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[0:00] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's the round table with me, Robert Bannon. Round table, everybody. My name is Robert Bannon. You're listening to us on Broadway World over here on the Broadway Podcast Network, iHeart and Spotify. When I moved to Detroit, I was so excited about Broadway and Detroit in the legendary Fisher Theater, the home of where The Wiz started, where Hello Dolly started, and every year an incredible list of shows come through. And coming from New York a year ago, I saw the lineup and the number, don't tell the other shows. But my favorite show on the lineup this year is Hell's Kitchen. Because when I saw it on Broadway, I left with my friend Mike and I said, This is a Broadway show. It gives you joy, it gives you hope, it gives you inspiration, it makes me go out into the middle of the world.

I'm just singing collidolite lidoscope. That's what I'm doing out here in this world. So we have the alley, and I have a beef with her, and I'm gonna tell her what the beef is. We're gonna fight. We're gonna start off fighting. Maya Drake is here to tell us all about Hell's Kitchen coming to Detroit. Welcome to the show.

[0:53] Maya Drake: Hi, thank you for having me.

[0:55] Robert Bannon: Congratulations on everything.

[0:57] Maya Drake: Thank you so much.

[0:58] Robert Bannon: Here's my beef, Maya.

[1:00] Maya Drake: Okay.

[1:00] Robert Bannon: I'm 42 years old.

[1:02] Maya Drake: Okay.

[1:02] Robert Bannon: You are like four and a half years old. You graduate high school, you book the lead international tour. You just walk out in this world from California and the world is your oyster, Maya. How? Why?

[1:12] Maya Drake: It's been crazy. I mean, the way that my life has just completely changed by getting to do this show, and it's still so early, and now there's still so much more to do, and it's been an incredible opportunity, and I am forever grateful.

[1:29] Robert Bannon: So you come from San Jose, California. So how does someone and I saw I gave a full, you know, modern day deep dive, stalked your website and your Instagram. Everybody, while we're here, make sure you can follow Maya Drake on Instagram. It's right here. So and while we're talking, tickets at BroadwayandDetroit.com for the Detroit run and all across the country at Hell'sKitchen.com. You can get your tickets if you're not in this area. How did this journey happen for you? Did you come to New York? Did you audition? Did you send a video? What happened?

[1:56] Maya Drake: Yeah, I sent a video in October of last year. And I was still finishing school. And I got a call back. And in December, I ended up doing, I went there for a week long sort of callback where I learned about like a third of the show so they could sort of see how I handled the material and how quick I learned it because there's a lot of it to do in the show. And um, yeah, then early of this year, I heard that I got it, and I had to keep the terrible secret for many, many months. And when it got announced, it was just everybody in my life was so supportive and getting into rehearsals, like beginning everything was so exciting. It's incredibly exciting, and it's an incredibly exciting show. I'm telling you, you're not gonna want to miss it.

It's the most fun time you're gonna have in the theater, and you gotta get your tickets. Um and Detroit, you know, is gonna show up and out for the Hell's Kitchen experience with Alicia Keys' music and the incredible. You're gonna know the songs and the new songs will be ringing in your ear when you leave. So for you, you graduated high school, you've done a bunch of musical theater in San Jose, like from Pippin to Hunchback to tons of shows. And then to be in a room with people who have done this for a long time, who have Broadway credits, who come from all over the world. How did you get over any fear, impostor syndrome, nervousness, anxiety to walk in the room and be the star of the show?

[3:24] Maya Drake: Yeah, I mean, it was definitely helpful because everyone was so welcoming, you know, and I feel like any nerves that I had going into it was immediately eliminated by the support that everyone had for me. And you know, knowing that I had to do this world, knowing that it was sort of my first big show. And I think I also just like to remember that, you know, all those people have been in my position where they do their first thing and how nervous, like nervous that can be, and how exciting it is. And really I've been given an amazing cast, which I'm so lucky to have. And they have been so incredibly nice, so supportive. Even today, they lift me up in the same ways they did from day one. So they definitely have really helped to ease my nerves and just sort of be present in every moment.

[4:09] Robert Bannon: I am so excited for people to experience this. So did you get a chance to see when you were in New York, do you see the show? And then how do you find your own version of Ali that's not taken from everyone who's done it before you?

[4:21] Maya Drake: Yeah, I had seen the show for the first time while I was in the process of auditioning. So it was definitely crazy because you know, I'm looking at the script and I'm learning these lines, and then to finally go see it, it's like, whoa, like that's what that is. And so it was definitely a crazy moment to see that and sort of think in the back of my head, like, well, if I get that, that's what I'm gonna have to do. It was very overwhelming. But um, I think just having time away from seeing the show, you know, I have seen it a few times, but from when I first saw it to knowing when I got it, it was a long time. And so being able to step away from seeing somebody in the role and just have my own time with the script and have my own time with the music definitely um it didn't make me pick up any mannerisms of somebody else, you know.

I had a lot of time to figure out how these things fit in my voice. You know, I worked on the songs for a long time before rehearsing and looking at the lines, and I think just through, you know, doing my own studying, my own reading, I sort of was able to find, oh, that's what I like. And even in the beginning of rehearsals, um, for the first few days, we just read through the script. We didn't, you know, do any staging or anything. And so I got to be with my scene partners, just you know, just the two of us, and then Michael Grife, and just getting to read with each other, and through that, a lot I is like that was the main time I was able to be like, that's how I want to say it. Like, that's how this moment goes for me.

So, like the definitely doing like table reading was very, very helpful for building this character for me. Just you know, your scene partner and Michael Grife, you know, who just directed Rent and things like that. So just little Michael Grife. It's insane.

[6:04] Robert Bannon: Insane. So talking about scene partners, you know, the show. If you have not seen it, everybody is uh there's a mom, there's a dad, there's a love interest, there's you know, moms and dads who are just like my parents and many parents out here who have a complicated relationship who are not together, the kids sometimes in the middle. As an artist, we look for inspiration, and you found the story finds one in in well, I don't want to give the whole story away, but Miss Liza Jane and the whole and what happens in it. How is it to work with in a personal level, Kennedy, Desmond, Roz, as their inspirations to the character, but how are they on the road with you as inspirations?

[6:41] Maya Drake: Yeah, I mean, they are all so like they're basically all like my parents, you know, like they are always checking in on me, you know, making sure I'm okay. And so we've been, you know, building that relationship with each other through rehearsals and just seeing each other around. And so that definitely helps when I get on stage and I'm like, we have this pre-existing connection, we have this flow of the way that you know we talk to each other, and so definitely getting to know them more and more makes performing with them just the scenes feel so easy because we're just you know having a conversation, but it's really cool the way that they you know really step in to these characters and really commit to them, and that's the best thing, you know, to be in a scene with somebody, and you're both equally so in it and giving everything you have.

And when you're both so present with each other and really focusing on each other and focusing on the words that you're saying, it makes the scene really easy because you're both there to do your best, you know. So it's been great working with all of them.

[7:39] Robert Bannon: Maya's an actor, y'all. Look at that's homework. Come on, that's called I'm doing my homework. I know my homework. I'm not here, I'm doing my homework being present and taking each show piece by piece. She's got two shows today, and she's talking to me. So God bless you. Go get them, Tiger. So to be young, be young. So when you have um the what I love about the show, the structurally about the show is that there are moments that give you so much joy. You walk out flying, you know, after Empire State. Oh, see, I'm giving spoilers, Maya, after the end of the show and the excitement that is the show. But what I love about the structure, and shout out to Michael Grife, shout out to Alicia Keys, shout out to everyone who's creative.

[8:15] Maya Drake: The end of the first act is such a unique way. You know, usually in theater, it's this big uproarious end of the first act. This show takes you to such serious places in the times we're living in that relates to no matter what age you are, where you come from, your background, your ethnicity, gender, anything, you're gonna feel related to the story. And there's also incredible moments of hope, but it's a wild roller coaster emotionally you have to go through. Yeah, it's a lot. It's crazy every time finding that, you know, from going to feeling like I'm on top of the world and then having to go to like really sad and emotional places. It's a lot, and it's a lot to, you know, have to do like every day and stuff and bring myself to those places, but I think every day, you know, I'm still figuring it out and just trying to be really present in the moment because I feel like I want my emotions to come off as genuine as possible.

And I'm like, if it doesn't come to me the way that I want it to, then I need to do it a different way, you know. But it's, I think it's worse to force something so much and have it come off as ingenuine. And so I really, yeah, every day I'm finding new things and I'm trying my best to sort of really sit in those places genuinely and let them come out however they do naturally for me.

[9:35] Robert Bannon: You're in Chicago right now, um you're coming to Detroit, and then after that you go on to like Wisconsin and New Orleans. What's it like city to city, the different energy, the different theaters, the different cultures? You're touring, you're getting paid to go around the country.

[9:48] Maya Drake: It's crazy. I never really traveled before this. So this is a total shift for me, but it's really exciting, and I'm glad that I get this opportunity because I don't know if I would, you know, be going to all these places if I wasn't scheduled to, and so being able to have that opportunity to go see places and getting to see the different audiences, you know, it's so exciting the first show in a new city to see how they'll react and stuff. And so definitely the audiences have really been keeping us going, and they've especially here, they've been great, everywhere they've been great. So I'm so excited to just meet new people and get to show people the show for the first time. You know, I love that with touring, it's like not everybody gets to go to Broadway. And so to be able to see a show like this, you know, so close to home, I'm so excited that we get to give that to people.

[10:40] Robert Bannon: And how for you, I mean, you growing across the country, how did you discover theater? Because you weren't around the corner from a Broadway show either.

[10:47] Maya Drake: Yeah, and also nobody else in my family is like musical or anything. I just decided to do a show when I was like in third grade at my elementary school. They were doing Peter Pan Jr. I was like, you know what? I'm gonna go do that because I love to sing. Singing is like all I did when I was a baby to up to now. And so since I love singing so much, I was like, I'm gonna try that. And then it just stuck, and I had so much fun and just getting to express myself through that way and on the stage, and then just never stopped. The rest is truly history.

[11:22] Maya Drake: It's history across the whole year. There are dates across the country. So double check the website and my healthskitchen.com and my detroit family broadway and detroit.com. Make sure you get your tickets to come on. I'll be there. I can't wait to be there, bringing the whole family. So exciting. We'll behave ours. We will not sing along, we will not clap. We were just at Tina Turner, the musical the other day, and people like we're gonna be have good etiquette. My I swear, we're not gonna sing with you. We'll wait till the very, very end to okay.

[11:50] Robert Bannon: So that's our so for you. Um, I love the dynamic. We talked about the moms and the dads and the mentors, and then there's of course you work with some of the youngest uh young and incredible artists like John Avery and the incredible company that you have. What's it like to join? Because you all are singing and dancing and acting. It is modern day. So if you have young kids, if you have people who are inspired by music and like this is a show that they need it inspires any generation in age.

[12:15] Maya Drake: Yeah. So for you, what's it like to work with the we talked about the mentors? What's it like to work with these young whippersnappers like you, Maya?

[12:22] Maya Drake: They sound old. Oh my god. Yeah, I mean, John Avery specifically, he's been amazing. He's such an incredible scene partner. And like I was saying about everybody else, he makes scenes so easy. And he is always so connected and always giving his all. And I think that we just have such a good dynamic and we're able to feed off each other so well. And it's been so great to see how we've deepened our connection and grow that performance as we've been doing the show. And I mean, yeah, there's not too many people that are close to my age, but the people that are, they're all so great. It's great to have them around. Love being friends with them and everybody. But um, yeah, definitely, definitely the younger ones. We we've got each other. John Avery, if you haven't seen him on TV, he's an incredible actor, and he was just here doing Jason's lyric before he did this show. So he's an old pro now.

[13:19] Robert Bannon: And what I love about this show, Kenneth the character of Jersey um has some moments in the show that you vocally you're gonna be in awe of. Nobody does the role of Jersey and can cut carrots and belt and scrout. I don't know. They're just chopping and singing up there on stage. Is this coming on tour? Or is the knife and the carrots coming on tour?

[13:43] Maya Drake: It is, they are you will see carrots, you will see carrots. Listen, when you see the show, everybody, you're gonna know what I'm talking about. They're just cutting up carrots and singing their faces off up there. You watch.

[13:55] Robert Bannon: So, how are you staying healthy? How do you take care of yourself vocally?

[14:00] Maya Drake: It's literally a challenge every day, you know. It is still not easy for me. Um, because it's a lot. I've never had to um sing this much in a show before and for this long, so you know, I'm trying to focus on the consistency and things like that. Definitely sleep is my priority. I don't, I'm not going out, I'm not partying, I'm not, you know, doing all that. I am going to bed. So that's definitely a thing. Um, so much water and like I steam sometimes, and like I use a nebulizer, which is like saline solution, and definitely um trying to improve my technique all the time, you know, because that's like the most important. I can do all those things, but if I'm going out there and I'm screaming, like it's gone, you know what I mean?

So um definitely figuring out every show. Like, do I need to go a little easier on this song so that I can make it to the end? Like trying, it's so strategic for me. It's crazy. It's like I'm also trying to act and be in these scenes in the back of my mind. I'm like, I have to sing this note. Like it's a whole different world to be so in tune with my voice and vocal health and things. It's like I've got it down to a science. And so every day, you know, I drink my tea all the time. It's I and it's still I'm still learning it. So um I definitely take advice from people, you know. Um, anything I can get, I would love to add to my routine. So building it every day.

[15:26] Robert Bannon: So yeah, well, we're really excited. I can't wait for you next year when the tour's over. It should be too famous of books to remember this interview.

[15:33] Maya Drake: No, I will forever remember.

[15:38] Robert Bannon: Are you gonna go to New York? Are you gonna be a TV movie star? What's gonna happen?

[15:41] Maya Drake: I don't know. I am open to any opportunity that comes my way.

[15:46] Robert Bannon: So we're gonna follow her because the journey is only begun. Maya Drake on Instagram. Everybody from the second to the 14th, if you're in Detroit, you have it's mandatory, it's mandatory homework. Hell's Kitchen comes to the Fisher Theater Broadway in Detroit and around the country at Hell's Kitchen.com. We will be there. I can't wait to see you guys. And while you're here in Detroit, if you need a Coney dog, directions, um, you know, any Detroit, I I'll hook you up with the spots. Anything you need.

[16:09] Maya Drake: Amazing. Congratulations. Break legs today. And thank you so much. Happy holidays.

[16:13] Robert Bannon: Happy holidays.