Interview: Matt Rodin Got Married, But Is Not Getting Married in COMPANY Every Night at the Pantages

Currently at the Pantages the national touring company of the reworked Company through August 18, 2024. Marianne Elliott directs the cast of Britney Coleman, Judy McLane, Matt Bittner, Derrick Davis, Jessie Hooker-Bailey, Javier Ignacio, James Earl Jones II, Marina Kondo, Jhardon DiShon Milton, Matt Rodin, Emma Stratton, Jacob Dickey, Tyler Hardwick, David Socolar, Matthew Christian, Christopher Deangelis, Kenneth Quinney Francoeur, CJ Greer, Elysia Jordan, Beth Stafford Laird, Emilie Renier and Christopher Henry Young. Matt Rodin, the actor with the wonderful motor-mouth singing the hundred-words-a-minute tune “Not Getting Married,” took some time between shows to answer a few of my queries.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Matt! I saw the opening of Company and you KILLED it with Not Getting Married!

You got married to your husband Sam last July, the same day of the final callbacks for the national tour of Company. How much time did you have to get from your wedding to the auditions?

It’s funny - every time I read the story it’s still hard to believe. Yes - we got married surrounded by a small group of family and friends in Central Park at about 11am and our brief ceremony was over by 11:30. My audition wasn’t until 2pm, but since the subway in New York isn’t always the most reliable, I left our apartment where we were having bites and beverages at 1pm. My family and closest friends got to send me off, which was sweet - and my mom gave me her classic “Sing out, Louise.” I felt so loved and held and was grateful to be able to bring that into the audition room with me.

How long did it take you to master Not Getting Married and its speedy delivery?

My first audition was back in March of 2023, and I spent almost every day for about two and a half weeks building the song in my brain word by word. I listened to it on every commute, in the shower, on loop at home and would literally pace around the apartment drilling it. The best advice I was given came from my husband (fiancé at the time) who insisted that I get an accompaniment track made (up to show tempo) so that by the time I went in for my first audition, my body was ready and knew what to expect. I am CERTAIN that if I hadn’t done that, there was no way I could’ve pulled it off. Since that audition, it’s been about refining the intention and story of the lyric - but I still run through every single word right before the number every night, just to make sure my mouth has said it before the curtain goes up.

What versions of Not Getting Married have you heard before? I think Madelyn Kahn’s version is the standard I rate all others and yours is right up there with hers.

This is a great question that I haven’t been asked yet and I am so happy to finally nerd-out about this. I think I’ve truly seen or heard almost every rendition that exists on the internet. I was probably most inspired by the speed and accuracy of Heather Laws (2006 revival), the POV and clarity of intention of Katie Finneran (2011 with the New York Philharmonic), the comic genius and simplicity of Madelyn Kahn, and I was able to dig and find some videos of both Jonathan Bailey and Matt Doyle which were incredibly helpful in crafting Jamie’s arc. I’ll just add that I feel a lot of pride for what we’ve been able to do with the number in this touring production. Marina Kondo’s insane priest and Jhardon DiShon Milton’s sweet, sweet Paul are the best volleying partners, and the way that Marianne Elliot staged it inside of Bunny Christie’s brilliant design all converge into something bigger than any one of us. When I hear the audience's reaction at the end of the song every night, I often think of Steve and all the people I just mentioned and try to channel whatever energy I’m receiving to them. It’s a gift beyond words to get to ride that train eight times a week.

How long from that callback til you found out you booked Jamie?

The turnaround time from the callback to “the call” was only a few days - but keep in mind that my first audition was in March, and I didn’t officially book the job until July. It was a long process, but it all happened as it was supposed to.

Have you worked with any of Company’s cast or creatives before?

The only person in the company who I had a previous relationship with was Kathryn Alison (who’s since left our tour for her next adventure.) Her and I have known each other for more than 10 years and watching one another grow in this industry has been a special treat. Kathryn was one the first guests on my podcast, she’s performed in concerts I’ve hosted and organized, and getting to perform in this show together felt like the culmination of years of love and respect for each other’s gifts. We both felt a lot of pride watching the other tackle this show every night.

Are you working on any of your other projects while playing Jamie?

Not surprisingly, tour has been pretty all-consuming. But I have been writing songs that I’m hoping to release on another live record sometime in the winter (I released my first back in the spring of 2020.) There are other seedlings of projects that I’m not quite ready to talk about yet, but I will be picking up the podcast (The Come Up) where we left off when the tour wraps up in October.

Thank you again, Matt! Continued success on Not Getting Married!

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