This week, Jennifer, Jamie, and Rob sit down with Broadway veteran Jose Llana at Orso Restaurant. We discuss Jose’s life and 24-year career in the theater, including his marriage, the 2016 election, his roles in The King and I, Flower Drum Song, and On The Town. We also chat about representation on Broadway, having to tell his Filipina mother he was playing dictator Ferdinand Marcos in Here Lies Love, and the incontrovertible coolness of David Byrne. Before Jose joins us, we discuss our love for Orso, The Big Apple, and how to relax and survive living in the city. Finally, Rob gives us a bit of insight into the wonderful wealth of Filipino performers working on Broadway.
This week’s music: Jose singing “I Have Dreamed” from The King and I, Jose and Lea Salonga singing “You Are Beautiful” from Flower Drum Song, “Stay Up Late” by “The Talking Heads,” Jose Singing “A Perfect Hand” from Here Lies Love, and Ruthie Ann Miles singing “Why Don’t You Love Me” and “Here Lies Love,” from Here Lies Love.
