Who she plays: Cee Cee Bloom is wildly relatable to me. In fact, I think I relate to her the most out of any character I've had the honor of playing. She is very shielded in her own humor. She's super self-deprecating on purpose. She just wants to be loved, and she thinks the only way to get that is through becoming a star and having everybody love her. But really, what she's lacking the most is a little bit of self-love.

She meets somebody in her best friend, Bertie, who grounds her and is honest with her even when she can't be honest with herself. She becomes a much more serious person by the end of this piece. In my own life, I have gone through a lot in the past two years that has taken me to a place of knowing life's not all about the showbiz; it's also about the stuff behind the door, too. Cee Cee is a lot of that, and I relate to that so much.

First Beaches memory: I'm an '80s kid, and my mom played Beaches all the time because sometimes you just need a good cry, which is what Beaches was in the ilk of those films of that era, before Nancy Meyers.

I fell in love with Bette Midler; everyone did. She is the icon, the legend, the moment, my personal savior. Everything I witnessed made me want to be a singer and an actor. You also see yourself and your friendships, and you see what a real friendship is between two women and how that doesn't just mean rainbows and butterflies. It means tragedy and anger and knock-down-drag-out fights, and all of those things can exist and you can still be best friends.

Real-life BFF: [My] real-life best friend keeps it real with me all the time [...] and I do the same for her. Usually, there's the anchor and there's the kite. I'm the kite. I'm just a flibberty-jibberty, and when I need somebody to bring me down to earth, she always does that. There is no filter between the two of us. She comes to a lot of my concert gigs and sings with me, but then also, we might not see each other for a couple of months because we're working out of town, but we still talk every day.

Do we piss each other off? Sure. Can we make each other cry? Yeah. Do we also have the best time ever? Yes. Have we maybe had a weed gummy over the pandemic and sat on a couch and watched the clock go from 9:00 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. and thought it was 3 hours? Yes, but it was the best time of my life. You need that kind of person.

Broadway BFF: I'm not going to lie to you, I'd probably be friends with Beetlejuice. Unhinged, right? Slightly scary, but also, there's a lot of depth under there.

Perfect NYC day with friends: We would probably get cold brew all year, even if it's cold outside; I'm one of those people. Then we would go up to Central Park and walk around. Maybe we'd go to the castle or around Shakespeare in the Park. It's a little romantic — because your best friend is your soulmate!

We would probably go to a little speakeasy. I want to have a night of burlesque with my bestie. Then we'd Uber home. We don't take the subway home because we're bougie that day.

Who she plays: [Bertie] has such a big heart and such a desire to break free out from under the weight of her family and their expectations and everything that she's supposed to be as a woman. Everything's been decided for her, and that doesn't work for her. Even though at times she does follow the program, I think that's why she's so in love with Cee Cee. She sees a free spirit and somebody who's marching to the beat of her own drum and she so desperately wants that for herself.

She's smart as a whip. She has some very deep wisdom. She's such a champion of people; she's loyal. She's the best fan girl you could ever want for anything you were doing.

And she's a justice seeker. She wants to be a lawyer. She wants to help battered women. It's just not the plan that her mother and the upper crust have for her: She's going to be a wife and she's going to be a mother. She also deeply does want to be a mother.

Bertie, to me, is a caged bird who learns how to fly, but just a little too late. And she's a cautionary tale to go after what you want and to listen to the small voice inside because life is short.

First Beaches memory: I wish I could remember the exact moment. I can't, because I've seen [the movie] 20,000 times, and obviously it was pivotal because it became part of the rotation of the films that I watched along with — and I've said this a thousand times — the "Holy Five," right? Steel Magnolias, Terms of Endearment, Boys on the Side, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Beaches.

I remember seeing it and being obsessed with the performances, of course. Bette Midler was an idol of mine as a young theatre girl. But also just the friendships, the chosen family — when your family doesn't understand you, but someone else in the world does. I had that too, and it really spoke to me.

Real-life BFF: I have my best friends in New York, obviously, and then I have these three girls I grew up with. We've known each other since we were 15: Tiffany, Brit, Abby. And we've been through it all: husbands who have died, children who have died. Neither of those belong to me, but you name it, and we've weathered the storm and we're still together.

They have saved my life. They have seen me in ways that no one else has seen me, championed me, validated me, carried me. I still go to them for the best counsel on the planet. They are the wisest people I know. This story means everything to me because it's the truth. It is the truth about women and how we relate to each other and how we take care of each other.

Broadway BFF: I would be friends with the Baker's Wife [from Into the Woods]. She reminds me so much of my friend Abby.

Perfect NYC day with friends: It would definitely involve a lot of food. We’re huge foodies. I would make brunch at our house. Then we'd all get into pajamas, do face masks, watch movies, and play games and order pizza.

Who he plays: John [Perry] is the artistic director of the Beach Haven Summer Theater, where Cee Cee Bloom gets her start. John is probably the first person to recognize Cee Cee's talent as an adult and sees the star she has the potential to become. They develop a relationship, and throughout the course of the show, you get to see their romance blossom and how Cee Cee's celebrity has a human impact.

First Beaches memory: I think my first experience with Beaches was seeing the movie as a child. But [...] it wasn't until I actually [did the show] in Calgary where I really started to look at the material.

You can listen to Iris, the novelist and our book writer and our lyricist — she actually narrates an audiobook. I would have Iris in my ear, and it's amazing to hear someone speak their own words because I felt so connected to the piece through Iris.

Real-life BFF: My real-life best friend is my wife, Jennifer, who I am so privileged to get to make my Broadway debut alongside. Jen is the assistant director to the piece, and we're going to be making our Broadway debuts together.

Broadway BFF: I'm going to stay close to home and say Cee Cee Bloom. I just feel like she just makes me laugh so much, and that would be my bestie.

Perfect NYC day with friends: A wonderful walk along the Hudson River with a lovely coffee, followed by another walk through Central Park. I love being outside, so that's mostly what I'm going to do. I'm lucky I have a real-life best friend that also loves that.

Potentially a quick game of tennis at one of the amazing tennis courts that are all around the city, and it would definitely be followed up by a lovely dinner and a show.

Who he plays: I play Michael Barron (& others), husband to Kelli Barrett’s Bertie. The real challenge here is finding something likable about him — frankly, he’s deplorable. The best I can come up with is that he's driven. His reckless ambition and selfishness have an enormous impact on those around him, but ultimately, this strengthens Bertie and fortifies her relationship with Cee Cee, which is really what we’re rooting for all along.

Also, navigating the "& others" portion of the role has been fun as I piece together these little cameos and figure out how they influence our two central characters.

First Beaches memory: For whatever reason, I had never seen or read Beaches until the audition process began. I’m hardly a sap, but I both cried and laughed out loud during my first viewing.

Real-life BFF: I’m lucky enough to have several possible answers, including a solid group of friends, a loving fiancée, and a cute pup. But really, it’s my dad. We're similar in so many ways and I think it's because of how much I admire him. To this day — and maybe more than ever before — he’s the guy I truly rely on. We talk about sports, show-biz (he’s an actor himself), and, ya know, life stuff. And we make each other laugh a lot.

Broadway BFF: I’ve done several productions of Waitress over the past year and change and have gotten pretty close with Dr. Pomatter. He makes me laugh. All things considered, I think he’s a good dude. And, sometimes, it pays to have a friend in the medical field.

Perfect NYC day with friends: For starters, it would be a summer day. We meet for coffee, then head up to Yankee Stadium for a day game — Yanks win. At dinner afterward, we decide to snag last-minute tickets for a show — it's the best thing I’ve ever seen. End the night at [the restaurant] Joe Allen. I’m assuming money is no object...

Who she plays: I’m playing Little Cee Cee. She is chasing her dreams, especially when she is singing and performing. I feel really connected to her and love performing and wearing fun outfits. She also has a really big heart. I love everything about her!

First Beaches memory: My mom and I watched the movie together, and it was really special to share with her. I really enjoyed how it was based on friendship. The first time Little Cee Cee sings on stage really stood out. I remember thinking how incredible it would be to have a moment like that.

Real-life BFF: My real-life best friends are Brianna, Elliana, and Evangeline — and we call ourselves “the sisters.” We’ve been best friends since pre-kindergarten. We all love animals and always are supporting and cheering each other on. I feel very lucky to have them.

Broadway BFF: Cee Cee and Bertie — of course. Cee Cee because we both love performing, and Bertie because she is so sweet. I love how good friends they are. I think we would have so much fun together!

Perfect NYC day with friends: We would ride the Long Island Railroad into the city, blast music on the way, and plan our adventure. First stop, pizza! Then we would go to Sloomoo Institute (I love slime), and the Ice Cream Museum. We would take lots of pictures, and maybe even end the day with a Broadway show. That would be so much fun!

Who she plays: I'm playing Little Bertie. She is very polite and proper but she’s also very curious, especially about swimming and Cee Cee! I love searching for seashells just like Bertie and I love her outfit.

First Beaches memory: I didn’t know about Beaches until I got the audition request. I was already on a national tour, so my mother let me watch the movie to see if it was something I wanted to audition for. I immediately knew I wanted to be Bertie and I felt it in my heart that I was her.

Real-life BFF: My best friend is my sister Kylee. I love playing games and hanging out with her. She’s really smart! We are only a year apart and I really miss her while she’s at school in Florida. She’s going to spend the summer with us!

Broadway BFF: I love Betty Boop and I cried when they closed the show! I would love to be her bestie. She’s so kind and brave. Although, my number one pick is definitely Cee Cee. She’s just so fun and a great friend.

Perfect NYC day with friends: First I would go to Starbucks and get a dragonfruit refresher and go shopping at Sephora. Then we would go to Sugar Factory for lunch and get one of those cool drinks with candy and smoke coming out! Did you know you can see [the] Majestic from the windows? Then we can catch a Broadway show and end with a fancy steakhouse! I love steak!

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