♪Try something new ♪ ♪Try something new ♪ ♪Try something new ♪ ♪Try something new ♪ (upbeat piano) >>Funding for songs and stories is made possible by (upbeat piano continues) ♪Come play with me ♪ ♪ Won't you come play with me ♪ ♪ Come on, come on, come on ♪ ♪ Come play music with me, yeah ♪ >>Are your ready?

>>Its time to get up ♪Its time, its time, its time, its time ♪ ♪ Its time to get up ♪ ♪ Its time, its time, its time, its time ♪ ♪ Its time to get up ♪ ♪ There's so much to do ♪ ♪ There's so much to see ♪ (Mary laughs) ♪There's so to learn about ♪ ♪ So I can be the best me ♪ ♪ Its time , its time, its time, its time ♪ ♪ Its time to get up ♪ >>Welcome to Songs and Stories >>With Mary and Mike >>Where we tell the stories of music >>And share the music of all people >>And today friends we are learning all about what does it feel like when we try something new.

And today we have our very special guest, our friend Tevin.

And Tevin you have a story about trying something new.

>>I do.

I remember I was in 8th grade and, I'm a big Whitney Houston fan, and I sing a song at our assembly, The Greatest Love of All, its my favorite song and the director, the theater director asks me do I want to be a part of Beauty and the Beast, it was already cast but he wanted to use my voice and I was a little bit hesitant to say yes but I did say yes and I fell in love with it and now I made it a part of my life, I've graduated, I have a degree in theater, and now I'm a professional actor.

>>I'm just thinking about the bravery that it takes to try something new and especially try something new in front of an audience.

>>Mmhm, it takes a lot but it is those little moments that you choose and try something new that has the potential to change your whole life.

>>And friends, we've got lots of trying something new today, so lets get to it.

>>What's something new that you have tried?

>>I tried some seafood.

>>I tried basketball!

>>Uh, jumping in the pool.

>>I've tried celery.

>>Its palak paneer.

>>I didn't try pizza and then I tried it and I liked it!

>>Tevin, as an actor, what do you get to do?

How do you act?

>>Well I get to bring many different characters to life, whether it be from a book, or a play, or whatever, I get to bring that person to life and be them in whatever way I want to.

>>I bet you really have to use your face a lot to portray a different character other than yourself.

>>Oh yeah, oh yeah, um there's um so many things I can do with my face and change my eyebrows or my nose and different things.

Would you like to try, try it?

>>Yeah, I would love to .

>>Well, there's this one exercise that I love to do.

I get to play around with my many expressions.

And we want to imagine we just bit into the most sour lemon ever and our face is gonna condense in the middle, everything's gonna squish in the middle.

>>Friends, can you do this with us?

And you just bit into a sour lemon.

>>Really tight.

>>Squish your face.

>>Then after a while, we're gonna start to expand like the sun is beaming nice and bright.

>>That felt really good.

Friends, can you feel all of the muscles in your face?

Really working together to make all those different expressions?

>>Would you like to try some other expressions?

>>Oo, yes lets do it.

>>Okay, get our mirrors here.

>>Okay.

>>Would you like to try the first one?

>>Sure!

Okay, I'm gonna try happy.

(gasps) >>That's lovely.

>>Okay, lets try surprise.

(gasps) >>I love that one.

How about nervous?

>>Oh, that's a good one.

>>But, you know Mary, we can also be each other's mirror.

>>How can we do that?

>>Ah, I'm glad you asked.

So we'll face each other and you just mimic everything that I do >>Okay.

(extending "oo" sound) (yelling noise) (ding sound) (expanding and contrasting sound) >>I love that.

That was so fun to play with our face.

It was like what ever Tevin was feeling and expressing, I was trying to do it to.

So it really stretched me.

I had to try something new.

Friends, we hope that you'll try this at home.

Stand in front of a mirror and experiment with all of those parts of your face.

Your eyebrows, your nose, your mouth.

It is so much fun and we hope you'll try it.

(upbeat ukulele) >>Friends, we have a song to share with you all about trying something new.

We'd love for you to listen and maybe even sing along.

♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ Even if I'm grumpy or feeling kinda blue ♪ ♪ I'm gonna wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ >>Tevin, how does it feel to try something new?

>>A little scary, and little bit like "ah I don't know what's gonna happen" but I'm so glad that I tried something new and I was very proud of myself for even attempting.

>>Love that.

♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ Even if I'm grumpy or feeling kinda blue ♪ ♪ I'm gonna wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ >>Mike, can you think of a time when you tried something new?

>>Yeah, one time I joined a basketball team.

>>Oh, how'd that go?

>>Well, not so good.

I didn't score a point the whole season.

>>Aw, but you made some new friends?

>>Yeah, and I learned a lot.

>>Aw, I love that.

So trying something new, it was worth it >>Yeah!

>>I love it.

♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ Even if I'm grumpy or feeling kinda blue ♪ ♪ I'm gonna wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ >>Oh, I love singing that song!

>>Me too.

>>Friends, we hope that we have inspired you to try something new today.

Maybe you'll try a new food that you've never tasted before.

Maybe you'll find a new place to play or meet a new friend.

Whatever it is, we hope you will try something new.

Well, Tevin, when you're an actor where do you go to act.

>>Well I am so glad you asked.

We go to the theater.

>>The theater.

>>Would you like to go?

>>(in unison) yes!

>>Lets go.

(upbeat ukulele) >>When you come to the theater you're gonna see a lot of people on stage >>When you go to see a movie its all on one flat screen but when you come to the theater you see the actors and the actresses on stage telling the story.

>>Its one of the most magical experiences you could ever have in your life.

You come into the theater and you're part of the show.

There's a lot happening behind the scenes that the audience doesn't always get to see.

People backstage grabbing props.

They are moving the furniture, they are helping the equipment fly in and out, they are helping guide us where we need to be, they're making sure we're safe, they're making sure that we can see, they're lighting things so that we know where we're walking cause its dark backstage.

>>Makes me really appreciate how much work >>Oh my goodness.

>>goes in to bringing it all together.

>>So many people.

>>So we are backstage of the theater where all of these things come together to make the magic happen.

>>The curtain opens!

(squeels) How do you get such a huge curtain to open and close?

>>You have these ropes that someone who's trained in doing it will be operating and they pull levers and then they take it and then they lift it and the curtain opens beautifully.

It opens and closes and the audience is like "yes the show is starting" and they don't always see the person back here who's, you know, hiking this up and wrapping things around and pulling the brick and making sure that everything is perfect cause this takes, this takes a lot of care.

There's an amount of trust between us and the people that work these instruments so we trust each other.

They practice, we practice, we practice, we practice I can't say that enough, we practice.

So many things and whoever's working this knows what their doing and they keep us safe and it looks beautiful when you're watching it.

But there's so many little details that have to be followed in order to do this properly.

There's more people who aren't backstage who are also working.

There's people way up there in the booth that are hitting buttons and flipping light switches and making sounds play through the speakers.

This is our sound board.

This is where all the amazing things that you hear in the theater, the little owls and the wolves and the wilderness, so whatever's going on, whatever sound is being played this is where it all happens.

So someone who is also trained, again, they practice and do their passion by this and they stand back here and they make sure that all of the sound is aiding what's happening on that stage.

Its like, I keep coming back to it, but its like its that community thing.

Its everyone utilizing their specialties to make the story come to life.

Every show that I've ever been a part of we always call each other family.

Its a word that comes up often.

Cause it is a family.

You trust these people so much with your wellbeing and your creative passion.

>>So before a show and the tech crew is working so hard to get the set on stage, to get the lights just right, the sound crew is working making sure all the speakers are gonna work properly, for you as an actor where are you in all of this?

And what are you doing?

>>I'm probably in my dressing room, putting on makeup, putting on my costume and getting prepared for the show or warming up in some way, but I'm probably in the dressing room.

>>Could we go see the dressing room?

>>Absolutely, lets go see it.

>>So this is gonna take us to our dressing room upstairs and the many other things that we have upstairs.

Here is a little wardrobe place where costumes are made, things are sewed.

>>You can see pictures on the wall of things that have been drawn for costumes.

They've drawn these and made these beautiful ideas of what the costumes are.

>>We are in the dressing room where actors prepare for their performance, right?

What else do you do in here when you're getting ready for a performance?

>>So, I mean we're putting on our costumes, we're putting on our wigs and we warm up in here.

This is where I breathe, this is where we lay down on the floor and I get to relax and stretch my body and get ready and there's intercoms so we can hear what's going on.

So someone will be like, "five minutes to places" or "ten minutes to places" "30 minutes to places" So we constantly know what's going on.

But what I think is the most fun about being up here is that everyone is everywhere.

Everyone is coming in other actors are coming in and we're celebrating and we're maybe singing songs to the show or warming up our voices, we're singing, we are having a great time with each other and its such a community, its such a family in a space like this where we can interact and be ourselves before we go be other people.

>>I'm just noticing that these pictures of past productions, these posters.

>>The thing about the past productions is that we don't do them and they go away, we do them and they become one with the space, they become one with the energy that drives through this building, through our art.

So we don't forget what have been done here and the stories that have been told so we keep them up as a reminder of where we've been and where we're going to.

And so this is the lobby!

This is the first place you come to when you get into the theater and this is where the tickets are and its packed full of people people are shaking hands, greeting, saying hello, haven't seen you in a long time, hugging, they are just having a great time.

This is like the green room for the audience and it is such a wonderful experience.

Its like setting the town for whatever the rest of the nights gonna be like.

A community, a family, a joining, everyone coming together and saying, "I'm here and I'm ready to share a bit of myself with you, you share a little bit of yourself with me, lets share it with the actors, the actors will share it with" and it just keeps going.

>>Yeah, you're just painting such a wonderful picture of what this would feel like filled with people and its making me think, who can come to the theater?

>>Absolutely anyone.

Any size, any shape, any color of people can come and enjoy the theater cause it is, theater is a nightly representative of the world, and the world is not one thing, it is many things.

>>Theater is for everyone.

>>Everyone.

>>So for young children, for old children, for adults, no matter what your situation there is a show that you can go and take part in and be in the audience, or even you know as we were doing that tour backstage, I was just thinking there's just so many ways to participate.

>>I think it also is important to note that you can do theater anywhere.

Now this is a place that fosters it.

You have the lobby and the dressing rooms and everything but you can be in your backyard, you can be in your living room, and as long as you have yourself and your imagination you can do whatever you want, where ever you are.

>>Tell me a little bit about do you get nervous before you come out on stage?

>>I used to be so nervous, I used to be so nervous before I came out.

I remember I just would get the jitters, I'd get the little butterflies in my stomach, and I would just feel so like "oh my goodness there's people out there, they're gonna see me, what if I mess up."

>>So you said that breathing really grounds you and gets you focused and ready for your performance, could we do that together right now?

>>Absolutely, absolutely.

>>Can you guide us through it?

>>When I'm getting myself ready to get that breath together I always like to sit up nice and tall to give myself the best vessel I can to allow that air to go in and to really fill me up from the inside out.

And I just close my eyes to just block out everything that's happening in the environment around me so I can be one with me and my breath and my body and I breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth and I breathe in for four counts and I breathe out for four counts so we will do that now we will breathe in and out and in and out and once more, in and out and I can do that as many times as I want to I can do it as many times as I want to and it helps to ground me, center me, and reminds me that I'm a human being, that I have breath, and that I'm ready to do this.

It gets me back where I need to be and allows me to create this nice space where I can craft whatever character I'm going to be like I said from the ground up.

Now I'm free, now I have the space, now I have the opportunity to do what I want and it all starts with that breath.

>>Just sitting here and taking those three deep breaths I can feel my body relax, I can feel this sense of calm.

>>All you need is you and your breath and that's with you anyway and just do it.

>>Its a wonderful tool to always have with us no matter where we are, what's going on.

>>Absolutely.

>>Thank you for sharing that with us.

>>Absolutely.

>>Sitting here in these seats I can get a sense of how it feels to be an audience member.

What do you feel like when you step out on stage?

>>Its one of the most magical experiences you could ever have in your life.

>>I would love to get on stage.

>>Lets go!

>>So what are some things that actors do to get themselves ready to perform?

>>Yes, well there's many warmups and exercises that we do but one of the things that we always love to do is the improv game.

And its so great and not in just getting our bodies loose and getting us in the zone and getting our energy out into the space but it builds us as a unit cause we're gonna be on stage working together so it helps us.

>>Can we try one?

>>Yes we can try one!

>>All right lets do it!

>>I have a ball behind my back and its the most beautiful ball, its rainbow >>Oh its beautiful.

>>All of those colors, oh my goodness its so detailed.

Its so amazing.

But I can turn it into anything so let me see, its an ice cream cone >>Oh!

>>Oh its strawberry!

Its my favorite, I love strawberry but I'm gonna turn it back into a ball now >>Okay.

>>I'm gonna squish it back down, oh its kinda cold okay we're back.

All right, lets see.

All right, I'm gonna through it way way way up high Mary >>Okay.

>>You have to catch it.

>>I'm ready.

>>Its not that heavy but I don't know, we'll see.

(grunts) (squeals) >>Oh, I got it!

Oh, okay, it is, its kinda cold though gosh what's happening?

(gasp) Its snowing!

Can you feel it on your face?

>>I can feel it everywhere, its so cold.

>>Its so cold.

Its getting colder but now I'm gonna get my snow and I'm gonna pack it into a snowball.

>>Wow!

>>And I'm going to throw it at you.

Can you catch it?

>>I don't know, I don't know!

>>Are you ready?

>>I'm ready!

(soft scream) >>Oh I got it!

Whoa!

Wow look at this, look at this ball.

I feel like I'm gonna make it a little bit bigger.

Maybe a little bit bigger.

Just a little bit bigger, I don't know lets see like lets make it a bit bigger.

Oh my goodness, I'm gonna make it a bit bigger!

(laughing) (grunts) >>Oh my goodness, its so big!

(screams) >>Its so heavy!

Wait, wait, wait, wait!

>>Its crushing you!

>>Okay wait!

Okay here we go!

I'm gonna hand it to you.

>>Oh no!

Oh no!

>>Its just a big ball.

I'm gonna hand it over to you.

(grunts) >>Oh my goodness, oh!

Make it shrink!

Make it shrink!

>>You got it.

>>I got it.

Oh oh oh!

Its a spider!

>>No!

(screams) >>Oh my goodness!

Okay, okay we can pick this up.

>>We can pick it up.

>>We can pick this up.

>>Try something new, pick it up.

>>Come here little spider.

Oh okay, come here, come here, come here.

Here you go!

(screams) >>No!

I can change it!

I have to change it!

Okay, wow it looks like a feather.

Its a feather, wait a minute, it is a feather!

(gasps) Its a feather!

(sigh of relief) >>This is so fun.

>>And you can do it anywhere you are, you can do it with anything, you can make anything, you can make it into an elephant, you can make it into a house, you can do whatever you want to, you just have to have your imagination to do it.

>>But you know Mary, you can also sing on stage.

(lights being switched off) (piano begins) ♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ Even if I'm grumpy ♪ ♪ Or feeling kinda blue ♪ ♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ I believe that there is beauty inside of you ♪ ♪ I believe I have the power to try it all ♪ ♪ And when I try ♪ ♪ Whether I fail or I succeed ♪ ♪ I will be proud of myself for trying ♪ ♪ Trying something new ♪ >>I just didn't know I had a place on stage but I did all along.

I just didn't know it yet.

I had to find it.

I had to try something new to open that door for me.

I'm looking back on it and it changed my life, forever.

And it just felt so like, "why not" why can't I?

There's no harm in trying it.

The worst thing that can happen is that you tried it.

That's the worse thing that can happen, is that you tried it and you don't like it and then you learn from it and then you grow and then your try something else.

So you have to trust in yourself.

♪When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ Even if I'm grumpy ♪ ♪ Or feeling kinda blue ♪ ♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try, try something new ♪ ♪ New ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ (piano continues) >>Funding for Songs and Stories is made possible by >>What a wonderful time learning all about the theater.

Tevin, thank you so much for being with us today.

>>Thank you for having me and trying something new with me today.

>>We did!

We tried lots of new things and we learned a lot.

And friends, you know what we always say when we learn new things.

Repeat after us.

I am brave.

>>I am curious.

>>I am strong because I can do hard things.

>>I am a beautiful learner.

>>Yes you are friends, and we will see you next time.

♪ Come play with me, ♪ ♪ Try something ♪ ♪ Won't you come play with me ♪ ♪ New ♪ ♪ Come on come on come on ♪ ♪ When I wake up in the morning ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try something new ♪ ♪ We're gonna sing yes ♪ ♪ We're gonna try ♪ ♪ We're gonna dance ♪ ♪ I'm gonna try ♪ ♪ We're gonna learn to play some instruments ♪ ♪ (overlap singing) ♪