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[0:00] Alan Seales: Hello, podcast listener. I am Alan Seales, and you've stumbled upon The Theatre Podcast.

[0:13] Alan Seales: This is the very first episode of a Hadestown takeover. That means that this episode, as well as a bunch of others that are going to follow this, are all featuring cast and maybe a creative or two from the Tony-winning musical of Hadestown. Our guests today are Tara Jackson and Sayo Oni. They're both swings. Tara for The Fates, Sayo for Orpheus. He's actually got some other tracks up his sleeve. I cannot believe everything that this guy has been through. Actually, he's still in college, too, in North Carolina while performing here in New York on Broadway, so his story is incredible. As mentioned, this is a takeover, so make sure you keep coming back to check out all of the rest of the episodes that are all going to feature Hadestown. Find me online on Instagram and Twitter. Leave a rating and a review wherever you are listening now, and everybody, please enjoy this episode with Tara Jackson and Sayo Oni.

[1:23] Alan Seales: My guests today have both made their Broadway debuts in Hadestown, and in no particular order, I'll introduce Tara Jackson first. She's a Canada native who graduated with honors, I might add, from Berklee College of Music and was even part of the Hadestown Canadian premiere. She's currently in Hadestown on Broadway as a swing and an understudy for The Fates. Next up, Sayo Oni, who just completed his junior fall year at Elon University. Obviously, this dude has a golden voice, as he can currently be seen in Hadestown as a swing and the understudy for Orpheus. Tara and Sayo, welcome to The Theatre Podcast.

[2:02] Tara Jackson: Hello.

[2:03] Sayo Oni: Of course. Thanks for having us.

[2:05] Alan Seales: Oh, dude, and I also got to warn you that I bit my tongue hardcore the other day, and I'm still having some trouble with my S's because it's like, you know, right there where the side of the tongue hits the teeth to make my S's. So if every now and then I like, say my S's a little funny, I don't mean to do it on purpose. I'm just having a really hard time talking these days.

[2:24] Tara Jackson: So we'll give grace today.

[2:25] Alan Seales: So nothing. Yeah, I need my podcast swing to come in and just like do this interview for me. It'd be like, Oh yeah, that'd be cool. Like, all right, Alan, Alan understudy. Come here. I'm calling out today.

[2:42] Alan Seales: You have no idea how often I want to call out in life, I tell you. So let's get into, I just want to go straight into swing culture because this shit is hard. By the way, if you'd like this swing culture is phenomenally hard. And both of you, like Tara, you're covering three different roles, if not more, I assume. And then I know you're covering, like you're a swing and the understudy for Orpheus. Or is it technically like what are you doing in the show?

[3:04] Sayo Oni: So I technically cover all of the workers, which I, so all five of the workers and Orpheus. Now, I don't know if I will actually go on for all five of the workers, but I'm supposed to be ready kind of in the event of. I mean, I don't know how to go on for more than one at the same time. So, you know, I'm going on for all five.

[3:30] Alan Seales: I like, so you've got six different tracks running through your head and Tara, you've got at least three, right?

[3:40] Tara Jackson: I have eight. Yeah, eight. And you do the workers, too.

[3:48] Tara Jackson: I do. And I've gone on for six. No, I've gone on for five thus far.

[3:54] Alan Seales: Holy crap. But I also, I'm the new assistant dance captain, so I have to know everybody. So there's just like 13 tracks going on in my head. I'm still learning them as I am the newest assistant dance captain. But yeah, it's a lot. But, you know, like we do it. We do it.

[4:12] Alan Seales: Well, is this sort of, I mean, I think I was going to say, is this what you want to do when you're thinking of like what I'm going to do on Broadway? Do you like the swing life? Do you like the understudy life? Or to me personally, I get anxiety just thinking about more than one track. And I was a swing in Forever Plaid many, many years ago. So I had to know four tracks and just the choreography because it was a quartet-ish was, I mean, it was a quartet. So the choreography was pretty identical for the most part. But of course, there's blocking. And but the harmonies are so tight and have to be so precise. And so to know if you're a tenor one, tenor two, the baritone or the bass, all of that all over the place, just I would stay up at night with anxiety. And, you know, Tara, especially, I mean, got 13 different tracks and you got to actually go on for eight. Like, what are you guys doing to maintain yourselves?

[5:13] Tara Jackson: Well, Shayo, that's a good question. Well, I mean, as far as like outside of the show, I definitely make sure to just save some space just for my personal times that I can de-stress because I mean, like you said, it is a very stressful job that we do. So I make sure to reserve some personal time just for me to calm myself down after a day of work. And as far as like inside the show, I, you know, whenever I'm kind of like switching between tracks, I make sure to, you know, refer back to I have this like spreadsheet of notes that I made for myself that has all the like scene and set transitions and stuff. So I kind of refer back to that as my little like guide whenever I switch from like worker three to four or, you know, throughout all the different tracks. So that kind of keeps me in the right headspace and keeps me sane.

[6:12] Tara Jackson: Taryn, what about you?

[6:13] Sayo Oni: Yeah, similarly to Shia, like obviously I have a book with all of my tracks written out so I can refer to that on paper. I also watch the show like pretty often, if not every day, just to see to check in kind of where things are and where they're supposed to be. It is a stressful job, but there are things that I like about being a swing and there are things that I don't like about being a swing. The things that I do like are that you can try on different hats, like it's not always the same track. So that's really exciting. It keeps you on your toes. It's fun to experience the show in a different way every time you go on. Things that I don't like about it are that it's so unpredictable. Like that's fun and not fun at the same time because, you know, I've gotten once, only once, at the seven-minute mark they were like okay you're going on.

Meanwhile, I'm like completely thinking I'm like oh surely you know like we're past the 15 at this point nobody's calling out. But you never know. So when things like that happen it's exciting but it's also like you don't really have time to get ready so you got to stay ready. So that's kind of, that's kind of, you know, always be on all the time. Basically, yeah.

[7:20] Alan Seales: Gosh, okay. So when did both of you join the cast? Because it was both pretty, it was pretty recently, yeah?

[7:26] Sayo Oni: So I joined the cast, I think it was November. It was like mid-early November when I joined.

[7:35] Alan Seales: Wow, so it was right after the cast reopened, the show reopened.

[7:42] Sayo Oni: Yes. Wow, okay. So then Shia, I guess let's start there with you then. So you're actually still in college.

[7:48] Sayo Oni: Yes, yeah. So good on you for still doing this but obviously I guess you're taking the semester off now, your spring semester from Elon. Are you doing things remotely?

[8:04] Sayo Oni: Okay, so you're taking off the semester but how does the college, I guess, do they support this kind of career move? Because I've actually heard from people, even as local as LaGuardia, that they're a performing arts school but they actually, the professors don't ultimately support the students taking time off of school when they get cast in a show. So how has this process been?

[8:30] Sayo Oni: Well, that is something that I am extremely grateful for is my professors have been so, so, so supportive of me taking this opportunity. You know, and I made sure to ask them, you know, every step of the way before I submitted, you know, when I was going to the callbacks, I was like, hey, are y'all sure you're okay with this? And they're like, yes, you have to take this. If this is within reach, you need to go for it. So they've been very supportive. And yeah, I finished up my fall semester. I came out to New York. And so I'm taking a leave of absence right now. And I'm going to pick up with online classes over the summer and then going into fall and spring of my senior year.

[9:07] Alan Seales: Wow. Well, good for you, man. That's impressive. And that's not an easy thing to do to go to school and maintain eight shows a week when you have to have eight tracks running through your head. And Tara, you said you're the newest assistant dance captain.

[9:27] Tara Jackson: Yes.

[9:28] Alan Seales: So what is your journey with the show?

[9:31] Tara Jackson: Uh, so it's like you said, I did the Canadian premiere in 2017. So I was, I'm OG Worker One. That's me repping for the ladies. Okay, so there's only four of us. I was the only girl holding it down. So that's where my journey started. And then I got the call for Broadway in February of 2020. I was supposed to show up in March of 2020. But we all know what happened in March of 2020. The world shut down. So then I came back with everybody in August once things were reopened.

[10:03] Alan Seales: Wow. Okay, so having your Broadway debut just kind of like dangling right there, ripped away.

[10:13] Tara Jackson: Yeah. Yeah. Like what? What do you think at that point? You're like, that's it. Broadway's done. I'm done. I don't, I don't...

[10:22] Tara Jackson: I mean, it was kind of like, okay, so do I have a job like what's happening? Honestly, I didn't really know I was in a show at the time when I got the call. And I was like, cool. And they're like, Can you come any sooner? I said, Well, no, I'm not in the show. They're like, Alright, so March. And then as things were starting to get a little bit more unpredictable with COVID. They're like, Well, let's just wait and see. So my ticket, my flight was booked for March 20. And obviously on the 12th, when everything shut down, they were like, so, you know, maybe we'll see you in June. And obviously, we know what happened. The world's stayed closed until August 2021. And then I showed up and August 9, we started.

[10:58] Alan Seales: Wow. Okay, so then, were you staying? Were you still in Canada at this point?

[11:05] Tara Jackson: Okay, so then what were you just like, chilling in Canada, not knowing what was going on?

[11:10] Tara Jackson: Basically, yeah, I mean, like, we got in touch through zoom. The producers in the cast, we got a few zoom sessions just to check in and just like to let everybody know kind of where they're at. It was not a lot of new information at the time, like nobody knew what was going to happen. But it was nice to just see their faces and kind of feel like, okay, if we're still having zooms, and like, I must have a job, but I don't really know if I have a job. Because no, I mean, like, it's just one of those things that you're kind of like, are they just talking to me out of like, you know, out of their good graces? Or will this actually turn into what it was supposed to be? And it did, luckily.

[11:43] Alan Seales: Shayo, in college too, because that I remember this time, too, that I have some friends in college that like classes were canceled. Some people had, I'll put in air quotes graduation, but it was just like, well, we're done now. And we'll mail you your diploma. There was not, you know, not able to have in-person graduations. There was no ceremony because you know, COVID. So, so let's see, let me do the math, right? This is 2022 junior year. So then two years ago, all right, so you were going through your sophomore year. And I'm sorry, freshman year, yes. Yeah, when COVID hit.

[12:14] Sayo Oni: Yeah, I was in my freshman spring. Because I remember I was in, I was pursuing my BFA music theater at Elon. And I was in one of my dance classes when we got this email notification. They were like, hey, so we're going to extend spring break one more week just to kind of allow for this to roll over. And then one week turned into a month and a month. Gosh, it just went and went and went.

[12:40] Sayo Oni: We were all just like, how, how do we, like, continue on with our BFAs if we can't be in person to sing or dance or act with each other? Like, this is ridiculous. So, no, yeah, it was, it was tough. It was difficult.

[12:54] Alan Seales: How did the school make up the class time?

[12:56] Sayo Oni: Um, so, we, we did a lot of Zoom, like, acting classes. I feel like the most different kind of feel was when we got back in the fall. Because when we left in the spring, it was kind of just like, we don't know how to salvage the rest of the semester. We're just going to finish it out and be done with it.

[13:16] Sayo Oni: When we got back in the fall, we were doing, like, Zoom acting classes. We were doing, like, mask dance classes, Zoom dance classes. We were doing Zoom voice lessons. It was so, like, bizarre and odd and unlike anything that I thought I was getting myself into when I auditioned to go to this school.

[13:33] Alan Seales: Well, speaking of voice lessons, though, being an understudy for Orpheus is no small feat. Because I remember Anais, I heard Anais ask, answer a question once, Anais Mitchell said, or someone asked her, like, why did you write that part so high? It is incredibly high for a guy. And she was like, I was just writing for me. I didn't realize that the voice parts were different.

[13:54] Sayo Oni: So, with that, I mean, with that said, right, like, you sound like you have a nice baritone voice, but obviously, you know.

[14:02] Tara Jackson: Shiloh sings like a goddamn angel. Okay, don't get twisted. The first time he sang in an understudy rehearsal, I cried.

[14:10] Sayo Oni: Really?

[14:11] Tara Jackson: Yeah, it's stunning.

[14:14] Alan Seales: Now I want to hear it, but I won't make you sing on the spot.

[14:20] Sayo Oni: Yeah, I can't, I cannot believe it. And as a baritone, as a solid baritone, who wishes I could, you know, call myself even remotely a tenor. I'm jealous of all things you and Reeve Carney and everybody who can sing up there. I'm just like, oh, that must be, that must be really nice.

[14:42] Tara Jackson: Very nice to listen to.

[14:44] Sayo Oni: Good for them.

[14:47] Tara Jackson: It's a fun, it's a fun role to sing, but you have to, I feel like for me, I'm still kind of finding the placement a little bit. Like, we just had my first put in for Orpheus, which it went very well. I was happy with it, but I'm still finding out, like, there's some things that I need to iron out in this.

[15:02] Tara Jackson: Like, it's by no means perfect yet. So we're still working. It's an ongoing process, finding where things sit in your voice for Orpheus, because it's a marathon. It really is. You have to just, like, pace yourself, but also know, like, where to go full out and where to pull back. It's a pull and push kind of thing.

[15:20] Alan Seales: Well, I was going to ask about put ins, actually, because knowing so many different tracks, are you, I guess, speak to your own personal experiences. So, Tara, I'll start with you. Like, you're given this contract and you're like, okay, here, we want you to cover these eight roles. Cool. Where does that begin from a rehearsal standpoint?

[15:42] Tara Jackson: Let's take away the assistant dance captain out of this for now. But from a strictly performance swing standpoint, where do you start rehearsing? How do you personally start learning? And then, do you get put ins for every single different track? Or are you just like...

[15:56] Sayo Oni: No, hell no. So for me, it started, you know, and I think I do have to preface it by saying, like, this whole situation, this whole COVID reopening thing, nobody knows what the hell is going on, right? Like, everybody was kind of scrambling, trying to figure out the best way to put it together in a global pandemic. So I'm gonna just say that first.

[16:23] Tara Jackson: So the way it started for me was we came in on August 9th, and they were obviously working with the onstage cast to remount the show, see what people remembered, what your bodies remembered, what parts you remembered. So for the first, like, three weeks, I was sitting in the back of the room watching them and learning by osmosis. Like, that's what I was doing. It was all by watching. I was never directly taught any choreo.

[16:46] Tara Jackson: Now, luckily for me, I have reference from Canada. A lot of, like, David Newman choreography is David Newman choreography through and through and through. So I know the basic language. But the specific steps, like things have changed and morphed. So it was kind of just like, okay, I sort of remember doing that. Okay, that's a little different. Let's see what that is. So it was just a lot of like, looking and absorbing and standing up when I needed to stand up and moving my feet when I needed to move my feet.

[17:12] Tara Jackson: But it wasn't really until after we opened that I got a little bit of rehearsal time. And then the first time I went on, I had rehearsal that afternoon, and they were like, well, you're on tonight. It's like, all right, sweet. So I guess I'll just do everything that I think I know. It was fun. No one died. It was great. It was great. It was great. So it's, yeah, it's a lot of osmosis, I will say.

[17:38] Tara Jackson: You got to be really attentive and ask questions if you have questions and do a lot. A lot of the work is done on your own, I will say. A lot of it is done on your own.

[17:47] Sayo Oni: I would feel, my imposter syndrome would be just like beating at the back of my head, saying like, am I going to be good enough? When am I going to go on? If I go on, am I going to screw it up? And I realized, too, that most, if not all of the cast has probably been here at one point.

[18:04] Sayo Oni: The cast has been here at one point in their careers or whatnot. So I've heard many, many pleasant, very pleasant stories of an understudy going on or a swing going on for the first time. And the whole cast, you know, just kind of like gently behind the scenes, pushes them where they need to go or helps them on stage.

[18:25] Tara Jackson: Shove with love. There you go. Don't get hit by the set piece coming down to take your head off. But yeah, so I guess something as a principal role, Shio, for Orpheus, you're going to get multiple put ins for that.

[18:40] Sayo Oni: I don't want to say more important. It's more of a focused role. The audience is going to focus more on a role like Orpheus than one of the fates or one of the workers, right?

[18:55] Tara Jackson: Um, I, I will say yes. That being said, I really I don't, I don't know. I mean, again, this is this is my first Broadway show. This is my first kind of step into professional theater. So I'm like, I, I don't know the ins and outs yet. And I've only really had one foot in. I don't know if they have more planned.

[19:14] Sayo Oni: Hopefully, I would love to have more put ins for this role. That's just so that I can kind of ground myself in it more. Yeah, I'll say yes. A little, a little iffy on that, but I'll say yes.

[19:27] Alan Seales: Well, I, let's put this out there that we need to say politely, hey, production team, we need to get Shio a put in.

[19:35] Tara Jackson: Okay, so we'll schedule that for August 2026.

[19:39] Sayo Oni: 2024.

[19:40] Tara Jackson: After you've already done the role on stage, then you'll get a put in.

[19:43] Sayo Oni: There you go. I love that.

[19:46] Alan Seales: We're going to take a short break. Stay tuned for more of the episode.

[19:56] Alan Seales: Alright, so let's go back to way way back in time. So Tara, I'll go back to you again. What got you into theater performing, singing, dancing? Where, what was the, do you remember a moment? Did you have a moment that that changed your life to say, I want to do this?

[20:19] Tara Jackson: Yeah, I do. I'm not a theater baby by any means. I still don't think I'm a theater person, to be quite honest.

[20:27] Tara Jackson: I went to music school, right? Like I've been singing my whole life. I did competitive dance growing up. I played a lot of sports. I was trying to do everything.

[20:35] Tara Jackson: Theater was like not on my radar at all until my last semester in college.

[20:41] Tara Jackson: The Berklee Musical Theater Club was doing a production of Rent. And I was like, Oh my God, Rent. I love Rent. Who doesn't love Rent?

[20:48] Tara Jackson: So I auditioned out of whatever, like for fun, and I booked it. And then I did it. We had one night only. Okay, we rehearsed for a month for one night.

[20:57] Tara Jackson: And then we did the show. We did the show. And I was like, Oh, no, I think I'm obsessed. I think if I can like sing and dance and act all in the same thing, like, why would I not want to do that?

[21:12] Tara Jackson: So that's when it happened. 2011. And here I am.

[21:17] Sayo Oni: Well, like 21 years old, just ready to go. Like, yeah. So that's when it happened for me.

[21:26] Alan Seales: Yeah, you got bit late. And of course, oh, man, it paid off, though. So would you ever go back to like, do you think about like a recording artist career or just making music as an indie artist at all?

[21:38] Tara Jackson: I love making music. I love writing music. I would still love to do like background vocals, singing, that kind of thing. As far as like the recording artist thing, I let that dream die a long time ago.

[21:51] Tara Jackson: Yeah, I still love like music is my life. That is my first love and that I will always that I will always have. But for now, theater is filling me. So I'm happy to do it for a while until I get sick of it, I guess.

[22:06] Alan Seales: What brought you then into music then? Because deciding to go to somewhere like Berklee and being so damn good at it, you're graduating with honors anyway, right? Like that's got to start somewhere.

[22:17] Tara Jackson: Yeah, um, I think I just have like a musical family. It's not that my parents sing at all, but there's a lot of people who do music in my family, like my brother's a musician, my cousin's a rapper, like there's just a lot of music around.

[22:32] Tara Jackson: And like, I kind of just came out of the womb singing, to be honest. And I, it's not like I grew up in church or anything, nothing like that. It's just, I don't know, it's just always been a part of my life. And my parents will tell the story that I was seven years old at a, we were on like a family summer vacation, and they were doing karaoke.

[22:51] Tara Jackson: And there was great like Greece, we go together. I was like, Mommy, I want to sing. I want to sing we go together. She was like, All right, I mean, go ahead, not knowing like I could sing at all. And I did. And they're talking to their friends. They're like, Who is this kid? Like, she sounds really good. It was me.

[23:07] Tara Jackson: Okay, let's put her into lessons. And that's kind of where it started. And it just blossomed from there. You know, so cool.

[23:15] Alan Seales: Shia, what's your story?

[23:17] Sayo Oni: Um, so kind of similar. I also did competitive dance growing up throughout like middle school. And then in high school, I went to this like arts magnet school. Because, you know, I kind of was like, I want to try something new. So I auditioned for their theater program, and just kind of fell in love there.

[23:39] Sayo Oni: Did my first musical. I, you know, kind of worked my way up to like leading shows. And I did the Blumey Awards, which is a big thing in North Carolina in Charlotte. Yeah, I mean, I just, it all really kind of started for me in high school. That's, that's where I caught the theater bug. And I've just I've stuck with it ever since, you know, I started doing my BFA, it's really just kind of stayed with me.

[24:07] Alan Seales: I just love how I mean, you said you were doing competitive dance at a young age, which I'm going to come back to. But you just you're like, I'm just gonna randomly audition for theater. And then all of a sudden, it's, it's like, you know, you're digging in your backyard, and you hit a treasure full of gold bullion, because you can also act and sing and sing beautifully. So this whole time in your life up until this point, you're just competitive dancing, you're not acting or singing.

[24:34] Sayo Oni: Right? Yeah. And that's really what it was for me is I just kind of hit it. And I was like, Oh, I really like this. And around, like, sophomore year of high school, I started playing guitar, too. And so that was just another another thing to add on top of, like, all of these artsy things that I just love that I just can't get enough of. And I feel like that's, that's the main thing for me, because like, Hadestown is the only place where I've ever been able to act and sing and dance and play guitar, like all the things that I just love doing.

[25:00] Sayo Oni: And it feels like it feels like this big culmination of just everything that's important to me. So it just, it's great. I love it. I love it.

[25:07] Alan Seales: Okay, so let's go back to the dancing then. So when did you start dancing? How old were you at that point?

[25:12] Sayo Oni: Yes, so I started dancing, I want to say, in first or second grade.

[25:21] Tara Jackson: I was taking like little hip-hop classes because I was like, oh, this is so cool. I'm taking hip-hop classes. I started taking tap classes. I started taking some jazz classes. And at that point, you know, the teachers at the studio were like, we want you to join our competitive team and be one of our little nugget dancers. And so that was fun. I decided to hop on there. And I started competition in like fourth, fifth grade. And I did that all the way through middle school.

[25:50] Alan Seales: Oh, wow. Okay. So, so then middle school into and then, okay, middle school. And then you said in high school, you did the theater stuff. That's crazy. So you both of you started getting the theater really like, sort of later than a lot of people have when they wake up one morning and they're at two and a half years old. And they're like, I'm going to be on Broadway. Now give me my food, parents.

[26:13] Tara Jackson: Yes, because that's how it happens. I've heard so many stories. There's like, my mom, my dad put me into this and that. And yeah, so I love, love, love that you two are perfect examples of the fact that it's like, I won't say I was gonna say too late to start, but it's not like you're, you know, 80 years old anyway, but I feel it. My God. But yeah. I mean, some people, I, especially in high school, even in college too, like, you know, Tara, take you for example, you didn't get into theater until almost the end of college. Right. So if I didn't go to college for it, there's no point in even trying.

[26:58] Sayo Oni: Well, there is a point because you just don't know if you want to do it, do it.

[27:01] Alan Seales: Right. Right. So, but I want to talk about Canada because us Americans are pretty, okay, pretty, when it comes to other countries. Tell me about, yeah, I mean, tell me about the theater scene in Calgary.

[27:15] Tara Jackson: Okay, well, there are, there's like one major theater, Theater Calgary, it's called. I was supposed to work there, but again, COVID ruined everything. We love her. So Theater Calgary is like the main hub, but there's lots of little indie theaters, lots of community theater, dinner theater. I've worked all across Canada and like barely in Calgary, which is hilarious because that's where I was born and raised. But yeah, it's very involved. The community is quite large and quite mighty, but it is the kind of place where you'll see the same faces across a lot of the theaters and across a lot of the productions.

[28:02] Sayo Oni: So that's kind of like, I don't know. I just, I feel like they do encourage young artists to come out, but it does feel for me, at least a lot of the time I'm looking at the same, like six actors, which is kind of boring.

[28:14] Alan Seales: Is the whole focus, I mean, in New York, right? When you think like, I'm going to be a musical theater actor, the pinnacle of that in, at least in the circles that I ever traveled was always go to New York, be on Broadway. But in Canada, is there a different kind of target, a different end goal, or is it still we have to go to New York and be on Broadway?

[28:40] Tara Jackson: I think it depends what you want to do. Honestly, for some people, they're there, the festivals are the big thing. So there's the Shaw Festival that happens in Ontario, as well as the Stratford Festival. So a lot of people will say the Stratford Festival is the Broadway of Canada, because like, for example, the JCS, the Jesus Christ Superstar production, that was on Broadway, however long ago that was 2000. I don't know. The most recent one, that was a transfer from Stratford. So people are like, Oh my God, if we get to Stratford, maybe I'll get to Broadway. So that's a big deal for a lot of people. But like someone like me, I didn't really give a shit whether I worked at Stratford or not, because I always knew I was going to come here and do this. So it's kind of like, I'm good either way. I just want to make good theater, regardless of where I'm at, whether it's Canada, US, Europe, wherever.

[29:27] Sayo Oni: But I think a lot of people's goal is, is to be on Broadway.

[29:32] Alan Seales: Interesting. Yeah, I see that. I see that kind of all over the place. And I feel like we feel that in the podcast space too, because I have listeners, like all over the world, there's actually one download, one download from Antarctica, that I saw. It's like, okay, that's interesting. But then in spaces like the Middle East, or even in Russia, where it is still illegal to be gay, there are so many listeners and people that want to hear these stories and feel like they're part of the New York theater community. So it's always interesting to me to talk to people, especially from not New York, and other far away in other countries, not that Canada is all that far away, but you know what I mean.

And to kind of get everyone's perspective on it, and I feel like both of you two probably have family and parents, like you said, you didn't have theater parents. So I guess let's go there then. So Sayo, when you were like, I'm going to go to college for this, I want to become a professional musical theater actor, were your parents like, hmm, or yay?

[30:47] Sayo Oni: Oh, they were so hesitant at first, because so my mom's a nurse, and my dad is a doctor of psychology. So they're both like medical people, my sister's going to be a dentist. So I'm kind of like the black sheep of the family. I'm like, I want to go sing and dance. Yeah, they were very hesitant. But I think they saw how much I really enjoyed doing this. And I think that they could just see that the passion that I have is going to push me forward, I guess. So inevitably, they were like, yeah, we support you in doing what you want to do. Just, you know, be smart about it and make the right moves and have fun. Like, enjoy what you're going to do. Because if you're not, if you're not enjoying it, then what's the point?

[31:25] Alan Seales: And yeah, I agree with that. Like, do they understand the gravity of being on Broadway? Or is it?

[31:32] Sayo Oni: Oh, okay. Absolutely. Yes. And that actually, that reminds me of when I made my debut in November, my dad was in the audience. And he, I saw him at the stage door. He was, I won't say he was a mess. But he was like, crying, sobbing, tears of joy. It was, it made my heart so, so happy, because he got to witness that moment for me that has been like a milestone that I've been striving for for my entire life, essentially.

[32:01] Alan Seales: Oh, I love that. Yeah. Tara, what about your family?

[32:09] Tara Jackson: Well, my mom was a dancer, a professional dancer. So she kind of understands that a little bit, at least like the world of performing and that kind of lifestyle. My dad is totally not that but he loves and appreciates music and loves all that my parents are the most supportive. So, you know, like, I said that story when I was seven years old. They're like, all right, let's get her into lessons. Let's, you know, pursue this. And I still, I still, like, I wanted to be a dentist up until, I mean, I kind of still do, to be honest. But I was simultaneously doing all of my sciences and, you know, taking piano lessons and voice lessons and winning singing competitions and doing this on the third. So they were, they always knew that, like, it was a possibility.

And then when it became a thing, they were kind of just like, all right, well, you're putting yourself into like, we'll support you. And that's kind of it. They understand. They definitely understand. And they're very supportive. They just want me to be successful at whatever I do.

[33:03] Alan Seales: What if you start New York's first dentist voice lesson company?

[33:11] Tara Jackson: I'm open to it. Okay. I always said I'd be a singing dentist.

[33:14] Alan Seales: Give me a big ah and support it from the diaphragm. Yes. Take a look at those cavities. Now here's your little shop. Give me the little shop while we look at your molars.

[33:25] Alan Seales: Oh, my God. All right. So real quick, before we wrap up, Tara, I just want to ask you, you have an Instagram post that's just a text that says, check on yourself as much as you check Instagram. I just want to see what that means to you. Why did you post that?

[33:41] Tara Jackson: Because we're addicted to our phones. We're so addicted. Everybody's addicted. I don't care what you say you are. Social media is not real. It's fake. It's curated. And I just need people to check on the people that they love in real life. Social media is a game. I understand we all have it, but it just means check in in real life. Look people in the eye, make eye contact, hug each other. It's a little bit harder in COVID, but just make sure you're checking in, especially for someone like me who is away from my family and my home. I make sure that I stay in contact with people in real life because that's what matters.

[34:23] Alan Seales: I could not agree more. When I see somebody, I'm like, oh, hey, how you doing? And they're like, okay. And I'm like, no, really, like, how are you doing? How are you?

[34:30] Sayo Oni: Yeah.

[34:35] Alan Seales: And then that opens up just this world of conversation that you don't normally get into because of the pleasantries of even real life. But yeah, then again, social media, you're right, totally curated, not real. It's partially, I mean, some of it can be partially real, but you don't see everything. If you're crying on the floor, it's very rare you're going to take a selfie at that moment and post about it. Anyway, so let's wrap up with the three standard closing questions I ask everybody. And Sayo, I'm just going to ask you first, very simply, what motivates you?

[35:02] Sayo Oni: Oh, gosh.

[35:07] Sayo Oni: Um, kindness, I think.

[35:17] Alan Seales: No, because I mean, that's I feel like, I mean, kindness is what first and foremost, what our show is about. So that's that's kind of what propels our message forward. And just in a general sense, kindness is what makes me want to do what I do, because I'm sharing my art in hopes that other people will share their art and have an effect on someone else. So, yeah.

[35:40] Tara Jackson: Oh, I can't follow that. I mean, come on. Jesus. Specifically with this and theater, I would say education motivates me.

[35:55] Alan Seales: Hmm. I like that.

[35:55] Alan Seales: All right. So Tara, we'll stay with you now. What advice would you give to your younger self and younger people listening now starting out down a similar path?

[36:05] Tara Jackson: I would say to them what I always say, find out what you're good at and do it the best.

[36:11] Alan Seales: I like it. Sayo?

[36:15] Sayo Oni: I would tell my younger self, dude, calm down. It ain't that deep. Take a deep breath. It is not that serious. I promise you.

[36:25] Alan Seales: Yes, yes and yes. Okay. Final question, then this is the hardest one. And first, whichever one of you thinks of the answer first, just spit it out, but you both have to answer. If you could only see one show for the rest of your life, but you can see it as many times as you want, what would you see?

[36:39] Sayo Oni: The Lion King. Easy.

[36:43] Tara Jackson: Easy.

[36:50] Sayo Oni: That's what I was thinking.

[36:51] Tara Jackson: I am thinking. Honestly, oh gosh, I don't want to sound cliche, but I feel like Hadestown. Like I, I saw the show in 2019 when I was like doing my college audition process and I was like, I'm obsessed with the show.

[37:06] Alan Seales: Pretty great. I love it. I love it. Alright, so then where can we find you both on social media?

[37:12] Sayo Oni: Yes, I am on Instagram at Sayo underscore one eight two.

[37:16] Tara Jackson: I'm at Tara T. T. A. R. A. A. T. E. E.

[37:21] Alan Seales: T. E. E. On Instagram. Alright, you get more of me at the theater podcast dot com. I'm on Instagram and Twitter at theater underscore podcast. Leave a rating and a review wherever you're listening now. The reviews are awesome. This has been edited by well-rounded hoodlum productions. Jukebox the Ghost gave us the intro and outro music and the conversation, of course, was provided by Sayo Oni and Tara Jackson. Thank you both so much.

[37:48] Tara Jackson: Thank you.

[37:50] Sayo Oni: Thank you.