Street: We hear this show’s pretty raunchy. Do tell. Jesse Franklin: I’ll leave this to you, Jess… Jess Dignam: I mean I snort coke (fake coke, don’t worry!) on stage like 3 times… Tom McQuaid: I abuse Maddy. Theatrically. BUT spousal abuse isn’t cool! I don’t endorse spousal abuse. Maddy Dopico: In this show I am loved, abused, courted and loved again — graphically, and in front of the entire audience. I was also told something about someone wearing a lingerie jumper?
Street: Did you invite your parents? On a scale of one to scandalized… TM: 12. JF: I invited my parents and my grandparents. They know I’ll be naked and they can’t wait. Awkward. MD: My parents, little brother and grandparents are coming. My father seemed to be fine with we me dressed in a corset as a man–eating plant last year… JD: I invited them. And didn’t warn them about anything. Whoops!
Street: What would it take to win most valuable audience member at the midnight show? JF: Nudity. I’m not joking. JD: Bow to me after I sing. Worship me, and your heart shall live forever. TM: Someone who knew all of the choreography and did it in the aisle like Amy Poehler in Mean Girls. MD: Someone who can combine the energy of a vaudeville dancer, a clown, a prostitute, a slick club bouncer and a gang of crazy characters all in one…while sporting a flapper hair cut and bringing me a cup of coffee and slice of pizza before the midnight show.
Street: What’s your favorite number in the show? JF: My favorite number is “Make Me Happy.” It’s the climax of the show and it’s the most intense scene I’ve ever been in. The audience will no doubt be in tears. JD: At the end of Act 1 Tom sings “What is it About Her” and I literally cry inside with pride. TM: “Life of the Party,” the Act Two opener that Jess sings. It’s basically Jess being Jess, but with cocaine. (I promise this show isn’t just about cocaine.) MD: “Make Me Happy” is one of my favorite numbers in the show. It’s not a very happy number, but I like it that way. It’s super scary, sexy, and intense. Jesse, Tom and I sing some sweet harmonies together too. I love anything I get to sing with them.
Street: Did you know which role you wanted when you auditioned? JD: HELL YES! I was born to be a diva–poor–little–rich?girl–diva–coke–head–diva. TM: HELL YES! I was born to be an abusive–self–indulgent–alcoholic–singing–dancing–clown. MD: I knew I waned to play the role of Queenie when I heard the song she sings in the finale of the show. I’m really hoping everyone loves that number as much as I do. Besides, when else would I get to be a blonde? JF: No. ZzZzZz I know…
Street: How similar are you to your characters? JF: I think Jess is very, very similar to her character on the count of being a puta. And by that I mean I don’t think I resemble my character very much. JD: Tom is totally a bi–polar, abusive, sexy–as–shit vaudeville clown. MD: I like to think that I’m a 1920s vaudeville dancer in real life sometimes, but unfortunately I think my character and I are overall pretty different. The big, bold personality, presence and energy of the character Kate, however, might actually be based on Jess Dignam.
Street: Choose one line from the show that best describes your character. JF: “I’ll be here.” JD: “Give me a bottle of bourbon and half a chicken and I’ll CONQUER THE WORLD!” TM: “A handsome devil…” (The rest doesn’t matter.) MD: “Who’s wrong, who’s right — I’ve never known.”
Street: What would it take to win most valuable audience member at the midnight show? JF: Nudity. I’m not joking. JD: Bow to me after I sing. Worship me, and your heart shall live forever. TM: Someone who knew all of the choreography and did it in the aisle like Amy Poehler in Mean Girls. MD: Someone who can combine the energy of a vaudeville dancer, a clown, a prostitute, a slick club bouncer and a gang of crazy characters all in one…while sporting a flapper hair cut and bringing me a cup of coffee and slice of pizza before the midnight show.
Street: Was there a scene that was particularly challenging to perfect? JF: I’m good at everything. JD: I mean, I feel like I’m harping on this, but it is not easy to pretend to be high on cocaine… TM: This show was extremely easy for me to act, as I was actually a vaudeville clown involved in a passionate and potentially fatal love triangle in a past life. MD: Perfecting a certain scandalous number with Jesse, who I didn’t know at all at the beginning of the rehearsal process, was somewhat of a challenge for me at first. But now we don’t miss a beat. To find out what I mean by that, you’ll just have to come to the show.
Street: What’s the wildest party you’ve ever been to? JF: I’m afraid blacking out has prevented me from remembering the wildest party I’ve ever been to. (Ironic that my character’s name is Black…) JD: Every Quadramics party I’ve ever attended!!! TM: EVERY QUADRAMICS PARTY!!!!!!!! MD: This show is the wildest party I’ve ever been to! Don’t miss it or you’re missing out!
