Marquee Digital

Presents...

Mill Mountain Theatre
Young Audiences

May 8 - 16

Written by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Featuring  

ISSAC BOULDIN

LEAH BOULDIN

JESSE BRAAK

ZACHARY CONKLIN

SOPHIA GIBSON

ELISE LEGAULT

CAROLINE MOLEDOR

JAMES MOLEDOR

BRENNAN O'REILLY

RYAN RAMEY

GRIFFIN SHAVER

CAROLINE WESTON

Production Manager

Matt Shields

Sound Design

Savannah Woodruff

Arrangements

Titania’s Lullaby,
Caroline Moledor

Casting

Victoria Buck &
Payton Moledor

Producing Artistic Director

Ginger Poole

Digital Advertising

Ian Ridgway

Digital Program

Marquee Digital

Production Stage Manager

TAYLOR COBB

Assistant Director

Payton Moledor

Directed By

VICTORIA BUCK

Cast

Zachary Conklin

Theseus/Oberon

Caroline Weston

Hippolyta/Titania

Elise LeGault

Hermia

Caroline Moledor

Helena

Isaac Bouldin

Lysander

Brennan O’Reilly

Demetrius

Jesse Braak

Puck/Philostrate

Sophia Gibson

Bottom/Egeus

Griffin Shaver

Quince/Mote

Ryan Ramey

Flute/Mustardseed

James Moledor

Snug/Cobweb

Leah Bouldin

Starveling/Peaseblossom

Setting

Athens and the outlying forest.

Theatre Staff

Ginger Poole

Producing Artistic Director

Larry Kuffel

Business Manager

John Levin

Director of Development

Victoria Buck

Director of Education

Leonela Hernandez

Education Associate

Alexia Buckner

Community Engagement Coordinator/Teaching Artist

Ian Ridgway

Creative Director of Public Relations

Payton Moledor

Assistant Artistic Director

Matt Shields

Production Manager

Seth Davis

Resident Musical Director

Taylor Cobb

Resident Stage Manager/Carpenter

Savannah Woodruff

Sound Technician/Carpenter

Drew Callahan

Carpenter

Message from the Producing Artistic Director

We are so proud and excited to share the hard work of our staff and cast with this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This is the first live show we have shared with an audience in person in over a year. We have worked very hard behind the scenes to prepare ourselves for this very moment, to have you back with us. We look forward as we roll out the rest of our 2021 Season as we slowly go from virtual performances, to outside performances, to finally back inside in the Trinkle MainStage. We thank you all for your continued support. Please follow what’s next on our social media and website to stay up to date with Mill Mountain Theatre.

Ginger Poole
Producing Artistic Director
Mill Mountain Theatre

A Note on COVID-19

At Mill Mountain Theatre, it is our priority to keep our artists, employees, students, and patrons healthy, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, we will abide by governmental and CDC guidelines as we continue producing high-quality professional theatre in the Roanoke Valley. To read more, click here.

A Note from the Director

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the first Shakespeare play I ever saw performed, and I have loved it ever since. Filled with magic, fairies, lovers, brawls, and, of course, a play-within-a-play, the story of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is not only immensely entertaining, but also highly relevant to our work and our lives today, particularly in a time when we all feel a bit like we’ve been hit by a fever dream and are still figuring out what’s going on.

Being able to bring this crazy comedy to life with this incredible group of young actors, even and especially during these strange times, has been a dream come true for me, and I am immensely proud of the work this cast has done during this process. Putting on a production is always a challenge, and, as we know, “the course of true love never did run smooth,” but being responsible for the first in-person production done at Mill Mountain Theatre in over a year in the midst of an ongoing pandemic has been one of the most challenging experiences most of us have had in our theatrical careers, and we could not have done it without the help of many, many people.

I want to extend a massive personal thank you to the team at the Heights Community Church for allowing us to use their beautiful venue and being so kind and gracious with all of our questions and requests, as well as a huge thank you to the MMT staff and board of directors, the parents and families of the cast members who have supported us along the way, the team at Center in the Square, this beautiful company of actors, and of course, all of you for coming to see this production and making what we do possible. We could not have done this without each and every one of you, and I am eternally grateful.

Victoria Buck
Director of Education
Director of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Sponsors & Grantors

Mill Mountain Theatre would like to thank the following sponsors and grantors for their support of this production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the 2021 Season:

Sponsors

Grantors

Cast
Creative

Meet the Cast

Zachary Conklin

(Theseus/Oberon)

Zachary is an actor, writer, and musician. In his spare time, he likes playing music on guitar, bass, ukulele, and many more instruments. He is excited for his first real foray into Shakespeare. He is grateful for MMT, and all the amazing staff there for giving him this opportunity. Some of his favorite credits include Matilda at RCT, The Little Mermaid, Jr. at MMT, Goosebumps at RCT, and High School Musical, Jr. at MMT.

Caroline Weston

(Hippolyta/Titania)

Caroline is honored to be performing in yet another Shakespearean classic at MMT. A senior at Cave Spring High School, she has spent her time performing in several shows in the area’s professional theaters, her favorite credits including her roles as July in Annie at Virginia Children’s Theatre and Benvolio/Capulet in Romeo & Juliet at MMT. She has been a member of the Roanoke Valley Children’s choir for nine years. In her free time she enjoys cooking, reading, and most of all, singing! She will be attending the University of Virginia in the fall and plans on studying Drama and Psychology with a minor in Spanish. She would like to thank her family for their endless support, as well as the staff at MMT for giving her a second home throughout her time with them. She is so grateful to conclude her experience as a Mill Mountain Conservatory student in such a beautiful way and hopes you enjoy the show!

Elise LeGault

(Hermia)

Elise is a sophomore at Cave Spring High School. She is a student at Mill Mountain Theatre Conservatory, and has played various roles in plays over the years at local Roanoke theatres. Some of her favorite roles include Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins, Jr. and Skipper in Madagascar, Jr. In her spare time, Elise is in a band and plays various instruments. She is also a worship leader with her youth group. She is excited to be doing live theatre again, and hopes that everyone enjoys the show!

Caroline Moledor

(Helena)

Caroline is a high school sophomore who is thrilled to be back onstage for the first time in more than a year! She has performed in over a dozen productions with MMT, some of her favorites including The Tempest (Miranda), The Sound of Music (Louisa), The Little Mermaid, Jr. (Chef Louis), A Christmas Story (Helen Weathers), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Katie/Mrs. Van Tassle), and the Let’s Go to the Movies concert. When not acting on stage, Caroline enjoys playing music and is part of two local bands.

Isaac Bouldin

(Lysander)

Isaac is a homeschooled high school senior living in Roanoke, VA. He has previously appeared on stage as Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet and Dizzy Davis in Timeless Twenties, MMT’s immersive theatre experience. He plans to attend Belmont University in Nashville, TN, in the fall to pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre. In his spare time, he enjoys playing piano, climbing trees, and writing bios about himself in the third person.

Brennan O’Reilly

(Demetrius)

Brennan has been part of the theatre community since the eighth grade. Throughout high school, he has pursued acting and theatre full force. His two favorite performances include playing Mr. Beaver in Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and Captain Keller in The Miracle Worker. He intends to pursue acting after high school and continue theatre as his career. Brennan is very excited to be a part of this performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream!

Jesse Braak

(Puck/Philostrate)

Jesse is very excited to make his debut with Mill Mountain Theatre. He is a senior this year at Blacksburg High school and has been involved in local theatre for the past five years. Some of his recent credits include Gilligan’s Island the Musical (Gilligan), Miracle on 34th Street (Dr. Pierce), It’s a Wonderful Life (Nick/Freddie), and Willy Wonka (Augustus). Besides theatre, Jesse enjoys art and hopes to pursue both in the future.

Sophia Gibson

(Bottom/Egeus)

Sophia is a senior at Salem High School. This is her very first Mill Mountain Theatre production and she is beyond excited to share this wonderful performance with the audience! Sophia has been doing theatre at Salem High School for the past four years and at Mill Mountain Theatre for the past year. She has a little bit of a Shakespeare background, having appeared in Salem High School’s production of As You Like It, and is thrilled to be playing Egeus and Bottom in this production. She hopes audiences love our production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream!

Griffin Shaver

(Quince/Mote)

Griffin is a seventh-grader at Hidden Valley Middle in Roanoke. Some of his favorite previous roles include Schwartz in A Christmas Story, Young Shrek/Baby Bear in Shrek The Musical TYA, and The Boy in The Velveteen Rabbit. Griffin enjoys working with MMT’s amazing staff and would like to thank them, his family, and his friends for coming to the shows and for their support.

Ryan Ramey

(Flute/Mustardseed)

Ryan went to Lord Botetourt High School and has been a part of Mill Mountain Theatre for three years, performing in shows like Romeo & Juliet and Write Stuff!, and working on shows like The Little Mermaid, Jr., The Sound of Music, and Next To Normal. Ryan was also an MMT intern in 2019. He thanks you all for seeing our show!

James Moledor

(Snug/Cobweb)

James is a 9th-grade homeschooler who is excited to be back at Mill Mountain Theatre. His favorite credits include A Christmas Story (Boy understudy/ensemble), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Hans Van Eke), The Little Mermaid, Jr. (Flotsam), and The Sound of Music (Friedrich). This is James’ first time performing Shakespeare, though he has often enjoyed seeing it performed. He would like to give special thanks to his parents for being so supportive of him.

Leah Bouldin

(Starveling/Peaseblossom)

Leah is a homeschooled high schooler in Roanoke, VA. This is her first MMT production, but she has appeared in numerous showings of SVB’s The Nutcracker and participated in Miss Mona’s Drama Camp at Showtimer’s Theatre. She can often be found with her nose buried in a book and enjoys singing with her brother and baking. She is very excited to be in this production and hopes you all enjoy the show!

Creative Team

Victoria Buck

(Director)

Victoria is originally from Columbus, Georgia, where she spent her childhood acting, singing, and dancing in local theaters and studios. After graduating from high school, her passion for the performing arts and theatre education led her to Greenville, South Carolina, where she received her Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theatre Arts from Furman University, and then on to Staunton, Virginia, where she received both her Master of Letters (MLitt) and her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin University. In her time as an artist, Victoria has worked primarily as an educator and actor, serving several theaters in Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia, including the Springer Opera House, the Warehouse Theatre, and the American Shakespeare Center. Victoria is thrilled to be part of the team at Mill Mountain Theatre and loves seeing the wonderful work of all the students she is fortunate enough to teach.

Taylor Cobb

(Stage Manager)

Taylor Cobb was born in Kansas and grew up in Southwest VA. Taylor discovered his passion for the theatre arts at a young age and has spent most of his life performing as an actor and musician. He is a classically trained percussionist and vocalist but has taken on the unique challenges of Stage Management in recent years. He most recently worked for the Virginia Children’s Theatre (formerly Roanoke Children’s Theatre) as the Resident Production Stage Manager, and is very excited to build upon his talents here at Mill Mountain Theatre. Some of Taylor’s favorite credits include Matilda (VCT), Chicago (Hollins University), and The Sap of Life (Virginia Tech).

Caroline Moledor

(Music Arrangement)

Caroline is a high school sophomore who is thrilled to be back onstage for the first time in more than a year! She has performed in over a dozen productions with MMT, some of her favorites including The Tempest (Miranda), The Sound of Music (Louisa), The Little Mermaid, Jr. (Chef Louis), A Christmas Story (Helen Weathers), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (Katie/Mrs. Van Tassle), and the Let’s Go to the Movies concert. When not acting on stage, Caroline enjoys playing music and is part of two local bands.

Payton Moledor

(Assistant Director)

Payton Moledor is a performer and creative originally from North Carolina. She is a graduate of the University of Virginia, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art. For her work as a performer, she was the recipient of the 2020 Arlyn Brewster Award in Musical Theatre (NSAL) and the 2019 Award for Excellence in the Arts (UVA). As an administrator, Payton has served as the Co-Chair of the UVA Drama Arts Board, Co-President of the Virginia Players, and Assistant Producer at 59E59 Theatres and Theater Alliance. She is also a freelance branding manager interested in exploring the artistic experience.

Ginger Poole

(Producer)

Ginger Poole is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association and an Associate member of theStage Directors and Choreographers Union. She has studied, taught, choreographed, and performed throughout the U.S. She has worked in GA, HI, FL, MS, SC and VA with, Theatre in the Square, The Alliance City Series, Theatre Gael, Synchronicity Performance Group-GA, Mill Mountain Theatre-VA and SC Children’s Theatre. Originally from Atlanta, she has worked with the N.F.L. and The Atlanta Falcons as their director and choreographer and The Atlanta Opera.Prior to coming to Mill Mountain Theatre, she was based out of North Carolina where she has worked with Flat Rock Playhouse, the State Theatre of North Carolina, in over 25 productions. She was a part of the Education program at Flat Rock Playhouse for 5 years where she taught for their Apprentice Companies and their Conservatory Program in Acting, Dance, and Musical Theatre.Ginger has taught at The University of Southern Mississippi, Western Carolina University, William Carey College, Mississippi University for Women, and currently teaches at Hollins University.With Ginger’s strong background in dance she finds herself not only acting and dancing on stage but also directing the choreography and classroom skills for her students. Ginger holds her M.F.A. in Acting Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi and continues to teach acting and dance.  She has worked with students that range in age from kindergarten through professionals.

Ginger has worked in commercials, voice-overs, film, stage, and the classroom, and was profiled in the book FIRESTARTERS as “the actor”.

Ginger serves on the following Board of Directors: South Eastern Theatre Conference (SETC Secretary, Second Term), Junior League of the Roanoke Valley (Past President and Current Nominating Committee, Second Term), Burton Performing Arts Advisory Board, The Roanoke City Public Schools Education Foundation, and she has served on the Review Panel for theVirginia Commission for the Arts. She was the recipient of the DePaul’s Women of Achievement Award in the Arts in 2013 and was named the 2016 Kendig Award recipient for Individual Artist. Ginger is also a guest host with WSLS, the NBC affiliate, Daytime Blue Ridge television show, and is the host of the new Mill Mountain Theatre Podcast, Meet Me at Mill Mountain. She is very proud to be a member of the Mill Mountain Theatre team and looks forward to its continued growth, success, and artistic influence in the region.

Marquee Digital

(Digital Program)

Marquee Digital is a New York-based tech startup innovating the theatre industry with ground-breaking digital program solutions. The Marquee is a theatrical program for the 21st century, employing contactless, eco-friendly, and ADA-compliant technology to create an interactive and highly intuitive experience for audience members.

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Conservatory

MMT Conservatory


‍MMT Conservatory is the pre-professional training program at Mill Mountain Theatre. The Conservatory fosters the artistic growth of burgeoning artists, nurturing creativity and self-expression in a setting intimately connected to the region’s premier professional theatre. With a variety of classes for all ages and experience levels, each semester offers new material and artistic challenges for students to hone their creative skills. Come be a part of our exciting theatrical community by signing up for one of our Summer Camps! Check out our listing of camps by visiting our website.

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Be sure and use the code EARLYBIRD25 for a discount! (Valid through May 15th)
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Grace’s Place Pizzeria

Pizza | 1316 Grandin Rd SW

Thin-crust pizza, homestyle pastas, & sandwiches from a cozy eatery in an old-fashioned locale.

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Village Grill

Bar and Grill | 1802 Memorial Ave SW

Cozy American option serving comfort-food classics in a tavern-like setting with deck seating.

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PB’s Po Boys

Sandwiches | 1820 Memorial Ave SW

Serving Po’ Boy sandwiches out of the Scratch Biscuit location.

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Local Roots

Organic Restaurant | 1314 Grandin Rd SW

Bustling eatery offering a menu of locally sourced New American plates in warm, high-ceilinged digs.

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Taaza Indian Cuisine

Indian Restaurant | 1910 Memorial Ave SW

Classy restaurant providing modern Indian & Mediterranean fare along with a buffet & full bar.

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FarmBurguesa

Hamburgers | 1908 Memorial Ave SW

Farm to table burger restaurant with fresh local ingredients on delicious burgers.

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Rockfish Food and Wine

American Restaurant | 1402 Grandin Rd SW Ste 101

Modern bistro for seafood specials, seasonal menus, & a vast wine list, plus occasional live music.

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News

While You Wait

With the help of our friends at Theatrely.com, Marquee Digital has you covered with exclusive content while you wait for the curtain to rise.

Theatrely News
"AND… SCENE! John Collum and the Broadway Divo"
Theatrely News
"AND… SCENE! As If We Never Said Goodbye"
Theatrely News
"Mixing It Up with Broadway By The Glass"
AND...SCENE! John Collum and the Broadway Divo
By: Juan A. Ramirez
9 April 2021

And...Scene! is Juan A. Ramirez's weekly column with hot takes, musings, and all that jazz.

__________

Now, this space (the column; my mind, generally) is usually a site of diva worship, especially for ladies of the stage. But “John Cullum: An Accidental Star”, a new filmed performance of what was to be a live one-man show, got me thinking about Broadway’s leading men and the curiously small place they occupy in our cultural awareness.

The show, it must be said, is mostly delightful. Cullum is a jovial presence––avuncular in a way we don’t see much anymore. His sweet Tennessee lilt and heavy Americana vibes are the kind that, for many, were annihilated by the politics of recent years. At 91, he has an infectious––and even for this 24-year-old, enviable––vitality and “golly gee!” energy that have not crashed in the eight decades he’s been in New York.

The “accidental” nature of his stardom is of the type we usually lose our minds over when associated with women. Think of Sutton Foster’s picked-from-the-chorus-line narrative with Thoroughly Modern Millie, or of Cullum’s own castmate in the original Broadway production of On the Twentieth Century, Judy Kaye. When a height-of-her-powers Madeline Kahn left that production shortly after its opening, Kaye ran away with both the spotlight and the audience’s imagination. Cullum won his second Tony Award for the performance, anyhow, and has been working on Broadway right up through a 2016 stint on Waitress.

But here’s an American Theatre Hall of Fame inductee with two Tony wins and two more nominations who we don’t often think about. What other leading men do we have? Those of the versatile Norbert Leo Butz and Danny Burstein variety tend to inspire more respect than adoration. Comedians like Andy Karl and Christian Borle get laughs, but little glitz. I’ve enjoyed and relied upon these men’s performances throughout the years, but it’s usually the women on the Playbill to whom my eyes wander.

Far be it from me to turn this into a Men’s Rights column, but does Broadway not regale its men with the same glory it does its women? Should we? Should we care? Or is the nature of stagedoor stanning predicated on the razzle dazzle of the roles we give our divas? Would I start posting overly earnest Instagram birthday posts for Norm Lewis if he donned a fabulous bob and sequined gown onstage the way I do whenever Patti LuPone so much as blinks? Would area gays have blacked out at intermission in preparation to see Peter Gallagher descend a staircase in a red-feathered headdress in Hello, Dolly!?

Honestly, probably. I almost screamed the roof off London’s Apollo Theatre cheering for Layton Williams when I saw Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and anything Alan Cumming does is certified gold, so my gut tells me that a simple––hold your laughs––queering of Broadway might be the way to get these men Audra levels of praise.

In any case, lowkey-Broadway-historian Tina Fey gave John Cullum a quick 30 Rock cameo as Leap Dave Williams, and on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt as… well, watch for yourself. And that is how showbiz legends never die.

Follow Juan A. at @itsNumberJuan.

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AND...SCENE! As If We Never Said Goodbye
By: Juan A. Ramirez
9 April 2021

And...Scene! is Juan A. Ramirez's weekly column with hot takes, musings, and all that jazz.

__________

It is day 386 of the Broadway shutdown, as one newsletter is bent on reminding me. For the first time in a while, however, I am filled with the blind optimism that has clearly overtaken the producers of the upcoming Princess Diana musical. Yes, hope has reared its sunny head into the New York theatre world and, just as that particular team believes a 2-month streaming run on Netflix ahead of a live production will make people want to see their ill-advised biomusical even more, I believe the days of hand-wringing and Zoom-logging-inning are soon to pass.

In his daring finish-line scheme to Actually Do Good before an impending ousting, Governor Cuomo seems to have targeted theatre nerds on this would-be rehabilitation campaign, announcing the hasty return of live indoor performance, effective today.

Of course, enthusiasm had already been brewing in me since Blindness, a COVID-era theatrical experience which began at London’s beloved Donmar Warehouse, announced a New York bow. I’ll admit I was slightly dispirited when I found out there would be no live performances, but rather a “socially distanced sound and light experience,” but nevermind the fact that that copy is basically describing the concept of cinema! It is something to do.

Blindness comes from the Donmar and is adapted by Simon Stephens from a Nobel-winner’s novel, but its most impressive cosign, by far, is the knowledge that its concurrent Mexico City production––they’re going wide, baby––is narrated by Marina de Tavira, best known as the matriarch from Alfonso Cuarón’s spectacular Roma.

Best of all, I’m able to see a future in which all the pessimistic think pieces about the death of theatre as we know it can be proven wrong. No, we will not forget the long days of COVID-19, but I am unable to believe that a year-long stint in isolation will have a profound impact on how we experience theatre. Yes, live streams, digital productions, and producers seemingly not caring about entire productions existing on YouTube are gorgeous new additions to our theatrical landscape, but let’s not pretend we’ll forget this whole mess as soon as the curtain rises on a new show.

It should go without saying, if you see me writing a complete negation of this in a few months, following a resounding reversal of everything I hope for… mind your business. But tomorrow, I will be watching Blindness and, once again, be sitting in a dark room, in silence.

Follow Juan A. at @itsNumberJuan.

Mixing It Up with Broadway By The Glass
By: Zach Reiser
13 Jan 2021

Have you ever been to a Broadway show and tried their signature cocktail in the bar in the lobby? Theatrely recently had a virtual drink with Kellyann Coyle and Brian Sedita, who took those drinks and are teaching you how to make them on their Instagram, Broadway By The Glass.

Theatrely: What were you both up to before the pandemic started?

Brian Sedita: In the theater industry, at least, I have a podcast called “Pitch to Stage” on the Broadway Podcast Network. And then after quarantine started, I also co-created another show with Michael Kushner called “My Broadway Memory” which is also on the Broadway Podcast Network, which I'm still co-creator of, but have stepped down in terms of my commitment to producing and all that kind of stuff, because quarantine was one thing, and then after that life went back to normal a little bit for me. I don't work in the theater industry anymore.

Kellyann Coyle: For me, pre-pandemic, I'm an actor in the city, dancer first! I did a couple of tours and some regional stuff. I'm also a bartender, my bar has since closed until April. So this passion project has pulled literally the two things that I love doing that I can't do during quarantine together. So it's been so great. And we both just love theater so much. So it's like it's such a fun passion project for us.

T: How did you two meet?

BS: So we actually grew up together! We went to preschool through graduating high school together and have stayed best friends since.

T: When did you two decide to start Broadway by the Glass?

BS: So I'm also a bartender in New Jersey. Honestly, it's so funny, because I had been thinking about doing something like this for a while. And then, I know Kelly was thinking about doing the same thing, and at that point I really didn't have a lot of time to commit to it. But I was like, "you know what? If you want to go ahead without me I will not be offended." And it just ended up working out that when we were going to start this time freed up in some areas of my life so I was able to commit a lot more time to it.

KC: It was literally like the next day, wasn't it? Because I was ready to go and then you were like, "I have time now." And I'm like, "yeah!"

BS: And what I've loved most about this collaboration so far is that Kelly and I haven't really worked together in an artistic or professional sense since high school. So this has been a really great way to connect even more than we normally would have over the past couple of years.

T: Walk me through your process a little bit, how do you get from picking a show to formulating a drink?

KC: Hmmm, well, I feel like when we started out, we were picking random shows and we were like, "OK, so, what's something we could do from Frozen, like maybe an iced drink?" And then I guess we got a little more specific with Christmas. We did a 12 Days of Christmas countdown, and Brian made a full on list of all Christmas shows and Christmas songs. Then we went in and listened to it and tried to get inspiration from it, like if they mention a liquor or what the vibe is. I feel like that's the one thing that we really try to do is get the vibe of the show. So like when you think of super smoky and like dark, that's what you expect when you hear Hadestown.

BS: And I mean, if you're twenty one and above, you might love alcohol. And if you're a Broadway fan, like merging those two things is just lots of fun. How many times do you get drunk and sing show tunes? So this is like the perfect marriage of those two things. And it's creative to like sit down and like craft a cocktail! Like it's not just your normal margarita for Escape to Margaritaville. We're trying to come up with things like where we can introduce people to different kinds of liqueurs and spirits so that it'll also expand people's vocabulary and liquor cabinets.

KC: A little educational! And we're starting to do hopefully every Friday a little history on either a cocktail or explaining a liquor or liqueur and doing like a little education segment on IGTV.

BS: Like, there's so much that we could do with this and so much that we've discussed how we can build and grow as a brand. So every show you go to has a really cool cocktail list and you're excited to go to the bar and look at what they came up with for the shows. So our dream for this would be to create custom opening night cocktails for opening nights on Broadway or around the country and doing cocktail workshops and leading cocktail parties and stuff like that, and maybe getting our cocktails on those Broadway show menus. I think the moment that I first was inspired to do something like this was two years ago. I went to the opening night of Be More Chill and they had and at the after party they had a Squip-tini and it was this Mountain Dew and vodka, and it was smoking because it had dry ice in it. And it was this really cool cocktail that like maybe didn't taste great because Mountain Dew doesn't taste great. But it was so specific to the show and it was that perfect marriage of those two things that I was talking about with alcohol and a Broadway show. And then there's such missed opportunities, like I remember going to the Alice By Heart opening and they didn't do anything with a teacup, like you'd think like a tea cocktail, like Earl Gray Gin. Or there's so many tea inspired cocktails now. And they didn't do anything like that.

T: What's been your favorite drink that you've posted so far?

KC: Oh, my God, lemme see. I loved the "You Go, Glen Coco" and it was a candy cane martini. And I was super excited about it. And I was trying to get inspiration from recipes online. Everyone was going the white chocolate route, which I don't love. So I went in the complete opposite direction and went a little fruity with it. And it literally tasted like a melted down candy cane that you get when you're a kid where it's sweet and minty, but not like in your face, and the garnish was really cute. I put icing around the edge and dipped it in crushed candy cane and it just was so pretty. And it did really well on the page.

BS: My favorite was also from our Christmas series. And it was "She Loves Christmas" and we used the "12 Days of Christmas" from She Loves Me as the backtrack to it. And we went to the nine days of Christmas and that's what day we did it on. It's a vodka elderflower liqueur, which is my absolute favorite liqueur, Aperol, lemon juice and simple syrup. And it's something that honestly, I've made for so many of my friends when they come over to my house now that they're like, "you need to bottle this!" And it's delicious and it's sweet and sour and it's good and it hits hard.

T: Is there anything on the horizon that we can look forward to seeing?

BS: We're partnering with some Broadway box subscriptions to get our cocktails in their boxes like little postcards with cocktails and a mocktail. And then you'll scan like a QR code to exclusive videos with us doing a workshop on that cocktail. So a little more than our social media might give you. You have an exclusive link. And then we're going to be releasing some merchandise in the spring. There's many references to liquor throughout the Broadway musical theater canon. So we're going through that and picking out our favorite things to design and hopefully by March we'll have that up and running. So we're kind of trying to build that brand so that by the time Broadway comes back, we can really hop on. There's so much content out there because there's so many artists that are looking for something meaningful to do during this time. Yeah, there's so much exploding, and hopefully there's so many things that we want to take outside of this time of quarantine back to like normal times. I mean, theatre is all about connecting, and honestly, for us, when you go out to a bar and connect with people over a drink, it's the same kind of connection that you can have at the theater.

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