Michael James Scott (L) and Josh Strickland. (Photos courtesy Dr. Phillips Center)
While the Broadway series won’t be returning to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts until September, that doesn’t mean songs from the Great White Way aren’t making their way to Central Florida, and what better songs to perform in Orlando then those from the House of Mouse.
Dr. Phillips Center’s Frontyard Festival brings you “The Music of Disney on Broadway” for only three performances March 20-21. Four of Broadway’s brightest stars, all made famous from Disney on Broadway productions, come together for a concert filled with Disney magic.
Orlando’s own Michael James Scott, the award-winning Genie from “Aladdin,” will be joined by Josh Strickland and Ashley Brown, both who originated the title roles in “Tarzan” and “Mary Poppins,” on Broadway ,respectively, and Broadway’s longest-running Nala from “The Lion King,” Kissy Simmons will take the stage to bring to life classic songs from a variety of Disney hits including “The Lion King,” “Tarzan,” “Mary Poppins,” “Aladdin,” “Hercules,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Newsies,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aida,” “High School Musical,” “Freaky Friday” and “Frozen.”
Scott and Strickland sat down with Watermark over Zoom for an interview from the West Coast — Scott from Los Angeles and Strickland from Las Vegas — to chat about Disney, married life and how they have passed time during the pandemic.
WATERMARK: It’s been such a crazy year for everyone, so I want to start off by asking how are both of you doing?
Josh Strickland: It’s been just crazy. It’s one of those things that nobody saw coming and so everybody’s been thrown curve balls all over the place. It’s been interesting to see how everybody deals with it in their own way, figuring out new ways to be creative and new ways to express joy and love. We desperately miss the person-to-person entertainment aspect here but it slowly but surely seems like we’re getting to a better place.
Michael James Scott: Exactly what Josh said, I mean it’s tough. I’ve said it many times before, 2020 was the year of the pivot. The live entertainment industry, whether it’s Broadway, whether it’s any of the fierce Vegas shows, any of the regional theater; our industry has been one of the hardest hit and we will be the last ones to come back, but we are resilient to say the least. The test is figuring out what it is that you have to do to keep creative, to keep things moving forward and now this virtual world. I did not know what Zoom was before. I literally had never even heard of Zoom and now the fact that it’s like an everyday thing and it is a new normal is so crazy.
Josh, I chatted with Michael a few months ago when he was in town for his Christmas concert at the Frontyard Festival, and we talked about how he turned to cooking as a way to pass the time in quarantine. How have you passed the time? Any new skills learned or did you tackle any projects you had been wanting to do?
J. S.: I don’t know about new hobbies or skills, but we’ve done a lot of house projects, my husband and I. We have our house here in Vegas.
M. J. S.: Lots of projects.
J. S.: Yes, lots! That’s been kind of nice because, and I’m sure Michael can talk about this on his end too, with our business we never saw our husbands as much as we would have like to until during this quarantine process. Either we would be performing somewhere else or be in a different country or they would be on a project doing something else, so it’s been kind of nice to be in the same place for a long time, on a daily basis. 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it’s been a really fun learning process to be with each other in that intimate of setting for so long.
I’m getting to work on so much fun house stuff. I mean, that’s why you buy a house, right? To enjoy it and to do things to it the way you want to do it. And my parents live a mile down the road, so it’s really been cool to be with them and to just enjoy time together. I mean my goodness I haven’t seen them this much in years, so it’s been really nice to do that and have Sunday dinners together and do all that kind of stuff. I know so many people weren’t able to be with their parents and see them so we were definitely blessed to have them right here where we can make sure they are healthy and taken care of.
M. J. S.: I can tell you a hobby that Josh picked up and got more into. If you don’t know, if you’re not following, he is on Tik Tok. He is giving us so many performances. There have been a couple of times where we have been in full business mode and we won’t hear from Josh for a little bit. When he comes back he’s like “I’m so sorry you guys I was in the middle of filming a Tik Tok.” Then we’ll check his Tik Tok and he’s in full costumes and everything.
J. S.: There’s wigs and boas involved. It’s a production. But it’s fun and it keeps you busy and keeps you sane just doing something silly and stupid and enjoying yourself.
Josh, you are originally from Charleston, South Carolina. How was it growing up in Charleston, particularly as a gay person in a southern city?
J. S.: You know, it was interesting because I was always into the arts. I grew up in the church singing in the choir and all that stuff. I always knew who I was but in that time and in the south, I wasn’t necessarily feeling as comfortable to be out in my middle and high school years. Then when college hit is when I was like, “I’ve got to make the choice to be who I am.” It was interesting because I grew up in a very colorful area that has arts and culture and history, so I went to an art school and I felt at home there. Growing up in Charleston was interesting but it wasn’t bad. My parents are so loving and accepting and at first maybe it was little hard but it didn’t take them very long to come around and to love me for who I was, so I’m very lucky and I’ve been very blessed to have a really warm and loving place to grow up.
In preparing for our chat I Googled both of you and you both have obtained a level of fame that returns quite a few search results. Have you ever Googled yourselves and, if so, what’s the strangest thing you have found written about you.
M. J. S.: I have Googled myself before, and one thing that came up that was weird to me was searches for “Michael James Scott net worth.” I was like “First of all, who was in my bank account.” There was a whole website for that. Why is there an entire website devoted to people’s net worth?
J. S.: I Googled myself once because someone had sent me a message that there were several articles written that said I had passed away. It read “Josh Strickland, actor from Tarzan on Broadway passed away yesterday.” I was like hold on, I passed away? Excuse me!” It was just some tabloid site, then a couple other people had picked it up to write about it. It was when I was doing “Holly’s World.” I was so confused, I had never seen in print before that I have passed away.
Your both married men, not to each other, to other men. Josh you just celebrated your sixth wedding anniversary, and Michael, you got married in 2019. I wanted to ask you both, how’s married life and what’s been your favorite part of saying “I do”?
J. S.: Not having to date anymore. I love my husband to death and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner, we are like ying and yang, he balances me out. I love being married because we waited so long to get to be able to do it and that was such a huge deal. It’s so nice to be able to say husband.
M. J. S.: What I love about being married, yes he is my partner and yes he’s my husband, but the fact that there is someone who when all else fails at the end of the day, that is my person. I just love that idea and I love that we have the right to be able to say husbands.
J. S.: I think also, being in quarantine, it makes you appreciate having that person and that confidant because I can’t imagine what it’s been like for so many people, it’s tough to be by yourself during stuff like this and it’s nice to have that shoulder to lean on.
You both played iconic Disney characters on Broadway. Josh, you were Tarzan, and Michael, The Genie in “Aladdin.” So many Disney classics have been given the Broadway treatment. Which Disney property would you like to see made into a stage musical that you star can in?
M. J. S.: I would love for Princess Tiana, the “Frog and the Princess,” to be turned into a musical. It’s fine, I’ll play the alligator. I don’t have to play Tiana.
J. S.: If “Princess and the Frog” happens then I want to be the lightning bug.
M. J. S.: I would love to see “Pocahontas” as a musical. I live for Pocahontas, it’s one of my absolute favorites. Honestly, I would love to see how they would update it for today’s audiences.
You both are coming to Orlando in a few days, and you will be joined by two other Broadway stars who took on Disney musicals on the stage — Ashley Brown who was Mary Poppins on Broadway and Kissy Simmons who was Nala in The Lion King on Broadway. How excited are you to get back on stage, especially as a part of the Dr. Phillips Center’s Frontyard Festival?
M. J. S.: I was there in December and it was such an honor to be a part of the opening of that space. For me, it is so unlike anything else because the way it sits down in the middle of Orlando, it feels like you’re in a valley and when you look up you see the buildings of downtown Orlando and you can hear it literally miles away, It’s so cool. I cannot wait for Josh to be in the space like it’s going to blow your mind.
J. S.: I could not be more excited that this is happening. It’s just so special because there’s nothing else like this going on around the entire country, so this is really huge. The fact that we get to do this at the Dr. Phillips Center, especially bringing the Disney songbook back to Orlando, I think a lot of people are craving this kind of experience.
M. J. S.: Orlando was one of the cities really hit hard in terms of the devastation of the entertainment industry, theme park workers are a huge part of the entertainment industry down there, aside from all of the amazing local theater companies and local theater groups and performing arts groups and all of the things down there, Orlando is a city that really supports the arts. I always say, I’m the product of that. The fact that there is this opportunity for live entertainment in Orlando, in my home town, we are extremely honored to be able to do this.
J. S.: And it’s being done right, it’s being done the way it should be done. That’s what so monumental and amazing is that you can do things like this and you can do it safely.
“The Music of Disney on Broadway” — starring Michael James Scott, Ashley Brown, Kissy Simmons and Josh Strickland — plays at the Dr. Phillips Center’s Frontyard Festival March 20 and 21 at 8 p.m. Individual tickets start at $25 with a two-person minimum. There will also be a family matinee March 20 at 1:30 p.m. For each paid adult ticket to the matinee a child under 17 gets in free.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go to DrPhillipsCenter.org.
