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[0:00] Ayanna Prescod: Good morning, Broadway.

[0:02] Audience: Hi, everybody.

[0:04] Ayanna Prescod: How are you this morning? Are we good? Oh, yeah. We're so happy to be kicking off Playbill Curtain Up Weekend.

[0:13] Ayanna Prescod: I am Ayanna Prescod. My pronouns are she, her, host of What's Up, Broadway on the lovely Broadway Podcast Network. But I don't think anyone has a bigger fan base than Be More Chill. That show's fans are the reason why the musical went to Broadway. And today we have the iconic Be More Chill mastermind, Joe Iconis.

[0:45] Ayanna Prescod: Joe is the creator of the music and lyrics of Be More Chill. And today on his birthday, his birthday is Wednesday, but we're celebrating it today. Happy early birthday.

[0:56] Ayanna Prescod: Yeah, he is joined by How To Be More Chill podcast host Ilana Levine and Sam Maher. Let's welcome them all to the Playbill Piano Bar stage.

[1:10] Ilana Levine: Thank you, Ayanna and Christian, so much for leading us in all things Broadway. Sam and I just want to start by saying first a huge thank you to Joe Iconis for being here today.

[1:20] Joe Iconis: Thanks for having me.

[1:22] Ilana Levine: And after 18 months, how unbelievable is it for us to all be together today in Times Square, the home base of all things Broadway? So thanks to everyone who is here today. I think my heart is beating faster right now than it has in 18 months.

[1:38] Sam Maher: Yeah, I'm so excited. Adrenaline is pumping. We're here. We're Joe Iconis' biggest fans. We've got Joe Iconis, the rest of the biggest fans in front of us. We were such big fans of the Broadway musical, Be More Chill and the mastermind behind it that we started a podcast called How To Be More Chill, and we are regrouping today after 18 months of not being able to record in person.

[2:01] Ilana Levine: Thanks to Broadway Podcast Network, who is our host and a platform for all of the most incredible Broadway and performing arts content. So please download the app, listen wherever you live in the world. And without further ado, let's start our Joe Iconis interview in person, Sam.

[2:18] Sam Maher: I have a burning question for Joe Iconis.

[2:21] Ilana Levine: Yeah. How was London? Your show just did a 10-week run on the West End.

[2:28] Joe Iconis: I did. London was really great. So for those who don't know, Be More Chill had a London production that got shut down because of COVID. And so the Be More Chill London production was I was over there right before everything shut down for a month working on it. And it was the same idea as the Broadway production, but it was a lot smaller. It was really stripped down. It was like a very sort of intimate bare bones kind of take on the show. And so we opened and it was going really well. And it was open for literally two weeks and then everything shut down, you know. And so we had this amazing opportunity to remount the show this summer on the West End. Then we got to do 10 weeks at the Shaftesbury Theatre. And it was amazing. It was so incredible. It was so fun.

[3:25] Ilana Levine: Something else happened while you were there, which was you had a little show.

[3:29] Joe Iconis: I did. Yeah. What was that?

[3:31] Joe Iconis: I did a show at this venue called the Crazy Cox, which is like a very fun name for a venue. It's sort of like the 54 Below of London.

[3:41] Sam Maher: Yeah. And it was great. It was so fun. I have to say that when I said that, when I said that, oh, yeah, we should do this event in Times Square. I wasn't processing that we would literally be doing an event in the middle of Times Square.

[3:59] Joe Iconis: We're alive, baby. We're alive. And it's like this. I'm a lifelong New Yorker. But I do have to say it's like a little noisier than I thought it was going to be. But how thrilling.

[4:10] Ilana Levine: Yeah, microphones are going to channel this conversation.

[4:13] Joe Iconis: Oh, my God. Those ears.

[4:14] Ilana Levine: Yeah. And this will just be a slight ambient sound. I love it. So we're going to stay really focused on you. First of all, ladies and gentlemen, as we said earlier, this is about to kick off Joe Iconis's birthday week. We have hired those musicians that you hear in the background right now. That's Joe Iconis's favorite song.

[4:32] Joe Iconis: I love it so much.

[4:34] Ilana Levine: But we have some fun things planned for you today.

[4:37] Joe Iconis: Oh, my God. OK, so this is like as someone who we know loves this sort of 1950s Mad Men-esque era of cool and groove. We thought back to sort of the game shows of the 50s and it's sort of this is your life.

[4:50] Joe Iconis: Oh, my God. Yeah.

[4:53] Ilana Levine: And one of the things that we did is we reached out to some people that you know very well and that know you very well.

[5:00] Joe Iconis: OK.

[5:03] Ilana Levine: And they're all going to pop out of a cake in a second.

[5:06] Joe Iconis: Absolutely not. They're all in that piano.

[5:06] Ilana Levine: But before that happens, what's going to happen is Sam and I, beginning with Mr. Sam, are going to read you some words of love and salute to Joe Iconis, and you are going to have to guess who in the Joe Iconis orbit sent us this message.

[5:23] Joe Iconis: Oh my gosh. OK. Are you ready?

[5:25] Joe Iconis: Yeah, it's a lot of pressure, but I think I'm ready.

[5:27] Joe Iconis: Can you hear us?

[5:30] Joe Iconis: Yeah, I can.

[5:32] Ilana Levine: I can't hear you at all. Are you talking?

[5:32] Joe Iconis: Yeah. OK, I'm ready.

[5:33] Ilana Levine: OK, Joe Iconis, this is your life. Who wrote this? The thing I love most about Joe Iconis is his friendship. The dude truly values all of his friends. Things have gotten quite busy over the last few years, but he still somehow finds the time for those that he loves. He could be in the middle of previews for something. And somehow I'll still get a text that's like, yo, are you in Midtown by any chance? Want to get a drink tonight? And I love that about him. Chime in if you got it. It's something I truly suck at doing. I can get wrapped up in my own crap quite easily and forget to reach out. But not him. He's always there for his friends.

[6:12] Joe Iconis: I'm going to guess it's Eric William Morris.

[6:14] Ilana Levine: What? Whoa. Yeah.

[6:17] Joe Iconis: King Kong, among other things.

[6:19] Ilana Levine: Yeah. Broadway zone. I knew it.

[6:22] Joe Iconis: You knew it. Yeah.

[6:23] Ilana Levine: OG Squip. What part of it was like, that's Eric?

[6:27] Joe Iconis: Because I do the, hey, are you in Midtown thing? And I feel like, yeah, I feel like he that that always resonates with him.

[6:34] Ilana Levine: I love it. Apparently it does. So during King Kong, was it? Are you riding on the back of a gorilla right now?

[6:39] Joe Iconis: Yeah. Can you come for?

[6:40] Ilana Levine: Yeah, I would be. Are you in? Are you in Midtown right now?

[6:42] Joe Iconis: And be like, yeah, I'm in King Kong. Let's get an old fashioned.

[6:46] Ilana Levine: OK, you ready?

[6:48] Joe Iconis: Yeah.

[6:48] Ilana Levine: All right. The thing I love most about see all of these. I feel like I could have written, but just to give you that. OK, the thing I love most about Joe Iconis is his professional ethics on casting. He always tells us that he only casts the kindest people. It makes working on his shows an absolute pleasure. I couldn't figure out why he chosen me for the last show, but then I remembered he cast me from a self-tape only three days before the scheduled photo shoot for the show. So maybe desperation made him throw his morals out the window. Either way, I love you, Joe. And I can't wait to see you again on another adventure.

[7:27] Joe Iconis: I'm guessing that that's a Scott Folin.

[7:30] Ilana Levine: Was it my accent? It was your accent.

[7:31] Joe Iconis: I knew it before your accent. But yeah, Scott, Scott played Jeremy in Be More Chill London. The great Scott Folin.

[7:36] Ilana Levine: All the way. This letter came all the way from London.

[7:40] Joe Iconis: Oh my gosh. That's a big boy.

[7:42] Ilana Levine: It's an airmail. International airmail.

[7:44] Joe Iconis: OK, the thing I love most about Joe Iconis is his undying loyalty, his perseverance and guts, his dedication to his friends and family and community, his deep love for the art form of musical theater, his kindness towards strangers and fans and students, his hilarious comedic instincts, his singular voice as a writer, his songs, his shows, his style, his joyfulness, his ability to cheer people up, his willingness to put himself out there and roll around in the mud. He's all for the city of New York and its history, his pride in his work, his inclination toward adventure, his respect for his elders, his generosity with his time, his open, bleeding heart and his tremendous singularity as a human being. He's pretty cool.

[8:36] Joe Iconis: Oh my God. I feel like mud is an important clue.

[8:41] Ilana Levine: I mean, I had to I have two people and their name both starts with the letter J.

[8:47] Joe Iconis: Yes. Is it a is it a Jennifer Tepper?

[8:50] Ilana Levine: It is a Jennifer Ashley Tepper. Yeah. All right.

[8:53] Joe Iconis: All right. The word history was in that one. I thought that was going to be a giveaway.

[8:57] Ilana Levine: All right. Elders gave it away. I'm going to read a little quickly because there are lots of things we want to get to today.

[9:02] Joe Iconis: Yeah, we're going to be able to follow. OK. Yeah.

[9:04] Ilana Levine: But the best thing about Joe Iconis, this is an impossible prompt. There are too many things, but I'll narrow it down to say to two. One of my favorite things about Joe Iconis is he gives really thoughtful opening night gifts. The second thing is when Joe is playing a show, if he makes the rare mistake on the piano, he will double down on it and play that mistake again and again. The next time the chord or chorus or solo line appears in the song, it's as if he's saying, I did that on purpose. Don't believe me. I'll do it that way again. See, it's part of the song. And for that performance, it is. I just think it's so clever. Such a talented musician.

[10:01] Joe Iconis: Oh, no. Wait, who is that going to be?

[10:02] Ilana Levine: Mm hmm. Is it a.

[10:03] Joe Iconis: Mm hmm.

[10:04] Ilana Levine: Is it a Charlie Rosen?

[10:05] Joe Iconis: No, but it could be. Could be.

[10:06] Ilana Levine: But it's not. Yeah, it'd be. Yeah. I'm trying to like going to like musical writing. Do you want one hint?

[10:10] Joe Iconis: Yes.

[10:12] Ilana Levine: All right. I'm going to say a word. OK, it's actually two words, but it's it's goodbye.

[10:15] Joe Iconis: I'm Jason's speech with William.

[10:17] Ilana Levine: Yeah. Gentlemen.

[10:20] Joe Iconis: Yeah. Famous for the goodbye song.

[10:22] Ilana Levine: Yes. Very much so. Yeah. All right. OK, for the last one. Very much so. Yeah. All right. OK, final one. The thing I love most about Joe Iconis is his appreciation of a well-made cocktail. Seriously, the man will not settle for ordinary when it comes to his libations. He also loves a good bar. Sitting in a leather high top chair, bantering with a wisecracking barkeep and noshing on post theater foodstuffs. Noshing is Yiddish. It's all great. He certainly got me to appreciate the luxuries of a proper drink, though I don't like whiskey. He can keep his old fashioned. I'll take a vodka martini with a dash of hot sauce. Cheers to you, Joseph.

[11:00] Ilana Levine: Oh, my goodness. Who just. But.

[11:03] Joe Iconis: Oh my God.

[11:04] Ilana Levine: Someone just talked about this with me liking a vodka martini with a dash of hot sauce, and I can't think of who it is.

[11:11] Joe Iconis: Was it anybody here? Did anyone here write this tribute to Joe Iconis? Raise your hand if you wrote this.

[11:16] Ilana Levine: No, literally no one did. OK. You probably have spent the most time with this person than you have anyone else on the list so far.

[11:23] Joe Iconis: That's true.

[11:27] Ilana Levine: You've known this person the longest or vice versa.

[11:29] Joe Iconis: I've known this person the longest. Yeah.

[11:33] Ilana Levine: Mm hmm. Mm hmm. And there's something in the way this person sent finish this this letter that felt they felt like that would be a good hint for you.

[11:44] Ilana Levine: Cheers to you, Joseph.

[11:48] Joe Iconis: Cheers. I mean, they know your name.

[11:49] Ilana Levine: Yes. Cheers to me.

[11:50] Joe Iconis: Cheers to me, Joseph.

[11:53] Ilana Levine: Give me give me another hand. Cheers to you, comma, Joseph exclamation point. That is not a hint.

[12:00] Joe Iconis: I've spent the most time with this person.

[12:03] Ilana Levine: Like your whole life almost. Or literally.

[12:06] Joe Iconis: Oh, it's my brother. Oh, man. Phil Iconis, you lovely. I literally in my brain, I was like, someone was talking to me recently about liking martinis with hot sauce in them. And I literally went to like, I went to a British woman like of a certain age. Like I was in my brain. It was like, was it like it was like a Maggie Smith type. It was like a like, did I meet some like old like grand Dom of the theater in London? And that was the person who's talking about it. But it wasn't. It was my brother, Phil Iconis, or you know, Maggie Smith, Keely, Keely from Ted Lasso.

[12:40] Ilana Levine: Yeah, exactly. Similar types.

[12:42] Joe Iconis: All right, we are going on to our next lightning round of questions in honor of your 40th birthday, Joe Iconis.

[12:50] Ilana Levine: Great. Rapid fire. This is like in the style of Vogue.

[12:53] Joe Iconis: Yes. We're entering your house. You look gorgeous. Yeah, it's us in a camera. And it's going to feel completely spontaneous because it is okay. Can't wait. Are you ready?

[13:00] Joe Iconis: So ready?

[13:01] Ilana Levine: Yeah. What is your favorite cocktail?

[13:04] Joe Iconis: Manhattan on the rocks.

[13:06] Ilana Levine: What is your favorite kind of birthday cake?

[13:09] Joe Iconis: Pie.

[13:11] Ilana Levine: What is one thing you still have from your childhood?

[13:14] Joe Iconis: Oh, my goodness. My Carrie playbill.

[13:17] Ilana Levine: What is your favorite movie?

[13:19] Joe Iconis: Nashville?

[13:22] Ilana Levine: What is one habit you wish you could break?

[13:25] Joe Iconis: Stubborn?

[13:27] Ilana Levine: What is your favorite lyric of all time?

[13:30] Joe Iconis: What's the use of wondering if he's good or if he's bad?

[13:33] Ilana Levine: Oh, it's my turn. What is something you've always wanted to try but been too scared to do?

[13:38] Joe Iconis: Oh, oh, oh. Uh, do a live podcast in Times Square.

[13:46] Ilana Levine: Yeah, be nude on stage.

[13:48] Joe Iconis: Well, today's the day.

[13:50] Ilana Levine: Best advice for your 19 year old self.

[13:53] Joe Iconis: That there's hope keep doing what you're doing. Keep dreaming.

[13:57] Ilana Levine: But who's your favorite painter?

[14:00] Joe Iconis: My favorite painter is Bob Ross.

[14:02] Ilana Levine: Who's your favorite Disney character?

[14:05] Joe Iconis: My favorite Disney character is goofy.

[14:08] Ilana Levine: Favorite solo artist.

[14:10] Joe Iconis: Dolly Parton.

[14:12] Ilana Levine: What's your favorite board game?

[14:15] Joe Iconis: I hate board games.

[14:17] Ilana Levine: I love that. What is your favorite place you've never been?

[14:20] Joe Iconis: My favorite place I've never been is oh, the castle where they shot Rocky Horror.

[14:26] Ilana Levine: Where does one go on a perfect road trip?

[14:30] Joe Iconis: One on a perfect road trip would go to Nashville, Tennessee, and hang.

[14:34] Ilana Levine: What does what do you do on a rainy day?

[14:37] Joe Iconis: On a rainy day I might I might I might write musicals, which is what I do every day.

[14:42] Ilana Levine: This is a trick question.

[14:44] Joe Iconis: Maybe a sadder musical on the rainy day.

[14:46] Ilana Levine: What's your favorite exercise?

[14:49] Joe Iconis: I hate exercise so much.

[14:52] Ilana Levine: What was your worst subject in school?

[14:55] Joe Iconis: My worst subject in school is math.

[14:58] Ilana Levine: What is your spirit animal?

[15:01] Joe Iconis: My spirit animal is a raccoon.

[15:04] Ilana Levine: What do you usually eat for breakfast?

[15:07] Joe Iconis: For breakfast I usually eat sausage and fruit because I don't like eggs.

[15:11] Ilana Levine: Cooking or baking?

[15:13] Joe Iconis: Cooking.

[15:15] Ilana Levine: First celebrity crush?

[15:18] Joe Iconis: Robin Givens.

[15:20] Ilana Levine: Age when you were first kissed?

[15:23] Joe Iconis: Oh my goodness, no comment.

[15:26] Ilana Levine: Favorite fashion trend of all time?

[15:29] Joe Iconis: Skinny ties.

[15:32] Ilana Levine: Television show you recently binged?

[15:35] Joe Iconis: White Lotus.

[15:38] Ilana Levine: What is your kryptonite?

[15:41] Joe Iconis: Charcuterie and cheese boards.

[15:44] Ilana Levine: What do you first notice about someone when you meet them?

[15:48] Joe Iconis: I first notice their personality. Energy.

[15:51] Ilana Levine: What is your guilty pleasure?

[15:54] Joe Iconis: Charcuterie and cheese boards.

[15:57] Ilana Levine: On a scale of 1 to 10 how excited are you about life right now?

[16:01] Joe Iconis: I'm like 10 and a half.

[16:04] Ilana Levine: Describe yourself in a hashtag.

[16:07] Joe Iconis: Hashtag loyalty.

[16:09] Ilana Levine: What's one thing people don't know about you?

[16:12] Joe Iconis: People don't know that I don't know how to ride a bike.

[16:15] Ilana Levine: What are three things you cannot live without?

[16:18] Joe Iconis: I cannot live without my cat, Diane Kitten. I cannot live without good sunglasses. I cannot live without the original cast recordings at my fingertips.

[16:27] Ilana Levine: Window or aisle seat?

[16:30] Joe Iconis: Aisle.

[16:32] Ilana Levine: Secret talent?

[16:35] Joe Iconis: I am oh man oh god oh god oh god it's a secret secret talent secret talent secret talent won't be secret for long. No I know I know that's why I have to choose this wisely. I can play the trombone. Can't ride a bike, can play trombone.

[16:50] Ilana Levine: I think it's your turn.

[16:52] Joe Iconis: Oh I'm sorry what is your favorite piece of clothing that you own?

[16:56] Joe Iconis: My favorite piece of clothing that I own is uh it's probably a a Hugo Boss jacket that I just like a lot because it looks like something Martin Scorsese would have worn in like 1987.

[17:06] Ilana Levine: Love it five left uh do you have any tattoos?

[17:10] Joe Iconis: I do I have two tattoos I have a tattoo of a mule on my right arm and a tattoo of a frog on my left arm.

[17:16] Ilana Levine: Is the mule because of stubborn?

[17:19] Joe Iconis: Yeah yeah yeah a mule is stubborn and hairy much like myself.

[17:23] Ilana Levine: What is your pet peeve?

[17:26] Joe Iconis: Oh my pet peeve is when people are uh when people are mean to children. I hate that.

[17:31] Ilana Levine: Is that a bad pet peeve?

[17:33] Joe Iconis: No but like when people are like when people in public are like yelling at kids like it makes me insane. It makes me insane. I hate it. Yell at them at home not in public.

[17:41] Ilana Levine: It's yeah exactly behind closed doors please.

[17:44] Joe Iconis: Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

[17:47] Ilana Levine: Uh I'm a I'm a I'm a uh and and maybe I guess I'm an extrovert with introvert tendencies.

[17:53] Joe Iconis: What is your favorite spot in New York City?

[17:56] Ilana Levine: My favorite spot in New York City is probably the bar at the West Bank Cafe on 42nd Street.

[18:02] Joe Iconis: And final question but then I think you have a bonus question. Final official question.

[18:06] Ilana Levine: Yep. What are you most looking forward to about being 40?

[18:10] Joe Iconis: I'm most looking forward to uh I'm most looking forward to uh feeling like I don't have to apologize as much for things.

[18:16] Ilana Levine: For being 39?

[18:18] Joe Iconis: For being 39. No more.

[18:20] Ilana Levine: Yeah. I'm not gonna say I'm sorry one more time. That's it.

[18:24] Joe Iconis: Yeah.

[18:25] Ilana Levine: Um okay this is a bonus question. Can you please list all of the musicals that you've written in alphabetical order?

[18:31] Joe Iconis: Oh my gosh alphabetical order. Okay um mm-hmm. Be More Chill. The Black Suits. Blood Song of Love.

[18:41] Joe Iconis: Whoa Three Bees.

[18:43] Ilana Levine: Yeah I love bees for titles.

[18:45] Joe Iconis: Um uh uh uh uh. Love and Hate Nation. Broadway Bounty Hunter.

[18:52] Ilana Levine: Whoa another bee.

[18:54] Joe Iconis: Yep. Love and Hate Nation. Uh the Plant That Ate Dirty Socks.

[19:02] Joe Iconis: Things to Ruin. Nope. Rewrite. Things to Ruin. The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S Thompson Musical.

[19:12] Ilana Levine: I think that's it. Did I get them all?

[19:15] Joe Iconis: There's more and and here's the thing. All of us here today aside from just being so lucky to live on the same planet as you the idea that you've written all of those from that sweet head of yours all of the things that are going to come out in the future of that sweet head of yours.

[19:30] Ilana Levine: Yeah. It's kind of an amazing thing and that we were able to do this live event with you today.

[19:35] Joe Iconis: That was.

[19:36] Ilana Levine: In front of this beautiful audience.

[19:38] Joe Iconis: Yeah. Whiplash like I can't wait to watch the video of this and remember all the answers to your questions and figuring out.

[19:45] Ilana Levine: Yeah I feel like you've shared so generously of yourself today.

[19:48] Joe Iconis: Well please it's like it's an honor it's an honor to be with you guys. You guys have been so supportive of me and my career and you're just really cool people and what a it's such an honor and what a what a surreal thing to be able to have a private conversation in the middle of Times Square with everyone watching. It's really really really nice.

[20:06] Ilana Levine: Can I just say for a second does everyone know the story of the bees on the blackout night?

[20:10] Joe Iconis: I feel like that's my one part of Broadway history that I'm involved in so I want to be sure that everyone knows that on the night of the blackout Be More Chill was on Broadway. The only three shows that didn't have that had any power at all and could keep their show going all started with a bee.

[20:25] Ilana Levine: Yeah.

[20:26] Joe Iconis: Beetle no yeah Beetlejuice, Be More Chill, Burn This and I think that's it. Broadway and Broadway Bounty Hunter downtown.

[20:36] Ilana Levine: Yeah yeah.

[20:37] Joe Iconis: So I think you're on to something with the shows that started with a bee.

[20:41] Ilana Levine: It's really good it's like right at the top of the listings but it's not the very top so you don't come off as too like full of yourself.

[20:48] Joe Iconis: Like AAA. Like AAA musical. That's what I would name my musical.

[20:53] Ilana Levine: Too much too much.

[20:55] Joe Iconis: No no no trying too hard.

[20:57] Ilana Levine: Yeah yeah.

[20:58] Joe Iconis: So everyone here today I thought it would be incredible if we all sang happy birthday to Joe Iconis. Unfortunately though we couldn't find an accompanist.

[21:06] Ilana Levine: Oh yeah.

[21:07] Joe Iconis: And we were wondering if you know. Do you know how to play happy birthday?

[21:11] Ilana Levine: Oh yeah I could do happy birthday.

[21:14] Joe Iconis: Do you mind?

[21:15] Ilana Levine: I do happy birthday great.

[21:17] Joe Iconis: Great okay all right.

[21:19] Ilana Levine: Yeah cool I would love to. Just happy birthday. Will you guys all sing wherever you come from. Happy birthday is a universal song. I know you know it. Will you join us as we sing happy birthday to Joe Iconis.

[21:35] Joe Iconis: Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you.

[21:50] Audience: Happy birthday Joe Iconis. We love you so much we can't believe how much we love you. My god we love you. Happy birthday to you.

[22:10] Joe Iconis: Thanks everybody. We we all just made our debut in a Joe Iconis musical accompanied live by the composer himself of happy birthday. My love we love you so much. Thank you guys for coming. Don't forget to listen to how to be more chill a podcast on the Broadway podcast Broadway podcast network. But they have hundreds of unbelievable podcasts musicals everything performing arts Broadway podcast network. We love you. Thank you guys for coming today. You're the best.

[23:00] Ilana Levine: There is a whole weekend of Broadway centric events just ready for you. Everything is free. Thank you Playbill. Thank you curtain up. Thank you to everyone who made this possible today. Have a wonderful day you guys. Welcome back to Broadway. Happy birthday Joe Iconis.

[23:20] Audience: Thanks everyone.