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Video: On the Opening Night Red Carpet for THE ROOMMATE
Sep 24, 2024
Two of the greatest actors of our time, Patti LuPone and Mia Farrow, officially returned to the stage last week in The Roommate, by Jen Silverman. In this video, watch as we take you to the red carpet to chat with opening night guests including Mandy Gonzalez, Kathy Najimy, Bridgett Everett, Laura Bell Bundy, Kerry Butler, Marissa Jaret Winokur, and more!
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0:00
What was your initial reaction when you first found out
0:02
that these two incredible women were cast? I was delighted, I was a little bit shocked
0:09
and I wondered if it was real, and it turns out that it was real. Hi, I'm Emily Grace Tucker
0:16
and I'm here with Broadway World for the opening night of The Roommate
0:19
here at the Booth Theater. One of the things that I was really excited about
0:24
was the opportunity to return to the play. It's had a life for about a decade now
0:28
I worked on the first two productions, which Mike Donahue directed, and then the play started having its own life
0:34
around the country, and the last time I worked on it was 2017 at Williamstown
0:37
So when Chris and Jack wanted to reopen that chapter, I was delighted to do that
0:43
and part of what I was especially excited for was to sit down with Mia and Patty
0:47
and figure out what the play needed to hold them in a really specific way
0:52
and how to tweak it, how to sculpt it, and they were incredibly respectful of the play
0:59
They had thoughts, they had questions, they asked for a couple of tweaks here and there, which I was very happy to give them
1:06
but in some ways, they fit into it really seamlessly, yeah. Jack O'Brien was the director of my first Broadway show
1:13
25 years ago, Full Monty, and he taught me an enormous amount
1:20
about theater and musicals, and if he asked me to do something, I'll do it
1:28
He'll do anything for Jack O'Brien. I will make the time. Patty's a good friend of mine, and we enjoy each other
1:36
Every now and then, she'll sing with my band, which is always fun. It was kind of a no-brainer, I just would say
1:44
I'd say yes, not knowing what it was, but it turns out to be this great play
1:49
and it's just been fun. What makes you say yes to a project like this
1:55
Jack O'Brien. That is exactly what we saw her before. Directly followed by Mia Farrow and Patti LuPone, yes
2:02
Who could say no? They're just amazing people, you know, legends in their own world
2:07
and they're also just delightful human beings, you know? So life's good when you're around them
2:15
Have you been in understudy for a role, or two roles, I suppose, this large before
2:20
How does it feel? No, and I need a sock puppet. Are you rehearsing downstairs or upstairs
2:27
or wherever your dressing room is at all times? On the stage, yeah
2:30
Yeah, so, good. And Marcia Mason runs through it, and Simone runs through it
2:37
Simone Salt plays the other part with script, and I play one part, and they play the other
2:42
That's amazing, and had you met either of these women before starting this process
2:46
No, I have not, but they're so lovely. Everyone is so lovely
2:50
The whole creative team is amazing. I'm really excited about this. I'm really excited that
2:55
not only is it a great play and all that, but I love the fact that two women
3:01
get to be in a project that they choose, that's really good writing
3:05
that's not necessarily about anything about their age. I've been lucky enough to know Jack O'Brien
3:10
for about 90 years. No, for a very long time, because he runs the Old Globe
3:16
as well as running Broadway. He runs the Old Globe Theater in San Diego
3:20
where I grew up. I was lucky enough to work with him pretty much my whole life, whether it was just working at the Globe
3:25
or having him, he brought Dirty Bond from Broadway to San Diego
3:30
and he's just a really great human, talented, but also a really fun friend
3:37
Very excited. This is one of those rare opportunities where you see two great American icons
3:42
on the stage together, and so it's one of those things that people will be asking, you know
3:48
what was it like? And I'll be able to say, I was there opening night, so it was great
3:52
You know, as an actor, there but by the grace of God go I, so I am rooting for the actors
3:57
I'm rooting for the play, you know, and I have just fond memories
4:02
You know, I was thinking of James Earl Jones. I met him one time
4:08
and that was the opening night of Fences, and I just remember how special that was
4:13
and it is a seminal moment in my life, as, you know, we lost him this week
4:17
and to think of that opening night, on this opening night, I realized that there's this great connection
4:24
that we all have as actors for a special moment like this
4:28
and at this place, in this moment of time, you know, all mankind is us, so
4:32
I'm so excited. I love Patti. I don't want to miss anything she does. I love Mia Farrow
4:36
I feel lucky that I get to be a part of an opening night anywhere, and walk a red carpet
4:40
and that people know who I am, and I feel like a part of a community
4:45
It's really cool. You absolutely are, and one day, you will be walking on
4:49
as the cast member who is starring in the Broadway show. Well, you know, Patti and I are working on something together
4:53
so stay tuned. Oh, really? Are we allowed to know what that is? Well, we don't really know what it is
4:58
but we're working on it. So, you know, between 12 and 24 months
5:02
let's have another conversation on that red carpet, and I'll say I told you. Okay, so have any of you ever lived together
5:08
since this is a show about a roommate? Oh, we have. But we were roommates
5:12
In Hairspray. We were dressing roommates. That counts, okay. So when you think back to that time
5:17
We stayed at each other's houses. Mostly us staying with Marissa when we go to L.A., yeah
5:22
And Laura loves to talk about how I had green juice explode in our fridge when we were roommates
5:29
When you think of your first roommate, is it a positive experience? Is it a negative experience? Ah
5:35
Wait, are you serious? We were roommates, then we became lovers, and then we became roommates again
5:41
Okay, so who's the better roommate in this situation? I'm the best roommate, yeah
5:46
Okay. Why do you think you're the best roommate? Because it was clean all the time
5:53
And I snore. Well, I think one roommate that I had was very passive aggressive
5:57
and she left a note that said, nobody's cleaning their dishes, I'm doing everybody's work
6:03
and then it just kind of started this whole snowball effect where we're like, stop blaming me
6:08
Talk to me in person. But roommates are tough. Roommates can be great, but they're also, it can be tough
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