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[0:00] Mo Brady: You're listening to The Ensemblist, the only podcast that shows you Broadway from the inside out. Welcome, I'm Mo Brady.

[0:19] Mo Brady: Since Broadway shut down in March, we've been sharing stories of actors moving out, whether it be moving out of New York City for temporary housing, or moving out of their theaters either for the shutdown or permanently. Today we share a story from Natalie Charle Ellis, who moved out of Broadway's Winter Garden Theater after almost five years there, having worked as both an original company member of School of Rock and Beetlejuice in the theater. She shared what it was like to return after six months away to clean out the theater for the last time. Here, in her own words, is Natalie Charle Ellis.

[1:06] Natalie Charle Ellis: September 30th was a day I was dreading. As I grabbed all of my bags and hopped under the bus to head into the city, my heart was very heavy. We all knew this day was going to come. I don't know if it was pure denial or hope that Beetlejuice might defy the odds one more time, but I just didn't believe we would be loading out and leaving the Winter Garden. June 13th was set to be our closing date, so it shouldn't have been that much of a shock, but this wasn't supposed to be the ending of our story. It truly breaks my heart. I have never loved a show, team, or company like I loved this one. And anyone who knows me knows I don't bullshit and I tell it like it is, but I mean it. I had the time of my life and I have never felt so devastated when a show ended.

As I approached the Winter Garden, I stood outside and took in the fact that it was no longer our marquee and the building was painted in a very different way. Pretty much polar opposite. Some of me felt a bit of hope, because maybe it's a sign that Broadway isn't dead. Another part of me felt it was a bit of a slap in the face. Unless Harold Hill is coming to peddle a vaccine, they ain't opening anytime soon, so why couldn't they have waited until we loaded out? Most of me kind of giggled, because let's be honest, the Beetlejuice design was pretty badass. I rang the bell and walked through the stage door and was greeted by familiar faces. It was like no time had passed. After signing waivers and grabbing gloves, I walked up the stairs that I knew so well.

Only this time, instead of them being decorated with the beautiful fan art, the walls were blank. As I walked toward my dressing room, all of the memories started flooding back and I just smiled. Because there are some pretty amazing ones.

[2:45] Natalie Charle Ellis: He painted right over here. What about those sloppy looking outfits he's had? Stripes mixed with plaid, all smelling bad. Saying goodbye to Beetlejuice is a little bit more loaded for me, because I was also a part of the original company at School of Rock. The Winter Garden had become my home away from home. Anyone in this business knows we spend a lot more time at the theater than our homes, especially if you're a swinger or an understudy, and I loved it. So much life happened within those walls. The laughter and the shenanigans, the tears and the real talk. During School of Rock, my dressing room mates, J.D. Makapugai and Cassie Okanka and I used to say, we solved the world's problems in dressing room nine.

And we did, usually over some sort of snack. Also, I never thought I would say I liked working with kids, but I loved it. I can't even remember how many we had, but it was a lot. The joy and the energy that was brought to those halls because of them was contagious. In fact, as I stood there, it's like I could still hear them. Those kids made us, adult actors, realize that we don't need to lose the playfulness as we grow up. We got into this business because we love to play make-believe, and that's what we do. Play dress-up and tell a story while getting paid quite a bit of money to do it at the highest level. What a gift. Standing there reminded me of those kids. I need to be like them, live in the moment and in the joy every day, especially right now.

[4:10] Natalie Charle Ellis: So many major career and life moments happened at the Winter Garden. I lost my dad, went through a major breakup and lost my apartment all within a few weeks of each other. My School of Rock family held my hand during all of that. One memory I'll share with you was the night before I was leaving to go to Arizona to take care of my dad's passing. After the show, I came back to my dressing room station and there was an envelope. The School of Rock company had signed a card and in it was a bunch of cash to help me get through it financially. I have never felt so taken care of and loved. I made my principal debut on that stage during previews of School of Rock with no rehearsal. Which is funny because that's also how I made my Beetlejuice debut. Day after opening, no rehearsal. Terrifying but exciting, which basically explains the life of a swing.

[5:07] Natalie Charle Ellis: I actually made the choice to leave School of Rock. One of the hardest choices to make because who chooses to leave a job? I did. I was offered to play two awesome roles at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and they wouldn't give me a three-week leave so I quit. Never done anything like that in my life. We had no closing date set and I didn't know what I was going to do after my gig in Pittsburgh. Nevertheless, I followed my gut and I turned in my letter of resignation. Best choice I've ever made. I remember that last show very well and as I was packing up my things, I thought I'd never be back there or maybe work again. That's where our brains always go, isn't it? So dramatic. Who would have thought that less than six months later, I'd be walking through that same stage door and unpacking my things. Only this time, down the hall in dressing room 22 as an original cast member of Beetlejuice.

[6:11] Natalie Charle Ellis: So here I am in dressing room 22 during loadout trying to squeeze all of my things into the bags I brought when I had to sit down and just look around and cry. Costumes now in boxes and our makeup put in bags. The majority of the dressing room's already empty. It's funny though. These old theaters hold on to the memories. I started laughing because I remembered Kelvin Moonlow running down the hall and scaring people playing his saxophone. Leslie Kritzer singing like a fool, avoiding getting ready for the show. Brooke Ingin and me coming up with chokes, show jokes. Rob McClure's parody lyrics that would make me laugh so hard my stomach ached. Saturday night on Broadway shot nights, which Beetlejuice did not mess around with, was almost intimidating.

We're talking full decorations and themes and snacks, intense. Sitting and laughing with Jill Abramowitz and Dana Steingold, usually eating fries or salt and pepper kettle chips. Understudy rehearsals and laughing with my swing family, who I still call a family. Early morning Tony Day and press days. All the bucket list memories we made together. The list goes on and on. If you want to know more, I'll share them with you.

[7:19] Natalie Charle Ellis: The universe is more than just space with no end. La la la la la. Just think of the universe as a female best friend.

[7:28] Natalie Charle Ellis: After all my things were packed, which barely fit, by the way, I laid on the ground with my Sharpie and signed under my dressing room station, right next to some of the kids from School of Rock, which made me giggle. Then I grabbed my stuff and slowly carried it downstairs. I walked onto the deck and stood center stage one last time and looked out into the audience. It's truly where I feel at home, and I miss it so much. To think of the amount of people that have sat out in those seats and watched those shows. And we inspired them. We are part of their memories, and that is so moving.

[8:02] Natalie Charle Ellis: As I walked out of the stage door, I looked back and took a deep breath. This has been an incredibly difficult year. A year full of a lot of loss and a lot of pain. Beetlejuice closed and I was meant to make my principal debut as Sandy in the first national tour of Tootsie, which is now going out non-union. I had everything all planned out, literally dreams coming true. This actually blindsided me. I know I am not alone in this. We are a community and we all go through this together. Broadway, New York City and our industry took a big hit, but we are strong and the world needs theater and the arts more than ever. We are going to fight to keep it going and we will come back even stronger. Something I have learned in this business is that it's never goodbye, just the start of a new beginning. I'm going to miss the Winter Garden, but who knows? Maybe I'll be back.

[8:54] Mo Brady: Special thanks to Natalie Charle Ellis for sharing her stories with us today. The Ensemblist was produced today by me, Mo Brady. There are two great ways you can be helping The Ensemblist right now. One is by leaving us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. And the second is by becoming a Patreon member, which you can do at patreon.com slash The Ensemblist. Please follow The Ensemblist wherever you listen to podcasts, on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts or at bpn.fm, the home of Broadway Podcast Network. You can also follow us on Instagram. Thanks for listening. Until next time.