This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:11] Dan Rosales: Welcome to Token Theatre Friends. I'm so happy to be talking to you. It's been quite some time since we last spoke, but I'm so happy that you're back in Dog Man.

[0:23] Jose: So for people who have not been to Dog Man yet, what is Dog Man: The Musical and who do you play in it?

[0:30] Dan Rosales: Right. Well, thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here. Dog Man: The Musical is a spin-off from the world-famous Captain Underpants books. So the two main protagonists are George and Harold and Captain Underpants. I play Harold Hutchins, who creates this comic about a half dog, half man in Captain Underpants, and that's now its whole own subset of series and books, and now an off-Broadway musical. I play one of the best friends, Harold Hutchins in it. It's a really fun, you know, farcical, splashy, just it's a good time. It's a good time.

[1:14] Jose: I mean, as you know, I adore this musical. I freaking love this musical so much. So, you know, the times that I saw it, I always wondered, is it, you know, is it as fun for you being on stage as it is for us who are, you know, as audience members?

[1:32] Dan Rosales: Uh, yeah, definitely. I mean, the show is such a wild ride. It's, you know, with intermission, probably about 75 to 80 minutes, maybe 90 minutes. But once you start, you know, it don't stop. And hearing the reaction from this, you know, predominantly younger audience, all of the giggles and the laughter, and even just the recognition of like, oh my gosh, that's Harold, or hey Flippy, or you know, calling out character names, it just boosts the mood immediately. So, yes, we're, you know, at work doing this musical, but it's a pretty spectacularly fun job to do.

[2:08] Jose: You're right. Like, I probably was always like one of the oldest audience members every time I saw it. But there's this really beautiful quality about the musical, it really made me feel like a kid again. Like it has this like DIY almost quality to it. Like, I mean, it starts off in a tree house, if I remember it correctly. So can you talk a little bit about when you were growing up, who was your Dog Man, or what were the things that you played with your friends and cousins? Who did you imagine you were?

[2:39] Dan Rosales: Uh, who did you imagine you were? You know, it's so funny because animated like cartoons and movies were such a huge part of, you know, my childhood being, you know, a child of the 90s and absorbing all that media. Like, I remember being so in love with like Rugrats and like The Powerpuff Girls and like this like really amazing like American cartoon, you know, stuff. And I was like, oh my gosh, this is so fun. And I remember being in elementary school and playing like The Powerpuff, like I would play the villain, and like I had these friends who would play like the trio of The Powerpuff Girls, and then me and my other friends would like switch off being like the bad guy, or you know, it was so fun.

So that was kind of my version of Dog Man is like absorbing this media and being like, wow, this is so cool. Like it's these young kids doing all these amazing things, being superheroes or you know, saving the world. So that was it was so accessible that I was like, Yeah, I can save the world, even though I'm playing a bad guy, you know, I'm still like part of this story, you know. That was it was that was a blast. I mean, technically, villains always have more fun.

[3:55] Dan Rosales: So I'm with the villain. And they get a redemption story a lot. So, you know, you live, you learn, you know, you grow better from it. So when you were cast in Dog Man, did you go and read the books and like try to like absorb all the Dog Man material that was available out there?

[4:15] Dan Rosales: Uh, I did. So when I first heard about it, it was a workshop that Theaterworks USA was doing. It was, you know, just a private workshop for the creators and the writers, Brad Alexander and Kevin Del Aguila. And I hadn't really heard about it. But as soon as I got it, I have an older brother who has two sons, my nephews, and they were obsessed with Dog Man. They were like, I'm sorry, there's a Dog Man musical. And the thought had never occurred to them, like it was such a novel idea. So I did borrow their books, you know, to see like what this all was about. And it's Dave Pilkey, who created the whole series Captain Underpants and Dog Man and all these versions of the books, he's so incredibly smart and so talented, but he writes in a way that is not like at a younger audience.

He writes to them and about them. And it's so accessible, like reading these stories, it's a graphic novel, of course. But you know, I find myself laughing as much as an eight-year-old would or a 10-year-old because some of the jokes are geared towards the parents who buy these books, you know, it's very Pixar in that way. So yes, I did go out and try to absorb as much Dog Man material as I could to kind of get the tone of what was happening, and it was, I mean, it was a blast because it's so funny and it's so well written. And a lot of them are spoofs off of like famous novels. Like this version of Dog Man that we're doing is based off of A Tale of Two Cities, and the Dog Man version of it is called The Tale of Two Kitties. So, you know, there's like little, there's little crumbs for the adults in the audience too.

[6:01] Jose: So going back to when you were little and you were playing out of this cartoon fantasy, it's like, can you kind of trace back to how you ended up becoming an artist and a performer on stage? Like, was there like tiny Dan, just like either directing or like really getting into character while you were playing in school?

[6:19] Dan Rosales: Um, yeah, I wonder. I mean, I think it all just started with an after-school program. You know, my parents worked full time and they didn't have the luxury to be picked up by them as soon as school ended at 3 p.m. or whatever it was. So I had to be in these after-school programs, and they had a drama program, a drama club in elementary school. And I remember just being like, whoa, this is like playing pretend, but better and more fun than it could ever be because it's like with everyone else, and there was like a structure to it. I remember the first thing that we ever did, I think was like a Men in Black performance to the multiplication table songs, and we all dressed with like sunglasses and we were like being cool, like singing about numbers.

So I think that's like that's where it started. And it was maybe like a 10-minute performance. But I remember like my mom came, my aunt came, and they filmed it, and we were all these like, you know, elementary school kids and dressed in all black with sunglasses, singing like our times tables, but it stuck somehow. Like I think that's what kind of put the little seed of like artistry and imagination of like, oh, you know, I can take something that's about school, like math or something and make it fun in a way that I relate to, or maybe that someone else relates to.

[7:51] Jose: So I'm sure you never forgot how to multiply then if you had a song to go with it, right?

[7:56] Dan Rosales: It's so embarrassing. I still remember, I still remember these songs because they're so sing-songy. And I, you know, as a fully grown adult, I will still sometimes have to use these songs to remember like eight times nine, and or you know, whatever number it is. And I'm like, and I'll sing the little song and I'll get there, and it makes me happy inside.

[8:22] Jose: So what was it like that? Because you follow the path where you went to school and you went to drama school and you followed, you know, the academic path. So what was it like for you when you told your parents, you know, hey, I want to be an actor when I grew up?

[8:38] Dan Rosales: Um, you know, as you can imagine, it's never sometimes it's easy, I'm sure, but it's never an easy conversation to have with parents who want to secure success for their child in every aspect, you know, which is I think every parent's dream. So the life of an artist isn't always successful financially or career-wise. You know, there's different levels of success. So when I had that conversation with them about, hey, I think this is what I want to do, it was met with just a bit of resistance, but in a careful way of like, are you sure, you know, you're very talented, but you know, there's other things you could do this on the side, or you could have it as a hobby. And in my mind, I was like, no, I think I have to do this.

Like I enjoyed storytelling. I love, you know, finding humanity in these characters or whoever I play and bringing that to people, because I mean we absorb it all the time. This is so cliché, but the whole world's a stage, you know, everyone's an actor, you know, everyone is acting in some facet of their life. So it was a great conversation, a good conversation turned into a great decision when I went to a conservatory and studied it. And I've been very fortunate to, you know, have been working as much as I have after graduating. So I'm glad I followed my gut.

[10:09] Jose: And you graduated with honors. So what was like the school experience? Like what were some things that you were, I don't know, you were not expecting maybe to learn in school, and what were some things that you learned that you had no idea you would be learning in school?

[10:25] Dan Rosales: Um, yeah, so it was I went to a conservatory, the Boston Conservatory. Um, and growing up, you know, I had never gone to like a music school or all I had was choir in high school and middle school and like drama club, but going to a conservatory like that, it's a little bit like a boot camp, you know. It's very routine-oriented. Like we had our dance classes at the same time four days a week. You had two voice lessons per week, you had an acting class, and then you had a voice and speech class. And it was very, when I first got there, it was a little overwhelming because I didn't know what to expect. It was like, whoa, like this has unlocked a whole other portion of my brain of like how to properly train to be a full well-rounded artist.

You know, some of the I think the thing that I discovered the most that I didn't expect to learn was how fluid all of the classes are with each other. Even the you had to take like one general ed class. It was a conservatory, you know, they cut us a break. So we had to take like just a few gen eds every now and then. But all of the classes so seamlessly, what I learned in my ballet class, I could apply some sort of this ease to my acting class, you know, or technique and vice versa. Like it's very, I don't know, a nebulous, like it all works together, you know. So that was fascinating to hear that I could apply or learn that the different aspects into different techniques.

[12:00] Jose: And I mean, you were already good at math with your maths on and everything, so you didn't need any more of that, right?

[12:05] Dan Rosales: Listen, listen, I'm great at singing my times tables. I don't know if I'm good at math, but looking back at your experience in school, what are some things that you would like to teach? Like, what do you think you would be really good at teaching kids and young people?

[12:27] Dan Rosales: Um, I think what I enjoy most, I love singing, and I've always loved singing. I think what I would love to teach young people is kind of like, you know, what's the story of the song? Like, what is the journey of a song? And how do you find the peaks and valleys, not only in your voice, but in the storytelling of what you're trying to say? Like what every song can be pretty or intense or rock or whatever, but like what are you saying and why do these words matter in this moment? That's something that I always try to bring, of course, in my performances, but just I think it's important to tell young people now that it's not all about how high you can belt or how fierce you are. You know, some of the most beautiful songs that I know are, you know, stay in the staff, but the storytelling of it is really what crafts a beautiful performance. So I think that's something I would enjoy teaching.

[13:25] Jose: Who are you connecting to or with when you do Dog Man then? Is it little Dan? Is it your, you know, your nephews?

[13:34] Dan Rosales: Yeah, definitely. It's definitely a younger version of myself and knowing that there are kids like my nephews out there who are seeing their very many of them their very first theater experience ever. I mean, there's a lot of young families there, there's older kids too, and a lot of them come with the books, they're just so excited. So it's kind of speaking to the broader audience of like you can enjoy a book as much as you can enjoy a theater and the two worlds together can meet together to create this fun, beautiful family story.

[14:07] Dan Rosales: Um, so it's kind of speaking to like that younger generation and my nephews and myself, yeah.

[14:14] Jose: It's been almost four years since you first started doing Dog Man off-Broadway.

[14:21] Dan Rosales: So, uh, as we all know, we've been through a lot over the past few years. So what was it like for you to return to a character that you love so much and a musical that you love so much? Was it just like putting on your favorite cardigan, Taylor?

[14:36] Dan Rosales: Oh yes. Uh, in a way, uh, it was. I mean, as you've said, the past four years have been wild for all of us. And I'm just, you know, a little bit older now than I was playing a 10-year-old four years ago. Um, but in many ways, the heart is there in the story, the humor is there in the story, and the connections of these characters, even though it is like, um, a fanciful, exciting tale about a half dog, half man, you know, the heart is still there. So that's the most beautiful thing. It's like coming back to it, and even though it's a little bit harder to run around on stage as much as we are, uh, finding that and being able to share that with the audience is as easy as ever.

[15:27] Dan Rosales: Something that I really love about everything that I've seen by Theaterworks is how they are able to combine the educational aspect of, you know, the arts with art itself. So like none of their works ever feel like you're being like, you know, like it's not like a didactic lesson, you don't feel like you're being given a lesson. And yet I took my nephew, uh, to Dog Man the first time. I did not have a child the other times I went. Uh, but I took my nephew and he seemed to be so much wiser after leaving the show.

[16:00] Jose: So just thinking about theater in general, like what do you think are some of the most valuable lessons that theater has taught you as a human being, not only as an artist?

[16:11] Dan Rosales: That's a great question. Um, I think a lot of it boils down to, uh, empathy and compassion. Um, not only as like a human actor having compassion for the world and these stories and these characters, but as a character, how you can be a more empathetic person to someone who's in a scene with you or what your story is?

[16:41] Dan Rosales: As I was leaving the theater yesterday, the actor who plays Petey, Jamie Levertier, he overheard, uh, a grandfather and his grandson saying, you know, I thought it was so beautiful how Petey kind of comes around in the end to be more accepting of those around him and those with different ideas. He learns to be more compassionate. And he was like, this was way better than I could have ever expected, you know? So I think it's just these little tales that, you know, Theaterworks does an amazing job at not playing at children, but like teaching them very important things that everyone could use a refresher on, parents included, you know, in a very accessible way.

[17:21] Dan Rosales: I forgot Petey is a total icon. I love Petey so much. So when you get to perform in front of an audience that's, you know, like predominantly children, what are the differences when you perform, you know, like an adult play, so to speak? Like, do children behave in a more, I don't even know, like, uh, is it more exciting, I guess, to play for children than for grown-ups? Are we more cynical?

[17:49] Dan Rosales: A hundred percent. We're all a little cynical and jaded. And we have the right to be after these past couple of years, you know. It's been tough. The thing that is so rewarding about playing to a younger audience right now is that they don't carry that with them yet. They're so happy to be there. I mean, the sheer wall of sound that we get. I think every show this weekend was sold out. We played to like 1500 people already. We only had two days of previews. But they're just so excited to be there in that moment.

[18:23] Dan Rosales: And I think that's what I loved most about being a child that I try to remember is like as a child, you're so present in everything that you're doing, whether you're playing pretend, sometimes when you're learning, but even if you're daydreaming while you're supposed to be learning, like you are so in that. And that's what's been so cool to see in these audiences is that they're so present. Like they're really listening to every word we're saying, every song we're singing, even the silly little jokes that we say in the show that are geared towards them, they think it's the funniest thing they've ever heard, you know? So that's been really cool to see.

[19:01] Jose: I mean, in your defense, they're pretty phenomenal jokes, so I don't blame them for that.

[19:06] Dan Rosales: I mean, Kevin is an amazing book writer. His jokes are very, very funny, yes.

[19:11] Jose: So I want to go like a little dark for a second, maybe not dark, but a little bit more serious for a second. And thinking about everything that we have been through over the past few years, what kept you going? Because, you know, for a while it seemed like, you know, we didn't know if we were going to be able to be together at the theater again and everything was so, uh, scary, I guess for a lack of a more refined term. So what kept your creative juices flowing, uh, when theater, you know, when live theater and community theater was shut down?

[19:24] Dan Rosales: Um, yeah, I mean, it did get dark for a lot of artists, you know, because there was nothing out there. There was nothing for a while. Um, I had an incredible support system, so that was, you know, super, super helpful. Um, but just, you know, keeping the faith, as cheesy as it sounds, you know, it's like we always come out of, there's always an end to things, you know, whether they're good or bad, and just waiting for that day when we could all get together again.

[19:24] Dan Rosales: I just randomly was lucky enough to be part of that first equity-approved musical in the United States, which was Godspell at Berkshire Theater Group, which was the first musical performed during COVID. Um, and that was a really big eye-opening experience, and that was, I think, in June or July of the pandemic, so it was pretty early on in 2020. And just even the thought that I was like, am I really going to do this? That kept me going and like, all right, well, we're gonna be safe, we're gonna wear masks, and we're gonna do all this stuff.

[21:02] Dan Rosales: I was very lucky to have something to look forward to and to think about and be like, and how we could present it to even if it was 80 people outside under a tent singing Godspell, you know, in a parking lot, you know, we created theater in the way that we could. And I think that's what kept me going is that we all found ways, whether it was, you know, doing Zoom plays or Zoom readings or, you know, making silly little videos on Instagram. We found ways to keep creating, even if we couldn't do it in a space where people could come pay and watch us, or anyone was watching us. We found a way to keep the fire alive.

[21:52] Dan Rosales: And in many ways, I think I thought a lot about Dog Man when, you know, when the pandemic first started. Because in many ways, I feel that theater artists went back almost to that, you know, childlike need to create kind of, you know, quality. So what has changed the most for you about the way in which you approach your work nowadays?

[22:18] Dan Rosales: Um, I certainly don't take any of it for granted. All of the long rehearsal days, all of the exhaustion, the tiredness that one can feel, you know, putting up a new show or remounting a show. It's all gravy because we have the privilege of being able to perform and, you know, open a lot of young people's eyes. I think that's something that I definitely bring more than I did before is an awareness that nothing is always a given, you know, it's a privilege to do this. Nothing is always guaranteed, you know. You know, there could be, knock on wood, another pandemic two months from now. Who knows? You know, so just appreciating every moment as it comes.

[23:07] Dan Rosales: And I think also that's what this musical does is that it's this very much found theater, like trunk theater, right? Like you said, we're in our tree house, we get like cardboard, we get cutouts, and we, these kids create this amazing imaginative musical just by thinking about it and just appreciating that they can do that in that moment and be so in awe of it.

[23:32] Jose: The way in which you treat yourself as a human being in terms of taking care of yourself changed as well.

[23:38] Dan Rosales: Certainly. I mean, and I think rightfully so, there's more of an awareness, um, a social awareness, a social responsibility, um, to eliminating stereotypes and eliminating racial injustices, but also very importantly is like mental health and treating ourselves with respect and being able to say no or being able to stop when something makes you uncomfortable. It's just we're, we now have a more respectful eye on our lives, I think. And I think treating it with kindness and, you know, a discerning eye is helping all of us.

[24:20] Dan Rosales: So I'm more aware now of how things make me feel and not forcing myself, you know, like the show must go on, let's keep doing this thing. It's like, you know, it's still, we're still employees doing a job. And if something doesn't make me feel right, then, you know, well, I can say something about it.

[24:40] Jose: Do you have any favorite like rituals or self-care, you know, practices that you wouldn't mind sharing with people who are looking for practices of their own?

[24:50] Dan Rosales: Mm-hmm. Um, this show is surprisingly physical. Um, so something that I, I knew that I needed, I know that I need to do something physical at the start of the day if I'm performing this show. So I've done that through yoga or just, you know, warming up my body at the gym. But finding a moment where I can have 15, 20 minutes just stretching my body, just being with myself and my breath, uh, has really helped ground me in a way that I don't know if I appreciated as much, you know, before these past couple of years.

[25:29] Dan Rosales: Um, that and of course warming up this voice to, you know, shout like a 10-year-old. But, um, yeah, it's just a, uh, a very physical show. So, you know, being able to appreciate that my body can do all these things, but giving it the grace that it needs to warm up to be able to do it.

[25:47] Jose: What do you think little Dan would say or think about grown-up Dan if he sat through Dog Man the Musical?

[25:56] Dan Rosales: I think he would really enjoy it. I mean, I know I said this earlier, but it very much is like a Toy Story or something like that, where it's like it's a family-oriented show, uh, property, and there's something in it for everyone. I think little Dan would find joy in the creativity that these kids have and their imagination and how they interpret an evil villain fish.

[26:25] Dan Rosales: So, you know, they get like a purple apron and spangly, you know, uh, salad tongs to be the claws. Just the sheer creativity in their creativity, I think little Dan will be really taken aback by and impressed by. Like, whoa, I never thought of that before. Of course, salad tongs are an evil fish's claws. Like, why not?

[26:49] Jose: Would you like to invite everyone who's watching or listening to go see Dog Man, or how can we find more about the musical?

[26:58] Dan Rosales: Uh, there's a cast recording, right? Am I, am I?

[27:00] Dan Rosales: Yes, you can buy the cast recording on, uh, iTunes and Apple Music, I believe. Uh, Dog Man the Musical is playing at New World Stages, stage three, uh, in New York City from March 4th until April 30th. And you can go to Dog Man the Musical.com for tickets or Theaterworks USA. Um, check us out. It's really fun.

[27:25] Jose: And are there any other places on streaming or any movies or TV shows where we can get more Dan Rosales if we wanted to?

[27:35] Dan Rosales: Sure, you can go to Dan Rosales.net and check out all my socials. Uh, you can hear, uh, this new audio comedy series I did with Richard Kind and Julie Halston on the Broadway Podcast Network, which is a good time. It's a lot of Broadway celebs in there. So come and listen.

[27:54] Jose: Thank you so much, Dan.

[27:58] Dan Rosales: I'll talk to you soon.

[27:59] Jose: Igualmente. Gracias.