Video: Teal Wicks Is Bringing Shakespeare to a City Near You

Are you ready

It's the Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon. Well, the one and only Teal Wicks is here, and I have seen you, Tiel Wicks, on Broadway

We've all seen you. Welcome to the Roundtable. Thank you. Greetings from Charlotte, North Carolina

Hello, Charlotte, North Carolina. I hope everyone out there in Charlotte, North Carolina. Carolina is voting their face off down there

We are here with you to talk about the amazing launch and tour of N

Juliet with big old Broadway stars like you. I know. We have such a great company of people

Oh, my God. I'm obsessed with everybody. Well, I'm obsessed with this show because this show is just fun for everyone

No matter what age you are, no matter if you're a theater fan, no matter if you have never been to a play before in your life, this is something for everyone

Yeah. It's so it totally is. It's, we say we're like, the music is from, it's like at least three generations through like three decades

So you get, you hit like all these different generations of people for the music within our show

It's so everybody's like, oh my gosh, that song, that song, that song

It's wild. And Max Martin, who wrote all the songs. So you're going to hear Kelly Clarkson

You're going to hear Katie Perry. You're going to hear Brittany. Spears, you're going to hear the backstreet boy. You're going to hear literally the music that I grew up listening to

Oh my God, me too. With some Shakespeare, with some fun, original, funny Shakespeare. So tell us, what was your journey like? Did you get reached out to do this? Did you have to audition? What did you audition? What happens to get on this

Oh, yeah. Basically, I mean, what did happen? This show, I obviously had heard about. I, I obviously had heard about

about it. Like when I heard it was coming in from the West End, I was like, what is this

What is this show? And then when it, and then after when it came to Broadway and, and like was such a

it's such a big hit. And everybody was, it took me a really long time to see the show. And I don't

know why, probably because of the pandemic and like just life and madness. You know, those like

two or three years that feel like are just lost to us all. Agreed

Yeah. But I just, I know, so many people were like raving about it and raving about it, raving about it

And I was like, yeah, okay. Well, let's see. And all the, and I always, I always say, like, I grew up with this music

But it wasn't necessarily, I was, when I was a teenager, I was always trying to be so cool

And I was like, I'm not into pop music. I'm not a pop girlie. I'm into like more fringy, cool, whatever

I don't know. I was just, I was an annoying teenager trying to be hip. But all these songs are like in my brain and in my soul because they can't, how can they not be

But when I remember when I read the script for the first time, and this was before I ever saw the show

I was just blown away with how clever and how witty and how smart the script is by David West Reed

It is so good. And obviously, duh, because he wrote on Chitz Creek, which is one of my absolute favorite shows

Same. And yeah, it's just the, this tour was happening and it kind of came around and my agents

were like, are you interested? And I was because like I really, this part is amazing and this show is so clever

And also I know this show on the road in the US is going to be huge and important

Like, it's such a wonderful, it's such a, it's such a meaningful, deep show wrapped up in this like glossy candy, you know, cotton candy like package

So it's, it can be very, very surprising, but it also makes it sort of accessible

And the, the parts in it that are a little bit, that are more deep and might be a little bit, for some people, very, very poignant and very important

For other people, maybe a little like, ooh, wow, okay, this is new

I'm not used to dealing with this sort of information or language or characters

But to bring that, like, across the U.S., especially just this time right now that we're in

It was very exciting. And, yeah, and so I sort of went in and played with the material, and it clicked very, very well

I finally saw the show and was blown away, fell in love with it even more

So I was like, okay, all right. I see what this is and I love it. And so I'm lucky enough to be able to do this

You doing it And when I tell you everyone it is the perfect show for the holidays to take your family to take your mother take your daughter take your sister It women empowerment but it people empower

It's just an empowering show about being treated right. There is life after Romeo, Teal

I've seen it. There is. Yeah. There's a lot of life after Romeo

It is fabulous. It's fabulous. Life goes on and gets better. Kick that Romeo to the curb and keep it moving

And that's what Enjoliet is going to take. teach you all about. You are going to be in places like, oh, I don't know, Wisconsin and Chicago

and Washington, D.C. Atlanta, New Orleans, you said, like, when I tell you, you're on the road

you are crossing this country. What's it like coming off of Broadway, you've done a lot of

regional work, you've done shows on the road before, but what's it like to travel with the

show? Like, how do you take care of yourself from room to room city to city

Yeah. I'm still figuring that out because we're, We're still in the early stages where Charlotte is our fifth city, fourth city

My goodness. I've lost track. Yeah. Fifth city. And we've been in the Carolinas the last, like we started

We teched the show in Baltimore, which was nice because it wasn't that far from New York

And then we've been in the Carolinas. And so I also, this is such a tangent

Sorry, I'm like, well, not really a tangent, but I love traveling

and I feel like, like, especially with the pandemic and having so much time just kind of stuck and stationary and just dreaming of adventures abroad

I, this tour is sort of the idea of tour life. It's daunting because it is, you're like a whole year traveling from place to place

Luckily, we have, we sit down in some cities for like two weeks, three weeks a month

But we have some stretches where it's one weekers and you're like, ooh, but it is very, I'm very excited about being in new towns

Like, we were, we were just in Greenville, South Carolina. I've never been to Greenville

Oh, yeah, I just did a thumbs up. Good job. Thumbs up. Thumbs up to Greenville. It is such a beautiful town

And then also, it's been interesting right now going through the Carolinas after the all of all of the hurricane

disaster in the Western Carolinas and all of that. We've been doing, our company has been doing little bits of sort of doing relief

sort of fundraising and promotional things trying to at least be like, hey

But it's like Asheville in that area. It's such, it's so, it's so beautiful in an area that I have not really spent much time in

So it was very exciting to be there for a moment. despite everything going on

but it's still such a beautiful, beautiful place and everybody is such kind, kind people

So things like that are very exciting to me and help me get through the exhaustedness of... Sure

...exhaustiness. That's not the word. Exhaustion. Of, you know, doing the show

and having your Mondays be packing up your room and getting on a bus or getting on a plane

and then getting to a new place and unpacking. So it's just like finding

little routines and finding good coffee shops and cute parks. Coffee is what gets me through

Coffee, same. Well, you know what moves me so much? I grew up in your West Coast artist originally

And I'm a New York Jersey born and bred person. So I feel very spoiled by, you know, my first shows were going to Broadway as a kid

and wanting to go in college and high school. And most people, they only get access to the YouTube

Slime tutorial videos, they get access to the album, and they don't get a chance in Greenville

South Carolina, or in Madison, Wisconsin, or in Columbus, Ohio to go see a big old musical show

So you're inspiring the next generation of musical theater students and performers

I mean, I grew up in Sacramento, California, like, going to San Francisco to see some of the shows

that were sitting there. Like, we did it a few times, but it was a big. I mean, San Francisco's not that far, but it was still a big trip, but we saw so many of the touring shows that would come through

And I, I mean, seeing the touring production of Peter Pan when I was little literally made me want to be on that stage, be in a theater

I loved movie musicals. I loved Annie, like any kid does, you know, obsessed

I loved singing and dancing. But watching being at the, in the Sacramento, like, Performing Arts Center

watching the touring production of Peter Pan, I was like, what is this theater thing

They're alive on stage, there's an orchestra, we're all here together. It is magical so it yeah it like that kind of cute full circleness It is Well if you were into Peter Pan as a kid it must have been to big deal to you when you got to do something like this show here

If you've seen you, we've seen you on Broadway or on stage

you may have seen something like Finding Neverland. You may have seen the Jekyll and Hyde revival

that went all around this country and then on Broadway. You may have seen her, you may have seen her with a legend herself

on opening night and then with two other amazing Broadway performers in Cher, which was one of the most fun experiences I've ever had

And of course, we would be remiss without the green witch goddess herself, which is, I mean, one of the most epic parts ever

I see that and I just want to go, ah, that's all I want to do. I know, me too

Yeah, but you really could do it. Not like me. Shocker, spoiler, that is not in my case

key. You, it's not in many people's keys. I know. This morning it's not my key either

When you look at the journey and you see all those pounds of green makeup or all the share

the share wigs, or all the big giant finding Neverland costumes, when you think back to that kid

and now on the road doing this show, what's it like to look back at your career? Which is just

starting with so much more to go and realize that you've already done some of the most epic theater

roles ever. Oh my God, you're actually making me oddly emotional. It's, it is, it is, um, it's kind of

amazing. Oh my God, I'm totally emotional right now. Um, because I, I think about it, but I sometimes

you know, don't because you're just like, it's, it's a lot of times in this career and in this

business, a lot of it is like looking forward. What's the next step? What's next? Um, you know

you go, like, even I'm doing the same, I'm going to be doing the same show

for basically a year, and I'm like, okay, each, like, tonight's show? What's tonight's show goal going to be

Like, da-da, like step by step. So, and I carry with me all the shows that I've done for better or for worse

Now I usually tend to all for the better. Like, there's little bits of all those characters with me and little lessons from every

show and every company that I have worked with. I kind of try to carry that with me, which is really wonderful

because I always try to be grateful for this career, because it's wild

I'm very, very, very, very fortunate. This business is insane, and there are so many incredibly talented people

and wonderful people that all deserve all these things. And it's who knows when and how and why people go on the journey

that they go on. A lot of it is just being in the right place at the right time and being prepared for it

And I'm lucky that I was. And it's wild. I mean, and all the Wicked stuff, like with the film coming out, it is, I was texting with my other Elfi girlies

When the first trailer for Wicked came out, my besties, Jackie Burns and Di Rossioli, I love them

We were talking about how the trailer, we were like, we're crying

We're literally on the subway right now crying into our phone. Why? What is this? And we're like, we're very proud to be part of that legacy. And I'm so excited

for this film. It's just, it's wild. And you never know. I mean, I did Wicked. Wicked was a huge

part of my career. And I am so, so fortunate for that. But it also feels like it was a long

it was at the beginning of my career. So it's, it's, I knew that there was all, there would be a huge

legacy, but it's just to see it kind of continue to grow and impact new, new people who

have not, who are not familiar with it and see it affect them and move them in the ways that it does

It's very, it's, it's amazing. Well, it is amazing and it really is like a sisterhood of the people that have done this show

and you all are so supportive and sweet through each other. You have, not to stick on this

but you had quite a story, you know, you were in a production and then you, you're, you all, you're so

you moved, I believe you went to San Francisco and did Wicked back in the, and you're going

back to San Francisco and Julia's going to San Francisco. And that's like where you, part of where you

learned to love theater. So back then when you got to do it home near your hometown, it must have been

a big deal. What's it feel like to be coming back? Oh, I'm so excited. I am so excited because I

love San Francisco. I love, I'm such a California girl. I love New York. I love living on

the East Coast, but I will never give up my Callie roots because it is me. But yeah, I haven't

been back to the Orphium since my wicked days And that was I mean I feel like I a completely different person from those days So I it very I very very excited And just San Francisco is one of my favorite cities

And I have a lot of family and friends all around the big area and into Sacramento. So it's, it's, it's going to be busy

It's going to be so fun. I'm lucky we're going to be there for a month

A whole month. You're going to be there for a month. to be there for a whole month. You're going to be in LA for a whole month

You're going to be like, you've got to go to N. Juliet Broadway. It's and A&D

If you're, you're watching us right now, you can see the link below us. And we got to follow at Tiel Wix on Instagram so we could stay up to date on all of the other things that are going

to happen and go on. I love what you guys are doing over there with the N. Juliet

Like I said, Life After Romeo, that, it's so good. It's so clever. It's a heart. It's wearing

come on headphones. I know. I know. Life after Juliet. She's so cute

cute. So cute. And your cast with this show is it's got

here up here singing, dancing. Uh-oh. Like heavy hitters

You got some heavy hitters up there on stage with you all and Juliet. Like some Broadway

divas and powerhouses are with you. Oh yeah. We do. We're, we

it's so wonderful. And everybody's such sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet

people and we're all really excited to be doing this. It's, I mean, you always want that, but it doesn't always happen, but this is literally a very

magical group that we all, like, clicked right off the bat. And it's, we have, and we have some cast members that are, this is their first, like

professional job. They're getting their equity cards on this. And they are incredible

And we have, we just, this cast is so amazing. And we have Rachel, Rachel Webb, who, like

who's from the original and Juliet Company, and she created the role of Judith as one of the players

but understudied Juliet and went on for Juliet many, many times. And she's are, I am just amazed at how she's very young

but so grounded and so poised and so just, like, carrying this show with such an effortlessness that I admire

so much. I wish I had that much. Maybe I did. I don't know, but I wish I had that much, like

strength and grace and confidence when I was her age, like, doing Elphaba for the very first time

She just carries this company in such a beautiful, beautiful way. And Juliet is, she's, she's an

alpha comparable, like, lift. It is, you know, I was just going to say that. I was just going to say it

I was going to say that I was like, that is like the Elphaba track of the show

Like, you have to sing. Even more because she has to dance

She has to dance. Elfabba did not have to dance. Elfabba just had to run around a lot

And fly and screlt. And fly. And screlt. Well, listen, people, you got to see this performances of everybody that is in this show

across this country. America, you're not ready for Enjoliet because it is going to come through your city

fireworks, dancing, and all, and blow through your performance center, truly. And this one is a Broadway superstar right here

So we are so excited for you to be. I'm so excited that I got to talk to you and talk about this show in particular

because I know you are crushing it, performing arts center after performing art center

around this country. Trying. Just trying. I know it. I know it

I know it. I know. So everybody, if you're watching us right now, go to End, Julia

at Broadway.com backslash tour so you can find out where they're going to be. They're literally going to be somewhere near you

because they're everywhere. We're going to homework, follow Tealwicks on Instagram so we can know what she's up to what's going on

at Tealwix. It's just your name, so it's perfect and easy to find

And then we're all going to stay up to date. Tell somebody, get a ticket for the holidays

get a ticket for somebody, show some love and support and give the next generation of theater to you

It's a show for everyone. So you could bring the babies, bring the godchildren, bring the nieces, nephew, grandchildren

They'll know some of the music, and you'll have a blast. You will. You absolutely well

I'm so excited. I got to see you today. I feel like I had breakfast with you

like a cup of coffee and a nice moment with you. Thanks, Robert

We did. When you go to the Orphium, we did. I want you to go to the Orphium

and I want you to sing the Wizard and I, like it was back in the day, and you just belt it out and have a flashback moment

Okay. I can do that. I'm going to do it in sound check

I'll be like, I'm like, I'm going to put in another request. Can we do this one

Do this one instead. Congratulations. Welcome back to touring and we're excited to see you

I can't wait to see you out on the road. Love it. M-a! M-a