This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Drew Lachey: Hi! I'm Drew Lachey. You're listening to Behind the Awards.

[0:30] Drew Lachey: Today's show is brought to you by J. Gatsby.

[1:00] Drew Lachey: Today's show is brought to you by J. Gatsby.

[2:00] Drew Lachey: Today's show is brought to you by J. Gatsby.

[2:30] Eila Mell: Leah and Drew Lachey on Behind the Awards.

[2:33] Bruce Gotlieb: Yes, and they're telling us all about the most recent iteration of Label.less, which is now playing at the Duke, and we might as well just get into it.

[2:42] Eila Mell: Yes.

[2:45] Bruce Gotlieb: First, we are so excited to welcome back to our show, our friends, Leah and Drew Lachey.

[2:51] Drew Lachey: Hey, you guys.

[2:52] Lea Lachey: How's it going?

[2:53] Drew Lachey: Hi, guys.

[2:54] Lea Lachey: We're so excited to be here.

[2:56] Bruce Gotlieb: We're thrilled to have you.

[2:57] Lea Lachey: We're so excited.

[2:58] Drew Lachey: And we're so excited that Label.less is back, too.

[3:01] Lea Lachey: Yes, we couldn't be kept away.

[3:04] Drew Lachey: We had so much fun last spring, and the response was so great that this was always kind of part of our plan towards world domination, as you know, to return back to New York.

[3:16] Lea Lachey: And so we're very excited to be here all summer long.

[3:19] Bruce Gotlieb: That's amazing.

[3:20] Bruce Gotlieb: Well, and you're in a big venue.

[3:22] Drew Lachey: Yes, we've moved a little bit more towards the center of the island. You know, so we're a little closer to Times Square, a little bit more into the thick of things.

[3:30] Drew Lachey: But when we were thinking about venues where the show would work, we really kind of went through all the paces. All right. We looked downtown. We looked Midtown Eastside. We looked all over. And as you know, our show has so much choreography and the cast is a little bit bigger. So it was kind of finding that right combination of stage size versus audience size. And the Duke was just the perfect fit.

[3:51] Bruce Gotlieb: Now, when you guys were building this next phase, I know you mentioned the cast getting a little bit larger. Did you then have to tweak choreography, staging numbers, all of that?

[4:03] Drew Lachey: Honestly, I didn't tweak that much because I knew what we were.

[4:08] Lea Lachey: I think that's the hard part, though, right? Is like when to leave it right and when to kind of, you know, get in there and mix it up a little bit.

[4:18] Drew Lachey: There are some slight changes. Yeah. There's some surprises in the section of the show and "Man's World." There's a big change there. And also in the self-worth section, the song "Enough" sung by Abby Doherty is choreographed a little differently. But I think it's really hitting in the right places. So I'm excited about it. The whole show is great. But I have to say the choreography, Lea, is fantastic.

[4:49] Lea Lachey: Thank you. You just made her all day.

[4:51] Drew Lachey: Yeah, I made her all day. Oh, my God. Thank you. I'm super proud. We just have a talented cast that can execute. Right. And then I have to brag a little bit, too, that this cast, the note-taking is off the charts. Unbelievable. Like I looked at our stage manager, Kelsey, the other night and said they just took every single note, and it just makes your job so much more fun and easier, to be quite honest. So I'm lucky to have them to execute what my vision is. So it's an exciting time, guys. Exciting.

[5:30] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. No, you're so good at what you do. I mean, both of you really. Let's explain to people who don't know what the show is.

[5:37] Lea Lachey: For me, it's sort of a hybrid of a concert and a musical in the best possible way. So, you know, I think this is perfect for people who aren't sure if they like musicals so much because, you know, you're getting drama, you're getting concert, you're getting musical, you're getting, you know, just great choreography. Is that how you sort of envisioned it?

[6:00] Drew Lachey: I think that's where it landed for us. I think that those are our backgrounds. You know, we have trained in theater. We have done tons of theater. The pop world clearly we know a lot about.

[6:12] Drew Lachey: Do you have some experience?

[6:16] Lea Lachey: Maybe a little bit, maybe just a little bit. I've done one or two. Right.

[6:20] Drew Lachey: I think for us it was, you know, people are very much quick to be like, all right, well, if you're creating a musical, you need this. You need this book. You need this kind of score. You need this kind of story. You need this size cast. None of that is true to create something. You don't need to check off any kind of boxes. You need something. And we say this all the time. I think it's Carol Burnett that says they won't remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.

[6:49] Lea Lachey: Yeah. And that is what Label.less is all about. It is about making people feel from their heart. So whether the vehicle is a song, whether it's choreography, whether it is, you know, telling their true personal stories on the stage, that vehicle can take any different kind of shape or size or length of time or size bunk or, you know, number of songs. And so I think we had to fight ourselves.

[7:10] Drew Lachey: Yes. You know, be like, oh, well, they're telling us we've got to do this. We had to fight the idea of conforming to what people thought a musical was supposed to be or, you know, a show that was going to New York was supposed to be. And we literally had to take a step back and be like, but it works. It works this way. It is its own thing. It doesn't have to be. We're not trying to do, you know, recreate, you know, Sondheim or J.R.B. or like any of these fantastic, you know, shows. We're just trying to do what we know works and what makes our audiences feel something special.

[7:48] Lea Lachey: So we settled on that kind of concert theater hybrid. And I also think that in the landscape of what's out there in theater right now, you know, this smaller show that isn't linked to an existing IP, people also are clinging to because it's something new and something exciting, and people crave originality.

[8:10] Drew Lachey: So they get that in coming to your show.

[8:13] Lea Lachey: I think so, too. Another big comment that we're getting right now is that it's so authentic, raw, real. So touching on that, I think people are craving that. I think audiences are craving that. I think they're craving real emotion and real connection.

[8:29] Drew Lachey: So I do think that it's, you know, what, 95 minutes, I think, is what we landed at.

[8:34] Lea Lachey: This is a 90, 95 minutes, depending on how the monologues are.

[8:37] Drew Lachey: Yeah. How many dramatic pauses do they think? Come put your phone down. Right. And experience some real-life stories. I do think that people want that right now.

[8:50] Lea Lachey: No, I would agree. I think so. And the stories are based on some of the actors' real experiences. And they're so profound, too.

[8:57] Drew Lachey: Yeah. All of the stories are either new and very truthful to the current cast member or a cast member in the past. Most of them are current. But the sad thing is, like, we'll go to a new cast member like, all right, this is the monologue that was in this spot before. How do we want to change it? What makes it true to you? What makes the story, you know, reflect your life? And I mean, most of the time they say we relate to that story. And then there are obviously little tweaks that Drew does so that, you know, it's that person. But it is, it's eye-opening as creators to say, oh, my gosh, we're so many of us are linked by these stories that it is. It's like this. I think that's what pushes us forward too as creators is to say, like, this needs to be seen. This needs to be told. So it's refreshing.

[9:51] Lea Lachey: And I feel like that's another thing that, you know, is part of the, you know, to make a musical, you have to do this.

[9:57] Drew Lachey: Yeah. Our book has never been locked. You know, our cast could come up to us today. I mean, and they could say, what do you think about changing this line? OK, let's work through it. Let's figure it out. Let's see how it tells the story. Does it tell the story better? Does it make it feel better for you as an actor? You know, so I think, you know, that's another way that we're trying to, you know, keep it do something new.

[10:21] Bruce Gotlieb: Yeah. Keep it exciting. Keep it for audiences to Drew. Do you on the music side feel like also like Leah, where you have to stop at some point, but you get maybe a new cast member that now has abilities that maybe somebody doesn't. Do you feel like inclined to like, oh, I have to sit down and write a new song or add something?

[10:43] Drew Lachey: Yeah. So it's yes, I do. And there's a couple times like, oh, I maybe I should maybe I go back into the studio and I work.

[10:51] Drew Lachey: Label.less Back By Popular Demand.

[11:21] Drew Lachey: Label.less Back By Popular Demand.

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[23:12] Lea Lachey: That is true. We love that idea. You know, you guys are great leaders of this company, but are you ever tempted to get on stage yourselves and perform? Does it make you want to do that? Okay, I would be lying if I didn't say this. There's a couple numbers in the show that I joke to the cast, like, if anybody isn't feeling good, like, I can just jump in real quick and live out that fantasy, you know, again. For me, though, no, I mean, I can answer honestly, like, I am really happy where I sit right now. I love directing. I love choreographing. I love creating. I love this, that side of the table. I mean, I'll be honest, I'm too insecure. What? These, these, this cast. Oh, my God. Yes, they sing their faces off.

That's true. So I'd be like, Hmm, I don't know. So my baritone. Like, like, it would be like a constant, like, struggle, or be like, Oh, my God, guys, I'm sick today. No, but there I am. I am constantly in awe of what this cast does. So in that regard, you know, the way that they're able to have that connection on stage, do I miss that on a daily basis? Absolutely. Yeah. You know, a cast becomes a family. And the way this show is created, they're able to have that connection on stage, you know, like a lot of casts, like have to play like these games on stage and do other. Oh, they're not this, this cast, literally, they just get to connect on stage at any given moment and share their friendship and their connection with each other.

So it doesn't have to be like, All right, you are a jet and you're a shark and but you still play these games. Right? This is about family and unity and connection and support and love. I think that's my favorite part. I was saying to Drew the other night, just watching the new connections because that clearly works with Label.less in the staging. It's like to go into, you know, into intricate choreography and blocking and things have to and then to see something new that a cast member does. It's heartwarming for me because it just makes everything so seamless. It's not like, Oh, they're gonna, they're gonna do a monologue. And now they're gonna go into a number. It's just like, one big thread line, I think, which, right?

Fun. It's like the mama bear in me, like, watch it. And I'm like, Oh, look at them. They love each other. Right? It doesn't feel like song monologue. It just feels like, you know, natural steps that you take to tell the story.

[25:56] Drew Lachey: Yeah, when somebody takes it and runs with it, it's like, you never want somebody to be like, it shouldn't look like you're walking over there, because I told you, that's where you need to go. Exactly. Yes, exactly. But let you know, create maybe find some connection along the way as we move stage left. Right? Yes.

[26:16] Lea Lachey: No, one thing that's really nice. And I got to observe when I was there last time is your interaction with the audience, you two, specifically, that, you know, you're so welcoming to the audience. And, you know, I mean, Drew, you have fans who come to fans of yours that come to see the show, and you're so lovely to them, and you give them so much time. And it's really so nice to observe.

[26:37] Drew Lachey: Well, thank you. And I feel like, you know, I say this all the time to anybody who asks, of the two people that are sitting on this couch right now, I am by far the least favorite, you know, anybody that meets Lea, you know, instantly, like falls in love with her, and you know, they become best friends. So, you know, I'm constantly just trying to compete and keep up. Yeah, you know, this ray of sunshine over here.

[27:05] Lea Lachey: Yeah, sure. The reason that you're here is because I connected with Lea first.

[27:09] Drew Lachey: That is true. I'm not lying.

[27:15] Lea Lachey: But I do. I do think that, like, we love that aspect of connecting with people and hearing what they have to say. And, you know, nine times out of ten, it's something really beautiful. And then we're able to share that with the cast. So that's important to us to connect with the audience as well. Right. And also, you know, we're we are honored that they're coming to the show. We wouldn't be where we are without a lot of those fans. So grateful.

[27:45] Drew Lachey: Yeah, I think for us also, like, this, the world and this industry also are very critical. Like, people, people, there's certain people that like to come to the theater now, so they can like, pick it apart and tear it apart. And oh, well, I wouldn't have done this. And oh, you shouldn't have done that. Or this show was good for this reason, but it was bad for this reason. And I think for us, you know, there is a solace, there is a peace, there is a, you know, the feeling that we get from hearing how a show touched someone in a positive way, how it, you know, made them feel seen. You know, that is that is why we continue to do this. That is why this show is still eight years, you know, from creation still going is because of those interactions, those stories.

So anybody that comes to see Label.less, I would just encourage them, just come with an open heart, just come with an open heart and let it do what it does. You know, and I feel like that's any show like, don't don't go don't go to a show, don't go to a movie, don't go to a concert, like trying to find what's wrong with it. Come trying to find what you can take away from it that's joyful and uplifting and going to make you a better person have a better day. I feel like Label.less has that in spades.

[29:03] Lea Lachey: Yeah, I mean, it is the kind of show that will sort of turn your mood around and it will just change how your day is going if it's not going so well.

[29:15] Drew Lachey: Yeah, yes. And if it couldn't get any better, the fact that we have our tickets priced for people to be able to, you know, actually take in the theater. Yeah, you know, that's, that's important to us, though, like we wanted to very important, cost effective so that people could come and see theater, live theater. So we're proud of that as well.

[29:38] Lea Lachey: Yeah, and it's important that young people can afford to go see it. Because, you know, you know, if it's not a show that your parents want to go to, you can still go. And that's important because you'll hear your story.

[29:46] Drew Lachey: Yeah. Yeah, I think for us, like making sure that, you know, our nonprofit is all about making the arts accessible, and our nonprofit is mostly geared towards the training side of things. But this show is a continuation of that, you know, making the arts accessible to audiences as well. That's another thing that, like, New 42 is doing, you know, with the Vic and how, you know, they're bringing the arts and accessibility to kids all over the place.

[30:11] Lea Lachey: Well, that's partially why Label.less is a perfect fit to be in the Duke is because we share that mission of making sure that the arts, you know, a family of four can come see our show for the price of one ticket to another show. So that that's important to us.

[30:24] Drew Lachey: I can't recommend enough, right, Bruce, that people can come and see the show for all the reasons we've said. And, you know, and then when you go, you'll find even more reasons that you like it.

[30:33] Bruce Gotlieb: Oh, thank you.

[30:35] Drew Lachey: So yeah, for us, it really is a gift that keeps giving eight years later, we're still proud to be a part of it. And, you know, helping to try and lead it with respect and love that it deserves. And hope everybody comes and checks it out. Because we feel like it could change your life.

[30:49] Lea Lachey: Yeah.

[30:51] Drew Lachey: We'll have a link in the in the in the show notes so people can just click on and buy tickets. So you guys are at the Duke through the end of August. Is there a chance that that could push out further?

[31:03] Lea Lachey: I mean, you never know, you know, you never know. For us, like, getting the show back out on tour is important, you know, taking the story and the show to people that might not be able to get to New York is important. We would love to go to the West End. We really want to do that. You know, it's, you know, there's considerations there. So even if it doesn't stay at the Duke longer than past August 29, the show will continue on past August 29.

[31:30] Drew Lachey: Yeah. All right. Now, Bruce and I would like to join you if you go to the West End.

[31:36] Lea Lachey: Oh, you're coming. Don't worry.

[31:38] Drew Lachey: Excellent.

[31:40] Lea Lachey: So everyone should click on the link your tickets between now and the end of August to see the show. Follow Label Us on Instagram. You can see all the little behind the scenes, some great videos that you guys have out, just giving people just enough of a taste to make them want to buy the tickets. So it's all great.

[31:58] Drew Lachey: Thanks. And Lea, I strongly suggest that you do some videos of your choreography. You can teach people how to do some of the numbers.

[32:06] Lea Lachey: That's a great idea. I have started to get those requests where people are like, come teach us part of the part of Born This Way or Money. And so that'll be coming soon. Don't worry.

[32:18] Drew Lachey: Excellent. All right. Thank you guys for joining us once again. We love having you.

[32:24] Lea Lachey: Thank you so much, guys.

[32:26] Drew Lachey: Appreciate it.

[32:27] Bruce Gotlieb: We'll see everyone next time on Behind the Awards.