Chad Kimball Talks His COVID-19 Experience, and How the COME FROM AWAY Cast Stays in Touch on Backstage LIVE With Richard Ridge

Nothing can stop BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge from bringing you interviews with your favorite Broadway stars! Yesterday, May 27 he chatted with Come From Away star Chad Kimball!

Kimball talked about how the Broadway shutdown just happened to occur on the third anniversary of Come From Away.

"My wife said 'well, technically, you did celebrate three years yesterday because it was a Leap Year,'" he said.

But, worry not, the Come From Away cast is still keeping in touch!

"Immediately our cast got together a text thread, which still continues to this day," he said. "It's just the most heartfelt group communication I have ever been a part of. One of us is down and another person picks the person up. One person we haven't heard from in a week and comes back saying how each of us means so much to each other. This family we created is just super special."

Kimball later talked about his personal experience with COVID-19.

"I just thought I was tired but I had a little tiny cough. It didn't hurt, it was just kind of there... I turned to [my wife] and said 'I think I have coronavirus.' She's like 'well, if you've got it, then I've got it.' So the next couple of days were not great. I got a fever that evening, a low-grade fever, it never went over 101."

He told his doctor about his symptoms, and went in the next day for a test.

"For a few days it was just a bad flu," he continued. "Then on Thursday, I felt great. I thought, 'maybe I didn't have it, maybe I'm overreacting.' Then Friday, I felt horrible...On Saturday, [the doctor] said 'yeah, you tested positive for COVID-19.'"

He went on to say that his wife tested negative three times, and has tested negative for antibodies twice.

"We don't know how she didn't get it, because she was with me the whole time," he said. "We did take precautions. Maybe we're just really good at cleaning."

Watch the full interview here!

Kimball starred as Kevin T in Come From Away at La Jolla/Seattle Repertory/Ford's Theatre. His other Broadway credits include: Memphis (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC noms); Lennon; Into the Woods; The Civil War; Good Vibrations. Off-Broadway: Finian's Rainbow; My Life With Albertine; Godspell; Murder in the First. Regional: Sweeney Todd; Baby; Chess; Little Fish. TV: "The Good Wife," "Wallflowers." Chad won a Bistro Award for his solo cabaret show.