Twice a month on the Token Theatre Friends video series and podcasts, theatre critics (and theatre besties) Jose Solís and Diep Tran bring a POC perspective to the performing arts.
This week, the Friends learn how to Be More Chill! They take a trip to the Pershing Square Signature Center to interview the cast and creator of this hit musical about teen angst by Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz. The show is a viral sensation, and the Friends want to find out why!
First they interview actors Will Roland (Dear Evan Hansen) and Jason Tam (NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live”), who look back on their high school years and look forward to the roles they want to play next. Then backstage in the rehearsal room, the Friends talk to Joe Iconis about going viral with teenagers and how theatre can better support composers. Watch below!
The audio of those interviews are also available on the podcast, where the Friends also review three shows currently playing in New York City:
Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee, currently running on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre through Sept. 9 ($69-$149)—a look at the modern man and his struggles with his own privilege.
The Beyonce by Eliza Bent, running through Aug. 18 at A.R.T./New York ($25-$30), an adaptation of a Chekhov short story, about a young woman who debates whether or not to leave her fiance and pursue her own dreams.
Twelfth Night, by Shaina Taub and Shakespeare, running through Aug. 19 at the Delacorte Theatre (free!). Taub adapts Shakespeare’s gender-bending tale with some catchy new tunes.
Download the episode here. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.
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Have comments, suggestions for segments, shows to plug, or thoughts on how the Friends can be even better? Contact the Token Theatre Friends via email or Twitter.
