PART TWO: Tony-nominated for Jesus Christ Superstar, Josh Young reveals “What’s the Buzz”
I’m happy to
report that my buddy Josh Young, Tony-nominated for Judas in Jesus Christ
Superstar, is back home from NYC now and graciously set aside some time to chat
with me for Kip’s Korner.
Remember,
last week I shared with you that Josh brought his 14 students from Missouri
State University’s Musical Theatre Program to NYC to perform in their Senior
Showcase for Broadway Creatives, Agents, Managers, etc. Well, it was a huge success,
and this Class of 2024 had a record-breaking 170 callbacks from this showcase. “Bear
Up” is the rallying cry of Missouri State University and that’s exactly what
Josh’s students did in NYC!
If you
haven’t read PART ONE of my blog post about Josh, please go back to Kip’s
Korner on March 6, before proceeding here. For everyone else let’s get to my
interview with Josh right now:
Let’s go
back to your audition for Jesus Christ Superstar. Walk us through the process
of that audition and everything else that led to you booking the role of Judas.
Actually, it
all started with me auditioning for a job that I didn’t book. I was playing
Henrik in a critically acclaimed regional production of A Little Night Music
when I was asked to audition for the same role in an upcoming Broadway Revival
of the show. Since I would be auditioning for Stephen Sondheim himself, I
decided to work around the clock for the next two weeks, learning how to play
the cello. Because the character Henrik plays the cello. I wanted to make a big
impression on Sondheim, so I ended up accompanying myself on the cello as I
sang Henrick’s big song, “Later”. It went really well, but I didn’t get the
job. However the casting director was impressed with my tenacity of learning
how to play the cello for this audition so she brought me in to audition for
the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, Canada. They rarely hire anyone
who’s not Canadian, but they were having a difficult time finding their Che in
Evita. I booked it!
At the time,
Des McAnuff was the artistic director for the Stratford Festival. He famously
directed the Broadway productions of The Who’s Tommy and Jersey Boys, amongst
others, so I was excited to work with him. As it turns out he would be
directing Jesus Christ Superstar for the next season. I was determined to play
the role of Judas in their production. I booked it!
There was no intention of bringing this version of Jesus Christ Superstar to Broadway. However, Andrew Lloyd Webber came to see our production and he said it was his favorite version of the show. Next thing you know we're headed to La Jolla Playhouse for an out of town try-out and then opened on Broadway in 2012.
I love this story because it just shows how every single audition is so important. You never know what it might lead to in your career even if you didn't book that specific gig.
What was it like to receive a Tony nomination for your portrayal of Judas in JCS?
Well it almost didn't happen, and not for the reason you might think I would be saying this. The two weeks prior to Opening Night are when most of the Tony Award voters see all of the performances and determine who they want to nominate for the awards. It just so happened that I came down with a terrible case of Bronchitis, Laryngitis and sinusitis. I had to miss so many shows and the Tony voters were mostly seeing my understudies. But because I had performed the show first at the Stratford Festival and then again at La Jolla Playhouse, there were enough Tony voters that had seen my performances at those two places that I had a real chance of getting the nomination.
Then my publicist, Lisa Goldberg, told me that if I'm not in the show for Opening Night I can't be considered for a nomination. So I was there. It wasn't pretty. I could barely sing and I couldn't hear but I made it through somehow. And I was Tony-nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. It should have been the best moment in my life, but it wasn't. I was very grateful but it was a really difficult time for me.
Has being a Tony-nominated actor changed your life in any ways?
Yes, absolutely! Offers started coming in without having to audition. You receive so much exposure during that nomination process and in this day and age so much of your work can be found online. And it's there because you were a Tony nominee. And it opened doors for me working as a professor in colleges. I didn't have a Master's Degree which was a prerequisite, but I did have a Tony nomination. So that tipped the scales in my favor. Now I have my Master's Degree and I love my job at Missouri State University teaching in the BFA program.
You played John Newton in Amazing Grace on Broadway in 2015. I know this experience started out with a 29-Hour Reading. And for those of you who don't know what a 29-Hour Reading is here is the definition according to Actors' Equity Association:
A 29-hour
reading is an agreement through Actors’ Equity Association that allows equity
actors to be involved without a contract. Members may participate for a maximum
of 29 hours (including both rehearsals and no more than three presentations)
over the course of 14 days. The readings may not use sets, props, wigs, make-up
or costumes. The readings may not be advertised to the public or reviewed by
critics. Actors are provided a base stipend plus travel reimbursement.
Amazing Grace was a very special project for me because I started working on it in 2008 with a 29-Hour Reading in NYC. That was followed by a workshop of the show in 2009. In 2012 there was a developmental production at Goodspeed Opera House's Norma Terris Theatre. In 2014 we had our World Premiere of the show in Chicago, which was followed by opening on Broadway in 2015.
29-Hour Readings in NYC are vital to getting new works on the path to Broadway. So much so that I have added it to the curriculum at Missouri State University for the musical theater majors.
Let's touch quickly on some of your other big roles/shows you've done. What comes to mind from when you played Che in Evita on the Broadway Revival Tour in 2013-2014?
What an incredible role! I loved every minute of it. The only reason I left the tour was to rejoin Amazing Grace on its new path to Broadway. Otherwise I would have finished out the whole tour.
You played Tony in the 50th Anniversary International Tour of West Side Story. Thoughts on this epic opportunity?
Such an iconic role! And I was able to travel and see the world while I was performing Tony. Priceless.
And of course Marius in the US National Tour of Les Misérables. Besides working with me (wink wink) what do you remember most about that experience?
Aside from it being one of the best musicals of all time I learned a lot about being a good company member. And getting along with your fellow castmates. You can be the most talented person in the world but if you don't know how to be a good company member, no one will want to hire you in the future.
Do you have a dream role that you haven't played yet?
Yes! Jean Valjean in Les Misérables. I want to play that role on Broadway someday.
As you should! And I'll be there cheering you on. Lastly do you have any advice for our theater kids in Huntsville that hope to have a career like you've had one day?
It's a different path for everyone. But I say come to Missouri State. The training here is second to none. My wife, Broadway Actress Emily Padgett, is also on faculty at MSU. Together we teach our students that there are so many other things you must master beyond the training to be successful in this business: Learning the Business of this Business, Social Media, Connections, etc. It's not enough to just have the training. You must be well-connected too.
Also, being on Broadway is wonderful. But there's so much more out there to do to as an actor. The happiest I've probably ever been is when I played Tateh in Ragtime at Ogunquit Playhouse In Maine. It's about maintaining a good work-life balance. When you have achieved that balance you are truly successful.
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