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[0:00] Robert Bannon: Are you ready? It's The Roundtable with me, Robert Bannon.

[0:15] Robert Bannon: Everybody, I'm so excited for our next guest because our next guest, I have seen on Broadway. Combined, we have a whole bunch of Broadway credits together. I have zero, and she has a whole bunch. And right now, she is on Broadway in The Great Gatsby, but I've seen her in Beautiful, and I have seen her in, and she has sung the 60s and the 70s and the 80s and the, she's sung all the songs we love. Now she writes songs. She puts on her own shows. She's a, I'm just so excited that you're here. Welcome to the show.

[0:45] Chilina Kennedy: Thank you. You are so sweet. What a nice introduction. I'm happy to be here.

[0:50] Robert Bannon: I'm so excited for you to be here. I did have the pleasure of seeing you in Beautiful on Broadway. I live for the Carole King music. I live for your voice. I live for what you're able to do with that. When I joke and say you've sung the songs of generations, like you really have sung some of the greatest songs of all time on stage.

[1:12] Chilina Kennedy: I have been very fortunate to have done that. Yes, that is true.

[1:15] Robert Bannon: And now you come here because you just have, what, too much time on your hands? What is the story? You just decide to write and be in, like, what, what, what, why are, what have you been working on? Tell us.

[1:25] Chilina Kennedy: Well, a few things. So I'm, I mean, I'm obviously involved in some performing projects. I'm in Gatsby on Broadway right now playing Myrtle. And I'm working, I'm playing Billie Jean in a new play about Billie Jean King, which is directed by the same director, Mark Bruni, which is very exciting, which is in development. And we did a production at La Jolla last summer, and we're doing a workshop, two workshops in the fall. And then I've written a couple of shows, and one of them is called Wild About You. And we just did an incredible, fully staged concert version in London starring Erika Cormack and Todrick Hall and Rachel Tucker. And we did that, two sold out performances a few months ago. And we've released a concept album with, like, incredible people like Lea Salonga and Joaquina Calacango and Jesse Mueller and, oh gosh, Katherine McPhee. Just some amazing artists. So working on that.

[2:27] Robert Bannon: So can you tell us a little bit about Wild About You? Because we've had, we've had people on and we have talked about Wild About You on this show. Oh my gosh. Because we are quite fans of this. We have listened, we have heard, we have been a part of it. How did you come about this show? How did this come to you? And tell us a little bit about what the show is.

[2:46] Chilina Kennedy: Okay, well, I will sort of give you, like, the Coles Notes version. So I run a theatre company in Canada, and the old artistic director and executive producer, who are two very good friends of mine, were like, hey, you should turn your songs into a song cycle. And I was like, terrible idea, move on. And they were like, no, no, no, give it a chance. I was like, okay, but if it sucks, you have to tell me. So I put together this idea. And I was really good friends with Mark Schneider, who was the resident director of Beautiful on Broadway at the time. And he was like, I have a really great friend who's an incredible writer. His name is Eric Holmes. He's one of the writers on The Good Fight and Smash.

And I was like, oh, my gosh, he's so accomplished. Is he going to want to work with me? And anyway, he sent the material to Eric. Eric listened to it. And he loved it. And 24 hours later, he had a script. And I remember sitting on my parents' couch, I was visiting them at the time, reading it and crying and going, oh, my God, how does this person that I've never even met get my material and understand me deeper than so many people have known me for years? And we have been now writing partners for the last six years. And so he and I wrote the show together, basically. And a lot of it was based on my original album, but so much of it has changed. It's only about half that material. And I've rewritten or written brand new songs for the show.

And the story is basically it's changed a little bit over the years, but the heart of it is still the same. So it's basically a woman who's at a crossroads in her life. And she has to unpack like 20 years worth of memories in order to discover the key to her life. And it's a love story between her and the great loves of her life. But what we end up realizing is that it's a love story between her and her child, the greatest love of her life. And it's a story about redemption and forgiveness and second chances. And I don't want to give any spoilers away because there's some pretty big surprises in the show. But that's basically what it's about.

[4:33] Robert Bannon: Well, Wild About You, which is the album, Broadway Records, and now they have a new name. And Robbie Roselle is a good friend of our show and the people over at Broadway Records. And they-

[4:40] Chilina Kennedy: Center stage now, center stage.

[4:42] Robert Bannon: Thank you. One of us is very prepared. So you and this album come out, what is it like when you write a song with your songwriting partner? You come up with this idea, you place these songs in, you tell these characters parts, and then you have to give these babies up to other artists and hear their interpretation and put them out to the world. What is that process like?

[5:06] Chilina Kennedy: Okay, well, I have to say, so with Wild About You, so I've written the music and lyrics entirely by myself. And Eric has written the book. So he's responsible for the book. But that is actually really helpful because he goes, hey, why don't you take a look at this lyric? And maybe let's think about this song. And I'm like, well, what about this moment? Like we really help each other to make each other better. And there's nothing precious about it. Like we can kill any of our babies at any time, if it doesn't serve the story. It doesn't work. And we always say, you know, and we have a wonderful other collaborator, Daniel Edmonds, who did all the arrangements and orchestrations for the show. And he's our musical director.

And he's one of the most brilliant musicians I've ever met. And so we always say to each other, whatever the best idea in the room, whichever idea, it doesn't matter whose it is, it's the best idea wins. And so we sort of try to have this I mean, obviously, your ego gets involved occasionally. But you have to remember that it's not about you. We're all serving something greater than ourselves and our one voice, you know. And like I always say, I mean, I always say, geez, this is a famous quote, but like I repeat it constantly. You cannot play a symphony by yourself. It takes an entire orchestra to play a symphony. We, you know, we're all brilliant individually. But when we get together, we're even stronger.

So I really always appreciate my collaborators. I think, you know, our theater, especially is a collaborative art form. And I always try to remember that. I also have to say, I love that the names here match the logo of Wild About You and so do my nails.

[6:31] Robert Bannon: Yes, come on. Look at all the pink. We're pinking it up.

[6:37] Chilina Kennedy: Well, you're meant to be here. That's it. So the album, we could stream the music right now. The music is available.

[6:42] Chilina Kennedy: Right now you can stream it.

[6:44] Robert Bannon: Stream that beginning to end the entire thing. And then you did your run, which you talked about Eric McCormick and Tiger Collin, all these Rachel Tucker, all these famous, fancy, amazing singers. What was it like to see it on stage, as opposed to a recording studio and as opposed to a workshop in front of people?

[7:02] Chilina Kennedy: Obsessed. I honestly, I don't know that I've ever had a more incredible moment in my life. I was sitting there next to Eric and my family was in the audience, my son, who's nine, and my parents. And we, I remember like the first night, like I was scared to death. I ran out the door at intermission. I hid in the bathroom. All my agents were there. And I just was like, listen, if they don't leave, if they clap, I will be happy. And at the end, oh my God, I'm gonna cry just telling you about it. Everyone leapt to their feet and I turned to Eric and I was like, oh my God, they loved it. I couldn't believe it. It was one of the best experiences of my life. And it taught us so much because, you know, they were a very forgiving audience and very positive and they were very supportive in terms of their, I mean, it was the first time we've ever had it in front of an audience before, like a paying audience. So now we know exactly what works, you know, what we need to clarify in terms of the story and we've made rewrites and it was just so helpful.

[8:00] Robert Bannon: I can only imagine it had to be thrilling. So now my question to you is, I have friends who, as do you, but you are one, who write shows, who write musicals, who write song cycles, who write original works of art. In this climate, in this world, it is hard to get original works of art put up regionally, on tours, on Broadway, off Broadway. So what can we do as the public who falls in love with the story, who falls in love with this music, who streams it to help support, get the word out that we need to see this in the United States or in London or wherever we can, what can we do as the general public?

[8:36] Chilina Kennedy: Well, I think just what you are doing, just listen to it, share it, post about it, you know, talk about it. I think that's really helpful. You know, we, nobody ever gets anywhere without, you know, the public, right? The fans, people who go to see shows, like Gatsby is what Gatsby is, you know, because of the people who come and see it and post on TikTok and, oh, there she is. And, you know, we've had some really wonderful fans of Wild About You, like since the beginning and, you know, Jen Colella has been involved since the very beginning. She's fantastic in it. And a lot of people are repeating, they come and they see, you know, everything that we do. They follow us on the socials. And I think, you know, that's just the way to do it.

[9:26] Chilina Kennedy: It's so great to be here. I love talking about the arts and everything that's happening in the theater world right now.

[10:26] Chilina Kennedy: You know, New Jersey has such a rich history with the performing arts, and I feel like it's a great place to start conversations about creativity and inspiration.

[10:56] Chilina Kennedy: I recently had the opportunity to perform at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, and it was just an incredible experience. The energy from the audience was electric, and it reminded me of why I love what I do.

[11:16] Chilina Kennedy: Being back on stage as Myrtle Wilson in "The Great Gatsby" has been a dream come true. The character is so complex, and I really enjoy exploring her journey throughout the show.

[11:36] Chilina Kennedy: And then there's "Wild About You," which I co-wrote. We just had a reading in London, and the response was fantastic. It's exciting to see the project come to life and to work with such talented people.

[12:06] Chilina Kennedy: The cast album is out now, and it features some amazing artists. I mean, to have people like Jenn Colella and Eric McCormack involved is just surreal.

[12:26] Chilina Kennedy: I'm also thrilled to be performing selections from "Wild About You" in a concert in New York City this fall. It's a great way to share the music and connect with audiences.

[12:46] Chilina Kennedy: Plus, I recently played Billie Jean King in "Love All," which was such an honor. Meeting her and consulting with her about the role was an experience I'll never forget.

[13:06] Chilina Kennedy: The play debuted at La Jolla Playhouse last year, and we're gearing up for a new workshop this fall. I can't wait to see where it goes next.

[13:26] Chilina Kennedy: And then there's "The Last Timbit," which was a fun project celebrating Tim Hortons' 60th anniversary. It was inspired by a snowstorm that brought people together at a local Tim Hortons.

[13:46] Chilina Kennedy: The live capture of that musical will be available on the streaming service Crave starting August 12, so I'm excited for everyone to see it.

[14:06] Chilina Kennedy: I'm also working on a new musical called "Silk," which is based on Zola's "The Ladies’ Paradise." We're in the process of developing a workshop and a concept album, so stay tuned for that.

[14:26] Chilina Kennedy: As the Artistic Producer for Eclipse Theatre Company, I get to take a more hands-on approach to developing new works and nurturing emerging talent.

[14:46] Chilina Kennedy: It's been rewarding to see the company grow and to have won several Dora Awards. We're dedicated to creating opportunities for artists in Canada.

[15:06] Chilina Kennedy: We're gearing up to announce our new season this fall, and I can't wait to share what we have in store.

[15:26] Chilina Kennedy: The arts are such a vital part of our lives, and I'm passionate about contributing to that conversation through my work.

[15:46] Chilina Kennedy: It's all about collaboration and creativity, and I feel lucky to be part of such a vibrant community.

[16:06] Chilina Kennedy: Thank you for having me on the show. I'm excited to share more about my journey and the projects I'm involved in.

[16:26] Chilina Kennedy: Let's keep the conversation going about the importance of the arts and how we can support each other as artists.

[16:46] Chilina Kennedy: I truly believe that storytelling has the power to connect us all, and I can't wait to see what the future holds.

[17:06] Chilina Kennedy: So, whether it's through theater, music, or any other form of art, let's continue to inspire and uplift one another.

[17:26] Chilina Kennedy: I'm looking forward to what lies ahead and hope to share more of my experiences with everyone.

[17:46] Chilina Kennedy: Thank you again for this opportunity to chat about my work and the incredible world of theater.

[18:06] Chilina Kennedy: It's been a pleasure, and I hope to see you all at the theater soon!

[18:26] Chilina Kennedy: Let's keep supporting the arts and each other in this beautiful journey.

[18:36] Chilina Kennedy: Thank you!