The Ensemblist

Whenever New York-based actors leave the city to perform, there’s a certain amount of bravery that must take place when you walk outside the theatre’s doors. Although the production may stay the same from city to city, your life outside the theatre can change drastically depending on where you are. That challenge is magnified when the cities you’re touring to are halfway across the world in countries you’ve ever been to before. 

Ryan Steele has a long history with the Broadway musical An American in Paris. After developing the show in its pre-Broadway workshops, he spent a year traveling on the show’s first national tour. After some time back in the city, he signed on for the production’s international tour which took him to China, Taiwan and France. Ryan came into the studio to talk about the differences in theatre audiences around the world - and how An American in Paris became the gift that kept on giving. Here’s our conversation…

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When people say “the show must go on,” Karli Dinardo is one of the people of makes that happen. As a swing and dance captain for Moulin Rouge! The Musical, she covers seven other women in the show. Before making her Broadway debut in the production, she was a swing and dance captain for Hamilton on the road. We asked her into the study to share her most harrowing - and most triumphant - stories of being a superhero swing. Here’s our conversation... 

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Recently, Jackson Cline of The Ensemblist has been asking several questions about queer representation in musical theatre. How has the portrayal and inclusion of queer characters evolved over the years? Are more queer artists getting opportunities to tell these stories, both onstage and behind the scenes? And does giving queer-identifying individuals opportunities to create queer roles create a richer theatrical experience for the audience?

Over the course of this mini-series, we’ll dive into these questions and hear from some of the talented artists who have put their stamps on Queer Characters on Broadway. 

Today, we’re going to take a journey through time, looking at the evolution of queer stories told in Broadway musicals. So, jump into your time machines, and let’s head back to 1969.

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Developing a character based on a real person is a challenge for any actor, in part because whether or not the audience is familiar with that person you want to make sure the role feels authentic to the people that know them. Such is the case in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, where much of the ensemble takes on people in the life of the titular music icon. 

One of those actors is Jessica Rush, who plays the featured role of Rhonda Graam. Rhonda has been friends with Tina for more than 50 years, starting as the road manager for her and Ike Turner. Over the decades, they became close professionally and personally. So how does Rush, a veteran of six Broadway musicals over the last decade, take half a century of life and turn it into a small but featured character? Here’s our conversation...

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