Exclusive: Nick Jonas and Adrienne Warren Reflect on Artistic Risks & More

And I was blown away by your performances

And I think it's really hard to have people forget about the pop rock star and the Tina Turner

and to transport us to a different world where we see these new characters and you both do it

Do you feel that when you go into a project like, I got to work a little harder to show people that I'm also this

You know, there's some, sometimes I think Lin said, Lin-Manuel Miranda came to the show

and he said something he was like oh i heard like tina come out and i was like you didn't hear tina

come out you heard me that that is me when i feel a certain emotion that is me when that's what my

voice does you know um i actually sang rock and roll before i did tina that's probably why i got

that job um but sometimes it is hard especially when you have like a huge moment with a role

but i just see it as a challenge it's a challenge for me to find more colors as an artist it's a

challenge for me to dive a little deeper and and get to know myself more i've i use every facility

of my voice my mix i've seen classical stuff in the show i do so i belt in the show i they're very

quiet moments in the show i use every part of my instrument in this show and that doesn't happen

all the time in this in this industry and i'm just blessed and excited to to just find more colors

every single day i'm still learning i'm still evolving you come see me in another show after

this you'll be like oh that's different too because hopefully I'm still challenging myself

to do more and to learn more and I never want to stop learning and I will fail at times that

happens and I will but um I I up for the journey and this is I it been in such a delight to get to do something where I get to just grow What about you Yeah I think it interesting that our investment in someone previous work makes us question their ability to do something else

But it does happen. And it's a strange psychological thing that I'd love to speak to a professional about

Because we sit there and we go, well, they were brilliant in this other thing

or I know them for this, where they had a certain amount of notoriety. And then we're wondering if they can achieve something else or a different texture

At the core of it, they're a storyteller, they're a songwriter, they're a performer

they did something that struck a chord and they can probably do it again

if they tap back into that source. I think it's a thrilling thing

to be in a spot where people are curious and even questioning if a performance

or an actor or whatever can get there or can transform. The challenge is exciting

and sort of a thrilling thing, but it can't become the North Star. You know, in my experience

any time I've sort of led creative with, I hope I can prove this

I end up falling flat on my face. When I lead with, this is true to me

and this I think applies most to my songwriting. I been in scenarios where my goal is to come out with a hit right And every single time I do that it not a hit But when I tap into something that true or an experience I had that real I often either left with a result that I really proud of

or it reaches people and connects because there's something inherently, you know, worthy of that connection in there

It's true, it's real, it's a real-life experience. In the same way with a performance like this, there was no other way to approach it than trying to do something that felt real and authentic

And yes, there were, I think for both of us, a lot of questions about how we would portray these characters and how we would either rise to the occasion or not

But I'm very proud of the fact that our work started with trying to do something true and real and authentic

and um you know that that was the goal and and if nothing else we achieved that yeah i want to

speak to something else i think we live in a time of instant gratification and theater doesn't really

work like that theater takes time performances take time to evolve it you know when i got here

from on broadway to do tina i had already done this show on the west end for a year and a half

And I want you guys to know I didn't get Tina Turner's approval for that performance probably not until a few months into the run

So it takes time for greatness. And just like an athlete practices, it takes time for it

And shows come to Broadway immediately these days. A lot of times shows used to go regional They used to tour And then they come to Broadway And by that time that cast knows what their body feels like doing the show in Colorado They know what the show feels like doing it in

Chicago. They know what they need. They know everything. And by the time they get to Broadway

they could do that with their eyes closed. They could do the show with their eyes closed. That doesn't happen anymore because shows are so expensive. So now in a time where people are

posting bootlegs immediately or you're trying to get your show on social media and seeing behind

the scenes in rehearsal, there is no veil for anyone to fall down or get back up or evolve in

their show. And it's just, and it's really sad because now I feel like artists don't have that

protection of evolving that they used to. Janet Jackson didn't become Janet Jackson overnight

Michael Jackson didn't become Michael Jackson overnight. And we don't have that protection anymore because everything is on our phones all the time

And so when I see that the industry can be very harsh at times to certain individuals or certain shows, it's like you have to give that show a chance

We were just talking about a show that opened this year that was probably going to close

and because it wasn't given a chance and now it's one of the top contenders

for Best Musical. Look it up. And it's just we have to give ourselves as artists

an opportunity to grow, evolve, rehearse, become great. You don't get a Tony overnight

I got a Tony because it was almost three years of work before I got to the Broadway stage