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Tonys Talk: Beth Leavel Opens Up About How She Found THE PROM's Dee Dee Allen
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May 17, 2024
The number 13 might have an infamous reputation amongst the superstitious, but 2019 Tony nominee Beth Leavel is all about it this Tonys season. Not only has it been 13 years since since she earned her first Tony Award for her performance in The Drowsy Chaperone, but The Prom marks her 13th Broadway show.
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Welcome to Backstage with Richard Ridge
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I'm in the Tony Award Suite at Sofetel, NYC, which is the official hotel of the 2019 Tony Awards
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And I'm sitting with one of this year's nominees for Best Actress in a Musical for her dazzling performance of D.D. Allen in the hit musical The Prom
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Please welcome, Beth Level. Thank you so much for sitting with me today
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Are you kidding me? my peer, my actor, my co-star at the prom, you ask, I, I arrive, whatever you need
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I'll tell you, you look gorgeous. Thank you. As always. Thank you. Okay, you are starring, first of all, congratulations on, I just love to watch how you work on stage
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and how you hold an audience in the palm of your hand. Thank you. And you just have this tennis match that plays back and forth from the second you turn around
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on stage in the prom. Thank you. Thank you. A, it's so well crafted, it makes it easy to do that
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And D.D. is such a delicious part that she has permission to do that
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to play catch with the audience like that. It's really, really fun. It's so much fun
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People ask, how can you do the same thing eight shows a week? I said, because of that relationship with the audience
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that singular moment that each audience and I share eight times a week will never happen again
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So it never gets boring. This is such a beautifully crafted show
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I agreed. Agreed. And they're so smart. The creatives are so smart
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and A, they hired me and Brooks and, you know, forgetting, but they just know, they know
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what's going to make their comedy land and they wrote it for us and they wrote, you know
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with my money notes and it's just, I don't know when that happens. It's such a privilege. It's really
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you know, it's like, oh, Beth, you want to sing that? Yeah, Beth sings a C, so that's what I do
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It's really fun. But isn't it great because people used to do this years ago for the Mary Martins
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the Eifflemermans, composers, each season, be like, oh, let's write a, a new show for Beth. Sure. That doesn't happen. I hope it's a new trend. But you've had that
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which is very interesting. I mean, first of all, let's talk about the number 13. Oh, yes
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13 is a really lucky number for you, isn't it? It really is. It's my 13th Broadway show. It's
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been 13 years since drowsy chaperone. It's 13 Broadway debuts in this company and our producer
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Dory Berenstings. It's her 13th show. And that's just the ones I know about. Yeah
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People keep going, oh, this is my lucky 13. This is my 13th marriage. I'm kidding
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but see I like the number 13 I do too I do too
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oh I'm owning it I love the number 13 this year I well let's just talk about 13 Broadway shows
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I know I mean how exciting is that I know I'm yeah I'm really lucky
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I've worked really hard and I'm lucky and I keep working and I keep you know claiming that my worker bee mentality
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and then I have people like Casey Nicola who keep hiring me talk about workaby I love that
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because you have that workerby thing I do you do your work and you and you have fun yeah I do and I will stay with the show until the next job you know I
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don't like to be unemployed so I like that who knows what's next I'm hoping prom's around for just
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such a long time because I could stay with it so long until my body gave out well let's talk about the
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prom because this is a very very special show agreed like you were saying there are people coming to
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see the show and seeing themselves represented in this show absolutely and shown through an
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entertainment absolutely yeah it's to go out the stage door or to get the letters that we get backstage about people
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particularly the LGBTQ youth and their parents thanking us for letting their daughter be a hero
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Letting their daughter see themselves or just seeing that for the first time
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and having your mind open a little bit, have your heart open a little bit to someone else's journey and point of view
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I think that's so important a part, a component about the prom
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all wrapped up in this phenomenal musical comedy. Like you were saying, well-crafted, you'll
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never laugh so hard. And so people leave, I literally hear them leave the theater just
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bouncing down 48th Street, singing the tunes, full of joy, and their heart may be, what's the
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line from Grinch may have expanded a little bit. So, I mean, what better task for theater to do
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What better task for art than to entertain and to teach and to enlighten and to spread joy
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like you said, people walk out of that theater. The first time I saw the problem
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I could sing half the score from seeing it the first time just walking down the street
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It's singable. You can't. It's like earworms. You should see this in rehearsal
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It's like, stop singing these. Because they're never your tunes. It was always like Brooks number or something
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I couldn't get out of my head. Well, let's talk about that. I mean, working with your friends
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I mean, it's you. It's Brooks. It's Christopher Seber. I mean, Angie
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I mean, then there's the new kids. Oh, I know the children. You know, we call ourselves the old
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There's the olds, and we mean that most lovingly, but that we call ourselves the old and the kids who we both respect each other so much
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You know, we have a little more wisdom and age in the room. So even during rehearsals we would look and they would be watching us work And conversely when they were presenting the choreography we would ask Casey could we have a break so we could just go watch them
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Because I don't know how it's physically possible that they do what they do in this show
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So there's such a mutual respect society at the theater. Even now, like at End of Act 1, we were always in the wings watching that wedge
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as Mary Antonini comes down because it's thrilling and it never gets old. You must learn from them
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Totally. And they learn from you. Exactly. And, you know, we both say that to each other
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It's like, oh, my gosh, Beth, thank you for doing this. I'm like, thank you for teaching me how to the stamina to do that
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And yet, you know, you're sitting back there in these group scenes and there's all 26 of us on stage and they are still in the moment as an actor as well as the quadruple threat they already bring into the stage
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They're ridiculous. Okay. They're ridiculous. And I mean that. Really, really in a good way
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But I love how much fun you have because when I was backstage at all. of you waiting for that curtain to go out. See
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Everyone is having a blast. See? And that, I think, so translates into the storytelling
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And I think it's just, you know, palatable how much we care and love each other and how we make each other laugh
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So you were saying, the role of D.D. Allen, what a beautifully crafted role for you
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I mean, she must be hard to play because you do a lot in this show
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Hello. I mean, you have one show stopper after another. I belt on top of bleachers
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Yeah. As they move. Thank you. Yeah. That's a great move that Casey gave you, right
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Yes, thanks, Case. It's what I had to work. I remember in rehearsal, I would finish that number and be like, yeah, God
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But, you know, now I am cardio fit. I'm like superwoman. It's like up in one
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Yeah, totally. But it's really thrilling. And it's still, Dee Dee's pace that I'm not out of breath the entire show
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And it's fun. And the response you get from the audio. at the end of the ladies improving or at the end of that number
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It's really fun. But your character in general, which they all do, but yours takes this incredible journey
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Right. Because she starts off, of course, is this funny narcissistic. Tony Warden actress
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Just living in her own little bubble. But your character changes just as much as some of the people in that small closed in town
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And I think that's why the story is so well crafted. It's not presented one-sided, thus liberal bubble
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New Yorkers are represented just with as many flaws, for lack of a better word, as the people in Indiana
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So when we go with our pseudo superiority to Indiana to change them to make them better
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lo and behold, they change particularly D.D.D. She has been changed for good by the people of Indiana
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and particularly Michael Potts character, Tom Hawkins. And again, I love that in the writing, how it never
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one side. And ultimately, what brings us together is stronger than what divides us
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Yeah. Do you have a favorite part in the show? Yes. What is it for you? It's a secret. No, I'm
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kidding. I have many favorite parts, but literally my favorite part is probably going to surprise you
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It's at the very end. Spoiler alert. There's a moment that Tom Hawkins, Michael Potts, character
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and I have, and I cross over to Brooks. And my favorite moment is when I over there hugging him and I go
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So is this what not failing feels like? It's like my whole, that's where Didi begins the second part of her life
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And it's so satisfying. And I hear the audience just, oh, bless her heart
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And, you know, she's going to be okay. She's going to be great. She has changed
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Because I love your audience. I've sat through the show many, many times. I love to watch the audience
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Oh, I'd love to watch it one night. Oh, I wish you could all step out of yourselves and see what you give to people
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Because you have people of every walks of life, every job. generation, every sexuality, every this, everything
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Some people just coming to be entertained, some people are being taught to learn, but everybody walks out there feeling the message and just having the time of their life
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Exactly. Again, walking down, skipping down 48th Street, just full of prom
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Yeah. Going back to 13, it was 13 years ago, but you won your Tony Award
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Do you believe that? How is that possible? How was it 13 years ago? That was like three years ago
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It feels like three years ago. Oh, my gosh. But take me back to drowsy shapprope
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Another show-stopping role you had, show-stopping numbers on Broadway. Favorite memories of that show for you or what
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Oh, gosh. There's so many, probably opening night. Also, the opening night in Los Angeles when we had no earthly idea what we had and whether it was going to land
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And the show begins kind of uniquely in that it begins in the dark with the man in chair, Bob Martin's character, saying, I hate theater
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And I remember a cluster of us back there in the dark because we did some off-stage vocals
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Me and Sutton and Danny and everybody sitting around a mic, getting ready to do our offstage vocals
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going, this could be the shortest trip to LA ever. And he said, I hate theater, and he dove into his monologue
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And there were waves of laughter like I had never heard before And that feeling that oh my gosh we are giving birth to something fabulous That was one of my fondest memories to know that it landed the way we thought it was going to land
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And it was so special and magical. It's got to be exciting because you don't know
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You put a new musical on. It's like making a cake. You hope you put the right ingredients in
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And you hope when you present that cake, people will be like, I love that. Oh, thank you so much
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Because we worked really hard on that cake. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And that feedback was magical
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the whole thing, you know, the whole exploring drowsy and coming, no one knowing what it is
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and then people loving it so much. We're ready for drowsy, too, don't you think
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I think you are. Hey. All the fans of Broadway World are going to be tweeting out saying, what theater, when is it coming in
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Yeah, well, we'll see. Is it the original cast? Don't know. All right. I do know the writer, so I may have to go, please, please, let there be another Beatrice Stockwell
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Well, that was the first time you worked with Bob Martin, right? Yes, he had no idea who I was. I mean, I remember auditioning
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They didn't know who this character was, and it was just a bunch of people from Canada
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I didn't know. And Casey. Now we're very close. And Casey. And Casey
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Superstar. How many shows is this with you and Casey? See, it's, well, as an actor, we did Crazy for You together
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and we also did a regional production of Showboat in North Carolina
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And then he became a superstar, and drowsies of her show that he directed and choreographed
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I did that. I did elf with him. I did Minsky's, which sadly never made it
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even though I hope it finds a life someplace. You never know
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Never know. And I did elf again, and then now prom. Must have been so great to have been like performers in crazy for you
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Can you imagine? Not knowing where you are all going to go. And now look at you, both of you
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Wow. Yeah. That show had a lot. Rob Ashford was in the ensemble
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That was a star-studded. Yeah. Susan Strow had cast well. Oh, yes
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And then, of course, your songwriting team of the prom, of course, is from Elf
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Yes. Matthew Sclar and Chad Beglin. Being back in the room with them
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This is like the old days of Broadway, right? It really is. I feel like we're, you know, like our own little MGM
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I love that. Going back to the 13 Broadway debuts, what was that like opening night when you watch those 13 take their bow
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Well, opening night A in our show was November 15th. So there was a snowstorm
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Yeah. the show had to be delayed for an hour because people couldn't make it to the theater
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Our sound mixer never made it. Or some New Jersey. Right? Oh, I remember this now
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Remember that? A couple of the people in the crew didn't make. Luckily, the actors made it
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But, so Casey was trying to keep our energy up. So, you know, it wouldn't be like, wah, wah
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And we did thing where we were posing for selfies running around backstage. And when finally we were going to begin the curtain
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had the curtain go up. Casey did one of the most magnificent things ever
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And he, you know, made a little speech to the audience. And he had all 13 of them come in front of the audience
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and congratulated them on making their Broadway debut. They were sobbing. They came back
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And so that's how we were all so full by the time the curtain went up
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Just because of that beautiful gesture and just the energy from those kids
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And Cortinay, she made her Broadway do. Yeah. And I'm sure just from the audience being there witnessing something like this
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It's very special. That was great about live theater. It might have gone up late or whatever else. Whatever
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The show will go on. It will indeed. It always does. And we have all these kids that are making their debuts
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Do you remember your Broadway debut? I do. It wasn't very, it wasn't an opening night
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I was a replacement as Anytime Annie in the first time around for 42nd Street
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So I literally was plopped out of the national tour, which I had been in for about seven months
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and had a couple of put-ins, changed a dress. In the dames number, I was in a different dress
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And bam, that was my Broadway debut. you. And I, yeah, that was pretty thrilling in a little show like 42nd Street
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But I love it's like your workhorse mentality because it's like put-ins
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I mean, a lot of people may not, our theater audiences do, but it's like you get like one put-in
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That's right. With the orchestra and your cast, hopefully they're all there. Right. And then you go on that night, right
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Don't hit the furniture. Be safe. Say your lines. So the national tour, what was that first performance like
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Oh, it was thrilling. I think, you know, sometimes the national tour was such a. special group of people and it took me forever to get the role because I was a funny comedian
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who sang pretty well and Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble like that but tap dancing was not my
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I mean I I are you serious oh no I had the vocabulary because and I thank my mother to this day
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that she made me go to Betty Coveck School of Dance thank you I know Betty Coveck School of
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Dance and John Coveck taught me how to tap and I did that from about
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second grade to fifth grade. And so I had a vocabulary, but then I didn't know what to do with it
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and then you become a teenager, and then you're just... I'm not tapping anymore. I'm not doing that
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Idiot. But I knew the vocabulary, and I started, you know, kind of jumping into the musical pool in college
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and then I started trying to figure out how to tap again So I didn have many skills so I learned very quickly I did the combination the anytime combination which was very difficult I taped it on my Walkman Walkman
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And I did like going, flap, shill, hop, step, pull back, which I didn't know what a pull-back was
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And then I practiced and practice and practice at Harlequin Studio, the floor was like this
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It would be like, look out! And I worked so hard. I worked so hard
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And I got it. And, you know, it took me, I worked. I still, you know, tapping is a muscle
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You got to keep doing it. So if I did that combination for you right now, you'd be disappointed
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But I'd have jazz hands. I bet you it lives in your muscle memory
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It does. It always says once you have it, it comes back really fast. It's like riding a bike
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Wow, so you went from like Little Tap to like Gower Champion, Randy Skinner tapping
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With a lot of hard work, I sure did. And a lot of patience and the people teaching me
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There was a lot of, let's go work, Beth. I mean, like, I'm going to get that. I would sit at bank lines or sit at
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at the table and try practice pullbacks and practice steps. I probably got on so many people's nerves
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Like, what is she doing? What is she doing? What's wrong with you? It's like, then, then, then, then, just tap it. Taperton
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Anne Miller. Everywhere. I still do that in bank lines. Yeah. I find myself tapping
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It's like, stop. Waiting. Why not? Why not? Who was your biggest mentor starting out
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Was there a mentor? It was probably the women in 42nd Street, like Bobo Lewis
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Sure. I just wanted to be her. And she was a worker bee as well. Sure
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And we would sit around the Bobo Lewis campfire and Beebe Osterworld
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Totally, yeah. The stories, those women. The dolly stories, I can imagine the BB told, right, okay
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Because Beebe was the understudy for all the dollies at the St. James Theater. And I heard, I don't think she hardly ever went on, but when she did, she was supposed to be magnificent
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Literally, I just wanted to have that career and their feminism and their autonomy and their talent
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I just wanted, and you know, I wasn't, I was born in North Carolina. They were New Yorkers
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Literally, we would just sit around and. And listen. And listen. And sponge. But you take, sponging is good
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Absolutely. Because you are who you are today because of all these people
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I agree. They have, they imprinted deeply on me. Yeah. They really did
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Thank you. Was there a defining moment for yourself when you said, I think I want to be a performer and try to make a living at this
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Something. It wasn't like an aha specific. moment, but something, even with all my fear of moving to New York, even with all of my self-doubt
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of not being good enough, as every actor is, you never, I still kept pushing forward. I still
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kept going forward whether I wanted to or not. As a matter of fact, my club act that I did at 54 was
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called kicking and screaming, which was the only way, it's like, I don't go, anyway. And I just
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got my equity card at a Lord Theater. I was an intern there. Just doing really hard work. And then I
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had my equity card and I had no other reason. I had no other excuse. Not to. Not to do it. So just do
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it. And I remember when I moved to New York, I felt like that girl. And I went to, you know
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the kiosk every morning on 45th Street and would circle anything. It's like, I can be a puppeteer
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I so can do that, but just circle it. And, you know, I had my little audition outfits. And I just
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I was, I knew then that I wanted to be a part of this community. And now, look
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13 Broadway shows later. No, seriously. No, I know. I know. I know
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I know. It's amazing. Because funny, they just said, that girl. I had the same sort of thing
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I called that boy, but I said the same thing. I said, I used to watch that show. And someone said
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get out of college, just go to New York. I'll get you a job
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I knew I could stay with someone. I said, just go to New York. That's going to be your training ground. You will find your way there
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into this whole thing. I said, if Anne Marie could do it, because I told Marlow Thomas, I'm like, if she could do it
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I'm like, whatever. Yeah, it's that old leap in the net will appear. We did. We leapt
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We did it. Congratulations. And to you. And to you. If you could sum up the best part of the experience
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Oh, the prom. Working on the prom. What is it? Because there's so many. This is just so many
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Part of it's just being in the room again with people, creatives that I adore so much
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and them trusting me enough to let me give birth to D.D. Allen
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Yeah. And give birth up there with Brooks and Angie and Chris and the ensemble
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Secondly, the message of this show has been so astounding wrapped up in this huge entertainment where people leave
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like we talk about being so joyous, and yet their hearts are so touched
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And like I said, I think it's expanding hearts and minds and everyone's singing great show tunes
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And we need that now. We so need that now. We need to know what brings us together
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not what brings us apart. Well, I thank you so much. Oh, my gosh, you're so well. Welcome. Come back. Come back. Come back. Come on. Come back. You can play D.D
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Can I come back? Come on. I want those Ad Roth dresses. Come. Me too
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That's when I can sit in the house and watch. That's when I can watch it. You can be Dedy. I think I'll be Olivia Keating. Okay. I like that role. I do too. It's a good role. You start it
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You start it. You get a little applause. Bam. You get a little entrance applause. You get exit applause. You got exit applause. You got exit applause. And then you'll leave. And then you leave. I love you. Get over here
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