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Video: Tour Life with MOULIN ROUGE!'s Gabrielle McClinton & Nick Rashad Burroughs
Sep 17, 2024
In this video, we talk about Moulin Rouge!. This show is on an epic trek across the US! I am seeing it at the Fisher Theatre here in Detroit this week, and I am ready! They have assembled an all-star Broadway cast to bring this show to life.
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Are you ready
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It's the Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon. Hey, Broadway World Family. Welcome to The Roundtable
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My name is Robert Bannon. I'm so excited that you're here. You know, we've talked a lot about this next show
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We've talked about it on Broadway. But, you know, I miss New York City. I've been away from New York City for three weeks
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So I've fallen in love. with tours because if you're in a city around this country, you don't get the liberty of going to
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the TDF window or going to Broadwaybox.com and finding a $50 ticket to go see a show. You don't
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get the chance to go rush and get tickets to see a Broadway show. Whatever comes to town is the only
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show in town. So for all the musical theater fans out there, Mulan Rouge is on the road
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And this cast is bananas. Like this cast is some of your Broadway faves in this cast
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So we're going to have a little bit of fun. We're going to talk about all of of that. I want you to know that no matter where you are in the city, Mulam Rouge is coming
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to your neck of the woods. So you can see Mulam Rouge. Mulam Rouge is on the road. I'm going to be
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seeing Mulam Rouge in Detroit. Go to Mulamruge Musical.com and shout out to my friends in Detroit
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for setting us up today. Broadway in Detroit is where it's at and they'll be here for a couple of weeks
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Nick Rashad Burroughs, I've seen him do a lot of shows. I've seen him in something rotten
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I've seen him in kinky boots. I know his album. I know him. Him
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As Ike Turner, we didn't love, he was great as Ike Turner. I mean, Ike Turner is a tough character to play
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Nick is not that mean, y'all, in real life. Nick is a gentle, he's lovely
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He is not coming for you, I promise. Nick Rashad Burroughs, welcome to the Roundtable
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Hey, everybody. Thanks for having me. That's how you know you can act because you were scary up there and Tina
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Yeah, that was a lot of times I had to tell a lot of people that I really am a nice guy
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after they saw me play Ike Turner and Tina. It's all a facade
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It's just me doing my job. Nothing more. Job. Come on. Look
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Oh, this is you right now. Yes, this is me as Toulouse LaTrek in Mulan Rouge
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How long have you been on the road with Mulan Rouge? I've been in the show now a year and a half
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And it's funny because I had so many friends in the original Broadway production of Mulan Rouge
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And during the time that Mulan Rouge was happening, I was in the exact
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same season with Tina. And so we couldn't see each other shows because we were competing for Tony's together
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that year. And so it's like so funny now that like that I've been, been, I did Tina for two years
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of my life. And now I'm in the Moulin Rouge now almost a year and a half later
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And it's been like a joy of my life. And so shocking that like I got to be a part of these two big shows from one
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season. Well, what's amazing to me about your career is if you follow your career, you have
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become, you have toured, you've done ensemble work, you put out original music, you've done
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have a Ray performance as one-off, and you're like a, Nick, you're a Broadway star. Like
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you are, come up, you are Nick, Broadway star. Like, your performance in Tina, you can't tell
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Tina's story without Ike and the life that you brought, the ferociousness that you brought, the
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multi-layered character that is like Turner that you brought is not easy
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It wasn't easy. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. It wasn't easy
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It is really fun getting to play the villain and getting to be this iconic, like, fashion icon and this iconic personality that is just wild
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But it's very challenging to do something as dark as that every day
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So it was, it was fun, but it was very challenging. So this time around, it is not as dark in Moulin Rouge
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In Moulin Rouge. And you share the stage with some amazing people in Moulin Rouge
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Absolutely. One of them, the lady of the Moulon Rousse herself in the Gabby McClinton
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We were talking about you being a Broadway star. You have some other Broadway stars
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He's a Broadway star like her. And she just so happens to swing by to say hello
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Gabrielle McClinton. Oh, my. Stars in the house. Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry
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I'm late. I didn't realize I had that Google Chrome to get into this link
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I was in the same exact journey. I literally did it right before. You were early
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You were prepared. No, we're so grateful that you're here. Thank you for being here
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I'm so happy to be here. The Roundtable, a Broadway world, I was telling Nick
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I moved from New York three weeks ago. I'm in Detroit. Moulin Rouge is come
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and I'll be up front and center. I'll be swinging from a chandelier right with y'all
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right in the Moulon Rouge. We love that. Love that. We were giving a little Nick Rashad Burroughs' memory lane
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before we get to Gabrielle's, you know, this is your life moment, because we showed Nick and Tina
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But look at Nick here. Look at this fun picture. Look at Nick as Shakespeare
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Oh, my God. That was the last time I toured, and that's the last time I toured
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I was in Detroit with something rotten. With something rotten. And Nick, you could listen and stream Nick's album
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Nick's album, groove machine is out. You can stream that wherever music is heard
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Wait, you have an album? Yeah, babe. I'm out here making this music
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Just trying to just fulfill my dreams best I can. And Nick is the only person I know who while he was in Kinky boots got a kiss from Taylor Swift I did Wow you really got the research in there
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That happened. He told me specifically, she grabbed me by my face and told me I was really
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fierce and then jumped him to my arms for a picture. And I was so shocked because I was just very
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ready to be like, you know, hey, you're Taylor Swift. I'm just going to mind. And she was so
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personal and so fun and took a picture with everybody at the company that night. She was very
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very sweet. Well, Gabrielle, we can't leave you out. Oh, absolutely not. But I look for it
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but, but I didn't find you and Taylor Swift. But we have old school. We could go back in time a
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little bit. We have this American idiot throwback. Oh, wow. Yes. I wanted a full Chicago black stockings
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I couldn't find the picture, but I know you were there. I know you did that joke
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But you probably, I was not in stockings. I was literally in bell bottoms and a long sleeve shirt
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I was in like, I was the most clothed Chicago in. Well, we know that this next, you were with this next show on Broadway, on tour, around the world, literally
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an epic run. If you want to see somebody work their face off, then see them in Pippin
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You know, that's actually Nick Rashad Burroughs dream role. And my dream is getting to be able to watch Gabby McClent to be the lead of my show
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because she was a leading player. That's very exciting for me because I know all about her
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as the leading player. As do most people, because she's a Broadway star
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Star. And then of course, you all opened up Broadway again with Paradise Square and epically
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career, an epic show at a really epic time in theater because we were literally shut down
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locked down, and put away, and shows like that opened up the show again. Now you both get to
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get on the bus or get on the plane or get on the, I don't know how you all travel, but I'm
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all these days. Everything. Bus, car, plane. Another plane, another club. Gabrielle, what has it been like to join this juggernaut
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This show's a monster. It's not a trailer on the back of a U-Haul
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Like, you all are taking the trucks and the set and the costumes and singing your faces off
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So what has it been like to be a part of this production? I mean, honestly, I really don't have words because it's such a felt experience
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but it has been the most wild experience of my life. Like truly so beautiful
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but also so painful. And I've never felt so connected and so close to a character
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And that can be really beautiful, but also really, really hard. And, you know
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it's a lot to do this every night on every level, emotionally
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physically, locally, mentally, but I really believe that it's giving me incredible life lessons
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And I've met amazing people who have been rooting for me like Nick, like in my corner
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always checking in on me and having his support and others has just made it a lot easier
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But I wouldn't trade any moment of it for the world. Well, while we're talking, everybody, go to mullahumruzmusical.com and get your tickets
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And you guys are hitting the road and you're all, you're, I don't, you're going to be everywhere
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You're all over North America and playing for a long time. And like I said, I can't wait to see you all out here in Detroit
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I'll be there, I think on the 17th, 16. I don't know when, but it's date night
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The husband is ready. He's never been to Mulan Rouge. So we're going to go party it up with you all
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And we can't wait. Well, I'll see you there. A lot of times musical theater gets
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sometimes a bad reputation. Actors go, oh, they sing and they dance. This is a real story
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There's real emotional life. Oh, storytelling. We're storytelling. They are telling a story
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There is love, there is loss, there's betrayal, there is sickness, there is, how do you get up and you have to sing and dance and wear big costumes
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Nick, you were talking about you sing royals every single night. You get to give full life up there and dance and sing and twirl around the stage
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How do you take care of yourself when you're on the road? You're not in your bed. You're not in your house
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Well, for me, physically and mentally, when I am doing a show like this, like where they
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ask a lot of you as a human being every day because your job is to just betray an entire beginning
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middle and end of someone's life and on stage or whatever it has for you. And like, I just try to
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stay positive. I try to go to the gym. I try to stay in my own lane. And I try to check in on my
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voice and my body every day because I know that I have, I love this, but it's a job at the end of the
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day. And my job requires me to be at my peak physical strength and vocal strength to be
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able to do it without any problems every day. So I go to the gym. I try to vocalize as much as I can
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right before a show. And I just try to like create a big positive energy in the cast with anyone
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that's around me because we have a long two and a half hours of doing
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the same thing every day, so let's make it fun. Well, Nick goes to the gym
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He's got 86 abs and he has all the energy. It's fact
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Gabrielle Clinton how do you the second not trying to give it away but you come flying into the stage you do this epic opening mashup of all the Diamond songs You start off with Shirley Bassi You singing Rihanna
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You were in full costumes, regalia galore. How do you take care of yourself to get up there and do a two and a half hour
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It's an opera. You know, it's a pop opera every night. Yeah
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I mean, I rest a lot. I don't really socialize that much
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I wish I had the I just don't have enough energy. So it's been a lot about me like conserving my energy and the best way that I can
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And for me, it's been a lot of meditating and, you know, I have an amazing support system outside of this
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Like talking to my friends as much as possible and keeping that going and I eat really clean
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I'm always in a steamer. You know, vocalizing. I do a lot of yoga
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I go to therapy. It's on top of it. It's great. It's the point of the leading lady
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It's a lot of things. But it's been a lot of, yeah, it's been a lot of trial and error
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Just kind of like figuring out it works in every day, sometimes I may need more or less of something
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So, yeah, it's been, yeah, a journey. When you look at your coming
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if you're in Tennessee, they're coming to Tennessee. If you're in Florida, the show is all different places around
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Is the audience different every night? Is there a different energy? is the theater is different
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Do you have to go through a different rehearsal process to know how you're getting on stage, off stage
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in each space? Because the space is varying, you know, every two weeks
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I mean, there's multiple energies within different cities. Definitely the loudness can change
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The show is big and loud and exciting from beginning to end, honestly
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And sometimes different cities we go to that is welcomed back with like crazy giant energy
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But sometimes we go to cities where people have been waiting to see Moulon Rouge and
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their smiles still matter. So we have to like do the show no matter what
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There are sometimes that we're going to have the craziest audience reactions and the show
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really calls for it. And there are sometimes that that it's not as loud, but you can tell by the end of the show
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that people are like those audiences are mostly like. locked into the story
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But there's just so much to take from it. But yeah, there's always a different energy every night, every city
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And that's even if we were in New York, it always would change. Gabriel, do you notice the big different, like when you all roll into town
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when the circus comes to town, these city, Des Moines, Iowa, it's not like you're going to walk outside and see 10 Broadway shows on your street
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The people that love theater there, you are their chance to experience musical theater
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and a professional level for that entire city. Yeah, I mean, it's been really incredible
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Some of my favorite cities have been these smaller markets, because you can feel that in the audience
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that these people don't get the opportunity to see this as much. So they are so grateful to be there
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And Des Moines, I mean, they've been so loud and so with us, just laughing and singing and commenting
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And it really helps. It really does. And, yeah, it's been really great
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Nick, what can you say to us besides you two, Broadway superstars, which we walk down your memory lane
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what can you say about the rest of this cast that is up on stage with you all doing shows all week long
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I mean, you're really dealing with some of the top tier talents that you could ever just see on, like, in a show
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It's a lot what Mulan Rouge asks of every single company member
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Every single artist in this show has to rise to the high
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highest level of their training ability just to do their eight shows a week. And so that alone
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the requirement is so impressive, so that on top of these beautiful, driven, amazing, been there
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done that, talented stars, it really is just like, it humbles you and it, and it makes you be better
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to be surrounded. I mean, I'm working with Gabby McClinson for, like, are you joking? I can't
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just come in here and not do the thing because she's leading the ship. So I can't, I can't embarrass
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or ship, you know. It's all a painting shipmate. It's a lot of things that like come
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this is a company of Titans. It really is. Well, Gabrielle, you were
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your partner in the show, Christian plays Christian. Christian Douglas is no stranger to beautiful voice
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beautiful act, but what is it like to work with him and have that relationship on stage every night
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Yeah, I mean, we really lucked out. We connected right off the bat
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and we just were able to really see each other and understand each other
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And we're very, very different. But we're also very similar in a lot of ways
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And I think we've really been able to compliment each other. And I feel, we feel very safe with each other and we can trust each other
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So it's really been a blessing. He's such a talent. He's so solid
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He's just such an anchor for the show. And I'm just so grateful that I met him and that I get to do the show with him
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I love that. And it's a saying, Gabrielle, it's a sing. This show is not a..
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That's why I should stop talking. But, yeah. Nick, how do you describe for the people who didn't see it
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your character in the show? How do you describe how you found him
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You know, people compare this movie to the movie or the experiences they already have with the show
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How did you bring your own artistry to the character? Well, um
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I just realized the things that I relate to Toulouse Latrek personally once I realized that they were very adamant about my interpretation of the performance being of my own in a very clear difference than the actual
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Toulouse Latrek himself, what we've seen in the movie, and then what has been done
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About that, there is an ongoing thing about an artist that they want you to tie into
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and that I tied into the fact that in the same way that I would like
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my mission in life is to be known for my art, no matter what
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Toulouse Lettrecht comes from privileges and money and all of these things
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but he wanted to create his own journey for himself as an artist
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And he could have had a different life, but he chose to live a harder life for the love of art
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And honestly, I've always, like in doing my research on him, I fell in love with that idea because I think I do that every day in life
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I've chosen to be in theater instead of going and somewhere else
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This is a hard business. I have to love it to be a part of it. And so in that sense and the loyalty that he has to everyone in the Moulon Rouge
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I mean, he's responsible for the artwork of the entire Moulon Rouge
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So it's just like there's a sense of loyalty and groundedness in him that I think is important for the story that I think is anybody that plays to Lusel Tric just needs to have that universal loyalty, groundedness, and love of art
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I love that. And obviously, if you love something else, you would be doing it
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But when musical theater calls you and you wake up and you fight the house, you matter how knowing you can be
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That's it. You're struck, babe. You decided you love it. Let's do it. Gabriot
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It's you, shall I say. How do you find your Satin? You could compare yourself to the movie
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You could be Nicole Kidman. You could be the amazing performers who have done this on Broadway and in prior iterations
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How did you find your version of her? It's so bizarre. I feel with every role I've played, I've had to do so much work to find the character
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But for some reason with Satin, I just understood her. I just felt that I could tap into her and she's so universal for artists and for women
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just with the pressures of having to show up every day. I'm like, that's literally what I'm doing
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Like the pressure of showing up every day and leading a show. That's her pressure every day showing up
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And she's sick. So it doesn't matter like if I don't feel well or whatever, you have to still keep showing up
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And so it's been very meta in a lot of ways. And it's taught me so much
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So I think I just was able to just lean in on my own. experiences as an artist and as a woman. And that has guided me. And it's helped me tap so much
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into my vulnerability, which I didn't have as much of an opportunity with other roles as much
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And so it was really just being truthful and honest to my experience and just being honest
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in the moment and being truthful. And I think she just came out of me through being in the
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moment. Well, I'm so excited to see you all. I'm so excited when I see this cast, this lineup that
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you all have that is touring this country like this. This is all star A plus five star across the board
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Y'all are out here. And if you've seen them on stage, you know when they come to your neighborhood with this show in particular
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Bring your family, bring your date, because it's a show that you know all the songs. It's going to be a good time
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And they're going to give you spectacle. Spectacle, Mulan Rouge Musical.com. Follow Nick on Instagram
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Maybe he'll have more kisses from pop stars. Maybe there'll be more. Who knows what's going to happen out here on the road
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Follow Gabrielle on Instagram. Oh, I don't have an Instagram. but I do have a website
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I click the button. Somewhere. Go to gabrielmoclinton.com. Is that it? That's it
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See, you called me out for having good research too soon. That's it
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We don't have all good research. Sometimes we can't give it out too much. That's the Sparkland Island
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She can't, we got to get what we get. Go to the website
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The website's lovely. There's lots of pictures on there. The website. is good. It's not updated, but I'm going to get to it
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But it's lovely. I love it. And we're here for you. And if you're September and October
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go to Broadway and Detroit.com, get your tickets while Malam Rouge comes to town. I'll be there
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I may have to take you both out for a cony dog. What up, Do you Detroit? We're ready for you
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Let's go. Let's, thank you all. We look forward to seeing you. Thanks for being here
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Thanks for having us. Thank you. Well, how fun and kooky crazy was that? I had a good time
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You got to love, you got to love Nick. You got to love Gabrielle. They are super star
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and you got to love Mulan Rouge. Listen, I'm telling you, I love myself in Mulan Rouge because I love pop music and I love pop divas
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And the second, hey, sister soul system, got to get that dough system
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You're going to have a good time. So listen, if you're out here in the 313 or you're around this country, we look so forward
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to being there. I will be there. Make sure you check out all of the shows that are going on right now with my friends on Broadway
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and Detroit. Don't sleep on Detroit because it's an artistic city. It's not just Aretha
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It's not just Motown. It's not just Eminem. There's theater alive. and a lot of artists and musical theater fans and stars that you love
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like Sutton Foster, et cetera. Everyone seems to come from here. So they're doing something right
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So go check out a show. God bless you all for being here. Go check out Mulamrews, the musical
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Every single Friday right here on Broadway World, I'm here. If you like this show, you can go to Robertbannon.com and get more information
23:12
You can go to listen to me on the Broadway podcast network. You can find my YouTube page where we have interviews every single day
23:17
And then come here every Friday where I'll have another chat with some of your favorite artists
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there's more good than there is bad, there's more joy than there is sorrow and there's more love than there is hate. You just got to find it. The best is yet to come. Robert Bannon saying
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thank you so much for being here. Goodbye, everybody. See you next
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