Looking for a unique, sexy, and all together jaw-dropping way to celebrate Halloween in NYC? Then treat yourself to Company XIV’s Ferdinand Boylesque Bullfight
, the new all-male dance and acrobatic spectacle running at Theatre XIV in Bushwick, Brooklyn through October 28. From the troupe that brought you Cinderella and the epic, annual Nutcracker Rouge, this latest show infused burlesque, ballet, and opera to retell the classic 1936 children’s tale of Ferdinand and the matador.BroadwayBox caught up with the show’s three leads (Ryan Redmond, Laszlo Major & Marcy Richardson) to hear from each of them about being a part of this completely one-of-a-kind theatrical event.
Ryan Redmond (Ferdinand)
1. What initially excited you most about Ferdinand: Boylesque Bullfight when you began the process?
What initially excited me about Ferdinand was the opportunity to play the title role. I hadn’t heard of the classic story weirdly (even though my mother insists she read it to me), but, when I looked into it, I realized that it was a story that resonated with every part of me. Just like Ferdinand, I love flowers and nature and all things peaceful. I’m not like the other bulls! It’s funny because I happen to have a hard, masculine exterior...when I don’t speak or dress flamboyantly, people think I’m a straight Russian cage fighter. I found a resemblance in his story to my own experience.
2. What do you love about it most now?
Now that we’ve done the show for a while, the thing I like about it most is the way it has evolved as a show. The whole cast is superb and we’ve gotten into such a groove with the show, and it is really so enjoyable to be a part of. People have come back multiple times to see this particular show and they’ve commented on how it’s changed from the start of the run to now. Nothing has officially changed much in terms of choreography or direction but all of us as performers really own the show now and it is so fun that way.
3. What would audiences find most surprising about life behind the scenes at Company XIV?
I think they’d be mostly surprised at how un-glamorous most of us can be. Don’t get me wrong, we are all fierce, glam queens in our own right...but it might be surprising to some of our audience members to see us in sweat pants and crocs eating a bagel pre and/or post show.
4. What’s your favorite way to stay in shape, and what’s your go-to ball-out cheat meal?
My favorite way to stay in shape is alternating between Bikram yoga and being on the elliptical. My favorite cheat meal is a fried chicken sandwich.
5. What is the sexiest thing you’ve seen onstage?
The sexiest thing I’ve seen on stage is the pas de deux scene in Austin McCormick’s Nutcracker Rouge. It’s not blatant in its sexiness, which is probably why it is so sexy. Everyone needs to go see it when they can. There’s a sensuality to it that is unrivaled. It’s art. It’s beautiful. That’s why it’s sexy.
Laszlo Major (The Bumble Bee)
1. What initially excited you most about Ferdinand: Boylesque Bullfight when you began the process?
I am probably the newest addition to the company, so initially I was really looking forward to be part of the creative process. I was really flattered to get a main part in the show and be able to do all the things I trained for and love to do, such as ballet, point work, and pole dance.
When I first reached out to the company and they invited me to see Nutcracker Rouge (which I will be part of this year, starting the 9th of November!) I was really blown away from literally everything. I wanted to jump up off of my seat and do all the choreographies that Austin put into the show—not to mention the gorgeous costumes that Zane creates every single time and bring the “dress to impress” moment to the show.
It is really a magical world what they created here. From the minute you enter the theater, you are part of something special, surrounded by all the elements (bar, inside design, decoration, lighting) that takes you out of your every day.
2. What do you love about it most now?
I really like the atmosphere of the show and the vibes of the people I work with. Even though the show has been running since July there are always new elements and moments that progresses and bring something new to the show.
3. What would audiences find most surprising about life behind the scenes at Company XIV?
I heard from many people that it is really amazing how we are in character even during intermission and while seating people. People probably don’t notice, but we actually have many times that some costumes or shoe laces break, and we have to leave the stage and grab an extra pair or pick up an extra fan, and just walk back on stage and keep doing the choreography like it was meant to happen.
4. What’s your favorite way to stay in shape, and what’s your go-to ball-out cheat meal?
I am really serious about my routine and staying in shape.
I think our bodies are our business card in this industry and it is part of the magic to come and see something that you have no idea how it is even possible to do.
First you have to master the rules in order to bend them.
I go to the gym at least 4times a week, and I separate my days to (biceps-triceps, chest, back, shoulders days, push and pull days). I also cross train and take classes such as ballet, and I like to learn new things, such as pole and aerial hoop tricks that also give me a lot of strength and stamina.
Oh, I would never feel guilty to eat pizza, frozen yogurt, or a good Mexican, as we do usually with the boys on our commute home every night after the show.
5. What is the sexiest thing you’ve seen onstage?
First thing that comes to my mind right away, when I was first part of an XIV show doing XI Variete and I saw Lilin, a burlesque performer performing. She is everything.
When you see her on stage, you see glamour from head to toe, technique on pointe. The iconic moment when she zipped her long latex skirt from the bottom up to the top and the line created a perfect heart shape with her butt.
Marcy Richardson (El Matador)
1. What initially excited you most about Ferdinand: Boylesque Bullfight when you began the process?
I was really excited about taking on a character that is different than anything I’ve ever done with Company XIV, and getting to play a character with a through line. I’m actually decked out in a gorgeous vintage Matador costume, literally covered from head to toe for most of the show, and I feel just as sexy that way as I do in a bedazzled g-string and sparkly nipple pasties. It’s exciting to be tasked with bringing a proud, dominant, masculine energy to the table as the only female in the show. It’s also exciting to get to carry pretty much an entire act-that comes with a fair amount of pressure, but I tend to work well under high stakes circumstances.
2. What do you love about it most now?
Anything that felt extremely challenging at first has “settled in” so I’m really able to be in the moment and pay attention to detail. I do an operatic cover of Cardi B’s “I like it like that,” which was initially very difficult to memorize, especially Bad Bunny’s rap in Spanish. The rhythms are complicated and extremely quick-learning it by rote felt impossible at first, but now that it’s really in my body, I can sink into that confident place the second I take the stage. It was also really difficult working in a hoop covered in flowers at first in the vocal/aerial piece (I often do numbers where I’m singing operatically and doing acrobatics in the hoop or on the pole for anyone unfamiliar). I remember mumbling “this is impossible” the first few times I rehearsed it in tech, and it took us some time to figure out what that moment was in the show. It feels so comfortable now, I barely remember how hard it felt at first.
3. What would audiences find most surprising about life behind the scenes at Company XIV?
I think sometimes the audience comes in thinking they are just seeing a burlesque show, and don’t realize the majority of the cast have trained most of their lives in ballet, or in my case, music. I graduated with a bachelors and masters in opera from one of the top opera programs in the world, Indiana University, and have sung professionally in opera companies for 15 years, on top of bringing almost 9 years of pole and aerial training to the table. Our dancers have trained or taken the stage at Juilliard, NYU, Alvin Ailey, Trockadero, the Metropolitan Opera—I think that surprises a lot of people who start thinking “ok, why can they do that?” About halfway through the show.
4. What’s your favorite way to stay in shape, and what’s your go-to ball-out cheat meal?
Pole and aerial training used to be my favorite form of exercise, but at the advice of my PT people, I can’t do it as my job AND fitness because it’s too much wear and tear on my body. So, I spend a lot of time cross training-running outside when the weather is decent, yoga with Dharma Mittra, basic resistance training at the gym. I like to change it up.
Once a week, after our last show on Sundays, I treat myself to a burger and fries, and I tend to always want a snack late at night after shows—I try to keep that reasonable. The rest of the week, I eat mostly salad, vegetables, and lean protein, and I try to keep my processed food, carb, and sugar intake to a minimum, vodka excluded!
5. What is the sexiest thing you’ve seen onstage?
I think the final pas in Nutcracker Rouge is the sexiest thing I have seen on stage. No matter who I’ve seen perform it, I never get tired of watching it. It’s technical skill meets sex meets drama, and the build up with the music is a major turn on. It feels pleasurable and kind of voyeuristic in a way, watching the two dancers connect while executing something extremely difficult. For me, skill, talent, and connection are what I find sexiest, it can’t just be a beautiful body in a sexy costume.
Don't miss this group in Ferdinand Boylesque Bullfight though October 28, and then mark your calendars for the sexy Nutcracker Rouge beginning November 9.
