by Lorie Lewis Ham
Fresno Lexus Broadway is presenting Come From Away at the Saroyan on November 12 and 13. Recently, KRL had the opportunity to interview cast member Tyler Olshansky-Bailon, who plays Diane in this production. I believe this will be the first time this show has come to Fresno!
KRL: Where are you from?
Tyler: I was born in Detroit, Michigan, lived in Scottsdale, AZ until I graduated high school and then moved to Los Angeles where I live until 2019. Since then I have lived in NY, NJ, and Miami!
KRL: When did you first become interested in acting?
Tyler Olshansky-Bailon
KRL: What was the first role that you ever played?
Tyler: Guenevere in Camelot at Greasepaint in Scottsdale, AZ.
KRL: What are some of the roles you have played professionally?
Tyler: Eponine in Les Miserables at Utah Festival Opera (UFOMT), Antonia in Man of La Mancha (also at UFOMT), most recently was seen in a new off-Broadway show called Exorcistic: The Unauthorized Musical Parody as the Broadway Diva.
KRL: Why did you want to play this role in Come From Away?
Tyler: This show has such a beautiful and true message: the idea that mankind is inherently good, and how a community came together without a second thought to make sure a group of stranded strangers were taken care of. I play Diane who is a real, living, breathing person. Her story is particularly poignant and resonated with me because she found love when she was least expecting it, and in the middle of a world-wide crisis when others were experiencing loss and devastation.
KRL: Can you share a little bit about the character for those not familiar with the show?
Tyler: Diane was visiting her son on a vacation and flying back to the US on 9/11 when her plane was grounded in Gander, Newfoundland. She’s from Texas, and had been divorced for a while. She meets Nick from England who is on his way to a work conference in the states. They meet and (spoiler alert!) fall in love.
KRL: Were you a fan of the show before you were cast?
Tyler: Absolutely! I had never seen it live, but had seen the AppleTV Pro-shot and just thought it was magical.
KRL: What do you like best about playing this role?
Tyler: Getting to tell this wonderful story and sing this beautiful score every night. This show is unique in the sense that once it starts it doesn’t stop. The actors and the audience don’t get a break; there’s no intermission and barely any time for an applause. It just barrels through, which is on purpose. The writers wanted to give the audience that feeling of what happened during the events of the show. It all happened so fast, and people had to act quickly. The Newfoundlanders went to work and barely slept for a week to ensure the 7,000 “plane people” had food, a change of clothes, a place to sleep, and a shoulder to cry on if need be.
KRL: What has been the biggest challenge in playing this role?
Tyler: To not allow myself to get caught up in all the emotions. We’ve been directed to tell the story, but leave the emotions for the audience to experience.
KRL: What have you done to prepare for this role?
Tyler: I read a lot and watched many documentaries about the events and Newfoundland. The cast was provided with a dialect coach to make sure we were accurately depicting the Newfoundland accent/speaking mannerisms since we all play a Newfoundlander at one point in the show. (We play multiple other roles in addition to our main character.)
I also, alongside my co-star John Anker Bow who plays Nick in the show, had the absolute privilege to meet our real-life counterparts over Zoom. John and I reached out just to introduce ourselves, and Nick and Diane were so warm and lovely and happily met up with us. We ended up getting carried away and chatting for a couple hours. It was so incredible to get to know them on a personal level and hear their experience straight from them. They love the show and confirmed how accurate it is!
KRL: What do you like best about this show?
Tyler: It always goes back to the message, the story, and the music. I’ve been performing this show for a couple months now, and I still have moments on the stage where I get emotional because I still can’t believe I’m here. It’s a cast of 18 people- twelve onstage playing cast members and six off-stage standbys, so not a lot of people have had the opportunity to actually be in this show since its creation, simply due to how small the cast actually is!
KRL: What is a typical day like for you while in this touring show?
Tyler: If we aren’t traveling, I usually wake up around 8 am, have some coffee and drink as much water as I can. This is where I contemplate the will/ambition/motivation to workout. Once found, I drag myself to the gym or I’ll go for a run. After working out, I’ll come back and usually eat something, get ready and slowly start to warm up my voice and keep hydrating. I usually head to the theatre around an hour or two before the show. If it’s our first night in a new city, we’ll have a company meeting to discuss anything that comes up regarding the new venue, itinerary or travel changes, upcoming rehearsals or put-ins, company events, etc., and then we’ll do a sound check. If it’s not the first night, I’ll get there an hour before curtain to do my makeup, get in costume, and get my wig put on. I usually warm up more during this time. The show is only an hour and 43 minutes or so, so we usually have time after the show to grab dinner if we want, but I try to be in bed by midnight to get as much sleep as I can.
KRL: Anything else you would like to share?
Tyler: Just happy to be back performing in California! I missed it here!
Tickets for Come From Away are available at BroadwayinFresno.com, in person at the Fresno Entertainment and Convention Center Box Office, or by calling 800.745.3000.
Check out more local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. And don’t miss out on Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast where we feature mystery stories read by local actors!
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