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[0:01] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's The Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon. Welcome to The Roundtable, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon. You're listening to us on Broadway World over here on the Broadway Podcast Network, iHeart, Spotify, wherever artists are talking about art. Our next guest is an artist. He's an actor. He's a producer, and he is having one heck of a year. He's got a lot of stuff going on. Queens is in the house, okay? And we're going to have, I think it is, Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Bay Ridge, Queens. Jonathan, where'd you grow up?

[0:36] Jonathan Judge-Russo: I'm a Brooklyn guy, man. I got to rep the BK borough. So I got to... Oh, yeah. No, no, no. We got to do BK. I messed it up. I messed it up.

[0:45] Robert Bannon: No, no, no, no. No, no, no, no. We just got to represent. That's because I'm from New Jersey, and we don't really understand New York. New Jersey wants to be New York so bad. We want to be New York so bad.

[0:55] Jonathan Judge-Russo: No, no, no, man. We love all of our siblings from other places. No, it's all cool. And if you're from Brooklyn, Queens, or New Jersey, you should go get a ticket and see Music City the Musical. Go to musiccitythemusical.com. We've had a good time with... We had Lolo here, and we had Steven here, and now we have the one and only Jonathan Judge-Russo. Welcome to the show.

[1:12] Jonathan Judge-Russo: I appreciate you, Robert. Thanks for having me. Thank you for your support of the show, and for all sorts of support of mine over the past many months, truly. I love what you do, and I love the work that you do, and I love this show because I think what you've done, you've taken the iconic space where this show is held and changed it and flipped it on its head and done a really incredible job creating a really fun, interesting... What's it been like for you to be a part of it?

[1:43] Jonathan Judge-Russo: I've loved every second of it. I am sort of one of the originals. I have been part of the show for almost 12 years, so there are three of us that have been a part of it since Jump Street, almost since day one. Andy Rothenberg, Drew Bastian, and myself, and it's been an absolute joy. I feel like we've been fighting to get here for a very, very long time, so it feels like the culmination of a lot of efforts, none more so than by Peter Zinn, the book writer, and J.T. Harding, who wrote all the tunes. It's a huge lift, but it's also... It's an absolute joy to be a part of it. It feels great. It's an ensemble thing. It's a remarkable team. I love going to work every day. I'm working with great people, and that's what it's about. You know, that makes me smile.

[2:38] Robert Bannon: Oh, I see what you did. All right. I like it. I like that move right there. That's the second really sweet professional transition you've done in less than five minutes, and you are a pro. I dig it. That's awesome.

[2:57] Jonathan Judge-Russo: When I smile, I smile at, yes, the pun intended, but I smile at the work. You wear many hats in this business. You're not just... I'm just an actor who went to Stellar Adler, and I just... You're a producer. You do things, and you have done things that you were very sweet to me to talk about it, but I love Adam is Theatre Company, and I love what you do, and I love what you have done with your 12-hour reading, which I have done interviews about and talked about, and it is incredibly... What a feat that you put on every single year. How do you describe your job? What do you... What is your... If someone says, Jonathan, what do you do for a living? What do you say?

[3:33] Jonathan Judge-Russo: I think I do my best to make as much art as possible. I think that's what it's all about, I think that's what any of us are trying to do. That's what you're doing. You're putting as much art and as many artists out into the world as you can, because this is what we care about, and we think art is important. That's why any of us do what we do.

[3:57] Jonathan Judge-Russo: I was doing another interview earlier today, and somebody asked me, what's the best advice that you've ever been given professionally? One of the pieces I got from a couple of people was just make your own work, and I think that carries through. I carry that with me as much as possible, and I think you just constantly have to be cranking. I don't do well sitting around doing nothing, and I think even in the moments when I'm lucky enough to have a job like acting in Music City, I can't... Even the days being free, I can't just sit around and just spin. I have to be working on something, so I've been very, very fortunate to work for many years now, since 2011 on Animus Theatre Company, which I started with three classmates of mine from Circle in the Square.

We've been very, very fortunate, I think, in a sort of dissolving non-profit theatre landscape. Certainly pre-COVID, we produced almost 55, I think, 55 or 60 productions, or at least events that got out there in the world. COVID hit us pretty hard, and then we're coming back now. We did the 12-hour Tracy Letts Festival earlier this year, which you were so gracious to interview Tommy Sadowski about, and he crushed it on your show. He was so good.

[5:25] Robert Bannon: Oh, he's the best. He was the best. Was it your cousin or your aunt who you brought on?

[5:31] Jonathan Judge-Russo: My cousin. She's the best with news... Do you know, she just wrote me yesterday, and I said, what are you doing? I'm here being trashy, watching The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and she said, I'm re-watching Newsroom for the 800th time. See?

[5:46] Robert Bannon: Listen, these days, whatever uplifts you, whatever brings you up, that show will do it. We all need a little Aaron Sorkin in our lives sometimes to just sort of... We're living Newsroom. We're living this world in this crazy world.

[5:59] Jonathan Judge-Russo: I feel you. I re-watched The West Wing, so I get it. I get it. But yeah, so I've been lucky enough to produce a lot of theater. We did a lot of stuff down at the Cherry Lane and at different spaces. We do the 12-hour festival at Circle in the Square. I produced some TV and film as well, and just act on top of it. That's my day job, I guess, is acting. So I just like to put art out in the world. I don't know. I think that's what I'm here for. So that's what I try to do.

[6:33] Robert Bannon: And that's what you do so incredibly well.

[6:40] Jonathan Judge-Russo: Yeah, I appreciate that.

[6:41] Robert Bannon: Back to my... I don't have that many puns, but that smile. Back to smiling. If you have to see the show, am I giving it away? There's a song, Smile, okay, everybody? Now I'm just going to give... There's a song, Smile. It was recorded by Uncle Cracker. And all the songs in this show, many of the songs are recorded by very, very famous singers. And if you love country music, you may know. If you love Dierks Bentley and Darius Rucker and Florida Georgia Line and Blake Shelton, et cetera, Smile, this is a moment in the show. This is a moment for you.

[7:15] Jonathan Judge-Russo: This is a moment in the show. To hear our songwriter J.T. Harding talk about it, it is the song that sort of blew him up as a writer. It's also the song that most people will recognize hearing in like a Duane Reade at 11pm. So that's where these days you'll find it most of the time.

[7:38] Jonathan Judge-Russo: But it's so recognizable. I mean, it still hits. All of these songs are so, so good, and they just stick with you. That song is a moment in the show. We used the show in one of its iterations, I think in its first or earliest iteration, was called Smile. So it's a big moment in the show. My character has his own feelings about what's going on the first time he hears it, but it's big. It's big. And to hear, certainly the first time, Steven and Lolo sing it, whatever your feelings are about it, you hear them crush that stuff, it's remarkable. It makes you smile. It is one of those songs, it's one of those, you know, the second you hear it, everybody, make me smile like the sun fall, you're going to be like remembering this moment. It's a special moment.

[8:40] Robert Bannon: What do you hope, when you invest time as a producer, or you invest time as an actor, is there something you hope or your intentions are for the projects you put out? Like, are you looking for joy? Are you looking for a lot, like, artsy, fartsy, fancy? Are you looking for just to make some money? Like, what is it that motivates you to say yes and devote time out of your day to something?

[9:06] Jonathan Judge-Russo: Look, I think I'm naturally a joy-seeking artist. I think that's where I start. I don't think like artsy, fartsy, fancy, or money. I mean, like, certainly, it's theater, so I'm not in it for the money, that's for sure. And I don't think any of us really are. This is all, this is for the love of the game, you know. I think there are certain projects I'll work on, on a theater production side that requires certain elements to execute, right? So, like, the 12-Hour Festival is a fundraiser for Circle in the Square Theater School, of which I am an alum, and of which Tommy's an alum. And so, in order to execute on a fundraiser, you have to bring people in the door in droves. And in order to bring people in the door in droves, especially from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on a Monday, it helps to have some recognizable talent.

So, is it a little fancy? Sure. Are there some fancy, famous names in there? Sure. But at the end of the day, all of those fancy names are there because they love to read plays. And they're the same kind of theater addict and junkie that I am. And they're not doing it for the money, and they're not doing it for anything other than the fact that they wanted to get together and read Tracy Lett's plays. Sometimes, when we're doing fuller, longer productions, it's really about the play. It's about the journey of telling the story.

[10:37] Jonathan Judge-Russo: I think it's just, we're just trying to amplify, you know, what the real difference makers have done and are doing. I don't, I don't want to artificially or overly elevate myself and anything that I'm or we are doing. I think we just have like a platform and a camera and a megaphone in a way.

[16:06] Jonathan Judge-Russo: And it's, it's sometimes just the job to, to remind people, A, of what other people have done, but also when it's not historical, it's just a, it's just an opportunity. I think we as artists, actors, whatever, to just remind people of their own humanity and just sort of tap into what people are, are about at their own core.

[16:26] Jonathan Judge-Russo: And, you know, when you, when you, when you slice away all of the, the politics and the deeply, you know, ingrained stuff that people are getting from all the noise, just, you know, it's just, it's the human stuff. And I don't think that we're, I don't think we need to be, you know, put on any sort of elevated level for all of that. We're just, we're just reminding people of who we are and what other people have done. I think that's what it's about.

[16:57] Robert Bannon: Well, I say kudos to you. It's incredible work. And I'm ready for your doc. I'm ready for the movie about your life. You have had an interesting life and journey and family and what a story.

[17:07] Jonathan Judge-Russo: Yeah, well, yeah, I get a sense of where, where you're leading me. So I might as well just, I might as well just dive into the old crazy pool here.

[17:18] Robert Bannon: It's not crazy. It's sweet and cute.

[17:21] Jonathan Judge-Russo: It is a little sweet and cute. It's also a little crazy and will keep me in therapy the rest of my life for sure. My, my, my personal story to which Robert alludes is my dad was a priest and my mom was a nun. And so as you can likely imagine, this is precisely the career path they envisioned for me.

[17:45] Jonathan Judge-Russo: So yeah, they, I, you know, sometimes I joke with people that I wish their meeting was a bit more salacious.

[17:55] Jonathan Judge-Russo: It wasn't as it wasn't salacious when they were getting their PhD at NYU.

[17:59] Robert Bannon: Yeah, I know. I know. They met they, there were no late nights in the sacristy or anything like that.

[18:04] Jonathan Judge-Russo: Man.

[18:04] Robert Bannon: I know. I know. I know. Maybe when, maybe when I fictionalize their story, we'll tweak it a little bit. But no, they were getting their PhDs at NYU and they were, they were getting their teaching assignments and they met after they had left their respective orders and, and I came along and, and, and, and that's how that happened.

[18:27] Jonathan Judge-Russo: And I think, you know, they probably had design. I mean, they both went the intellectual route after they got out. And I think because, you know, naturally they, they came from where they came from and went where they went. They probably had designs on me doing something similar, but, you know, to their credit, they're, they're incredibly open-minded, wonderful human beings.

[18:50] Jonathan Judge-Russo: And when it started to become clear, probably mid to late college or undergrad for me that this is where I wanted to go, you know, they, they just, they jumped in and they said, that's what he wants to do. Then that's what he's going to do. And we're going to be behind it all the way. And, you know, they, they've been behind me since day one. So, I mean, they, they're the best.

[19:12] Robert Bannon: See, well disappointed that it's not salacious.

[19:15] Jonathan Judge-Russo: I know, I know.

[19:17] Robert Bannon: It is heartwarming and beautiful. And they raised quite a son who is out here, put in stories out on stages and screens. And that's incredible. If you want to see Jonathan, our buddy, Jonathan Judge Russo, you can, you can see him right now. You got to go to musiccitythemusical.com. You can get your tickets. They do a great job of trying to make it affordable. It's a great date night. You're gonna hear live music. They're literally in your face. Like it is a pretty immersive moment and experience with an incredible cast singing their teeth out.

[19:45] Jonathan Judge-Russo: Yes, absolutely.

[19:48] Jonathan Judge-Russo: Every single-

[19:49] Jonathan Judge-Russo: Please, please come and enjoy this wonderful ensemble. You know, every single human being on stage and off, by the way, is extraordinary in this piece. And they are all to be lauded for their remarkable talents.

[20:02] Robert Bannon: Just read what people are saying about it. It's a special night of theater like you've never seen before. You know, my show is your show. When you have your next reading, your next doc, your next scripted series, your next stage production, your next anything that you're in or other people are in, my show is always your show. I'd love to be any, any, any way my little voice can help you with what you're doing. Come on down.

[20:22] Jonathan Judge-Russo: It's not a little voice. I think what you're doing is really, it's pretty damn wonderful. And you're bringing art to the masses. You're doing it. I mean, the voices that you amplify and the way you do it and your respect for what people are putting out in the world is real. And I appreciate it. I really do.

[20:46] Robert Bannon: And I'm going to take that and say thank you. And thank you for what you do. It's a it's mutual. It's right back at you. And let's go. Let's go out there and tell some.

[20:55] Jonathan Judge-Russo: That's right. Thanks, Robert. I appreciate you.

[20:57] Robert Bannon: Much, much love. Right back at you. Thanks for being here.