Video: Tony Nominee John-Andrew Morrison Gets Ready to Take the Stage at 54 Below

Welcome to Backstage with Richard Ridge

John Andrew Morrison, who received a Tony Award nomination, a Lucille Award, and an Obie Award for his work in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, A Strange Loop

is bringing his brand-new show called No, Maybe Why Not, an evening with John Andrew Morrison to 54 below, Broadway's favorite Tony Award-winning

Supper Club on February 3rd and 4th. Please welcome John Andrew Morrison

Well, it is great to see you again. What a world win season for you, my friend

I mean, it's kind of crazy. It's, you know, I was talking about it with someone, and it feels like this last year

has been dreams becoming lived experience, and that's incredible and wonderful. So I'm very thrilled and excited about it

Well, let's talk about how excited you are. you're getting ready to play your brand new show here at 54 Below

How excited are you? I'm very excited about it. You know, Tepper is such a love

She's such a dear. And she had actually asked me to do a show. And then this thing called the pandemic happened

And of course, it got canceled. And so she reached out last year and was like, hey, so this show

We doing it or not? And I was like, okay, why not

And so my birthday is in June, so I thought I was going to do the show then

She gave me dates, and then she called me back like two days. And she said, I have this prime spot in February

You want it? And I was that, okay, let's do it, let's do it

So I'm very excited to be here. I was here a couple nights ago seeing a show

It is the greatest room. It's beautiful and, yeah, excited to be here

What's it like being on this stage performing? You know, this place actually holds a lot of very sweet memories for me

Strange Loop had one of its most important development shows here. Tepper, again, gave us a night in which we performed songs from a Strange Loop

And that show was a show that got us our first set of producers

and moved us down the chain of the development line with the show

And so every time I'm here, I remember that night, remember how exciting it was

and that it kind of like changed all of our destinies. So this room is very, very special, very special

And then we got to do our tiny desk concert here as well

which was great. So yeah, I love this place. So talk about the new show

What can you tell me? So because Tepra says, you know what, let's do this show in February

And I think it was around November when that happened. You know, I said yes

And then, well, I have to come up with a name for this thing. And it was literally like five minutes before Curtin

And the words, no, maybe why not came to me. And I said, I don't have time to think it

Just write it down. And so I did. And I did the show

And then I started to kind of like, what, no, me, what is this? What is this

And then slowly but surely it came to me that it is a meditation, a kind of journey of someone who is a little bit dubious about this thing called love

So in the month of love, I'm presenting someone who's a little bit like, love

Hmm. You know, but ultimately, ultimately at the end of the day, the decision is why not choose love

Why not choose it? You know, with all of the devastation and delight that comes with it, you know, at the end of the day, it's kind of the greatest thing

So why not choose it, you know? I love it. What are some of the songs that be singing So surprisingly I didn know I was such a Taylor Swift fan but Taylor Swift has made it on to the roster

There's a song from The Wild Party in there. Lizzo has made an appearance

We got a little Sia. So it's got a lot of pop as well as Broadway

And, you know, I'm from Kingston, Jamaica, so I had to hail up my massives in Kingston

and there's a Jimmy Cliff song in there as well. So it's really a very eclectic set list, and I'm very excited about it

And Richard, I must tell you, I have an original outfit that is being created by an artist named Corey Tutt

and I got the final picture of this thing, it is worth the ticket in itself

just the outfit. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to debuting that here

Other instruments? Yes, we're going to have a four-piece band. So the sound is going to be absolutely full and fantastic

but I hope people come and just are prepared to take a journey with me

You know, I want to invite them to kind of come on a little trip, a little meditation, as it were, about love

And as always, you know, somehow my mom makes her way in

And so there are some things in there that are honoring her as well

Yeah, and I'm so glad that there's a live stream option because she can sit in Kingston, Jamaica, and watch

Well, let's talk about that. No one does the live streams better than 54 below

And I mean, it gives the opportunity. Let's talk about the importance of this live stream of reaching an audience that can't come to New York or be here on February 3rd or 4th

Well, you know, for me, it's really, really personal. I mean, I'm very excited. And I have friends

I know I went to Brandeis in Boston, and I already have like a whole contingent of Brandeis

People are like, we're having a watch a party. I'm like, okay

But for me, the live stream option really is very personal. My mom had a stroke at the beginning of the pandemic and isn't able to do what she used to and travel

And music, though, is this thing that I can reach her with music

And so I love that there's a live stream option. But for me, personally, I'm excited that my mom gets to see her baby boy on stage

And I know she'll be singing along to a couple of them

Yeah, so I'm very excited about that. And music is healing, too. So healing. So healing

And it's interesting. It changes her mood, and it, you know, she has a severe brain injury

and it just, it reaches a different part of our brain, and it is an absolutely magnificent thing

this thing that we get to do, to be able to sing, to make people feel things

to make people feel less lonely in the world, and make them feel human again

And so, yeah, I'm very excited about that. Well, let's talk about a strange loop

How life-changing was that show for you? You know, oh my gosh, it's one of those things where the show is so black, so queer, so out there that we never ever thought that it would see the light of day in a theater, right

But we all kept coming back because I'd never felt more seen by a show

And so it was my greatest honor just to be able to develop the show

And then, you know, I'd always dreamed about performing on Broadway. And for me, I kind of thought, well, maybe that's past

You know what I mean? I don't, maybe that is okay. Maybe that is just not what my life path is supposed to be And so the fact that not only did that show make it to a great theater like Playwrights Horizons but that we then got to move to Broadway and get the reception

that we got, and then I got a nomination for the Tony. It was like all of these things that

like 18-year-old John Andrew at Brandeis in the theater department was dreaming about and thinking

about have now become lived experiences. And so it's, yeah, I don't even know how and where to place

it yet, because I feel like I'm still coming off of the incredible that was a strange loop

you know. And, but forever, Broadway will be associated with my name. Tony nominee will be

associated with my name for that show. Yesterday was Michael's birthday. And so, you know, I got to

call him yesterday and once again just like say, I love you and I'm so grateful for you

And thank you. Thank you for asking me back. Thank you for asking me back again and again and

again, you know. Didn't have to, but he did. Because I was with you all on opening night. Remember

that incredible carpet outside the theater? How magical was your Broadway debut in a strange loop

Man, that was crazy. So my debut was the day

after everybody else's debut because I had COVID. And so I had the weird experience of watching

the very first performance from the audience. And the next day was a whirlwind they did a put-in for me

And so it was just like, go, go, go, go, go. And then the show happened, and I was doing okay

I was doing okay. And James Jackson, Jr. said to me, you're going to cry

And I was like, well, if I do, you know, and I was completely and utterly fine

And I got off the stage after the big fight scene. And I went, oh, I need a tissue

Like, I just need to wipe some of the tears. And it was like something in my body went, weep now

And I literally just like doubled over and started crying backstage. And I looked up and there was James Jackson and he went, I told you

So that I will always remember about that Broadway debut. It was an incredible night to be able to go, my God, I'm now officially a Broadway performer

Yeah. This has to be a full circle moment for you, like you said, with Tepper, like starting it here, like a strange loop

And now you're doing your solo show here. And in the audience is going to be some incredible strange loop fans

Yeah, yeah. They've been the greatest. I mean, we have, there's a young man named Jordan

I think he ended up seeing the show 40. five times. And so now we're all friends on Instagram and all of that, but they've all reached out and they're like

we have our tickets and the the loopers. I think they call themselves loopers or cheer loopers. They're all

planning to come. So yeah, it's wonderful. So finally, what are you looking forward to the most of February 3rd and February 4th here at 54 below with your brand new show

No, maybe why not? I'm excited to give this audience an experience. And I, we have some little delights in there, but really it is this journey and it is an invitation. I'm going to like really ask them, take my hand, come with me, come with me, come take this journey with me. And I hope they will. And I'm excited to give them an experience. I feel a little bit of mischief with the show. And, and I'm excited to give them an experience. I, I feel a little bit of mischief with the show

And I am, yeah, I'm excited to thrill you all a little bit

I love that. Well, for a great night out, it's here at 54 below

His brand new show on February 3rd and 4th is also a live stream on February 4th And for tickets just go to 54 below Now I think you going to do a number for us right Yes yes I am

Do you want to set the number up? Well, I think it's one that everybody is going to know

I would hope. Musical theater people, if you don't know this, naughty musical theater people

But if you are a musical theater person, you will, okay, fine. I'm doing losing my mind

Get ready. Losing my mind. Losing my mind. I think about you

I want you so. It's like I'm losing my mind. The morning ends

I think about you. And talk to friends. And think about you

Does no one know It's like I'm losing my mind All afternoon doing every little chore

The thought of you stays bright Sometimes I stand in the middle of the floor

Not going left, not going right. I dim the lights and think about you

Spent sleepless nights to think about you. You said you loved me

Oh, were you just being kind? Or am I losing my mind

I want you so, it's like I'm losing my mind

Does no one know? It's like I'm losing my mind

All afternoon doing every little chore. The thought of you stays bright

Sometimes I stand in the middle of the floor. Not going left, not going right

I dip the lights and think about you. Spent sleepless nights to think about you

You said you loved me. Or were you just being kind

Or am I losing my mind