Interview: Dillon Klena of JAGGED LITTLE PILL at Proctors

The national tour of JAGGED LITTLE PILL, the musical based on Alanis Morisette's album of the same name, is due to arrive in Schenectady on May 2. Winner of the Tony award for Best Book, the show follows the Healy family as they deal with some heavy life issues. Making his touring debut, Dillon Klena is playing the role of Nick Healy (a role his brother Derek originated on Broadway) and I had the opportunity to chat with him about how it's going.

BWW: Hey Dillon! How are you this afternoon?

Dillon: Good! We're in Chicago right now. It's currently raining outside, so we went to the Art Institute - me and a couple of castmates. The "SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE" painting [A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat] is here, so I saw that and it was pretty cool. It's a nice day weather-wise, other than that: it's raining, but it's warm!

BWW: Amazing! Hopefully when you come to Proctors in Schenectady, we can offer you a nice spring day, as well! So, what first inspired you to start performing?

D: Well, my brother and my sister started performing very young. When they started performing, my mother was pregnant with me and she actually did a show with me in her belly and I kicked for the first time during the production, so my mom knew that I was most likely going to be involved in this business. When I was three years old, I did my first show! It was either BIG RIVER or GREASE. I guess I was the youngest kid in their program at the time. It was kinda crazy. So, ever since then I've been just doing it! It's the only thing I've ever truly connected to - it's a part of me. My brother, my sister and I grew up performing as The Klena Kids and we won some talent shows in West Covina. We even made a Christmas album that we sent as a Christmas card one year! [Laughing]

BWW: You've been involved in theater your entire life! What have been some of your favorite roles?

D: I loved playing Jack Kelly in NEWSIES - I would play that role over and over. I loved playing Melchior Gabor in SPRING AWAKENING. Oh! And Quasimodo in DISNEY'S THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. I love physical roles where you have to change who you are. One of my dream roles is Elephant Man! I love delving into that world. When I was in my teens, I saw Bradley Cooper when he did it in New York; my mom was in love with Bradley Cooper, so we went. And I remember being amazed at how an actor can prepare for that kind of role and rigorous of a piece. I was transfixed and inspired by that. I love roles that are eye-opening to people.

BWW: I saw on your website that you graduated right as the pandemic hit with your BFA in Musical Theater...right as theater was shutting down. What has that experience been like?

D: Especially because it's my life blood and my one consistent thing, graduating with my degree in Musical Theater - and then going into a world without it - was very devastating for me. I was not sure if it was ever going to come back, so I tried to find alternatives to still do what I loved to do, or find outlets to perform or create in an artistic way. I started making music. When we went into the pandemic, my senior project was making a mini EP for my class; I released it on Spotify! (My artist name is Dilly_K - look up my song!) It was a very crazy time. I was trying to figure out what to do with my life if theater didn't ever come back. But, it fueled my desire for it and my love for it even more because I was more appreciative of it. Before the pandemic, going to school for Musical Theater, I was doing it every day, and I felt like it was always going to be that way. Sometimes I took it for granted. Then, when the pandemic hit, that was all stripped away. I went through a depressive cycle of not knowing what I was going to do with my life if I didn't have this - and I lost my passion for it because it wasn't there. My first big show coming out of the pandemic was NEWSIES in 2022; it was cast before the pandemic, so we waited two years to do it! I had played Jack Kelly a couple times before, but revisiting something familiar from a new view was really inspiring for me and I think it refueled my fire. It was the first time I felt confident again in the craft and doing what I love to do. When theater came back, I wondered if I still had "it." I had to relearn and take baby steps to work my way back up to where I was before, which was really hard. It took me a lot to get there, but I feel like I'm in a place now where I love the craft and want to keep pursuing it with more fire and drive.

BWW: And now you're on your first national tour with JAGGED LITTLE PILL playing Nick Healy! For those who may be familiar with the Alanis Morissette album of the same title but not with the Broadway show, can you tell us a little bit about what to expect?

D: JAGGED LITTLE PILL is about the Healy family and, to the common eye, they look like this perfect family with no issues at all. But, when you look deeper inside and see what happens behind closed doors, you realize that all these people have issues they can't accept and move beyond. The audience is going to be taken through a lot of emotions. We talk about a lot of deep subjects: sexual assault and drug addiction, for example. I would recommend that people come in knowing Alanis Morissette's music, too! Listen to the original album "Jagged Little Pill" - don't listen to the Broadway cast recording - but listen to her album. You're going to be in for a treat. There are some dark elements, but it's very comedic. There is something everyone can connect with.

BWW: Another amazing piece of JAGGED LITTLE PILL trivia: your brother Derek originated this role on Broadway and now you're taking it on tour! What is it like following in your brother's footsteps? Have you talked about it?

D: I originally auditioned for the show in the fall of 2021, and they were looking for a replacement for the role of Phoenix. They were looking for a quick replacement and I wasn't living in New York, so it just didn't work out. But, in February 2022, I got an audition for Nick. When that happened, I called my brother and he was like, "No way!" He had no idea. So, I auditioned and got a callback for both Nick and Phoenix. I went through the whole audition process and, when I booked the role, I went to dinner with my brother because I was in New York when it happened. (Actually! A year ago yesterday was when I found out!) So, we went to dinner and...I don't know if they want me to say this. [Laughing] My character gets slapped in the show by Miss Heidi Blickenstaff [who plays my mother] and who was also in the Broadway show. So, the first thing that my brother said after I told him I got the part is, "Heidi is gonna beat the living s*** out of you!" [Laughing] Because we do a real slap. I love her to death, but some days we have some slaps!!! Then we just started talking about commercial theater and he said, "You're in it now! You're gonna be in this world now. It all starts somewhere." It was a really great realization for both of us. I had been doing shows my whole life, but now, getting to do my first national tour and do an 8-show week with a long run, I feel grateful for it.

BWW: Has sharing this role made you closer?

D: My brother moved to New York when I was 8 so I didn't really know him. I was a kid. (He is 7 years older than me.) In 2020, at Christmas, he was taking one of our cars to New York and he decided to make a roadtrip out of it - and he invited me. It was just me and him for 10 days driving from California to New York. We had never had an experience like that getting to know each other. And I was now an adult, so we could bond as adults. That trip really strengthened our friendship: not just brothers, but friends. And, having him and his guidance on this tour has been great. There are a couple of fun things to note about sharing this role, too. All of the props that he used I now use! And when we were doing our fittings for the show, they were trying all the costumes on me: some were his, some weren't. Then they started trying on shoes and the first pair they tried on were Derek's shoes from the show. I tried them on and they fit perfectly! Inside, the tag still said "D. Klena." Then they said, "Well, you're not going to wear those. We're going to get something else for you." And I said, "Why can't I wear these? You don't even have to change the tag!" [Laughing] So, I wear the original Nick Healy shoes in the show. That's a thing we both get to hold onto. And, at the end of my journey with JAGGED, I will be taking those shoes and my brother and I will both sign them and put them in the Klena Vault. There is no Klena Vault, yet...but there will be. [Laughing] It's been a great experience with the show and having that guidance. My brother is great. We have a really great relationship.

BWW: So, what's your favorite moment in the show?

D: Oh boy. I really love the first scene that I have in show - that's one of my favorite moments for me. My favorite moment overall? "That I Would Be Good" and "Uninvited." Those two are amazing. But, my answer always changes. That's the great thing about this show: the music never gets old! We are on 200 performances. (That's wild to me! It feels just like yesterday we were starting at the Pantages and now I'm halfway through my contract! Time flies when you're in your little bubble on tour!) I am constantly listening to the same songs in different ways. I love the music. There's a reason why it's still around.

BWW: What advice would you give your character Nick?

D: Nick does everything the way it's supposed to be. I'd tell him, "Don't be afraid to take risks!"

BWW: Thanks so much for your time, Dillon! Looking forward to seeing the show at Proctors.

D: Thank you! Yes, see you soon!

JAGGED LITTLE PILL arrives in Schenectady at Proctors on May 2, 2023 and runs through Sunday, March 7th, 2023. Tickets and more information may be found at www.proctors.org.

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