Interview: Stephanie Lazard of 54 GETS WARPED! CELEBRATING WARPED TOUR at 54 Below

Feinstein's/54 Below is a family. Over the years, that family has elevated each other to new artistic journeys. Members of the Front-of-House team have appeared on the 54 Below stage (Christopher Brasfield) and produced for the organization (Kevin Ferguson), and former server Joshua Stackhouse will, soon, be presenting his original songs in the basement known as Broadway's Living Room.

Right now, the family member spreading her artistic wings is Stephanie Lazard, who is serving as producer of 54 GETS WARPED! CELEBRATING WARPED TOUR. Alongside her producing partner, Elmo Zapp, Ms. Lazard has undertaken to present a night of music from the famed WARPED TOUR rock festival that lasted from 1995 until 2019. The longest running rock and roll touring festival is something of an obsession with Lazard, and she is bringing all her passion for the festival to the concert that will play 54 Below on June 14th at 9:30 pm. Featuring a beautiful cast of edgy, young, diverse artists, 54 GETS WARPED! is shaping up to be an exciting night of music, and, as the days pass by until Feinstein's rocks out, Stephanie Lazard took time out of her (insanely) busy schedule to chat with Broadway World Cabaret about Family54, her predilection for work, and why she would rather be behind the stage than on the stage.

This interview was conducted digitally and is reproduced with minor edits.

You are one of the first faces people see when they walk in the door at 54 Below because you are part of the front-of-house staff there. Customers breeze through the doors so quickly that they don't get any kind of vibe for the vestibule. What would surprise Feinstein's guests to learn about life in the lobby?

After almost 5 years of being part of the front-of-house team, I can confidently say that there is never a dull moment in that lobby! We might always look very serious and hard at work, but I've had some of the best laughs of my life in there. I work with some of my closest friends, and our regulars have become like family to me. Honestly, it's one of the coolest jobs. Not only do we get to watch and listen to so many living legends nightly, we also get to be a part of some really cool things working in the front of house. I've been able to converse with absolute icons, Michael Feinstein and Christine Ebersole once sang happy birthday to me before they hit the stage, and I've worked some ridiculously awesome private events. I mean, Emily Blunt, Blake Lively, and Ryan Reynolds all said hello to me as they came into the club and I almost could not keep my cool.

One of my favorite moments though was when Laura Benanti and her mom had a show not long after I started working at the club. Laura would enter from the lobby and every night of the run she would come down a little early and tell us the funniest stories. I think a lot of guests coming in might not realize all of the fun experiences we are lucky enough to have. We truly are Broadway's living room and there's really no other job like it in the city.

You have also appeared on the stage of 54 Below, in the staff shows, as a singer. Walk me through your history as a performer.

I did! The staff show was a blast and something I never thought I would ever do (and no intention to do again....for now!). Funny enough, I actually grew up wanting to be a dancer, not a singer. When I was really young, my sister started taking dance classes so naturally, I wanted to as well. When my dad took me to see my first musical, (Cats, obviously!) I know that's what I wanted to do. I went to the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts from 6th-12th grade and then got my BA from CSUCI in Performing Arts with an emphasis in Dance. During this time I would see all the theatre I could in SD and LA and would visit NYC any chance I got to see as many shows as I could fit into my visit. After I graduated though, I sort of lost my passion to perform and didn't really know what I wanted to do anymore. I got a 9-5 job but then started interning, and eventually became the Production Coordinator, at Rockwell Table & Stage (a venue that was similar to 54 Below out in LA). That's where I fell in love with the creative side vs the performing side of theatre. My friend, Topher, really gave me my big introduction into producing though when he asked me to be a part of the producing team for the Los Angeles revival of Bare: A Pop Opera back in 2013. That's also how I met my now producing partner, Elmo Zapp. After I worked on a few more shows in LA, I ultimately knew I had to be in NYC to pursue a job in producing.

Between your work at 54 Below and your work at UrbanStems, do you still have time to pursue your work in show business?

It actually surprises people to learn that I am insane and work 2 completely different full-time jobs. It is rare that I have a day off and often get asked how I have time to do literally anything else. The answer is that I just don't sleep! Aside from the staff show, I actually haven't done any performing since I moved to NYC. I did, however, just start getting back into taking dance classes which has started to reignite my love of dance! But really, my free time has been all about seeing as much theatre as I can and learning the ins and outs of producing with some of the best people in the business.

Right now you are stretching your wings by joining the producing team at 54 Below. Is producing something that has been on your mind for a while?

Absolutely! I moved to NYC with the goal of becoming a Broadway producer. Elmo moved to the city for a job around the same time I did, and I am so thankful that happened. I don't think I would have been able to do much without him by my side. We luckily had the opportunity to venture into new territory and produce our first NYC concert, 54 Sings Hanson, back in 2019. The pandemic really threw a wrench in our plans to produce more concerts, but we are definitely back in the game now! I have an incredible support system and I am constantly learning new things about producing and what it takes to make it in this crazy, unpredictable business.

What is it that makes you a perfect fit for producing a show about Warped Tour?

I started going to Warped Tour in high school and that carried on well into my 20s. I loved being able to see all the best bands in one place, jump around in a pit, walk by a merch booth and see the singer of my favorite band just hanging out, etc. It was always the highlight of my summer.

When creating and curating a concert about something as specific as Warped Tour, what is the foundation that you build for the show, and where do you go, once that foundation has been laid down?

I remember sitting at a bar with my friend Christian a few months ago and brought up the idea of doing a Warped Tour-themed show at 54. He told me that I had to do it (and that he wanted in!) so I immediately texted Elmo about the idea. It took a little convincing but he trusted me and here we are! We did a lot of research on the bands/artists that were a part of Warped Tour through its 20+ year history, listened to a lot of music, and made sure we were going to do the songs justice that ultimately ended up in the setlist. Once we had an idea of what the show was going to be, we started the casting process and getting the setlist finalized with our performers.

What is there in the show 54 GETS WARPED that people can enjoy, even if they don't have a lot of experience with Warped Tour?

People are going to be really surprised with the arrangements Elmo has come up with on some of the songs (yes, not only is he producing with me, he is also the Musical Director and is playing bass/singing in the show!). We didn't want to change too much, but some things are a little different! We want people to hear a song and think back to when they maybe went to Warped Tour or recall the music they listened to back in their angsty teen years. It's also going to be fun to see these incredible people who have been on Broadway, off-Broadway, tours, cruises, TV, etc. let loose a little and sing songs that aren't normally featured on the 54 Below stage.

What's the casting process like when putting together a group show like this?

We went to our friends first. We've both worked with some of the best performers and musicians in LA and NYC so we had a big network to reach out to. From there, our friends recommended others who would be interested in joining us, and we even sent out some asks to people we just wanted to work with. Our cast is INSANE and we could not be happier to work with these incredible people. They have made this process so unbelievably dreamy!

You have mentioned your producer partner, Elmo Zapp, a few times. He is obviously very important in your life and work: tell me about the dynamic when producing a show with a partner, as opposed to alone, and why you and Elmo make a good team.

My first interaction with Elmo was 10 years ago. He was annoyed because he had to teach me how to use a Mac to record audio of a show he was working on...right before showtime. We have been the best of friends ever since! I have yet to produce anything on my own and to be honest, I love producing with Elmo. We have very different styles and specialties so it covers all our bases when it comes to putting together a show. He handles all things music-related and I handle more of the business side. Our personalities complement each other and, even though we disagree on things daily, we are great at communicating and making sure the show is the best it can be in the end.

What's your favorite band that was a part of Warped Tour?

Oh, please don't do this to me! There is no way I can pick just one favorite. I loved seeing My Chemical Romance, The Used, Yellowcard, The Starting Line, Good Charlotte, 3OH3!, The All-American Rejects, Chiodos, Simple Plan, Silverstein and so many more. I think Blink-182 probably had the biggest impact on me growing up though because they were from Southern California (where I'm from) and I grew up listening to them. Songs from some of these bands made it into our show though and I can't wait to hear our incredible cast and band perform them!

54 GETS WARPED! CELEBRATING WARPED TOUR play Feinstein's/54 Below on June 14th at 9:30 pm. For information and reservations visit the 54 Below website HERE.

Follow Stephanie Lazard in Instagram HERE.

To post a comment, you must register and login.