INTERVIEW: American dream becomes farcical adventure in new musical ‘I Spy a Spy’
Photo: Emma Degerstedt and Andrew Mayer star in the new musical I Spy a Spy. Photo courtesy of Russ Rowland / Provided by Richard Hillman PR with permission.
I Spy a Spy, from the minds of Jamie Jackson and SoHee Youn, tells the comedic story of José, an undocumented Mexican delivery guy working in Hell’s Kitchen, who gets caught up in a treasonous plot involving Alina, a Russian spy who wants to bring down the United States. The Department of Homeland Security makes a cameo appearance, all while José and Alina set out on a madcap adventure.
The show, which runs through Aug. 10 at the Theatre at St. Clement’s in New York City, features lyrics by Jackson and music by Youn (they both penned the book). Bill Castellino, best known for Cagney and Desperate Measures, is the director.
Andrew Mayer plays the central role of José, while Emma Degerstedt brings Alina to life. Other cast members include Hazel Anne Raymundo, Sorab Wadia and Bruce Warren.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Jackson and Youn. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How did you develop the idea for I Spy a Spy?
Our producer, Eric Krebs, called us one day and said, ‘Why don’t you write a musical about a Mexican immigrant and a Russian spy, and I’ll produce it.’ He suggested the title, Blintzes and Tortillas. The idea excited us, and a few months later we presented Eric with a storyline, which he loved.
Over the next seven years we created a world around these central characters, an undocumented immigrant who wanted to be seen but never was, José Rodriguez, and a Russian spy who wanted to disappear but couldn’t, Alina Orlova.
We set the show in Hell’s Kitchen allowing us to people it with a diverse cast of immigrants including Sunny Park (Korean deli owner), Abdul Makhdoom (Pakistani pizzeria proprietor), and over the next seven years, Eric funded a series of table readings, 29-hour readings and early in 2019, a three-week lab with a band.
Along the way the focus of the story shifted leading us to rename the show, I Spy a Spy. Writing an original musical with no underlying book or film is immensely challenging and exciting, and as the saying goes, ‘Musicals aren’t written — they’re re-written!’
What do you think the musical says about society in 2019?
I Spy a Spy is a love-letter to New York. SoHee and I are immigrants from South Korea and Australia and are immensely grateful for the opportunities we’ve found in this storied city of dreamers. Right now, there’s an intense, and sometimes ugly conversation taking place on what it means to be ‘American,’ on who ‘belongs here’ and what ‘home’ is. The central character of I Spy a Spy is an undocumented immigrant, brought here as a child, who believes passionately in the possibilities America offers to those with a burning desire to make their mark. We hope José’s dream and his victory have helped us make our mark in our new home and contributed something useful to the question of who is ‘American’ and who has earned a place here.
What was the collaboration like between you two? Would you work together? Send each other drafts?
When constructing the book, we liken [the] process to forging a path through virgin jungle — the virgin jungle being the blank computer screen. One of us bravely dives in with machete and keyboard creating a basic path that hopefully leads to an agreed upon destination. The other follows behind filling in details, smoothing out rough edges and clearing unnecessary clutter. We both play each of these roles during the process, though SoHee more often forges ahead first. We pass the script back and forth to each other like this until the script is delivered to the printer.
Our songwriting process is similarly fluid. We have created songs with music first and with lyrics first, and generally trust that each song moment presents unique questions and opportunities. We have recycled music and lyrics from previous incarnations and assigned songs to different characters. We cut a favorite song from I Spy a Spy, which was very difficult, but necessary for streamlining the story.
What was going through your mind during the first performance? Nervous? Excited?
We were feeling a heady cocktail of every imaginable emotion. Seven years is a long time to devote to a project. When you’ve lived with a world of characters and situations in your head that long, there’s inevitably a kind of collision when fantasy meets reality. People often liken the opening of a show to the moment a baby is born — something you created is no longer a part of you; it’s an independent entity. You must let it go and hope it finds a place in the world.
What was it like working with director/choreographer Bill Castellino?
We were constantly amazed at the depth of his knowledge of all aspects of production. The questions he asked us about dramaturgy were as insightful and precise as those he asked the lighting designer, the costume designer, the production manager, etc. He has a formidable knowledge and an ability to cut through the noise to get to the heart of a problem. Experience is the best teacher, and Bill’s many years of pulling together companies and focusing them on the mission is evident in his eye for detail and his passion for clear storytelling.
Do you feel original musicals are too rare in the New York theater scene?
Off-Broadway continues to be a forum where original musicals can be brought to life — though the budgets there are now formidable. It seems that major Broadway producers are becoming less courageous in the projects they back. The sad passing of theatrical giant Hal Prince this week prompts me to wonder what producers today would risk it all on a new A Little Night Music or a Sweeney Todd, let alone a Merrily We Roll Along. Without the opportunity to create and see a so-called failure like Merrily We Roll Along, can we be sure [Stephen] Sondheim would have developed the mastery to create Sweeney Todd? It would be a great loss if Broadway closes its doors to original, challenging musicals and becomes an echo chamber of Hollywood and star-promoted jukebox star musicals.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
I Spy a Spy plays through Aug. 10 at the Theatre at St. Clement’s in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
