Hogwarts Express: Backstage at HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD with Aidan Close, Episode 3 — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:11Hello everyone. Welcome back to week three  of Hogwarts Express and it's the road trip
2. 0:15episode. We're headed up to Boston. We shipped up.  We shipped up. Where are we going guys? What was
3. 0:20that? Honey, speak up. You're in the back seat.  Where are we going? We're heading up to Boston for
4. 0:26the second annual Ule Ball, which is an event that  Nia Mala, our Rose on tour, hosted last year on
5. 0:33Christmas Day with the cast of Lay Miz, Bobaton,  and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hogwarts,
6. 0:41um, to give us some holiday cheer. And they're  running it back this year, but we're in New York
7. 0:47famously. So, we're going back to Boston and uh  we're going to hang out with our tour friends. And
8. 0:54how do we how do we know these people? Because  we were on tour for a year with a year. Cool.
9. 1:01Anything that Jibin Caleb, our beautiful driver,  as you can see, I have two hands on the steering
10. 1:06wheel. I'm driving 10 and two, baby. under this  below. We got snacks up in here and dried fruit.
11. 1:20Is this what you asked for?  Yeah, baby. You got it.
12. 1:34In the spirit of a road trip, what were some  of your favorite memories from tour? This is
13. 1:40a huge question. We did a lot of side quests like  this. Mhm. We went to Palm Springs. Mhm. We went
14. 1:49to Maryland. Mhm. We took many little adventures  together, which was cool because when you're on
15. 2:00tour, you're away from your friends and family,  but you make new friends and family and you have
16. 2:06a little life together. Caleb, what about you?  You went on some pretty cool road trips also.
17. 2:11That's true. I've got lots of memories of tour.  You know, tour to tour played our um Emmy ME1
18. 2:20uh Mazone, you know, tour. Oh, yeah. Tour.  Okay. Tour is so tour is the name of Mazone
19. 2:28on tour. Tourston. Torsten. Frequently known by  tour. National Tour. Oh, but you mean you mean?
20. 2:34Yeah. The tour. The tour. T O U R. Oh. Um well on  tour I often played Magic the Gathering with tour
21. 2:45and historic tournaments were had on tour in in  the magic realm. Yes. In the magic. I think the
22. 2:57past 5 minutes have been incomprehensible for  anyone who doesn't know tour on tour. You're
23. 3:03right. You're right. That's true. Uh Julia and I  lived on or lived in this like palatial like like
24. 3:14um Airbnb in LA because the um owner like this  was their first time really renting out the new
25. 3:23renovated space. So we got it for like that could  have been a dump. Yeah. And like it was there was
26. 3:29just like a perfect LA like palm tree um pool  in the backyard thing. And like I don't think
27. 3:36I'll ever live in a place like that again. And  I feel like that was a um metaphor for what it
28. 3:40was like to work on tour where it was like you  had us three like we had three distinct lives,
29. 3:47you know, one life in Chicago, one life in LA,  and one life in DC. and like they were also
30. 3:54um they were also representative of the cities we  were in. Um yeah, so that's cool to see what their
31. 4:02what their Boston setup is. Yeah. Yeah. I think I  I I I cannot wait to see these folks again. They
32. 4:08were like our family. They were our family. I'm  really excited to see David who plays Scorpius on
33. 4:12tour. Um and talk to him about um how he's feeling  in the role and how, you know, it's evolved since
34. 4:19he's had it. And and then there are so many people  like Zach who plays Carl. Um we call every week so
35. 4:28we you know we talk but um and then literally  everyone. Uh I'm excited to see Nathan again.
36. 4:40Uh, yeah. I don't know. I I am really excited  to see everyone. Nia, Juliana, Evan. I'm really
37. 4:46excited to see all of all of those. Timmy,  Timmy Thompson. I'm really excited to see
38. 4:51Timmy Thompson. Hey everybody. Um, it's so cold in  Boston. Um, but it is so beautiful. Uh, the Boston
39. 5:02Commons are set up for the holidays. There's  a huge Christmas tree over there. Right there.
40. 5:12Hello vlog. Okay, we're here with um Do you  want to introduce yourself for the vlog? I'm
41. 5:17officially Nia Vanessa McCau. Um and what is your  role here in the U ball? I uh planned this event
42. 5:24that we're at currently. Right. So, you're sort  of the mastermind behind this whole thing. I am
43. 5:28a mind. I am no master. I'm no master. Um and and  where did you get this outfit? Uh the internet.
44. 5:35The internet. And there are glass slippers that  go with it, but right now I'm barefoot. Okay. So,
45. 5:40so what we wanted to do before we started rolling  was that you would be on your tippy toes and I'd
46. 5:43be down here to simulate what was going on. I  have been on my toes this whole time. Great. So,
47. 5:48um, and who do you play on the tour? In the tour,  I play I Rose on the tour of Harry Potter and the
48. 5:55Cursed Child. And and we did this last  year also. We did this last year and I
49. 5:58miss Aiden and I miss everyone and everyone is so  talented and beautiful and lovely. Okay. Yay. Um,
50. 6:03last question. Last question. Um, we did  the UVA um, last year. And what was the
51. 6:08inspiration for that idea and how did you come  up with it? Okay, I'll be serious for this one,
52. 6:12right? Last year we were on tour on Christmas  Day. We were there December 25th. We didn't
53. 6:18have any time really to go home and spend with  our families and I thought it would be a fun way
54. 6:21to bring us all together as a community cuz  we had such a lovely group of people and we
55. 6:25do this year as well who like get along so well  and we are like each other's family on tour. Uh,
56. 6:30so let's celebrate each other. Yeah. And I think  let's do it again this year. Let's do it again.
57. 6:46Oh, what's happening? It's a ball. It's a ball.  It's a ball of ule. It's not that. It's the ule
58. 6:54ball. Okay. You said you tie. Okay. But ball of  ule is not I don't think so. Okay. All right. It's
59. 7:02It's the Ball of Twine. Play Twine. Hello. Um,  do you want to introduce yourself to the vlog?
60. 7:09Hi vlog. I'm Julia. Nice. I'm Julian. Nice. Julia  Nice and Gale. Julia. Julia Nice and Gale. Julia
61. 7:17Nightingale. Hi. Yeah. Who do you play? I'll just  take it from here. Okay. Okay. I'll just I'll just
62. 7:21let you guys do your thing. I'm Julia and I play  Delelfie on tour uh on the first national tour of
63. 7:28Harry Potter and the first child. And then how  do we know each other, all three of us? Well,
64. 7:32we met in a little play called Harry Potter and  the Cursed Child first national tour, year one, in
65. 7:38which they played Albus and Scorpius. And I played  Delelfie. Mhm. And we met on the first day of the
66. 7:46first table read. That's true. Yeah. More or less.  More or less. And then ever since then, we sort of
67. 7:52been friends. Gon. When would you say it happened?  I would say immediately it was like a good five it
68. 8:00was like oh this is like going to really work and  then I feel like I don't know a few days in I feel
69. 8:04like once we met everyone but we remained close  maybe cuz there was that day in Brian Park I was
70. 8:10like oh these are going to be friends forever  after our first run through we all had sort of
71. 8:15weird lunch in Bryant Park to celebrate the day  before we left for Chicago our first tour stop it
72. 8:21Oh the day before. Yeah. Oh really? That was the  we did it day. Yeah. Wo. before we actually did
73. 8:26the show. So, we were already cooking them. They  should have probably separated us a little like
74. 8:32children's first. There were like many moments  when we were in Open Jar where we would be like
75. 8:36laughing in a corner cuz it was Friday and it  was the end of the week. Yeah. And they were just
76. 8:42trying to work into serious. Yeah. And then we'd  be like, "I'm so sorry. Are we causing a problem?"
77. 8:47And they'd be like, "No, it's totally." They kind  of liked it cuz our our love was so real. It was
78. 8:51like they couldn't stop it. It was part of our  process. Yes. And then we lived together in LA.
79. 8:56We did. Um and that was awesome. We lived in a  beautiful house in the Hollywood Hills. Yeah. For
80. 9:02four glorious months. And I still I pinch myself  each and every time. I remember those days. Best
81. 9:08place ever. On my walkover. I was listening to the  playlist you made with us. And Goodbye LA was on
82. 9:15that playlist. That was one of my my like going  away bye-bye present for them was a somewhat long
83. 9:22playlist that I'd been cooking up for like a year  at that point. Hi guys. Uh my name is Zach Norton
84. 9:28and I play Carl Jenkins, Victorrum. Absolutely.  On the touring company of Harry Potter and the
85. 9:34Cursed Child. Yes, you do. And where are we right  now? We are currently in Boston. This is my home.
86. 9:39I am very very happy to be home. We spent we  we've moved around to Chicago. What have we hit?
87. 9:44Chicago, LA, DC, Providence, and Columbus were the  first two cities of year two. And we've now made
88. 9:50it home to Boston, Massachusetts, which is where I  am from. Shout out to Way Mass. Right. And you're
89. 9:55living in a hotel. I am currently living at home  with my parents. I am 24 years old to make that
90. 10:03clear. Um, and I I live at home with my parents.  I drive the same 2005 Honda CR. I'm going to take
91. 10:11these glasses off. I don't really wear glasses.  um the same 2005 Honda CRV that I drove to high
92. 10:16school. I have the same backpack. So I I wake up  and drive to uh the Brainree Redline stop. I take
93. 10:24the Red Line all the way into Park Street where  I commute to work for the first time. Supposed to
94. 10:30be in on the road on the road. So it's nice to be  home with folks. And then um this episode is sort
95. 10:36of about commemorating our time on the tour. We  spent I feel like I'm I feel like I'm centered in
96. 10:42frame. There's sort of a beautiful thing. There  is a real divide here. It looks like we're we're
97. 10:46patching we're patching you in. That's not how  that works. That's not how that works. Um Charlie
98. 10:53Temple. Charlie Temple, clean and neat. Um so we  were we were on tour together for a year. Yes,
99. 11:02we were. And a little over a year if you like the  um the rehearsals and stuff. Yes. And I would say
100. 11:06we bonded quite fiercely, I would say. So, yes.  Um, what did we bond over? I think the real first
101. 11:13thing that got us going, I think I think a very  very early bonder for everyone was Avatar the Last
102. 11:19Air Bender. And I think the brief conversations  of that led into what? Well, what other types of
103. 11:28worlds do you like? Just like nerdom, just nerdom.  And that very very quickly led to a shared love
104. 11:35of Dungeons and Dragons and tabletop role playing  games specifically in running the games as opposed
105. 11:40to being so ev every week. Um like or you know  whenever we could whenever we it was it was pretty
106. 11:47much every week um on our day off. Yeah. We were  hitting about I think the first six or so was like
107. 11:53oh we'll get this in when we can. Two weeks go by,  three weeks go by, right? And then within within
108. 11:58two months, I think it was like every Monday.  Every Monday we play so Dungeons and Dragons,
109. 12:03which is like a tabletop game um where you play  a character and we were um Stranger Things, you
110. 12:10know. Um it's Stranger Things. Stranger Things,  right? Yeah. I mean, that's that's the one. Um and
111. 12:16uh it was a group of us actors and we made these  characters and we went on this story. Um, and that
112. 12:25meant the world to us and to to me. Yes, it did.  Um, and I just feel like the overlap between like
113. 12:33massive geek and like people who decide to pursue  Broadway and like pursue the um the world of like
114. 12:41professional theater are it's quite a circle.  I was going to say if a ven diagram were ever
115. 12:45a circle. Yeah. Right. Right. like the o the over  you know everywhere at the very least you have you
116. 12:51find people who have have interest and I think you  know a nerd is anyone who is very very passionate
117. 12:59about the the thing that they're into and I think  that you know it it doesn't take very much to
118. 13:07become for for theater folk I believe and and  people who are in that arts community to become
119. 13:12nerds about some game where you are the writer  and star of a TV show with all of your friends
120. 13:19in it. Hi, Broadway.com. Hey, Broadway.com. Hello.  Hi. Who is this? This is Riley. I'm on the tour.
121. 13:25I'm a I'm a swing on the tour of Harry Potter.  Oh, we've already Oh, you've already met We met
122. 13:31Casey Butler. That's Casey. Oh, no. I don't know  anything about that. We just wanted to say hi. We
123. 13:36just wanted to say hi. I admire you guys so much  out there. Out there on Broadway.com. Up there at
124. 13:41Broadway.com. Hi. Hi. Hi, Broadway.com. Hey. Um,  can you introduce yourself to the vlog? I am David
125. 13:49Fine. I I play Scorpius Malfoy on tour. Oo on tour  and I played in New York. That's right. I learned
126. 13:57from the best right here. Okay. It's already  Okay. We'll blow a little smoke here. Um, so I
127. 14:04uh understudied for Mr. Close um for to Mr. Close.  Yes. for a year um on tour. Um and I I truly I
128. 14:16learned so much. I don't know how much we want to  get into. Oh yeah. On camera. Yeah. Right. All the
129. 14:22adoration. Yeah. But I I am deeply indebted to  this man right here. Uh I love this guy so much.
130. 14:29We're going to send I know we're already we're  already there. I was expecting by the question
131. 14:33three. Okay. Prove it. Please fire away. Okay. Um  the role is now yours. I was injured in we did it
132. 14:39in LA also and I was injured for two months,  right? How is it different now that you have
133. 14:44it and you know it's yours for a year versus like  you have it on week on the weekends or like you
134. 14:49have it four shows a week instead or like eight  shows a week instead of four shows a week. How's
135. 14:54that different? It's an insane responsibility.  Um I do I feel the weight of it more now. Um,
136. 15:00but it's amazing because like when you're an  understudy, you feel you you feel the sort
137. 15:06of crushing pressure of every little mistake, you  know, that you make from show to show because, you
138. 15:11know, it's like, well, I'm going to have to wait  uh a week or two weeks or 3 weeks or whenever it
139. 15:15is to correct, you know, and now we get the I get  the privilege of of getting to play around every
140. 15:22night and we do something a little different.  Um, but to feel that ownership of it now,
141. 15:27um, it's it's such a such an amazing gift. Um,  and to be able to build night after night. And,
142. 15:36um, how are you finding the sustainability  of it? Scorpius is a quite an intense role
143. 15:41in terms of physicality and vocal health and all  of it. Yeah, it's really tough, but um, you know,
144. 15:47we had a great conversation for the people at  home. This this guy taught me everything. Um uh he
145. 15:53he did. No, but like but but in terms of like warm  ups that I could do and cool downs that I could do
146. 15:58after the show, uh I I really owe a lot of that to  you. But um it's this is no joke, kids. Um this is
147. 16:06hard work, kids. Um and so you really do have  to take care of yourself. You have to conserve
148. 16:11your voice and your energy and all of that. All  of that's true. So I'm still figuring that out.
149. 16:15You know, I've only been in in the role full-time  now for a couple months. Um so it's it's there's
150. 16:20there's a learning curve for sure. I don't know if  I can say this, Broadway.co. Uh, but you wrote me
151. 16:26a really sweet note uh when you left, too. And I  I still have that in my dressing room, and I still
152. 16:31consult it from time to time. And it's it's sort  of my north star uh every night. And um you know,
153. 16:39every time I read it, I get a little tang of  nostalgia, and I I miss you a lot when I read it.
154. 16:44But it's it's it's uh very instructive. It reminds  me, you know, of the good work that we're doing.
155. 16:50uh you know getting to play Scorpius um and the  and the impact that we're making on the people
156. 16:54that come see the show and so I don't know I love  you so much buddy it's really great to catch up
157. 17:04I love this kid this is where I lived for my  senior year of college right here in Coolage
158. 17:11Corner yeah isn't that wonderful did you  just stand on that balcony dreaming about
159. 17:18your future on Broadway Not over your  peasants. How do you guys know you uh
160. 17:24you didn't fix up that little wood panel there?  Oh, thanks. There's a lot you could have done.
161. 17:46Got to get it all in one peel. That's the key  of the day. Keeps the negative thoughts at bay.
162. 17:59Almost there. Almost there. Almost there.  You can put this in a time lapse if you want.
163. 18:06Oh, look at that. Look at that. Look at that.  Look at that. Wow. Wow. One string. One string.
164. 18:13Good luck for the new year. That's the end of our  road trip and we've lost our minds. We're about to
165. 18:19roll into New York and do another show when show  tonight. Fireplace. Malfoy chat. Oh, hello. Are
166. 18:27you on? How do these muggle Is anyone in there?  How do these muggle cameras? Is there a little man
167. 18:33in there painting us very quickly? Malfoy Draco.  Malfoy Scorpius. Introduce yourself. Goodby. How
168. 18:41can we help? Um, I'm wondering how you're doing.  All right. Yeah. What is this? Week five. Yeah,
169. 18:46we have a really big week coming up. We have a 12  show week coming up. I have never heard of what a
170. 18:5012 show week. I thought it was the 12 days of  Christmas. It's not. It's 12 days of labor of
171. 18:56labor. So, we have to do I'm excited about it  cuz my mom's coming next week, right? Yeah.
172. 19:01My nieces and my nephews and my brothers. And I  feel like I've missed them, but I've also we've
173. 19:09been working so hard that we've got something to  show them. Yeah. Oh. before they couldn't come
174. 19:13see the show. Well, hopefully. My brothers  are not particularly interested in it. Uh,
175. 19:17is family important to you? Hell yeah. Um, well,  as Right. family is the most important thing, but
176. 19:26but but more importantly, rather than um scarring  your children as as Draco somewhat has done. Yeah.
177. 19:32Because of his previous parenting, it's like uh if  you don't have the ones you love to share it with,
178. 19:39what's the point of doing anything? And am I right  in saying that you had your you had your mom and
179. 19:43your best friend? My my mom my mom like came last  week. How was that? It was so amazing. It was like
180. 19:49there there's no amount of times where I hear  that my mom is coming that it doesn't make me
181. 19:53nervous and I want to like make her proud and  then Yeah. she's always beaming at the end and
182. 19:58that's really special. It's weird, isn't it? Cuz  I reckon our moms if we said the whole thing in
183. 20:02French they'd still go you were brilliant. Yeah.  Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But but we I got very nervous
184. 20:07that my mom was out there. Yeah. And then also  I found myself getting tired in the interval.
185. 20:12Yeah. Yeah. And then I just get through the next  half or whatever. And then you're spending so
186. 20:17much mental energy focusing. Yeah. And then they  come backstage and it's like, oh my god, are you
187. 20:21going to come see the theater? It's amazing.  Yeah, I know. Yeah. That time I always Okay,
188. 20:28so we're back from our road trip and here's  what else you missed from Hogwarts this week.
189. 20:32There's Emtt Smith. What are these you're wearing?  What are those? Um, these are Amazon brand. Um,
190. 20:43Balenciaga. Amazon. Balenciaga. Yes. There we are.  It's a controversial shoe. Very controversial. I I
191. 20:55I would never wear them outside of here, so  I understand. But I think they're good for
192. 21:00for um I mean, those were those were a vibe.  Those were a moment. Yeah. What do we Wait,
193. 21:07did you get those in San Francisco? I got  these when I first got here. Reverse here
194. 21:12four. Yeah. Have a good show, Gary. Thanks,  Aiden. Hi, Broadway.com. Hi, Broadway.com.
195. 21:20Welcome to another episode of um Harry  Potter reads Harry Potter with our own
196. 21:26Sir John Skellyy. Okay. Prisoner of Aszaban.  Prisoner of As a special. A special Oh my god,
197. 21:34it's Harry Potter. Are you Harry P? I'm going to  read. Are you Harry Potter? Oh god. No. No. No.
198. 21:39No. Come back. Wait. It's Judy Weasley. It's Juny  Weasley. It's Harry Potter. It's Harry Potter.
199. 21:47Oh my god. He's reading the fish. Ready? There  was a bush at the very edge of the water. Harry
200. 21:53threw himself behind it, peering desperately  through the leaves. On the opposite bank,
201. 21:57the glimmers of silver were suddenly extinguished.  A terrified excitement shot through him.
202. 22:03any moment now. "Come on," he muttered, staring  about. "Where are you, Dad? Come on," but no one
203. 22:12came. Harry raised his head to look at the  circle of dementors across the lake. One of
204. 22:17them was lowering its hood. It was time for the  rescuer to appear, but no one was coming to help
205. 22:22this time. And then it hit him. He understood.  He hadn't seen his father. He had seen himself.
206. 22:32Harry flung himself out from behind the bush  and pulled out his wand. "Expecto patronum!"
207. 22:38he yelled. And out of the end of his wand burst  not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding,
208. 22:44dazzling silver animal. He screwed up  his eyes, trying to see what it was. It
209. 22:50looked like a horse. It was galloping silently  away from him across the black surface of the
210. 22:55lake. He saw it lower its head and charge at  the swarming dementors. Now it was galloping
211. 23:01around and around the black shapes on the ground  and the dementors were falling back, scattering,
212. 23:06retreating into the darkness. They were gone.  Brilliant. John Kelly one. Yeah, really good one.
213. 23:16We went on a road trip. We saw our friends. We we  we talked to them. We sang some songs. Um we we
214. 23:26uh explored furthered our bits with John  Kelly and um one Thomas Felton and we had
215. 23:36a good week. So thank you all so much for joining  and we'll see you next week. We'll answer some of
216. 23:42your questions. All right, bye-bye. Choo choo.  Choo choo. Hogwarts Express leaving the station.