Justin Peck shares his highlight moment working on the musical 'Illinoise' while on the carpet for the 2024 Tony Awards. Plus, he tells THR about receiving letters from fans telling him what 'Illinoise' has meant to them
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00:00What was the best part about working on Illinois? What was the highlight moment for you?
00:04Oh, man, there's so many highlight moments for it. Um, I
00:09Guess I would say collaborating with my cast on this show
00:12It's a it's a musical that's expressed almost entirely through the language of dance and the artists
00:19I worked with on this are so fluent in that language and
00:23So gifted in that and in expressing that language and so it was a it was a true
00:29Collaborative process unlike any other and it's it's such a special process
00:34And I have so many great memories working in the studio with them and just like having
00:38Conversations about these characters and the story and how to tell it through movement
00:42For sure. Do you have a favorite number that was choreographed?
00:46you know the number that's kind of turned into like the the
00:51unexpected favorite is Jacksonville and it's one of the
00:55stories from the first act of the show and
00:59It's just like a showstopper
01:02like full dance moment that has tap dance in it and kind of like
01:07Street dance in it and and all kinds of energy just like exploding in all directions
01:13And I don't think any of us expected what kind of impact it would have on audiences
01:18But it kind of stops the show each night. So that's been amazing
01:21Do you have a favorite audience reaction or fan interaction throughout this experience so far?
01:27You know, I get
01:29So many letters and messages from people
01:33From both, you know, obviously friends and colleagues
01:35But also a lot of strangers who write to me and send me these like long
01:40notes about what the show meant to them and how it's moved them or how they connected to it and
01:46It's so incredible because you can't
01:49Calculate how to make a show that'll do that
01:51It either does it or it doesn't and this show for some reason has that quality and that effect on people and so that's been
01:57The most incredible thing. Yeah
02:00Moving it is to be able to hear that as well
02:04Finally I I know obviously this is a big night for Broadway
02:07I wanted to ask what is your advice for aspiring artists and performers that are watching tonight?
02:16Everyone's role on a Broadway show has to be
02:22Fought for there's there's a kind of drive in everyone and
02:27It's the only way we can really like get these shows made and up and and performed night after night
02:34it's it's
02:37Every show that makes it to Broadway is its own miracle
02:40and I would say to any performers or artists or you know designers or
02:45makers who are aspiring to do this is to
02:49To believe in yourself and to
02:52To maintain a sense of persistence with your work because that's the only way to get there. So that's what I would share