr.: And then as the project developed, then they came and asked me to choreograph the tap in the show, which there really wasn't tap in the show except for my part. And so it was just a journey and to be able to represent, you know, jazz, the great American art form, the great Louis Armstrong, and tap dancing in one show. I mean, how do you beat that? It was amazing. I was at Broadway Con and I got to see part of it there, and I was like, and then to see it on stage, it was such a beautiful story.

[10:12] Unknown speaker: Oh, thank you. The music was truly and the performances too.

[10:16] Unknown speaker: Oh, absolutely, absolutely. It'll it's a show I'll never forget, you know, and I'm glad that we got that that time that we got to really, you know, spread Louis Armstrong, his love, his music, his energy, and all everything he was about. And hopefully, you know, there were some of the younger generation who can kind of be like, Hey, I kinda like this.

[10:32] Unknown speaker: Oh, absolutely, and they were loving it. I mean, we had so many schools and so many young people come to the show and they would hang out and say how excited they were. They love the dancing, they love the singing, so yeah. That that makes me that makes my heart fall. That's that's important. The youngins need to see this.

[10:48] Unknown speaker: Yes, they do, they do, they do. Congratulations and joy tonight.

[10:51] Unknown speaker: Thanks so much. How are you?

[10:54] Carlos Falo: Very good. How are you?

[10:55] Unknown speaker: I'm good. Could you please introduce yourself to the round table?

[10:57] Carlos Falo: Hi, I'm Carlos Falo. I'm from part of the ensemble of Buena Vista Social Club, and I'm from Puerto Rico.

[11:03] Unknown speaker: Borico in the house.

[11:05] Carlos Falo: Borico in the How excited were you when you were like, I got the heart?

[11:11] Carlos Falo: I it was thrilling. It was thrilling because it's music that I grew up with. And the fact that we get to put this on stage every day and dancing every day. It's just like a little part of home that we're performing every night. It doesn't feel like we're performing, honestly, it just feels like home.

[11:27] Unknown speaker: Oh my gosh, I love that. That's so exciting and so important. And I think it's a beautiful story. And to see it on Broadway, and when I see the commercials, I haven't seen it yet. We have tickets, we're going soon. But the city is a good thing. We need to make that happen now. The music, the costumes, and the energy. It's just gotta be it's gotta be a party every night.

[11:42] Carlos Falo: It's a party every night. It doesn't like doesn't matter how you come to the theater every day, as soon as you heard that first chord, and everybody hit that first wambang, everything shifts, and we get transported into this spiritual world that is part of us. It's us. We are building this every day.

[11:58] Unknown speaker: That's wonderful. Congratulations, thank you so much.

[12:02] Angelica Belliard: Thank you so much. My name is Angelica Belliard at Helica Bellia.

[12:06] Unknown speaker: And you are with the Point of Uses Social Club.

[12:08] Angelica Belliard: Yes, ma'am. How excited are you to be here at the Cheetah Rivera Awards tonight?

[12:12] Angelica Belliard: It's it's really phenomenal. It's a legendary, iconic uh kind of recognition that I'm so moved. It's really cool and makes me feel like the future is bright, and also that we've done right by our predecessors.

[12:31] Unknown speaker: Oh my god, that's beautiful. I love that. I I I love seeing the commercial on TV, and the reviews have just been amazing. I mean, it's it's John Leguizamo, Anna Novaro, they all are just saying, Go see this show. And I think it's a beautiful story, and it's great to see it on Broadway.

[12:46] Angelica Belliard: Yeah, it's very exciting. I mean, for me, it's been so personal and intimate, and when we did it downtown at the Atlantic, it was the first time it was still so new, and so I still hold on to that so dearly. Like, although now we get to share it on a larger scale, like the roots of it, the intimacy and the familiarity of it is so close.

[13:09] Unknown speaker: So I I love it so much. Congratulations, enjoy tonight. Have some fun.

[13:14] Angelica Belliard: Thank you. Thank you, thank you.

[13:16] Nina Codonville: I'm Nina Codonville.

[13:18] Tatiana Lofton: I'm Tatiana Lofton.

[13:20] Nina Codonville: And you are from Pirates the Pen Dance Musical.

[13:24] Unknown speaker: So I got to interview these lovely human beings last week, and how was opening?

[13:29] Tatiana Lofton: Oh, I thought opening was great. We were very ready to open. So I'm happy that that day went.

[13:34] Nina Codonville: Yeah. I'm just so glad that we're just doing the damn show now.

[13:38] Tatiana Lofton: Yeah. Just so glad for it. And the reviews have been amazing. Everyone has just been like, we love this show. It's such a good fun time.

[13:46] Nina Codonville: I think you're running a risk every time you do a revival of a classic like this. The purists are gonna purist. And I think we really got like like a good resounding review overall from purists and otherwise. So the costumes and the dancing and everything. And to be here, what does it mean to be here tonight?

[14:04] Tatiana Lofton: Cheater. Well, fun fact, Nina and I have only been on Broadway twice together. So, first with a beautiful noise, and this for Pirates. So we both got to do the same thing twice, but it's still really special. Like anytime you any get recognition, especially this being the ensemble, like those are the people who work very, very hard and often don't be don't are not in the forefront.

[14:24] Nina Codonville: So any chance to just get to be in the camaraderie sense and to celebrate ensemble is very, very important.

[14:30] Tatiana Lofton: Oh yeah. I would say, yeah. I think the ensemble is the backbone of every storytelling. And um, like a special shout out to the understudies and swings who make the world go round. Um it's uh it's a special night where we get to recognize the people who are usually otherwise unrecognized or unsung, and they truly are the unsung heroes of the industry, and so I'm grateful to be a part of it, especially with my friend, my friends, and the cast. I'm truly, I'm truly blessed.

[14:56] Nina Codonville: And it's a room full of the hardest working people on Broadway, for sure.

[14:59] Unknown speaker: Well, thank you so much for stopping. Always a pleasure to see you.

[15:03] Sarita Colon: Hi, Brown Tavlers. My name is Sarita Colon, and I'm with Death Becomes Her.

[15:07] Unknown speaker: My maiden name was Calon. Oh, are you Borigua?

[15:11] Sarita Colon: Yes, I am. Okay, hello, hello, my kids, Latina. How excited are you to be here for the Cheetah Rivera Awards?

[15:16] Sarita Colon: This year, I'm excited because she is Puerto Rican Latina, and I stand on her shoulders. Without her, this would have been possible. So it's a huge deal, especially for me. Death becomes her. I mean the amazing idea because it's such a beautiful, I mean, the costumes, the dancing, all of it. How does it how did it feel when you were like I got the part?

[15:36] Sarita Colon: I cried because this is my Broadway debut, so it was a it was a long time coming and it was a lot of hard work dedication to get to this point. So it was um something I'll never forget. So yeah, I was crying.

[15:47] Unknown speaker: Congratulations. That's so wonderful. And enjoy tonight.

[15:50] Sarita Colon: Thank you for watching. Thank you so much.

[15:52] Hector Juan: Hi, my name's Hector Juan, my sonner.

[15:55] Ilda Mason: And I'm Ilda Mason.

[15:57] Unknown speaker: And you are with the city. The energy that I have felt from all of your casts that I I mean how amazing is it to step on that stage each night.

[16:08] Ilda Mason: It's a true gift. It's an honor. It's truly a gift.

[16:10] Hector Juan: I don't know. Every night we go on that stage. It's like you could be so tired.

[16:17] Ilda Mason: Yeah. And still go on that stage and you hear the music and you're like, wow, I'm about to do this show. It's so it's like a beautiful I'm we're we're dance partners for most of it.

[16:29] Hector Juan: And uh the two of us are very similar. We're both like so cancers. We're both nostalgic. And we um like romanticize life, and so we've been very aware of this experience and you know how magical it is and how once in a lifetime it is.

[16:44] Ilda Mason: And so every night, I swear, every show we look at each other and we're like, oh my god, we're doing this.

[16:49] Hector Juan: And we've believe that we're doing this. It's it's it's magical for however long it lasts, every second has been enjoyed.

[16:56] Ilda Mason: And the audience can tell that that the energy has gotta be there. I mean, when I just saw the when I see the commercials on TV, it's just like it looks like so much fun, and it's such a beautiful story, and it needs to be out there, it needs to be told, and it's on Broadway.

[16:59] Hector Juan: And it's on Broadway. And the music is impeccable, like you can't even look past the show without l like acknowledging the fact that our musicians they go out there and they I mean we all do.

[17:21] Ilda Mason: Yes, yes, but the music is what brings everything the joy and it gives it the heart, right?

[17:27] Hector Juan: It is the heart, it's everything. It's and we're there, like we we dance because there is that music.

[17:33] Ilda Mason: Yeah, we're dancing on stage because of the music, like not. Like not it's insane.

[17:37] Hector Juan: Like I think I was at an event last year in November before all this started, and I and Chan Chan was playing at an event, and I remember thinking, oh my god, I'm gonna be listening to this every single day.

[17:50] Ilda Mason: And I was made aware of like, oh my god, that I think that does some something to your soul.

[17:56] Hector Juan: Oh yeah. I feel how my soul is more elevated, it's just happier, more at peace because of the music that these incredible maestros create every single night with their digits, their palms, their lungs, like it comes out of them and their talent. It's indescribable.

[18:16] Ilda Mason: And and just sits up in the show, you know, even when we dance, like we dance to something different every night.

[18:23] Hector Juan: Because every night the musicians play something different. The music is still there, right? But it's like what we're saying is like you know, you can feel tired or something, like and we show it in many different ways, like how we have to make that extra push, like, you know, we're here now, so we gotta just give we as a dancer, like we always have to push.

[18:44] Ilda Mason: And the musicians like you don't really think about it, but I've never really thought about it until being in the show, and then being in the show, it's like every solo is different, every and you everybody's tired sometimes, and everybody's having their own life outside of the show, and so to be able to come to a show that's so real and authentic, right?

[19:05] Hector Juan: And it's just like us being that's there's something magical that happens as we cross that threshold at the very top of the show. Every artist crosses through an archway, and I really do feel there is some sort of magical threshold that exists there.

[19:20] Ilda Mason: Because we all step from behind the scenes from backstage from our daily lives, our preps, and we are welcomed by such love from the audience. People who have traveled from far, people have traveled on one day from other cities, other countries to hear this music live on stage.

[19:41] Hector Juan: Life outside doesn't matter. We do the first one ban, and it's like my it's we're healed, and it's a whole journey. Go buy your tickets. If that doesn't tell you to go buy your tickets, go buy your tickets when it's social. Please come see it. You're gonna love it. Don't miss it. You're gonna love it.