It’s about that time of year again: the Tony Awards are upon us.
On June 12th, James Corden will be hosting the 2016 ceremony at the Beacon, honoring the best of Broadway over the past year. And what a year it’s been. From unstoppable cultural behemoths (Hamilton) to gut-wrenching dramas (Eclipsed) to stunning and imaginative revivals (The Crucible), New York has produced enough astonishing theatre this season to last a lifetime.
But theatre doesn’t just happen. It takes scores of people to get a production off the ground. So, on the evening of May 24th, a gathering was held at the Lambs Club in New York City to honor the creative arts nominees and their accomplishments. High-end cocktails and maybe the best fried goat cheese I’ve ever had in my life (and a bunch of other great food) abounded as the actors, directors, et al mingled about in the spirit of collaborative celebration. The toast served as a reminder that, while there can only be one winner of a given award, who wins is perhaps the least important thing about the awards. Rather, it’s to recognize that artistic achievements of the theatrical world.
At the toast was getting underway, I managed to speak with a couple of people from Hamilton about the show and the involvement: Andy Blankenbuehler (the choreographer) and Leslie Odom, Jr., (Aaron Burr).
How does it feel to have this Tony nomination?
Andy Blankenbuehler: It’s great. Every step of the way with Hamilton has been a total dream. It’s a dream to us that the show is successful as it is, that people are streaming out [of the theater] for the show. I mean, ultimately, we feel very proud of our accomplishment. So it feels really great to be recognized by the whole industry.
Leslie Odom, Jr.: What’s it feel like right now… It feels like a dream come true. There’s part of you that dreams of a moment like this— I’ll speak for myself. There’s part of me maybe that dreamed of a moment like this. Maybe to be a part of a big TV show or big movie that hit or something. But to be part of something that’s connecting with people like this, that’s so successful, but also still feels like art… This is an Off-Broadway show that we made that’s connecting with people like this, so it feels really extraordinary.
How has the play and the choreography changed throughout its development and onto Broadway?
Blankenbuehler: When we moved uptown, everything deepened. Literally the set got higher. Things just grew in magnitude. They grew in depth. So even though the show didn’t really change— sometimes you do a show out of town and you change fifty percent of it. Here, we changed very little, but we deepened it. And it actually just made it better. So doing a second draft also enables you to use your eraser a little bit, clean up edges, make the lines a little sharper, and that’s what we did.
Odom, Jr.: It’s better. Time makes things better. We’ve had more time to live in these roles. We’ve had more time to explore the world and our relationship with each other and our relationship with the audience. I think it’s better.
How did you get involved with the project?
Blankenbuehler: I was very fortunate about nine years ago to meet [director] Thomas Kail, [orchestrator] Alex Lacamoire, [writer] Lin-Manuel Miranda, and [producer] Jeffrey Seller. Through my relationship with In the Heights, which then continued with Bring it On: The Musical and other shows, we just formed a team. So when Lin started creating this amazing thing, they roped me into the conversation, and I was just thrilled to be there, thrilled to be a part of it.
Hamilton is just a huge cultural phenomenon. Do you feel as though your life has changed at all?
Blankenbuehler: I don’t even recognize my life on most days. I mean, my life has become totally different. And to me the biggest gift is that it’s allowing me to enter into conversations with really stimulating artists. So I know it’s going to bring me really great new opportunities. And for my collaborators. We’re all going to get to move forward together to do different things as well. You know, it’s changed my life in every possible way.
Odom, Jr.: Without a doubt. The opportunities that I have have changed. What I’m going to be able to achieve in my life has expanded. People’s imaginations and ideas about what I can do have expanded. It’s a great thing.
Leslie, how did you go about creating the character and interpreting the history into something living and breathing?
Odom, Jr.: I just try to get filled up with the music. I did all my research and stuff, and then you let that go. I try to be inspiration and action. As the melodies and as the rhythms inspire me, I just try to let my body move as I feel, and let my voice… I try to sing as the piece moves me even in the moment.
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It was a very relaxing engagement at the Lambs Club once all the interviews were said and done. The actors, producers, directors, choreographers, costume and lighting designers, and all the others who make theatre happen were having a wonderful time basking in their well-deserved limelight.
