This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Joel Crump: Hey you guys, welcome back to another episode of Broadway Time at Carmine's. Today I'm joined by Ainsley Melham, who's currently playing Dwayne in BOOP! The Musical, which is right down the street. So without further ado, let's jump into this episode of Broadway Time at Carmine's.

[0:24] Joel Crump: Ainsley, how are you today?

[0:25] Ainsley Melham: I'm really well. I'm excited. I've never been here. So, you know, I'm gonna enjoy lunch with you for the first time here today.

[0:31] Joel Crump: I'm so excited. It's the first time at Carmine's, I can't believe it. And you know, it's right down the street from your current home at the Broadhurst.

[0:38] Ainsley Melham: Right, I walk past it every day alongside Sardi's as well, all of these institutions, and yeah, so many firsts for me because I'm still relatively new to the city.

[0:47] Joel Crump: Right. Well, speaking of, you're not from here. Talk to me about growing up in Australia. When did you realize that theatre was your love and it's what you wanted to do?

[0:55] Ainsley Melham: Yeah, well, I grew up in a country town in Australia in a place called Bathurst, which is about three hours outside of Sydney. So a very small town. I attended a little dance school there. The only guy in my time at the dance school amongst lovely ladies, but yeah, I guess I grew up dancing. I was dancing from when I was three or four years old, so it's always been a part of my life. And I didn't really, even though I loved it and had a great passion for it, I didn't really know what the path was into a career until it was probably very late on in my schooling, year 11 or 12, or at the end of my high schooling, when a drama teacher said to me, you know, you're really great at this, and if you want to pursue it, these are the paths you can take.

[1:46] Joel Crump: Right.

[1:47] Ainsley Melham: And so it really probably wasn't until then that I realized that this could be a career. And so the path from a little country town in Australia to New York City is pretty mind-blowing.

[2:00] Joel Crump: Yeah. Absolutely. How did Broadway come about for you? You made your Broadway debut in Aladdin.

[2:04] Ainsley Melham: Uh-huh.

[2:05] Joel Crump: How did that happen?

[2:06] Ainsley Melham: Yeah, so I was playing Aladdin on the Australian tour, all around Australia, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and then we went over to Perth, and that was the end of the Australian part of the tour. And so I was leaving the company, and Disney said, you know, congrats, we love working with you. Do you maybe want to come to New York and play the role here? And so they provided me my opportunity to come here to New York, and that sort of started the process of all the paperwork, the green card, all of that, because that's such a huge obstacle for I guess anybody outside of the country trying to come in is getting the legalities sorted before even the opportunity of booking a show.

[2:49] Joel Crump: Right. And what was that like experiencing New York for the first time? Of course, you know, everybody knows that Broadway is here. What was that like being able to come here and be on Broadway?

[3:00] Ainsley Melham: Yeah, yeah. Well, Broadway is something we look at from back home and obviously we're following it on social media, we're getting so much news from it. But to then be dropped in the middle of it, both as a tourist, somebody being here for the first time, but also as somebody who was gonna live and work here was pretty mind-blowing. To have that experience, you know, that thrill and excitement of being in this new city, this joyous, vibrant, gritty, grimy city. And then walk to work every day was pretty thrilling. It sort of didn't hit me until I took my first bow on that first show at Aladdin that, oh, we're actually doing it on Broadway.

[3:49] Joel Crump: Well, I'm gonna out myself. I've already seen BOOP! twice.

[3:52] Ainsley Melham: Oh my gosh.

[3:52] Joel Crump: I mean, it does open early this month, but it is such a wonderful time.

[3:56] Ainsley Melham: Yeah.

[3:56] Joel Crump: Talk to me about what it's been like being in BOOP!. We talked obviously in the rehearsal room, then an opening, but now that you guys are finally open and settled, what has it been like being in the world of BOOP! The Musical?

[4:06] Ainsley Melham: Yeah, I mean, you're right, it's so much fun. You can't not have fun coming to the theater every day and being on that stage and performing that material. Standing alongside Jasmine, Amy Rogers, and Faith Prince and these incredible performers, and being able to bring this joyous and cartoonish story to life is really thrilling. And then at the end of each show, to have everybody on their feet and smiling and singing along to the lyrics and the bouncing ball at the back of the stage there. And then they leave and we see them at stage door, and they said we had so much fun, we just spent two and a half hours smiling and singing. You know, we've done our job to bring joy and a bit of happiness in a time that feels maybe a little bit dark.

[4:58] Joel Crump: Absolutely, and playing Dwayne, what has that been like originating a role that's something that many people dream of doing on Broadway? And what's cool about BOOP! is that it's not based on the actual Betty Boop shorts; they created the story around the shorts.

[5:10] Ainsley Melham: Yes.

[5:11] Joel Crump: So, what has it been like, you know, making Dwayne your role, and you did it in Chicago and now Broadway? What has that been like originating this role?

[5:17] Ainsley Melham: Yeah, you're right. This show only takes inspiration from the icon that is Betty, and so everything else about the show is new. The plot, the music, the book, the choreography. And Dwayne doesn't even exist in the Fleischer Studios canon, so he's a completely new character. For me, throughout my career, I've had the pleasure of recreating roles. Aladdin, Fiero in Wicked, Pippin in Pippin, like these amazing roles, but always recreating them off a blueprint that already exists. So this time we got to create the blueprint. I just poured all of my influences and loves into Dwayne. You know, all of those beautiful icons of the 30s and 40s, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Sinatra, Dean Martin. All of these influences I think you can see and hear in Dwayne in the way he moves, in the way he sounds. And it's weird to think now that maybe, you know, if the show has a life beyond that, somebody will be using that as the blueprint to move forward.

[6:27] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[6:28] Ainsley Melham: But also really exciting.

[6:30] Joel Crump: Yeah. Absolutely. So you've done some really cool shows like now BOOP!, but also Wicked and Aladdin. These shows are tailored for young audiences.

[6:44] Ainsley Melham: Yeah.

[6:44] Joel Crump: What is it like being able to perform for these young audiences and have kids who maybe it's their first show, having them in the audience as well?

[6:52] Ainsley Melham: Yeah, I mean, back home in Australia, it's been really incredible because I started my career in this kids' group called Hi-5, right? Which was like a pop group for kids. We filmed a TV series, we traveled around the world and performed on stage. And so I've had fans from that who were very young, maybe like five or six years old, who then came along and saw me in Aladdin and then saw me in Pippin and Wicked and all of these properties that are so great for people of all ages. It's really sweet and touching when somebody comes along and says, oh, I remember you from Hi-5, and now I'm seeing you in Aladdin, or now I'm seeing you in BOOP!. That's insane. And people come to the stage door here and say, oh, I'm from the town next to yours, or I studied at the same school, or I know this person.

So it's really touching that we get people from back home coming to support. But that's what I love about this show is that anybody can come and see it, and anybody can enjoy. People who know Betty Boop and perhaps who watched the shorts when they were very young, or people who just love her as an icon, young people who are now sort of being introduced to her in a bigger way, and might go back and start to watch some of those shorts and see where she started. Yeah, it's a beautiful show for people of all ages.

[8:14] Joel Crump: What have been some of the funniest kid reactions from the audience?

[8:17] Ainsley Melham: I mean, I remember when I saw it before opening, there was this kid next to me, and he was like, I hope they kiss. And I was just like, well, they're gonna, you know, kids have a mind of their own and they're seeing this fun, bubbly, colorful show. What have been the best reactions?

[8:30] Ainsley Melham: I mean, the kiss always gets a reaction, whether it might be from slightly older kids who cheer or slightly younger ones who are like, oh no. Yeah, Pudgy always gets a great reaction. You know, our marionette, little puppy dog, just the most amazing, sweetest, cutest little thing, scene stealer. I'm glad I don't have any scenes with Pudgy because then I don't have to be upset. I'm just watching Pudgy and Phil, I'm just like, how is this happening?

[8:58] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[8:59] Ainsley Melham: But otherwise, the kids love the color. There's so much color in this show. And a great example is our opener of act two where we have those costumes that change from black and white to color just by turning around. And I know that always gets a great reaction from the kids in the audience. I remember seeing that number for the first time, and I was like, it's so simple, but so incredible.

[9:25] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[9:25] Ainsley Melham: But I was talking to Faith and she was like, boy, oh boy, it's hard to have to time those jumps. I couldn't imagine having to actually do that.

[9:32] Joel Crump: Uh-huh.

[9:33] Ainsley Melham: And you know, I had the privilege of sitting out and just observing, but Jerry drilled that number every day in the rehearsal room at the top of the day. It was the first thing that we did. And so Faith and Steven and the ensemble would come in and yeah, bless them. That was the first thing they had to do, speed through that number at the top of every day. What a way to start rehearsals. But you get to do some of this Jerry Mitchell choreography.

[9:57] Ainsley Melham: What is it like doing that? I mean, he's, we know his choreography from Hairspray. Legally, I mean, he's a legend in our community and in general. What is it like doing that choreography? Yeah, I mean, to be in a room with him and to have him, you know, cater choreography to you, and also to be part of the collaboration that births that choreography. Like he, when we did "Why Look Around the Corner," he said, "I know you have the style and I know you have the mind to put together steps, so go away and create something and come back and show me and we can work on it together." So I was like, wow, I mean, that's thrilling, but also terrifying to go home and do your homework and put something together for Jerry Mitchell to then bring back into the room.

But I think that speaks to his generous spirit and his willingness to collaborate. And so we did. I brought it back in, and he was like, "Take that out, take that out, keep this, let's move this over here." And yeah, so that's how some of that movement was formed. But as you say, like a legend, and has worked with legends before him, you know, and so he's passing down that knowledge to all of us. What an absolutely incredible experience to be able to be a part of the making of Jerry Mitchell choreography. Like that's insane.

[11:16] Ainsley Melham: Yeah, and I should shout out to our associates, Rochelle Rack and John Ruhr, because some of their movement and influence and steps are in the show as well. So they work as a tight unit to bring it to life.

[11:29] Joel Crump: Awesome. What advice would you give to another performer that wants to dream of performing in general but also being on Broadway? You started off in Australia, you made it all the way here. What advice would you give them?

[11:48] Ainsley Melham: I know, gosh, I mean, everybody's path is different, really. When I decided that I was gonna do this, the lovely drama teacher who I mentioned before, she said, "Pick someone and let's see how they got to where they are." And we can sort of take their career and their path as inspiration. And so, of all people, we picked Hugh Jackman, fellow Aussie Hugh Jackman. Yeah. And he started at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and then made his stage debut in Oklahoma and went on from there, created these incredible Wolverine and X-Men, huge, huge film career. So that's sort of how I modeled my career and my path. I applied for Whopper and got in there, and then obviously Aladdin was my big stage debut.

So if I can have a fraction of the career he had, I'll be a very happy man. But I guess all of that to say, take some inspiration maybe from some of your idols, but also don't be afraid to lean into what makes you you. I think the further I go, the more I realize, especially when stepping into an audition room, that the casting directors and the panel are looking for somebody who is personable and sincere and authentic, you know, somebody that they can get along with and work with and have a great and sincere conversation with because you need that when you're collaborating and creating work. Aside from that, I think you always have to lean into the skills that scare you. You know, yeah. If you're an actor singer, then don't be afraid to get into a dance class or vice versa. I think we can sometimes get in our head and say, "Oh no, I'm not good at that." But lean into it because the industry's looking for people who are multi-skilled.

[13:51] Joel Crump: Absolutely. So being in these longtime running shows, and then BOOP! as well, do you have any funny stage mishap stories? These are my favorite to hear.

[13:58] Ainsley Melham: I actually did Michael Malayuka, who's a fellow Aladdin like you, chat yesterday, told me one time the carpet went up and didn't come down. Oh. Which is crazy, I know. So what's something funny that's happened in BOOP!, Aladdin, Wicked?

[14:14] Ainsley Melham: I mean, Aladdin I have plenty. One time I, I don't know what you call it when you have a football and you back in Australia we call it punt, when you punt a football. Like kick it, right? So but with your hand, if you were to sort of like do it and pass it on to someone else. I had the lamp and I went to grab the lamp with my other hand, but instead punted it and it went into the pit. And I just watched it disappear into the pit and I was like, ah. And then had to turn and continue with the scene. Or at the end of "Prince Ali," which opens the second act, we have this huge parade that sings all about the prince. Prince Ali, he's coming, he's about to arrive, and they wheel me on this beautiful big sedan chair, and I climb down from this chair and step on my cape, huge cape, and slip over right center stage as everybody's pointing to me.

So yeah, so many things. I don't think I've had anything touch wood. It's probably gonna happen today. I hope truly embarrassing happen in BOOP! yet, but that's the thrill of live theater. You know, I think the audience go wild for it in a way because they think, "Oh, we saw something that nobody else will see, or that doesn't usually happen."

[15:31] Ainsley Melham: I'm trying to think if I mean Pippin was designed for mishaps. I start that show by jumping through a hoop. Right. And then there's pole climbing and knife throwing and guitar playing and back flipping. So look, you know, there were always things. I remember that's a great story. I remember climbing up the pole for the first time in tech. In the rehearsal room, we'd always done it in clothes, in our rehearsal clothes, but in the show Pippin doesn't have a shirt on at that point, and he's been running around stage and so he climbs up the pole and I'm a bit sweaty and then I let go of the pole and there's a group of boys below to catch me and I slip right through their hands and end up on the floor. I just remember being on the floor and looking up and seeing everyone's faces and I thought this is not where I'm meant to be right now. That's what's supposed to happen right now. That's like a little terrible but yeah, that's the joy and the risk of live theater.

[16:22] Joel Crump: Absolutely 100%. The show is about to release on Spotify. Tell the audiences about what's about to come up for them.

[16:41] Ainsley Melham: Yeah, so we have this song called "She Knocks Me Out" in the show. It's where Dwayne is sort of having a little bit of an existential crisis about falling in love with a cartoon. Right. And it was added in Chicago; it wasn't originally in the first draft of the show. But the creatives, we sort of mounted the show and the creatives thought, "Oh, we need to hear from Dwayne in this moment." So David Foster wrote this song called "She Knocks Me Out," and he wrote it on a weekend with Susan Birkenhead, our lyricist, and then we rehearsed it on Monday, tech'd it on Tuesday, and put it in the show Wednesday. Thursday, they quickly orchestrated it and it was in. So I was in a recording studio in Australia and David Foster was in his studio in LA when we laid down the track, and it's about to be released tomorrow, so I'm really excited for fans of the show to see it and even people who don't know the show, this can be their intro into some of the beautiful music in the show.

[17:43] Joel Crump: That's so exciting.

[17:43] Ainsley Melham: Yeah.

[17:43] Joel Crump: Well, now we're gonna play Broadway Time Quick Round. Okay, these are rapid fire questions to know everything you love about Broadway.

[17:49] Ainsley Melham: Okay, gosh, alright.

[17:50] Joel Crump: Alright, favorite Broadway show.

[17:52] Ainsley Melham: The Band's Visit.

[17:55] Joel Crump: Dream role.

[17:55] Ainsley Melham: Oh gosh. Cosmo Brown in Singing in the Rain.

[18:00] Joel Crump: Funniest moment on stage in BOOP!

[18:02] Ainsley Melham: Funniest moment on stage? Um gosh, this is meant to be quickfire. Um, uh funniest job?

[18:16] Ainsley Melham: I know. I've I tripped you up. Um let me see. Oh, I love when she arrives in Comic Con for the first time in color and is surrounded by all of these crazy characters.

[18:30] Joel Crump: Yeah, that's a good moment.

[18:31] Ainsley Melham: Favorite vocal warm-up.

[18:35] Ainsley Melham: Yes, sirens. But with my tongue out, and sometimes I do it walking along the street, and people are like, "What's happening with that young man?"

[18:40] Joel Crump: You're right, you're right, right.

[18:41] Ainsley Melham: Oh, um favorite song to perform in the show.

[18:44] Ainsley Melham: She Knocks Me Out.

[18:45] Joel Crump: Yeah. Who inspires you the most in the theater community?

[18:48] Ainsley Melham: Oh. You know, I love Beth Leavel.

[18:51] Joel Crump: Do you really?

[18:52] Ainsley Melham: Yes.

[18:52] Joel Crump: I love Beth Leavel too. She's coming here tomorrow.

[18:54] Ainsley Melham: Oh my god!

[18:55] Joel Crump: I know, that's why I kind of like choked up when you said that. Maybe I'll stand outside and try and get a photo.

[19:00] Ainsley Melham: Absolutely.

[19:00] Joel Crump: Dream Broadway co-star.

[19:02] Ainsley Melham: Can I say Beth Leavel again? Or I can say Jane Krakowski.

[19:07] Joel Crump: Oh, absolutely, absolutely.

[19:08] Ainsley Melham: Favorite place to relax in New York.

[19:11] Ainsley Melham: Central Park.

[19:11] Joel Crump: And lastly, best piece of advice you received.

[19:14] Ainsley Melham: Oh, a great friend of mine back in Australia said to me, "Just get up and say the words." Which I know sounds a bit reductive, but I think at the end of the day, you know, when the nerves and everything hit you, if you can just get up and say the words, then you know that's your job done.