Episode 11 - Rich History and a Director Interview (Featuring Darryl Deason)

In this special episode, RJ and Patrick invite Darryl Deason on to the Cast List to talk all things 9 to 5. The conversation also dives into the rich history of the Arts Center.

Website: artscenterofcc.com

YouTube: The Arts Center of Cannon County

Email: castlist@artscenterofcc.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:01

The new cast list is up in five, four, three, two, one.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Welcome back to the cast list, everyone.

SPEAKER_02 0:20

The official podcast of the Art Center of Cannon County. I'm Patrick. And I'm RJ. Welcome back, everyone, to episode 11. Episode 11. We're really just we've hit our stride. Yeah. I mean, you know, I think 10 is like a big hurdle, you know. Uh it's been, because we do every other week 20 straight weeks. Well, the cat is true. We've been going since January. Yeah. And it's middle of June. And now we're here in the middle of June. Wow. Uh, and yeah, I think we just we got it down to a science now. We're really moving, we're really grooving.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

We got a good one for y'all today. Today is the episode that we've been talking about for a while. Oh, yes. Really, since we've started this whole thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:01

Yes, later on you're going to be getting the exclusive director's interview with the man, the myth, the legend, Daryl Deeson. And we're talking all things nine to five the scenes.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Yep. So it's a very good interview. So stay tuned for that. Yeah. Um, if you're watching a video today, it's another matching day for it is another matching day. Um we are recording this Saturday, June 13th. Um just minutes after we closed out the first junior session of the conversation.

SPEAKER_02 1:33

The junior session of conservatory is closed. Uh, so that was Winnie the Pooh kids. We had the Pooh Bear. Yep. He was out there being willy-nilly and silly as the Pooh Bears do.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

Yeah. Um I know we have this interview to get into, but since we kind of just wrapped up this first session, you were the director for this show in all conservatory shows. Oh yes. Um, RJ, how you feeling? Um, I am exhausted. I'm exhausted.

SPEAKER_02 2:02

It's been two weeks straight with 30 kids. Uh, and we've completed the show, and there was a nice just sigh of relief there. However, uh Monday, when this episode comes out, we start again with forty-five children in the hundred-acre. However, the second session, while there is always more kids, is always a little bit simpler because all the lights are done. We have all the props, we know what worked, what sort of didn't. And we have a lot of parents uh whose kids have done conservatory a lot and have gone, we're always gonna do the second session. You seem to work out the kinks and you're ready, you're really ready to go for that one. And I'm like, Alright, so yeah, we'll have 45 kids while you're listening to this episode. Just know I'll be at the art center trying not to lose my mind.

SPEAKER_01 2:55

Um, I know that you still have an entire uh session to go with Winnie the Pooh. Oh, yeah. Um, and I so I don't want to talk too much about it because I don't want to spoil it for everyone who is coming to see the the second session. Right. But we could talk about Winnie the Pooh. I do I do want to get into You have questions about Pooh Bear, don't you? Yeah, but specifically before you uh we started this episode, you showed me um what your vision was for the show on your phone.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

Not necessarily a vision, it was more of an personified It was an epiphany that came to me. Yes. Um the script is very strange. I am only really familiar with I think it was the 70s Winnie the Pooh, the original Disney movie. Yeah. So uh when I ordered the script and all, I thought it was going to be those stories and they're heffalumps and woozles. Yeah. But we are absent heffalumps and woozles in this rendition of Winnie the Pooh. We are bereft of heffalumps and woozles. Very good. That's an ACT word, Patrick. Well for good for you. Thanks. Um they are trying to capture the dastardly Baxon, which has kidnapped Christopher Robin, supposedly. And uh it's uh there's apparently a 2011 movie, because someone was like, Yeah, oh yeah, I know the Baxon. I'm like, oh I knew nothing about it. I had never heard of it until Yeah, and uh there's also a character in it called Pooh's Tummy. His tummy is a character, and I read it as if the tummy was always with him. So I've made Pooh's Tummy evil Pooh Bear. That is funny. He's running around yelling bleh the whole show. Dressed like dressed like Pooh Bear. He's sentient, so he could see the audience and reference the audience and see what's going on. It's a great joke for me. I don't know if the parents got it. It makes me laugh, and at the end of the day, that's all that matters. Yeah. It was really funny though. I I do I do like that choice. It uh Cameron Clark, our podcast our uh castless starts in 5432 One Voice, who everyone knows and loves, is the uh dance teacher here. And we say the same thing to each other every year on this Saturday, where it's I can't believe we did it again in two weeks. We put on a show with these kids, but we tend to do it. Yep. And everyone has a good time.

SPEAKER_01 5:23

Yeah. Um and then senior conservatory is coming up after.

SPEAKER_02 5:28

That will be in July, but we'll talk about that in July episodes. But you also made a big impression in the junior conservatory this session. I I did. You were like a mythical creature to them, Patrick.

SPEAKER_01 5:40

So so I technically speaking, my role here at the Art Center does not play any part in conservatory, but I'm here during conservatory anyway, working on other things. Um the main thing that I was around for during this conservatory session was I was basically doing everything with the nine to five set. Um so the kids um always saw me like working in the wings on the nine to five set, or like, you know, up in the scissor lift, um, just doing things for the set. And I guess like you would distract. I would distract unintentionally, like I would just be doing my job, but they were mesmerized because there was this random guy who didn't talk to them, um, doing things that weren't related to their show. So they were always very intrigued with what I was doing. And it got to a point where like I could not as soon uh as soon as I was seen by any one of them, everything stopped.

SPEAKER_02 6:41

Everyone stopped everything stopped. I couldn't continue.

SPEAKER_01 6:43

And they'd be like, Mr. Patrick, Mr.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

Patrick and the entire actually when they checked out today after the show goes, Mr. Patrick talked to me and I got his autograph. And I said, That's great.

SPEAKER_01 6:55

I signed probably fifteen playbills and shirts of children that I had never really spoken to. Um but it was really sweet. And you know, if I am present. If I if I am present, at least I'm having a good impact on people, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 7:17

Um distracting impact, first of all. Yeah. Well but it's good nevertheless.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

I would have to start I would have to like stay out of the theater during rehearsals. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

Even when I had to do my genie and I'm trying to give them information, all of a sudden you hear and the kids are like, look at that, and I go, I'm we're done.

SPEAKER_01 7:37

Okay, let's take a break. Yeah, RJ had to like tell me to go away many times. Yeah, well, we had to get Pooh Bear and his tummy where they needed to be. Yeah. Um, which made getting the nine to five set done even more difficult than it was. Oh yeah. Um But we got it done. We did. And 9-5 has opened. Uh 9-5 has opened.

SPEAKER_02 8:00

So you'll uh you need to get tickets for it.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

We'll talk about it more in this interview coming up. Um but there are two more weekends. And I got to see it. It's a lot of fun. Yep, there are two more weekends. The cast is absolutely stacked. Yes. Um, yeah, and it's the show that everyone knows and loves. Yeah. Um be singing along with that opening and closing song. Mm-hmm. Um before I forget Oh, you almost forgot something. I know before I forget, I'm just I'm trying to think of all things summer. We're halfway through the summer almost.

SPEAKER_02 8:33

Um, which means we're getting you forgot your green notebook, I can tell you right now.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

You just look at you, you're like spreading your wings and flying, Patrick. Um, we do have more concerts coming up soon. Um, as well as when summer ends, we have White Oak coming up. Yes. We'll have a specific White Oak coming up.

SPEAKER_02 8:49

I believe there's a Led Zeppelin concert coming very, very soon.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

Yeah, yeah, there is. Um so check our website um for all things concerts coming up this summer.

SPEAKER_02 8:58

Um we also have the Truish Stories art uh exhibit that will be going up soon that you could submit your art for. So check that out on the White Oak social media pages and on our website if you have any art you'd like to submit.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

And we currently still have the prop show up as well in K. Smog. Yep. Made out of yadbird.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

He is still up in uh displayed out there. However, I don't know if you follow the White Oak page, Patrick, on social media. They dundid me dirty. I saw the video of staring. They dunedid me dirty. There's a video because I am holding Smog's head, and smog is not light, not your best angle. Trying to get him through these doorways and hallways, and it's sort of like I'm uh like one of the three stooges serving like drinks, like I'm holding a drink tray stumbling through.

SPEAKER_01 9:53

If you want to see a very unflattering angle of RJ, check out the wide open.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

I have a bone to pick with Amanda and Heather. They have been hiding from me since that post has been made. No, I saw that get posted yesterday, and I audibly went, Oh, that's not good.

SPEAKER_01 10:10

I will I will have my revenge. I don't know how. Well then I will have my revenge. Remember that at some point they will inevitably be guests on here. And then as I will have my revenge. And that is when we get our revenge. Yes. It will be swift, it will be just, it will be righteous. Your time will come, RJ. Yeah, one of these days. Be patient. Be patient. One of these days. Your time will come. Um I can't believe we're getting close to white oak season again, though.

SPEAKER_02 10:40

Hey, as I told somebody, it there's never a dull moment going on here at the Arts Tower. I mean, we had today alone. Let's just talk about today, that day of recording, Saturday, June 13th. There is a farmer's market under the pavilion that started at 8 o'clock in the morning. We had the conservatory show that started at 10 o'clock in the morning. Then we will have 9 to 5 later tonight at 7:30. We still actively have five productions going on. That's crazy. 9 to 5. Conservatory's Winnie the Pooh, 12 Angry Jurors, uh Geisendoll senior. Geysendoll senior and big fish. Things are constantly happening. Man. And we're still knocking it out of the park.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

And we're still alive.

SPEAKER_02 11:27

We're still alive, still kicking, still having a grand old time. Speaking of things staying alive, how is your dog?

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Aww. Thank you for asking. How is the potato? Thank you for asking. She's good. Um, I bought her a dress. Um I bought her a dress. It's a dog. Yeah, and she looks great in that dress. It's lavender and in white, uh, checkered plaid. Um and she's living life. She's so spoiled. Um, not many updates in the potato in the potato.

SPEAKER_02 12:00

I'm just more concerned how excited you were about how good your dog looked in a dress.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

She looks great. It's like a springtime like sun dressy vibe. It came with a bow. Okay. And she loves wearing it too. Does she? Does she though? She does. No, she actually does. And y you know, we bought her pajamas too, and so like we're gonna have to like give her like a designated like space in the closet so she can have all of her clothes.

SPEAKER_02 12:32

You I'm sorry, I was tired of because Witty the Pooh and all these things.

SPEAKER_01 12:36

She's kinda like. You're gonna give closet space to the dog? Yeah, she kinda like a build-a bear. What? She's kinda like a build-a bear. But a a really cute build-a bear.

SPEAKER_02 12:46

Or regular builder bear is ugly?

SPEAKER_01 12:49

No.

SPEAKER_02 12:50

But how much how oh how many how much closet space do you have in your apartment?

SPEAKER_01 12:54

Not a lot. But I mean, her clothes are small. So she doesn't need that much. She needs like a little corner.

SPEAKER_02 13:02

For those of you who cannot see me, my mouth is fully agapped. Agaped. Agaped. Um in shock.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

But yeah, thank you for asking. Um I'm sorry I asked. Well, I'm not. I'm not. Um, I still need to bring her to the art center.

SPEAKER_02 13:17

Um, do you?

SPEAKER_01 13:19

I this m I don't know why this made me think of this. What? Um what did you think of, Patrick? But so Big Both Big I can't ever say Big Boss.

SPEAKER_02 13:28

Listen, we we've been having a long week uh with nine to five opening and the Winnie the Pooh Bear and his willy-nilly and silliness.

SPEAKER_01 13:35

Big boss Beth celebrated her birthday at time of recording yesterday. Yes. Um Operation Goose. So for her birthday, uh the rest of the art center staff um chipped in. Chipped in and we all went on a Goose expedition. A literal goose chase. Oh, very well done. Yes. Thanks. Thanks. I was proud of that. Um, and we found her a porch goose. A really nice porch goose. A really nice porch goose. Not plastic. Yeah, like concrete and painted all nice. Um, and we bought her porch goose um an outfit as well, just like potato. Um and so now Beth has a porch goose and she's gonna get outfits for her porch goose and dress it up um in different outfits. Um and yeah, that's what her birthday present was.

SPEAKER_02 14:30

So we were Trixie in Operation Secret Goose. Uh we snuck the kids into the hall and called Beth in as if there was a surprise, and we did it on Cameron's birthday as a double blind. Yeah. And had the kids sing happy birthday to her, and Patrick hid in the abyss.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

I hid in.

SPEAKER_02 14:50

There is this art exhibit up right now in our hall called I don't know what it's actually called. I just call it the Abyss.

SPEAKER_01 14:54

I think that's what it's called, though. And you're supposed to go into it and experience apparently it's a calming sensory room. So, like, it's its purpose is that it's like, you know, it's pitch black in there, and so you just like feel around and feel different things in the room.

SPEAKER_02 15:09

Um so Patrick's in there with the goose. Yeah. And it's not a light goose, it's a head.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

Oh, it's solid concrete, it's probably 40-50 pounds.

SPEAKER_02 15:17

So Patrick's in there, and Beth, bless her, was taking her sweet time to come see what we wanted to show her. And all the kids sang happy birthday. Uh different timing. So it was like three groups singing happy birthday at once. And Patrick emerged with the goose.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

Yep. Quite a sight that was. And Beth was like, What is happening?

SPEAKER_02 15:38

Yes. Beth really doesn't like that much attention, so I think we should keep mentioning her name. No, Beth does not like so I I called her out for collapsed at the end of conservatory and she went back into the lobby. I know. So Beth kinda is the best.

SPEAKER_01 15:59

She's the best. It's hard to explain, Beth. What do you mean? Well, because like she's very good at what she does, right? Yeah. She she runs she runs a non-profit theater venue, puts up with us, puts up with us, and she runs it really well, and she knows everything there is about running a literal show business. But then you you walk up to her and you're like, Beth, will we ever see you on stage? Or like, have you ever been on stage in your life? And she The answer is the same.

SPEAKER_02 16:33

She will tell you not.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

There is not a single person or thing on this planet that could ever convince her to be on stage in a show. We're working on it. Yeah. Maybe the goose will help. It's it is one of my like big goals in life is to get Beth on stage. And I know she's gonna be listening to this And get real mad at us. And just get mad at us.

SPEAKER_02 16:58

As we've dragged this this this section of the podcast on for at least four minutes.

SPEAKER_01 17:04

Okay. Okay, Beth Beth. We know you're listening. We know you're listening, Beth. You can't hide. Whoa, easy there! But Beth, we will get you on stage one day. It might not be tomorrow. It might not be next week.

SPEAKER_02 17:20

First of all, I don't know what this we thing is. I respect the the boss's wishes.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

I just pull it together. Okay. Even if it's like a a cameo, like walk across. Oh, a cameo. Maybe we could talk you into a cameo, Beth. I don't yeah, I'm not even saying like a role. I'm saying like a cameo. Like walk across upstairs in the middle of a scene. Yeah. Like an Alfred Hitchcock cameo.

SPEAKER_02 17:47

Yeah. Do you know who that is?

SPEAKER_01 17:49

I know the name.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Okay. Patrick He's was known he's a film director, known as the Master of Suspense. He directed Psycho. Okay. North by Northwest. You know, some of the greatest movies ever made. Rear window. And he had a cameo in all of his movies. Never said anything, but he'd like get on the bus or be in the background somewhere. So maybe we'll get Beth a Hitchcockian. So like the Stanley of suspense. Stanley. Stan Lee. Oh, Stan Lee, yes. Stan Lee. Ex except much Yeah, except Stanley always said something. Oh, so he didn't even have to agree. Like you sometimes have to go hunting for Alfred Hitchcock in his movies. But he is there in every one. Cool. Yeah. That's cool. Oh yes. Well, now that we've gotten very off. Yes, we're gonna about to dive into our interview with Mr. Daryl Deeson, but one thing I think we do need to say before we get into the interview is, and we talked about it with Jocelyn last week, and we talked a little bit about it with Daryl, but um we need to give everyone who maybe this is your first episode listening. Maybe you said I'm waiting for the Daryl Deeson episode, and I'm gonna listen now. Good episode. To give them just a quick little breakdown of what nine to five is about.

SPEAKER_01 19:07

Yeah. Um, and again, we dive into it more um in the actual interview. But for anyone who doesn't know, nine I mean, there's not many people who live in Tennessee that don't really know what nine to five is because of Dolly Parton.

SPEAKER_02 19:20

Um just in case our friends in Europe or South America who we'd still like you to write into our email.

SPEAKER_01 19:26

Yeah. Um Nine to Five is a very classic, it was originally a very classic film um from the eighties? Yes, it came out in nineteen eighty um about um three ladies. Three ladies who work in corporate America for a very misogynistic and bad sexist sexist boss. Um and the the plot basically They plot their revenge. They plot their revenge and ultimately get the revenge in the end. Yeah. Um it's full of it's very comedy. It's full of comedy, but it's also full of a lot of heart. Yeah. Um, literally. Well, I think without further ado. But yeah, we're gonna get into the interview that I have been waiting for for six months. All right. I honestly don't even like I'm trying to like savor this moment.

SPEAKER_02 20:18

Well, stop talking about it and let the people listen. Here is our interview with Mr. Daryl Deeson. I hope you enjoy as much as we do. Whoosh. We're here with the one, the only man, the mid moment of it the legend, Mr.

unknown 20:33

Daryl Deeson.

SPEAKER_02 20:38

Setting this interview up, telling the people about it since episode one.

SPEAKER_00 22:00

Know that number? Q5206? That's well, I won't say what, but that's a very prominent number here at the Art Center. But that's where it came from. Wink wink nudge nudge. That's right, yeah. And um so I called him, told him I had some experience. My experience was uh in Shelbyville. I grew up in Shelbyville, a part of the Bedford Youth Players uh since I was 14 years old, and and you know, I was like 26 then, something like that, in 1980. Yeah, 26 exactly. And um told him I was interested, ran into him at a Lions Club uh meeting like the next Monday or Monday after that, and he said, You're gonna be vice president, or and I'm gonna be president, and and here we go. And and it started like that. I remember I I looked at uh our 20th anniversary book the other day, and I had a comment about I'd done community theater for 10 years, so it was like, how is this working in this little bitty town? And uh and it was, and you would look at the financials, and we were making money, and and it was just absolutely incredible. So we started bringing in shows for uh for three shows in 1980, and uh Richard brought in two circle player shows. I think that was Godspell and the robber bridegroom. I'm not completely sure of that. And then, of course, I had been in Memphis for four years and um had a friend that left Shelbyville to uh to pursue her uh master's at Memphis State, when it was Memphis State, and another friend that was going to school there at Memphis State. So I connected to that department, connected to Playhouse on the Square and those kind of things. And so we brought in a production of uh Glass Menagerie. It was a touring production out of Playhouse on the Square with like the the epitome living leading lady uh uh uh you know put playing the mother in glass menagerie you know of of all of Memphis. I think her name was Patricia Clark. Yeah. And uh a different one?

SPEAKER_02 24:25

Yeah, but Carol, I don't mean to cut you off, but you said something that I want to ask about. Yes. You said, you know, how you said we're sitting there and we're like, how is this working in a little community theater? And this place has been here for over 40 years. Yeah. I've only been really a part of it for the past four or five years, and it and that's in the age of social media, so it's a little bit easier to get the word out. So, to you who's been here since the beginning as the vice president, what has it been that has made this place so successful to keep the doors open all those years?

SPEAKER_00 24:58

I I think two things, and and the most and the first one is complete credit to Richard Northcutt. Of course, he was a lawyer here in town, born and raised. Dad was county executive for years, and he gave just a huge, well-known name. He knew the town so well. So he built a board of directors of the only three people that had theater experience whatsoever were me, him, and Connie Bryant. Yeah. And he made us the officers, and everybody else were people that had money and people that had influence. And uh just a little bit about Book Woodbury in the 1980s. I didn't know until I got here, but there were, you know, there were two pharmacies, there were uh two banks, uh, there were two dentists, um, uh there were two doctor uh groups. And so Woodbury was like you would go in and they'd go, so which group are you? Okay. That's incredible, yeah. Right. And so Richard made sure he had both groups on the board. Oh. Somebody from both banks and and um and just and just, you know, people that everybody knew. So Austin Jennings and and Robert Mason and Bill Smith and Christine Dillon and Wilma Adams, of course, you know. And so that's how it started. And the audition process for Harvey guys, Richard Buddhists. And what was Harvey? That was the very first show. Okay. Right. And it wasn't the Art Center of Cannon County, but it was Canon Community Play. And and then to get the funding for the building and uh and and just start up, you know, a whole different, you know, so that it would be not just theater, it would be, you know, other dissidents. And so that was why it became Art Center of Cannon County. Okay. That's incredible.

SPEAKER_01 26:57

So yeah, sorry, fast forward to 2026, you know, I don't know the number, but if you had to guess, I'm sure you've done upwards close to 50, 60 shows here. Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_00 27:11

Uh yeah, that directed, I've probably I've probably directed 45 to 50, and then obviously shows that I didn't direct that that I was and then produced, and I would say been in directed, yeah, produced. I've designed costumes, I've designed set. You're talking 75 to 100.

SPEAKER_01 27:35

It's incredible. So your current project is uh one of the big reasons we bring you here today. Um you are directing Dolly Partons 9 to 5. For the second time. For the second time here.

SPEAKER_02 27:49

Let's start with that. So it's you get a project for the second time, and I have this in my head. I've never directed the same show twice. What's sort of that challenge when you're looking at it and it's like, okay, well, you got new people? It's like, okay, what worked this time, but what do I want to do a little bit different and what do I want to capture, but maybe I want to put a new twist on it? Right. What's the thought process going into a show a second time?

SPEAKER_00 28:13

Yeah, I I for this one, and that's that that is not always the case. Of course, I've directed uh Steel Magnolias twice, I've directed Sound of Music three times, and I'll all of these spaces. But uh for this one, I just fell in love with the design that I had 13 years ago, and so I wanted the exact same design. Obviously, you can't duplicate the cast because they're gonna age out, you know, 13 years ago. And the and the age dynamic is really important in the show. So, design concept I decided to make the same, and and that the the main difference was gonna be looking at a whole different cast. And they just each one of them bring in something entirely uh different than the than the person before. Awesome. Incredible. Yeah, my my age range for the women before I think was uh uh 52 somewhere in the 40s and somewhere in the late 30s. This time the in the age range is 41, 31, 21.

SPEAKER_02 29:26

Yeah, interesting. That that is, and that makes a big twist on it. Right. Um, so what else? I mean, it is 9 to 5, it is Dolly Parton, and it's Tennessee. Right. Everyone at least knows the song 9 to 5. Right. Is there any sort of pressure to you or the cast where it's, I mean, not a spoiler alert, but a really fun thing you need to come see. Dolly Parton is actually in the show. Is in the show. So is there like that sort of Tennessee pressure of like this is the Dolly Parton show that everyone knows?

SPEAKER_00 29:57

Not for me, just because I've had a history with the show. I I don't know how much you know that that I have a a history from the show just because excuse me. Growing up in Shelbyville, I had some two really, really close friends named Cameron Watson and T. Scott Cunningham. And uh Scott went to New York, uh, on Broadway, off-Broadway, uh, New York, and Cam was mainly uh television, but but um in the early two thousand late 1990s, early 2000s, he wrote wrote a screenplay, and he titled it Our Very Own. It was about growing up, you know, autobiographical, which you have to say it's not. Yeah, but autobiographical of growing up in Shelleyville in 1978, wrote that script. Uh, I'm actually a character in it, and uh started, went to cast it, and and casted with somebody that was a dear friend of his, but also a dear friend of Scott, and they met completely differently when that person was Allison Janey.

SPEAKER_02 31:11

Oh, okay. Okay. Oscar winner, Allison Janey, for those of you who don't know, from i Tanya and the sitcom Mom and The West Wing.

SPEAKER_03 31:19

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 31:19

Wow. And now The Diplomat? Is that what she's on?

SPEAKER_00 31:23

Yes, the Diplomat on Netflix. On Netflix. You need to brush up on your Allison Jane there, isn't that true? The West Wing. Oh my god. And she played the lead, she played the Lily Talwin role uh from the movie, and she played Violet, and then the director was Joe Mantello, which is the director of Wicked, and just won a Tony two days ago before Death of a Salesman. He was Scott's roommate in College. How about that? That's cool. So I've just had this connection with the material. I flew to LA. I, you know, I I saw the production in LA, I stole some uh some things from that production that you'll never see anywhere else, and that that I do a little differently, mainly about how they start the show and and that kind of thing. And so that's what I kind of bring to it, you know. And then a little known fact that when the national tour started, it started in Nashville at T Pac. Okay. That was their very first show. The Heart's name was Joe Mahold. Okay. Okay. Joe is married to Elizabeth Moses Mahol, who starred in probably our fifth production here in the world. Oh really? Oh that's so cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:44

And it all comes back to the art center. It all comes back to the art center. All roads lead to the art center.

SPEAKER_00 32:50

You know, we talked about this the other day that that um uh there's somebody on uh that that has been on Broadway and Mulan Roads and is about to be on Broadway in Black Swan, performed here. Chris Young from the Country Music Fame performed here. Uh Colton Dixon, uh American Idol and and and uh and gospel, uh he performed here and Jordan McComb. Yes, most recently. And I directed all, well, I directed all four of that skills.

SPEAKER_02 33:21

That's awesome. That's so incredible that you've hit all those markers. So now with this production of nine to five, you have Mr. Noah Brady playing Mr. Hart, your villain. You last directed him as Johnny Cash in the Million Dollar Quartet Christmas. Right. What talk about working with him?

unknown 33:40

Because these are Johnny Cash and Mr.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

Hart are totally different ends of the spectrum. Right. What's it been like going down both of those roads with Noah?

SPEAKER_00 33:50

So let me tell you about Noah. Um uh the hardest working actor I've ever worked with in my life, guys. Uh uh he he he was not my first choice for the role because of age, and there was a conflict of the person that that that I thought was gonna be able to do the role, and he just jumps in like he does with any role. Johnny Cash or uh or Hart jumps in with both feet. They're nothing alike, absolutely not. It just takes a lot of hard luck, work, and a lot of dedication, and this guy's very date. Absolutely. You know, uh uh one of the one of the people on the show uh had never met Noah before, and they were walking around the art center the other day, and there was a million-dollar quartet uh poster, and the guy had come to see it, you know, and Noah goes, Well, I played Johnny Cash. It was like, what? You know? How is that possible? Yeah. Yeah, it's possible. So if you saw if you saw Million Dollar Quartet, uh you saw you're in town, uh, if go way back to the first Elf Jr. we did here, you played the Elf. Um Bright Star. Uh Bright Star, yes, the the the you know, the male leading and and well, co-male leads in Bright Star. So yeah. Uh and none of the roles are anything a lot.

SPEAKER_02 35:24

None. Right. Oh, absolutely. And then, of course, you have your three leading ladies, your Violet, who is Darcy Pingle, uh, Dora Lee, who is Jocelyn French. Who we talked to last time. Yes, and Patrick helped me out here, and Judy, who is Emma Groves. Now, each one iconic in their own way, because it's Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton. Right. Which, you know, have to sort of emulate, but make sure you're the characters. So, what's it like going into something like that, especially for someone like Jocelyn, who Dolly Parton is just even just visually so iconic? Like, what's what's the thought process going behind directing those characters?

SPEAKER_00 36:05

Yeah, I I I think at auditions, uh, our music director is Alison Hall, and she is the only person that's repeating a role. Yeah. So she did Rise uh, you know, 13 years ago or whenever it was, and and uh and she's doing Roz again. But but uh I really had to depend on her musically first. You've got to be able to, you know, to have that style. And and Jocelyn just had that, and I had lots of wonderful women. You know, I probably called back six women for for it, and and so it's that first, and um, and and then there's just the comic timing that you've gotta have. And and and she brings all of that. Uh, you know, when we did it before uh uh Mary Ellen Smith did it, and they're nothing alike and they're everything alike, so it's really interesting. Yeah, I didn't realize that Mary Ellen did it. Yeah, Mary Ellen did it. Yeah. I can see that. Yeah, Carrie Cardoff played Judy, and uh Annie Boss Clements uh played uh uh Violet. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:16

Um so before we move into our next segment, I just want to ask one more question that we try to ask every director um that we interview, and that is what are you wanting your audience to take away from this specific show that you're currently directing?

SPEAKER_00 37:32

I want them to have fun. Yeah. Absolutely have fun.

SPEAKER_02 37:35

You watched it last night? I did get to watch it last night. I had fun. We had a weird, strange hiccup that I can't go into outside the art center that I had to go take care of, but I was having fun until that moment.

SPEAKER_00 37:49

But I I want them to have fun. And and um uh you're going to find that uh depending on generational, that's what's gonna be the most interesting thing about this show, is there are going to be people that you know were raised in 1979. You know, I was born in 54 and and and and experienced all that, and you're gonna know every single reference, and there's tons of them. You know, my podcast, I only have one person that was born before 1979. And and so so you're gonna go home and and you're going to go to Wikipedia and AI and chat and gonna ask and look up what all those there was.

SPEAKER_02 38:38

There was a great joke in it that I wasn't expecting. I'm a huge film buff, um, where they talk about Fred McMurray's double indemnity and not being able to say it. And it completely caught me off guard that it was in there, but I know most people my age and younger haven't seen or even heard of double indemnity. Right. And then what happens immediately after that makes it even funnier. Yeah. Yes, there are so many like little references like that throughout. I did. I had a ball, so make sure you get tickets to scene 9 to 5. Yeah. By the time this episode comes out, you'll have missed opening weekend, but there's still two weekends left. So get those tickets.

SPEAKER_01 39:18

Runs until June 27th. Yes. Right. Um, so Daryl, now is it's time for my personal. It's my favorite. I do love this section. Um, this is the rapid fire section. Okay. So this is where we throw five or so questions at you, just rapid fire, and you have to answer with the first thing that comes to mind when with the I have a nine to five one that I just thought of.

SPEAKER_02 39:45

Okay. So we're gonna start with that one, and then Patrick, we'll go to the list.

unknown 39:49

Okay. Alright, are you ready? All right. Patrick, are you ready? I'm ready. Alright.

SPEAKER_02 39:53

In nine to five, Doralie, Violet, or Judy. Which one is your favorite?

SPEAKER_00 39:59

Judy. Why? Oh, there's just a song. I think it's probably one person. There's a resilient starter. Yeah. There's resilience in all of us. This is his rather fire question, Patrick. Yeah, there's just a song. Allison and I talked about the other day. Probably one of the you know top ten musical theater songs ever written. It's just, and it's called, it would be called an 11 o'clock number. Uh but when there wasn't an 11-a-clock number, yeah, that's a long time ago.

unknown 40:27

All right, next.

SPEAKER_00 40:28

Dream Show to direct. Oh, uh you've directed them all. Uh there really Peter and the Starcatcher, uh, Waitress, and um uh uh Light in the Piazza and uh Bridges over Madison County. All right, we're all next to going rapid fire, Patrick.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Which show would get you back on stage to act?

SPEAKER_00 40:56

Uh uh Man Who Came to Dinner.

SPEAKER_01 40:59

Who is your favorite dental hygienist?

SPEAKER_00 41:02

It's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 41:03

Yes, yes, we got it! Um if you could only cast Patrick or RJ for the rest of time, who would it be? Patrick. Oh, same. Okay. And lastly but not least, best Al Pacino movie.

SPEAKER_00 41:23

Oh gosh, I get two actors confused all the time. It's alright, Radfire. It's a dog day afternoon. Yes, that's an Al Pacino movie!

SPEAKER_01 41:34

Woo! Daryl Decent, everyone, the legend, the myth, the legend. Nine to five at the Art Center until June 27th.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

Daryl, do you want to say anything before we wrap up? Uh get your tickets. Uh the first weekend will have probably been sold out. So get tickets for the second and third weekend. You're gonna have a ton of fun. Daryl shows sell out fast.

SPEAKER_01 41:58

And I'm not making that up. Daryl shows sell out. So get your tickets.

SPEAKER_02 42:03

Daryl, thank you so much for being on the episode. This was fun. Yeah, alright. And there it is, Patrick. Never a dull moment. Never a dull moment. And it's there's such a wealth of knowledge of the history. There's so much in that interview that I did not know and was not expecting.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

We really do appreciate it.