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[0:36] Douglas Goldstein: Hello and welcome to this extra special episode of Musicals with Cheese. Today, I have a special guest. Please join me in welcoming Drama Desk nominee, Broadway star, and genuinely inspiring person who you can currently see in Maybe Happy Ending, now on tour. It's Kennedy Kanagawa!

[0:54] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah! Hello! Thanks for having me!

[0:58] Douglas Goldstein: I'm so happy you're here. It's truly a get. For those who may not know, you've had this prolific career since you were in third grade. You are an actor born to be an actor, and it's rare to see those. I don't want to ask, like, did you always want to be in theatre? Because everyone in theatre has always wanted to be in theatre. The thing that always makes me curious, did you ever consider anything else? Was there ever, like, the other thing that you found passion for? Not just, like, the backup plan, but another thing you're like, oh, I would be actually very happy doing this.

[1:35] Kennedy Kanagawa: You know, I really wanted, when I was younger, to be a film director. And I would make lots of home movies with my camcorder. But when it was time to go off to college, I kind of looked at film schools and theatre schools, and then I was like, you know, I think I just want to do theatre. So I never looked back.

[2:06] Douglas Goldstein: I mean, really, you're in the right field where you can do both.

[2:09] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yeah, I mean, maybe one day I'll go back to it. We'll see what happens. It's never too late.

[2:15] Douglas Goldstein: I mean, take a look at Lin-Manuel Miranda.

[2:18] Kennedy Kanagawa: Exactly. Inspiration.

[2:20] Douglas Goldstein: As someone that's directed a feature film, I think anyone can do it. And I think, especially people already involved in the arts, have a bigger upper hand than those folks. So that is still a dream that's going to come true, and I'm going to be first in line to see that film.

[2:33] Kennedy Kanagawa: All right, and I will give you a call and thank you when that happens.

[2:37] Douglas Goldstein: Well, now I'm actually very curious, as someone that had aspirations to be a film director, is there a musical that you're like, oh, that would make a great film, and I think I'm the one to direct it? Or even one that has already been adapted, but you think could have been done better by you?

[2:52] Kennedy Kanagawa: Well, you know, I think, honestly, maybe Happy Ending would be a fantastic film. I think the adaptation is right there. It would just translate so well on the screen. There's so many components to it that would be really exciting to make a reality.

[3:17] Douglas Goldstein: I agree. And correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't it a film previously?

[3:22] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, gosh, am I speaking out of turn? Was it? Well, I'm not sure with the previous Korean adaptation, but the American Broadway version of maybe Happy Ending as a musical is what I think needs to be translated to the screen.

[3:44] Douglas Goldstein: That's amazing. I actually would really love, you know what, Hollywood. We got a talented star that would come and do that. I think that Broadway people should actually transfer into film a lot more. We'd get a lot better Broadway adaptations. Not everyone's going to be Hal Prince, guys. We can get them onto the film.

[4:07] Kennedy Kanagawa: Right, and I agree, yes, wholeheartedly.

[4:10] Douglas Goldstein: So you brought it up, but you're currently in maybe Happy Ending. It's one of the best romantic musicals, because we don't get romantic musicals. We get one song in a musical about witches that it's not a romance. But did you see it on Broadway when it was originally running?

[4:24] Kennedy Kanagawa: I did. I saw the original cast and I was I saw it with my partner and we had to sit after the show ended in our seats and I just had to rub his back because he was inconsolable, as was I, but like we couldn't move from our seats. It was such a moving experience. So I'm so thrilled to be a part of it now.

[4:50] Douglas Goldstein: Well, I'm wondering if your relationship with that show has changed from being an audience member to being a part of creating it.

[4:57] Kennedy Kanagawa: It's interesting because once you get into the rehearsal process and start thinking about the show purely from a technical standpoint, you kind of lose sight a little bit of that emotional connection. But when we first started rehearsals for this, at the read-through, I was a wreck. When just a week or two ago, I decided to sit in the house and watch the show and I was a mess again. This show gets me every single time and also feeding off the energy of the audience who was experiencing it for the first time. There is so much in this show that is just packed with these beautiful degrees of emotion that I find something different with each experience of the story that continues to move me.

[6:04] Douglas Goldstein: So now you're understanding two different roles at the moment. I'm always curious. I know you know those two roles, Backwards and Forward. If you had to step into anyone else's role, do you know the show well enough that you think you could probably pull it off?

[6:20] Kennedy Kanagawa: So it's a four-person cast on stage and the roles of Oliver and Claire are, I would say, 85% of the stage time. So of the other two tracks, I could probably do Gil Brentley without having any kind of rehearsal. We've figured it out. Hopefully that is never a reality, especially because our two understudies for Gil Brentley are women and the idea of having a Jill Brentley is such an exciting prospect and the changes in the music and in the costumes are so exciting that I would really like to sit in the audience for that. I just love how changeable theater is. No matter what, you're never getting the same performance twice. That's really what brings it. Now, you're on tour. This is obviously not your first time touring, but is this the first time you've been to some of these cities you've been to?

[7:26] Kennedy Kanagawa: It is. So my only other tour was Into the Woods after we closed in New York and that felt like a... everyone kept telling me like, this isn't a real tour because it was only six months long. We only did 10 cities. We were actually encouraged by marketing to not even use the word tour for it. We were supposed to say 10-city limited engagement. This feels like my first real tour in a lot of ways, which is exciting and fun. So far, the only city that we have overlapped with is DC, which is also where I lived for middle school and high school. So right now, we're in Durham, North Carolina, which is such a beautiful town and the weather is still really nice here. It's like 85 degrees. So I'm gonna go walk around and enjoy the sun while I still can before we head up north.

[8:26] Douglas Goldstein: Oh yeah, it's gonna be a slight shift once we get up to you guys. All right, now we're gonna dive into the best section of these, which is Make Me a Musical. For those that this is the first episode, this is where I'm gonna have Kennedy come up with a musical based on their life. I'm gonna ask specific leading questions, but really, if you could make a musical about yourself, what is it and what would the title be?

[9:00] Kennedy Kanagawa: Okay, this is a great question. So my first instinct is that the title should just be Kennedy with an exclamation point. In, you know, like Fiorello or Oliver. I feel like it's like that vibe. It wouldn't be like a subtitle, the new comedy musical or the new musical the way that yeah, maybe like a musical romp. There we are. All right, Kennedy, exclamation point, a musical romp. What is the opening number to that show?

[9:33] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, man. Okay, so the opening number I feel like would be a. Hmm, where do we start? Do we start chronologically? This is a good question. You know me coming out? Yeah. I feel like maybe it's like a montage, you know, full company, obviously for the opening number. And I think it's a mixture of like my parents meeting and getting married. My mother is from Mississippi and my father is from Japan. So it's like they have very dramatically different energies of lived experiences. And so them getting together is kind of hilarious. And then maybe the number culminates with them moving to Japan after getting married in New York. And the number will end the button will end with like a prop baby. That is me. And be like, you know, they lift it up and there's the spotlight and everyone strikes a pose.

[10:54] Douglas Goldstein: I love it. And then I'm assuming what would the title be, do you think?

[11:01] Kennedy Kanagawa: Gosh, what would the title be? I like strike a pose.

[11:01] Douglas Goldstein: Yeah, yeah, that sounds good. And then obviously we follow you a little later in life and you have wants and needs. What is that I want song that drives you in the first act?

[11:22] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, okay. So if we're like going through Kennedy's life, I feel like the I want song is gonna be something about belonging, which is interesting because they're kind of like, there's a lot of overlap with maybe happy ending. But yeah, you just like being, you know, bicultural and immigrating to the States. When I was a tween, and like, just trying to like, find my, ooh, maybe it's called like, finding my like, what's a good word? This is a collaborative creative. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. What's what's a good word for like, you're like your family or your clan or your your place? I don't want to say like, finding where I belong. Well, yeah. Oh, well, if if we're going with the theater, like, like strike a pose and stuff, maybe it's like finding my mark.

[12:31] Douglas Goldstein: I love it. All right. Everything like that's a great one. That's a great rhyming word. You're right. I love it. And then we go through like the throes of your childhood into early adulthood. And eventually, we got to end act one on something that's going to bring people back after the intermission. What is that song? What is your defined gravity, so to say?

[12:53] Kennedy Kanagawa: Ooh. You know, okay, if I'm thinking about like, big moments like that in my life, I think, you know, I struggled a lot with like, confidence growing up and just like, being like, secure in who I am. So I'm thinking like, like a like a declaration of like, like a mixture of like, I am what I am. And like, this is me or something like, like, here I am, maybe here I am. Let's, let's go with that title.

[13:42] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, the theater stuff!

[13:44] Jess: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[13:46] Kennedy Kanagawa: My brain was just like, center stage.

[13:48] Jess: Center stage, yes!

[13:50] Kennedy Kanagawa: Out of wings, or something like that.

[13:52] Jess: Okay, I'm giving you a writing credit for this musical.

[13:56] Kennedy Kanagawa: Because we're absolutely using them.

[13:58] Jess: And, you know, we cut, like, with the curtains up,

[14:03] everyone goes, gets their snacks, they come back for Act 2,

[14:06] and we have a lot of story to go in Act 2,

[14:08] and eventually it's all building up to an 11 o'clock number.

[14:11] Not quite the finale, but like, the last midnight.

[14:14] The thing that's like, oh yeah, that was it.

[14:17] What is that?

[14:19] And where in your narrative does it hit?

[14:22] You know, I'm thinking that there's, you know,

[14:26] I have so much life experience that I have yet to live through

[14:35] that I think I will save for the end of the show,

[14:38] but an 11 o'clock number.

[14:40] I actually just got married a month and a half ago.

[14:44] Thank you!

[14:46] So I think a big wedding number feels right for an 11 o'clock number.

[14:54] But what's a good title for it?

[14:57] Duet just feels so nice.

[15:01] I feel like there should be a song called Duet one day.

[15:05] Yeah! Duet!

[15:07] Or, yeah, what's another thing?

[15:12] Dance partner? Scene partner?

[15:15] Something like that?

[15:17] Co-star?

[15:19] That one feels more specific.

[15:21] Jess: I love the specific language.

[15:23] Kennedy Kanagawa: We'll go with co-star.

[15:25] As far as narratively, we're talking about you being the star,

[15:28] and the arc is like, maybe I have room for another.

[15:31] Jess: Yes! Oh, wow, it's all coming together.

[15:35] And then what's our big finale number?

[15:37] Is it after the wedding? At the wedding?

[15:39] Like, what is the you-can't-stop-the-beat that's like,

[15:42] hell yeah, let's go!

[15:44] Kennedy Kanagawa: I think it's the open-endedness of whatever is yet to be.

[15:52] So, something to just look forward to whatever comes next.

[16:03] So if we're going with the theater theme,

[16:11] maybe it's like, gosh, I don't know.

[16:15] You're so helpful with coming up with the titles.

[16:21] I would even say closing night or something like that.

[16:25] Jess: Oh, closing night! Okay, yeah.

[16:28] But there's another show tomorrow.

[16:30] That's the pitch. It's closing night, but there's another show tomorrow.

[16:34] Kennedy Kanagawa: There's always another show.

[16:36] Jess: You're right.

[16:38] I love that.

[16:40] Okay, so we have these big numbers together.

[16:45] Who would compose it?

[16:47] What is the composer, living or dead,

[16:49] that you would choose to write or score to your life?

[16:52] Kennedy Kanagawa: Okay, I think I would have to go with William Finn.

[16:58] I just have been a fan of him since I was little.

[17:03] I think he's the perfect amount of neurosis

[17:09] that resonates with me as a person.

[17:13] I think it would mesh really well.

[17:16] Jess: Did you get to meet him before he passed?

[17:19] Kennedy Kanagawa: I did, yeah.

[17:21] When I was 13,

[17:25] I did the NatCo all-Asian production of Falsettos at the Vineyard,

[17:33] and he was part of that,

[17:38] and we got to meet, and it was really special.

[17:42] He was a really cool guy.

[17:44] And then we met later.

[17:46] I used to do some work at NYU with the graduate musical theater writing program

[17:50] as a singer, and he was a teacher there.

[17:54] We got to reunite a couple times, which was fun.

[17:58] He's a very interesting man.

[18:00] Jess: I've heard many, many stories for the folks that worked with him in that program.

[18:04] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yes!

[18:06] I just want more William Finn musicals.

[18:10] Jess: Here I can see it.

[18:12] But who would you have direct?

[18:14] Would it be James Lapine, since he's done so much of those other William Finn musicals?

[18:18] Kennedy Kanagawa: You know, I think I'd be curious to see...

[18:26] I think one of James Lapine's strengths is he knows exactly what he wants

[18:32] and has a very honed vision for projects.

[18:36] I think I would be interested in a director that's a little more collaborative

[18:48] in building a production.

[18:52] So maybe like...

[18:54] Hmm.

[18:56] Honestly, Michael Arden.

[18:58] I've had a really wonderful experience with him on Happy Ending,

[19:02] and seeing how he works in the room has been really fantastic.

[19:06] And I have a lot of respect for him as a director.

[19:08] Jess: So I'll go with him.

[19:10] Kennedy Kanagawa: Fantastic.

[19:12] And the last question as far as this segment is,

[19:14] what would Ben Brantley or Frank Rich's review be?

[19:16] Jess: Ha ha ha!

[19:18] What sassy little thing would they say as the header?

[19:22] Kennedy Kanagawa: There would be some sort of pun involved with the review.

[19:30] But, I mean, it would have to be nothing but a rave, obviously.

[19:36] So, um...

[19:40] You know, Ben Brantley would be so in awe of this production

[19:48] that he would be stunned into a lack of puns.

[19:56] So...

[19:58] Stunned to punless.

[20:00] Jess: Stunned punless is perfect.

[20:02] Ha ha ha!

[20:04] No, that's amazing.

[20:06] And there we have it.

[20:08] We have created Kennedy the Musical Romp.

[20:10] Ha ha ha!

[20:12] Jess: I forgot we called it a romp.

[20:14] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yes, that's perfect.

[20:16] Cunninghill Theatre near you.

[20:18] Jess: You know what? I'd see it.

[20:20] I'm going to the Winter Garden. I'm ready.

[20:22] Kennedy Kanagawa: Great. Yes.

[20:24] I think shortly after maybe Happy Ending, it's going to be great.

[20:26] Jess: Exactly.

[20:28] And now, for our last segment,

[20:30] and you've been such a good sport through all this,

[20:32] now we're going to cheese-rate a career.

[20:34] We have cheese ratings here at Musicals with Cheese,

[20:36] where every musical we cover, we give a rating.

[20:38] Sometimes it's just Brie.

[20:40] We have no rubric.

[20:42] It could be anything.

[20:44] We've used cheddar.

[20:46] We've used every variation of cheese we can find.

[20:48] And today, I'm forcing you to cheese-rate every...

[20:50] Well, not every.

[20:52] But a significant portion of your career.

[20:54] And I'm just going to give you the title,

[20:56] and you just give me a gut reaction.

[20:58] Are you ready?

[21:00] Kennedy Kanagawa: All right. I'm so ready.

[21:02] I love cheese, and I love theatre,

[21:04] so this is a great intersection.

[21:06] Jess: All right. First and foremost, falsettos.

[21:08] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, man.

[21:10] Okay. I'm going to say, ooh, Humboldt Fog.

[21:12] Jess: Ha ha ha!

[21:14] Oh, my gosh.

[21:16] You're pulling out the deep cuts.

[21:18] I like your energy. I love this.

[21:20] Kennedy Kanagawa: Ha ha ha!

[21:22] Now we have the Who's Tommy?

[21:24] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, Tommy.

[21:26] Ooh.

[21:28] I'm going to say,

[21:30] I'm going to say a triple cream.

[21:34] Jess: All right.

[21:36] A Christmas Carol. You were in this twice.

[21:38] Kennedy Kanagawa: I was.

[21:40] Oh, that's like,

[21:42] that's like a,

[21:44] like an aged cheddar.

[21:46] Jess: Mm-hmm.

[21:48] And now, one of my deep cut favorites,

[21:50] Saturday Night.

[21:52] Kennedy Kanagawa: Whoa!

[21:54] That's going to be,

[21:56] we're going to call that

[21:58] a, um,

[22:00] a Colby.

[22:04] Jess: And now another Sondheim,

[22:06] we all know, Into the Woods.

[22:08] Kennedy Kanagawa: Mm. I'm going to say,

[22:10] okay, I'm going to say

[22:12] that's a blue cheese.

[22:14] I love blue cheese. It's my favorite blue cheese.

[22:16] Or, my favorite cheese.

[22:18] But specifically.

[22:20] No, no, no.

[22:22] Like, a block of blue cheese.

[22:24] Then the kind that, like, when you bite into it,

[22:26] it's got the little crystals in it.

[22:28] I don't know what that's called,

[22:30] but I love that.

[22:32] Jess: I, I, I,

[22:34] the thing is, I see the vision for Into the Woods so clearly with that.

[22:38] Um, next.

[22:40] Where we are.

[22:42] Um, let's say,

[22:44] ooh, like a classic,

[22:46] like, parmesan,

[22:48] like, wheel.

[22:50] Um,

[22:52] waitress.

[22:54] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, that's just got to be goat.

[22:56] Straight up goat.

[22:58] Um,

[23:00] how to succeed in business

[23:02] without really trying.

[23:04] Ah, man.

[23:06] Um,

[23:08] let's go with

[23:10] Pepperjack.

[23:12] Jess: Mm-hmm.

[23:14] The Little Mermaid.

[23:16] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh.

[23:18] Um,

[23:20] okay, The Little Mermaid's like a classic

[23:22] and it's like, comfy, so

[23:24] I don't wanna,

[23:26] I don't wanna say,

[23:28] this is a compliment,

[23:30] but like,

[23:32] a square of American cheese

[23:34] that, like, you just,

[23:36] reminds you of, like, middle school lunch.

[23:38] Jess: Rent?

[23:40] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, man.

[23:42] Rent's gotta be some kind of weird

[23:44] stinky cheese.

[23:46] I don't even know,

[23:48] I don't even know if I can,

[23:50] hmm.

[23:52] Like, okay, also a blue cheese, but

[23:54] one that is, like,

[23:56] extra stinky.

[23:58] In a good way, this is all in a good way.

[24:00] I love stinky cheese

[24:02] and I love rent.

[24:04] Jess: I'm glad, um,

[24:06] Frozen.

[24:10] Kennedy Kanagawa: Huh.

[24:12] There was something going on behind

[24:14] my eyes right there.

[24:16] Y'all won't hear that, won't get that,

[24:18] but there was something behind the eyes.

[24:20] We're gonna say, we're gonna say

[24:22] cream cheese.

[24:24] Jess: Does that count?

[24:26] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yes.

[24:28] Okay.

[24:30] Only three more. Um,

[24:32] She Loves Me.

[24:34] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, well, I mean, like,

[24:38] what's the cheese equivalent

[24:40] to vanilla ice cream?

[24:42] I would say cheesecake.

[24:44] Jess: Oh, that's perfect.

[24:46] Cheesecake, yes.

[24:48] Kennedy Kanagawa: Titanic.

[24:52] Oh, I love that show.

[24:54] Um,

[24:56] okay, what cheeses have I

[24:58] not said at this point?

[25:00] Jess: You've done some deep cuts, though.

[25:02] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, Brie! We haven't said Brie.

[25:04] Jess: We have not, and it gives an iceberg look.

[25:06] Kennedy Kanagawa: It does, it's giving iceberg.

[25:10] Um, and finally,

[25:12] Maybe Happy Ending.

[25:14] Kennedy Kanagawa: Oh, man.

[25:16] Okay.

[25:18] I think that Maybe Happy Ending is

[25:20] a cheese that hasn't been

[25:22] invented yet, that only exists in the

[25:24] year 2064.

[25:26] Maybe, like, a cheese that is

[25:28] specific to

[25:30] Korea.

[25:32] Maybe a kind of, like, cheese that you can melt.

[25:34] A future cheese that you melt

[25:36] onto, like, spicy

[25:38] tteokbokki or something like that.

[25:40] Jess: I love it.

[25:42] And there we have it. Kennedy,

[25:44] this has been wonderful.

[25:46] Please, let us know where people can find you

[25:48] on social media and all that jazz.

[25:50] Kennedy Kanagawa: Yes, my

[25:52] handle for

[25:54] Instagram and TikTok is

[25:56] thisiskennedy.

[25:58] And, uh, yeah.

[26:00] I don't really use Facebook or

[26:02] Twitter or anything else.

[26:04] Jess: What? You're a youth.

[26:06] Kennedy Kanagawa: Of course you don't.

[26:08] Jess: I'm just a baby.

[26:12] Kennedy Kanagawa: He's Gen Alpha.

[26:14] Jess: Yeah. I'm the first

[26:16] Gen Alpha Oliver.

[26:18] Kennedy Kanagawa: Maybe Happy Ending.

[26:20] And for those of you

[26:22] in the Detroit area, Maybe Happy Ending

[26:24] will be playing at the Fisher Theater

[26:26] from October 20th to November 1st.

[26:28] And tickets are available at

[26:30] ATGDetroit.com.

[26:32] Kennedy Kanagawa: This has been an absolute joy.

[26:34] I hope I can chat with you again

[26:36] because you were absolutely wonderful

[26:38] and you were game for the weirdest things on this show.

[26:40] Jess: Thank you so much for coming.

[26:42] Kennedy Kanagawa: Thank you so much for having me. This has been a blast.

[26:56] Jess: Thank you so much.