EP 169: Danny Becker – West End THE PRINCE OF EGYPT (orig. cast), SINGIN IN THE RAIN, ALDDIN, LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA on You Booked It podcast!
Take Your Career to the Next Level!
Work 1-on-1 with Dane, host of You Booked It.
youbookeditpodcast.com/coaching
EP 169: Danny Becker (autogenerated)
Dane Reis: [00:00:00] You booked it. Episode 169.
[00:00:07] Okay, let’s get started. I am excited to introduce my guest today, Danny Becker, are you ready for this Danny?
[00:00:16] Brilliant. Denny joins us all the way from the United States. He has been in many productions, which include the theater productions of last five years. The original London cast of the Prince of Egypt, singing in the rain, the light in the Piatsa.
[00:00:34] Disney’s Aladdin follies at Royal Albert Hall, the who’s Tommy, the UK tour of the little mermaid Asian tour of the 12 tenors out of this world. And Cinderella television includes humans. All-star musicals and dancing on ice film includes rocket man, and the theory of everything. He is also a lead vocalist for Aida cruise lines and a soloist on BBC radio. Two’s a Friday. The night is music night, Danny. That is a quick intro of who you are and what you’ve done, but why don’t you tell us a little bit more about yourself, fill in the gaps and a little bit more about what you do as a professional in the entertainment industry.
[00:01:18]Danny Becker: [00:01:18] Amazing. Well, thank you so, so much for having me. Thank you for that lovely introduction. It’s kind of
[00:01:24] Dane Reis: [00:01:24] Yeah.
[00:01:25] Danny Becker: [00:01:25] your whole CV back at you. Like, um, so yeah. Um, I’m from London, um, born and bred. Uh, I currently live in Southeast London, a lovely little slot, and I kind of going between there and my parents, um, during this crazy time.
[00:01:40]Um, and what I do. So like, like you said, I’m an actor I’ve been lucky enough to work. Not only in London where I stand, but also around the world. Um, I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of, uh, the Disney’s Aladdin for two years. And I also got the opportunity to understudy the role of Aladdin. That was like my first big Western show.
[00:02:00]Um, after that, um, we did the revival of the light in the Piazza, both in London and LA, which was just amazing, especially being over in LA last year. Um, Um, Yeah, that was just phenomenal and working opposite, you know, Renee Fleming and Brian Stokes, Mitchell. And it was just, it was like, pinch me, pinch me, pinch me.
[00:02:20]Um, yeah, I’d love to talk more about that. I can always talk more about like the payouts, um, and then, you know, pre COVID, we were just, um, originated, uh, Stephen Schwartz’s Prince of Egypt, which we just got nominated for a Grammy for our album.
[00:02:33] Dane Reis: [00:02:33] Did you really
[00:02:35] Danny Becker: [00:02:35] Yes. So it’s been quite a weekend, locked down, actually.
[00:02:40] Um, Um, but, but aside from that putting stuff, uh, I also do a lot of teaching and danced and me and, uh, another actress in London called live. Jen do shout out. Um, we started a dance company called dance fact singers at pineapple dance studios, which we run twice a week there. I also do some vocal coaching, um, and just started.
[00:03:01]Uh, dabbling in producing. So kind of doing a little bit of everything at the moment.
[00:03:05] Dane Reis: [00:03:05] Yeah, brilliant. We kind of have to, when the industry has kind of gone flat, right.
[00:03:08]Danny Becker: [00:03:08] exactly. And I’ve always been, um, one for kind of creating my own opportunities and thinking a little bit outside the box. Uh, and I, I, I really enjoy that, so,
[00:03:17]Dane Reis: [00:03:17] Yeah. Very cool. And wow. I’m a huge Brian Stokes Mitchell fan would, when you just would listening to him sing, what did you do? Like live with Jesus, like, huh? Forgetting what you had to do.
[00:03:27]Danny Becker: [00:03:27] I could. Okay. So I’ll tell you, I actually got, so I was up, I was understudying the role of his son. Okay. And the guy that was playing the role, how to Rob pouch and who is an incredible actor here in London. And he was still doing the West end. So I had a week. In LA while we were rehearsing and putting Brian into the show because he hadn’t done it in London.
[00:03:54]Um, we were putting him into the show and we did the zits pro, which is the first time you sing with the huge orchestra. And I got to do all of that as Fabrizio. So I had a week playing his son, which was just like, it was ridiculous. But I think luckily this is probably my naivety. I didn’t quite realize how it.
[00:04:15] Big key was and how amazing and his, all his past experience. So I was like, Oh, this guy is incredible. And then only after the drop, I was like watching him sing rec time and sing dream the impossible dream. And I was like, Oh my God, I can’t believe I just worked with this guy. But you just, you just take you just the thing that I learned from them, you just have to go up to their level.
[00:04:38] If that makes sense. You, you don’t
[00:04:40] have time to overthink it. You just have to, you have to rise. And I think working with people like that, you end up coming out of it just better. Does that make sense? Cause you just
[00:04:50] Dane Reis: [00:04:50] A hundred percent.
[00:04:51]Danny Becker: [00:04:51] you just have to give it to them.
[00:04:54] Dane Reis: [00:04:54] Okay. Of course, Of course, of course, absolutely so good. And what a very cool experience. Yeah. I have to try to get him on this show. Jeez.
[00:05:04] Danny Becker: [00:05:04] Oh my gosh. Yes. He’s such a generous guy as well. I’m sure he would.
[00:05:08]Dane Reis: [00:05:08] Brilliant. Well, Well, well, let’s see what happens and let’s move on to this first section here. And look, I am a sucker for a good quote. Danny. What is your favorite quote? You’d like to share with everyone?
[00:05:23]Danny Becker: [00:05:23] So, uh, this, I don’t know if this is a bit cheesy, but I’m going to go with that because. This is authentic to me. Um, I am a big fan of RuPaul’s drag race and something RuPaul says at the end of every episode is if you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you going to love somebody else? And that that’s going to be my queen.
[00:05:42]Dane Reis: [00:05:42] Oh, it’s so good. And it’s so true as well. Right? Right? You look, you have to be taken care of yourself before you can really give properly to anybody else.
[00:05:52] Danny Becker: [00:05:52] 100%, 100%. It’s in my kitchen. I look every day and yeah, I think it’s a really lovely quote. And I think it’s what, it’s the backbone behind that franchise. And that show as much as it’s about the fabulous drag and the glitter and the camp that is the backbone. It’s about, it’s about the love.
[00:06:12]Dane Reis: [00:06:12] yeah, for sure. End, since you’re such a fan of that show, do you know the podcast? What is it called? Race chasers.
[00:06:18] Danny Becker: [00:06:18] Oh, I don’t
[00:06:20] Dane Reis: [00:06:20] It’s a it’s. Uh, Uh, so my, one of my best friends is a co-host such who I think is four of them. It’s him and his husband. And then I think a couple of their friends and they just kind of like kind of like a round table chat about each episode.
[00:06:34] If, look, if you love RuPaul’s drag race, you are going to freaking love their podcast.
[00:06:41] Danny Becker: [00:06:41] my gosh. Okay. Is that it’s not the one with Mo next change and Bob, the drag queen, or is
[00:06:46]Dane Reis: [00:06:46] No, no, I don’t think so. No it’s because called race chasers. Yeah. Have a
[00:06:50] look at
[00:06:50] it. It’s yeah. If you’re a fan, you’ll be a fan of that. So really
[00:06:54] Danny Becker: [00:06:54] Ooh, thank you for the recommendation.
[00:06:56] Dane Reis: [00:06:56] course. Absolutely.
[00:06:58]Danny Becker: [00:06:58] I love a good podcast.
[00:07:00] Dane Reis: [00:07:00] Oh, yes. And, let’s dig into this section here. And Danny, of course you are an entertainer.
[00:07:05] I’m an entertainer. And I think that you would agree that this industry can be one of the most subjective, brutally, honest, personally, emotional industries in existence. And you know, you know, as well as I, that in order to create it, have a successful career in this industry, like your having now takes a lot. Of dedication and hard work.
[00:07:26] And while yeah, there was an outrageous amount of fun and excitement being an entertainer, doing what we do. There are also our fair share of obstacles, challenges, and failures. We are going to experience and we’re going to have to move forward through. So tell us, what is one key challenge, obstacle or failure you’ve experienced in your career and how did you come out the other side better because of it.
[00:07:49]Danny Becker: [00:07:49] Yeah, this is a great, really interesting question. It got me thinking, um, and I kind of come up with two answers. One’s quite an obvious thing and I’ll start there. Um, I’m dyslexic. So for any dyslexics out there, I am there for you. I feel you. I get it. And that kind of means I, I struggle with reading and spelling and I’ve had that my whole life.
[00:08:10]Um, and I, I. Throughout like the beginning of my life. It was something that really held me back with my confidence because you know, the first thing you get when you act as that script, and if, if, if you can’t read and you feel scared and nervous that you’re just going to trip up on your lines, how on earth are you going to then.
[00:08:28]Create a character and be confident enough to portray that. So that was, that was a really big thing that I had to overcome. And it took me, it took me many, many years in my early life and a teenager to, to crack through on that and actually learn the tools I needed to overcome that. Um, and I think that that was the big thing with that.
[00:08:46] So it was about knowing that I could absolutely step in front of anyone and say, listen, If you want me to read this and sight, read this, I’m going to need like 20 minutes just to read it myself and get a grip on it. And then I’ll come back in the room and give it to you. And, you know, asking for material early and things like that.
[00:09:05] And little tricks. So that, that was a really big thing. Uh, but it absolutely doesn’t hold me back now. It was just it’s. Cause I now kind of have the confidence to, to ask the things I need with that. Um, and then the other thing. Was it a little bit more abstract. Um, and it was something that I’ve kind of realized throughout my career.
[00:09:24]Um, and this is to stop accepting work. I know in my heart was maybe not right for me. And this is a really interesting one because I think as performers we have this, it’s kind of drilled into us that we could, should kind of say yes to everything because we’re lucky. To ever be asked to sing darts or act for money, if that makes sense.
[00:09:46] But I think the ability to say no is the one power we have as performers. And sometimes saying no, or leaving a job is the only way to get yourself into the rooms that you really want to be in. If that makes sense.
[00:09:59] Dane Reis: [00:09:59] Yes. I agree.
[00:10:01] Danny Becker: [00:10:01] Yeah. So, so that was kind of a switch that I had, actually about four years ago.
[00:10:05]Um, and I, I left, um, a contract and it really then pushed me down the path to what I’d always dreamed of. And it was so interesting that that switch of saying actually, no, I have to start listening to my gut when it comes to accepting jobs, it pushed me into. This completely other direction.
[00:10:27]Dane Reis: [00:10:27] , a hundred percent. It was a handful of years ago. I had the same thing. I was like, you know what, this year I’m done, I’m done doing things that I know I don’t really want to do. and since then, I’ve only done projects that are inspiring and exciting for me. And it’s right. If you it’s a bit nervous, right?
[00:10:44] Because you’re in a habit of accepting and taking everything as it comes at you, but when you start going, be a little bit more choosy that’s when the stuff that really inspired me, the stuff that I was really proud to be doing found me as well, or I found it doesn’t really matter that path, but. I also think the caveat I think with that is that you also have to start before you start being choosy.
[00:11:09]I think you have to say yes until yes. Becomes a problem. And you kind of kind of have to run into that wall a little bit because there’s a lot of people that I know would be like, wow, I just don’t want it. They keep turning things down. I’m like, you haven’t done anything. You’ve done like one job in your entire life and you keep turning down opportunities.
[00:11:23] So you have to say yes sometime, you know, you know, because it can go, it can go, it can go extreme in the other direction too. So. I think it’s best as to when you’re starting out, figure out what your limits are, figure out what it is that does inspire you is maybe a bit lackluster because unless you do it, you don’t. No. And, um, um, yeah, I always say, say yes until saying yes, becomes a problem.
[00:11:42] And when it does, then you go, all right, let’s scale this baby back. I just wish I would’ve. I wish I would have done that earlier, but yeah, I wish I would’ve. I wish I’ve started saying no earlier, but.
[00:11:54] Danny Becker: [00:11:54] that’s interesting to hear because I think it’s totally exactly what you say. I think there’s a moment once you’ve said yes, so many times, and you’ve got a level of experience, something in your gut start saying, you’re ready. You’re ready for more, or you’re ready to not, you’re confident enough to not say yes to everything.
[00:12:13] And I think when you have that gut feeling, it just kind of pushes at you. I think you have to listen to it, but yeah, don’t do it too early. That’s yeah. Yeah. That’s a really great, I love the line. You just said when,
[00:12:26] Dane Reis: [00:12:26] the say yes and
[00:12:28] yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure. Like we’ve all, we’ve all been there. We’ve all of a sudden we look at our schedule and we’re like, I’ve got six different things happening in one day. Oh my God. What’s happening. But you get through it. Right. Right. You can do anything for a short amount of time, but
[00:12:41] Danny Becker: [00:12:41] Absolutely. But then I also find that when you’re too busy, you then don’t end up enjoying any, any of those activities because
[00:12:49] Dane Reis: [00:12:49] Yeah, because you’re going, going, going, going, going, going, going, going, going.
[00:12:51] Danny Becker: [00:12:51] you’re just going and you’ve got five, like habilis exciting things, but you’re just thinking about the next one the next day. And then you get to the end of the day.
[00:12:58] And you’re like, I don’t know if I enjoyed that, but if I did like like took out two of them. Oh, my gosh. I would have enjoyed them so much more. And I think that’s also really important. It’s not, it’s not just about doing as much as you can. It’s about enjoying the process of all of it.
[00:13:13]Dane Reis: [00:13:13] yeah, for sure. For sure. And let’s move on to a time that I like to call your spotlight moment. That one moment in time you realized, yes, I am going to be an entertainer for a living or maybe it was, yes. This is what I need to be doing as an entertainer. Tell us about that.
[00:13:35]Danny Becker: [00:13:35] Um, yeah, so I will go really far back into my life. So my mother actually tells me the story and I loved it. So it was really cute. Um, do you know what the mr. Men are? It might just be a British thing. The misdemeanor. Okay. It’s a children’s book. It must be just a British thing. And they’re kind of these cartoon characters and they’re really big.
[00:13:58] And they wear these kinds of skins, you know, like Disney, they have like. The outfit of Mickey mouse or something it’s like that for this, this kid’s car too. And she must have taken me two or three years old. And, um, at the interval, you know, you get the ice cream and she bought me some ice cream and I, I love my food.
[00:14:14] So I was eating, eating the ice cream and I was so enthralled by what I was seeing. The ice cream literally was just melting all over my t-shirt. My child’s is my face. And like, I love food. So for me not to have finished the ice cream must’ve made, I was like mesmerized. Um, Um, and I still, I still, I still have a vivid memory of a moment of that show.
[00:14:39] So it must have really impacted me, which is crazy to think like the age of two or three. that, you know, when you have those memories from that young, they must mean something. I think so, um, that’s really interesting, but, um, for me, for something that I kind of more, more into my life that I like really feel is when I was about 12, 13, When I found wicked and I was completely, completely, completely obsessed with that show and on my 13th, uh, actually on my, the mitzvah I’m Jewish, um, my parents took me to see wicked.
[00:15:14] And I remember just sitting there like, right, this, this is, this is, this is what I’m going to do. And it’s interesting. It’s kind of quite full circle for me now because of, I find this in theater too, that if you do it, things do become a little bit full circle. So like, because of the, uh, cause I was involved in creating Prince of Egypt and that was with, you know, Steven Schwartz and actually the same producers as wicked in the UK, it was like, wow, this is some crazy.
[00:15:40]Full circle moment in, in a, in a different, kind of a different piece, but it was with the same team and the same style of music. And I was like, wow, this, this might have been what it was like to create wicked back in the day. So it was like, I don’t know, my, my crazy theatrical bias. That was, it was a pretty, that was a pretty special, special thing for me.
[00:15:59]Dane Reis: [00:15:59] yeah, that is so good. And I think wicked is one of those shows that really for people approximately our age, um, it really is one of those shows that we latch onto because the music is so good. Right. That’s what’s so good about Stephen Schwartz is everything he writes is just you leave the theater, singing it always,
[00:16:15]
[00:16:15] which is so amazing.
[00:16:18] Danny Becker: [00:16:18] so amazing and getting to be a part of the creation and, you know, the silly things that. I would bring, or any other cast member would bring in, in the rehearsal process and to see how people like Steven would take what we did and mold his music to the things we did was just like, it was completely incredible.
[00:16:43] And to see how people like that would be inspired by us. Um, yeah, it’s pretty special and it’s like, wow, we can all. We can all bring something to the table and people can be inspired by that. No matter how successful they are. Do you know what I mean?
[00:16:59]Dane Reis: [00:16:59] Yeah, yeah. A hundred percent. Very cool. What an amazing experience. And I want to piggyback on that question real quick and talk about your number one, booked it moment. Walk us through that day, the auditions and callbacks. If they happen to be a part of it, what was going on in your life?
[00:17:18] And what about that moment? Makes it your favorite? Booked it moment.
[00:17:23]Danny Becker: [00:17:23] So to me, one moment just stands out. Obviously every moment is special in its own way. Um, but I don’t know if anything. We’ll quite get close to this. And it was, it was when I booked Aladdin and that, like I said, at the beginning, that was my first, um, my first big Western show. And, um, I I’d had, I had a few years of, you know, working.
[00:17:45] Yeah. But it was kind of, it felt like it was building to something. And I don’t know if you remember before I said, I actually, um, I walked away from another job. And then, um, the audition for Aladdin then came up, which was, I wouldn’t have actually been able to even attend if I was in this other job, which is also quite interesting.
[00:18:04] And there is, there is quite a long journey with the Aladdin, so I’ll go through it quickly. But so then I, I managed to go to this audition and it was for the original cast and I got right to the finals. And, uh, Casey, Nicholaw the director and Thomas Schumacher, the head of Disney theatricals flew over and it was like this crazy intimidating fight over.
[00:18:22] Cause you know, I’d never. Got to final with people like that. You know, you can’t really get bigger than Thomas shoe back in my eyes. So I was like this ball of nerves and some proud of you boy, cause I was up for the understudy for Aladdin and it didn’t end up going my way and I was absolutely devastated.
[00:18:40]And then the next year rolled around and strangely enough, and this, I hope this story inspires people. They didn’t. They didn’t give me an audition. So how it works in London, you get private or just, I think it’s the same in the States, but
[00:18:53] there’s,
[00:18:54] Dane Reis: [00:18:54] and things. Yeah.
[00:18:55] Danny Becker: [00:18:55] yeah, you get appointments, but it’s, they don’t do many open auditions in London, but strangely enough, they were doing open auditions for Aladdin.
[00:19:04]Um, and even though I got all the way to the final, the year before I wasn’t, I wasn’t called in. So I was like, do you know what? I’m not going to give up. I’m going to just go along to that open audition. I cued up with. Everyone else. Um, I finally got seen did my 16 bars got through the rounds through the round Sue around six, seven, eight rounds later.
[00:19:22] Got to the final again, again for cover Aladdin. And this year I booked the job. Um, Um, and it was like, it was, it meant so much. I went through. You know, I went through quite a process. I know people go through more years of auditioning for shows, but, um, I worked so hard on that material. And do you know the thing that I, I remember most about that day was being able to take my parents for this really swanky meal.
[00:19:48] Cause I always said that when I booked that job, I would treat my parents and it was just this really, really special. Day. And it’s those moments that you work your whole career for? Do you know what I mean, days like that, so, yeah, I will
[00:20:02] Dane Reis: [00:20:02] Oh, that’s so fantastic. And I, I really like how it all got tied back to you going, I was in, I was on a job that it wasn’t the right fit I had to go. And you left and that opened up that opportunity. And then also the fact that you didn’t. You know, you didn’t just go, ah, who cares about, I’m not going to go back because they didn’t even give me appointment this time.
[00:20:24] You’re going, no, I’m going to the open. I’m going to make sure that they see me again. And that’s a huge lesson to take away from that one. Thank you for sharing that.
[00:20:34] Danny Becker: [00:20:34] No pleasure. Pleasure. And I can’t tell you how close I was not. To not going. Cause when you have that rejection and then it’s almost like a double reject because you have the rejection of not getting the job the first time. And then it’s like, Oh, they’re not even going to see me the second time. Geez.
[00:20:49] And you know, you can’t let that stop you because it could have been as simple as my papers, you know, some assistant missed me, you know, it could have been something so simple and it doesn’t matter. You just need to keep
[00:21:02]Dane Reis: [00:21:02] Yeah, try not to take those kinds of things. Personally, look, it’s hard to do in the moment. Let’s be honest, but like you said, your resume could have slipped off of a table. Commence, stuck to someone else’s there’s. So there are so many things that are so far out of why that could have happened, you just have to go, well, what can I control?
[00:21:19] And you know what I can show up again and that’s it. Everything outside of that is it doesn’t matter.
[00:21:26]Brilliant. Well, let’s take a moment to talk about the present. What projects are you working on now? What are you looking forward to? And it’s a weird time, right? Where it’s this global pandemic. How do you see the entertainment industry moving forward in the next couple of years?
[00:21:44]Danny Becker: [00:21:44] Yeah. So at the moment, um, I’m taking some time to work on my craft, connect back, um, To what I do and trying to get better at it. I, I always feel like, I never understand when people graduate drama school or graduate, whatever course that, and then think, okay, I’m done. I, for some reason, I I’ve never had that mindset, even when I was in Aladdin for two years every week, I would still train, train, train, but, um, It’s interesting.
[00:22:11] This time has given me time to reflect on. I haven’t done as much asked to new training as I have in singing, singing, and dance in my career. So I was like, do you know what I’m going to find, uh, an acting course. And I’ve been really drawn to. Meisner technique. Um, so I found this fabulous Meisner school in London, and I’ve been going to classes, um, and actually finding a new vocal coach at me as a student that I’ve been attending that I’ve just been like honing my craft and keep going and keep feeling inspired because, um, I feel like you can never.
[00:22:43] There is never an end to a learning, if that makes sense. So I will always just keep trying to soak in that information and get better and better. So that’s been a really thrilling part of what I’ve been doing at the moment. Also, I’ve been teaching myself and I love. Coaching, my singing students and dance students.
[00:23:02]Um, that’s been super fulfilling when I’ve been able to do that in person. Cause it’s starting to open up and London. We’re just about to come out of our second lockdown. So I’m back in the studio next Thursday. We, we get out of this thing on Wednesday. So I’m back in the studio on Thursday and I’ve, I just teaching is like on par with performing for me.
[00:23:19] So I’m like loving, loving that stuff. And then I mentioned before. Just a few producing projects. Um, and actually I’ve been part of, um, creating a musical from the ground up and part of first meeting, a friend of mine, put me, uh, lyricism and compose it together. And we’ve just been like developing this brand new musical.
[00:23:39] We actually laid down some tracks for it today and that’s been so amazing. Cause you never really get that chance as an actor too. To work with the creative team, from like the first conversation and be part of that, that, that team, that, that creates something. Um, so this kind of piggybacks onto how I see the industry.
[00:23:58] I kind of feel like if someone from the acting department is, is moving into these new places and creating what I think is a really great project, I feel like everyone’s going to be doing this. Especially people that, that are the writers and are the producers and all the. Um, choreographers, they’re just, they’re creating and creating and using this time to, to make new work and be inspired.
[00:24:19] So I really feel like for the next few years, we will see the fruits of this time and we will see, um, some new exciting projects, hopefully not to do with COVID. Maybe we’ll have a few, but I think it will get, I think this time has given people too. To do those projects, these passion projects that I really feel are going to become the next big thing, because I think all good projects start with a real passion, you know? you know?
[00:24:48]Cause I feel like sometimes we end up just working to work. Um, but those gems of shows or gems of music come from just a real guttural passion play. So I think we’re going to get a lot of that streaming out in the next few years. I hope.
[00:25:04] Dane Reis: [00:25:04] Yeah, I agree with you. I think there’s going to be so much creativity. I already know that there’s so much creativity happening so much creation of new works and it’s wild to think how look Zoom’s been around awhile. Skype’s been around for fricking ever, right. We’ve had the means to do everything that we’re doing.
[00:25:24]In this time for years, but we’ve never really taken advantage. And here we are now finally doing it and you can actually, we’re finding, we can really truly collaborate with people across the world. Right. You don’t have to be, you don’t have to have your creative team all in one city anymore, and people are open to it.
[00:25:42] And sometimes, maybe a bit out of necessity, but it’s become something where like,like, yeah, let’s, let’s collaborate with this global team and it’s so cool. And. Not only that, but I was there’s an interview. Uh, no previous interview. Um, it was Benjamin Simpson. He musical theater guy then, uh, turned producer.
[00:26:00] He’s now a two time Tony award-winning producer Broadway producer
[00:26:04] and
[00:26:05] Danny Becker: [00:26:05] Yes, I
[00:26:06] Dane Reis: [00:26:06] was, yeah. So good. But one of my favorite takeaways from that yeah. Is that he. Said look my day to day of business. It took every minute in the day to run the business. Right. Right. And. A producer needs new content. They need new works to continue to produce things that inspire them to then go pitch that find investors and all these kinds of things.
[00:26:30] So it’s not just about the creation of the content. It’s about making sure that that content can be created and produced properly. And now we’re finding that. The is as creative as this time is for the creators of the world. It’s also given the producers of the world, the time to absorb and read and listen to new content, new shows, and really find great pieces to produce and to get that investment capital for, to make things happen.
[00:26:57] It’s going to be amazing.
[00:26:59]Danny Becker: [00:26:59] I completely agree. And I actually, I’m lucky enough to be working with, um, quite a big producer in London. And she’s collaborating with, with us on producing a project and someone like her to think outside the box, too. To produce a long time, first time producers, and that the mindsets of right. We have to just collaborate.
[00:27:21] I think the collaborations and the open-mindedness of these, these people that wouldn’t normally do that will have huge impact in the future.
[00:27:31] Dane Reis: [00:27:31] yes, absolutely. And people like that producer taking the would gamble be the right word. I don’t know, because,
[00:27:38] because,
[00:27:38] because you usually want to go with this established teams, right. That have, you know, we’ve. We’ve written shows they’ve been successful. It’s, you know, that’s why people have success because it’s, it makes the process easier.
[00:27:49] If people have been in there, they’ve done that. They’ve got a proven track record, but there’s so much, there’s so much out there that’s being created for people to go. You know what? I’ve got the time. This is, this is the time when I can find that work. That really is inspiring to me.
[00:28:01]Danny Becker: [00:28:01] Totally. I think, I think that’s a blessing. I think that’s the silver lining
[00:28:07]Dane Reis: [00:28:07] yeah, for sure. And it is time to move on to one of my favorite sections in the interview. I call it the grease lightning round. I am going to ask you a handful of questions. I want you to answer them as quickly and concisely as possible one after another. Are you ready?
[00:28:25]All right. First question. What was the one thing holding you back from committing to a career as an entertainer?
[00:28:33]Danny Becker: [00:28:33] I think it was, um, belief in myself. And I think when I got the validation from people I respected, uh, around the age of 16 and 17, um, I was like, okay, I’m good enough to do this. Or they’ve said, I’m good enough to do this. Um, and then once I got that out of the way, I was like
[00:28:52]Dane Reis: [00:28:52] yeah. Cool. Second question. What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
[00:29:00]Danny Becker: [00:29:00] I think I can’t, I’m struggling to say this in a concise way, so I’ll just say, um, I think it’s, we overestimate what we can achieve in one year and underestimate what we can achieve in 10 years. Um, in other words, It’s not a sprint. It’s a marathon and pace yourself and allow yourself the beauty of time because we all,
[00:29:22] we
[00:29:23] want everything now. And sometimes things happen in
[00:29:27] Dane Reis: [00:29:27] in tie
[00:29:27] in fine. And the compound effect of small little things in small little improvements over time.
[00:29:34] That’s
[00:29:35] Danny Becker: [00:29:35] Yes.
[00:29:35]Huge. I love the compound effect.
[00:29:38] Dane Reis: [00:29:38] Yes. And the third question, what is something that is working for you right now? Or if you’d like to go pre COVID, what was working for you before our industry went on pause?
[00:29:50]Danny Becker: [00:29:50] I think the thing that was immediately working for me before and actually during is something I haven’t spoken about, but it’s embracing and celebrating the things that make me unique and not trying to be what other people, what I think other people think I should be. And just being like, this is who I am and selling that, um, And I also think it’s my ability to think outside the box and take action
[00:30:17]Dane Reis: [00:30:17] Yeah, I’m so glad that you brought up. Just being you and what makes you unique? Because when you try to put on what you think someone wants to see, it doesn’t work because there’s no way you can actually know what they’re looking for and what they want. So we’re working on these multiple fabrications of this weird reality, and it just doesn’t work.
[00:30:42] You just need to be you and trust that. They line up and if they line up great. If they don’t that’s okay too, but then you can at least go out. You can leave knowing. Well, we weren’t the right fit. I wasn’t the right puzzle piece for their puzzle and that’s okay because I’m going to go out and, you know, find where I am needed and that’s, it gives you more control.
[00:31:02]Danny Becker: [00:31:02] A million percent. I, yeah, I can’t tell you how much I believe in that. And I think it takes, it takes a little bit of time to understand what fully means, but
[00:31:10] Dane Reis: [00:31:10] Yep.
[00:31:14]Yeah, for sure. And the fourth, the question, what is it your best resource, whether that is a book, a movie, a YouTube video, maybe a podcast or a piece of technology you found is helping your career right
[00:31:29] Danny Becker: [00:31:29] Well, I, I love a good podcast. I love a good YouTube bed. And, um, some of the podcasts that I, that I I’m really low, I love listening to actors talk about their craft and I love watching actors do their thing because I think I just, I just feel like I learned so, so much. So the podcasts I listen to obviously, or podcast, um, you booked it.
[00:31:47] It’s fabulous. Um, I love little known facts. Um, there’s loads of performs on their table. Manners is a great one. That’s not as much about, uh, that’s kind of creative people in general and then just, yeah, a YouTube binge and just watching those performers that I admire and just trying to take everything I can from them.
[00:32:06]Dane Reis: [00:32:06] And the fifth question, if you had to start your career from scratch, but you still had all the knowledge and experience you’ve collected from your career in this industry. What would you do or not do, would you do anything differently or would you keep it the same?
[00:32:23]Danny Becker: [00:32:23] Okay. I wouldn’t want to change anything rarely as I believe things happen for a reason. And, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the mistakes and the successes and the lessons I learned along the way. So I think, I think I would keep everything the same. The only thing I would want to implement is to worry a little bit less,
[00:32:45] Dane Reis: [00:32:45] Yeah. Trust and enjoy ;the journey. It’s so difficult to be present, but really that’s where the excitement that’s where the fulfillment that’s where the success is. I think of this industry or really, really expands beyond just being an entertainer. anything that you do?
[00:33:05]Is what it applies to is you have to trust that journey. That’s where the fulfillment comes.
[00:33:09] Danny Becker: [00:33:09] it’s the hardest thing, but I think, I think the gems, the gems are in the journey because if everything was handed to you on a play, nothing would mean anything. That’s what I always trying to remember. If it was just success, success, success,success, success, success, success, it would just be numb. You’d feel absolutely numb.
[00:33:23] So enjoy the
[00:33:24] Dane Reis: [00:33:24] the
[00:33:25] Danny Becker: [00:33:25] make the successes feel
[00:33:27] Dane Reis: [00:33:27] feel even. Yes, absolutely. And the last question, what is the golden nugget knowledge drop you’ve learned from your successful career in the industry? You’d like to leave with our listeners.
[00:33:41]Danny Becker: [00:33:41] treat everyone like you wish to be treated. AKA, be kind, be nice, be open, be yourself, work hard. And most of all, believe in yourself.
[00:33:54]Dane Reis: [00:33:54] so good. And to wrap up this interview, Danny, it is time to give yourself a plug. Where can we find you? How do our listeners connect with you? Is there anything you want to promote?
[00:34:08]Danny Becker: [00:34:08] Um, you can find me on the Instagram and the Twitter at apt, Danny Becca, UK, um, can follow all the good things I get up to. And, you know, I do the vocal coachings drop me a DM, or you can find [email protected]. yeah.
[00:34:25] Dane Reis: [00:34:25] Yeah, brilliant. everyone listening out there. I have put the links to everything. Danny just said into the description of this episode. So you can easily connect with him. And also be sure to share this podcast with your fellow entertainers, coaches, teachers, arts, and entertainment educators, and end me one, you know, you know, aspiring to create a career in the entertainment industry.
[00:34:52] You booked. It is the number one resource of expertise on how to actually create a successful entertainment career case in point, everything Danny just shared with us throughout this entire. Episode, so many brilliant takeaways that, that you can immediately be applying to your career. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you hit that subscribe button.
[00:35:13] So you don’t miss the next one, Danny. Thank you so much for being here so glad we got connected. Love Instagram for this kind of stuff. And it’s been a pleasure to have you on
[00:35:25]
[00:35:25]