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Hangin' with the Cast of MCC's THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE on Opening Night!
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Nov 7, 2022
Dave Thomas Brown, recently of Heathers: The Musical at New World Stages, leads a cast that also includes Wayne Duvall (O Brother Where Art Thou?, Leatherheads), Matt McGrath (Cabaret, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Keith Nobbs (Lombardi, 'The Black Donnellys') and Afton C. Williamson('Nashville,' 'Homeland'), in Matthew Lopez's The Legend of Georgia McBride, the first production of MCC's 2015-16 Main Stage Season.
View Video Transcript
0:00
Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World. MCC Theatre is proud to present The Legend of Georgia McBride, the new play by Matthew Lopez
0:08
And we're here on opening night to celebrate with the company. It is opening night. We're here at Stonewall. Look at the energy here tonight
0:15
You know, it's pretty amazing. It's great to be here. What does tonight feel like for you
0:21
Tonight is a culmination of a lot of hard work, not just for this production, but between Mike and Paul and I
0:27
for months working with the designers, for years developing it. It's just the apex of the experience
0:34
And I'm very happy to open the show and share it with New York. You know, we spoke very early on in the rehearsal process in New York
0:41
What were the rehearsals like? I mean, you know, the guys are so good in their heels
0:45
It's like putting on a musical and a play. The play was incredibly hard to rehearse
0:51
But also so much fun to rehearse. These actors are incredibly excited to show up to work every day
0:58
and it made our jobs very easy. There was never, I can't, there's never, that's not possible
1:04
It was always, yeah, let's try that crazy thing. And that spirit really infected the entire process with joy
1:11
and with optimism and with excitement. And we had a lot of fun rehearsing this show
1:18
You have written such a beautiful play. It's poignant, it's funny, It tells a lot about the human spirit
1:24
Did you change it a little bit for New York? We worked on it to make sure that the story was as clear as possible
1:32
You know, in Denver, we learned what worked and what audiences cared about
1:37
And as we continued to develop the show for New York, we really had an eye on making it as streamlined as possible
1:44
I keep using the word aerodynamic. We want the play to sail. And that was what we worked a lot on in this production
1:50
It must have been great adding the audience into the mix as that final character in New York, right
1:55
Well, it was the missing piece of the puzzle for us, was the audience. We rehearsed it in the room, and we were making each other laugh
2:01
but eventually we got tired of the jokes, and we just needed an audience to tell us what we were doing
2:08
and how to do it better. I think with a play like this, the audience, the first thing they teach you is whether or not it's working at all
2:15
and then they teach you how to make it even better, and that's what our process was. What was tonight like for you sitting in the house watching your play up there, watching your baby up there
2:25
It was one of great pride and gratitude. You know, a play like this just needs a lot of loving hands on it
2:32
And it's always had that from the beginning. And MCC has been an amazing partner in that
2:37
These people really care about this play and they care about this story
2:42
And they've been so lovely to us, giving us everything that we need to tell our story as best we can
2:47
So it was a real celebration of the work that everybody has done
2:51
Nobody got away with a lazy anything, a lazy performance, a lazy design
2:57
Everybody had to really up their game and work so hard on this
3:02
And so for me tonight, it was a celebration of all the hard work that everybody put into this
3:07
And, you know, as a writer, you start that process in a very lonely way
3:11
It's you alone in a room. and that so many people gave so much of their time and their talents and their energies to this play
3:19
Tonight was a real celebration of that for me. It is opening night. How do you feel tonight
3:24
I'm so thrilled. The fact that we're at Stonewall, where I've never been before
3:30
and we talk about Stonewall at the play, it's so exciting to be here. It's such an honor, and we had a great show tonight, so we're really happy
3:37
We spoke very early on in the rehearsal process. Very early, very early
3:41
I think you had like one drag camp or whatever, whatever. You wear heels really well in this show now, sir
3:47
Thank you so much. Yeah, it's interesting. We spoke a month ago or more, and the amount that we've grown
3:56
and the amount of distance that I've covered with this character and that I've covered in myself is so sort of mind-blowing
4:06
And it's just really beautiful to arrive here and to share this show with the public and see how they experience it and tell them this story
4:18
It's really wonderful. It is such a great show. It's so beautifully written
4:22
It's a comedy. It's sad. It's happy. It delves into all these people's lives
4:27
I mean, what a beautiful role you have. Yeah, these roles don't come along all that often
4:34
and it's such a pure, beautiful part to play. You know, it's this guy with such an open heart
4:42
and, you know, he gets to take the audience through this journey that he's going on
4:48
And so the audience sort of becomes Casey throughout the play and gets to see all these things
4:53
and take it all in. And I think what's so beautiful about the way this part is written
4:57
is that Casey is so open-hearted. If he was cynical and close-minded
5:01
the play would stop before it even starts. And I think he definitely struggles within the play
5:08
But what's so wonderful is that he does keep an open mind and an open heart
5:12
and it pays off for him in the end. And he becomes this woman and discovers sort of the beauty of theater through it
5:22
And I didn't start this play thinking that it was about theater
5:27
I thought it was about drag and dressing up like a woman and being in heels. But it's really about a different kind of theater
5:33
like Japanese theater or you know all these different kinds of theaters It just a different form and we all trying to tell a story And you have these incredible quick changes The quick changes are just insane
5:48
We're hopefully going to get a video of all the backstage changes, because we have a crew of such dedicated people backstage who love the show as much as we do
5:57
So I'm coming off, and it's like, off, hair, wigs, lips, eyes, and there's a straw with water in my mouth
6:05
and we're, you know, it's, it's, it's, I mean, it's a rush. It's like skydiving
6:09
It's like, you know, I come off stage and I become a completely different, a completely different person
6:15
And it's, it's just thrilling. And the way it's been designed and the way it's so brilliantly being executed is
6:22
it's just a roller coaster and I get to do it every night and I'm so honored
6:27
And working with the cast. There, I am working with all-stars. It's like an all-star game
6:34
I mean, being able to work with Matt McGrath and Keith Nobbs and Afton Williamson and Wayne Duvall
6:39
it is an honor because I know that I am so supported out there every night
6:44
And we feed off each other. And I think what's beautiful about what we're doing here is that the audience can tell that we really do like each other in real life
6:52
And that always helps with the production. If you go to the theater and you see some actors who don't like each other, you can tell
7:00
When you took your bow tonight, do you remember what you were thinking? I was just... I'm just overwhelmed
7:08
Casey sort of has this speech near the end of the play, and he talks about how much he loves the people out in the audience every night
7:15
and how much they make what he's doing worth it. And, you know, I had friends and my girlfriend out in the audience
7:22
and to be able to share this story with people that I love
7:25
and also people that I get to love every night because they're new people that we get to bring in
7:32
tell this story for an hour and a half and send out with joy
7:37
And it's just so special. It's a real honor. Tonight is your opening, and Monday was your birthday
7:45
What was Monday like for you? Well, we went to Spa Castle in Queens to get a staycation
7:51
because we had the Tuesday rehearsal and the Tuesday night show, and no big deal opening Wednesday night
7:57
So 31 was under, you know. But it was fun. We had a relaxing vacay, and then we went to Tavern on the Green
8:04
Yeah, and we had dinner. Good for you. I'm fine. And now there's tonight
8:09
What was today like for you? Today was insane. It was, in my head, I woke up and I was like, when I get married, it'll be easier than this
8:20
because I just want to get to the show. So it was fun once we got into the, and then after we got in it, it was like, okay, we know this
8:29
But all up until there, you're like, oh my God, it's the day of the show, y'all. It's the day of the show
8:32
That's good to have that. It is. I feel like if you don't have that, then why are you doing this
8:37
I get excited every single time. And it was like an excitement, excitement. This is the first role I've originated on any stage in New York
8:44
Off Broadway, on Broadway, on the streets, on the corners. So I'm so excited to be here
8:49
She's such a great role that Matthew has written for you. How much fun is she to play
8:54
She is fun in a way that's... I did not realize I was going to have this much fun and learn this much
9:02
I thought it was a comedy, and I'd come in there, and it's deceptively deep, and I tell everybody that
9:07
It hits you from the gut, but you laugh at the same time. And it's a slice of life, and I love it
9:12
And Jo gives me life every time I go home, and I love to play her. And then to work with this cast
9:18
They're amazing. These boys are like, I'm the only woman in a cast
9:22
and then the director, and it's me and Lori, the stage manager, are the only women
9:27
It is, it's a family. What's that like backstage? It's all men
9:33
I just did a two-show day blog for Playbill. So I categorized all our pictures and stuff
9:41
And doing that and today categorizing all of them and sending them off to Playbill, I was like, we do a lot
9:46
And we work a lot. And we have a lot of scene changes and a lot of costumes
9:51
So it's crazy backstage. So it's fun to share that with everybody else
9:54
when you took your bow tonight. Do you remember what you were thinking
9:59
I was thinking this is the first time I've ever not been in understudy. Bowing on somebody else's already said role
10:05
that I, you know, did an homage to, but this was the first time I had originated it
10:11
And I thought my mom's in the audience and she's never been to an opening. So that was what I was thinking when I bowed tonight
10:16
That's pretty great. If you could sum up the best part of the experience
10:21
of working on this show, what's it been for you? It would probably be learning to let go, learning to let people love you
10:29
And this group of people in the play, they all allow others to love them
10:35
and they allow other people in. And for so long in this industry, I've had to not do that
10:40
and to have to learn how to get a thicker skin coming from Ohio to New York. You've got to learn how to come with the punches
10:46
It was nice to let that go and just be this woman from Florida who loves her husband
10:52
It is opening night. How do you feel tonight? It's been a wild ride
10:56
You know, we are up and running. We've been in front of an audience for two weeks now
11:02
and people are loving it. It's just like a rock show every night
11:06
It's like a drag show every night, let's be honest. So we're having just a hoot, and we're down on Christopher Street
11:12
Couldn't be a better place for this show. And it really such a celebration and it got such heart People are constantly talking about how moved they are while they laughing non So that the joy of doing this show Everybody is enjoying themselves so much
11:28
We spoke very early on in the rehearsal process. I mean, you get done up so beautifully
11:34
The whole look of your role, how easy and how challenging was she to find for you
11:41
The character you mean? Well, you know, luckily I workshopped this since 2011
11:47
You know, so Matthew asked me when I was down in San Diego doing the Rocky Horror Show
11:52
and I've had this time to kind of turn it around, you know, turn it over in my head a lot
11:57
Playing a transvestite in Rocky Horror Show, I could see why he asked me to do it
12:01
but at the same time it's different because it's not, it's creating an illusion
12:07
and actually really trying to pass to a degree and also having such style and proficiency in imitating these divas
12:19
you know, that I'm singing numbers that actually exist. So it's really been a joy to perform
12:26
I'm so glad that he asked me. And getting into Tracy has just been a process that, you know
12:34
that's what this play is about. It's about process and allowing this person that's going to try to be a drag queen
12:40
because he needs to make the money for his baby that's on the way. And he needs to have that process of finding his authentic, artistic voice
12:49
And it's such a wild metaphor to tell that story, but it lends for such great comedy
12:58
Lends itself for such great comedy. She's so beautifully written. I mean, Matthew's characters are so beautifully drawn out
13:07
Aren't they all? from the whipping man to somewhere, which is yet to be done here
13:11
to reverberation. All of these things are such disparate voices and such challenging stories
13:18
about all of these limits that we put on ourselves or limits that people just have
13:26
and breaking free of those obstacles and those chains. It's really important to be balanced
13:34
and to have the yin and the yang. you know what I'm saying and all of that stuff
13:39
Congratulations, it's opening night. How do you feel tonight? This play is so fun
13:44
It is so much joy that all of us going out there and doing this together
13:48
it couldn't be more of a party. It feels like a party. And it's so fun to do a comedy
13:52
I haven't done a comedy probably since Dog Sees God that I did off-Broadway
13:57
and that was the last full comedy. So getting to do this with a cast like this
14:02
And with Matt McGrath in that performance, it's just a blast. You play two roles. Tell us about the roles you play
14:11
I play a drag queen named Rexy, who has a little bit of a belly
14:16
Maybe she's a drinker who does whatever she wants and doesn't care about the repercussions
14:22
And then I play this guy, Jason, who's just this good old boy. And both the characters kind of take a wonderful turn throughout
14:29
that you kind of see another side of them and another dimension to their humanity
14:34
But it's fun. Going back and forth is a blast. We have two makeup artists, two dressers
14:39
and you go back, stand there. They rip it off you. They're taking eyelashes off
14:45
And we have one change we have is, I think, 35 seconds to go, and you walk out as a totally different character
14:50
And I love that because that's the magic of theater that Matthew wrote
14:54
because it's happening before your eyes. and watching Casey, the main character, go from not a very good drag queen
15:00
into a stunning drag queen all in a matter of moments. Where else can you do that but theater
15:07
How much fun is playing Rexy? Too much fun. It's criminal fun
15:12
I should be locked up for how much fun it is. I mean, she's on roller skates. What's better than that
15:18
Did you roller skate before? Was that something you do on skills on your resume
15:22
I mean, like seventh grade birthday parties, yeah. But, I mean, never, like, falling down, doing, like, roller skate choreography
15:30
That was new. It's like doing a musical, too, down there at the Lortel
15:34
It definitely is, and it feels like that. I think because of the drag numbers and because of just the joy that you feel from the audience
15:43
And that was something we were shocked by. Because you work on this in a room, and you work on a comedy in a room
15:47
You don't know what's going to happen. That first preview performance, when we went out there, and we felt this rush of energy from people
15:54
was so exciting because I think people were hungry for something like this
15:58
just to be given permission to celebrate and to party. And I feel doing this play on Christopher Street right after marriage equality
16:07
there is something to it where I think people just want to let loose and have a great time
16:12
And for us to be able to help provide that is such a gift. When you took your bow tonight, do you remember what you were thinking
16:18
My wig is falling off. It comes down to the wig now, right
16:22
Yeah, it comes down to the wig. Who am I? I don't know I don't know what's happening I was telling someone like last week
16:27
I went to a bodega to get a water I was running lines And I got the bottle of water
16:32
He gave me my change and I went Thank you baby And I go, what is happening to me
16:37
You don't know, you know, but it's so fun What a celebration today
16:41
Oh my god, I love it What a great crowd, great group And boy do we have fun doing this show
16:46
I was going to ask you, how much fun are you having And what a great role for you
16:50
It is fun, it is fun I'm kind of like semi-normal through it
16:56
But I just I having the time of my life It such a creative blast every night You like the guy that doesn get it and then you understand everything by the time the show ends with this family I know He travels
17:09
a long way from the beginning, and he's kind of like a place marker of time, too, for the whole
17:15
show as well. And, I mean, I love him because he's kind of at the beginning, and in the end, he's got
17:21
a little class, a little pizzazz doing his thing. So I love Eddie. I love this character. What you
17:27
love about Matthew's writing? Oh my God. Well, first off, it's so real and it's so accessible
17:33
and it's so easy to say. All you got to do is be truthful to it because it's very real and spot on
17:40
And you just say the lines and he takes care of the rest. So God bless him. And working with his
17:46
cast. Oh, five. It was like a magic confluence of people. I mean, we, from day one, we felt like
17:55
we'd known each other. We didn't do any table work. We got up on our feet right away. So
18:00
this cast is incredibly talented, and I'm very blessed to be with him. I'm telling you
18:05
When you took your bow tonight, do you remember what you were thinking? Leave us alone! No, it's ours now, baby. No, it's just, here we go
18:16
Well, congratulations. Opening night. Paul, how do you feel tonight? I feel fantastic. It went so well. The audience has been really responding, and it's just been magic
18:26
What was it like working on this? When you first got the script, what were you thinking
18:31
When I first got the script, I was peeing my pants. I live with my sister, and I kept saying, like, Em, you have to hear this line
18:38
It was just like, I was like, I have to do this play. I have to do this play
18:43
And luckily, I got to do the play, and rehearsals were just the same
18:48
We just kept laughing, trying not to pee our pants every day. Every day
18:53
Even into tech, into previews. The whole way through, it's been such a joy
18:57
Did you ever teach the guys how to wear heels and stuff? They were all so good in it
19:02
Thanks. We did a drag camp, actually, where three weeks before rehearsal
19:08
they came in and we just started working on the physicality. We started working on the montage, actually
19:16
just to see what that would feel like and to get them on their feet
19:20
And now, you know, they're out of the nest and doing what they need to do
19:27
It's also a big musical, too. This is a big show for MCC
19:31
I mean, the lighting and the drapery down there at the Lortel, right? Yeah, it's a huge show for MCC, huge
19:37
And, you know, we have Ben Stanton, we have Danielle Worley, we have Jill Duboff
19:43
So it's been a star team of professionals coming in and making this drag place come truly alive
19:52
What's been the best part of the journey for you with working on this show? For me, it's been really connecting with the actors
19:59
It's been making a family. Matthew Lopez is a close, close friend of mine
20:04
And that's been great for our friendship. and you know it's been great to sort of
20:10
have the heels and do that thing but I'm ready to put the heels away
20:16
and do some masculine sort of fun stuff This is crazy, what a great opening here at the Stonewall
20:22
It was incredible and we're at the Stonewall which is incredibly intimidating and super awesome
20:27
Tell me what it's been like You and I spoke very early on in the rehearsal process
20:31
What was it like taking it out of the rehearsal studio and putting it up at the Lortel
20:35
With this show especially, it's been so much about being in front of an audience and learning about it through previews
20:40
The show is so wonderfully joyous that we really do feed off of an audience's response to the play
20:47
And audiences over the last month have really helped us to understand what story we're telling
20:51
and how to tell that story in sort of the leanest, meanest, most ferocious way possible
20:56
It's been a wonderful month of growth with the show. It's such a wonderfully written play
21:02
It says so much. It's funny. It's poignant. It's sad. It's happy. It's all those things. And it's a big musical
21:09
It is, yes. I mean, there's a huge production number at the end of it. We have a finale at the end of the show with entire gas dances
21:15
So it is a lot like we're doing a big book musical, even though at the end of the day, it's this very small little intimate story
21:22
Working with the cast, what's been the best part of it for you? They're so incredibly generous
21:27
We've learned so much about this play over the last two months. This cast has been so fearless
21:32
with just rolling with the punches and really helping us discover what story we're telling
21:37
And they take such good care of the play. They have such love for who they're playing and for the story
21:43
They're just fantastic. And doing it here at MCC, the importance of that for you
21:48
I mean, MCC is incredible. It's one of my favorite theaters in New York. I feel like the number of five shows that I've most loved in this city
21:55
like MCC has produced a number of them. I feel like being in the Lortel with them
21:59
It's like the perfect dingy dive bar place for us to get to do this play
22:04
And we're getting awesome audiences for it. And collaborating with your playwright, Matthew Lopez
22:10
I love Matthew. I mean, I've loved Matthew from the very first time I read one of his other plays
22:15
He's like one of my best friends, and I am so thankful for him
22:20
It's been a dream. Best part of the experience for you has been what
22:24
Oh, gosh. watching Dave who on the first day of rehearsals had never put on a pair of heels before
22:32
now do the show tonight at opening and rock those heels and look incredible
22:38
as a woman having never done any of that before that transformation
22:42
I think is incredible
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