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[0:00] Alan Seales: Welcome to another episode of The Theatre Podcast. Intimate, personal conversations with theatre's biggest names. I'm Jillian Hockman.

[0:12] Alan Seales: And I'm Alan Seales. And today, we just had a wonderful conversation with Micaela Diamond, who is currently Babe in The Cher Show. And oh my gosh, again, like, I feel like I'm saying this, repeating myself saying this every time, but like, every interview is my new favorite. You know, but she's so great. What did you think about it?

[0:33] Jillian Hockman: I am right away off the bat meeting her. She does not feel like she's 19 years old.

[0:39] Alan Seales: She's 19.

[0:40] Jillian Hockman: She's 19 years old. She has this air, this professionalism to her that is so, like, you can't learn that. You can't go to school for that. You can't read about it in a book. It's something you have. It's part of her personality. And it is just infectious. And she actually, she tells a story in the interview here of, like, that she got the call, they wanted to see her again. And it was kind of apparent that they wanted her, but it was just a test to see if she could take notes to test the professionalism. And of course, like, she nailed it. She got the part. And at 18, without any professional Broadway credits or really any professional theatre credits to her name at that point, like Cher Show is her first breakout, her first role, a breakout role for everything. And I hope, gosh, she is just so talented. I hope it continues. I'm also fascinated by her hair and how she fits it in that wig. And she told us all the secrets and I can't wait for you to hear them.

[1:36] Jillian Hockman: Oh, yes. Yes. She did interview in pin curls because it is between shows on a two show day. This is real life, yo. All right, everybody, please enjoy this episode here with Micaela Diamond.

[1:56] Alan Seales: She made her Broadway debut in the smash hit The Cher Show alongside a laundry list of seasoned Broadway veterans, including Stephanie J. Block, Teal Wicks and Jared Spector, not to mention befriending one of our time's leading divas, Cher herself, now just 19 years old with a voice that I can personally listen to forever. She's currently playing Babe, the youngest of the three Chers in The Cher Show on Broadway. Micaela Diamond, welcome to the podcast.

[2:19] Micaela Diamond: Thanks. I'm so happy to be here.

[2:20] Alan Seales: Thank you. And thank you for doing this on your two show day. You're still in pin curls and big eye makeup.

[2:27] Micaela Diamond: It's a good look. People at poke always look at me a little strange. Actually, one of the first questions that somebody else told me to ask you was, I think might have been Jillian actually, was you have very large hair.

[2:42] Micaela Diamond: Oh, my gosh. Right now, your pin curls, very tiny pin curls. Got to hide under all that black wig. How long does it take?

[2:49] Micaela Diamond: I've gotten it down to a good 30 minute prep, like whole face, whole hair, everything.

[2:55] Alan Seales: Really?

[2:56] Micaela Diamond: Yeah, I can do it in about 30 minutes. That doesn't really include my like physical warm up. I want more time than that. But yeah, I've gotten down.

[3:04] Alan Seales: Well, that's impressive. But normally on this podcast, we go back to the childhood.

[3:08] Micaela Diamond: Amazing. And you're kind of still in it. But let's go back even farther. So where did you where did you grow up as a wee lass?

[3:17] Micaela Diamond: I grew up in Margate, New Jersey on the beach. So very different from New York City. But I loved it. I feel like I got the best of both worlds. I moved to the city when I was 11. And so I learned how to ride a bike and learn to swim and all of that stuff in the suburbs and then came to New York and learned how to be an adult too fast. But I love I loved both places. I grew up with my mom in New York and we moved here together for me, for theater and all that jazz. And I'm forever thankful for that because we clearly made the right decision, I think. She's proud.

[3:57] Alan Seales: Is it you have any siblings?

[3:58] Micaela Diamond: You're an only child.

[4:01] Micaela Diamond: Only child, which I think is a big reason why we're able to just pick up and move. I did a small kids theater production of Sound of Music and I was Marta. And we rented an apartment in New York for the time being. We got home. I started seventh grade in Margate and then a month and we looked at each other and we were like, hmm, should we move? Should we just get up and go? And we did. A month later, we were living in New York and she found a job about a year later and we were on a budget of all budgets. But, you know, you hustle.

[4:33] Alan Seales: Yeah. And was your dad in the picture at this time?

[4:35] Micaela Diamond: He my mom and dad got divorced when I was about eight, seven, eight. And I saw him. I see him probably like once a month when I was growing up and in high school still. And now he comes in and supports all my shows. And it's lovely. But my mom's my biggest supporter and my best friend. So yeah, you see what I can find with you online. It sounds like you are where you are much because of your mother.

[5:02] Micaela Diamond: And she's not a theater person at all, which is really always surprising. Yeah. I mean, she loves it. She goes by herself to the theater all the time, takes herself on dates and whatever. But she knows nothing about it. I mean, has never could not act or sing or dance for her life. So it's kind of a perfect combination because she can't give me notes. How like she doesn't know anything about it. So it's great. It's like the perfect stage mom.

[5:25] Alan Seales: Yes, exactly. She supports you enough so that you can do it. And then you have your own merit.

[5:29] Micaela Diamond: Yeah, you make it. Yeah, that's great. I love coming home and she she'll just be like, I think I need my fix. I'm going to go to the Cher show next week. Like she comes like probably once a month to to give in her fix.

[5:41] Alan Seales: Do parents of cast members get in for free? Do you ever how does that work? Because I know that like there are people that get hundreds and hundreds of times.

[5:48] Micaela Diamond: No, no, no. She usually pays. I mean, once in a while, she'll seem like there's something wrong with that. But I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

[5:56] Micaela Diamond: I don't think so either. I think I mean, she shouldn't get in for free. But once in a while, she'll come to pick me up or something in between a two show day and she'll sit in my dressing room and just listen through the monitor in for all of act two. And the first time she did it, she was like, your beat goes on was fantastic. I couldn't see, but it was so great. You were the cutest human being ever.

[6:17] Alan Seales: Thank you. But you you got started performing in dance. Yeah.

[6:21] Micaela Diamond: Yeah. Yeah. That was like my first love.

[6:24] Alan Seales: Yeah. What age was that?

[6:27] Micaela Diamond: Oh, I started dancing before. I mean, I was like two in class and my mom was a yoga teacher. So I've been like I was she always says I stretched you as a baby. That's why you're so flexible, which is a lie. But she can pretend that that's what happened. And yeah, I loved to dance. And then I kind of grew out all of my studios in Margate. And so she opened one herself and hired all of these incredible teachers who I'm still in touch with now. And I took an array of classes. And when I moved to the city, I was always I mean, my dream all through high school was like to be a dancer on Broadway, like ensemble dancer. Like that was the goal. And and then it didn't really necessarily happen like that, but better. So it's cool. It's funny, like the way once you get something, how your dreams change and your goals change.

[7:21] Micaela Diamond: It's really fascinating. It's really interesting to me, because like I said in the intro, your voice is just phenomenal. It is incredible. And in everything I could find was just dance this and dance that and dance dance. But where did where did the singing come in? Where did you learn to sing like this?

[7:37] Micaela Diamond: I always very similar to Cher. She said this in interviews, which is weird, but very similar to her. I was very small as a kid. Like I was just I was like four eleven for like years. Like I only had a growth spurt like sophomore year of high school. And that's all, you know, and five, six drama phone. OK, stupid. Yeah, I'm five, six now, but I was four eleven for like years. And I what were we talking about?

[8:16] Micaela Diamond: It's her fault. It's all her fault. We're singing came in. We're singing came in.

[8:20] Alan Seales: Yeah. Thank you, Chelsea Nackman.

[8:24] Micaela Diamond: Yeah. So I loved how big I felt because my voice was always so big in my tiny little body. And she always says that, too. She was like, I just loved that singing made me feel big. Yeah. And like it takes up space. And I think this is getting deep, maybe too fast. But like, I think as girls, it's so important to learn at a young age that taking up space is so much better than trying to take up less. And so I loved that about singing and I started singing really young. I mean, that was definitely my second passion and love and whatever. And I loved like belting a belting a song in a in a musical and like knowing that it landed like that's such a cool feeling. Like a lot of people are like, I love to make people laugh.

I love to land a song, you know, like that feels so good to me. And then I but I will say, like when I was auditioning for Cher, I went into those auditions and I almost didn't go because I couldn't really sing the material. And I was like, I don't. Yeah, I was like, I don't want to embarrass myself. Like this is in front of a huge casting office. Like I really I genuinely wasn't sure if I could do it.

[9:36] Micaela Diamond: And quick story, this is hilarious. But I went into my audition. The music, our music supervisor, Daryl Waters, who's amazing, he I was doing song for the lonely in my audition and it was too high. And so they brought it down in my audition, a key. And it fit so much better in my voice. I was like, great. Left the audition, jump cut to first rehearsal of the Cher lab. I had booked the role. First rehearsal is usually all vocals. And since there were so many for the three of us, it was like the cast met. And then it was the three of us for the rest of the day just doing ourselves. And it was me. And then Stephanie J. Block was sitting right next to me and we get to song for the lonely. And Stephanie starts that song and she she goes, I think that this song is a little low for me.

Like, can we just lift the key? And I look at Daryl across the room and I'm like, no, no, no, no. This can't happen. Like, I don't know. It was too high for me in the audition. Like, we have to keep it at this key, whatever. I didn't say any of this, but like I'm having a full panic attack in my head. Like, I'm about to be fired first day rehearsal. And then Andrew, she goes, is it going to be like the Star Spangled Banner where it gets higher in the end? I don't want to like F myself over. And Andrew, our music director, goes, no, no, no, it'll fall on Michaela. And I was like, what the heck is happening? I am literally going to be fired first day. And we get to my part. And I was like, I'm just not really sure I can sing this.

And then Andrew was like, well, why don't you just try? And I was like, well, I'm not going to like not try in front of Stephanie and like ruin it for everybody. So I tried and little by little, I like kind of just learned a different part of my voice and through lessons and whatever. And now that is the version in the show, that higher version. But that was a journey of getting there. I mean, I'm 19. So your voice is still dramatically changing and figuring out how to, you know, sustain eight times a week is fascinating. But it's been I mean, it's good. I love I love singing. It's a good time. I just am sad that it becomes less of a there's no singing in the shower. Let's put it that way. When you do eight times a week.

Yes. There's no more like fun. Let's learn a song at home, belt it out and then go do your eight times. That's not a thing. I was just talking to Eric Henningsen about that. We both like can't play fully sing anymore, which is the only sad part about it.

[12:16] Micaela Diamond: Conserve your voice and rest it every chance you get.

[12:18] Alan Seales: Yeah. I mean, the songs are not easy.

[12:20] Micaela Diamond: No, by any stretch of the imagination.

[12:23] Alan Seales: No, and they're all higher than the original version. Did you never sing that? Did you did you do any sort of Cher impersonation before the show or did you just go in there and you just sang a Cher song?

[12:30] Micaela Diamond: I in the audition, you mean? Yeah. I didn't really. I didn't really. I definitely kept it to who I was and my voice, especially speaking wise. But it was much easier for me to transition my singing voice into more her. So I gave them a little like that, like deep kind of throaty flair in the in the voice part in the songs. But speaking wise, I really didn't. I walked into that audition was like, let me just give you what I am. And then hopefully I'm you can mold me. And, you know, through work sessions, they were like, yeah, you can take notes. Great. And we kept going.

[13:12] Alan Seales: Well, how did what are the notes like? What is so how does someone say be more Cherish?

[13:19] Micaela Diamond: Well, what's great, it was it was less that because when the process started, we our director made it very clear to the three of us that we wanted to tell her story and not do an impression. That was the first round of this performance. Little by little, we learned in our out of town try out that there's a huge expectation when people are coming to the Cher Show. And it has to be. It has to be Cher. It has to be that impression. And so it changed over the last year to be what it is today. Like even Stephanie was like, oh, so we're opening with turn back time. So like I need to be Cher. Like there's no in between. There's no Stephanie telling Cher's story, which was what it was at the beginning.

But we had an incredible, incredible voice coach who teaches at Juilliard, Kate, who really helped us with the like be more Cher thing. She totally would give us first. It was kind of coordinating the three of us to sound similar. And then it would be like, here's an ism.

[14:57] Micaela Diamond: Pretending that you can't really do it out of context. That was totally a thing in Chicago, where I was like, I'm not sure if I can do it unless it's the line. And then you learn what to do with your mouth that just makes it work.

[15:10] Alan Seales: That's amazing. I love seeing this in person, not in costume.

[15:15] Micaela Diamond: The blonde girls and the Cher boys.

[15:18] Alan Seales: Going back to your audition, that was a week before you were set to go to Carnegie Mellon.

[15:24] Micaela Diamond: Yeah. It was insane. An insane week. Funny, we were just talking about Birthright before we started recording, but I had my first audition, my callback, and then the day after my callback, I went to Israel.

[15:40] Micaela Diamond: And throughout the entire Birthright trip, I was waiting for a call. And I would call my mom being like, nope, haven't gotten anything, haven't gotten anything. And then I finally got a call like three days before I was supposed to come home. And it wasn't that I got it. It was that they wanted to see me again.

[15:58] Micaela Diamond: And I was like, this is a joke, but obviously I'm going in. And they were like, they want you to dress up and straighten your hair. I said, okay. And I went and got a blowout and had it fixed straight in the middle part, kind of like Teal's wig, the lady wig. And I wore this red jumpsuit and showed up in heels. And I walked in and our director was like, look, we love you. You're 18 and we want to make sure you can take notes fast because it's a lab and we got to get this thing on the road.

[16:32] Micaela Diamond: And I said, okay. And as soon as he said that, I was like, I think I got it because I can take notes. I've been working my butt off for 10 years to take notes fast. And then we had a work session for an hour where he threw different things at me for the sides and different thoughts on Sonny and Cher's relationship and all those love scenes. And I got the call 30 minutes later.

[16:58] Alan Seales: So you walked out the door and then it was like, that was it. Do you remember where you were when you got the call?

[17:02] Micaela Diamond: I had just gotten home. I walked out of that final callback and I took Bernie Telsey outside the room. And I was like, look, I want this so bad. I also need a fast turnaround time because I'm leaving for Carnegie Mellon in two days. And I genuinely need to go pack my apartment if I'm leaving. I need to know. And he was like, we'll give you a fast turnaround time, whatever.

[17:28] Micaela Diamond: I was expecting the next day, but then I got the call. I had traveled home, got the call and was like, Mom! Just freaking out. It was crazy. It was like my whole life turned upside down.

[17:40] Alan Seales: That's so Bernie.

[17:42] Micaela Diamond: Oh yeah, he's just a dad. He's such a dad.

[17:44] Alan Seales: But was that a hard choice to decide not to go to college?

[17:51] Micaela Diamond: What's funny is senior year, I was like the most BFA human being ever at LaGuardia High School. And I loved the audition process for schools. I auditioned for 13 of them. I really wanted to go to Carnegie.

[18:10] Micaela Diamond: But the reason I wanted to go was because I wanted the end game to be Broadway. And I wanted to learn how to get there. And then I got there.

[18:24] Micaela Diamond: But it wasn't, yes, there's a part of me that's like, I just want to go to a school and learn so I can feel smarter. But I'm learning all those musical theater things. I'm learning the exact same things that all of my best friends are learning at their schools, just under higher stakes, in front of 1400 people.

[18:41] Micaela Diamond: And I totally mess up all the time. I make so many mistakes. But I have to learn them somewhere. So I'm going to learn them in front of people. And that's okay. I'm happy that I have the opportunity to do that.

[18:58] Micaela Diamond: So it wasn't too hard of a decision. But it definitely was one. I mean, I definitely was like, oh, there's a chapter in my life that will kind of be missed. But then there's this really awesome chapter that I'm living instead.

[19:14] Alan Seales: Do you think you'll ever go back to a four-year university like that?

[19:20] Micaela Diamond: I definitely won't go back for musical theater. I actually just got an email the other day from Carnegie Mellon being like, would you like to defer for your last time? And I was like, yes. But I would love to go back for something else. I would love to go back.

[19:37] Alan Seales: What do you think you would go back for?

[19:40] Micaela Diamond: Women's studies. Certain times in history really interest me. Writing. I'd like, I don't know, I'd love to figure out a way to make my mind work a little bit more as a director, maybe at some point.

[19:56] Micaela Diamond: But because I'm not in school, I try and create a bit of my own curriculum. For a while, it was like the show is the show. And now that I'm a little more settled, I'm like, well, I need to read all the Tom Stoppard plays. And I'm holding Shakespeare clubs with all my friends so we can read all the plays and I know them.

[20:16] Micaela Diamond: But a huge part of me is like, maybe I'll renegotiate one more time and then go run over to London and study at the RADA. Whatever. I think there's a lot of different paths I could take, but so much of me wants to learn as much as I can. Just because I'm not going to school doesn't mean I'm definitely going to take classes.

[20:40] Alan Seales: Yeah, I think my prediction is that because of who you are playing and the show you are playing it in, that you're probably going to start working on undisclosed projects as soon as you're out or before you even leave. And I think it will go. It will hop like that.

[20:59] Micaela Diamond: I hope so.

[21:22] Alan Seales: Yeah. Oh, I like that.

[21:24] Micaela Diamond: And you're damn good at it.

[21:26] Alan Seales: Thank you.

[21:28] Micaela Diamond: I will say I went to LaGuardia High School in the city and I did a buttload of shows outside of that. And I went for drama. So I did Meisner. I've done voice and speech classes. I've had on-camera classes.

[21:49] Micaela Diamond: So once I got into the room, I was like, I have some of these tools. Let me start to just fill the toolbox with more of them and I'll figure out which tools need to go in from my other peers, from my co-workers who are veterans.

[22:08] Micaela Diamond: I mean, I'm by far the youngest one. It's not like Mean Girls where they're all like 20s. You know, like I'm in a show where like there's very few 20-year-olds. And so I guess I feel like I got really lucky with my cast that I'm able to learn so much from them.

[22:28] Micaela Diamond: So, yes, sometimes I look at the house and I'm like, I cannot believe that I'm standing here. But I do feel like there was a certain amount of work that I did to get here.

[22:44] Micaela Diamond: And I'm glad you think it's going okay. But there are totally, I mean, I would say, and I talk to Jared about this all the time because I feel like I have a teenage life crisis every few weeks. But there's totally, I mean, I would say like five out of eight shows a week I walk off and I'm like, I shouldn't do this anymore.

[23:05] Alan Seales: Really?

[23:06] Micaela Diamond: Yeah, like I'm not, I'm just not a good, I'm not a good actor. And then there will be like two shows a week where I'm like, that I was so, I was fully living in these moments. And I love, and I love being spontaneous with Stephanie and like, and I'll just get fed kind of that like, you know, that musical theater high and the high balances out all the lows.

[23:30] Micaela Diamond: But yeah, there are totally, there's like definitely a show a week where I walk out and I'm like, I'm not sure if I can do this.

[23:38] Alan Seales: Do you deal with a lot of self-doubt like that in general? Or is it just kind of a show like this?

[23:44] Micaela Diamond: No, I don't know. It's funny when you say self-doubt, I mean, that's exactly what I just described, but it's less, in my head at least, it's less self-doubt and more, I think I'm very realistic.

[23:59] Micaela Diamond: Like, I often ask myself, well, why would I do this if I can't be Meryl Streep? If I can't be the best at what I do, what's the point? Then I take a step back and I'm like, that's super stupid, right? But there's a huge part of my brain that continuously asks that question.

[24:19] Alan Seales: That's a high bar to be Meryl, yeah.

[24:21] Micaela Diamond: Absolutely.

[24:22] Micaela Diamond: To be Meryl Streep, yeah. But do you know what I'm saying? In a certain sense, like, if that's the goal, like, what am I doing if I'll never be able to reach that? However, that's a horrible way of looking at things, like, all your viewers are going to be like, she's so horrible and negative and whatever. But there are also those shows that I'm like, this is exactly where I'm meant to be. I am good at this.

[24:46] Micaela Diamond: Like, I have so much more to give and I'll be like, that moment didn't hit, can't wait to go back and do it again, the next show.

[24:53] Alan Seales: Yeah, that's great. I mean, we've talked to a lot of people on this podcast and some very successful ones, some young ones and some not so young ones. And I have a theory that the more successful you are, the more anxiety and depression you have to deal with in a personal life. And I don't know if that's – I'm generalizing very broadly here.

[25:11] Micaela Diamond: Sure.

[25:12] Alan Seales: But I feel like it's – how do I want to put this? That to know who you are at that level allows you to be that more vulnerable and therefore that more successful on stage.

[25:27] Micaela Diamond: Yeah. Yes. Yeah, I have a few thoughts. I think that if you navigate it well – like, I don't have that much anxiety as a human being. But there are definitely moments in time when I'm doing double duty, which is like I'm doing eight times a week and also doing another reading or lab at the same time. Those are moments when I'm like – I feel like I'm shutting down mentally because I'm trying to put my focus on so many places at once.

[26:03] Micaela Diamond: But I also – I think I have a great amount of – I just know who I am and I know what will get me through the week. I have two Pilates classes a week that I have to go to for my mental meditation place that will reset my week and those moments when I'm like, this is not right for me. It's more like, no, you just have to work really hard to get there.

[26:29] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[26:30] Micaela Diamond: But I have certain – that's just an example, but I have those certain moments and these certain people that I put myself around that will continuously remind me of those things as well as myself. So I don't think you have to be – and I don't think this is what you're saying, but I don't think you necessarily have to be depressed to be present or emotionally available on stage.

[26:54] Alan Seales: No, no, I was not saying that at all.

[26:55] Micaela Diamond: Totally, but I think there is – even Stephanie J. Block struggles with, should I do this? And she's super successful. I think it's just more physically demanding than I thought it would be, not necessarily voice-wise, but just body-wise, there's a level of commitment that you have to give to the show.

[27:19] Alan Seales: And do you have anything left at the end of the night?

[27:23] Micaela Diamond: Maybe not. Some weeks. And that's – I often ask the question, do I want to not have anything left at the end of the night for the rest of my life? Maybe not. Maybe I want more other skills. Maybe I want to try TV film. Maybe it would be worth it if I was getting paid $60,000 an episode. Do you know what I mean?

[27:43] Micaela Diamond: Do you know what I mean? So there are – all of these questions are things I think about a lot.

[27:49] Micaela Diamond: But to travel back a little bit, I also, every single night, if you haven't seen the show, I have this moment in act two where Stephanie kind of passes the torch back to me. And I do this incredible dance number, beat goes on, and get to literally step into the spotlight and sing this song about her movie career and her winning the Oscar and her having all of these ups and downs and not getting parts for two years and then winning the Oscar and whatever.

[28:18] Micaela Diamond: And every night, I get to live that dream, which is mine. Which was such a gift from our writer. I mean, we had no idea what to put in that spot for so long, that act two pick-me-up. And then he finally put that on the table three days before Chicago, and we were like, this is it. This is it. This is the number.

[28:37] Micaela Diamond: But I'm so thankful for that number because it is. It's such a reality check. It's like, yeah, you might be tired, but you are literally living your dream right now in a spotlight. That's crazy.

[28:48] Alan Seales: I've seen the show, and I love it. I love that number. It stands out as one.

[28:54] Alan Seales: My absolute favorites. Yeah, it's fun to like tell a story and I feel the entire audience be on the same page as me.

[28:59] Micaela Diamond: Yeah. So your career basically has just like skyrocketed in the last 2018. When did you get, when did you start in Chicago?

[29:08] Micaela Diamond: Yeah, it was June of 2018. Yeah, summer 2018. And so like now all of a sudden, you know, all over all the Broadway interwebs and everything and doing podcasts and everything. Is this, is this what you imagined? Not even being, I was gonna say early 20s, not even there yet. Is this what you imagined being a 19, 20 year old was going to be? And do you really, do you think that you're gonna like wake up at 25 and be like, Oh, I missed out on the ability to go out and be a stupid teenager?

[29:29] Micaela Diamond: No, no, totally not. I mean, I, people ask me that a lot. Like, yeah. Do you like wish you could make mistakes and go to college and drink and whatever? But I grew up in New York City, first of all. So like, I do feel like LaGuardia was almost like a fake out college in a way. I've always been very independent. Like I never had a curfew, like all of that stuff was not really a thing. So I don't feel like I've missed out on that. I really don't.

[30:11] Micaela Diamond: Um, because I, I, I will have conversations with Jared or Rick, our writer, and go out to drinks with them after show and like have these super intellectual conversations that like make me think for weeks on end. Drinking water of course. Totally, totally. Um, and those conversations are like, all I've, all I've ever wanted is to like talk to a writer about like going to a party with like Laurence Olivier. Like those, those are the conversations I want to have. And like, not that my friends at college aren't having cool conversations, but like, that's always been me. I've always like wanted that.

[30:50] Micaela Diamond: Um, I've always been friends with older people. I love, I love being able to, um, be in a cast with just like a whole bunch of vets who have so much life experience and so much wisdom to give me. I feel so lucky with that. Um, it's definitely not what I expected though. Totally not.

[31:12] Alan Seales: Um, what do you think you expected?

[31:19] Micaela Diamond: Well, I, I expected to like go to CCM and like, uh, dance my butt off and, uh, you know, go to parties and all that stuff. Um, and then hopefully like, oh God, I remember like writing down on my vision board, like I was going to work in Disney World. And then I, that there I could get my equity card and then I would come back to the city and be able to go to the equity calls. And then I would like book a small ensemble role and like maybe understudy. Like I had this all planned out. So it's like every day, I'm like, I can't, it's stupid how lucky I am that I got to skip that in a way.

[31:53] Micaela Diamond: Like I don't, it's, it's insane, insane. But in the same, I mean, the same light, I was like thrust into eight times a week when like, I've never done that before, which was like, okay, we're learning things, you know?

[32:04] Alan Seales: Oh yeah. So you were, you were 18. So there were no child labor laws.

[32:09] Micaela Diamond: In fact, no, you're not a child anymore.

[32:15] Alan Seales: No, not a child straight up. That's crazy.

[32:20] Micaela Diamond: Yeah. That's just super hard conditioning.

[32:25] Micaela Diamond: Yeah. And I didn't get any, right. I just kind of hopped in, but you know, Stephanie got me through it.

[32:29] Alan Seales: Yeah. She understands, like, she's such a goddess in that way. Like, she's like, if you need to take a show, you take a show. Like if you like, you know, you take care of yourself.

[32:34] Micaela Diamond: I always say like, I have the self-care of a person who just had a heart attack. Like, I feel like we have so we have to take care of ourselves and what we eat and how we sleep and all of those things are so, so important. I never expected to have to think about like wellness formula at 19 and like my swollen ankles that I have to like ice every night and my, you know, like all of those weird things that should not be happening to a 19 year old are totally happening to me.

[33:01] Alan Seales: Well, dance, dancing in and of itself is, is incredibly intense. And like, if you're, what, if you're doing ballet, it's like, what is it? They say, if you haven't made it, I put in air quotes, right? By 25, then like you, you just, you're, you're past your ability, your physical ability to do it. It's crazy.

[33:10] Micaela Diamond: And the heels, the heels are crazy. God, the, the Bob Mackie.

[33:20] Alan Seales: Yeah. And just the amount of back pain I have from those heels, but you know, I do it for Bob.

[33:30] Micaela Diamond: Yes. Yes. Um, but what was it like working with him?

[33:35] Micaela Diamond: And yeah, I guess we'll start with that. I love Bob and Joe. I do put it, I know everybody always is like, what's it like working with Bob, but behind the scenes, um, Bob was always there. And then his assistant Joe was always, always there. And, um, both of them are like the most divine human beings. Um, I loved working with them and, uh, they always made me feel really comfortable, especially like, it's kind of a weird show to start out in because you are very naked in some of the costumes.

[34:06] Micaela Diamond: And, um, like, I'm just learning about like, you know, like I'm just coming into my skin. So it's like, I really have to, you know, be in a comfortable place when like, there's every, no one looks at you in the eye when you're in a fitting, you know what I mean? Like they're pinning and you're, they're cutting and they're doing all of the things. And like, you have to remain confident enough to like stand there naked while they like do their thing.

[34:33] Micaela Diamond: And they were so lovely when it came to that. Um, they were so respectful and joyous and I love them. Um, and, uh, Mackie just made me always feel so comfortable in talking about Cher and he had so many stories and we've, we've, we've become really good friends actually. I love him.

[34:54] Alan Seales: Yeah. And what, what, what threw your head when you first met Cher?

[34:59] Micaela Diamond: So she came to our lab presentation when I still hadn't gotten the contract for, you know, Chicago or Broadway. And, um, she came to our second presentations or our last, our last thing.

[35:12] Micaela Diamond: And, uh, I had straightened my hair and was wearing bell bottoms and whatever. And, um, Stephanie was hiding away in the upstairs room. And, uh, I went down to say, hi, we were kind of summoned. And, um, she had a whole posse crew of people with her and we, we, um, she chatted with us for a little bit, shook our hands and then kind of put us into a circle, the whole cast and was like, look with her, her big sunglasses and hat, and you couldn't really see her face.

[35:44] Micaela Diamond: And she was like, look, we're all here because we, we love what we do. So, um, don't fuck it up. She said, and we were all like, great, super not nervous, phenomenal. No pressure.

[35:58] Micaela Diamond: It was a little weird. I almost think I went, I was so nervous that I, I almost like balanced out myself. Like all of a sudden I was really calm. I also like felt really strong about the work we had done. Um, and so right before we started, I was, I felt really grounded.

[36:19] Micaela Diamond: Um, and, and we did it. And I, I told myself like, just stay in your own zone and your own show, especially until your section is over. I say that lightly because we're in the whole show, but like the bulk of my section is the first 45 minutes. And then, um, and then I started to look at her and I couldn't help it. I wanted to see what she thought, but it was cool.

[36:40] Micaela Diamond: She's the most intimidating person and we call her the planet because she has such a gravitational pull. Um, but she's also just the coolest human being and, you know, you want, you want to sit next to her and ask her all the questions.

[36:57] Alan Seales: Yeah. Um, you mentioned a couple of times earlier in the chat here that, uh, you want, you thought about you possibly do women's studies and, um, you know, that you, you had a great, uh, when you talk about singing about, you know, women should fill up the space, but I was reading too, that you also identify as being queer.

[37:12] Micaela Diamond: Yes. Yes. Yes.

[37:12] Alan Seales: So do you feel obligated to represent the queer community, even like in the position you're in now at such a young age, or do you like the political activism? Like, do you want to save that for later? Are you called to that?

[37:27] Micaela Diamond: No, I would not like to save it for later. I would love. Yeah. Yeah. I think, um, not many people get the chance to have a platform at such a young age. Um, and I would love to use it. I mean, I hope I am currently, I get so many messages from people being like, I've never met somebody who's bi and on Broadway and elite and playing Cher and that's so cool. And like, thank you for being open about it.

[37:46] Micaela Diamond: Um, and I think like my generation is kind of, um, a lot more open and active about it, especially just because we're living in such a shit time. So it's like easy for us to acknowledge how shitty it is. Um, where everyone like, not everybody, that's such a generalization, but like before it was like, we try and hide all the issues. Whereas our, our people are like, let's lay them all out there.

[38:05] Micaela Diamond: Um, so yeah, I think like, I think I, I, the biggest thing is just to be myself. I, I guess I don't feel like an obligation to do anything besides that, um, and be open about that.

[38:32] Micaela Diamond: Um, but yeah, I think, I think Cher has also helped in that. Like I wouldn't have necessarily said two years ago, like I'm queer, but, um, she's like the most unapologetic human being. And I was like, why, why would I not be that if I'm playing that role? Like that's totally like a positive thing I can take from her.

[38:59] Micaela Diamond: And so like, whenever somebody asked me, it was like, of course, yeah, like that's exactly who I am. And I'm like, totally not afraid to say that anymore, which is so great. Like I, that was never like a thing that it could be so accepted.

[39:09] Micaela Diamond: Um, and like, my mom is just the coolest. I was like in a car ride with her on like a road trip. And I was like having a very casual conversation about my generation and like how we've been identifying and how like gender is kind of becoming like obliterating and whatever.

[39:30] Micaela Diamond: And, um, and I was like, I think, I think if I had to be closest to anything, it would be bi. And I just remember, and I didn't even say it like I was coming out or anything. And she was like, yeah, I think if I was in your generation, I would be too. And I was like, yes, mom, that's correct. There was any right answer in that situation. That was it.

[39:55] Micaela Diamond: Um, he's really cool. Yeah. She's the coolest. Wow. With her thick Boston accent.

[40:01] Alan Seales: I can't do Boston accent. It's hard.

[40:10] Micaela Diamond: Yeah. Yeah. Um, so we are running short on time here. You've got to get back to PT. I hear important.

[40:15] Alan Seales: Yes. But, uh, to wrap up the podcast here, we always have three questions that I ask everybody to close this out. First one, very simply, what motivates you?

[40:19] Micaela Diamond: Oh my goodness. That's a great question to ask everybody. Uh, I would say my mom and I would also say, uh, this sounds really weird, but I'll explain in a second. Like the humans around me are so incredibly impactful and what I do. And so like my writer, Rick completely motivates me to do a great show every night. Jared on stage will lock eyes and all of a sudden I'll do a great show.

[40:44] Micaela Diamond: Um, and I think like Shakespeare, like writers motivate me to like, want to learn more reading all that stuff.

[40:55] Alan Seales: All right. What advice would you give to your younger self and younger people listening now starting out down a similar path?

[41:01] Micaela Diamond: I would say try and be exactly who you want to be in the world and stop apologizing for that.

[41:18] Micaela Diamond: Um, I will never apologize for a show no matter how poorly I think I did. It's just not worth it.

[41:25] Micaela Diamond: Um, uh, yeah. And to continue to acknowledge my self-worth, especially as a teenager, it's a hard thing to do.

[41:33] Alan Seales: Okay. And last question, 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 show would you see?

[41:39] Micaela Diamond: Shit. Oh my gosh. It doesn't have to be on Broadway right now, right? Anything.

[41:45] Micaela Diamond: Oh God, this is so hard. Oh my God. There's so many choices. Sorry. I'll be late for PT. This is, this is very important to me. What is there like an obvious answer that I'm missing?

[42:03] Alan Seales: What was the first thing that came to mind?

[42:08] Micaela Diamond: Well, the first thing was weirdly, if I forget, which is weird, it was this play that I was like obsessed with for a year.

[42:13] Alan Seales: There you go. I'll say that. That was like my first instinct.

[42:17] Micaela Diamond: It's a little sad to see every day.

[42:22] Alan Seales: Well, that's why the question's not easy.

[42:27] Micaela Diamond: All right. Signing off. I'm going to think about it more.

[42:31] Alan Seales: Well, you can just email or send a message and we'll add.

[42:34] Micaela Diamond: Great.

[42:34] Micaela Diamond: Great. Can't wait.

[42:35] Alan Seales: You can just record yourself and we'll dub it into this episode.

[42:41] Alan Seales: So we can get more of you on Instagram at micaela_diamond and on Twitter at micaela_diamond_.

[42:44] Micaela Diamond: Wasn't available the other way.

[42:45] Alan Seales: I know. You should just kick out that other Micaela Diamond.

[42:49] Micaela Diamond: Get more of me at theatre_podcast on Instagram and Twitter.

[42:52] Alan Seales: Facebook dot com slash official theatre podcast.

[42:55] Micaela Diamond: Listen and subscribe via the theatre podcast dot com.

[42:58] Alan Seales: Rate, review, like, share all that fun stuff.

[43:00] Micaela Diamond: You can email me feedback at the theatre podcast dot com.

[43:03] Alan Seales: This is produced by Jillian Hockman.

[43:05] Alan Seales: And thank you to Jukebox the Ghost for the lovely intro and outro music you're hearing right now.

[43:10] Alan Seales: Micaela, thank you. This has been so wonderful.

[43:12] Micaela Diamond: Thanks for having me.

[43:13] Alan Seales: Take a deep breath, make the world a little colorful.