0:00
Tell me what this Tony nomination means to you, Sam
0:02
Well, this has been a long, very important journey getting here with this musical
0:08
We all care about it so much. We've all put so much love and heart and blood and sweat and tears into it
0:14
So it's really, it was a great day. It's a really beautiful thing to see it recognized
0:19
So what was yesterday like for you when you found out? Where were you? I was in bed with my wife and my seven-month-old
0:25
and in a good piece of shtick that means that my child might become an actor
0:34
the TV mysteriously turned off at a very dramatic and key moment
0:39
and we looked over and my little daughter had the remote control in her hand
0:44
kind of in her mouth, a little devious grin. She had turned it off so I couldn't see myself get nominated
0:50
No, no, it came back on in time. For your category. She was trying to take it away from me
0:57
But you got it back, obviously. Yeah, yeah. Tell me what it's been like working on this show
1:00
What I love about your production, it changed from downtown to uptown
1:05
the way you directed it and everything else. What that's been like for you? I've had the pleasure of working on it for a really long time
1:12
which means you get to know the material really well, and it means you get to know exactly what the material wants and you get to do a better job as a director So we did three incarnations of it And by now I feel like I made the production I wanted to make which is not something I always get to say Yeah What was that defining moment for you when you said I want to be a director
1:33
Do you remember that moment? It was about 30 seconds after I started acting and I was on stage
1:38
like probably forgetting my lines. And I was like, this is not for me. Get me on the other side of
1:43
the stage. Because everybody said you're like an actress director so I'm sure it started there
1:48
I was not going to act anymore. Yeah I was an actor and I was actually when I was a teenager I was a
1:55
I was a pseudo professional actor for a couple of years and I got to meet some really great people
2:00
doing that that helped encourage me to become a director which probably that encouragement had to
2:05
do with them believing I was not talented as an actor. Oh you're a brilliant director. Thank you
2:11
Do you remember that first Tony moment when you watched the Tonys for the first time? Oh, God, yeah
2:15
I've been watching them since I was a little kid. They just go right to my imagination as a kid dreaming of being in the business
2:23
Yeah. And my final question for you is, is there another show or friends in town you're rooting for other than your show
2:30
Oh, gosh, that's such a hard question because I love everything this year. It's such an amazing year on Broadway
2:35
I feel very, very honored to be a part of it and very proud that so much work that started at nonprofit theaters
2:40
that's adventurous, that's exciting. It's a great year on Broadway
