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[0:00] Joel Crump: Hey you guys, today I'm here with Wesley Wray for another episode of Broadway Time at Carmine's.

[0:09] Wesley Wray: I'm so good, thanks for having me.

[0:10] Joel Crump: Thank you for being here when we were, you know, compiling everybody we wanted to bring this fall. You were at the top of our list. My entire family loves you so much, loves the show so much, so we're so glad you're here today.

[0:21] Wesley Wray: Thanks man, it's an honor.

[0:22] Joel Crump: Yeah, so to start off, talk to me about what it was like making your Broadway debut in Buena Vista Social Club just right around the corner on 45th Street.

[0:30] Wesley Wray: Yeah man, it's a dream come true. I mean, years ago if you had asked me if I would be here, I would be like, absolutely not. But, you know, it's a long time coming. I've put in a lot of work, you know, in school and outside. And it's just a blessing to be here and be in such a culturally cultivating show. And, you know, performing in front of thousands of people a night and all of them come touch. And it's just a dream come true. And being able to impact each and every one of these people too is something that I never thought would be possible. Because, you know, you have all these preconceived notions of like what Broadway is.

[1:04] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[1:09] Wesley Wray: Now I get to like live it and really see all these people impacted. Even if they don't know the story, if they do know the story, everyone comes out the same impacted. So just it's an honor to be a part of something so special.

[1:22] Joel Crump: What did you expect Broadway to be and then what did it end up being for you?

[1:26] Wesley Wray: Yeah, and it was kind of just what I thought it was. But actually I didn't know that it would be such a community. Actually I thought everybody would kind of, you know, just, okay, here's the script. Do this and then we go home. But it's such an amazing thing. It's such an amazing process and such an amazing community and group of people. So, yeah, and they have your back.

[1:58] Joel Crump: What about growing up in Miami? Where did your love for the arts root from? How did you land into performing arts?

[2:04] Wesley Wray: Absolutely. So I grew up in church in Miami. So a lot of it kind of stemmed in, which I didn't know, from church. I used to sing and play music in church. And my cousin who owned the church, my cousin's family, she was a phenomenal dancer, her and her daughter. And I did my first musical with them when I was eight years old at Camp Rock the Musical. And from there my love just, I got bit by the bug and I was like, this is what I want to do. And from there I was in Liberty City. We had an arts conservatory called African Heritage Cultural Arts Center. And that's kind of where I started my training in singing and dancing and acting. And from there I went to Norlin Middle School with Tanisha Seidel. And she was, and I did Moonlight with her, the Oscar award-winning. And I just was, you know, exposed to all this beautiful art. You know, Moonlight Arts, Norlin Middle School and doing dinner theater and exposed to all different things in studying there.

[3:11] Wesley Wray: And from there I went to American Heritage where I studied classical music and musical theater. Where I would come here, actually, and see my first Broadway show.

[3:21] Joel Crump: Which was?

[3:22] Wesley Wray: Which was Ain't Too Proud to Music, right across the street of Imperial. And that's where I saw people that looked like me doing what I loved. And I was like, oh wow, this is, you know, that was when I was just like, okay, I have to do this. From there, and I was, you know, looking for schools, you know, musical theater schools. When I found out you could go to school for this and ended up at the University of Michigan.

[3:44] Joel Crump: Now when you applied to the University of Michigan, did you know that it was the crazy school that it is? Did you know it was funny? Like that's every person's dream musical theater school.

[3:51] Wesley Wray: Nope, I had no idea. I had no idea. I was like, I had my student, my student advisor, college advisor. She was, you know, spitballing a bunch of schools that I should, you know, look out to. Like FSU, UM, those schools I knew. And I was going to go in for pre-med. So I was like, oh, let me get into the school first.

[4:06] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[4:10] Wesley Wray: And then we'll go from there. And she, we came upon University of Michigan because I think her daughter was into the arts. And she was like, you have to do this school. And I was like, okay. I didn't do any research. I was like, fine. So I did the pre-screen. And I was telling my friends like, oh yeah, I got a call back. And they're like, are you serious? Oh, my God. I'm like, what's the big deal? I, you know, I didn't grow up like knowing all about, you know, all these BFA programs. And like you go to school for musical theater. I had no, I had no clue. And then I found out when I got in how big a deal it was. I was in rehearsal for Les Mis, my last show, high school, 2022. And I got a call in the orchestra pit.

And it was Laura Hoffman, the lady, Laura Hoffman. She rest in peace. She called me. And then she was like, this is a huge deal. We're so proud of you. We're so happy to have you. And it was a beautiful experience. And then I looked it up. And I was like, oh, all these people went to this school. You know, that are doing Broadway and that are in the arts. So I was like, oh, this is a pretty big school.

[5:12] Joel Crump: It's a huge deal. Congratulations to you.

[5:14] Wesley Wray: Thank you.

[5:15] Joel Crump: Later.

[5:18] Wesley Wray: So for you, what has been the highlight of this entire Broadway experience?

[5:23] Wesley Wray: For me, I would probably say the people that come to the show, my family included. I've had so much support. So many people just had somebody yesterday come to the show, a family friend. And that's been so special to me because these are the people that watched me watch my journey.

[5:42] Joel Crump: Yeah.

[5:43] Wesley Wray: Into my career. So now they're seeing me on the biggest stage in the world, the most prestigious stage in the world, Broadway. And getting to experience that is something that is so special to me. And I've had my mom come like five times, my dad, my sisters, my cousins. And that's been very special. And also on top of that, the celebrities come. Celebrities, it's a nice little treat. We've had J-Lo. We've had Spike Lee. We've had Ava DuVernay. We've had some really cool people come. And that's been really fun. I feel like everybody's fleeing to see the show. It's insane. And I think it was really special, all the Tonys you guys won. What was it like performing at the Tony Awards, receiving those awards?

[6:31] Wesley Wray: I mean, Buena Vista Social Club got so many awards this year. And I think it's well-deserved. What was that entire Tony experience like for you?

[6:38] Wesley Wray: Dude, it was a fever dream. I couldn't even remember because I just blanked out. Even my first time stepping in there, I was just like, oh, it was just beautiful. It's a beautiful place. And getting to see all the shows rehearsing and in rehearsals and getting to see Cynthia just at 8 in the morning belting her face off like it's nothing. The experience was unlike any other. But performing at the Tonys in front of 6,000 people, that's when I was just like, okay, this is crazy. So I remember being in the wings. I remember and I saw Oprah. And I was like, it's Oprah. And she was like, she talked to me. She was like, I'm coming to see your show. She hasn't come yet, but she will. I believe in her. She's busy. She'll get there.

[7:25] Wesley Wray: For sure. But, I mean, just meeting her and, yeah, we got on the stage. Buena Vista Social Club. Blanked. As soon as the music started. And then all I remember is leaving the stage and then seeing my classmate, actually, in Pirates of Penzance Rio. And he was like, congratulations. It was just beautiful. These experiences that I've had in these past nine months since I've been here have just been amazing.

[7:52] Joel Crump: Yeah. Now, the show seems like there's a lot of different things going on at once. Talk to me about any of the stage mishaps, any of the funny stage mishaps that might have happened at Buena Vista Social Club.

[8:01] Wesley Wray: Welcome to the Wray's Social Club. Recently, there is a moment close to the end of Act 2 when the band breaks up and Omada is telling me that she gets this record deal and she has to leave and then I have this moment with her where I'm like, you were never one of us. And then I run off the stage and I tripped and I turned around to see if I messed them up and they were all like on the stage in this most serious moment and they're all trying not to laugh because I'm running off the stage after being mad and then I fall off the stage and yeah, that was a funny mishap that I can recall that's most recent.

[8:42] Joel Crump: I love that. Well, once again, it's this food. Oh, let's please do. So we talked about it a little bit, but how has your training at the University of Michigan prepared you for Broadway? And you graduate upcoming May, right? May 2026. What has it been like continuing your studies while performing on Broadway every night?

[9:01] Wesley Wray: Oh my gosh, it is tough. It's definitely tough. I'm in classes throughout the day, online, at papers to submit, you know, the whole shebang. And then at night I'm doing, you know, a two-hour show. So it's definitely hard, but I will say in high school and in college, you know, my years there, I've learned time management and I've learned how to protect my body and keep my body safe and keep my mind right for all that's to come. Because I mean, in school, when I was there full time, it was so hard. You know, you wake up, you have 9 a.m. ballet and then you have your general education classes. You're doing, you know, your upper level, your lower level writing, your first year writing, and then you go in and you do your performance classes.

And then we have a lab from 4:30 to 6, and then we have rehearsal from 6:30 to 11. And then, or sometimes we'll have a show. And all of our extracurricular, like if we're doing student-run productions or if we have a minor, it's a lot. So it definitely teaches you time management.

[10:01] Joel Crump: Yeah. I loved you guys' class entry. What was it like being able to go back and do that? I feel like it's an iconic thing. Every senior gets to be a part of that and people watch it around the country. What was it like being a part of that?

[10:14] Wesley Wray: It was phenomenal. Being back with my class and just entering, you know, senior entry. You know, that's, when you think of Michigan, you think of senior entrance. So just being a part of that and being able to, you know, be part of the music team and, you know, do music that I love doing and putting that, you know, putting my artistry into senior entrance was amazing. And, you know, it was a whole lot of fun. And then meeting the freshmen and the first years and they're so sweet. Yeah. It was just crazy to see that, you know, I'm a person that they would look up to, you know, and being that and being here is just so special to me.

[10:52] Joel Crump: Yeah. When I went to see Buena Vista Social Club, the audience's energy, it's unmatchable. I mean, they, from the moment you guys started, they were all the way in it. What is it like, you know, bouncing off of that energy every night? Because people are coming from everywhere to see the show. Yeah. What is that like?

[11:06] Wesley Wray: It is, it's unbelievable. It's like sensory overload in the best way. It's like a burst of just all these emotions because you already have this beautiful music and then you have, you know, these people that are just, you know, come from everywhere to come see the show and you feel the energy. And especially in the opening number, we get to see some of the audience too. So like we can see their faces, we see them like tapping their, their, their, their thighs and you see them just all in it. So it just, no matter how you feel before the show, you just hear that music and you see that and you're like, boom, boom, and you're just so into it because it calls on you to do it. Right. It's hard to, to, to, I guess, how would you say like half do it, you know, and, and not be all the way in. Yeah. The music calls you to just be full and the people, they're just, they're all invested.

[12:06] Joel Crump: I love that. Yeah. And I feel like it's any person's, you know, dream to originate a role and you got to do it off the jump with your Broadway debut. Yeah. What has it been like originating Young Ibrahim in Buena Vista?

[12:13] Wesley Wray: I mean, it's, it's so special. It's a full circle moment for me because I just learned that. So my family is Jamaican Bahamian. My dad's family is Jamaican. My mom's family is from the Bahamas. And I learned when my grandfather and my dad saw I came to the show, he told me that when he emigrated from Jamaica, um, his first job was in Brooklyn and he was a busboy. Wow. So just hearing that history and, and I was just like, okay, so this is so close to home, even though I'm not Latino, like this is a story, this is always somebody's story. Like if this can be your story, this can be, um, your story, it can be anybody's story. Right. So it's so personable to bring a real person and bring my personal, my personal experience to this role.

You know, he's a black man and he'd moved to this part of Cuba that doesn't accept him. You know, he's a black Cuban man. Um, and despite him being Cuban, there's always, you know, um, how you look, how much money you have. You know, he was on his own from a young age, from 12 years old. So he had to fend for himself, you know, and that I obviously can't tap into, but just the fact that, you know, being, living in a country that doesn't accept you is just like story of my life, you know, being black wherever you are. So putting that into perspective in the show has been amazing. And, um, reaching into my dance roots too, because I studied Afro-Caribbean movement, Martha Graham Horton, um, at Alvin Ailey and my teacher from Miami was a Martha Graham dancer.

So implementing that into this role was just unbelievable and being able to ground myself in this culture, um, this African Yoruba culture. It's just amazing. I could talk about it all day, but just to save you the trouble, it's been phenomenal.

[14:02] Joel Crump: I love that. Bringing myself into the role. I love that so much. Well, let's dig back in. This is what's staring at us. Yeah, absolutely. And let's do it. So now we're going to play Broadway Time Quick Round. These are rapid fire questions to see everything you love about Broadway. Okay. Okay. Favorite Broadway show?

[14:17] Wesley Wray: Ooh, um, the first one that I heard of. What's that story? Yeah. Yeah. Dream Roll.

[14:24] Wesley Wray: One that I can create. Um, yeah.

[14:27] Wesley Wray: Yeah. Funniest moment on stage.

[14:30] Wesley Wray: When I tripped and fell and made all of my castmates break.

[14:34] Wesley Wray: Yeah. Favorite vocal warmup?

[14:36] Wesley Wray: Um, NG Bungee. Those are fun.

[14:41] Wesley Wray: Yeah. Favorite song to perform in the show?

[14:45] Wesley Wray: Yeah. Broadway inspiration?

[14:47] Wesley Wray: Um, ooh. Ooh. Um, Denzel. No, sorry. Denzel Washington.

[14:56] Wesley Wray: Yeah. Yeah. Denzel. Denzel Washington. Dream co-star.

[15:01] Wesley Wray: Denzel Washington. Favorite place to relax in New York?

[15:05] Wesley Wray: Um, my home. My bed.

[15:08] Wesley Wray: Yes. Very valid. And lastly, best piece of advice you ever received?

[15:12] Wesley Wray: Um, I hate to get religious here, but what God has for you is for you.

[15:18] Joel Crump: That's incredible. Yeah. Yeah. I love that. Thank you.

[15:21] Joel Crump: Well, thank you so much, Wesley. This has been so much fun. I'm glad to be able to join us for your first time at Carmine's.

[15:26] Wesley Wray: Yeah. For Broadway Time at Carmine's.

[15:28] Joel Crump: So tell them where they can find you online.

[15:30] Wesley Wray: Absolutely. My Instagram is my first name, Wesley. My middle initial, W. My last name, Ray. W-R-A-Y. So it would be Wesley W. Ray on Instagram.

[15:40] Wesley Wray: Um, and yeah, that's pretty much what I am on. I'm on TikTok too, but I don't really post there. Um, but yes, we'll say Instagram, Wesley W. Ray.

[15:50] Joel Crump: I love it. Thank you so much.

[15:52] Wesley Wray: Thank you for having me.

[15:53] Joel Crump: This has been another episode of Broadway Time at Carmine's.