Interview: Tyler Conroy Discusses TYLER CONROY'S BROADWAY BAE-IVERSARY at Feinstein's/54 Below

A year after his triumphant 54 Below debut, Tyler Conroy is getting his baes back together for the third installment of his "Broadway Bae" series: "Tyler Conroy's Broadway Bae-iversary".

On June 2nd, the singer/songwriter/swiftie will be gracing the Fenstein's/54 Below stage once more with a night celebrating his one year anniversary at the venue. Featuring all of his favorite shower songs, and brand new duets with the bae's that inspired him to get here, this night will showcase the signature spark that got Conroy where he is today. Tyler Conroy recently spoke with us about his continued success, love for the broadway community, and his hopes to portray an authentic version of himself to audiences.

BWW: Congrats on your 3rd installment of this show here at 54 below!

Thank you so much! Whenever I think about it all I have to remeber I'm not just dreaming about this, because this is a show that I would like sit in my room and dream about, and then perform in my living room for nobody. But now I actually get to do it at 54 Below, with an audience!

This show marks your "broadway bae-iversarry", happening just a little over a year since the first show. In hindsight, how has doing this show affected your life, and what doors has it opened for you?

It's made my life everything I dreamed it would be for me, for like the last four years. The fact that the things I used to sit in my college dorm room and manifest are now a reality literally blows my mind. I have to sit back and say "no, if you just do what you love, push forward, and show people what would love doing more than anything, things will eventually happen for you." It has literally been a dream come true, and I'm probably going to be saying that for forever.

I'm sure it's exciting to get to do a show like this once, and maybe a second time, but how does it feel to be on round three, and now have a staple, re-occuring act at 54 Below?

It's so scary! I mean, its self pressure, because I don't want to do the same show, I don't want to have the same messages and the same theme. I know money is tight, and I hate asking people to pay to come and see these things. If my living room was big enough, I would have everybody come over and I would gladly do this show for free for them. But in reality, I'm really excited for this. My last show was kind of like "Hey guys, I'm Tyler, you might know me as that boy who likes Taylor Swift a lot," but this is kind of my other side, the one that loves singing songs, performing, and telling stories. So with this show, I want to show a side of Tyler that I'm always nervous to show. There's a side of me that's very confident, which I show on social media, but usually then I get up on stage and I'm just nervous. This time I'm gonna be singing all of the songs that I sing in the shower, the ones that I've literally been into since like middle school, so it's going to showcase the Tyler that I love the most.

I know you're such a fan of this venue, and the shows it puts on. What stands out to you about this venue, what makes you want to keep coming back to do shows here?

What I love most about this venue is that what happens there is usually one night only. I mean people are doing it one time, they only have one shot to do this. They've rehearsed and rehearsed, and then they have one chance to show you what they've been working on, and that's it. The moment is gone, it's happened, it's now a memory, and you got to be there for it and witness it. Everybody films it, and people can watch it on YouTube over and over again, but there is something really special about about being present in that moment when that kind of magic is happening, that kind of artistry is happening, and that's why I keep going back to 54 Below. Of course I could casually watch these videos on YouTube, sitting on my couch, but there is nothing like live music, and just being there to see someone do what they love more than than anything. It is such a cool thing to feel that energy and be in that room.

The original cast members from your very first show will be returning, what does it mean to you to have their continued support, and have them show up and want to do the show again?

I got every single person to return, which is so cool that they wanted to come back this time too! That blows my mind, because I don't know, New York is very hard, and everyone has the craziest, busiest lives, and the fact that these people want to come and donate their time and energy, and their talent...I appreciate it more than anything in the entire world. Someone needs to pinch me, its so humbling, and I can't believe this is my life! I kind of have no words to describe the feeling.

What kinds of bonds/friendships have you made through doing this show?

You know, it's not even like a friendship, but that you get to create a moment with them. A moment that's so one of a kind, truly because its never going to happen again. You get to be in the energy with them for that moment, and that feeling is forever, and that's what's so cool about getting to do this with them. I remember, when I did this for the first time, Matt Doyle said "can I tell you why I did this show?" And he was like "me and all the other baes, we're doing this show because we want to let you know we believe in you, and we support your journey. We see your artistry, we see your talent, and we want to welcome you onto the team." And I was so thankful that he said that, because I appreciated just feeling accepted, and having people validate my art. Especially people who I've created art literally because I listened to how they sing and how they create. I've been in New York for seven months now, and I can not get over how welcoming people are. With their time, and their energy, and the fact that when they see something new, they just want to help bring something out in you, or create something together.

You've previously expressed interest in working on your own music. Now that you know people are willing to come out to your shows time after time, do you now see creating your own music as a nearer path for yourself?

It's so funny you said that, because I actually just recorded an album with nine original songs!I recorded it when I did a show at Rockwood Music Hall last month, and I got it professionally audio recorded, and it is currently being mastered into an album that I'm going to put out onto platforms at the end of June. I'll actually be singing some of those original songs at the 54 Below show! They were all acoustic at the Rockwood show, and now at 54 Below it will have the whole band vibe, and you'll hear an entire band playing it. It's been really cool, because people will text me and say "oh my god, I woke up with your song stuck in my head," and that is literally all I've ever wanted! Music is my favorite part of my life, and the fact that people enjoy me doing what I love more than anything pushes me to want to keep doing it. I'm so grateful to be doing what I love most, and that people want to support it. It's a weird, surreal feeling.

What can audiences expect from this installment of "Broadway Baes?

There's gonna be dancing, which is different, and definitely will be fun. It's literally the songs that I have been singing in my shower for like years and years. I call them "rollers" because they're songs that just keep rollin' on through the years, and you know every single word to them. I'm talking Avril Lavigne, Spice Girls, Fergie, obviously Taylor Swift, because I couldn't do a show without a T Swift song, but only one! I'm doing some Legally Blonde the musical, we're doing something from The Greatest Showman, and I'm also doing originals, which blows my mind. Essentially, people can expect a night of just being whatever you want to be, and living with me. I don't want this to be a show for you to just watch, I want you to be in the show with me, singing and dancing with me. I want to people to come and live their best life.

For old fans, what would you say to convince them to come and see the show again, why is it worth revisiting?

This time, it's all new songs. The first time around was kind of just doing Broadway songs, and there were serious numbers, and I let myself get my freak on a little bit, but this time it will be happening every five minutes. They're going to get all new duets and new baes. Me, Matt Doyle, and my friend Rachel are doing this Spring Awakening/Selena Gomez mashup, which is incredible. I'm bringing my other friends in, and two of them are making their 54 Below debut which is so exciting. My one friend making her debut is literally the reason why I know what 54 Below is. She is the girl who gave me a YouTube playlist of videos from this venue and told me I needed to learn how to sing like them, and become a performer. So all of the things that like Matt Doyle, Bonnie Milligan, Ben Frankhauser, and Danny Quadrino did, we would watch them and get drunk in my living room, and say "wouldn't it be funny if we got to sing at 54 Below?" That was like four years ago now, and I saw her yesterday and said, "can you imagine if 2014 us knew what 2018 us was doing?"

What are you hoping to both take away, and give to others on this night?

I'm so excited to like, live this night I've been dreaming about. The first time it was amazing, and so much fun, and this time I want to bring the fun times two. I don't do these shows to make money, I do these shows because there's nothing I love more than creating this energy and happiness. So just to be able to make somebody smile and have a good night, and forget about what kind of shit day they had, or whatever happened to them that week is the best. I want them to go here and know they're going to have a great time. That is why I do this show, and why I love it so much.

For tickets and more information visit https://54below.com/events/tyler-conroys-broadway-bae-iversary/

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