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[0:00] Joel Crump: What's up, everybody? Welcome back to the Weekly Dose of Joel. I'm your host, Joel Crump, and today I'm celebrating the incredible people who make Broadway happen. I'm talking about the alternates, ensemble, and swing members who are the backbone of every production. This week, I'm sharing interviews with Autumn Hurlbert from Tammy Faye, Brittany Nicholas from Tammy Faye, Shavey Brown from Sunset Boulevard, Diego Andres Rodriguez from Sunset Boulevard, Trista Dollison from A Wonderful World, Brandon Louis Armstrong from A Wonderful World, Natalie Charle Ellis from Death Becomes Her, and J Savage from Elf. We've also got Broadway Buzz, a trip down memory lane with a special Broadway History segment, and an inside look at this week's Broadway grosses, and of course, our interviews.

So, let's get this episode started of the Weekly Dose of Joel. Let's start off with the Broadway Buzz of the week. Jonathan Groff will be starring in Just In Time on Broadway as Bobby Darin. The rest of the casting for this new musical was just announced, but I'm most excited to see Jonathan Groff back on stage fresh off of his Tony Award win for Merrily We Roll Along. This jukebox musical will be opening on April 23, 2025, at the Circle in the Square Theater, and the production will transform the space into an intimate nightclub. Jonathan's renditions of Darin's classics have already been released, and that includes Beyond the Sea and Mack the Knife. Check out the first listens on Spotify, and if you go to their social media, you can find it there.

Hadestown on Broadway will be having some new cast members joining the cast, starting January 14th. Hadestown will welcome Haley Kilgore, who is playing Eurydice, and you may have seen her in Once on this Island on Broadway, which she earned a Tony nomination for, Carlos Valdez, who you may have seen in The Flash, who's going to be playing Orpheus in Hadestown, and Tom Hewitt, who will be rejoining the cast as Hades. This stellar trio is succeeding Maya Rifico, Jordan Fisher, and Philip Boykin, who have been in the cast for the past couple months. I am so excited to see Haley, Carlos, and Tom in Hadestown, and I just love all the casting that Hadestown does. It is always spot on, and it is always the literal best.

And lastly, it was announced that Swept Away will be having a cast album releasing this February. I don't know about you guys, but I love Swept Away. I saw it in DC, and it blew my mind, and listen, after seeing the show, I became an Ava Brothers fan, so I can't wait to hear these versions of the Ava Brothers songs on recording. Now it's time for some Broadway history. On December 1st, 2005, the musical adaptation of Alice Walker's The Color Purple debuted on Broadway following weeks of buzz from producer Oprah Winfrey. The show starred LaChanze as Celie, a performance that earned her a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Ten years later, the revival featured Cynthia Erivo in the same iconic role, and her performance also gave her a Tony Award.

Now, Cynthia Erivo is also captivating audiences in a new way starring as Elphaba in The Wicked Movie, which I don't know if you guys have seen it yet, but it is absolutely phenomenal. She truly nails the role of Elphaba. I love The Color Purple so much, so I had to share this little piece of Broadway history with you this week. Now it's time for the Broadway Grosses Overview. Broadway brought in an incredible $46 million over Thanksgiving week, a 33% increase from last year. Here are some of the highlights that I wanted to point out. So the top five earners was number one Wicked with $2.9 million, which didn't really surprise me because Wicked is obviously a classic on Broadway, and The Wicked Movie was just released.

The Lion King at the number two spot with $2.8 million. Another show that's not really a surprise because it is a classic on Broadway. At the number three spot, Hamilton, which had $2.5 million. Once again, not really a surprise, but sharing the number five spot was Elf and The Outsiders, which The Outsiders didn't surprise me. I mean, of course, it's new to Broadway still, but everybody is running to see it because it is such a great show. It has great word of mouth, and it just won the Tony Award for Best Musical, but Elf was one that did surprise me, to be honest, because I was thinking, you know, maybe it'd be another classic on Broadway, but no. Elf, which just opened, slid its way to the top, and let's be honest, everybody wants to go see Elf this season.

I mean, it's a limited engagement run, and it's bringing that holiday cheer to Broadway. Some surprises this week are Gypsy. In its second week of previews, it brought in $1.6 million over only seven performances. People are running to go see Audra Gypsy for a good reason. Audra McDonald is taking over this classic, classic role. Who doesn't want to go see this show? And another surprise was maybe Happy Ending saw a steady climb with over $700,000 in grosses and higher attendance, and I'm very excited about this because maybe Happy Ending is such a great show, and I'm really glad it is climbing its way up the ladder to be doing well in the box office. 22 productions played 90% or higher capacity, including Romeo and Juliet at an astonishing 102% capacity, and shows like O'Mary and Hadestown also hit its capacity.

I think all of these surges in what's happening right now in the grosses reflects Broadway's resilience and growing popularity as families and tours embrace the theater for the holidays, and I'm excited to see all of these shows flourish over the next couple of weeks. Before we jump into our interviews, let's take a moment to highlight why ensemble members, swings, and understudies are unsung heroes on Broadway. Did you know that swings sometimes memorize 10 roles in a single show, or that understudies can step into the lead role at any moment's notice, often with little to no rehearsal? These performers are the backbone of every production, ensuring the show always goes on. This week we're celebrating their versatility, resilience, and artistry.

Get ready for interviews with some of Broadway's brightest, including a performer making his Broadway debut, and another carrying on a family legacy. But before that, a quick break. Now let's jump into these interviews. Making her Broadway return after 16 years, Autumn Hurlbert is the Tammy Faye alternate in Tammy Faye on Broadway. Obviously known for her memorable debut in Legally Blonde, and being in the tours of Little Women and Something Rotten, Autumn is a beacon of perseverance and talent. Let's jump into the interview. Hey you guys, we're at the opening night of Tammy Faye on Broadway. It's opening night. Tell me, how are you feeling tonight?

[6:00] Autumn Hurlbert: I'm feeling all the most wonderful things. I literally don't think I could feel any better. I'm so excited. I'm so honored to be here. Being on Broadway is an honor, always. Yes. I mean, to be back at the Palace Theater, 30 feet higher, I have to add, but to be back after doing Legally Blonde, what, 16 years ago. Talk to me about that. I mean, it is truly a full circle moment, and I don't, I have not taken a single second for granted. I, this is, I worked so hard for this, and to have your hard work pay off, that is something so satisfying, and so I feel very proud. You know, it's not often that we get to say we're proud of ourselves, right? You got to lift yourself up, but I feel just like the Palace.

I've lifted myself up. I love it. I love that so much. I mean, Tammy Faye is no easy role to play. Talk to me about those high belty songs, the crying, the acting, I mean, all of it. All of it. I mean, to be really honest, I cry every day, all the time. That's just who I am. So I was like, got that in the bag. Cool, cool. But to sing Elton John music, I mean, I've been literally training for it since I auditioned in April. Yeah. So it's taken a lot of, again, hard work, dedication, and also I've never felt like I was meant to do something more than this, and so it all has just really aligned for me, and it's, I'm so grateful. Yes, and lastly, I mean, you're probably a pro at this by now, but give me your best Tammy Faye impression.

Oh, don't you know we love Times Square? There's so many lights. Oh, and you know, I bet I did put on a pair of eyelashes, but I thought we're a little more sophisticated now, so just one pair, okay? Just one pair. Just, you know, keep it simple, but God loves you. He really does. Oh my, you just transported me. Thank you so much, Autumn. What an inspiration. I mean, Autumn's journey reminds us to keep chasing our dreams no matter how long it takes. Now it's time for my interview with Brittany Nicholas, the dance captain and an ensemble member of Tammy Faye. From Mean Girls to Matilda to Anne Juliet, she has dazzled audiences with her precision and energy. Here's the interview. You guys, we're at the opening night of Tammy Faye on Broadway. It's opening night. Tell me, how are you feeling tonight?

[8:27] Brittany Nicholas: I am so excited. I mean, it's a mix of, like, excitement, overwhelm. I mean, yeah, so many emotions, but overall, just excited. I feel very blessed. Yeah, I mean, back on Broadway as a dance captain, too. Talk to me about the role of a dance captain and your responsibilities at Tammy Faye. All right, so my role is I'm supposed to know all of the choreography and staging. A lot for this show. A lot for this show, and be able to, like, keep the creative vision alive. Also, to teach replacements whenever they come in, but it's a lot of just, you know, big picture things with noting and cleaning, and I mean, it's a thing. It's a huge job, but I'm here.

[9:25] Joel Crump: Brittany's commitment to her craft is unmatched. It's no wonder she's a trusted leader on and off stage. Now, it's time for my interview with Shavey Brown, who's making his Broadway debut on Sunset Boulevard, where he plays Mr. DeMille and is in the ensemble. He also understudies Max. You may have seen him in Hadestown or Once Upon a Mattress at New York City Center, and now he's in this iconic show. Hey, you guys, we're at the opening night of Sunset Boulevard on Broadway. It's opening night. Tell me, how are you feeling tonight?

[9:44] Shavey Brown: It feels amazing, truly. It's my Broadway debut, so I'm very excited. To make your Broadway debut on a show like this, I mean, talk about it. It's crazy, but it's really amazing. The production...

[9:58] Joel Crump: It was such a pleasure to meet Shavey. It meant a lot when he told me that his sons actually watched my work and I just knew I had to feature him today in this episode. Now it's time for my interview with Diego Rodriguez, who is making his Broadway debut in Sunset Boulevard in the ensemble and is the understudy for Joe. I don't know if you guys have seen this, but there's been a lot of buzz about his portrayal of Joe on TikTok, so I knew I had to include him in this week's episode. Hey, you guys, we're at the opening night of Sunset Boulevard on Broadway. It's opening night. Tell me how you're feeling tonight.

[11:19] Diego Andres Rodriguez: Absolutely ecstatic. It is an unbelievable energy here. It's crazy. I don't know. Being inside the theater felt like I was at a rock concert and it's the coolest day of my life. It's really, really great. I have a game for us. It's called Are You Ready For Your Close-Up? So these are some rapid fire questions, and if you're going to answer them all, you're ready for your close-up. Okay, great. Okay. Dream Broadway show.

[11:40] Diego Andres Rodriguez: Dream Broadway show. Sunset Boulevard. Dream co-star. Tom Francis. If you could only sing one show tune for the rest of your life, what show tune would it be? Love I Hear, Stephen Sondheim. I just love that song. Yeah. Favorite vocal warm-up. Favorite vocal warm-up is buzzing. And lastly, who are you thanking in your Tony Award speech? My mom, who is right there. My mom! I love you. Thank you. Thank you so much. What an amazing way to make your Broadway debut in a show like Sunset Boulevard. It was such a pleasure to talk to Diego. Now it's time for my interview with Trista Dollison, who was a quadruple threat in A Wonderful World as the lead standby. With credits ranging from The Lion King to Dream Girls, Trista has been seen in many shows, and now you can see her as many different roles in this show, A Wonderful World. Hey, you guys. We're at the opening night of A Wonderful World on Broadway. It's opening night. Tell me, how are you feeling tonight?

[12:33] Trista Dollison: I feel overjoyed and blessed. It's an honor to celebrate Louis Armstrong today, and every day, hopefully, a show of the week. Yeah. I mean, tell me, what has this rehearsal process been like? You know, rehearsal, then to tech, now to opening. What has this entire process been like?

[12:46] Trista Dollison: Lots of rehearsal. Lots of dancing. Ricky Tripp has been sharpening our ensemble, and even my girls who I cover, they all are dancing as well. So beautiful dancing, lots of beautiful music, the jazz. It's timeless. It's awesome. Come see it. Right. Totally. I mean, what is your favorite number to perform in this song? There are some fabulous numbers. Which one of them is your favorite, or to watch?

[13:11] Trista Dollison: Okay. One of my favorite numbers in the show is When You're Smiling, which is not a number that I perform, but it just makes me happy, and I need a lot of happiness right now because I feel like the world is not giving it to me. So that number itself gives me joy. Yeah. And lastly, Louis Armstrong, you live in Louisiana, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. Out of all four of those places, where would you want to live?

[13:35] Trista Dollison: New York. Yeah. I gotta pick New York. I mean, we're here now. It's the vibe. Yeah, it's the vibe. Now, if I want to party, New Orleans. Yeah. New Orleans, for sure. Food, food and party. Yes, yes. I took their food over ours. The food and the party, but then for the vibes, New York. Vibes, New York. Yes. If they bring a New Orleans restaurant up here, we're great. That's the whole combo right there. You're right. Trista's ability to breathe life into such diverse characters is incredible. I couldn't believe she was to stand by for all four leading women in the show. It just amazes me the work that she does in this show. Ensemble member and understudy for Louis Armstrong, Brandon Louis Armstrong, brings family history to life in A Wonderful World. As Louis Armstrong's great nephew, his connection to the material is deeply personal. Here's my interview with him.

[14:26] Brandon Louis Armstrong: I was doing some research. I knew because I was looking at the cast. I said, Louis, Louis Armstrong. Hold on. I mean, happy opening to you. First off, to be here tonight, you know, not only telling where Armstrong's journey, but as a relative of his. Tell me, what does all of this mean to you?

[14:41] Brandon Louis Armstrong: It's surreal. It's surreal. It's like an outer body experience. I get to experience my great, great uncle's story, not only in person, but like swirled into his world. And it is like an outer body experience. It's amazing. I mean, were you able to get any advice or stories from any of your relatives about Louis? You know what? It's crazy. He did so much writing about his own life that he really left us his story within the music, within his own books that he wrote, through collages that he would make. So outside of little tidbits here and there, Louis really left a roadmap for what this story should be himself, which is great. If you could ask your great, great uncle any question, what question would you ask him?

[15:30] Brandon Louis Armstrong: Oh, man. Oh, that's a good one. I would ask him if he could sing a song with me. I love it. And you're also an understudy for the role of Louis Armstrong. I mean, when you have that moment, what are you going to be thinking? What are you going to be feeling when you take center stage as the man himself?

[15:44] Brandon Louis Armstrong: Tears, crying, probably just crying the whole time. It's not everything. Brandon's legacy and talent combined to create a truly special Broadway experience. It was such an honor to interview with him. Natalie Charles Ellis joins the cast of Death Becomes Her as an ensemble member and understudy for Helen and Madeline. I couldn't believe she has to nail both of these roles in the show, and I had to chat with her about it. So here's the interview.

[16:09] Natalie Charle Ellis: Hey, you guys, we're at the opening night of Death Becomes Her on Broadway. It's opening night. Tell me, how are you feeling tonight?

[16:13] Natalie Charle Ellis: Oh, so excited. We made it. We made it. Yes. Oh, I mean, it's gonna be magical. It's gonna be magical. It is so much fun. I've never laughed so much in my entire life. I love that. Yes. Yeah. I mean, talk to me about that first time you saw this classic movie Death Becomes Her.

[16:29] Natalie Charle Ellis: Oh, well, I saw it in the movie theater. Right. No, Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn are icons, especially like for a woman and a comedian, like watching their comedic moments in their relationship together and making that journey in their relationship, it was amazing. When I heard it was a musical, I was like, I've got to audition for that. Yeah. And then I got it. And now I cover both of them, which is so exciting. That's something I just wanted to talk about. When I saw you covered both of them, I thought that must be a really hard job, but also really fun. You get to dive into both of these iconic roles. Talk to me about it.

[17:05] Natalie Charle Ellis: I get to use every skill that I have in my bag of tricks, like because they're both such different roles, but they're both still so funny and strong and capable and like real women. And I think it's the songs that they sing and the costumes they wear. It's a lot to learn. They do not stop talking. Yeah, they do not. But I'm having the best time watching them and their every move and covering them is amazing. I love it. Thank you. His approach to her craft shines in every production she's in. I saw her in Beetlejuice as well. And I have to go back to Death Becomes Her to see her in this show. Jay Savage adds holiday cheer to Broadway in Elf the Musical. He is an ensemble member and understudy for Buddy the Elf. It was such a pleasure to see him again. So here's my chat with Jay Savage.

[17:47] Jay Savage: Hey, you guys. I'm here with Jay Savage. We're at the opening night of Elf on Broadway. It's opening night. How are you feeling tonight?

[17:51] Jay Savage: I feel incredible. This is just such a fun show. We're just so excited to share it with everybody. Yeah, I mean, bringing holiday cheer to Broadway, I feel like it's the best thing ever. What has it been like for you guys to do it?

[18:03] Jay Savage: Literally what you said, it's the best thing ever. There is something so intrinsically Broadway about this show, which is just so exciting to do on a Broadway. I'm getting chills, you know, and like we have a huge tap number at the end. There's something so magical about tap dancing for Christmas on Broadway. Like those three things. That's the perfect trifecta. It's just thrilling. It's thrilling. I love it so much. I mean, what is your favorite thing about the holiday season?

[18:26] Jay Savage: I just think like the joy, the joy that it brings. And it's so fun to see how there's so much creativity that comes with this one theme and everyone's like, OK, let's make this Christmas. And then any franchise you love, let's see their version of Christmas. You know what I mean? Like Sailor Moon's doing Christmas. Pokemon's doing Christmas. Barbies. I have two Christmas Barbies in my dressing room. I'm a vintage Barbie collector. Oh, that's cool. I have 1996 in there and I have 2022. So I just think it's so fun to see the creativity and the joy. And people just love Christmas. I mean, it's Christmas. Yeah. Yeah, it's Christmas. It's Christmas. I mean, you finish the lyric the way you want to, OK? All I want for Christmas is.

[19:07] Jay Savage: It's a bigger shelf for my Barbie collection. Yeah. Somebody get it for him. Come on. First, get us a bigger apartment and then we can fit the shelf. I love it. Thank you so much, Jay. I would love to be in the cast of Elf on Broadway. It seems like a blast. And it was so cool to chat with Jay again. That's a wrap on this week's episode of the Weekly Dose of Joel. I am so glad I could shine a light on Broadway ensemble members, swings and alternates. You know, it is always such a pleasure for me to chat with them on the Broadway carpet. So I really wanted to dedicate this episode to them. Make sure you tune in to the next episode of the Weekly Dose of Joel for more Broadway buzz, history, grosses information and of course, interviews with your favorite stars. Thank you so much for listening to this week's episode of the Weekly Dose of Joel.