Welcome, everyone.

I am Amanita Pleasant Bessette.

I'm the Director of Events I am and Donor Engagementsette.

for the WNET group, home of All Arts, and we are really excited to have you join us tonight for a topic that we're all very excited and very happy about -- the reopening of Broadway.

And we would love to encourage you to join the conversation.

Please feel free to ask questions in the chat or to put them in the Q&A box, and we'll either get to them during the conversation or in a dedicated Q&A moment at the end.

And with that, I am very happy to introduce and thank our host for this evening, the Artistic Director of All Arts, James King.

Hello, everyone, and welcome to this evening's discussion around "Back to Broadway."

So, as Amanita said, I'm the Artistic Director here at All Arts, which is a member of the WNET group.

And after a career in live performance, I thought it would be really interesting to gather some of my friends and colleagues and talk about this return to Broadway after the pandemic.

I want to first tell you a little bit about All Arts.

We are a new platform in the WNET group.

We went on broadcast in 2019.

We started up about six months before that with our social-media website and our app that you can find on Apple TV, Roku, and Fire TV.

Our goal is to reach into the local community and then extend that out on a national level and to represent all disciplines in the arts.

Again, tonight, we're going to be talking about theater, and I'm very excited to introduce you to our guests.

But before we do that, I wanted to thank our lead funders.

So they are Jody and John Arnhold and the Arnhold Foundation, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim, III, the Kate W. Cassidy Foundation, the Jerome L. Greene Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Anderson Family Fund, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and the estate of Roland Karlen.

So, our guests this evening come from a variety of areas in the Broadway ecosystem.

We have Dale Franzen here with us.

She's a Tony Award-winning producer as well as the founding director and creator of the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, California.

She also spent over 20 years performing as a lyric soprano.

Her most recent project is the hugely successful Tony and Grammy Award-winning Broadway musical "Hadestown."

She's especially passionate about bringing more women and underrepresented voices into producing and leadership roles in the arts and in the industry in general.

We also have with us Gennean Scott.

Gennean is the Broadway League's first Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

This position was recently created to expand existing programs, provide greater access, and forge more partnerships with diverse audiences.

A former dancer, Gennean was previously Vice President of Human Capital and Inclusion for Omaha Performing Arts and was a co-founder of the Black Arts Leadership Alliance based in the Midwest.

We also have Mandy -- Mandy Gonzalez.

She's currently playing the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway hit "Hamilton."

A Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning actress, she's best known as Nina Rosario in the original cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda's "In the Heights."

Her other Broadway credits include Elphaba in "Wicked," "Aida," "Lennon," and "Dance of the Vampires."

Last, but not least, is Tomás Matos.

He has a unique perspective, having made his Broadway debut during the pandemic in "Diana, the Musical."

He has performed at the La Jolla Playhouse, the Guthrie Theater, and Arena Stage, among others.

He is also a native New Yorker who attended the Fiorello LaGuardia High School of Music and Art, also known as the Fame High School.

So join me in welcoming our panelists here.

So, for this evening, I think I want to start with you, Dale.

We know that there are 41 theaters on Broadway, and all of those theaters closed at 5:00 p.m. on March 12, 2020.

And according to the "New York Daily News," Broadway has lost an estimated $35 million in gross revenue each week that they were closed.

I was wondering, can you, as a producer, talk a little bit about the economic impact for individual shows and for "Hadestown" in particular?

I'm going to start by saying, I love this panel because all of us started -- and some of us are still [Laughs] -- started as artists, and I think it gives us a unique perspective, for those of us who have moved on to other roles, that I have always seen everything I do from the artist's perspective, which is usually not the case, especially in the commercial world, which this is my first jaunt into the commercial world.

In terms of the economic impact, I mean, it was -- yeah, everybody knows it was devastating.

Broadway is its own unique set of circumstances, very different from anything else I've ever done.

I've worked in the nonprofit most of my life, and every show is like a separate company, so every show has had a completely different experience.

Some shows have suffered tremendously and, as we all know, couldn't reopen.

Other shows chose not to reopen and went directly to touring.

We were in a very lucky position where we literally hadn't even finished our first year.

We were, I think, a month away from finishing our first year, so we had not completed the tri-state world yet.

We're still in the tri-state world, which for our show will be somewhere between, you know, two years or three years.

Right, right.

And we've now literally just finished six weeks ago when we opened, or a little more than six weeks now.

A year -- you know, our year anniversary...

Right, right.

...which was part of a very strange year, as we all know.

I think that we were in a very different position than many shows because many people wanted to see the show and couldn't.

And they were waiting to see it, and then we shut down.

So we were in a very fortunate position.

I think, also, our story, which, you know, is based on a Greek legend, and it's a very timely story, no matter when you do it.

I mean, I can't think of any time this story would not hit nerves, which I feel is the same for "Hamilton" in many ways.

I mean, it's just a story that has so many universal themes.

And you know, a big theme in our story is solidarity and standing up, standing together, being lost in the wilderness, being lost in a dark place.

And who can't relate to that right now?

[ Laughs ] I think that we've been ex-- we're very lucky.

We really are very lucky, and I have colleagues who are not having such a great reopening.

We've already seen, of the, I think, 15 shows that have opened so far, some already had to close or have had problems.

Right, they've been struggling, for sure.

One of the things that you touched on was this sort of isolation and the sort of darkness that we all descended into when the theaters closed and the pandemic went full-steam ahead.

I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about what it was like for your creative team to re-launch after 18 months and trying to come back and find that lively energy and that spirit that took the show from off-Broadway, where I originally saw the show, to the large Broadway stage.

I think it was incredibly difficult.

I mean, everybody had a different COVID.

Let's face it.

Some of us left the city, went home to live with their moms.

Some of us were able to live in vacation homes somewhere.

Some of us moved.

I mean, it was a very different experience.

But most of us, certainly in terms of the creative team and the cast, were not able to perform, were not able to sing or dance or, you know, be in front of an audience.

Those muscles -- as Mandy, I'm sure, can and Tomás can attest to.

You know, when you are not working eight shows a week, that is a daunting -- it's difficult without a pandemic, but then to come back and have two weeks or three weeks of rehearsal and then be thrown again into an incredibly uncertain world, I mean, I think there was huge anxiety for everybody.

I'm very proud of how my team has handled it.

We have an extraordinary group of people, but I have to be honest, I don't think it was easy for anybody.

I mean, even just getting back in a room with a lot of people with all of the protocols of COVID now, which are working, thank God -- are working very well, but they're daunting.

You know, it's a lot.

So, you know, you mentioned the protocols, and I know that that's been a big hurdle for everybody as we tried to enjoy live performance again.

And I was wondering how long you worked prior to bringing everyone back in the room, establishing the protocols for your particular show.

Was there a lead time for you as the group of producers?

And then who did you work with to establish those protocols and then finally settle on what they would be?

I love that question because I don't think the people that have had to deal with it, ongoing, really get the credit that they deserve.

And I'm just going to call out, you know, Beverly Jenkins, my stage manager, Kim Kelley, Andrew Hartman, company managers, David Richards and Beverly Edwards at RCI.

I mean, they are working so much harder than you can imagine to make sure that these protocols are really dealt with, and they're huge.

I mean, it's like, when I think of the work to put a Broadway show on, in the best of times, it's staggering, and now it's not the best of times.

And I think those people deserve huge applause and never get it.

And you never even see them, right?

They're offstage.

King: That's right.

Franzen: The team at "Hadestown," the crew, the tech people, the management people -- they are working overtime.

As you know, in July, the world seemed like it was coming back to life and everything was going to be groovy.

And then all of a sudden, we got hit with Delta and everything changed again.

And I think the great thing that is different on Broadway than, for instance, the West End, is that we did wait until we had more clarity.

And I think the feeling for most of us is we're not going to shut down again, we're going to adapt, we're going to be grown-ups.

And I have to say, everybody is complying.

I mean, the the audience shows up with masks and vaccination.

We've had literally almost no incident at all of any problems in that way.

Then we have, you know, the cast, the crew, the tech.

I mean, people are, for the most part, behaving beautifully.

And it's made a difference, you know.

It has made a huge difference.

And that is the foreseeable future, so we...

I have to say that, you know, I've attended a couple of shows since the reopening, and I felt very safe.

And I could tell, as an industry insider, the hard work that people did to get us to a point where we could gather together again.

So I'm really appreciative, and I'm glad that you were able to share some of the hard work that we never hear anyone talk about when it comes to re-mounting a show under circumstances like we're faced with.

But you know, you talked about some of the new ways that we're approaching the work again, and that leads me to a question that I wanted to ask Gennean.

You know, Gennean, I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about your role in the work that you're doing in this new world of theater.

You are the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Representative for the Broadway League.

Can you share with us what that really means and what you do in that role?

Sure.

I would say, this past year and a half, we've been dealing with two pandemics.

We've been dealing with COVID pandemic, and we've been dealing with the racial-unrest pandemic.

And this position was created during a low time of COVID and during this country -- one of this country's ultimate lows, as well.

And for them to create this position at a time when there was no revenue coming in, there was no "Save Our Stages" act yet, but they knew that this position was needed.

They had always had equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.

But the problem was that it wasn't being communicated to the people that it was put out there to help.

So you put together a program for a group of individuals, but they don't know that it exists.

And so that was part of the problem.

The other problem was that it lived in multiple houses.

It lived in marketing, it lived in education or audience engagement, it lived in the labor and the union.

And it it really needed somebody to give it its 100-percent attention to streamline the efforts.

And so that's what I'm here.

I'm here to be a resource for the 700-plus members that we have.

I'm here to streamline the programs.

I'm here to better communicate those programs.

But more than anything, I feel like I'm here to go out into the community, and not the community that we traditionally think about when we think about Broadway, because if Broadway really is for everyone, then we can't just go to a certain sub-section in our community.

We have to go as -- We have to go globally.

It's not just the tri-state area.

There are shows that tour throughout this country and throughout -- well, throughout this globe, really.

And so we have to take a different approach.

The traditions of the past are not going to work for the era of today.

And so that's basically what I'm doing.

I'm looking at the different initiatives.

I'm looking at working with the -- with our committee -- the Labor Union Committee and looking at CBAs, looking at audience engagement and the programs that we have that reach students -- the student population in the tri-state area but also regionally across the country.

Right, so, in addition to that group, I believe that I heard that you were also working with advocacy groups.

And I know there's Black Theater America -- Black Theatre United, I'm sorry -- and We See You, White American Theatre.

I was wondering if you are working with those two particular advocacy groups and/or others.

And what programs have you put in place to address the concerns of the various advocacy groups?

Yeah.

Yes.

We're working with everybody and anybody who wants to work with us.

And if I have not reached out to you, I would put my number out there right now, but I don't want a whole bunch of people calling.

[ Both laugh ] But if I have not reached out to you or if you have not heard from me, then I beg you to call me.

If there's one thing -- There's one thing that I said when taking on this position.

I want to hear everything.

I don't want to hear just the stuff that makes us feel good because change isn't going to happen.

Change happens in that disagreement.

And so I need to hear the stuff that's not so great.

I mean, we love to hear the great things, but I need to hear the things and the opportunities that we have for growth and for change.

And so working with, like, BTU and BAC, which is Broadway Advocacy Coalition, and the Industry Standards Group and individuals like that -- and there are so many others that are new and that are long-standing.

And then there are individual community stakeholders, like Donna Walker-Kuhne, who I've spoken with.

So talking to all these individuals helped me to present a white paper, which will be presented, actually, to the board, actually tomorrow, creating a timeline for expanding some of the current programs that we have.

So, for example, our board and our leadership all had to attend anti-racism training and unconscious-bias training.

That's just a step.

But you can't... People are a creature of habit, and they know what they know.

And so if they were never taught critical race theory growing up, then they're going to innately have some racism and some racist tendencies, unknowingly.

And so we have to disrupt that system.

And that's what we're looking to do in doing these anti-racism trainings, doing this unconscious-bias trainings, and creating a pathway for those groups who have been historically shut out to become members of the Broadway League.

What does that look like?

How do we diversify the Broadway League's membership base?

Because we have to get people from not just cashing the checks but actually being in the power to hire and to write the checks and to fund these types of programs.

And the only way we're going to do that is to have more people that are diverse in background actually in these positions, in the offices, in the backstage, doing these types of things, and having the support of allies like Dale and other individuals in the industry to support us.

So, can you talk a little bit about the work that you're doing with the unions around these issues?

You talked about the CBAs -- collective bargaining agreements.

I'm sure there's other areas.

Are there training programs that you're expanding that really address some of this?

I just wanted to give our audience a sense of the variety of programs that you are representing and not just those that deal with the anti-- or establishment racism, structural racism that is in the forefront of everyone's mind.

Scott: Right.

So, when you're looking at the collective bargaining agreements, and I don't know if individuals have ever heard of inclusion riders and things like that.

And so there are some people who come with inclusion riders where it says a certain amount of people must look like "X" or "I need to have a certain amount of women.

I need to have a certain amount of people of ethnicity."

And so looking at some of those CBAs, working with, you know... Well, right now, it's all kind of green.

It's all kind of new.

So for example, you have choreographers and directors and you're looking at that union group and you're saying, "How do we diversify our choreographers?"

It can no longer be, "Oh, we have this one or these two people that we go to, and that's it."

And so it's like, "Oh, I got my one.

I got my two.

Check, check."

How do we diversify that?

How do we expand that?

How do we build a bigger table?

Because it's not that these individuals need mentorship, and it's not that these individuals haven't put in the work.

It's that they haven't had the opportunity to do these things.

And so my position is, how do we create opportunity?

And I'll be honest, these unions have been great with talking to the membership as it relates to diversifying, and everyone seems to be pretty much on board with creating diversity and understanding that, I think I said earlier, the traditions of yesterday are not relevant today.

And in order for us to stay viable, we have to change.

Change is the only constant, right?

Right, right.

Change is the only thing we can count on.

Mm-hmm.

So, you know, you talked about opportunity, and I'm going to jump here to Tomás because I wanted to talk about this opportunity that he got to, let's say, premiere a show in the middle of the pandemic.

And what was that experience like for you?

Number one, premiering a show during the pandemic, but, also, I'm hoping that you can talk a little bit about the effect of the pandemic on your skills.

And how did you work to stay ready for that moment when you got the call that said, "We're going"?

Yes, well, that call came pretty quickly... [ Both laugh ] ...since we got to film "Diana" for Netflix in the middle of the pandemic.

So that was -- it was shocking to go from zero, trying to live my life through a pandemic, to filming a Broadway musical for Netflix.

However, it was a blessing.

It gave me and my cast and the creatives and the crew a job for six weeks.

So that was -- I was so grateful for that.

Coming from March 12, we had 12 days of previews, and then everything shut down.

So it was kind of like a rug being pulled underneath my feet, so to speak, like, looking forward to that Broadway debut for so long.

Right, right.

Working for "Diana" for so long, and then everything stopping.

But with everything stopping, it allowed me and it allowed this industry to go forward in other ways, in ways that I think we needed to go forward in with diversity and inclusion.

And I think I'm just so grateful to be a part of this panel because I think every single one of you are giants in this industry.

And I'm just so, so blessed to be a part.

And I think the things that you are doing, Gennean, are fabulous.

And I think everything with diversity and inclusion just makes someone like me feel safer and make me feel more welcomed in this industry in which sometimes I don't really feel that way.

So... Can you talk a little bit about that?

What does it mean when you say you didn't necessarily feel welcomed?

Hmm.

Well, as someone who identifies in different subcultures, so to speak -- I am an Afro-Latino.

I am biracial.

I am both black and Latine.

I am also non-binary.

I do not conform to a gender.

So that doesn't tend to fit well with some casting directors or some creative teams because I am different.

And I think the work that we're doing with diversifying and making spaces more inclusive with people of specific ethnicities and backgrounds, I think the work towards being more gender-inclusive is definitely something that I am looking forward to pioneering because I think that it is important for someone like myself to feel safe and welcomed in spaces like "Diana, the Musical," where it's a period piece about a woman from London, you know?

King: Right, right.

But because of my cast and my creatives and the beautiful producing team that listen to me, that hear me, that make me feel seen and welcomed, I think I've been able to feel empowered to do so wherever I go.

Well, you know, you talked a little bit about those challenges, which I understand, as a gay man, the sort of hurdles that you're faced with on a daily basis.

But I wanted to go back and have you talk a little bit about what work did you have to do to maintain your skills as a performer?

And how did you do that?

I think in terms of artistic performance, I started a little business.

[ King laughs ] I was selling and creating empanadas with my grandma, which was a way to, like, stay, like, creative and, like, a way to give back because I was also giving 15 percent of my profit to the Trinity Place Shelter, which is a homeless LGBTQIA+ youth shelter here in New York City.

So that was something that kept that artistic light lit during the pandemic because I was able to, like, use my art in the form of food, which is different and something that I didn't really expect to happen.

In terms of, like, dancing and singing and acting, I just -- Zoom, honey.

[ Chuckles ] You know?

Everything became Zoom.

So I was like -- I would be working with my acting coach on this exact platform or working with my vocal coach on Zoom.

And in terms of dance, I was teaching ballet as well as taking class via Zoom.

So we all went virtual, honey.

We did.

We did.

So, Mandy, same question for you.

What was it like and how did you manage to maintain your skills in the midst of the madness, for lack of better terms?

Thanks, James.

I just want to say, I'm so honored to be a part of this panel, to be talking to you.

It's wonderful.

I'm constantly learning, I feel.

During this time, I've learned to listen a lot more, and I definitely hear so many new things that I just take in.

So thank you guys for that.

For me, my journey was, like everybody -- everybody during the pandemic -- we all went through the same storm but just on different boats.

My boat happened to have a cancer diagnosis, so I was diagnosed with breast cancer in the end of 2019.

I started chemotherapy in 2020 in January.

I remember -- and I was continuing to do -- to try to do eight shows a week, crazily, but for some reason, that kept me going.

And I remember, in the beginning of March, starting to hear rumors about COVID at Sloan Kettering, where I was receiving treatment, but nobody was really talking about it.

And then all of a sudden, at the show at "Hamilton," it was no more stage-door, no more guests backstage.

It all happened very fast.

Then, within like two weeks, we were shut down.

And so I didn't realize, at that time, how much I needed to stop and to take time for myself to heal through that journey because I had to figure out -- everybody was saying, "Stay home, stay home."

And yet if you're a cancer patient, you have to continue to go to the hospital for treatment.

And so I continued to do that, you know, and thinking that, "Okay, I'll finish treatment and then the show will be back up and I'll get my life back together."

And that didn't happen.

And so it was kind of like I had to think about how I was going to make a living, how I was going to do it by doing something that I loved, and I had to think about what it is that I really love, and it's connection.

And how can I connect in this new world that I know nothing about?

I mean, when I started doing Zooms and everything, I was, like, a total mess.

But my friends were very patient with me and taught me so many things.

I bought microphone equipment.

My husband made me a recording studio out of cardboard so that I could have a place where I could record audio and audio books and things like that.

I continued to write my first middle-grade novel, which just was released this year.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

But I stayed active.

I stayed busy, and I just -- I don't know.

I just looked at it as a new opportunity to learn something about myself and about what else I can do.

You know, what else is possible.

You know, and I also learned that I'm a lot stronger than I ever thought I could be.

And so I feel like when I got the call that Broadway was reopening, I felt so ready.

Or so I thought.

I felt just ready spiritually, ready physically.

And then, you know, we got to the first day, where we had a big meet-and-greet.

And everybody was wearing masks.

We had to have our COVID tests.

And then, you know, the next day, we were sat in a rehearsal room and it was like, "Okay, it's time to sing together in a room for the first time, and if you're not comfortable, don't take off your masks.

And if you are comfortable, you can."

And you know what that feeling was like, and realizing that I was really nervous about those kind of things.

And little by little, you would see cast members start to take off their masks and sing together.

And it was just such a beautiful thing because we were all, and still are, so vulnerable.

But that's the gift of the arts is that it triumphs everything, right?

Right, right.

I have to say, I think your story just now was a gift.

I think that you sharing your struggles is really heartfelt, and it speaks to the power of the arts to heal and be a salve for the soul in times that are really challenging.

So I thank you for being willing to share something so personal but really as an example of what the arts can do for all of us.

And I think that the return of Broadway is also a salve for the soul, but certainly nothing like the story you just told us.

So I don't want to minimize that because I am deeply touched by the the joy you found in the performing of your duty as an actor and your community that you found in the show, in the theater world in general.

I am deeply touched by that.

So thank you for sharing that.

Yes.

It's a lot, I know.

But it's my story, and...

It's a good story.

It's part of it, you know, and I know that so many of us are coming back to the theater.

None of us have not been touched in some way by what's happened in the world, whether we've lost someone, whether we've gone through things that I've gone through, you know.

And I think that that coming together, I feel so...

I feel so lucky with "Hamilton" because when they started, they brought in Carine Plentif, who now is a healer.

But she started with us in a room, and we all were wearing our masks, but with yoga mats, and we all could breathe together.

And just how... how much we needed that, you know, that healing, and we needed to cry, and we need -- all of us have been in different places, and so I think we needed that in order to give again onstage.

I think you're absolutely right, and I just want to open it up to anybody who wants to respond to talk a little bit about that sense of community that I think is relatively unique in the world of theater.

We create bonds quickly that seem to last a lifetime.

So if anybody has anything they want to say about that sort of development of community and joining in a community.

I know, Gennean, you're new to the Broadway world, this community, but you've been involved in theater.

Dale, you came from a performing background into producing.

So anybody who wants to talk about that, I think that's really a critical moment for all of us.

I wanted to just say, sorry to not answer your question immediately, but I just had to tell Mandy, I mean, amazing journey that you went on, and I'm so interested to see that both Tomás and you, because of your creative backgrounds, came up with new creative outlets.

I mean, I wish I could try your empanadas, and I want to read your book.

But I also wanted to share with you that my voice teacher was a very well-known voice teacher.

Her name was Marni Nixon.

Oh!

The voice of Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady," but she was also an opera singer.

Anyway, her lifelong dream was to be a Broadway performer, but she -- for many reasons -- she had three kids, she was married, she lived in L.A., blah, blah, blah.

She finally moved to New York in her 70s, and she made her Broadway debut.

I believe she was 75.

During that time, about five years later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she was doing a show called "The Debt" that was touring.

It was on Broadway, and then it toured, and what she did was she went to the producers and she said, "I want to keep going.

I will be having treatments.

Can I just have a bed?"

And she was 80.

"Can I just have a bed in my dressing room?

And is that okay?"

And they agreed.

And so I just want you to know that's how a good producer responds to challenges.

You know, they don't say no.

They say, "Okay, how can we work with you?"

And this swings back to you, James.

I think that's what makes a great company, which is every company has many, many different personalities, many challenges.

It's like a microcosm of America in a way.

I like to think it's the good microcosm of America.

[ Laughs ] But you know.

Right, right.

Even those of us who agree on one side of the aisle, we have many challenges and many different ways that we view the world.

And the question is, can we view the world differently and be inclusive and not say, "You're wrong, I'm right," but just say, "Okay, this is our family."

I don't know about you guys, but I have lots of people in my family.

I have a crazy family, and I'm always thinking, "Wow, everyone is so different.

It's really exciting.

We never know which way things are going to go."

And I think that's true for all of us.

You know, we have -- that's the family that we create in the theater.

We all come from different backgrounds, but we're all together, doing something that we believe in and wanting to do our best job and pulling the oar in the same direction.

And that's the community that everybody talks about.

And then larger than that is Broadway, which is -- right now, especially, you can really feel how -- you know, there was a thing today saying, "Be kind of tourists," you know, because we want them to come back.

And I thought, "How many industries would say things like that?"

[ Laughing ] Franzen: We really do want them to come back.

And we really do want to hold up and, you know -- and share with our fellow teams on Broadway.

It's not a question of we don't want you there.

We want everybody there, and right now, you know, they say there's going to be 32 shows opening this season... King: I know.

Franzen: ...in a 42-show theater world.

That's not great.

You know, we're all -- I'm worried about that.

I'm concerned about that.

And so I want every show to succeed and do really well.

So, anyway... No, I think that you make a good point about community, but, also, this last thing that you said -- wanting everyone to succeed.

I think that's something that's unique in the theater world.

We're not pitted against each other.

We're all rooting for each other and hoping that each one of us, individually, and our shows succeed.

Gennean, I see you nodding.

Did you have a comment you wanted to make about this new family that you've joined?

Yes.

I was just going to say, everyone has been so incredibly welcoming.

And when I moved here -- before I moved here, coming from the Midwest, people were like, "Oh, you know, people in New York, they're rude, they're this, they're that."

And I was like, "Okay."

"They're so direct, they're so forward."

Well, I'm a little bit direct, too, so it's fine.

[ King laughs ] And so I come here and everyone is like, "Hello, how are you?"

And I'm like, "You're a stranger."

Okay, I didn't get that in the Midwest.

[ Laughs ] So I'm like, "Are they really that rude?"

[ Laughs ] And I mean, every producer, every member that I've met with has been just so welcoming.

And so Tomás, I met Beth Williams, who's actually helping to to lead the charge with the unions and help us with this -- this whole, you know, how do we work this thing out?

And and so our circles are so small and they're so intertwined.

And I know André and Lauren, who are also in the cast of "Diana."

And it's so small.

And we...

It's almost like a family.

I mean, it's like as soon as you meet someone, they're like, "What can I do to help you?

What do you need?

Oh, I know this person.

I'm going to give you their number."

and then they send the invite and that person responds right away.

And I know they have a list of things going on, but the fact that they reply right away and that they are all 100 percent for this makes me feel good, and it helps me to know that we are creating a psychological safety for the actors, for the backstage individuals, for the front-of-house people, and for our arts admins.

And so it's all about community, really.

And we all have to get outside of our communities so that we can make friends with others and have different experiences outside of our normal social group.

And that's how we're -- and I think that the arts really does that.

And I'm just -- I am so happy to be here.

And every Zoom that I've done or every panel, I'm like, "Okay, we've got to meet after.

We got to meet after Zoom."

And I've done that.

And I'm excited to continue doing that.

But I think everyone has been so welcoming, and I am so appreciative of the many friendships that I know that I'll make along the way.

Yeah.

Tomás, you have something you want to add here?

Yeah, I'll add something.

I think that... Something that the arts and the Broadway industry -- we have a really big job when it comes to, I think, bringing this world some joy and some love and some light.

And I think especially after what we just went through with both pandemics, I think there's a lot that we can do to help this world.

And RuPaul said, "If you can't love yourself, honey, how you gonna love somebody else?"

And I think what we are doing really beautifully is working on ourselves in our own industry and our own community to make sure that we are well and then, in turn, can help the world become better.

Because when you think of such a broad aspect of America, New York City is so small, but we have such a strong reach and such a powerful reach to really help change for the better.

And I think I'm just so, so blessed and so grateful to be a part of such an industry that really is doing the work, you know, is really trying to make this world a better place.

So I'm just really happy to be here.

That's really well-said.

So that's going to push me along here.

So, Gennean, I wanted to read to you a quote that Charlotte St. Martin was quoted as saying in "Playbill."

It was in an article back in May of 2021.

She said, "As we look to the future, we want to continue to expand our existing programs, provide even greater access, and forge more partnerships with diverse audiences so Broadway can come back better and stronger than before."

So I know that in relationship to that, there is what is being referred to as the New Deal for Broadway.

And I was wondering if you could give us some context of the New Deal for Broadway and why the League signed on to that New Deal with others and who some of those other key stakeholders are.

But first, an overview of the New Deal for Broadway.

Yeah, so, the New Deal, which was put together by Black Theaters United, where a group of of of actors and industry individuals who are black, who said, "Look, the things that are going on right now, we've got to disrupt the system.

There's lack -- there's no transparency.

People are operating in a silo.

We don't know what's going on, and there are some inequities at play."

And so what happened during that period of time, there were a group of -- and this is prior to me -- there were people who met in small committees and task forces -- not just in the tri-state area but regionally, because it affected other PACs, performing arts centers, you know, like in Omaha Performing Arts Center is also a presenting organization for Broadway.

And so they they asked that there be more training.

And that kind of goes back to what I was talking about, where we're creatures of what we know, and we don't know what we don't know.

And sometimes we have to unlearn some things.

So it requires training.

It requires looking at creating transparency, looking at doing an audit, and looking at where do we stand as an industry when it comes to gender identity, when it comes to ethnicity and race, and even looking at it from an ability standpoint?

And that's me going beyond just the New Deal.

I'm sorry.

[Laughs] So...

But those are all the things that I am looking at, and so I'm working -- I will be working directly with BTUs and the individuals that they bring onboard to ensure that we have trainings that are across the board, that are -- in some instances, that are required.

Groups like Disney Theatrical Group also signed on, like David Stone of "Wicked."

You know, they also signed on.

I believe you all have signed on, as well.

And so it's basically what Tomás said.

It's to present -- and not just present for show -- a unified front, but to present and to be held accountable, because if we sign our name to this document, you see it.

And then if we fail, you can say, "Okay, you said that you were going to do this, and it didn't happen.

Why?"

And so, in essence, it creates an accountability on all of us that we all welcome.

We all welcome the accountability because we all strive and want to be better as a whole.

So is it true that the signatories all agreed to mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion training?

Dale, can you...?

I don't know that they said.

I don't know -- You're on mute.

[ Laughs ] I don't -- Go ahead.

I was trying to be polite.

My understanding, and I could be wrong, is that each show has sort of their own way of doing this.

King: Okay.

And, you know, each show is coming from a very different place, right?

I mean, obviously, "Hamilton" and "Hadestown," I mean, we are a minority-majority show onstage, and my immediate producing partner, Mara Isaacs, and I, when we started it, were really, really interested in the female lens and having a gender equity in terms of the creative team, which, you know, we have a very female-led creative team.

We didn't work strong enough on the racial, and I own that.

And that's a big part of as my work continues right now.

I'm working, for instance, on a new musical, and we're looking at the young women who are doing this musical.

They have, in their pitch deck, we are committed to 51 percent women and people of color.

I mean, they are absolutely, you know, activists -- political activists in this.

And I think that that's the way you have to be.

I mean, I think in terms of every producing company is a different entity and they're coming from very different places and they have different things to correct, really, and to do better -- not correct but to do better on.

you know, that... And we can't tell them, "Oh, you have to do that."

They have to want to do it.

And I think for us, this is the world I want to live in.

I mean, it is not a big leap for me because I want to be there anyway, that I've grown up at public schools.

I mean, I've grown up in a world where I'm not interested in being -- I don't join clubs where everybody looks the same.

It's not interesting to me.

I don't think it's interesting onstage, either.

I think what makes an interesting experience is working with different personalities.

Now, not everybody agrees with that.

So I don't know that everybody will, and it's something I think about a lot, Gennean, which is, you know, we're not all going to get to the same place.

But I think, for me personally, every single thing I'm doing right now is going to move that needle.

And that's what I'm committing to, and I know my partners are committing to that.

I can't speak for other shows.

I mean, I'm sure -- I'm guessing that "Hamilton" is exactly the same.

But there are other shows that may not be as adamant or...

Right, right.

Okay, that's fair.

Thinking back on that, Dale, a lot of the shows, have hired their own EDI directors for this exact reason, or they've hired HR consultants because some of the smaller shows, like "Diana," you know, it's a small cast, and then you have a "Hadestown" or a "Hamilton," you know, with a larger cast.

And so budgets look different and things like that.

So I do know that if they signed on, they're saying they're committed, and the majority of individuals who have signed on, they're, like, sharing services and things like that to ensure for, like, the smaller shows who can't absorb that totally in their budget.

You know, I know that that's not, like, the sexy part of Broadway.

But the business side of Broadway is equally as important, and so, so that they don't have to absorb that 100 percent, you know, a few shows share a person, and that person is doing the EDI work and is doing the HR work alongside me or Actors' Equity.

Great.

So, you know, you guys, I want to save a little bit of time so we can take some questions from our audience members.

But before we get to that, Mandy, I wanted to ask you, and then Tomás, I'm going to come to you right after her, before we go to the audience questions.

But I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about your experience as a performer of color on Broadway and what you... what you would want to say about that to the people who are watching us here?

You're muted.

[ Laughs ] I'm muted?

We're here.

We're not going anywhere.

And it's time for our stories to be told.

And I am so excited about what's happening in the Broadway community.

...started on Broadway 20 years ago, which is insane!

You know, I came here from Los Angeles.

I'm from L.A. And I remember -- and I've told this story before, but when I first started, I got an agent.

The agent wanted me to change my name because she felt it was too ethnic and I wouldn't get roles with the last name of Gonzalez.

And, you know, being a young person, I just wanted to be a part of this world.

But there was something on my heart that I just -- it was part of who I was.

You know, I'm Mexican-American.

It's a big part of my foundation, and I came to the conclusion that -- I was going to change my name to Mandy Carr after Vikki Carr, but I came to the conclusion that Carr had two "R"s but Gonzalez has two "Z"s. So I'm Mandy Gonzalez, and I never looked back.

And I think, coming to New York, I felt like there was more opportunity for me.

I didn't have an agent when I got here.

I could wait in line, and I was judged by my talent, by my, I guess, hitting the pavement, my hustle.

And I've seen so many things along the way in those 20 years, and to see how it's changing and what's happening, you know, to see Matthew Lopez win the Tony was just so exciting.

And so that's what -- I think that's what I want to say, is that we're here and we've been here.

And how's it going?

Yes.

Yes, yes, yes.

Gonzalez: Hola.

¿Cómo estás?

King: [ Laughs ] ¿Cómo estás?

Tomás.

I would say everything that Mandy just said.

I think with all of the intersectional identities that I have, with being an Afro-Latine, with being non-binary, gender-nonconforming, I'm also a human being.

And I think that that is something that everyone on this call can say, which is what connects us all.

We are all a part of humanity.

And I think that as long as I stick true to my true belief that as long as my humanity is put first, nothing can really get in my way.

And I think being a person of color, I hope that I inspire others to want to be a part of this industry, like so many, including Mandy, has inspired me.

I remember my junior year of high school, I was doing a production of "In the Heights" at LaGuardia... Oh, my God!

With Daniel!

Yes!

[ Laughs ] The original company of "In the Heights" came and had a little talk-back with us.

And I remember just -- including Mandy, and I remember just seeing all of these beautiful Latine performers in front of me and stars, you know, and just, like, knowing that I could also do that.

Seeing that gave me so much hope.

So I just really hope that I can, too, one day, be an inspiration like so many have been to me.

That is beautiful.

So, I'm going to take a couple of questions.

I'm going to encourage you guys on the panel here to feel free to jump in and answer any or all of the questions.

So the first one asked, "Have the audiences been different?

It seems they would be even more excited and eager than before the pandemic."

I can answer for "Hadestown."

They have been crazy, just insane and fabulous and... We keep thinking this can't possibly last, but I mean, they are just so enthusiastic, so happy to be there.

They welcome us back, we welcome them back, and we go on this journey together.

And I mean, it's, you know, people just screaming and sobbing.

[ Both laugh ] I mean, and the thing is, we just launched our tour, and I thought the tour would be very different.

And I was in Washington, D.C., at the Kennedy Center in their big theater, which is like 2,200 seats.

And it was the same thing.

Standing ovations, people screaming and yelling.

And it was the first thing they had back from the pandemic.

So it's a big deal for them.

And they just -- I think people are just dying to get back into the dark and hear stories and be part of it again.

I'm sure, Mandy, you must be having the same experience with "Hamilton."

Oh, it's insane.

It's... You know, it's a dream, you know.

People were always excited.

I'd never been in a show -- I mean, yes, I have because I was part of many shows.

But the feeling that happens before the show starts at "Hamilton" is like nothing else.

People are so excited once the lights go down.

But now people are just like, once somebody says, "Please, you know, put your masks on, we have, like, an announcement," people start screaming then.

Then, you know, we have the announcement that, you know, the show's going to start.

Then the king does his announcement.

Then the show starts, and then people are just like, "Aah!"

So, you know, the hardest part, I think, for me is that we can't stage-door, so we can't really meet and greet our fans because that's part of the protocol and it's just not safe.

And so, you know, we wave from a distance with our masks on.

We follow all the rules.

But that's hard, you know, not being able to to sign those autographs.

Because I was definitely one of those kids, and adults, you know, that love to kind of talk to the actors.

So that's a hard, hard thing.

But, you know, every week, I'm just so grateful.

I'm so grateful.

I go, "Oh, you know, we're back.

We're back again for another week."

The love is overflowing, huh?

Overflowing, overflowing, and people have, you know, waited so long, you know?

Even before the 18 months, they waited with those tickets.

And you know, it's what we do.

It's a dream.

Nice.

So, another question that came here, "Have you noticed a difference in the theater district yet as the shows are reopening?"

Anybody.

I'll say yes, definitely.

The restaurants have started to reopen.

Joe Allen's is open, Bar Centrale.

So people are going out.

Times Square has gotten busier.

There's an incredible piece in the middle of Times Square, incredible sculpture.

So the arts is -- it's in flow, you know?

People are gathering and doing different performances on the street in Times Square.

It's exciting.

Nice, nice.

And there's a different hue to our audiences, especially with the opening of, what, seven black shows?

I think it's eight.

Yeah.

Eight, sorry -- black shows.

[ Laughs ] But then you look at all the shows that have leads -- diverse leads.

You look at Chicago.

We just did something with Viva Broadway.

And you look at some of those other shows and you're just like, "Wow."

And the audience is starting to look diverse because our offerings are starting to look diverse.

So people are coming because they're saying, "That's my story.

They're playing my story, and I can hear my story."

And I think that that's -- I think it's wonderful.

Right.

Well, I don't see any more questions here in the chat.

But I want to thank you all.

Seriously, this has been a great conversation.

We touched on a lot of different topics, but what I'm most impressed by is your willingness to be open and available to the questions that I ask you.

I thank you for that.

I think you're good representatives of the theater community in general.

I want to...

I want to encourage all of our listeners and viewers to check out All Arts.

We have more talks like this.

You can find us at AllArts.org.

We also have our apps that I told you about on Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV.

And you can always check out our website.

I want to thank you all again for joining us.

And I say, have a blessed evening.

Thank you, James.

Bye, panel.

[ Laughs ] It's great to meet you all.

-Bye!

-Scott: Nice to meet you.