Video: PARADE's Charlie Webb and Jake Pedersen are On the Rise!

Hello everyone. Welcome to Broadway Worlds on the Rise. My name is Candace Cordelia

and I am super excited to kick off this episode with not one but two of the actors of the Broadway Revival Parade

currently on stage now, and it is fantastic, it is powerful, it is important, and I implore all of you

to go see it if you haven't already. But if you have, go see it again, because it's absolutely amazing

Please welcome to the show, Jake Peterson and Charlie Webb. How are you both

So good. Thanks for having us. Yeah, I really appreciate everything. I'm excited to be here

I'm excited to have you both here. And like I said earlier in my introduction

it's such a powerful and impactful show parade. I know for me personally, I knew a basic knowledge

of the history of Leo Frank, but going into this show, there was so much that I was not aware of, you know, even having been brought up in America

And I really appreciate what you both in the entire cast are doing to make sure that people are

aware of the story behind parade. I'll throw this question out to you both. For you, Jake

and Charlie, you know, how much did you know about the story of parade and of the trial of Leo Frank

before being asked and doing everything that you needed to do to prepare and audition and finally get on stage

to bring this story to life. Yeah. I only knew so much just going to

I went to college from musical theater and we studied parade dramaturgically

and that was kind of like the basis level of the show that I knew

I didn't really know much about the trial. We didn't learn really anything in my high school career there

I didn't really learn anything about the whole case, anything. And so I came into parade

just knowing the little that I did about the musical from college, but then I really dove in

in the work Notherst. personal process and very grateful for our dramaturg team that we have over there on parade because

without, you know, there's a bunch of research and rhetoric out there, but they really helped us

and guided our way and to see what research was available to us and what we should hone in on

But because this story is so real and so true, it was really eye-opening for me that, like

wow, there's so much that it should be still being told. And I didn't know enough going into it

And now I have a lot of people supporting me. And I still learn things today. So I feel like I'm never stopped learning

You know, I'll never stop knowing enough. Yeah. Yeah, kind of in a similar situation

I actually, so I'm from Atlanta, Georgia. And so I should know this story really well

It's fascinating because growing up the education, like the education system in Georgia

I just like, it briefly was gone over maybe. once or twice, like maybe in middle school or high school, but I, and a lot of people from Georgia

just are not educated on the story. And that's part of the problem. You know, that's like why we're

doing this show. And a lot of people don't know what happens, even though it's like, it's like common

knowledge, you know, at the end of the play, certain things happen. And people still go in and they're like

oh my God, I didn't know they actually did that. And it's like, no, this is real. And some of it is

still happening today. But I did have to educate myself a lot more because I wasn't educated as a

kid in Georgia and my like, my grandma's from Marietta. I have friends that go to Valdasta. You know

I'm from Fulton County. Like this stuff is next door to me. And it's like, it is wild that

you know, a lot of people just still don't know what's going on. And you have to unearth a lot of

this, like this history. But yeah. Whenever I got decal back, I definitely like dove into like a lot of different

Historical, I guess, like things. And there's a book out there as well

And there's a movie. And some of them are like accurate representations. And some of them, you know, are a little bit not

But again, like the dramaturgy, you know, packet that we got at the very beginning was so useful

And it helped in many, many different ways. Yes, yes. And I love the fact that you brought up the fact, Charlie, that you're from Atlanta

And, you know, we're living in a time now where books are being. band. There's a lot of information that people were trying to get that they just can't, depending on where you grow up. I'm personally from Philadelphia, and, you know, there's a lot about Southern history that I myself was not taught in school. It's just, you know, we get what we get and it's up to us to kind of figure it out as we get older. For you, you know, you play young soldier in Broadway or in parade on Broadway and you pretty much along with the other characters at the top of the show, you're setting up the scene and setting up the history of

of what it's like to be a southerner at that time. And speaking about your background

and growing up in Georgia, what is it like for you playing this role

of the young soldier, getting to know more about the Civil War and the history of the North versus the South

at that time, and getting into preparation for a role such as that as you're setting the scene

for what we're about to see and understanding why the South was the way

that it was at that time period. Yeah, of course. Me and Michael had a lot of different conversations

about how I was supposed to step into this, the beginning, I guess, and basically have no bias, have no opinion, because it's important to understand that, like, this soldier going to fight, he was fighting to preserve his land, preserve his relationship with his wife. You know, there's possibly this child on the way that they're going to be, like, taking care of. And all he wants to fight for is for, you know, his, all of his stuff that he owns. And

there's like a reason why in the very beginning, you know nothing

And the audience is kind of confused. They're like, what? Then Platt's not out here singing. It's this young soldier

But you don't really know what side he's on until, you know, this flag starts raising in the background

And the whole audience is like, oh, my God, he's a Confederate soldier. And Michael does this brilliant thing where he kind of ropes the audience in and, like, puts them on the same side as this soldier

And then they're like, wow, now I can create opinions. And I think it's beautiful and it's, you know, it's so, yeah, it's a little jarring

But I think that, that pride, that honor, that glory, that Georgia pride is a real thing

And a lot of people still have it, whether it's good or it's bad, you know, and it's, yeah, it's crazy

I will say. But yeah, just having those conversations was really great for me because I also, I had opinion

and this is of my own. And Michael kind of was, he was just like, put them to rest because, you know

we can't really fully develop the story if you don't, you know, have an open mind

I love the fact that you brought up the buzzword, the keyword opinions

because myself is the audience member. There were many times throughout the course of the show where I thought one thing and then

I pivoted and there were times where it was a gray area. You kind of have to think about, well, is Leo innocent

Is he not innocent? What is this character like What it It raises up a lot of questions which I think is very good I going to throw that to you Jake in terms of opinions because I definitely want to ask you about Frankie Frankie Eps who you play in Parade I had initial opinions about Frankie as I sure many people did And then as the course of the show goes on things change due to the tragic events that unfold I would love to know what

your initial opinions about Frankie X were while signing on to play him for grade. Yeah. The show is

complex and it's beautifully complex because of that, all the things that it deals with. And my original

thoughts, when I first was handed the script and what the idea of

show where it was and I was it was very off-putting just because you know I come out there swinging the

flag I come out there just like smiling and saying things and doing things that Jake wouldn't

normally do or be comfortable doing and so I was a little nervous and definitely asked a lot of

questions but I will say the Michael and everyone on the creative team set this beautiful tone

and an amazing vibe in the room where we use certain vocabulary and we're very conscious

about how we talked about every topic and everything we do in the show. And so my original opinions, you know, I was nervous

I was shocked. I was like, I don't know how I'm going to give this person justice without putting on something

that's inauthentic and not being able to, you know, have my own opinion shine through

However, because of that support in the room, I was able to, you know, have the support system

and give the respect it deserves because, yes, I think Frankie F's is complex

but I also think that he is a point of levity in the show and some version of heart in the show

I think everyone in everyday life is flawed in their own ways

and he is just a product of the universe and his surroundings

And he is flawed in the way, in his own ways, because of the people that he surrounds himself with

that he has no control over. But we grow through him, grow with him

And he is a version of hope. and that is what I hang on to, if anything else

I really like that. Thank you so much for sharing. This is for both of you, your Broadway debuts

And to have a debut in a show such as parade, it's a lot

It's pretty heady. And it's awesome, to be quite honest, as well

because you're sharing a story that a lot of people, in my opinion, should know about

For both of you, you know, what was it like preparing the rigors in terms of being a

or having these characters as your Broadway debuts, what was that experience or is now still that experience for you both

Tyler, you want to take it? Why? I think I can speak for both of us and saying that we were both new to the production

We weren't the city center version. So whenever we initially jumped into rehearsal, we, at the New 42, what we had a week and a half, maybe two weeks

to get everything together. And we were, we were kind of scrambling, but there was this just

there was this ease in the room. And Michael, and a lot of the creative team just created this environment

that was so loving. And there's such a family aspect to every single rehearsal

And like we would meditate before rehearsal. And we would breathe together and talk about what we're really doing

and have different like, you know, group sessions with young white men in the cast

Some, you know, people of color. There's like different like groups that were just like being educated about like

what this, person thought in this time period and how they're different from today and how every single

person should be educated on it. And it was very fascinating and a wonderful way to just hop right in

And yeah, there was a lot that I think we had to learn. But jumping, I don't know, head first into it

with like this amazing creative team honestly felt just so natural. And it didn't feel as scary as I

thought it would be, like as a debut would be. But, I'm interested to hear your opinion, Jake

Yes. Yeah, absolutely. All of those things. Again, the creative team, I cannot speak enough positive words about how amazing they were in

supporting us, being new to this production. I had just recently come off the road doing a different show and was kind of used to

being thrown into things, you know, but like this is a whole different piece because

it is this beautiful piece and it's written by Alfred and Jason Robert Brown

And that alone is just daunting because that's not an easy thing

That's not an easy thing just to, you know, pick up. And so it was, it was, of course, nerve-wracking

And there's a lot of really cool people in the room, be that actor, creative team

cast, crew, whoever. They're all beautiful, like, sparkly humans. And some people, a lot of whom I look up to and continue to and respect the crap out of

And so I came into the process, very nervous just because of that alone

But no one has ever made me feel anything less than equal and respected and more of an artist than I have felt than I do now

So that was really cool. And I often tell people I feel kind of like a crazy person because of how calm I was comparatively to other processes in my life

This is the Broadway debut. It's up here. But however, I felt more calm than I have ever felt in my life because of the artists around me

And speaking of two of those really cool people in the cast, you know, I have to

pay respects to Ben Platt and Michaela Diamond playing Leo and Lucille Frank

Yet Charlie's like, absolutely. I can only imagine the honor for both of you sharing the stage with them

What was that experience like? And did either of them give you any advice on ways to be a better performer

and ways in which to play your characters with grace and with levity

and the honor and respect? that it deserves. I think it is incredibly cool, and it's been a huge honor to be sharing the stage with those two

amazing performers. A little weird story about me is I was nominated for the Jimmy Awards back in 2017, and

the host that year was Ben Platt. So it's kind of like a weird, full circle moment for me, which is very fun, and it's been fun

So I kind of get to know him and be his co-worker this time. and watching him on stage is, I have, like, not, I don't have the right words to describe it

He's incredible. I mean, he is who he is, and he deserves all the accolades because he is an impressive artist

And, you know, I can't even imagine being in Michaela's shoes, being next to someone so sparkly, but guess what

She's just as amazing. And the crazy part is, is he's my age, and we graduated the same year, and I was like, what's that

So I could speak hours and hours about these people. However, my favorite part about the show is not necessarily the things we do on stage where I'm in

I love sitting down and watching them on stage. We get a front road seat of them acting together and it's like a masterclass every day

And that is with you not huge honor to me. That is wild, that full circle moment with Ben

I mean, did he remember you or did you mention that? We've met

I've mentioned it. But, I mean, he has a lot of, he met a lot of people, you know, so it was just good

Absolutely. And Jake, you know, I'm from Pennsylvania. I understand you went to Penn State. You majored in musical theater. So if you were to go back to Penn State and speak to students that are studying that major right now, what advice would you share with them

I would say well my first one would be it not over toastover I used to always put myself down whenever things didn work out my way But truly I think things will work out the way of this supposed to

and what's meant for you, what is for you, will happen for you

But I would also say that just like you should only, I don't know, not only

but I think you should really go for projects and go for work

that really speak to your heart and fulfill your needs. as an artist. There's a lot of times in our business where you kind of settle because

oh, I need to make some money and, you know, I get that, absolutely. But I kind of have like

three things that I look for in a job, right? And that would be something that fulfills you

artistically, something that can help you financially, or something that works with your network

And it has to have at least two of those three. And if it doesn't do that, then you shouldn't

take the job. And so when it comes to young people, it's very easy to be manipulated

as a young artist and just be like hungry for work. But you aren't, nothing's changed since I've been doing the random little

theaters in a regional production or even high school. I'm the same person

All of a sudden, because I'm on the stage doesn't mean anything. You are as equally as talented

You are as beautiful as anyone else and you can do that. I love that

Charlie, what do you think about Jake's advice to aspiring Broadway artists

I 100% agree. And I've, yeah, I've also just been hesitant of the work that I've also just like, you know, wanted to be involved in

And I think it's really wonderful and, you know, powerful to be able to have the opportunity to pick and choose what type of projects you get to work on

And I feel very lucky to have that opportunity. And I know a lot of people, you know, finding work is a little bit hard nowadays

And I think that it can become difficult to pick and choose

But at the end of the day, if you love this art, if you love what you're doing, if you're doing, if you're storytelling, then by all means do it and do it forever

Whatever makes you happy, I think, you know. I'll just pop back over to the Ben and Michaela question

But I, oh my God, like, I had no idea that Michaela was that young

I just, I was like this talent coming out of this human being, like, oh my God

Like, she just holds this maturity. And I asked her a lot. I'm just like, how do you, how are you so confident

Like, because I'm like not that far away from your age. And I just like, I need that confidence

Just tell me your tips and everything. And, you know, just staying grounded and being yourself and just really believing in what you're saying with a story that you're telling

And then, um, Ben, I'm a very anxious human being. And we had some conversations

He was like, dido. I'm also a very anxious human being. And, you know, how to cope with that on stage is so different

And it's important, especially coming from him. It was just like, wow, this is like huge mentor moment

But we also, we were a little afraid to push the envelope a little bit and how far to take it with Ben during process

And I remember there was one time where he kind of just stopped and he kind of just spoke to the cast

And he was like, I need you guys to go a little bit further. You know, I'd love to see how far we can take this

Because if we don't take it this far, if we don't push the envelope, somebody else will

And this story is so meaningful and it needs to be told. And, you know, if we don't tell it to its full extent, you know, like we're not doing it justice

And yeah, he was just so ready to do more and just continue finding creative things

but also just like necessary things to tell the story. and to make it as real as possible, which at times was a little nerve-wracking

but it was just like we were all holding each other's hands at the same time

and it was just beautiful and wonderful. And, yeah, I wouldn't have changed anything

For you, Charlie, do you find that once you're in the role and you're enveloped in it

and you're acting that your anxiety just melts away at that point

I think starting the show is always really hard. And I always just like, I tend to just like take some alone time just before the show

I meditate. I journal and I just like really just get in this headspace

But as soon as the opening is, you know, kind of over and I'm kind of transitioning into another like character or like many other tiny little miniature characters, it's, it definitely like kind of kind of goes

away, but that anxiety, it's, let's just call it nerves. You know, I think the anxiety part is

it's kind of, it's kind of gone and it's melted away, but I think that you're always going to

have nerves, especially if you care about something a lot. I feel like nerves are great, you know

But we also have, yeah, so we have PT people like on site, and I remember I was having like

some sort of mental session with our like physical therapist. And we did some sort of

meditation that had to do with anxiety and that really helped and I just that's also an amazing thing like

we had a physical therapy dog like on site her name's Toasty she was amazing during the process

and you know if you ever want a massage or if you want to go talk or you know have this kind of like

heart to heart with Molly is her name um you know you can't you can't have that kind of interaction

and it's uh yeah a lot of productions especially on Broadway don't get that type of treatment so I feel

very lucky to have people to go to, to ask questions, hey, how do I cope with this? And they have

all the resources in the world. So that has helped a ton. And a lot of people in the cast, I think

can agree with me. Wow. I wish in every setting that was something on offer to have, to have

you know, animals that can help soothe you and people that you can talk to. If only, that could be

everywhere. But maybe perhaps we will certainly get there. You know, getting to or towards the

end of the show. I don't want to give anything away to anyone watching that hasn't seen

parade yet, but at the very end, there's information that I was really shocked at, and it

caused me to do more research and want to learn more, even more about the story of Leo Frank

and the trial. For both of you, just knowing what happens and going through this show and really

seeing how things have come to be and the history that's still in America. It's a part of American

history. What are your thoughts about the story? Has it caused either of you to really want to do more

and read more and see how you could help the cause and really help bring more awareness

to this part of American history outside of being a part of the cast itself

absolutely um i think floyd beagle who's in our cast she says it perfectly all the time but

the show uh makes you like kind of puts a mirror in front of the audience and it shows you what

what is happening back then and what it's still happening now and how this trial is still ongoing right

and so what i think this show continues to do for me and for others it continues to tell myself

okay maybe um i should do more listening i should just be okay with the fact that

that I could be wrong all these things like people have feelings and emotions these are human lives and that everyone deserves the respect because they are human alone you know And so what I am doing constantly is doing more research about my biases

doing more research about communities that I'm not a part of, but in working alongside

And, you know, I feel like you can never know enough, but you have to be okay with wanting to know more and being able to be like

okay, I was wrong. I'll take that in. Let me reassess and, you know, let me listen

And so the biggest takeaway I hope that people get from the show is that we should just do more listening, be okay with growing together and leading more with love

I 100% agree. And I think it's, no, yeah, I was going to agree

And I also just say, like, that's with any situation, just like listening before you form opinions

And that was a lot of the direction of the show. So I think, yeah, for me, I am also just a very biased person about some certain things

And I do tend to form opinions quickly, but having an open mind and, you know

understanding every single person's point of view is something that, you know

I'm still working on and I've tried to, you know, learn through this process

And Michael had briefly said, the story we're telling on stage, we're not really trying to convince anyone of anything

There's no need to. What we want is for people to walk out to their friends

tell their family, tell whoever, and just have a conversation about what happened

and how it impacts them today. Because there are so many different levels

and connections with like the opening with the young soldier or the opening with just like the flags

or opening with the parade and how it's almost the exact same at the very end

And, you know, it's just it's crazy in the levels that I don't know I feel like people watch the show and they're like wow

this was so crazy but it was so long ago and things are different but really are that you know and it's

I don't want to say it's a cycle but certain things replay certain events you know happen again and

again and I think that if we're if we're so close-minded you know those things can happen all over again

So I think it's very important to listen and to understand. Absolutely

I agree. I agree with you. So now you're both in parade

What happens next? What are some things that you both would like to tick off of your career bucket list at this stage

You know, as an actor, I've, you know, learned a lot in my short time doing this professionally that I will never actually know until I get something

So right now, I'm riding this beautiful wave of parade and auditioning and working my butt off, you know, but I actually just got a dog

And so I'm growing my family over here. And I'm just, you know, keeping in contact with my friends now that I'm in the city and being able to hang out with people

So I'm excited to keep growing as an adult and a human that I am and being able to really hone in on those connections that I have and will continue to create

I love that. How is dog dad life for you doing it? It's something else

is a puppy that we are learning how to, you know, go outside to go to the bathroom and full on

full on teething mode. So it's a time, but it's beautiful. Yeah

Oh, lovely. What about for you, Charlie? Yeah, just lots of different opportunities, you know, taking place

A lot of auditions, a lot of callbacks, a lot of this craziness. Yeah

And I think just genuinely just loving the process you're in and understand

that like not everything is going to be the same as the project you just worked on or the one after and you know you just have to you know transition and and understand that this is

first a business and then eventually whenever you get into a cast it becomes a family but like

you know things can get pretty hard especially in this industry especially on broadway you know

there's a lot of people who are hungry and we're willing to work and there's a lot of competition

overall i just feel very grateful to be in the cast um that's you know we are in because it is just

much like a family. But yeah, I'm excited to see what's next, but only time can tell

1,000%. And last question, Free Bill, Charlie and Jake, what are some reasons that anyone

thinking about going to see parade, kind of on the fence about it, not too sure if they want to

see it besides seeing both of your lovely faces on stage? Why should they run out to New York City

and go see the revival of parade on Broadway. I'll say really quick, it's like, it's parade

it's the parade that you knew probably growing up, but completely redefined and we imagined

And the direction really just changes the way that the story is told

And there's, you know, new songs, there's new dialogue. You know, Alfred Yuri's literally writing new stuff, like, in the, you know

rehearsal room, it's new and it's bigger and better than ever, I think

Yes, that it didn't get its moment that it deserved in 1999, so now it finally I think is

There's beautiful people on this stage, and the best part about theater is that it is

beautifully impermanent. It's never going to happen the same, and this show is only a limited

run right now, so get in while you can, but I would say that if anything else, there's beautiful

work being done on that stage. And the biggest thing, too, is I'm a huge fan of Jason Robert Brown

And the fact that his work is back on that stage is just amazing. So just to hear that orchestra

alone is a gift. I agree with that as well. Truly a gift. Thank you both, Jake Peterson

Charlie Webb. It was very nice talking with you both. I wish you all the success in the world

And thank you for being a part of On the Rise with Broadway World

Truly, thank you. You're so welcome. And thank you, everyone, for watching this episode of On the Rise with Candace Cordelia here

at Broadway World. Please listen to both Charlie and Jake and go see the revival of Parade on Broadway

As Jake just stated, it is beautifully impermanent. And we definitely think it is an important part of American history that you need to see

unfold on the stage of Broadway today and all the other shows as well

Thanks for watching, and until then, we'll see you later. The things I see in you

It means a man who isn't guilty Doesn't have to walk the plank

It means the gallows still are vacant And we've got my wife to thank

It means you shouldn't underestimate Lucille and Leo prank Because this is not all at Yes