announcer: "Theatre Corner" is brought to you by California Center for the Arts, Escondido; University of Cincinnati, Helen Weinberger Center for Drama and Playwriting; Del Cerro Tax; Backlot Pictures; The Mental Bar; and viewers like you.

Thank you.

announcer: Please welcome to the stage your host of "Theatre Corner," michael taylor.

♪ Silence your cell phone ♪ ♪ you're about to enter "Theatre Corner."

♪ michael taylor: Welcome to "Theatre Corner."

I'm your host, michael taylor.

"Theatre Corner" is an interview series dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion throughout the national theatre scene.

Tonight we're filming in front of a live audience made up of theatre students at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, California.

So silence your cell phones, folks, you're entering "Theatre Corner."

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ michael: Our first guest is an American bass opera singer, DeAndre Simmons.

Let's take a look.

♪ Who's that running around in here.

♪ ♪ Oh, mercy.

♪ ♪ Up in Harlem at a table for two.

♪ ♪ Well, there was the four of us, baby, ♪ ♪ me, your big feet, and you.

♪ ♪ From your ankles up, I say, you sure ♪ ♪ is sweet, but from there ♪ ♪ down, baby, you just too much feet.

♪ ♪ Oh, your feet's too big.

♪ ♪ Don't want you 'cause your feet's too big.

♪ ♪ Mad at you 'cause feet's too big.

♪ ♪ I really hate you 'cause your feet's too big.

♪♪ michael: DeAndre Simmons.

Let's give him a warm welcome.

[audience applauding] michael: I love it.

Please take a seat.

I love that.

I always hear for that performance, and that was incredible.

DeAndre Simmons: Well, thank you, thank you very much.

It is such a wonderful show that I had wanted to do pretty much all of my life of knowing about it as I'd seen PBS broadcast of it, the original cast, which included Mr. Kin Page who in fact directed us and Neil Carter, the ever Incredible Neil Carter, and Emily McQueen.

Just wonderful, wonderful people.

So I'd always wanted to do it, and I'm a big believer that, you know, if you sort of put it in the universe at some point, it'll come to you, and it showed up.

michael: Your voice is booming, you know, and that's what it should be when you're performing opera, of course.

Do you ever run into, you know, actors perhaps commenting, you know, that you're taking the audible space up on a theatre performance?

DeAndre: Yes.

Ain't nothing I can do about it.

michael: Right, right, right.

DeAndre: It's--I'm very blessed that it's the instrument I was given, and so my job is to use it to the best of my ability.

And yes, sometimes that might be a little bigger than the colleague with whom I'm working, but I think whenever you're on stage with someone, it raises you up to another level.

So as someone ahead of me, or maybe with a bigger voice or more experience maybe raising my level, hopefully, that other person is coming along and we create something that's absolutely marvelous.

michael: As an opera singer, you've performed in front of Obama, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Ford, and Nixon.

DeAndre: Yes.

Not while they were sitting, not while some of them were sitting.

michael: But they are dignitaries nonetheless.

Whether they were sitting or not, they were the most powerful person in the world.

DeAndre: It's, again, one of those things that if it's for you, it will happen, and it just may take some longer than others.

Those were all really extraordinary opportunities that I did nothing to achieve.

They were presented to me in one way or another.

Perhaps someone saw me sing or performed somewhere else.

Someone knew someone, whatever it was.

I just got a phone call at the time, and I said yes, which has sort of been my motto.

Well, you know, Miss Shonda Rhimes.

And it has afforded me such an extraordinary opportunities that, you know, I'm essentially blessed every single day that whether I sing again ever again, I've had such extraordinary opportunities that I'm full of gratitude, consistently.

So singing for them, whether it was them, whether it was the Queen of Sweden, whether it was Nelson Mandela, et cetera, they were kind and generous in their time, in the way they spoke to me or us or whoever was there.

However it sounds, I didn't feel like I was outta place.

I didn't see why I shouldn't be there.

And I think that sort of having that calmness about it all opened it up for other opportunities.

michael: So I'd love to hear you talk about the craft.

So how do you go about getting the actor out of the way and in an effort to achieve authenticity?

DeAndre: There hopefully comes the moment where you are not there and that character takes over, but you have to, in fact, get into the skin of that character, whatever it is, where--wherever it is, in order to do that.

Which means studying if it's a certain time period, if it's a real character or someone that really existed or not, and if it's not, how do you create the backstory for that character?

Because the more you know about that piece, that character, that music, the more you are able to in turn present it to an audience who has paid a good deal of money to be there and hopefully enjoys it.

But the goal in the craft, for me, particularly, is to, one, share this story.

To be a storyteller.

Whatever it is, comic dramatic, et cetera.

But also to hopefully elevate the audience's experience just a little bit from whatever they're coming through those doors from, hard day at work, problems at home, or maybe they even had a good day, but now they want something else to just lift them up, elevate them a little bit away from the normalcy or the regularity of every day.

And I take it very seriously and very strongly that my job is to give to them, those people out there in the dark something that they can walk away and say, "Maybe I'm changed a little bit."

Or, "Maybe I'm a little better than when I walked in an hour ago, four hours ago."

Whatever it is.

michael: Very good.

This is our time to take a question or two from the audience.

Right there.

speaker: Your voice is just gorgeous.

I just love listening to you and just speaking and some of your singing.

And clearly you've performed all over the world.

Can you tell us some--maybe some life lessons that you've learned personally or professional?

Just what are the things that really stand out for you?

DeAndre: One of my mentors was the great, great Toni Morrison.

And one of the things she taught me, one of the things that I take really to heart, I mean out of all of them, but was the power of saying no.

And for many years, the beginning of my career, and I think most performers, you say yes to everything.

"Can you sing here?"

"Can you perform this?"

"Can you, you know, do this?"

"Can you come to my church and sing?"

You know.

And you say, "Yo, see, yes, yes, yes, yes."

But it exhausts you, you know, and it really takes that cup that is supposed to run over.

It takes it down to a point where it becomes harder to refill.

So you have to learn to say no, and the bigger part of that lesson was that you have to not only learn how to say no, you have to learn how to deal with the repercussion of having said no, which could be the end of a relationship, which could be severing ties with a theatre company, or not getting the next gig, et cetera.

You have to know that you did something for yourself that will only make you better as time goes on.

And that is in fact a hard lesson to learn, and I would say that sometimes I'm still learning it.

Thank you.

speaker: Hey, DeAndre.

I first wanted to ask, how do you feel as somebody who might not fit the role of a character having to switch so drastically?

Because when we saw your--the example tape that was played.

With such a distinct voice in that character, I wasn't expecting you to sound this way.

Just being transparent and you're-- there's such a big difference.

How do you--how comfortable are you making that leap into that character?

DeAndre: Thank you for that question.

Very comfortable, because it is all essentially a part of me somewhere.

So my job as the performer is with each character, which--with each thing that I'm singing or performing, to find where it fits in this total package.

And if it doesn't fit well, then where do I need to make the leap in order to make it fit in a way that is real, that is open and honest, and that is easily presentable to an audience.

speaker: Thank you.

I appreciate that.

DeAndre: Thank you.

speaker: I like to follow it up by saying while I do appreciate your answer, I think everybody would agree that the best way for us to know is if you could give us a sample of your "Big Foot" song.

The "Big Foot" song was such a hit I'd like to hear it live.

But besides that, thank you.

I appreciate you.

♪ Up in Harlem at a table for two.

♪ ♪ Well, there was the four of us, baby, ♪ ♪ me, your big feet, and you.

♪ ♪ From your ankles up, ♪ ♪ I say, you sure is sweet, but from there down, ♪ ♪ baby, you just too much feet.

♪ michael: All right, brother, thank you so much.

DeAndre: My pleasure.

Thank you.

michael: Hanging out with a brother on "Theatre Corner."

DeAndre: It has been my pleasure.

michael: And you gotta come back.

DeAndre: Deal.

Thank you all.

michael: Very good.

DeAndre Simmons y'all.

michael: Our next guest is comedian Ray Grady.

Let's take a look.

Ray Grady: To get on the flight, we gotta be 6, huh, 6 feet apart, but when you in the plane, you buddy up.

What the-- get over there.

Go over there.

michael: Let's welcome comedian, Ray Grady.

[audience applauding] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ michael: Comedy.

That's gotta be, like, tough.

I mean, to consistently create laughter.

What is that like?

Ray: I don't want to do it most of the time.

Right, because of the fear of the unknown.

Like, you can get in front of your family and, you know, make jokes, but just imagine this theatre full of people that don't know you.

That's a different situation.

You'd just be like, uh-uh.

I can't believe I'm doing this, but at the end of the day, man, you know, some of us are called to do this.

So I was a class clown, and so it was easy after that.

Once you, then you found out the money, that "Oh, I can make this amount of money.

Oh, in how much?

How much time?

Oh, golden."

Off to the races after that.

So, you know, you--has up and downs, but majority of the time it's we don't want to go.

It's nerve-wracking.

The nerves, butterflies.

You just--it's crazy.

michael: You've been on some major shows, Jamie Foxx, "Laughapalooza."

Martin Lawrence, "The First Amendment."

I mean, that's huge.

And you've toured with Tony Rock, Michael Epps, Bill Bellamy, and these are some major-- Ray: Heavy hitters.

michael: Some heavy hitters.

So what is that experience like?

Ray: I'll say this because majority of the time we call those guys headliners, right?

So we will be featured acts.

Okay.

So I chose to learn from them, right?

And then if you are in that competitive nature, which most standup comics does, like, "Oh, you got 'em, okay, it's my turn and I'll get 'em."

Usually, when I'm with the OGs, I don't carry my energy that way.

I just go and be a sponge and I watch how they control a room and then mimic that.

I mimic that, you know, in my own way.

Sometimes they like it, sometimes they don't.

So if I go first, so you're getting paid to do an hour and I'm doing 30 minutes, and then the audience, they just don't care.

They just want a good show.

Right?

So it's my job once I get on, you'll be like, "Oh, okay.

All right.

Let's see what he can do."

And that's what you--that's what I'm paid to do.

So most of the time, the headline is, if you go to a comedy show, you'll see the opening acts.

You'll be like, "Oh, he's not really good."

And then you get the ones that's really good.

You don't really see him that much because funny doesn't travel.

michael: Oh, really?

Ray: Yeah.

Funny don't travel.

If--let's say in the standup world, Grady is the middle guy, and let's say Mike Epps, right?

Let's say we go do the Staple Center, 25,000, 20,000 people, whatever, right?

If I kill that show, 20,000 people screaming Ray Grady's name-- michael: Uh-huh.

Ray: The people around him is not going to tell the other promoters in other cities who Ray Grady is.

michael: Really?

Ray: So comedy is a very cutthroat business.

michael: Wow.

Ray: Yeah.

So I mean, I learned from all of 'em, but I learned that funny don't travel.

So you have to carve your own niche.

And that's what I did.

michael: I'd love for you to talk about-- Ray: Uh-huh.

michael: The theatre of standup.

I mean, how that is similar to, you know, regular theatre.

Ray: Yes, sir.

michael: Is--are there some elements, you know, that's in the process of standup that it's like a theatre performance?

Ray: There's no do-overs in theatre.

michael: Hmm.

That's right.

Ray: Right.

There's no do-overs in theatre.

Stand up, we treat that as a bomb, like the joke didn't go well.

You can't repeat that same joke.

So it's the same thing.

And then you have to know what blocking is.

You have to know if the light is hitting me, then I don't stay here.

The light is over there, stay here and just play.

Now, I'm a physical comedian, I just move wherever I want.

I'll get in the audience.

I don't stand still.

If I feel it, I'm gonna have fun, man.

I really want them to have a good time and be like, "Hey man, we gonna come back.

And this dude crazy."

I want, "Hey Grady crazy.

The dude with the beard."

I want them to say that like, "Yo, we gonna go and see him."

But the theatrics of it all, it's the same.

It's really the same because you're talking, you have to learn to project to him up there.

That 1,500th seat up there.

We have to talk to him.

We're all nervous, we're all trying to get through like, "Whew, I can't wait till my time is up," you know.

So I love it, man 'cause you know, it's a challenge.

Like, I've played a spot down here, Pechanga Casino.

Those are all conservatives.

And I'm only brother in there.

So I get on stage with a dashiki and they think I'm gonna be like, "Hey, what's happening?"

Then I don't really talk like that.

It like kind of throws 'em off 'cause I'll just talk about, "Hey, I went to culinary school."

"Oh!"

Now they see all that South side Chicago stuff.

You ain't paying attention to you like, "Oh, he's a chef."

"No, I went to school for it.

I know what a saucier is.

I know what a pastry chef is.

I know the difference.

I know how the maitre d job, I know his everything.

So it's different, and then I just joke about going to culinary school.

And to blacks in 1994, very scary, very, very scary.

I mean, you know, washing dishes, making mayonnaise with just egg yolks.

I had to do it all, man.

michael: Why did you decide to walk away from that?

Ray: To walk away from--I don't love culinary.

michael: From culinary.

I mean, 'cause that's sort of, you know, it's an established, safe profession.

Ray: At that time, I had a son that was about to be brought into the world.

I just graduated high school.

I didn't have time to worry about busboying and just doing the dirty labor.

I wanted to go in for the money.

So once I figured it wasn't any--they weren't trying to push any brothers in, then it's like, "Nah, I'm gonna go with my gift."

michael: You performed with Kevin Hart.

During--you performed in his Comedy Central-- show, "Kevin Hart Presents."

Ray: Uh-huh.

"Next Level."

michael: "Next Level."

Ray: That's what it's called, "Next Level."

michael: What was that?

Tell me about that experience, because this is Kevin Hart.

Ray: Yeah, man, I mean, I've been doing Kev since 2004.

From being on the road, of course.

He's a machine, man.

He's a whole machine.

I could see him just taking five or six phones and just delegating it.

Ray: "Oh yeah.

Cool."

"Hey, hey Bill.

Hey."

I was just watching him.

I was just a fan.

I just--I didn't talk to him.

I just watched him.

Stayed in the green room 'cause most comics like to be seen and talked to.

I'm the total opposite.

I'm like a panther, I'm a rarity.

You'll see me when it's time to, but other than that, I'm staying put.

I don't want to come out, and, Kev, they notice like, "Why you not out with us, man?"

I'm like, "Nah, I'm getting ready to go to work.

I'm gonna do 30 minutes."

"Thirty minutes?

You talking about Comedy Central?"

Nah, I'm not talking to anyone.

I don't want anyone's energy.

I don't want to hear any--nothing.

I want to make sure when I walk out in the Orphan Theatre Downtown Los Angeles, they'll know who Ray Grady is.

So, nah.

He was very professional, he was very friendly, he was very open.

He was telling me about the "Real Husbands of Hollywood."

I ended up getting that over the summer, you know, a couple years later.

So he put me on there as, you know, about what do they call a guest star or something like that.

So recurring role, six, seven episodes.

I was like, "What?"

Just because I stay in my lane.

It was because I did have a good time for that show.

michael: So we're at a point where we can take some questions from the audience.

Timothy: Hi, I'm Timothy.

I was just wondering when you do stand up and you have like a set written, and like you said, you like read the room and you read the crowd and maybe it's not going the way you were expecting it to go the way you want it to go.

Do you--when it's not going that way, do you just come up with something else on the spot?

Like just reading, like, the vibe of the room?

Or do you have stuff written, like, prepped for that?

Ray: Oh, we have stuff written.

You already have that in the back.

So to be a good comic, you're supposed to have at least a brand new, between five to seven-minute bit every time you perform at least a five-minute set, just brand new.

And then if that don't work, then you know, you can go to your, we call 'em hitters, you know, we call 'em hitters.

You go, "Oh, this is a hitter."

So yes, we always, you should always be prepared.

But to be a good comic, that's a good question because a lot of us don't know how to get out of it.

You know what I mean?

So I knew how to get out of it which is by, like, well, let me read the room.

"Oh, he's all, okay, I got it.

I know what I'm gonna say first."

And if it didn't--now if it didn't work, then I'd have to walked off stage, give the promoter back his money.

I don't like you and I can't win, you know, but I didn't have that.

But yeah, we always, you know, prepare for the worst.

Christopher: Hi, Mr. Grady.

Ray: What's going on bro?

Christopher: Hi, what's up?

My name is Christopher.

I'm an acting student at John Paul the Great.

And so my question to you as an acting student to a comedian, I'm interested in, you know, comedy work, right?

And so I'm just wondering exactly, like, what you do to perform comedy in a way where you feel funny and you're also performing in a way that an audience will find you funny.

Ray: I'm human, Chris, right?

Christopher: Yeah.

Ray: I'm human, Chris.

No, I'm not taking myself serious, right?

This is just, we don't have to do this, bro.

We don't have to do this.

You could be funny anywhere, right?

So if you said you in the theatre, hey man, play, have fun.

You know, don't take it--I think a lot of times people take it serious 'cause, you know, they wanna make sure that they keep the nostalgia of it all.

No, man, enjoy it.

You got one life.

Don't take none of this stuff serious.

You know what I mean?

So how old are you?

Christopher: Nineteen.

Ray: Nineteen.

Man.

I remember when I was 19, woo.

I had fun, Chris, but I was a daddy, Chris.

So you had your stuff in order.

With me, I was a father, right?

So my level upstairs at that time when I got into the arts 21 years ago, Chris, I was not playing 'cause I was a father of three boys.

So I didn't play games with nobody.

I didn't miss rehearsal, I didn't miss my cue, I didn't drink.

I didn't do nothing, Chris.

I was focused on, at the end of the day an agent might see me, or a modeling person might see me, or another director might say, "Hey man, we like Chris's energy.

We wanna put him in this production."

I didn't wanna blow an opportunity because I was a father.

That was it.

I just didn't play games.

That's all.

Because this is make believe, Chris.

It's all make-believe, man.

Just--we--I know we get--we want the accolades from it, but little bro, let me tell you, man.

Take it serious to you, but you get on, get out here in the world, it'll come back.

The energy put out, it'll come back, man.

You know what I mean?

So if you 19 and you say you wanna get into it, get into it, welcome.

Welcome, boy.

I'm glad you want that, oh, salute man, salute.

Christopher: Thank you.

Ray: Yes, sir.

michael: Thank you so much for coming to "Theatre Corner."

Ray: Oh, thanks for having me.

michael: I appreciate you taking out the time.

I know you're busy, you know, and I hope to see you again very soon.

Ray: Please, if you'll have me, I will be here.

michael: Very good.

Ray: I appreciate it.

michael: All right.

[audience applauding] michael: Ray Grady.

♪♪♪ michael: Thank you for joining us for another episode of "Theatre Corner," and we'll see you next time.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ announcer: Support for this program comes from the KPBS Explorer Local Content Fund, supporting new ideas and programs for San Diego.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪