[music] Hi, i'm Maggie Boland Signature's Managing Director.
Thanks for joining us for the latest episode of The Signature Show. We're beginning this
week's episode with a special reunion. In 2014 Signature presented the world premiere
of "Diner" by Sheryl Crow and Barry Levinson, directed and choreographed by Kathleen Marshall.
Adapted from the landmark film, this musical tells the story of a group of friends who reunite for
one of their weddings at their local all-night hometown diner. Th
ese friends confront the
realities of adulthood as they cling to the past. Recently, Signature's Associate Artistic
Director, Matthew Gardiner, got to sit down and discuss the project with some of its stars, Erika
Henningsen, Derek Klena and Matthew James Thomas. Matthew James Thomas: Record.
Matthew Gardiner: Record. All right guys so "Diner" had its
world premiere at Signature in 2014. It was a huge hit for us, uh, packed sold-out houses the
entire run. What do you think was the reason f
or "Diner" being such a hit"
Derek: i think the film has such a strong, like, following i think people definitely know it and love it and it's such a
like character-driven story that I think people were excited to see with Sheryl Crow's music. She
did she did such an amazing job of writing this this great period score, uh, that we all were so
lucky to sing so i think it was a combination of of both of those worlds colliding.
Matthew James Thomas: I think the idea of shadow of music in that e
ra was something really exciting. That's what captivated me too and
incidentally what was so fabulous about that show. Erika: I just remember doing a read-through of it the
first time and we all just met one another and like the chemistry of those six friends and then
even the relationships, um, that the the men had with their spouses or partners. Like, on the table
read because of Barry Levinson's script it like came to life we didn't even have to do anything
and then on top of that, like,
when we did bond as a cast it was just, like, you enjoyed watching
the show because you enjoyed watching these kids become adults and and figure out like what
does friendship mean when we enter into that next phase. Matthew Gardiner: You have Sheryl Crow who's at the top of her game in the music business you have you have Barry Levinson who's the top of his game and in
the film world and now here they are writing a musical for the first time. What, what is their
vibe like in a room what was
it like doing a piece written by... Matthew James Thomas: It was so fun. They would just goof around a lot too. They were so goofy. Derek: Okay, I was, I mean at first i was a little intimidated, to be honest. I was a little intimidated especially in front of Barry because he's kind of like a softer
spoken guy he keeps a lot of, like you know, he keeps his cards close to his chest, so it's hard to
get a read on him as much. But i think he we just had to trust that like we got cast for a reaso
n, uh,
we were in that room because we reminded him most of these iconic characters that, uh, that he wrote.
Sheryl was super cool. I was, I thought I was gonna be intimidated meeting her, but the meeting, like, the
moment she walked into the room she was so warm so supportive, was so excited about the project,
was so complimentary to us so I think that also kind of like broke the ice in such an amazing
way and therefore, like kind of lightened up the room early on, but initially I was kind
of intimidated.
Erika: It was my first, I mean it was like one of my first really big jobs out of
school. In fact, it was the first big job out of school, so I think ignorance is a little bit
of bliss because that time was like this is so fun and then I think now if I had to go back in
a room, knowing just what i have learned with, uh, Sheryl and Barry, I think i'd be like, "oh my god,
what am I doing here?" Matthew James Thomas: I think they created a very permissive environment for us. An
ything Barry does that, you know, with his screenwriting it's like that's different you know working in shows where
everything's very specific and the lines are what they are and nobody wants anything to change. Barry
was very experimental. He often gave us the chance to move things around, as did Sheryl the music. So
to have that relationship and the presence to be so present with your creatives in an environment
like that was was very new, um, and I think it again it did that it did what i
t was supposed to do with the with the original movie. Um, it put everybody right in the moment. Matthew Gardiner: All three of you have a lot of
experience doing musical adaptations of films, yeah? I mean recently Erika doing "Mean Girls," Derek doing
"Dogfight" and "Anastasia" and then Matthew James taking on, like, a pop culture phenomenon
of Spider-Man. Do you, uh, do the films or uh the source material sort of influence how you
approach these characters or are you just looking at the sc
ript and the work that's in front of you? Matthew James Thomas: How could it how
could it not you know when you're taking on Kevin Bacon's, you know, I mean yeah
somewhat, but it's a new experience for sure, but to know that somebody uh - you know, in in
in my case with family you know that um somebody of that note had been in that role was
again another, you know, another exciting level of excitement. Derek: Mickey Rourke's performance
was so iconic and you kind of have to take those perfo
rmances and you know tip your hat
to them and also but but mainly just focus on the characteristics that they brought to the role
that made those roles iconic and which made them specific to the group of people that they
were in. In a lot of the dialogue and iconic scenes that were in the film were also
in the show so it's hard to stray from these amazing performances and what they did so
well. So you take a little bit from there and try to make it your own. Erika: The biggest thing that I
took
from the source material of the movie was like I guess the style and I think that was something
we all talked about the way these people talk and I don't just mean dialect but the way that
they interacted and the way um because Barry gave birth to like sort of the mumble core sort
of idea and that, yes we were on stage, but that snappiness still needed to be there even if
we were projecting to the back of the house. Matthew Gardiner: I feel like in the, um, musical the female character
s were much more fleshed out than they were in the film. Erika: I think that was definitely
what Barry wanted to do differently, but I think also the addition of Sheryl. Like how could Sheryl
not write incredible songs for females so then we also had to sort of flesh those women out. I
think "Tear Down This House" is still one of my favorite songs I've ever sung on stage.
Matthew James Thomas: It's so good, Erika. Erika: It's such a great song!
It's just amazing! And time is a dance, and dr
eams were the promise that disappeared with romance. Tear down this house. Tear down this house. Tear down this house. Before it falls on me. Matthew James Thomas: I talk about the music
from the show all the time because I don't know that I've heard anything like it ever and and in that she she wrote music
that sound like it had been you know written in the 50s. It was incredible.
Erika: I haven't really heard any other pop writers write stuff that was so good and so catchy and
yet so chara
cter-driven at the same time. That's "Diner." Matthew James Thomas: We knew it was special. I remember listening, I can't remember what I was listening to - um what was that called? That song, um what yeah
"Wise?" Was it called "Wise Men?" It was it's called "Fenwick's Song" I think, yeah. and I would just
get so excited about - I remember when I heard the original demos before I went in to audition
uh at Chelsea - was it Chelsea? Yeah and um I just got so excited about like literally tearing
up that room in the audition. And I did. [laughter] I think I got like everyone's sheets and like
threw them in the air or something. Derek: Any time Matt has the opportunity just to tear the room apart - it's just he jumps at that! Matthew James Thomas: That was the role for it, you know! Erika: Every rehearsal was like a hurricane.
You never knew what he was gonna do! Why think about the future when even that don't look so bright? What I think is what it's not and what I know is not a lot.
-Is not a lot. And what I want is what I ain't got. So stop this thing and let me get off. Fortune cookie wisdom leaves me wise beyond my years. I'd sell my should to crack the code. Where do we go from here? What I think it what it's not so stop this thing, let me get off. Derek: Signature Theatre was such a great home for this and for a show that is this type of show where it focuses on all these relationships. It was the
perfect setting for all of us to kind of get along um, you know living
together, rehearsing together,
we got to know each other so well and I think that that is some of like my favorite memories of
this is connecting to these guys and in our cast we had such a close-knit cast, and I think that
translated - that helped this story translate on stage and strengthen those relationships on stage as well.
Erika: I have so many memories. I loved Signature so much. It was just so special
because we had there was like - Signature's just beautiful - a beautiful space. I
t just was kind
of I think for all of us we were away from our families and yet in the course of a month of
being in Arlington sort of had this new family. Matthew James Thomas: We just had so we had so much fun on that show and it did translate to the audience and you could feel that and I think we just wanted
all - I mean, I speak from - I speak for everybody I guess but like we wanted to keep doing it. We
wanted to keep fleshing it out, keep finding it um and it was - I think it was there
if not
really close to being there. So yeah. That - I would just say that out loud like I wish that there
was more from it. Derek: Putting it out into the world.
Matthew James Thomas: Yeah. Derek: We'll do it again! Matthew James Thomas: "A Signature Socially
Distanced 'Diner!'" Matthew Gardiner: Yeah.
Derek: Yeah, there you go! Matthew Gardiner: Thank you Erica and Derek and Matthew James for having this conversation with me and reliving the memory of "Diner" at
Signature Theatre. Derek: T
hanks so much for having us! [music] Hi, I'm Anne Nesmith. I'm a Washington DC-
based wig designer. I've had the great fortune of having designed 33 shows at the
Signature Theatre over the past 12 years. This is a wig I designed and built for the amazing
Nancy Anderson in 2018's "Billy Elliot" directed by Matthew Gardiner. Costume design was by Kathleen
Geldard. Let's see how she got there. Here's a picture of Nancy looking way cuter in ,that wig.
Once we have settled on the design of the sh
ow my next steps become working on the physical creation
of the wigs. In this case it was a fully hand tied or ventilated wig made from human hair. Because
it's made from human hair it will then react just like human hair would and, again in
this case it's a slightly waved processed blonde hair, but it will set with water and rollers.
As is happening in this picture. This wig actually has a wefted back but same thing, it goes in
rollers, goes in the wig dryer, then fresh out of the wig drye
r, the wig gets her comb out. Here
she goes into a little subtle "Billy Elliot" style. And from here this wig would go into a
fitting or once we got through all that she'd be ready to go directly on stage. Quick
spin. See how she's doing. A fully hand-tied wig can take as many as 40 hours to build.
We'll have three, maybe four fittings if we're lucky during the rehearsal period, a week
of technical rehearsals, a week or two of previews before opening. It can be a very long process and
the w
ork is quite detailed and delicate and wigs are the icing on the cake. They have a huge impact
on the total look of the show and the design of the full piece. There's a very quick theatrical
wigs primer. Thanks! See you soon in the theatre. Hello, I'm playwright Rahima Rice.
Recently Signature presented a reading of my new play "At the Full Yum" as part of
their SigWorks Monday Night reading series. This series recently moved online and highlights
new plays by DC area playwrights. Four play
s are selected each year and I'm honored that my play
was included this season. While the live event has passed you can still check out "At the Full Yum"
on Signature's YouTube page for the next two weeks. The reading includes a talk-back with myself and
director Jared Shamberger, led by the wonderful Farah Lawal Harris. You have until October
12th to check it out. Hi, my name is Kelly d'Amboise and I am Artistic
Associate and Resident Casting Director at Signature. I've choreographed sever
al shows at
Signature over the years as well but in 2016 I was the Associate Choreographer to Matt
Gardiner on one of my most favorite, favorite shows "La Cage aux Folles." "La Cage" is a perfect musical comedy about love and family and inclusivity and just loving who you are. I think it's actually the
perfect show for the times that we're living in right now. It's got so much heart and I
come back to it time and time again. It's just a wonderful show created by the great Jerry Herman
whom I
often think about in terms of just being the quintessential creator of audible glitter.
And of course the amazing Harvey Fierstein. We had an amazing cast led by the illustrious
Bobby Smith and the fabulous Brent Barrett. And one of my favorite moments in this show - I
used to sit up in the dress circle during previews and watch Brent come onto the stage and sing "Song
on the Sand," a song about love to his lover, Albin. The show, uh, that his character George sang about
when they first met
and about what that love was like. And it's a song about the evolution of
love, and time, and humanity and I just used to think this is just kind of perfect. It's
dreamy and it's perfect. I hope you'll agree. Enjoy. [music] Do you recall the windy little
beach we walked along? That afternoon in Fall, that afternoon we met? A fellow with a concertina sang, what was that song? It's strange what we recall, and odd what we forget. I heard "la da da da da da da" as we
walked on the sand. I heard
"la da da da" I believe it was early September. Through the crash of the waves, I could tell that the words were romantic; something about sharing. Something about
always. Though the years race along I still think of our song on the sand. And I still
try and search for the words I can barely remember. Though the time tumbles by,
there is one thing that I am forever certain of. I hear "la da da da da da da da da da da da da" and I'm young and in love. [music] I believe it was early September.
Through
the crash of the waves, I could tell that the words were romantic; something
about sharing. Something about always. Though the years race along, I still think of our song on the sand. And I still try and search for
the words I can barely remember. Though the time tumbles by,
there is one thing that I am forever certain of. I hear "la da da da da da da da da da da" and I'm young and in love. [music] Overtures, "Crossing," "U.G.L.Y.," "Holiday
Follies," "Motown: The Reprise," "Spunk,"
"Blowing in the Wind: The Folk Cabaret." [music] Overtures was, I believe, the foundation for me to
begin my journey in musical theater. I just found it really rewarding in a way where I could just
show up as myself, show up as who I am every day, and just learn from these teachers and also the
students. You know, you're with these - what is it 12 people every day? 14 people every day? You grow
very close very quickly because you're seeing everyone's strong suits and weaknesses and you're
encouraging everyone and building each other up and just supporting each other in a very
vulnerable state for many hours every day. It was a great stepping stone to I guess "Crossing"
and then the rest of my career following that. [music] One of the highlights of working on "Crossing" was
to be able to sing alongside and work with Nova Payton. To be able to hear that vibration right
next to you is is otherworldly and to collaborate and harmonize with her and to hold hands with
her and and t
o tell this American Black story was really profound and, um yeah, it's just a very
moving moment. So I was very grateful to be able to sing with her. [music] I had the pleasure of working with
Darius Smith on his musical "U.G.L.Y." He's a genius and that music is brilliant and perfect
and that story was funny and moving and I relate to it so much and to collaborate with these amazing Black
actors was honestly the highlight of my career. [music] I was in a production called "Spunk" at Signat
ure
Theatre directed by Timothy Douglas, who is a genius. He has great leadership but also
wants to hold hands and work as a group and figure out how to tell a story together which is
really beautiful. It was definitely a life-changing experience and extremely rewarding. It was
one of my favorite shows I've ever done. [music] I've done quite a few cabarets at Signature. I
think that's where I feel most comfortable because I am - I see myself as as a musician
primarily. I will say I think m
y favorite cabaret that I ever did was with Robbie Schaefer - the "Blowin'
in the Wind" cabaret. To be able to sing folk music I never get to do and it feels like home to me so
to have that opportunity despite what he heard me sing in the past and just trusting me and us
being able to collaborate together was a dream come true. What's special to me about Signature
is I always felt like I could be myself there. Maybe because I did Overtures there and it was
so vulnerable already that being a
ble to do that made me feel like okay I can be myself, like I
don't have to put on. I'm just - they already they've seen me at my worst like it's not a big deal. It
just feels like family there it feels like home. [music] So during quarantine I learned how to play guitar and I've been focusing more on female artists
that primarily play guitar like Yola and H.E.R. so I've been really moved by this
song and I learned it on guitar and I wanted to continue to share Black female
artist's music.
So this is called "Hard Place" by H.E.R. [music and vocalizations] Wanna believe what you say but I hate you
on most days You've been testing my faith, my patience. And I know that I be head strong, but you know
that you be dead wrong telling me to relax when I'm reacting. But I, I'd rather fight than lose sleep at night.
At least you're all mine. And if I have to choose
my heart or you then I'm gonna lose, yeah. What if nothing ever will change? Oh I'm caught
between your love and a hard place
. Oh I wish there was a right way I'm caught between your love and a hard place. [music and vocalization] Do I even have a choice when
I'm gonna have to pick my poison. Oh you hurt me so good, so good. And even when you cause tears, you're the one
who wipe them away. Maybe that's the reason I stay. I stay. But I, I'd rather fight than lose sleep at night.
At least you're all mine. And if I have to choose my heart or you,
then I'm gonna lose, yeah. What if nothing ever will change?
Oh I'm caught
between your love and a hard place. Oh I wish there was a right way I'm caught between your love and a hard place. [music and vocalization] What if nothing ever will change? Oh I'm caught between your love and a hard place. [music] Hey y'all. I'm Celie Niehaus and I'm Tabitha
Niehaus and we're proud to share that we've been supporting Signature Theatre since the
2011-2012 season. It was love at first sight. And we continue to support Signature Theatre
because it's a magical place like no oth
er. Signature Theatre entices you into the world
of the show from the moment you enter the lobby and then it's up the stairs to Ali's Bar for a
show-themed cocktail. Oh, we would never do that. Signature has given us not only amazing shows
but also a true sense of belonging and we feel the love from our Signature family even though
now we are miles away. In 2013, Signature Theatre presented "Dreamgirls" starring one of our favorite
performers, Nova Payton. Here to recreate one of the iconic
numbers from the show is the incomparable
Cedric Neal. Enjoy! Thirteen years of solid, solid gold platters, yeah rising costs and cocktail chatter.
Fat Deejays, stereophonic sound. Oh, baby. The game of hits goes round and around. But you can fake your way to the top
round and around - try that now, baby. Round and around! Fake your way to the top. Round and around.
(You just go right in there, sweetheart) You can fake your way to the top.
(Round and around!)
Oh hell, I knew you have it It's
always real. So real.
(Always so real)
That's it! when you're coming down. [music] Help me, Jesus!
(Help me, Jesus!) Up, back up, back up
(All the way up) Back to number one! Back to number one. Listen here. I know what's happenin'
(Doo, doot, doo doo) I been around
(Doo, doot, doo doo) Fakin' my way
(Doo, doot, doo doo) Through every town
(Doo, doot, doo doo) I make my livin'
(Doo, doot, doo doo) Off of my sound
(Doo, doot, doo doo) And the game of hits, here we go,
Goes 'round, and around, and
around You can fake your way to the top
(Round and around) Fake my way
(Round and around) Right on up to the top
(Round and around) Sure enough, I faked my way
(Round and around) And it's always real, so real
(Always so real - ooh!) When you're comin' down!
(Help me, Jesus!) Help me, Jesus! Fake your way to the top! [music and vocalization] Thank you for watching this week's episode of
The Signature Show and for being part of the Signature family. We'll be back in October with
a brand new epi
sode. Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel for alerts about new episodes
and be sure to check out the latest we're offering in virtual masterclasses including classes for
theater lovers, students, and professionals alike. Coming up you can dance with "A Chorus Line"'s
Jeff Gorti, build a character with "Passion"'s Natascia Diaz, and much more. Get all the
details at our website SigTheatre.org and until next time, stay safe.
I hope to see you all soon.
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