This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Alan Seales: Hello again, everyone. Welcome to an all-new episode of the Theatre Podcast. I'm your host, Alan Seales, and this podcast is all about intimate, personal conversations with the industry's biggest names. This episode is no exception to that. We have Liana Hunt, who is episode 304 of the Broadway to the Future? Back to the Future, the musical podcast takeover here. So there are two episodes prior to this, one episode coming up after this, so I hope you've been following along. There's a lot to talk about from this awesome, awesome show. Liana talks so much about knowing how much she wanted to do theatre, getting into it, and putting everything she had into this passion, and doing early admission to school, and graduating early with honors, and having to just make these choices that have shaped her career in such a meaningful and very direct way.

She's very thoughtful about every single decision she makes in terms of her career. So it's very, very cool to hear her tell this. But as always, find me online on all the social medias. Shoot me a screenshot, let me know you're listening. I'll be happily repost it. And everybody, please now enjoy this episode with Liana Hunt.

[1:29] Alan Seales: Today's guest is a triple threat who has appeared on Broadway, national tours, regionally, on television, and in films. She's a skilled improviser, teacher, and private coach, and has been seen on the Broadway stage previously in Newsies and Mamma Mia. Now she's bringing her flavor to the iconic role of Lorraine McFly in Back to the Future on Broadway. Liana Hunt, welcome to the Theatre Podcast.

[1:52] Liana Hunt: Thank you so much. I'm so happy to be here.

[1:55] Alan Seales: I think it's funny. On your website, you have a phonetic pronunciation of your name.

[2:00] Liana Hunt: I do. I do.

[2:02] Alan Seales: And what are the common mispronunciations? Because the way it's spelled, I hope I said it right, because that's the only way I would think I would know how to say it.

[2:10] Liana Hunt: Yes. But you're one of the few. Let me tell you, I put that on there because, yes, there's only one common mispronunciation, and it's Liana. Most people think it's Liana. And it's like the most common question I get asked. Is it Liana or Leanna? So I was like, you know what? I'm going to sound it out. Leanna.

[2:29] Alan Seales: Leanna.

[2:30] Liana Hunt: I always tell people it's like the more annoying version. Not the lovely Leanna, but the obnoxious Leanna.

[2:36] Alan Seales: Leanna. Well, people from the northern part of the States usually say my name like Ellen. They don't say Allen. They say Ellen. Yeah.

[2:46] Liana Hunt: Oh, wow. Drama school would beat that out of them. Allen.

[2:50] Alan Seales: Allen. And the washing machine. You can go do the wash.

[2:53] Liana Hunt: Oh, wow. Yeah. I have a lot of relatives from Massachusetts, so it's Leanna.

[3:00] Alan Seales: Is that where you're from, from that area?

[3:02] Liana Hunt: Well, I'm from Vermont. My dad is from Massachusetts, Boston area, so that whole side of the family. Leanna.

[3:10] Alan Seales: Oh, so you got the Boston going on.

[3:12] Liana Hunt: I do.

[3:13] Alan Seales: You grew up in Vermont then, you said?

[3:15] Liana Hunt: I did, yeah. Small town, Morrisville, Vermont, which is right next to Stowe, which is a popular ski town. And I would say like 45 minutes from Burlington, which is like the big kind of city that I'm close to.

[3:31] Alan Seales: There's a Burlington, North Carolina, which is where Burlington Coat Factory comes from.

[3:36] Liana Hunt: Oh, there you go. Shockingly, not Vermont, even though coats are very, you know, a staple in Vermont.

[3:43] Alan Seales: You know what? You need a good coat.

[3:44] Liana Hunt: You know what? Now that I've said that, I think I have never validated that fact, but I've driven by a Burlington, a Burlington... Okay, wait. So I grew up in the foothills, went to college at NC State. So I would drive back and forth through that area, through the Greensboro, Durham area. Anyway, I'm rambling, but I've never validated the fact that Burlington Coat Factory comes from Burlington, North Carolina.

[4:10] Liana Hunt: And I actually, I don't know for sure that it doesn't come from Vermont, so here we are.

[4:15] Alan Seales: There you go.

[4:17] Alan Seales: Great start. Welcome to the Coat Factory Podcast with Alan Seals.

[4:21] Liana Hunt: Okay.

[4:21] Alan Seales: Love it. Yes. So then as a child with warm coats from Burlington, were you, in skiing, were you always into theater? Did you want to dance, sing? I mean, triple threat, you have to start with one of the three normally.

[4:36] Liana Hunt: Yes, yes, yes. I did, which is kind of hard to explain because nobody in my family is in the arts, into theater, music at all. And honestly, really no one in my immediate vicinity was. So I just sort of came out wanting to do this from as far back as I can remember, actually.

[5:04] Alan Seales: Where did you see it though? Where did you see it to say like, that's what I want to do?

[5:09] Liana Hunt: Yeah. I think the first thing that had an impact on me was Disney movie musicals. I saw them, I mean, just fell in love with the genre, with the music, with the characters. I wanted to be all the princesses, obviously. You know, would swim in the neighbor's pool singing Ariel, would walk through my house with like a little basket of books as Belle. And then I think the next thing was my mom took me to see a Broadway show. She took me to see Beauty and the Beast, of course. And that, for me, just sealed the deal. I was really young. I think I was eight. And then I remember seeing Les Miserables next, and I saw the role of Eponine, and I was like, how do I do that? And then it was just sort of, how do I do this?

So we went home and my mom enrolled me in dance classes, tap, ballet, jazz. And you know, in Vermont, there isn't really easy access to all of that. So we had to drive. She got me in voice lessons and drove me an hour there and an hour back every week. And I did the local like little community theater summer camp where we had to write our own shows and songs and make our costumes and sets. I just, I loved it. So it's hard. It's like, it was tunnel vision for me from so early on. I think just, I just fell in love with it and wanted to do it.

[6:33] Alan Seales: Wow. Wow. Okay. So, I mean, good on your mom, especially for just knowing that you were serious about it.

[6:40] Liana Hunt: I know.

[6:43] Alan Seales: Because like, my kids come home and they're like, I saw a yo-yo, I want a yo-yo. And I'm not exaggerating. That happened yesterday. My other one was like, can I get a yo-yo? I really want a yo-yo now. Like the yo-yo is all I can think about in before bed, yo-yo, yo-yo. And then like tomorrow it's going to be something different. But to be able to stick with it, that's impressive.

[7:02] Liana Hunt: Yeah. And thank God for my parents. I'm largely where I am today because of them. I mean, they definitely saw something in me. They had feedback from teachers, music teachers who were like, okay, she seems to be harmonizing with the other kids. I don't really know what's going on there. You might want to kind of invest in more of this for her. She seems to be good at it and also have a passion for it. And they really did. I mean, I feel really lucky. They jumped right on board and they were like, okay, let's do this. Let's drive you to and from. My mom lived, she's from Vermont originally, an even smaller town, but she lived in New York City for a little window of her life in the 70s, which was kind of outrageous for someone who's from where she's from. And so I think she saw that in me and had a bit of that herself and wanted to expose me to it. So she took me to New York on work trips with her and took me to see Broadway shows. So yeah.

[8:03] Alan Seales: Wow. So the first show, Beauty and the Beast, was actually on Broadway that you saw?

[8:08] Liana Hunt: Yes.

[8:09] Alan Seales: That's insane. And it's cool when... I mean, cool slash makes you feel really old when you think about something that's so regulated and normal now, commonplace. You're like, wait a second.

[8:22] Liana Hunt: Yeah, that was 25 years ago and the reason that we all exist.

[8:25] Alan Seales: Oh, no need to say the number of years.

[8:29] Liana Hunt: What is it? Wicked now is, this is their 25th year, right?

[8:34] Alan Seales: 20. I think this is the big 20.

[8:36] Liana Hunt: Is it 20? Oh, 20. Right, right, right.

[8:37] Alan Seales: Yeah. I know.

[8:39] Liana Hunt: Yeah, Wicked. And go ahead, because you were, I was going to say, I was bringing up Nessa Rose, because you did Wicked on tour. You're part of that history now.

[8:47] Liana Hunt: I, you know, Wicked was another one. I mean, there were so many shows and things throughout my childhood and life that made such huge impacts on me and further pushed me to be like, this is what I want. And Wicked was one of those. It, you know, opened when I was in high school. I think it was maybe a freshman or something. And I was just like, oh, my gosh, I was listening to the cast recording in my car. And I sang Wizard and I in a talent show, and they put a green spotlight on me, draped in a black cloak. I mean, but Beauty and the Beast, Wicked, I remember seeing those shows and they are filled with Broadway magic. You know, it was just like, there's it's one thing to see a Disney movie, but then to see it live on a stage with magic happening before your eyes. And I think actually, just to, you know, bring it to Back to the Future a little bit. One of the things that's so special about our show, I think is it's, it is also filled with Broadway magic of 2023.

[9:44] Alan Seales: Oh, yes, yes. I'm going to dig into, trying to get you to spill secrets so hard.

[9:50] Liana Hunt: Oh, boy, good luck.

[9:51] Alan Seales: Yeah. Because, yeah, Back to the Future is incredible. So growing up, but growing up then you're doing theater, you're dancing, singing, harmonizing naturally, which is hard to do. Was Back to the Future the movie in like in, you know, 1985 when it came out was, was it part of your childhood? Like being half in the theater world and half in the nerd world, which I guess isn't two different nerd worlds. I was obsessed with that movie.

[10:19] Liana Hunt: Oh, my gosh. Yeah, it was a big part of my childhood as well. My brother and I watched the VHS, you know, in the 90s when we were kids on our, in our living room. And we loved the movie. I mean, it was one of the classics. You know, we had our set of VHS tapes that were like, these are the repeats that we go back to it again and again. And Back to the Future was absolutely one of them.

[10:42] Alan Seales: Yeah. And who framed Roger Rabbit?

[10:45] Liana Hunt: Oh, my gosh.

[10:46] Alan Seales: Christopher Lloyd, again, was, was in that.

[10:49] Liana Hunt: Huge. I loved Roger Rabbit.

[10:52] Alan Seales: Yes. Yes, I would do the, I would do the, the please that he would do.

[10:57] Liana Hunt: I had to hold my cheek.

[10:58] Alan Seales: Oh, my gosh.

[11:00] Liana Hunt: I don't know. I'm gonna embarrass myself.

[11:02] Alan Seales: No, that was bad.

[11:06] Liana Hunt: I loved that movie. Loved it. Oh, my gosh.

[11:10] Alan Seales: Yeah, if anybody can do a much better Roger Rabbit than me.

[11:13] Liana Hunt: I certainly can't.

[11:14] Alan Seales: Yeah, so Christopher Lloyd has been like, just one of my professional, I won't say idols, but just like, people I respect for so long, along with Michael J. Fox and others from, from these classics that shaped so much of, of who we are now. And I, you got to meet them during opening night.

[11:36] Liana Hunt: Yeah.

[11:36] Alan Seales: Of the show. So like, what was that like for you?

[11:40] Liana Hunt: Totally wild, because not only have I, you know, did I idolize them as a kid, but then watching the film so many times, sort of leading up to this, doing research, re-familiarizing myself with it. It was just like, I felt like I spent so much time with them on my screen.

[11:57] Liana Hunt: And then to get to meet them in person. And, oh, hi, Leah Thompson. I hoped you liked my portrayal of this role you created iconically. It was, I mean, it was wild. We actually also had a rehearsal day where Christopher Lloyd came and surprised us in the rehearsal studio. Wow. That was wild. He was just kind of hanging out and, uh, uh, he watched some of our rehearsal. I was just like, what is happening? I texted my brother. I was like, you're not going to believe this. Um, so neat. It was, I mean, yeah.

[12:30] Alan Seales: And, uh, were the, the direction that you got when you're, when you're putting this on its feet, is it, is it more of, um, like stay true to the movie, stay true to this story that we know people are going to have in their heads coming to see the show, or are they saying, you know, you bring your own, I called it a flavor in the beginning, right. Your own flavor, your own take on it. Um, are you, were you encouraged? Are you encouraged to bring your own uniqueness or kind of fit into the, the, the box of the IP, because it's, that's a, that's tough. People come with an idea and that's what they want to see.

[13:10] Liana Hunt: Yeah. I think it's a little bit of both. Um, I think with such an iconic film and iconic characters that like you and I, you know, like so many people grew up with these characters and they know them. So when they come to see the musical, you know, I don't know that they want to see a whole different version of these people. So I think part of our job and responsibility with turning this into a musical is really honoring the characters that, um, you know, Leah Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Michael J. Fox created, taking good care of them, but also bringing them to life in a new way, breathing ourselves into them, infusing, you know, our sense of humor, our timing, our personalities. But I think, you know, this musical is a really faithful adaptation of the film.

And I, I do think it has to be, I think you have to really deliver that for the fans and it, it seems like the fans are really happy at the stage door. It seems like we have so many fans of the film and the whole franchise who are coming and they're like, okay, I was a little nervous. I didn't know what to expect, but oh my gosh, I was so pleased. And, you know, I felt like I was watching those characters who I know and love on stage. Um, so that's what we want to hear.

[14:20] Alan Seales: That's brilliant. And I think it's, I think it's very good. Uh, that was the answer I was hoping you would get, because like you said, you said, you know, the show brings 2023 magic and it's something that I think is really important. Um, when you're adapting source material that is so well known on a global scale, this isn't just like an American culture thing. Like this is globally, the story is known and, uh, you have to bring, you have to be true to the material that people are going to recognize and then, and then just tweak it, like turn the knob a little bit up because now, you know, we've, however many years it's been since it came out, we've got all this, you know, different tech and it's not even the tech, but, um, the way that study the performances, the actors have changed.

And, you know, like the stuff we know now that we didn't know then, like Christopher Lloyd turned down the role when he first was offered, did you know that, that yeah, he turned it down cause he, he didn't take it seriously. And he wanted to be a real actor, right? I mean, there's so many little tidbits like that, that I've, you know, gone deep diving online and found out that I'm like, wait, what? Like Michael J. Fox wasn't the original Marty and came in like six months into it. I'm like, Oh my gosh, it's wild.

[15:32] Liana Hunt: Yeah. I think they lost a month of shooting or something like, yeah, but, but it was a mutual split from what I've read. Um, but you said you, you researched the role, but like, what do you do to, to research a time travel movie? I mean, while caveat asterisk, um, it's the, the, the, the main storyline is a story about family and relationships and like underneath all of this, it, I think it normalized sci-fi for, for me. But like on your, from your perspective, like going into the role, uh, from an audition standpoint, and then after you're getting it, like shaping the character, what did you look into?

[16:16] Liana Hunt: I mean, I did spend a lot of time with the film. I think I really had to understand, you know, the role that Leah Thompson created and what is it that people love about Lorraine Baines and, and what are they wanting to see when they come? What are her, you know, what are those elements of her that I really need to, you know, find my own way into, but bring and deliver on. Um, I tried to look into each of the time periods in which she exists, the 1980s, the 1950s, especially, you know, a lot of my show as Lorraine is spent in 1955 and that is an entirely different world, you know, especially for a girl, um, a young girl. So I tried to really kind of get myself inside the world of that. Um, yeah.

And, and, and then through all that work, kind of finding out what is my way in for, you know, to Lorraine Baines. And, and luckily I felt like when I watched it again, when I got the audition, I watched the film for the first time in years with the lens of like, okay, I don't really remember it. Like, is this a, is this going to be a good fit? Is this something within my wheelhouse? And I do remember watching the film and immediately just having a gut reaction of yes, yes. I think this is really a good fit. Like, you know, it didn't, uh, it didn't feel like a huge stretch. I was just like, Ooh, I feel like this is a really good fit and I can see my way in. I can relate to this character. I can have fun stretching myself in ways for this character. So there was an immediate gut reaction of, uh, I felt a really, you know, strong connection to Lorraine Baines.

[17:52] Alan Seales: Well, Leah Thompson, uh, in the movie played it, um, played this, like you're saying it's in 1955 was a, was a different time for young girls. Um, and I think she, she played it and you, and again, you've dialed this up even more for 2023, but played it very, um, confident and, um, like you're, you make your own decisions. You don't let your parents tell you what to do.

[18:16] ⚠ About 3 minutes of audio could not be automatically transcribed.

[20:49] Liana Hunt: No, I'm maybe not that far. Um, definitely I would say high school, like in middle school, I definitely felt a strong sense of like, I want to do this. I want to do this. It did feel so difficult. Like how does someone like me who, who fell at the time, very stuck in this small town in Vermont, like I couldn't really visualize the path. I was like, how do I get from here to there? But I think something clicked in high school. Well, part of it was I, you know, I started to find my own community in Vermont of kids like me, and we were from all different schools and we found each other through community theater. One of those friends was Shana Taub, who's now, you know, doing amazing things in the industry.

And, um, we, you know, finding her, she had been going to theater camp stage door manner for many years already. And that was one of the things she sort of took me under her wing and was like, there's this place. It's magic. And I go every summer and you should come too. And I went for two summers and just seeing all those people who are like me, I was like, okay, wait, I I'm starting to see it. Like I'm, I'm meeting people like me. I'm getting a sense of what it takes to kind of get myself to New York. Um, and after that I had my sights set on NYU. I just, yeah, I was very like driven and, um, kind of inexplicably I was. And I got really lucky too. You know, I was lucky to get into NYU. Um, that was my first choice.

I didn't want to go to a school where I just wanted to get right to it. You know, I wanted to go to college, but I wanted to be in the heart of New York city. I didn't want to be on a campus. I wasn't interested in, you know, sports. I just wanted to be in New York city as soon as possible. So I applied early decision to, uh, Tish and I really wanted to study musical theater. Um, back then it was cap 21, their musical theater studio. And so, yes, I, I applied early decision. Um, and I was waiting to hear, and it was just about the time that I was like, okay, I have to start applying to other schools cause I haven't heard yet. And I remember like printing out all these applications and I got my letter that night that I had been accepted.

Uh, and Shana and I had both been accepted actually early decision and we decided to be roommates freshman year. And so, yeah, I would say high school. I just, I've really felt it. I was like, I don't know how this is going to happen, but I know that I'm going to do everything I can to try to make it happen. And I did just to add, I had a lot of, um, you know, adults along the way with the best of intentions encouraged me to explore other options, plan B's, you know, a guidance counselor who was like, okay, I, I totally support this, but it could be beneficial to have a plan B and some other schools. And for some reason I just was like, no, like I appreciate you, but no. And my mom, you know, of course, with the best of tensions, like you should really, maybe what if you minored in something?

[25:54] Liana Hunt: You have to wait until you age out of that physically so that you can play the mom or play some sort of best friend or something, right? But it's hard to find something maybe like late 20s, early 30s where you're just on stage.

[26:11] Right. Well, that was my experience. I don't think it's true for everybody, but it was my experience because I think I had a lot of work when I was in my young 20s and mid 20s as the fresh face, kind of younger ingenue roles. And then I did kind of find myself late 20s like, well, where do I fit right now? And I think one of the things that's so exciting about Back to the Future happening in my life right now is it's kind of, you know, I'm better understanding where I'm at now and I'm in this new chapter. And it's so much fun because I'm playing a mom and a teenager. So I'm getting all of it.

[26:49] Did your mom come to see the show yet? Is your family coming?

[26:53] Oh, yes. And they're like, oh, you're not being the mom. You're not being mommy enough in your moms. Oh, what did my mom say? Well, she was like, because in the beginning, I have like some padding. You know, life has been a little tough on her. She's really unhappy. My mom was like, I don't know. They have to they have to do more. You didn't look quite old enough. You didn't look happy enough. You need a bigger belly or more padding. I was like, OK, thanks. I'll make sure that I'll make sure they know your notes.

[27:30] Yeah, I'll pass that along. And so at what point did the improv stuff come in? Because you're part of sketch comedy show Shiz, which is at UCB, which is Broadway meets sketch comedy.

[27:40] Yeah. Yeah. I think it was actually during the time when I wasn't in a show and I found myself in the city auditioning, doing, you know, work here and there. But I wasn't on eight shows a week for the first time. And I was trying to discover how to keep myself engaged, keep myself growing. I like taking class a lot. I like to keep learning and growing and getting better at different skill sets. And I had always loved improv. Now, I'm not you know, I'm not like a comedian, but I always had kind of a good sense for it. And I had this feeling that I might like it, but I was absolutely terrified as well. And so I just kind of jumped in. I was like, well, let me take UCB one on one and just see how it goes.

[28:28] And it absolutely was terrifying, but it was also a blast. I learned so much. And I think I was like, I am I not bad at this. And so I stuck with it. I studied I studied through about halfway through the last level, which is for a one. And then I got a show and had to duck out. But I loved it so much. It was at UCB and it's such a specific kind of long form improv skill set. But I loved it.

[29:01] And then from that, actually, my friend Shana Taub's husband, Matt Garing, is a brilliant comedian, writer, director. And he and Shana started this group called Shiz Broadway meets sketch comedy, which is just that. And I was involved with that. A lot of our friends, some of our college friends. And that was just such a gift. It was like these two worlds colliding that I loved so much. And we had a great run at UCB pre pandemic and improv asylum. And then throughout the pandemic, did a lot of online content. And then since then, the world of comedy has sort of taken a hit post pandemic. So we're rearranging there. But, yeah, an absolute blast. I got to work with so many people I love and perform and do comedy and musical theater and improv and all of it.

[29:51] But do you still do you have time to do it now? I guess the only night you would have is like Monday nights, right?

[29:56] Yeah. I mean, perform. Hilariously, our shows were on Monday nights, literally at like midnight. So I couldn't do that right now. But yeah. Oh my God. I don't know if I would have time, but any time an event sort of pops up for Shiz, I'm like, yes, yes.

[30:13] I know. I remember I really remember if I didn't see you. I remember seeing advertisements for Shiz because I used to go to ASCAT shows all the time at UCB before before the theater went bye bye. But, yeah, I've been there and then I've been there even since it was renamed or I guess under new management, whatever improv asylum turned it into. But, yeah, I enjoy that scene so much.

[30:42] Like people who are used to being the center of attention who can crack jokes does not mean you're an automatically good improviser.

[30:50] I know. Well, I know who you are.

[30:52] That's a hard reality for a lot of people. It is. You know, some people come in and they're really funny, but they can't let go of the need to make people laugh at every turn. And I think one of the things about improv is really letting go of that, surrendering to it, learning how to support what's funny in a scene and not always be the funny and and really understand the bigger picture of it, which I just loved and kind of geeked out over.

[31:16] Actually, that was kind of my favorite part, like learning when to edit a scene, like when to cut a scene, when what's the funniest moment of the scene and why? And I never really wanted to be the funniest part of a scene, but I really loved kind of like observing and learning how to support and throw in a thing here and there.

[31:35] Have you ever tried writing? Because the reason I ask, and as you were explaining this, it just occurred to me was that I wonder how many improvisers overlap into the writing world because you're writing in real time. You're having to write and identify as the scene is in progress, what supporting action, what supporting character is needed. It's really wild.

[32:07] No, actually, I haven't ever, but I have so many friends who have done sketch comedy, you know, well, improv into sketch and then learn they really love the writing of it, which is sketch, obviously. But yeah, it's just wild. Like I remember in improv just thinking this is the hardest thing I've ever done. Like your brain has to compartmentalize like 12 different things at once while being present and listening so you can respond. It's just like I was like, this is insane. I can't believe people do this. And I was kind of addicted to just like showing up and doing it just to see if I could survive every week.

[32:33] That's funny. I've interviewed the Freestyle Love Supreme guys.

[32:36] Oh my God.

[32:38] Like all of them. They are family. They literally call each other family. I mean, you know, director Tommy Kaley's like no matter what we're doing, James Monroe, Michael Hart, Chris Jackson, everybody. They're all like no matter what we're doing, we get the call. We're there. We want to do improv. We want to be with each other. We want to have fun. Because like you said, it's a level of trust. It's a trust and it's an understanding and it's a vulnerability. You have to be vulnerable when you're acting and performing anyway.

[33:12] To go up on stage to do improv, especially at that kind of level, right? It's just a level of trust, understanding that it's okay to screw up because you're gonna set somebody up for success by screwing up and that's okay. Check your ego at the door.

[33:30] Yeah. And hearing you say that, I think one of the reasons I loved it so much is because I'm a perfectionist. I've always struggled with trying to control things and I'm an over-preparer and there was something so insane to me about improv that I was just gonna show up with no preparation. There's nothing you can do besides study it to prepare for an improv show or a class and just throw myself to the walls and see how it went. But I think it was really good for me. And I also loved that in improv you can and should be anything, any character. I don't have to be what I look like or sound like. I can be anything and I think that was really good for me and it's good for everyone, all actors, especially as we really get typed sometimes into a box. I was like, this is so weird and fun.

[34:23] Yeah. Well, that goes back to what we were saying a second ago about either being the ingenue or the mom. In improv, there's neither. You can be a chair. You can be whatever you want. You can be like, hey, it's the talking chair over there.

[34:35] Yeah, it's great. One of my favorite things ever was seeing Bobby Moynihan be a talking subway seat.

[34:43] Oh my god. Exactly.

[34:47] Yeah, that still sticks out in my mind. When you travel, you said you're an overprepared. When you travel, do you make lists, a little checklist of everything?

[34:55] Yes.

[34:56] Yeah.

[34:57] The answer is yes.

[34:59] I know you. I know who you are.

[35:01] You know me.

[35:02] Yeah. We're going to be right back.

[35:05] Okay, so when did you get involved then with Back to the Future in relation to the Broadway run?

[35:17] Oh my gosh. It was last summer, August. I was just closing The Devil Wears Prada in Chicago.

[35:26] Yeah.

[35:27] With my good friend, Shana Tao.

[35:29] And Beth Leavel.

[35:31] Yeah. Oh my god, Beth Leavel. Oh my gosh. Icon.

[35:35] Yeah. Oh my god. Yeah, definitely geeked out over getting to work with her. And I'll just say she exceeded any and all expectations of what she might be like. So we were closing that. And I had a flight back booked to New York. And then this audition.

[36:22] Liana Hunt: Yes, I am doing this. So I just, I loved it. I listened to the tracks that they had sent for the music. And I was like, Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. So I changed. Yeah.

[36:34] Alan Seales: I'm sorry to interrupt. I was just gonna ask, because you're like, you decided you're trying to decide if you want to even take the audition, right? So have you? Have you turned? Is this the control the list maker in yourself? You're like, it has to fit and you need to feel comfortable even going in for the audition? Or is there going over to the improv side of life? Is there a trust that you have to put in the casting director and the creative team to be like, I don't think I'm right for this, but they want me so I'm gonna give it my all.

[37:03] Liana Hunt: Definitely. Um, all of it has happened. I think with this specifically, there were so many logistical things that had to be, you know, put in place and altered that sometimes auditions come up and ultimately, if it's not a great fit, you kind of find yourself having to decide, okay, I'm not this isn't the one that I'm going to change the flight. And we had a subletter in our apartment in New York, so I was gonna have to stay with a friend, you know, sometimes it's just not worth all of that. But I had the opposite experience. I watched it and I was like, this one is worth it. I feel like it's a great fit. I'm invested. I want to give this a go. So yeah, so I changed my flight, I stayed with a friend, I flew back early, I prepared the material.

And I went in for the first time, yes, last August, and they brought me back the next day to film everything for the team for the full team. It was for John Rando both times and casting. And then they let me know I had a final callback, which was going to be months later in November, which is wild. That's kind of a long time. Yeah, not typical in my experience. So I kind of had to compartmentalize all of the material for a few months, but it was very much still with me on my brain and in my heart and soul. And then come November, I kind of revved back up for it. I had a music work session with the music team. And then I had a final callback for all of, you know, the producers, the team, John, everyone.

And I felt really great about it. I remember just walking into my final callback being like, okay, whether I get it or not, I feel like I just I did what I came to do. Okay, we'll see what happens. And then I was waiting days to hear sort of in the turmoil of that. And then I found out that they were adding an additional final session, like on a Saturday night with John Rando and our music director, Ted and in this studio, and I came back. And I did all the material again, and they taped it all again. And they had added a couple scenes to do. And so by that point, I was I was like, Oh, gosh, I don't know which way this is going. I can't read anyone. I don't know what they're feeling. And then it was Thanksgiving. And so we had to wait until after the holiday. And then right after Thanksgiving, I got the call from my agent that I got it.

[39:41] Alan Seales: Wow, that's, that's such a long time.

[39:41] Liana Hunt: It was. And then I had the news, you know, November 2022. And we were starting rehearsals in May. So it was all like, whoo, a lot of time to do the background check to make sure you can keep a secret. Well, how does the car fly? Let's start with that one.

[40:04] Alan Seales: Now, are you are you actually not allowed to tell anybody? I don't want you to tell me because I think it'll spoil it. But are they like, you can't tell people you're doing interviews, you can't tell people how that works.

[40:14] Liana Hunt: When I tell you I haven't even told my husband. That's how much they were like, you will not spill the magic, nor do I want to, you know, it's way better to come and not know. So no, haven't told a soul. And I and I will not.

[40:29] Alan Seales: That is good. Good on you for not telling your husband, too, because they can't trust that guy either. No, we know they didn't do a background check on him.

[40:38] Alan Seales: All right, so I want to do some quick Back to the Future movie trivia.

[40:42] Liana Hunt: Oh, okay. I'm doing it. I'm doing a series of interviews all about Back to the Future here for a takeover. And I'm going to ask you all the same thing. So you can all listen back and determine who knows the most about the movie.

[40:53] Alan Seales: Okay, I'm nervous.

[40:54] Liana Hunt: So far, I've interviewed Nate, your number two.

[40:56] Alan Seales: Okay.

[40:57] Liana Hunt: Nate did okay. Not the best, but he did okay. See if you can do it. Okay. Just we already I think I let this slip. But question one, there's five questions. Question one is just what year was the original movie released?

[41:08] Liana Hunt: Oh, my gosh. 1985?

[41:11] Alan Seales: Yes.

[41:11] Liana Hunt: Yes.

[41:12] Liana Hunt: Okay. I'm going to panic at every question and doubt the things I already know. So here we go.

[41:18] Alan Seales: All right. Okay. Number two, what was Marty McFly's original last name?

[41:23] Liana Hunt: Oh, my gosh. One of the first versions of the script. He was not Marty McFly. He was Marty what?

[41:31] Liana Hunt: I do think I've seen this online somewhere in an interview. And I don't have it. I don't remember. Marty McDermott.

[41:37] Alan Seales: Oh, my gosh. I think I did see that in like a old interview. Oh, my gosh.

[41:43] Liana Hunt: Yeah. Okay. Back to the Future was almost not the name of the movie. What did the producers want it to be called?

[41:53] Alan Seales: I don't know.

[41:54] Liana Hunt: Spaceman from Pluto.

[41:56] Alan Seales: Oh, my gosh. Incredible. Honestly.

[41:59] Liana Hunt: There's a memo.

[42:00] Alan Seales: They chose right.

[42:01] Liana Hunt: Yeah, they did choose it. There's a memo where the producer was like, if you change these lines on these three pages, it will all fit as Spaceman from Pluto. And fortunately,

[42:10] Alan Seales: I saw that, too.

[42:11] Liana Hunt: Yeah, fortunately, they didn't.

[42:13] Alan Seales: Yeah. Anyway.

[42:14] Alan Seales: It's one of the studio execs, I think.

[42:16] Liana Hunt: Oh, my gosh. Amazing.

[42:16] Alan Seales: Okay. Speaking of studios, how many times was Back to the Future, the script rejected by studios?

[42:24] Liana Hunt: I think it was quite a few. Nobody wanted it. Let's see. I don't know the exact number, but let's say eight.

[42:39] Alan Seales: Forty-four.

[42:40] Liana Hunt: Oh, my gosh.

[42:43] Alan Seales: Yeah, that was a lot. Okay.

[42:46] Alan Seales: Last question here, then. In the first act scene where Marty's band, The Pinheads, is auditioning for a high school battle of the bands contest, who plays the school teacher who cuts the band short, announcing on the megaphone, hold it, fellas. I'm afraid you're just too darn loud.

[43:03] Liana Hunt: Oh, my gosh. You mean Strickland?

[43:06] Alan Seales: No, no, no. This is one of the judges in the battle of the bands.

[43:11] Liana Hunt: Oh, my gosh. I don't know. Tell me. I'm dying to know.

[43:13] Alan Seales: Huey Lewis.

[43:14] Liana Hunt: Oh, my gosh. Huey Lewis cameo. God.

[43:18] Alan Seales: Yeah. Yeah, that was a Huey Lewis cameo right there, man.

[43:21] Liana Hunt: Oh, my gosh. And we got to meet Huey Lewis. So now when you go back and watch the film.

[43:24] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[43:24] Liana Hunt: He came to our opening. That was so cool.

[43:27] Alan Seales: That's cool. That's cool. All right. So now the normal closing questions that I ask everyone, just to wrap up every episode that I've ever done. Number one simply is what motivates you?

[43:38] Liana Hunt: What motivates me? I feel pretty self-motivated in a way that I think I was mentioning this earlier. I always want to be better. I want to learn more. I want to grow. I think I'm motivated by the idea that we get this one life, this one chance. And so why wouldn't we always want to keep bettering and keep growing? So maybe I'm motivated by time, by our one life.

[44:14] Alan Seales: Our one life. That's a good sitcom name.

[44:17] Liana Hunt: Yeah. Our one life.

[44:19] Alan Seales: Our one life, starring Lorraine Baines. What advice would you give to your younger self and younger people listening now starting out down a similar path?

[44:26] Liana Hunt: Oh, my goodness. So many things. What I would tell my younger self, well, specifically like me kind of in high school, I would just say, it actually doesn't matter. And you will learn this one day what everybody thinks of you and how well everyone likes you. I had a tough time in school and was desperate to be accepted and liked by my peers. I think I didn't really fit in and I felt a lot of judgment and it made me want to just be safe and kind of be like everyone else, be a chameleon. And I would just go back and tell myself, no, do the opposite of that. Because anything you're feeling from anyone else is actually probably just their stuff and you can't control that. And trying to make yourself perfect isn't actually the answer.

It's just going to make your life really hard for a long time. So I would say, do the opposite. Try to just tune out the noise and just figure out who you are and what you like and why you like it. And really just spend some time with yourself because that's the most important relationship in our lives is the one with ourselves.

[45:45] Alan Seales: That's still hard. That's hard now.

[45:46] Liana Hunt: It's hard.

[45:47] Alan Seales: I still have trouble with that.

[45:48] Liana Hunt: Oh, me too. I'm still working on this every day of my life.

[45:52] Alan Seales: Yeah. Oh, man. Spending time with myself, that's actually really hard just to sit down and be like, you know what? I don't feel like very well today and that's okay. And I'm going to sit in that feeling. It's taken years of therapy to get me across that finish line. Not even a finish line, across that starting line.

[46:08] Liana Hunt: Exactly. Me too. Me too.

[46:10] Alan Seales: All right. So the last question is the hardest one. If you could only see one show for the rest of your life, but you can see it as many times as you want, what would you see?

[46:19] Liana Hunt: Ooh, that's hard. Okay. I have two coming to mind. Gypsy. I love that musical so much and I could probably watch it over and over again. And I love A Little Night Music so much. I think I could watch that over and over again and discover new things every time I watched it. And God, that music, I love it so much. I don't think I would ever get tired of it.

[46:51] Alan Seales: Good answers. I like it.

[46:52] Liana Hunt: Thank you. Yeah.

[46:54] Alan Seales: So how can we connect with you online on social media?

[46:56] Liana Hunt: Oh my gosh. You can find me at Liana Marie Hunt, L-I-A-N-A, Marie Hunt on all platforms.

[47:04] Alan Seales: Liana Marie. Liana Marie Hunt. All right. You don't want to know my middle name. It's gross.

[47:12] Liana Hunt: I am on Instagram, Threads, and Facebook, and that was it, right? At theatre_podcast. Wherever you're listening now, just leave a rating, leave a review, turn to your neighbor and be like, hey neighbor, check out this podcast. That's how we grow. And Liana Hunt, thank you so much. I've really enjoyed this chat.

[47:38] Liana Hunt: Oh, me too. Thank you so much for having me.